Top Ten Tuesday: all time favourite YA books 13/9/16

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to share my lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

I could pick any genre I wanted this week but I thought, it's back to school time, it's back to uni time, this makes me want to read YA contemporary and so I thought, why not put the spotlight on my YA collection (it's pretty small) so here we go...

1. Paper Towns by John Green-my favourite of his! 

2. Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews-great film too! 

3. If I stay by Gayle Forman

4. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

5.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

6. Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid

7. Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

8. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

9. Finding Sky by Joss Stirling

10. Trouble by Non Pratt-would love to re-read this! 

Review: On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

A love story like no other, this is the debut novel from Carrie Hope Fletcher, author of the Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller All I Know Now.

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.

Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love . . .

On the Other Side will transport you to a world that is impossible to forget. Powerful, magical and utterly romantic, this is a love story like no other from everyone's favourite 'big sister', Carrie Hope Fletcher. 

Review: this is unlike anything I've read before and for that reason it was pure escapism. I read this book in two sittings, it could have been one if I didn't have other things to do because once you fall into this world, you won't want to get back out again! I had no idea what the book was about when I picked it up, I just knew there was a lot of hype surrounding it and I had been introduced to some of the characters through the power of YouTube and so I knew I wanted to read it. I like going into books with a completely open mind like that sometimes and I recommend to anyone that that is how they approach this book so if you want to go away and read it now before reading anymore of my review then feel free to do so...

Ok so the concept of the book is Evie Snow literally trying to get to the other side and it takes you through her memories and shows you the secrets that she has stopping her from crossing over to the other side, going to her version of heaven. This sounds like a slightly depressing concept and so that is why I said it is best to go into this book with an open mind becaue this book is not in the slightest bit depressing. It is quite the opposit in fact, more like a warm hug of a book with a lot of interest and intrigue along the way. I really liked the shift between times and it is made all the more easy to read because the different time setting have a different font and so you always knw whether you are in the past or the present. 

As the book progresses, we gradually get to learn about Evie's family and Evie's great love. I really liked the way these characters were bult up, seeing them as their elder and younger selves. I really liked Evie and enjoyed joining her as the protagonist of this novel. I also really liked Jim, he was such a kind and understanding person and I totally fell in love with him mere pages into the book. One of the interesting things about the book is that we never learn where the story is actually set. There is a city but it is never names. I like the fact that this author has left us to make up our own minds about where the setting actually is, I have my own thoughts and I'm sure you'll have yours too! 

I have to say that I love the cover of this book, it is beautiful with and without the dust jacket and there are all sorts of clues from the book and things that tie into the story on both covers, you find yourself flicking back and forth as you read-it really is very clever. I loved reading this book, it was truly warm and lovely. It was wonderful to switch off from the outside world and immerse myself in its pages for a good few hours! This book would make an awesome film and everyone should set aside some time and read it for themselves! 

Review: Girls hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe

An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe's debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy's video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple's YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. Now, for the first time, Lucy's writing about the incredible personal journey she's been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn. 

Review: I literally sat down to read this book and didn't get up again until I'd finished it. This book was an incredibly quick read but mainly because I found Lucy's story so compelling. I had heard so much about this book, it was all over twitter and of course Lucy's story is on YouTube. But you never know with hyped books... This one didn't let me down though. I really loved reading about Lucy's thoughts and feelings as she went through the process of growing up, falling in love and coming out. 

I really enjoyed reading about Lucy's early life because I could really identify with her feelings about primary and secondary school. Although I wasn't going through quite the same things as her, I did find the whole experience quite isolating and considered going to a different secondary school from everyone else in my class and I really applaud her for the choices she has made. I could also really identify with the latter portion of the book, moving overseas and leaving Freinds and family behind to be with someone you love so I couldn't have picked a better time to sit down and read this book. 

I think coming of age books are always a worthwhile read. It's always great to hear about others' experiences and thoughts and feelings as they're growing up and and discovering their true identity and so I do think this book is something important and something that anyone, not matter how they identify could enjoy. As I mentioned above. I stormed through this book, enjoying the entire reading experience and now I am going to go and watch their story on YouTube! 

Californian Adventure

So after Seattle and Sanfracisco came the road trip portion of our trip. We hired a car in San Francisco and set off on Route 1 sout which tracks it's way along the coast. There were some epic views and it was nice not spending all our time on the freeway-YEY! 

Our first stop was Monterey. We loved it here. We stayed for two nights and that was just enough time for us. In two nights you cane have some of the awesome local seafood, take in the aquarium and of course try some of the local wine. The first night we ate on the pier and had some epic fish whilst surrounded by seawater and a ton of crabs swimming in the bay-did you know swimming crabs swim backwards?

