Dusting Off The Shelf Read-A-Thon

I found this little read-a-thon a couple of days ago and jumped at the chance to participate. For one, the topic seemed perfect, as it gave me the excuse to read a few old and neglected reads. The idea is inspired. Also, it only lasted 2 weeks and for once I actually WASN'T LATE TO FIND IT! Plus, the host is only Books & Cleverness, one of my all time favourite blogs!

Who wouldn't want to give it a go?

Here is a post where she discusses the challenges:

Click Me

And here is a post where she discusses the read-a-thon in general:

No Click Me

Challenges.

• Read a book set in the past.
• Read a classic.
• Read a book written before 2010.
• Read at least 100 pages a day.
• And of course…the books must be neglected by you!

MY UTTERLY SPLENDIFEROUS TBR.

• Read a book set in the past: Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Read a classic: I'm gunna have to pitch for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald. My sister literally raves about this novel... and I know it's shameful of me to say I have not read or watched it.
• Read a book written before 2010: The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This is the same choice as Emily's, purely because the film is coming out so soon and I need to read it before then. Also my brother raves about this ... we have a very raving family.

I would really love it, and I am sure Emily would too if you could participate in the read-a-thon!

I shall keep you posted on my progress through here and twitter using the hashtag: #dustingofftheshelf 

So what have we achieved in this post? We have learnt of my raving family, my lack in organisational skills when it comes to books as this post is a day before the reading starts, and the shame of me using the word splendiferous in a title.

I'm just that awesome.

Probably the best gif I have ever seen.

Like, Love, Loathe #1

Like, Love, Loathe is a weekly blog meme hosted by Futures and Life in a Break Down. Where we discuss our likes, loves and loathes of the week!

 LIKE 

My like of the week would have to be The Commonwealth Games, mainly the swimming, cycling and athletics! It has (kind of) fixed by Olympics craving and will tide me over until Rio 2016.

The funny thing is I am about as sporty as a carrot so I have no clue why I like it so much!

 LOVE 

The weather, obviously! It is so sunny here in England (what a surprise!) and we have been taking the full advantage of it, with about a thousand barbecues, a freezer full of ice-cream and a sun lounger.

 LOATHE 

Summer animals.

I am pretty sure the garden population of wasps, flies and slugs has tripled this summer. The slugs that wade across the grass in formation are rather amusing though, almost like it's an army.

(Crap I bet it is...)

What have you been loving and loathing this summer?

Top Ten Tuesday #2 - Authors I Own The Most Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bloggish meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish in which we list our top 10 of a certain topic. This week's topic was 'Authors I Own The Most Books From' and so here it is (... in reverse order because again, I'm not conforming to society's norms #rebel):

4 Books.
I have 4 books by both Malorie Blackman and Pseudonymous Bosch (that name took a long time to write...). 

The Noughts And Crosses series, as of yet, I am enjoying and have a signed copy of Noble Conflict. 
I can literally feel your intense jealousy.

And the 'secret' series I used to read when I was younger; they were actually really good, and I love the titles, and front page of these books.

5 Books.

I don't know quite how this happened, or if it counts but I have 2 books of both Catching Fire and Mockingjay... And because Suzanne Collins is amazing, I decided to allow it as 5 so she could make the list.

I also have 5 books of the Skullduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy

6 Books.

I'm guessing these are by multiple authors?!

I also have 6 Rick Riordan books. Of which I have probably read 2...

13 Books & 3rd Place.

I have 13 Enid Blyton books from when I was younger. I used to be in love with these mysteries, and my best friend from ages ago bought me the Famous Five book. 

I also have another 13 books from another favourite childhood author - Lemony Snicket (or Daniel Handler, his real name)

15 Books & 2nd Place.

Robert Muchamore and the infamous Cherub and Henderson Boys series. I absolutely still adore these books, and am pretty sure I have read all of them 3 times each.

8 of the books are on my Kindle hence why there are only the 7 in this picture 

20 Books & 1st Place

I'm pretty sure that's some kind of record

Anthony Horowitz. 

My pre-teen writing hero for the StormBreaker series and his horror short-stories, these books have been read at least 5 times each, and remain in the coveted top shelf of the bookcase.

I would love to read your TTTs so comment below the links and I will be sure to check them out! 

Which author has the top shelf of your bookcase?

E-Reader Review | Kindle Fire

My staple holiday pack is my Kindle Fire HD 7", and it always manages to secure a coveted place in my hand-luggage.

The Amazon tablet, not just allows you to read your favourite books, but also play apps, listen to music, and trawl through a plethora of assorted films and TV shows.

You can buy this device for a very cheap price of only 119 pounds, making me believe the buy is worth it.

Pros.

One of the biggest factors I look for in an E-Reader is whether or not it is easy to read on holiday, in the sun - and I think that once the brightness has been turned up, the device passes this test.

The HD is incredible. 

There is so much more to do than just read books on this device,  such as watching a movie, divulging into copious amounts of apps or listening to music.

There are so many books!

