Winter and Festive Reading

If you've seen my post on my Personal Blog then you'll know that to me, it's pretty much Christmas now! To some of you this might seem really strange if you are still counting down to Thanksgiving or Hanukkah for example but here in the UK we don't celebrate Thanksgiving and I'm personally not religious so for a lot of people, including myself after Bonfire Night- It's Christmas! Commence the battle of "I really want to sing insert Christmas song here but is that allowed yet? Will I get three years of bad luck?" Pretty much everyday from November 5th. So in that interest, clearly I need to get my act together and get started on reading or re-reading some festive or wintery books!



The Winter Ghosts- Kate Moss

"In the winter of 1928, still seeking some kind of resolution to the horrors of World War I, Freddie is traveling through the beautiful but forbidding French Pyrenees. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. Dazed, he stumbles through the woods, emerging in a tiny village, where he finds an inn to wait out the blizzard. There he meets Fabrissa, a lovely young woman also mourning a lost generation.
Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories. By the time dawn breaks, Freddie will have unearthed a tragic, centuries-old mystery, and discovered his own role in the life of this remote town."

I read this last year in July (I know guys I know) its a really beautiful book set in the winter of 1928 following a young man called Freddie who has returned from war and is traveling through the forbidding French Pyrenees. The best thing about the book in my memory was the illustrations! They are so pretty and make you think of being little and reading picture books *reminisces*. The story also has beautiful descriptions it really is lovely. Even if you're not a massive fan of ghost stories I would give this a go it's really wonderful winter reading. I would really love to give her Languedoc series a read too.

Dash and Lilly's Book of Dares- Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Someone recommended this too me as a winter/ Christmassy book (once again I was going to read it in July) and it's been under by radar for a little while now because of it being said to be similar to the style and genre of John Green's writing which naturally appealed to me straight away! Also it sounds like a really cute winter romance and everyone wants to share the love at Christmas right?

Let it Snow- John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

"An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve
buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House ( and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista."

It's a series of Christmas short stories and one of which is by John Green- what more is there to say here?

Peter Pan- J.M. Barrie

"The boy who refuses to grow up teaches Wendy and her younger brothers how to fly. Then it's off to magical Neverneverland for adventures with mermaids, Indians, and wicked Captain Hook and his pirate crew.  "

Because its nearly Panto season and Peter pan is a Pantomime classic. Then of course there's the whole London element and the idea of cold winters and of course the fact that when I last went to London it was with school near Christmas and the decorations in Covent Garden and the tree in Trafalgar square  next to the Olympic countdown (it was 2011) it was all so beautiful! Of course Christmas in Nottingham is lovely too with the German Market and Victoria Centre tree and the Shop window displays but there's something about seeing Christmas somewhere new- this year I'm going to Belgium in December which is supposed to be beautiful if a bit nippy. Peter Pan is of course a children's classic that I've been wanting to read for a while now!

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

"Cathy is a beautiful and willful young woman torn between her soft-hearted husband and Heathcliff, the passionate and resentful man who has loved her since childhood. The power of their bond creates a maelstrom of cruelty and violence which will leave one of them dead and cast a shadow over the lives of their children. Emily Brontë’s novel is a stunningly original and shocking exploration of obsessive passion."

Now I've heard that this can be a bit of a killer in terms of length and pace but its a classic set in "ye cold moors of Yorkshire" so now seems like the time of year to give this classic a go!

What do you want to read in the run up to Christmas? Leave your Top 5 in the comments!

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A Question or Two

I saw these questions on on my FAVOURITE book blog Flip that Page and I just had to answer but I decided that rarther than leave a monster comment I would make if into an actual blog post! You ready?

1. What's your favourite debut novel and why? 

With out a doubt John Greens debut novel Looking for Alaska! It makes you laugh until you cry then cry until you laugh- by far my favourite author!

