9 Things I Didn't Realise I Had Forgotten about the Prisoner of Azkaban

18:32 Cilla 8 Comments




I am a die-hard Potterhead. I know the movies by heart. I write Harry Potter fanfictions. "You still love Harry Potter?" "Always." I remember everything about the books. Or so I thought.

See, I left my copies of Harry Potter at my parents' house, and so the only one I've reread in the last five years or so is Deathly Hallows. I've contented myself with the movies, which air on a regular basis on TV anyway, until recently when I discovered the audiobooks. Narrated by Stephen Fry, they're brilliant as bedtime stories. It wasn't until I got to Prisoner of Azkaban that I discovered something else: I've forgotten some details about the book's version of events.

Insert multiple shocked-face emojis here.

Beware: spoilers ahead if you haven't read the book.

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Blog Tour: 27 Days to Midnight by Kristine Kruppa

17:15 Cilla 3 Comments


Welcome to my tour stop for 27 Days to Midnight by Kristine Kruppa! This is a young adult steampunk novel and the tour runs May 16-27 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. 27 Days to Midnight released May 3rd by Giant Squid Books. The cover art is by artist Elizabeth Early.

Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

About the Book:


Everyone in Dahlia's world knows when they're going to die. Except her.

Her father has never shown her the pocket watch counting down the days she has left to live. When he sacrifices himself to save her from her scheduled death, Dahlia abandons her comfortable home and sets off after his murderer to uncover the secrets her father died to protect…and the time research that could bring him back to life.
Then she meets Farren Reed. She should hate him. He’s an enemy soldier, a cowardly deserter, and the most insufferable man Dahlia’s ever met. Still, she needs all the help she can get, and Farren is the only chance she has to find the man who murdered her father. But Farren has only twenty-seven days left on his watch.

In that time, Dahlia must recover her father’s time research, foil a psychotic general’s plot, and learn to survive in a world that will never be the same. But the research holds secrets more dangerous than she had ever imagined. She will have to choose what is most important: revenge, Farren's life, or her own. And time is running out.

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5 Problems With Reading on the Commute

17:29 Cilla 18 Comments



I've been taking the public transport a lot more this year. Apart from rush hour, the occasional dodgy people, and occasional delays, I don't mind it much. There is one definite good thing about it: the extra two hours I get to read during the day!

Still, reading on a moving vehicle isn't always easy. Here are some potential problems I've run into:

1. You need to concentrate on maintaining balance (when standing)

I don't know about you, but if I don't hold on to the handrail when I stand on a moving train/bus/tram, 8 times out of 10 I will topple over. So I need to use a hand to hold on. I have yet to master the art of holding open a book with just one hand. There is a solution though: audiobooks + earphones!

2. Not enough time!

Sometimes I get to an excellent part of the book, I get really into it, aaand I reach my stop. Few things are as disappointing as having to peel myself off a story and get on with reality. Though this scenario is preferably to...

3. Missing your stop

This nearly happened to me last week. Most of the times I'm keen on avoiding this and would look up from my book every now and again to check where I am. Sometimes, though, a book is just too engrossing!

4. When you come across a sexy scene, and there are people around you

I can't be the only one who feels super awkward when reading sexy scenes in public, right?? I'm always super conscious of people possibly looking over my shoulder.

5. Thick books = shoulder ache

This is less about the actual reading and more about how to get a book there, really. I have seen people read massive hardcovers on the train, but I hate having to fit one into my (already crowded and heavy) backpack. I prefer light paperbacks and ebooks for my commute, which works just fine - except when I'm really keen on reading a big book. (I've been procrastinating on reading The Diviners because I'm not willing to lug it around all day with me.)

Despite all of this, commuting is so much more enjoyable when I get to read! It's a matter of finding the right book, and keeping half of my attention on the road :D


Let's talk!
Do you like to read when you get on public transport? 
What do you love/hate about it?

18 comments:

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Snazzy Snippets (2) -- When the Writing Hits A Wall

10:47 Cilla 0 Comments


Snazzy Snippets is a bi-monthly link-up for writers hosted by Emily of Loony Literate and Alyssa of The Devil Orders Takeout. Every two months, Emily and Alyssa post three prompts which you then share a 500 word of less snippet of your writing in response to each prompt.

Since I was staring down 5 assignments to be completed in 4 weeks, I decided to skip Camp NaNo in April. I found time to write though! Progress was slow as I kept getting stuck and changing my mind about what I wanted to happen. So, the theme for this month's Snazzy Snippets is actually perfect for me. You're about to read some snippets that I'm fairly sure I'll either scrap or heavily revise

The prompts this month are:

A snippet that was difficult to write (define ‘difficult’ as you like!)
or
A snippet you had a lot of fun writing
or
A snippet you plan to delete/significantly revise

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Quick Stops (1)

08:53 Cilla 4 Comments



I have been reading a lot more than I have been reviewing lately. My first thought when I sat down to actually write down my thoughts was "Great, I can queue a bunch of posts!" Then I found out that I either don't remember enough of the story to write a thoughtful review, or just don't have that much to say about something. So, welcome to my first edition of mini reviews, or as I'm calling it here, Quick Stops!





Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres: I love Ellen, and I couldn't resist when I saw a secondhand copy of this book. If you've ever watched the monologues she does for her show, this is pretty much like those: funny and warm. There were some parts that I felt didn't come across as well on paper as they would be spoken out loud. Still, this book made me laugh multiple times.  (★★★★)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner: I know this is like the cardinal sin of bookworms or something at that level, but it has to be said: I saw the movie before I read the book, and I really enjoyed the movie. Then I read the book and just... did not like it. Maybe I'm not the intended audience; maybe Thomas just grates on my nerves; maybe I wasn't in the mood for angsty teenage boys. Whatever it was, the book is not for me. (DNF)

Risk by Fleur Ferris: Fleur Ferris is a former police officer and paramedic, so you know there's a good dose of reality in this story. I'm generally wary of stories that seem to be written as a cautionary tale about the internet, as they can come off condescending. Risk doesn't; it gives us a glimpse into what can happen if someone falls prey into an online predator without talking down to its audience. I find the characters flat, however, and despite everything that happens in the book, I couldn't quite feel for them. (★★★)




The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: My first foray into Stiefvater's writing happened quite accidentally. I was browsing the library's catalogue for audiobooks, and this was one of the options. I love the setting, both the small town feel of the island and the capaill uisce (I just had to google how to spell that). I love both Puck and Sean (the fact that I developed a voice-crush on the actor for Sean did not hurt), though I was constantly frustrated by Puck's brothers. The actual race didn't hold my interest as much as soon as Puck and Sean sorted out their emotions. I thought the ending was perfect though. (★★★★)

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner: I've heard rave reviews about These Broken Stars all over bookstagram and the book blogging community, so when I spotted it on a library shelf, I picked it up. One of the best decisions I made at the library, to be honest. I could not put this book down. I love how there was so few expositions, yet it was so easy to understand the world the characters operate in, and to understand the characters' back stories too. The plot kept me turning the pages the whole time; just when you think the stakes couldn't be higher, it got worse. I loved it. (★★★★★)


Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
If you haven't, do you think you will pick up one of them?

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April 2016 Rewind

19:40 Cilla 10 Comments


Hello there! How did you go in April? For me, April was a balancing act (as always), but it was also a fun month.

In Life


  • My friend got me to sign up for Active April, which basically challenged you to do something active for 30 minutes every day. I failed quite miserably, but I managed to exercise at least once a week. That's an improvement from practically never, so maybe it's not a complete failure after all!
  • I've never been much of a cook, but lately I've been making myself try out new recipes. Really simple ones, of course, but I'll take my little victories. Like managing to cook a nice steak with mushroom sauce and roast veggies. 
  • Cor and I went to see a talk by Isobelle Carmody, which was absolutely fascinating. I'm not as familiar with her work as Cor is - read about what that experience was like for her here - but I always love listening to writers discuss their writing process. 

New to My Shelves


That's right, I only got one book this month, and it's from the library. I'm actually sticking to my book buying ban! A Court of Thorns and Roses is my first foray into Sarah J. Maas' writing, so I'm finally seeing what all the buzz is about.

Reviews

Other Things on the Blog


  • I celebrated my first blogoversary
  • I joined a cool new meme by Geraldine @ Coralling Books and Joan @ Fiddler Blue called Conversations! Every fortnight, they post a prompt to discuss. Check out my responses to April's topics here.
  • Not exactly on the blog, but related - I started joining photo challenges on instagram, for one. I'm still not very good at posting everyday (and for the most part I can't 'cause I don't have the right books anyway) but the challenges push me to be more creative with my photos. Check out my April photos here!  
  • I'm so behind on replying to comments and commenting back. D: Sorry! I really do appreciate the time everyone takes to comment, so I will be replying! 

Challenges Progress

  • Goodreads challenge: 16/30 books
  • Discussion challenge: 3/24 discussion posts
  • Diverse Reads challenge: 4 books
  • #RockMyTBR challenge: 4 books
  • Backlist Books challenge: 6 books
  • Around the World challenge: Book Map
  • Commenting 365 challenge: 44/365 comments 

In Store for Next Month

  • Reviews for some OzYA titles! And reviews in general. I've been reading a lot this last two months. It's quite intimidating to think of how many reviews I could write actually.
  • Hopefully some discussion posts, whether it's a response to Conversations or my own idea.
  • Another installment of Plucked: From Page to Screen. Technical difficulties have gotten in the way in April, but hopefully Cam and I can bring you the next one this month!

How was your April? Did you try something new? 
What was your favourite book you read last month?
Do you have a bookstagram? Leave me your username in the comments if you do!

10 comments:

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Am I a YA Blogger? A Mini Identity Crisis

18:30 Cilla 14 Comments

image source


I read a lot of YA. I love the genre and practically everything it encompasses. When I started blogging, the YA bloggers community is the one I gravitated towards, and I love it. The longer I blog though, the more hesitant I am to label myself a YA blogger. In fact, I'm hesitant to label myself with any genre.

14 comments:

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