Extensive settings, and parental controls; and the whole device is very easy to use.

The speakers, for an E-Reader are fantastic.

Cons.

It seems as if Amazon are trying to plug their name everywhere and trying desperately to get you to buy content.

The device can be sluggish to turn on, and slow at times.

There are other devices (such as the iPad) with a wider range of apps to offer, but I suppose the point of the E-Reader is mainly the books.

The camera isn't fantastic.

Outlook.

I really like my E-Reader, and what can I say? It does the job. I know that there are more flexible devices out there, but the Kindle does what it is supposed to, and offers some fantastic other features. Furthermore, for such a cheap price, I would definitely recommend it!

Do you have an E-Reader?

Love The Little Things | Week 1

Love the Little Things is a weekly blog meme hosted by But Why Mummy Why (I first found it here, by Me, Bookshelf and I) in which we appreciate the little things that have made up our week.

Read.

The Shock Of The Fall - Nathan Filer

And Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman

Watched.

Film-wise: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes,

And you can read the review of that here.

TV-wise: Nothing in particular ... the Hell's Kitchen finals, Big Brother, the Commonwealth Games, a few re-runs of How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory.

Heard.

I am raving about the album X (Multiply) by Ed Sheeran at the moment, and have heard every single track copious amounts of times... it's almost an obsession.

Also George Ezra's new album 'Wanted On Voyage' is pretty darn incredible.

Played.

I am now a master at MarioKart 8. You're all jealous.

Wore.

I have practically lived in my chino shorts this summer. I have a fair few pairs (namely 7), with a good mixture of pastel and bright colours. They tie in with any outfit and are perfect summer wear in my mind.

A few of my favourite colours. Going down they are:

Mint Green

Light Grey

Coral

And due to the adversely sunny weather here in the UK at the moment, I am also loving my SuperDry Sunglasses.

And.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and instagram it.

I want to know what you've been reading this past week? Any decent recommendations?

If you want to join the tag, just post on your blog and link to Butwhymummywhy; also comment the posts down below so I can check them out too!

Bookish Question Tag

What's better than bookish questions? Unnecessarily long lists of bookish questions! 

I first saw this list at The Notebook Sisters, but it is believed to have originated here.

The list originally consisted of 55 questions, but because I'm lazy and I know you wouldn't want to trawl through all 55, I condensed the list to just my favourite 27 questions!

1. Favourite childhood book?

The Tiger Who Came To Tea (a rather unusual subject looking back on it)  or any Dr. Seuss book ever.

2. What are you reading right now?

I have two books on the go at the moment: Noughts And Crosses by Malorie Blackman which I have heard great things about, and a rather impulse buy yesterday of The Shock Of The Fall by Nathan Filer.

3. Bad book habit?

Not giving books a chance, and putting them down in the first couple of chapters. In my defence, who really wants to read a boring book?

4. Do you have an E-Reader?

A Kindle Fire, my staple holiday pack.

5. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or multiple?

I would say that I could read 2 or 3 at once. Any more and my brain leaves my head.

6. Least favourite book you've read this year?

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 

A tad extreme but still...

7. Favourite book you've read this year?

Easily The Fault In Our Stars, or Black Friday, or Ready Player One.

8. Do you usually read out of your comfort zone? What is it?

I would say I read a good variety of books, but my comfort zone is definitely dystopian type novels.

9. Can you read in the car?

Can you?

10. Favourite place to read?

Wherever and whenever.

11. Do you ever dog-ear or write in your books?

Who do you think I am?!

12. Favourite genre?

Dystopian - hands down.

13. Genre you rarely read but want to more.

I used to love reading thriller/horror type books,, and really want to get into them again.

14. Favorite biography?

15. Best reading snack?

Anything sweet.

16. Do you often agree with critics when it comes to books?

I usually don't agree with what the critics say. You know  - be different and all.

17. Most intimidating book I've read?

Probably something weighty like Dickens, or Austen. 

18. Most intimidating book I don't want to read?

I do not want to read The Lord Of The Rings. Persuade me if you want.

19. Favourite Poet?

Spike Milligan (and not just due to his pretty awesome name).

20. What distracts you most when reading?

The TV in the background. Weirdly, I can read and listen to music at the same time though.

21. Favourite film adaptation?

Probably Catching Fire (I liked the book the least out of the trilogy but the film was amazing) or The Fault In Our Stars.

22. Most amount of money spent on a book haul?

I have never really noticed how much I have spent, but  probably around the 40 pound mark.

23. How often do you skim your books before reading?

I don't like skimming as I always manage to read the most important twist of the book.

24. A book you have been avoiding?

Again, The Lord Of The Rings. I have seen the films and am not the biggest fan *sorry*. I don't really want to trawl through the novels.

25. Book you didn't except to like but did?

The Lord Of The Flies by William Golding. Wow this book is brutal.

26. Book you expected to like but didn't?

Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I wouldn't say I didn't like it but in my opinion it wasn't the best of reads.

27. Favourite 'easy' reading?

Anthony Horowitz.

