Happy Happy Happy

So I was recently given this book by my Grandparents as a gift for my GCSE results! I received them last Thursday and got 3 A*s, 4 A's and 1 B :D I worked really hard and am so pleased with the outcome!

I am also so happy with this book! The pages are really thick and lined with gold! Plus the images inside are a mixture of black and white and coloured! The book includes all of the Grimm's fairytales they wrote as well as a few childhood stories!

I would recommend this book to people who love fairy tales or anyone who loves old, antique-looking classic books! I love how the fairy tales don't all end in happy endings but this book is literally perfect for everyone!

Cracked by K.M.Walton

Title: Cracked
Author: K.M.Walton
Pages: 312
Genre: Young Adult
Book Description: 
Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better….

 Get it here | Good reads 

 My Opinion: 
I was lent this book my very wonderful friend Lauren! (She has a blog called Something Borrowed where she talks about books, fashion, makeup, music etc! You should definitely check it out!)

Anyway, onto the review! I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book....

Let's start off with the good stuff.
I enjoyed the fact that we were able to hear the point of view of the bully! Not many novels that include bullying have narrations by the bully, so it was a interesting to hear how he felt and for me, as a reader, to begin to understand why he did what he did.

I thought the plot was fabulous. It was realistic, relateable and romantic. Any teenager would be able to relate to at least one person in this book! Whatever they're going through, whether its stress at school or just home problems, you can relate. 

I loved the characters! My favourite was Kell; only because I felt like I could connect with her the most! I also really liked the writing. I felt like all the character's thoughts were really deep and some of the questions asked throughout the novel made me think about what I would do if I was in that situation! 


Now for the not-so-good stuff...
Grammar! There was a lot of grammatically incorrect sentences and many words that were either spelt wrong or just misused... I believe that this book is written by an American author and maybe the publishing/proof-reading of books is different over there (I'm from the UK) but that is still no excuse for the amount of corrections I made throughout the book. The worst one was where it said 'I overhear hear him say...' A few mistakes is fine but seriously...?

Spelling and grammar aside, the story line was a little disappointing. I found it very predictable and the everything in the book happened rather quickly. The novel was only set over a short time period (a couple of weeks I think) which meant everything the author wanted to include, happened in less than a month! 
I was also a little disappointed by ending. 

The epilogue's were a nice touch because we were able to see what life was like for the main characters after they had left. I really enjoyed this aspect however, Bull's final chapter especially (before the epilogue) ended rather suddenly and I felt like the ending was rushed a bit... I wanted to hear more about how they left and what their friends had to say.

All in all the book was a nice, quick and easy read. I read this in less than a day (although there are a lot of pages, the font in my copy was really big!) I believe there is something for everyone in this book, whether it's romance or knowledge or just some deep thinking, there will be something for you! However the grammar and plot had a few weaknesses.


 Favourite Quotes: 

I watch the sun disappear completely, and I sit in the dark. I'm not afraid here. It's too peaceful and quiet

~~~~

Her eyes are telling me what I've desperately wanted to hear my whole life: You're okay just the way you are.