2. If your favourite book were a movie who would you cast for the main roles?

Favourite book? What are you trying to do to me?? Generally though just put Ansel Elgort in it and I'll be fine! In all seriousness most of my favourite books are already cast for films :P

• The Fault in our Stars- Made
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Watched and loved
• The Hunger Games-  ditto

3. What is one genre that you'd like to be more open about?

This ones a toss up between Horror and British Classic Literature. Some how I seem to fall into American classics so easily but I struggle with British lit sometimes because for a start, they are often a lot slower and for someone who's life is dominated by school it can be hard to sit for more than an hour at a time to really get into a book. Horror on the other hand I'm scared to get into. How fitting :P 

4. What's your most anticipated 2014 release?
 

City of Heavenly Fire. I need to know how it ends okay?? Also don't judge me but I still haven't read a certain series by the same author. I will but I'm sorry I just can't seem to read anything but school books right now!! Fitzgerald anyone? I've got Salinger and Carol Ann Duffey on the go too if that's more your thing :) 

Also if you're up for writing an AS-level essay then you know where I am :)
 

5. If you could meet one book character in real life, who would it be and why?

I have 3:

• Finnick Odair- Need I justify? The most attractive guy in Panem!

• Atticus Finch- because he's so wise and moral. 

• Clary Fray- some people need to be told how ridiculous they sound and to get a blooming grip! 

6. What's your biggest bookish regret?

 

I have started a series about this but books in general as opposed to individ respecting children's classic literature when it was socially acceptable to be seen reading them in public. Not that that ever holds me back now!

7. What's the origin of your blog's name? 

Awesome Reads and Misperceives is the little book blog of my lifestyle/ personal blog Autumn Leaves and Misperceives, where by book reviews seemed a little lost. So I went for it and created this little space for books and books only (with the odd film adaptation of a book comparison if we're lucky!)

8. Share a snippet of the lyrics to the song that best describes you.

This was a tricky one but this song describes best where I am right now...

Hope that gave you more of an insight into what I like! I post on here way less than I would like right now but I'll be back and reading none school book soon! *Pinky swears*

Today's question is:

If you could live in any book world, where would it be?

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Reading Regrets || 1

The reading regrets series is a series of posts where I tell some of my biggest, as the name suggests, things I regret that are book related. 

 Warning This post refers to Catching Fire, the Hunger Games book two DONT READ THIS IF YOU HAVNT READ THAT.  

We've all had it- You're reading enjoying the book and then bam you think ooh I wonder what happens at the end? You have a look and boom. Book. Ruined.  So I've done it a few times haven't we all? You have a sneaky look just to see but none as monumental as what happens when you flick to the end of The Hunger Games Catching Fire.

Yup. I actually did this. 

It was a cold winters night in 2012, Kim was reading the second installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy as was "the series" to read in such a year leading up to the movie adaptations release in a few months time. 

Curious as to how Katnis and Peeta would get out of the arena together and alive because they had to for MockingJay Kim curiously opened to the back of the book. The last line. 

"Katnis, there is no District Twelve" 

From there the world came crumbling around her. She propelled the book across the room in disgust. She had lost her page and for once she did not care. The book was spoiled. Ruined. She had Eradicated all elements of suprise. Of suspense. The dramatic climax no longer existed. She had played god with the plot's progression and now she had been scared. There was nothing more this book had to offer her. (I mean there's Finnick and on the whole a pretty good story but details details!) 

Moral: Never skip to the end of a book. Ever. 

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F. Scott Fitzgerald

I mentioned that I am studying The Great Gatsby at Sixth Form at the moment along side J. D. Salinger's nine stories of which I've only read one...

Anywho I was reading the pre-words made me kind of sad for Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby wasn't even remotely successful until after he died. When he wrote his last book Tender is the Night he was an alcoholic and his wife, Zelda,  was being treated for schizophrenia. He admitted that his wife was his supporting limb and once she had gone he spirelled into a pool of self abuse,bankruptcy   from the extravagances of the 1920s and then he turned to other women to satisfy his emotional needs and disires. 

It makes me so sad to think that one of my favourite books was written by someone so broken, but somehow I guess it shows how life goes on, no matter what...