We also saw some cheeky seals sunbathing in the bay right out there on the rocks for all to see! 

We loved wandering along the Main Street in Monterey and along to Cannery Row. There was so much I didn't know about the area and it was really cool to find out. Me being me, I enjoyed going to the original Bubba Gumps and we also enjoyed sampling some local beers and wines.

From Monterey we went inland to Fresno. It was cool to drive in a bit and get away from the more touristy spots. It was a little more 'real' and so much hotter but everyone was so friendly here. We did some shopping and of course some good eating. We also went to an amazing bookshop in Ojay which was a mixture of new and second hand books and was literally outdoors! Of course we bought a book, but not for me this time! 

From Fresno we returned to the coast and to Sanra Barbara. The views as we were driving back along the coast were stunning and we even saw some dolphins, it felt like a real privilege to be able to watch the sunset like this! 

Our first night in Santa Barbara, we ate at an amazing sushi place. It was very chilled out and we had this scallop and avocado roll that I can still taste now. I knew that California was famed for good sushi but I didn't think it was going to be this good! 

The new day we took a walk along to the marina. It was eat walking down the kind of retail area and then suddenly being confronted with the ocean. We walked along the breakwater and then ate at Brophy Brothers for lunch. I had the seafood special and the other massive bowl you can see I the picture is their seafood pasta, just huge. Everything tasted so good and who could argue with a view like that. We suffered a little them next day, however, as there was a lovely breeze and so we didn't realise just how sunburned we were getting! 

One of the really cool things about doing this trip by road was being able to turn off and see interesting places and just interesting signs like this one! 

Here's a picture of the awesome 'outdoor' bookshop, they have an honesty box for when you need to go and buy a book but they're closed! 

Our next stop was a fab Air BnB in Culver city. It was an amazing cottage with a porch and everything. We loved it here and would definitely go back again. We chose this area because it was equidistant between LA and Santa Monica and so we were on for being tourists again. We saw all of the sites and visited Universal Studios and also Warner Bros Studios. I'm going to do an extra post about these two! 

We did do some shopping whilst we were here, but we couldn't quite afford the Beverly Hills prices after all the food we'd been splurging on! We found a cool bar that had some great love music and a nice selection of whiskies and beers and we also found some good BBQ! Everyone had told me about the traffic in LA but I wasn't quite ready for the madness-crazy! 

So we moved south to San Diego. I loved it here and would definitely come back again. It just felt so much more chilled out even though it is a city and has a downtown. We ate some more sushi whilst we were here and of course had some seriously good Tacos. We did a land and sea tour and saw amazing pelicans and sea lions whilst learning a little bit about San Diego's history. 

On the Sunday that we were there, we had a much-deserved chill out day and had brunch, which included a mimosa flight at Cafe 21 and then had some more drinks and did a quiz in Whisky Girl before heading back and chilling out by the pool. That night we found a really cool Duelling pianos bar call Shout House. We did pay an entrance fee but it was so worth it. They had drinks specials every night and the entertainment was just unparalleled. The three guys who took turns on the pianos were so talented and the repertoire in songs that they played just had something for everyone. We loved it so much that we went back there on Monday night too! 

We had such an awesome holiday and it was much needed. I think we both enjoyed it just a such, if not more, than we were hoping to and we've found places we will definitely go back to. The whole thing was just full of amazing experiences and such good food and now I'm onto the next stage of my Merican adventure-THE BIG MOVE!

Guest Review: Letters From Lighthouse Cottage by Ali McNamara

The sun is shining in the quiet little seaside town of Sandybridge

Sandybridge is the perfect English seaside town: home to gift shops, tea rooms and a fabulous fish and chip shop. And it's home to Grace - although right now, she's not too happy about it.

Grace grew up in Sandybridge, helping her parents sort junk from vintage treasures, but she always longed to escape to a bigger world. And she made it, travelling the world for her job, falling in love and starting a family. So why is she back in the tiny seaside town she'd long left behind, hanging out with Charlie, the boy who became her best friend when they were teenagers?

It turns out that travelling the world may not have been exactly what Grace needed to do. Perhaps everything she wanted has always been at home - after all, they do say that's where the heart is...

Review: I was delighted to see a new title from Ali McNamara on the shelves when I was out shopping. I had no idea that this was in the pipeline. I immediately bought the book and couldn't wait to get the opportunity to open its pages. 