Try answering the questions on your blog and then comment the link down below because I would love to check them out!

But for in the comments, who are your favourite poets, authors and people you read without much effort?

Top Ten Tuesday #1 - Characters I Wouldn't Want With Me On A Deserted Island

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, where every Tuesday you list your top 10 in a certain topic. This week's topic was '10 Characters I Would Want With Me On A Deserted Island' but to avoid being too similar to everyone else, and rebel from society's norms, I decided to list the 10 characters I wouldn't want to live with. I know, it's bad of me but what can I say? I'm too hardcore to abide by the rules.

Oh the individuality

Jack from Lord Of The Flies

If you have read the book, you will realise that this young boy of around 10 has killed some three people on his stay at the deserted island. I wouldn't want to know what he would do to my desert island crew - yikes.

Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter

I realise that everyone will probably be aghast at the choice, but here are the reasons. I'm pretty sure he would start an argument with all of us 'muggles' and his hairspray fumes would probably kill everyone.

A mildly amusing meme

Gandalf from Lord Of The Rings

Bar Dumbledore (who seems like a bucket of fun) old wizards kind of bore me. If you are an elderly wizard why can't you just magic yourself younger again? It would sort the wrinkles out at the least.

Holden Caulfield from Catcher In The Rye

Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine. 

Gollum from Lord Of The Rings

He seems as if he would claim all of the resources as his own ... Plus he sort of creeps me out ...

Lydia Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

1. She's very annoying. 2. She's from like the Stone Age, so there would be a total culture clash there.

Snow White (and all 7 dwarves)

Snow White obviously thinks herself more highly than to listen to instructions - if we told here to not let Gollum steal anything, she would happily let him take all of our coconuts, oblivious to what we said. Plus, carrying 7 dwarves behind your back at all times is bound to get annoying.

Foxface from The Hunger Games

She says she's good with plants and knowing what to eat and all...and then she died because she ate poisonous berries. Sounds like someone who is telling the truth and has their life under control?

Macbeth from Macbeth

Err ... duhh he killed everyone. (well more or less...)

The Whole of the Twilight Cast

They can't even sort their relationship triangle out, plus one can't be in the sun, and one turns into a rather scary-looking werewolf - did they ever actually expect an invite from me?!

I would love to find out who your 10 people would be, that you would or wouldn't want with you! So comment your links in the description and I will check them all out!

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Review

An explosive addition to one of the most popular film franchises around, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes manages to blend together brutal war and moral depth with high success. 

Matt Reeves does a fantastic job, and I must admit surpasses my prior expectations, in the whole making and concept of the film; how they quite managed to pull of such an extraordinary and impressive feat of special effects still baffles me, with apes wielding guns and riding horses left, right and centre.I do think that this film has been pitched near-perfectly, with just the right amounts of drama, suspense, emotion and horror all encapsulated in the piece. 

What really surprised me about this film, is that there was a constant plot, and the pace didn't drop for too long. I'm not going to spoil it too much for you, as I thoroughly recommend you watch it for yourself, so here is just a basic plot line. A very basic plot line. 

I started the film off with a huge bucket of popcorn to the ready, and an open mind on what I was about to witness. A thorough ten minutes of animal grunted sign-language was to follow with a pretty spectacular 'monkey meets deer meets bear' type deal. The film, as I said, never really at a stand-still, moved straight into the major plot twist - the apes stumbled across a group of humans.

The apes and the humans had many different interactions throughout the film, with our protagonists Caesar and Malcolm (Jason Clarke) forming a strong alliance, or 'trust' in each other over a dam project for the survivors city. Meanwhile Koba, Caesar's former pal, is off shooting humans and hatching an evil plan.

A touching father-son scene, amidst a pretty fatal, yet spectacular all the same war scene later I ended the film with a couple of unanswered questions, a 'what used to be' huge bucket of popcorn and a very urgent need to pee. 

Firstly, shoutout to possibly the most kickass gentle giant ever, Maurice the ginger orang-utan. 

I left the cinema, having thoroughly enjoyed such a brilliant blockbuster, with the ending still replaying itself in my mind. The apes all accept Caesar as the leader, and there is a rather touching end scene of him standing with his family, and possibly the cutest baby monkey special effect I have ever seen in my life. And possibly the only baby monkey special effect I have ever seen in my life. 

But Caesar's ending line, 'war has only just begun' was hauntingly eerie, and surely has to open this major blockbuster up to making another sequel. 

The military are still on the way to fight the apes, which is an absolute disaster, as now Caesar is back in control, the apes are good once more (well until they fight the humans in the next film I suppose...).

Too much animal grunting, and no real need for 3D glasses put aside, I really did enjoy this film and thoroughly recommend it as it is worth the watch. The special effects are brilliant, as is the casting, the tension felt is immense and the apes are all pretty hardcore. 

Apes, fire, guns, a guy with glasses, and touching moments throughout, why wouldn't you want to watch this movie?

I give this film 4 1/2 Moustaches.

Oh the pun.

Do you have any film recommendations from recent releases/coming soons?