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City of Lost Souls- Review

So this book I had to finnish yesterday because I am just too anal to not finish a book by the end of a month! 

In this book "team good" are on a mission to get Jace back from the evil possession of Sebastian. Of course that proves not to be so simple as by harming one you harm the other. This of course puts a spanner in the works and desperate times call for desperate measures-even defying the Clave...

Favourite Character: Simon, Isabelle and Magnus. I have lost a little respect for Alec in someways in this book because of how he acts towards Magnus. I still like him but he's off the list now.  

Favourite couple: Simon and Isabelle. Because they're so cute! 

What I liked: I really appriciated the constant change of perspective in this book especially since this is the first book where for the majority of the time none of team good are together. I also liked the way that everyone played a part in this book and how it was pretty evenly split between all the characters. 

What I didn't like: Clary is becoming very annoying now. It's like she has nothing apart from Jace but she does now! She has Simon, Jocelyn, Luke? It annoys me now how shallow and superficial she can be that's all. 

Favourite Quotes (Spoilers!):

1. “Missing, one stunningly attractive teenage boy. Answers to 'Jace' or 'Hot Stuff”  

2. “What have you done to my cat?" Magnus demanded... "You drank his blood, didn't you? You said you weren't hungry!"
Simon was indignant. "I did not drink his blood. He's fine!" He poked the Chairman in the stomach. The cat yawned. "Second, you asked me if I was hungry when you were ordering pizza, so I said no, because I can't eat pizza. I was being polite."
"That doesn't get you the right to eat my cat."
"Your cat is fine!" Simon reached to pick up the tabby, who jumped indignantly to his feet and stalked off the table. "See?"
"Whatever.”  

3. “Speaking of hope, did you see that shot Alec got off with his bow? That's my boyfriend.”  

4. “Ah,” said Magnus. “Nerd love. It is a beautiful thing, while also being an object of mockery and hilarity for those of us who are more sophisticated.”  

5. “No one blames her."
"That never matters," said Alec. "Not when you blame yourself.”
 

Rating: 4 stars I preferred the previous two if I'm honest but still very good. 

Now it's only a few months until City of Heavenly Fire, I guess I'll have to read the infernal devises until then and apparently they're better? Who knows! Would you recommend them?

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October reading list: School V.S Life

There is a battle being fought for literary supremacy on the bedtime reading front every evening on my bedside table. Academic Kim knows that she has a bunch of books that she should be reading in order to stay ahead in her AS English literature but other Kim needs to read supernatural and dystopian fiction in order to stay happy.

Here's the lowdown for the next month...

New Selected Poems- Carol Ann Duffey

Selected Poems- Sheenagh Pugh

The Great Gatsby- F. Scott. FitzGerald

I am studying all three of these books for A-level English Literature which I am loving right now! I read Gatsby about a year ago now, remember when the film was meant to come out? THEN DIDN'T UNTIL JUNE!!!!! Well it was then that I read it so its die for a re-reading. The poems are good too but I have to say I'm a novels kind of girl through and through.

Tender is the night-  F. Scott. FitzGerald

The Beautiful and Damned-  F. Scott. FitzGerald

As two books that are also set in the 1920s and by the same author I think they would be good to read.

Allegiant (divergent book 3)- Veronica Roth 

Ermergerd you guys! I'm freaking out over this like actually freaking the hell out I'm so excited! Especially with that Insurgent Cliffhanger! If you liked the Hunger Games and haven't read this- although I'm sure that's unlikely- READ IT ! Obviously I don't own it though... 22 days...

Vampire academy- Richelle Mead 

The whole series as a whole! I have heard high praise from friends so I have expectations to be lived up to! Its also been a while since I've read a purely vampire series.

I am number four- Pattacus Lore 

I haven't finished this since my Holliday over a month ago (thanks mortal instruments series!) but I was really enjoying it. I was also at the library the other day and saw another Patticus Lore book about number eight? Is it a series? Can anybody shed some light on this? 

What will you be reading to pass the cold autumn nights?

Kim x

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