It is a really charming story centred around three school friends and following the ups and downs of their lives over a period of thirty years. The story starts off with them all living in the little seaside town of Sandybridge. Grace lives there with her parents, helping them when she can with their antiques business. Danny is one of the sporty, cool set at school; although he is quite unlike Grace, she has developed a bit of a crush on him. Charlie is a newcomer to the town, where his parents have moved to take over one of the tea rooms. Part of Grace's parents' business involves them doing house clearances, and it is when she goes along with her mum to clear Lighthouse Cottage, once inhabited by the keeper of the town's now defunct lighthouse, that she discovers the source of the letters mentioned in the title of this book that will give her guidance over the years.

I found this story quite captivating. It is quite a saga of the happenings in the lives of these three very likeable young people as they follow their different paths, parting and coming together again at various points over the thirty years. The town of Sandybridge, and, in particular, the Manor House there, Sandybridge Hall, seem to call them back from wherever their activities take them.

Once started, I found it difficult to put the book down. I am sure that most people would enjoy it just as much as I have. It was so cleverly written that I was not at all sure how it would all end. I like that in a book - much better than knowing from the first few pages who would end up with whom. I would also like to mention the book's cover. It is a really attractive representation of a seaside town that could have you imagining yourself sitting on the stripy deckchair depicted on the beach, perhaps reading this very book!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish were TV shows 6/9/16

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to share my lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

So this is a celebration of all the shows starting back up again for autumn/fall and I LOVE this weeks topic! Ok so I'm going to mix it up a little bit here because some films I think would really suit being TV shows and some would suit being films so I'm going to be a bit of both...

1. Tanglewood Animal Park by Tamsyn Murray, this would make an awesome TV series! 

2. The I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk. I am currently re-reading I heart New York (because I can) and this would just make an awesome TV series or series of films! 

3. On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher-this would make such an enchanting film! 

4. The Arcade by Kitty Charles. If you haven't read this series, you should because it would make an excellent soap-opera! 

5. Another series that would make an excellent TV show: Greedily Yours by Emma Hamilton

6. Another TV show i would love to see is Darcy Burdock by Laura Dockrill-so much fun! 

7. An sticking with the kids theme, I would love to see the film of Wonder by RJ Palacio

8. Another, terribly funny movie would be a film of How to Get a (Love) life by Rosie Blake

9. One I am desperate to see as a film is I'll Take New York by Miranda Dickinson, this would be so amazing! 

10. And finally... It's going to be another movie I'm afraid but The Girls by Lisa Jewell, definitely a griping thriller of a film! 

Review: Tanglewood Animal Park: Baby Zebra Rescue by Tamsyn Murray

There's paws, claws, feathers and fur - welcome to Tanglewood Animal Park!

Zoe loves living with her family at Tanglewood - splashing with penguins, feeding lemurs their breakfast, and even seeing baby zebra, Flash, being born!

Then disaster strikes when Flash goes missing. Can Zoe help rescue him in time for the grand opening?

Review: this is the first in a series of middle grade novels by Tamsyn Murray and so in this book we get to meet a new family, moving in and taking over Tanglewood Animal Park. The main character who will take us on our Tanglewood adventures over the series is Zoe. Zoe has had to move home and is now facing the start of a new school year in a new school but she is animal mad and so we hope that things are going to work out well for her. I really like the fact that we saw everything through Zoe's eyes  in this book. It meant that we could relate to everything and really get to know how she was feeling. I liked her as a character and love the fact that she is going to be taking us on the Tanglewood adventures. 

Of course we have Zoe's mum and dad in this book, as well as little brother Rory, vet Max, the other keepers and Zoe's new freind Oliver. Oliver adds a lot to the mix in this book, he seems to be a bit of a problem for Zoe, but I like the fact that she has this adversity to overcome. I'm really looking forwa to getting to know Oliver as the books go on (great name too!). Of course the other characters we get to grab just a glimpse of in this book are the animals in the park. This book obviously has a focus on a new baby zebra but there are also some seriously cute guinea pigs (my favourite) as well as snow leopards, lemurs and other big cats. I'm really looking forward to meeting more of them in future books. 

You can tell that this book was seriously well-researched. There is a lot of technical information woven into the storyline. It is written so well that you might not notice it unless you were looking for it but all the details about the care of the animals, the wildlife park itself and technical details about the creatures too is clearly well-checked. I felt like a learned a little about animal care when reading this, and also a little about what it takes to run a zoo/wildlife park. It never felt like I was being 'told' these things though and so I think that Tamsyn has done a really great job of mixing fact and a great storyline featuring a cracking heroine. I really recommend that you add this book to your shelves or give it to someone as a back to school present and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!