~~~~

Some wait for no one, they fill themselves up

~~~~

How does nothing feel?

Rating ★★★ 

3 out of 5 stars 

Next book I'm going to review:

Handle with Care - Jodi Picoult

Liebster Award!

So I just want to give a huge thanks to Robin, Angie, Erin,
Alex and Nina for nominating me for this award! I'm so happy to be part of this trend :)


In order to gain this award, you need to complete the following:

1. Link & Thank the blogger who nominated you
2. Answer the 11 questions your nominator asks
3. Pick 11 other bloggers who have 200 or less followers
4. Ask the 11 bloggers you nominated 11 questions and let them know you nominated them!



Here's my answers to their questions:

1. Who is/are your favorite Booktuber(s)?
I love Caitlin at the YA BookBlogger, Christine at olandananasbooks and Priscilla at the Readables.

2. Do you do Memes on your blog? If so, which are your favorite memes to do?
I don't do memes... I'm new to blogging so I haven't worked that out yet >.<

3. What is/are your favorite book(s)?
The Fault in our Stars by John Green, The Book Thief by Markus Zusack and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde!

4. Who is your book boyfriend?
I'd have to say Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejduice...

5. What is/are your least favorite book(s)? What book(s) do you hate?
I haven't actually read any books that I really dislike...

6. Are you a Goodreads member? Are you a member of groups in Goodreads? If so, what Goodreads Groups are your favorite?
I am, here is a link to my page: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29463182-jennie-spraggs
At the moment I'm not part of any groups but I do intend to join some soon :)

7. Biggest pet peeves in a book/during reading a book?
I hate really cheesy chat up lines and too much romance... I also hate cracked spines ughh

8. What is/are your favorite genre(s)?
Gothic/Dark, Paranormal, YA, Contemporary... Literally anything that attracts my fancy!

9. Why do you blog?
I blog because I enjoy reading and reviewing books. I wanted to broaden the types of genre's I read so I decided to start a blog in hope to receive recommendations of books I'd either never heard of before, or wouldn't have picked up from a store usually.

10. If there was a massive book burning/book expulsion, and you could only save one book, what book would you save?
One of the Harry Potter books... but I'm not sure which one I'd choose oh god...

11. Are you a fast reader or a slow reader
I'm quite a fast reader to be honest. If I really get into the book, then I;ll just spend that entire day reading until it's finished!


Here are the 11 bloggers I am nominating:
Lauren at Something Borrowed
Tika at Fangirl Confessions
Mallory at MalloryBooks
Erin at The Hardcover Lover
Angie at The Paper-Back Reader
Anna at Enchanted by YA
The Fangirling Misses at Fangirling Misses
Lauren at A Blonde Librarian
Kyla at Book Buddies PH
Abby at Wintry Words
Charlotte at Beauty and the Look

Here are the 11 questions you have to answer:
1) Why did you start blogging?
2) What film(s) do you love that have been adapted from books?
3) What is/are your favorite book blog(s)?
4) What's your favorite book(s) so far this year?
5) What's your favorite book/series of all time?
6) If you were shipwrecked on a desert island which 1 series would you want with you?
7) Any book turn-offs?
8) What do you eat while blogging/reading?
9) If you lived in a book, which novel would you choose?
10) Book pet hates?
11) Do you read books more than once?

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Title: Lone Wolf
Author: Jodi Picoult
Pages: 448
Genre:  Contemporary/ Moral fiction
Book Description: 

Edward Warren, 23, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose in a NH hospital, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.
Cara, 17, still holds a grudge against her brother, since his departure led to her parents’ divorce. In the aftermath, she’s lived with her father – an animal conservationist who became famous after living with a wild wolf pack in the Canadian wild. It is impossible for her to reconcile the still, broken man in the hospital bed with her vibrant, dynamic father.
With Luke’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

Get it here |  Good Reads

 My Opinion: 
Recently, I've had an obsession with Jodi Picoult's books so be expecting a lot of reviews on books by her!
I was hooked from the very beginning with this book; As soon as it started I was shocked and just wanted to read on! I ended up starting this book on Saturday and finishing it on the Wednesday.

After about 5 chapters, mysteries started to appear and I was so intrigued! Then, as if that wasn't enough, there's a huge cliffhanger at the end of Part one. I literally just sat there surprised and astounded because I was not expecting this to happen...
A little while after this cliffhanger there was another one and, once again, I was left feeling so surprised because they were so unexpected! I really enjoyed this aspect because it kept me wanting to read on.

Another thing I loved about this book was that each chapter was written by a different character in the book. This meant I got to see what the other characters were thinking and what they thought about actions caused by other characters. It also meant I could see how each character was feeling at that time. I think all of Jodi's books are written in this format but that doesn't matter because it just makes the characters more relatable.

I also enjoyed the wolf aspect running throughout this book. I was actually surprised at how much I didn't know about wolves and this book turned out to be very informative. I think the wolf was a really nice touch to the book!

I loved how a family that was once torn apart by one man, are brought together by the same man. That is some good writing if you ask me! Lone Wolf was very thought provoking because it made me think about what I would do if I were in a situation like this... I actually had to question my mum about who was the person to make decisions like this and what she would want me to do if she was unconscious because up until reading this book I had no idea.

My favourite character was definitely Cara because I felt like I could relate to her and the way she felt. She had to make a lot of hard decisions in this book and it just showed how strong she really was even though she didn't believe it herself.

Anyway I definitely recommend this book! It's a nice, easy read that informs you of realistic events. It includes the troubles of  family problems and it certainly made me think about situations like this because they could happen to anyone! There were scenes of anger and love and care and it was another successful book from Jodi.

Favourite quotes:

Scars are just a treasure map for pain you've buried too deep to remember.

~~~~~

'I tossed out my husband eight years ago and got a llama instead. Best decision I ever made.'

~~~~~

This is what I like about photographs. They're proof that once, even if just for for a heartbeat, everything was perfect.

Rating: ★★★★ 

4 out of 5 stars 

Next book I'm going to review: 

Cracked by K.M.Walton

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 404

Genre: Young Adult/ Fantasy

Book Description:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Get it here  |   Good Reads

I was asked by Tika (fANGIRLavue.blogspot.com) to join her and Mallory (mallorybooks.blogspot.com) in a little read-a-long of the Throne of Glass! We've all be wanting to read this book to see what the hype was about and now we've finally done it! Here's what I thought about the book; (you can find what they thought of the book on their blogs!)

Warning

This review does contain a few spoilers so if you haven't read the book I don't advice you to read the review, in case any of the scenes/plot twists are spoiled for you!

As this was a read-a-long there were a set number of chapters to read each day and a discussion topic for each day! Here is the rota:

Day 1) I've heard a tone of good things about this book but for me it's not living up to those expectations. The first couple of chapters are intriguing and I do want to read on. Yes the book is off to a good start but I wouldn't say it's amazing. However, this could be because I haven't read any YA books since I was younger so maybe I just have to get back into that sort of style?

Day 2) I really like the main character, Celaena, because she's strong and doesn't give up. And I like the way she pretends not to care about anyone even though we know she does. Plus she's a lover of reading!
Another character I like is Chaol. He's so sweet and cute and genuinely looks out for Celaena.
The only character I really dislike so far is Cain because he's so arrogant!

Day 3) I would rewrite Chapter 26 just because it wasn't as fast-paced as some of the other chapters before it and there wasn't a huge amount that happened. This was  really hard decision because now that the book has got a quicker pace I'm enjoying it a lot more!

Day 4) One of my favourite scenes was when Celaena got candy as a present and ate almost all of it straight away, which made her teeth go red! I love the way this section was written and the reactions of her friends upon seeing the teeth. Another scene I found interesting was the twist at the end of Chapter 35 where Nehemia was discovered doing something she shouldn't be! That was something I wasn't expecting...  I also love the mystery running throughout the book!
And my favourite quotes are below!

Day 5) Honestly, I thought the book was really good! I had heard many amazing things about it and I decided to give it a try. It was slow at the beginning but this only lasted about 15 short chapters. After that I read through the book quickly as it was very fast-paced and exciting! There were many unexpected twists and the characters were fabulous! My favourite was Chaol because he was so kind and gentlemanly! I preferred him to Dorian... Towards the end of the novel there was a very dark scene which I enjoyed. I don't tend to read fantasy novels but this was fantastic and I'm glad there was part of a genre I enjoy incorporated into it.

My Opinion:
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone that loves mystery, fantasy or romance. Personally, I think the beginning was a little slow but altogether the book was a good read!

Favourite Quotes:

A lovely girl gazing at the stars, and the stars who gazed back

~~~~

If she were to die now, it would be in complete bliss

~~~~

Libraries were full of ideas - perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons

~~~~

She was surprised that her hands had not forgotten, that somewhere in her mind, after a year of darkness and slavery, music was still alive

~~~~

The time when the stars emerged with glittering beauty and made her feel wonderfully small and insignificant

~~~~

While she might be used to darkness, she wasn't foolish enough to trust it

~~~~

Skeletons danced in circles around her head

                             Rating: ★ ★ ★★ 

4 out of 5 stars 

Next book I'm going to review: 

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult