A Monthly Recap: September

Hello Everyone!

How has September treated you all?? Whatever has happened, I hope you're all finishing the month with a smile on your face! For me, September has been pretty good (I'm writing this in advance and hoping that it won't all go tumbling down now..) but also nothing out of the ordinary, just getting used to the oncoming cold weather and moaning about all the exams I'm going to have in the next two years. I'm hoping October will be more fun. FUN. NOT EVIL, OKAY. SOMETIMES LIFE HAS A WEIRD DEFINITION OF FUN. Seriously, NEVER complain your life is boring. It'll be raining gum balls before you know it.. XD

Reviews:

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

On the Fence by Kasie West

Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Look out for reviews of Malala and Listening for Lucca!

Awesome/Important Stuff:

The World is A Book: Another Year in Portugal #1

My TBR Pile...

Top Ten Underrated Books in Young Adult

The World is a Book: Another Year in Portugal #2

Tonight is the Night Where Books Become Songs

Bring Out the Book Boyfriends: Levi

Top Ten Books on my Fall TBR

I Guess It's Time I Told You... I Don't Get Genres

Around the Blogosphere:

• If you're a blogger or an author, go have a look at Amber's survey! It's about review requests and review policies, and I bet you that the blogoversary will love it!!
• Sophie has a great blogging survival guide. She lists some equipment that you might need as a blogger and I can't think of anything else I'd add to it. :D
• Amber @ Books of Amber has a feature called Books in Motion about movie adaptations. This post is about The Hunger Games, and she really got me thinking about characters and how different we imagine them.

Favourite Book:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Top 4 Posts:

• Top Ten Underrated Books in Young Adult
• My TBR Pile...
• Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan
• Bring Out the Book Boyfriends: Levi

Take Away the Books:

• I have decided that I like Ice Age's theory of continental drift a whole lot more than the real geographical one.
• I've been watching The 100, and OH. MY. GOSH. IT'S AMAZING AND BELLAMY IS THE MOST GORGEOUS GUY EVER. 
• Wolfblood is also back... YAYYYYY! IT'S STILL KILLING MY FEELS THOUGH AND AHH.
• Superheroes by The Script is such a great song. I've been loving it so much, and I want to listen to it on repeat. ;)

October is coming!! Which means Halloween, Winter and that we're a whole month closer to Christmas. ;D I hope loads of bookish goodness lies ahead for you!

Bye! xx

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Hello Everyone!

You know those books that everyone loves and you take ages to read it, but when you finally do it, you're like: ASDFGHJKL EVERYONE WAS RIGHT. Fangirl is one of those books. And I love it!

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series: N/A
Source: Gift
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: September 10th 2014
No. of Pages: 461

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? -(Goodreads)

 5 stars: Page the bird salutes this book, and starts

 flying with joy.

I Guess It's Time I Told You... I Don't Get Genres

I Don't Get Genres...

Seriously. I just don't get them. I mean, I get what they're for and what they mean, but I'm just clueless when it comes to telling people what genre a book is. C L U E L E S S. I'm just terrible because I think that a book is a certain genre, and then it's not and I realise why I was wrong, but I still continue to find genres about as hard eating a book. WHAT MONSTER WOULD DO THAT? 

     To make matters even worse, people decide to then make books fit into more than one category. See that? The first sentence of this paragraph? THAT IS PROOF THAT GENRES ARE AGAINST ME. MARK MY WORDS. Either that, or I need to sit through an intensive genre 101 course. Still don't believe me? You will after this:

Examples of times Rita has been defeated by genres:

Example A: This one time someone asked me what my favourite Fantasy book was. The conversation went a bit like this:

PERSON: What is your favourite fantasy book?

ME: Um, well, apart from Harry Potter, I don't think I read much fantasy..SORRY!! *wanders off happily*

So then, once I was home, I decided to go admire my lovely bookshelves. Here I am smiling at the sight of my books when suddenly, my mind starts screaming LIAR! LIAR! Why? Because stood right in front of me, on my shelves is Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and Throne of Glass!! IF THEY AREN'T FANTASY WHAT IS?! But apparently, I still 'don't think I read much Fantasy' You know what I say to that? *facepalm*

Example B: Angelfall, is a great book, but was also my downfall when I tried to name it's genre. I think I was writing a post, and started thinking about the genre (BAD IDEA RITA). For some reason, Dystopian came to mind. *hits head* In my defence, Goodreads does have Dystopian as a genre possiblity for Angelfall, but when you really think about it, Dystopian indicates a book with a crazy oppressive government who wants to kill anyone who doesn't conform with the rules. Am I right? (Please say yes..) Angelfall doesn't exactly have an oppressive government, so somehow, it finally came to mind that Post-Apocalyptic fiction is probably the genre. FINALLY. 

So there you have it. COMPLETE PROOF I don't get genres. Does this happen to anyone else, or am I the only one who wants to run away screaming when she hears the word 'Genre'?

Bye! xx

Top Ten Books on my Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books on my Fall TBR List

Daughter of Smoke & Bone - Laini Taylor
The last book in this series came out a while ago and everyone seemed to be freaking out a little, which made me be like: I NEED TO READ THIS. Long story short, I'm hoping to read this soon. :)

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi
The lovely Fi gave me this book in a book swap, and I REALLY want to read this soon because Tahereh seems like such an awesome author. People keep telling me I need to get round to starting Shatter Me, so I plan to fulfil that this autumn.

Since You've Been Gone - Morgan Matson

I bought this before the holidays, but since I then went to Portugal for a month, I couldn't read this since I was banned from taking any books after weighing down my suitcase last year... I WAS LEFT FOR A MONTH WITH ONLY MY KINDLE FOR SURVIVAL. *deep breath* Anyway, I'm reluctant to leave this till next summer, so I'm going to attempt to read it before Winter.. XD

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Now that I am in love with Fangirl, I am super excited to read Eleanor & Park. I hope it's AWESOME-SAUCE, and that my feelings will be spared. Will they...?

The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan

Natasha is one of my favourite authors, which means I'm SO excited for this! I've got a copy already, and after reading The Elites last year I've got my fingers crossed for more amazing names, stories and book boyfriends!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I feel like the whole blogoverse worships this series, and you know what? I don't think they need any explanation because it looks SO, AMAZINGLY CUTE!! I NEED TO READ IT!

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

DO I NEED TO EXPLAIN!? DO I?? IT'S HEIRRRR OF FIRREEEEEE.

Monument 14 - Emmy Laybourne

I have had this for a year. A YEAR. THIS IS SHAMEFUL. I NEED TO READ THESE BOOKS QUICKER. *hits head off wall*

Half Bad - Sally Green

It's SIGNED, AND LOOKS SO AWESOME. IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO WRECK MY FEELINGS BUT AH WELL.

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

I got half-way through, and then put it down. I know. Now I think about it, I'm actually kind of scared to read it... Everyone has LOVED it and I wasn't feeling that amazed whilst reading, you know? But I am determined to finish it, and I WILL.

What's on your autumn TBR pile? Any of the same books as me? What are your opinions of the ones on my list?

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

Hello Everyone!

I got this book from the publisher via Netgalley so thank you to them for letting me review this! I don't think I was expecting what I got, but I liked it. ;)

Title: The Rain
Author: Virginia Bergin
Series: The Rain #1 
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Release Date: July 17th 2014
No. of Pages: 384It's in the rain...and just one drop will kill you.

They don't believe it at first. Crowded in Zach's kitchen, Ruby and the rest of the partygoers laugh at Zach's parents' frenzied push to get them all inside as it starts to drizzle. But then the radio comes on with the warning, "It's in the rain! It's fatal, it's contagious, and there's no cure."

Two weeks later, Ruby is alone. Anyone who's been touched by rain or washed their hands with tap water is dead. The only drinkable water is quickly running out. Ruby's only chance for survival is a treacherous hike across the country to find her father-if he's even still alive.(Goodreads.) 

4 stars: Page decides that this book was very enjoyable

however, it was not catapulted into amazing.

Bring Out the Book Boyfriends: Levi

Hello Everyone!

It's been quite a while since I've displayed all my wonderous book boyfriends on this blog, right!? Anywho, I am back with one of my favourite bookish guys EVER: LEVI! I recently (Yep, this is scheduled!) read Fangirl and it has become one of my favourite books ever, and I know lots of people love Levi too! Thank you to Lucy, Kim and Natasha for participating!

I hope you enjoyed this little post and that We've convinced you to go out and read Fangirl so that you can meet Levi!

Bye! xx

Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan

Hello Everyone!

I got this book from the publisher via Netgalley, so thank you to them for letting me review such a fun book!

Title: Flirty Dancing
Author: Jenny McLachlan
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #1 
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Published: July 3rd 2014
No. of Pages: 300

Bea Hogg is shy but fiery inside. When national dance competition Starwars comes to her school looking for talent, she wants to sign up. It's just a shame her best friend agreed to enter with school super-cow Pearl Harris. Bea will fight back! But when school hottie, Ollie Matthews, who also happens to be Pearl’s boyfriend, decides to enter the competition with Bea, she will have more than a fight on her hands.
This warm, nuanced, hilarious story about friendship, fortitude . . . and dancing is impossible not to fall in love with. Jenny’s voice is fresh and convincing, and she handles both darker and lighter elements of the story with equal panache. -(Goodreads.) 

4.5 stars: Page agrees this book was wonderful, almost

amazing.

On the Fence by Kasie West

Hello Everyone!

I got this book from the publisher via Edelweiss so thank you to them for letting me review this! As the review will let you know, this is my first ever Kasie West book and.. the review will let you know what I thought. ;)

Title: On the Fence
Author: Kasie West
Series: N/A 
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: July 1st 2014
No. of Pages: 296
For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high. (Goodreads.) 

4 stars: Page decides that this book was very enjoyable

however, it was not catapulted into amazing.

The World is a Book: Another Year in Portugal #2

Hello Everyone!

This is Part 2 of my holidays in Portugal. I hope you liked Part 1,  but if you haven't read it yet, you can here. Enjoy!

Lisbon and the Ancient Art Museum

One of my favourite bits of being in Portugal was going to Lisbon, and this year we went once again and stayed with some friends. The plan was to go to the Old Art Museum and then go to the 'Feather Palace' in Sintra together. However, something had to go wrong and our friends' car kind of... died... on the way to Lisbon. If you want the full picture, our car which we've had for more years than I've been alive managed to keep going, but theirs didn't.. Yay. Anyway, that meant we were left to wander about the museum alone whilst we secretly laughed at the fact they were probably still waiting for a tow truck and had wanted us to take their car. The same one that broke down. We love them really... 

     The art history museum really is something. Above there are images of the view of Lisbon as well as various paintings inside the museum. Most notably, they have The Paneis de Sao Vicente which are extremely famous and my dad was way too happy to be in their presence. I wasn't even aware he liked art that much, but I still haven't seen him be happier, except perhaps when Benfica wins anything. I would really recommend going to see this if you ever go to Lisbon. It's amazing. ;)

Palacio da Pena, Sintra (A Palace near Lisbon)

By this time, our friends had made it to Lisbon with a different car and we all set off for Sintra. You would think we had our fair share of things going wrong. Spoiler: We hadn't. When we got to Sintra, we sat down for lunch at a restaurant. Somehow, I managed to move my arm and squash a wasp which then stung me. It hurt. It hurt to the point that I spent the next hour running away screaming whenever something yellow approached me and I'm now convinced that wasps have some sort of conspiracy theory against me. If you ever go to Portugal and want to find me, just look for the hysterical girl running away from anything that buzzes. It's easy really.

After that small incident, we actually went to the palace. I LOVED IT. It's so beautiful, colourful and looks like it's out of a fairytale. It's just amazing and the view is gorgeous too. You can go inside too, but my phone ran out of battery before I could so I have no photos. If you're ever near Sintra, go here because I would go again in a heartbeat. The architecture is remarkable- there are so many different textures on the pillars that I had to take SO many photos. There was also a lamp that reminded me of the one from Narnia.. I may or may not have decided to climb it... The Palacio da Pena is gorgeous, and I really recommend going.

Atelier Dois LL

These are all photos from a shop in the town where I stay. It has so many amazing things, and I thought that since you bookish people tend to like crafty things (At least I do!) that you might like to have a look. I've put a link to the facebook page above, and I'm sure that if you want to buy anything or have anything made, you can contact Lilia who is lovely! My mum  recently bought a gorgeous decorative plate and we have a load of other stuff from here. Go have a look!

Terra Estreita, Tavira

My family, my cousin, my aunt and some friends (the same ones from Lisbon) spent a day at the beach as a kind of goodbye to Portugal. We've done this before, and every time I go I love it! I don't have any photos from the actual beach, but these are from when we were waiting to catch a boat to get to that beach. 

I had such a fun time and I even got a go on a canoe-type thingy which was loads of fun too! 

Going Home

So this is it. The wrap up. I did so many amazing things, but sometimes the things I miss the most are the little things. I miss having the shopping centre open till midnight and being able to go to a cafe and play pool. I miss having the noses of my two dogs at my elbow while we eat outside at nine o'clock. I miss being a car ride away from the beach and having my family be all around me. I miss my country with all my heart, even though I am so happy over here in the UK. That last picture is of the plane leaving Faro airport.. It's funny how that sight made me so happy when arriving, but then when I left, I felt so sad looking at the same thing. Weird right? Do you know what's even funnier? I think about how much I would love to live in my country, but then I also am not quite sure I can imagine having to leave the UK behind...

This is the last post about my holidays. I hope you liked reading both of them though!

Bye! xx

Top Ten Underrated Books in Young Adult

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Underrated Books in Young Adult (YES, I'M CHEATING, OKAY?)

Virals - Kathy Reichs
Virals is a really great adventure/mystery book, and part of an equally great series. I think a lot of people know about Kathy Reichs' adult series featuring Temperance "Bones" Brennan, but not many people know that she also has a YA series about Bones' niece. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the latest book in the Virals series, which I think a lot more people should know about.

The One Dollar Horse - Lauren St John
The One Dollar Horse is another YA book which I think should get more attention. I have read pretty much all of Lauren St John's children's books, and this Young Adult one is just as good. :)

The Madman's Daughter - Megan Shepherd

I wouldn't class this as underrated, exactly, but lots more people should read this! The Madman's Daughter is such a unique book, as well as a very dark and mysterious one. I'm eagerly awaiting the 3rd book in the series now, so this should definitely be read by more people.

Fated - Sarah Alderson

Sarah Alderson is an amazing author, but I'm not sure as many people have read the Fated series since the 2nd and 3rd books in the trilogy are self-published. Still, they're as great as any published work of hers and LUCCCAASSS!

You Wish - Mandy Hubbard

This book is HILARIOUS, and probably one of my favourite contemporary reads. I think I have a great love for pink ponies just because of it, and You Wish deserves so much more attention. Seriously. PINK PONIES FOR THE WIN.

Trapped - Isla Whitcroft

This is another really good actiony-type book, and once again, I still haven't got my hands on the 3rd one! I really enjoyed this back when I read, and I'm sure I'd still love it now!

Hitler's Angel - William Osborne

I read this, and then spent the next week attempting to find any shred of evidence that there was a sequel. Spoiler: There isn't as far as I know. Despite this disappointing detail, THIS IS SUCH A GREAT BOOK. Read It.

ACID - Emma Pass

This is such a great dystopian book, and the protagonist is SO badass! Not to mention it's UKYA, so if you want to support that, read this!

That Burning Summer - Lydia Syson

I do love historical fiction, and I think this book is a great portrayal of life at home during the war, as well as lots of different aspects too. :)

Fire - Heather James

This book is self-published, pretty awesome, and will kill your feels with ships. Seriously. I'm not even going to detail but the ships...

Do you agree/disagree with anything on this list? And did you like the graphic? Tell me if so and I might make more next time!

My TBR Pile..

Hello Everyone!

When I started this blog, I used to do book hauls, and 'What the Postman Brought' kind of posts all the time, but then I just kind of stopped. I told myself I would do it the next week, and then the next, and then the next... and then POOF! They vanished from this blog. That's why I decided to just do a huge post on every book that is on my TBR pile. I do have a few books on my kindle too, but those shall be ommited for the purposes of this post.. XD Also, there are a LOT of books, as you can imagine so I won't be doing any big explanations of what I'm looking forward to read, etc. Some books I have bought myself, some have been gifts, and others have been provided by the publisher so thank you to the lovely people who send me books for review! Lets get started then..

(Top to Bottom) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, Wool by Hugh Howey.

(Top to Bottom) Antigoddess by Kendare Blake, The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau, Out of Control by Sarah Alderson (AND IT'S SIGNED! EEEEKKKK) and HalfBad by Sally Green (IT'S ALSO SIGNNEEDDD EEEKKK!)

(Top to Bottom) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Amy & Matthew by Cammie McGovern, The Moment Collector by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, Goddess by Laura Powell, Grace and the Guiltless by Erin Johnson and Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

(Top to Bottom) Mutant City by Steve Feasey, Earthfall by Mark Walden, The Enemy by Charlie Higson (IT'S SIGNED!!) Fallen by Lauren Kate, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (I started then stopped..) and The Maleficent Seven by Derek Landy (What do you think of this one..?)

(Top to Bottom) As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka, Listening For Lucca by Suzanne LaFleur, They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie, After the Funeral by Agatha Christie, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. (Opinions on this one?)

(Top to Bottom) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Currently Reading, but this is a schedule post...), Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson and Looking For Alaska by John Green.

(Top to Bottom) Lone Wolf by Robert Muchamore, Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston, Deliverance by C.J. Redwine (I need the first two in the series, though.. ), Land by Alex Campbell, The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan and Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas. (AHHHHH!)

I hope you enjoyed this! Now, I ask of you one small favour: Look at the books on my TBR pile, and tell me what you thought about the ones you've read! Did you like them, love them or hate them? Did you cry your eyes out or laugh so hard your sides hurt? I want to know, so please tell me!

Bye! xx

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Hello Everyone!

I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, so thank you to them for allowing me to review it! I was really looking forward to reading this because of the issues it tackles, but for some reason, I didn't love it as much as I had hoped...

Title: Lies We Tell Ourselves
Author: Robin Talley
Series: N/A
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: September 30th 2014
No. of Pages: 304In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another. -(Goodreads)

3.5 stars: Page thinks this book was good, but didn't

make him fly.

The World is a Book: Another Year in Portugal #1

Hello Everyone!

Like last year, I am here to share with you all the stuff that I did in my marvelous home country, Portugal. Having spent a good part of the day wrestling with the above text-in-image thingy, I am just about ready to smash my face against the keyboard, but I won't. Because my will to show you all the pictures I took is greater than that. This is part 1, and part 2 will be with you next week, so hang tight for that and enjoy this post!

Travelling to Portugal

So this first little section is just to start the whole post off. When the time comes to travel to Portugal, me and my family are really excited. Why? Because it means we're looking at a month of sunshine, beaches and family, and we have waited a whole year for it. 

     The first little cube shows my suitcase which I got this year, as well as my hat which I have been rocking constantly this month. Moving on, the rest of the picture are from when I was on the plane. Having got the window seat, I present you with a photo (left to right) of the plane leaving England, proof that my family is bookish (my sister was reading Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson, and my mum was reading Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare) and the view that you see just as you arrive at Faro Airport. I seriously can't get enough of that view..

Home

When I'm in Portugal, it's not strictly like a month-long holiday. We stay at my grandma's house, and there are lots of things to be done whilst we're there. It's kind of like having a second home. On the left and the right, there are pictures of my (technically they are my Grandma's but..) two dogs, Patinhas (left) and Kika (right). They are sweethearts and I love them to pieces. I miss having their nose at my elbow whilst we sitting down to eat something. In the middle is a photo of me getting water from a well, which is harder than it looks. No, the well isn't our main source of water, but my mum was getting some for some reason and I wanted a go. ;)

The Food

The food. I think this is one of the things I miss the most about the Portugal. From left to right, you have olives, figs, a Portuguese cake called a Guardanapo (Napkin), a Portuguese pastry called Pastel de Nata (which is a kind of like custard tart but different...) a market, tremocos (They're called lupini beans in the Uk, I think), another picture of the market, grapes, something that I have forgotten what it is, fish, another Portuguese cake called a 'Pata de Viado' (Deer's hoof), chewing gum, coffee, mortadela (It's like ham with olives), honey and loads of herbs and peppers on a market stall. Phew, that was a lot of things...

Barragem do Funcho

Me, My dad and a friend went to a place called Barragem do Funcho to get a herb which is a kind of lavender. This turned into the best trip ever for getting photos. From left to right, the first photo was taken from the top of a hill we had climbed. Afterwards, we made our way towards a place which went under a train bridge. The second photo is of the river going under that bridge, and the third is of the underside of the bridge, which I thought made for a great photo. The 4th and 5th photos are also of the underside.

The 6th and 7th photos, are of a train line nearby. What I should probably say here is that it isn't recommended to get on a train line to take photos but.. yeah... I am really proud of those photos! The 9th photo is of the landscape on the drive, and the last one is of our faithful car which miraculously has not died on us yet. It is an amazing car and I shall love it for ever.

Medieval Fair

There's a city called Silves near to where we stay, and every year there is a medieval fair. We go every other year, because we've pretty much seen it all, but if you ever go to the Algarve, I would recommend going. There are loads of handmade things to buy, as well as amazing food, drink and performances. I love going, and as you can see, it's very popular. The pictures are basically of the sights as you go around the city centre, and the view is gorgeous in my opinion. My sister bought a little musical instrument thingy, and we both bought bracelets with our names on that were being made on site. I absolutely loved going, and the atmosphere with all the lights and the people is great. :)

I hope you enjoyed this! Part 2 will be up next week, so lookout for that!

Bye! xx

A Monthly Recap: August

Hello Everyone!

During August, I was kind of absent due to the fact that I was on holiday in Portugal, visiting family. This meant that I was unable to get hold of a laptop or Internet during a time where I could blog, so that meant that I kind of disappeared.. I'M SORRY. FORGIVE ME PLEASSEE.
Anyway, I got back last week, and started scheduling some posts for this week, including this recap. I hope you all had a great August, and that you have an even better September. ;)

Reviews:

The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The Fearless by Emma Pass

Blue by Lisa Glass

Letter From A Reader: The Witch of Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

Lookout for reviews of Lies We Tell Ourselves and On the Fence!

Awesome/Important Stuff:

The Reading Habits Tag

A Letter to Lucy Saxon about a certain character... DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ TAKE BACK THE SKIES!!!!

Around the Blogosphere:

• Amber @ Books of Amber has a new feature on her blog and I love it! It's about bookshops around the world, and I can't wait to see all the bookshops that come up.
• Hawwa @ It Was Lovely Reading You also has a new feature; she makes a colour palette based on how she feels the book is represented in her mind. The result is amazing, and in this post she's also made a colour palette for the characters. Go have a look- you won't be disappointed.
• Sophie @ A Daydreamer's World has a survival guide for you to help you through the end of a series. I'm pretty sure that we've all gone through the pain of our favourite series finishing (Harry Potter anyone?) so I would keep this handy for the next time you are left in floods of tears because of that last page...

Favourite Book:

Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

A Little Note:

You may notice there is no 'Top 5 Posts' or 'Top 5 Songs' but there is an explanation.. Because of spam views my Top 5 Posts are really messed up, and I literally spend the month of August listening to songs from July, so I have no new songs to add... APART FROM ONE. Everyone will have heard this by now, but I absolutely love Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. It's just so catchy and too amazing for me to explain why.

Take Away the Books:

• I went on holiday to my lovely country, Portugal!! I won't tell you anything about that now, however, because I am going to have two posts about every thing that I got up to! The first one will be up Wednesday, and the second will be up a week later. I really hope you enjoy them!
• This dance to 'Boogie Shoes' is just simply amazing. It's so fun, creative and it just makes me want to dance. I hope you like watching it too!

I'm sad to be waving goodbye to the Summer... What about you? I just hope all my books cheer me up when the cold comes.. Have a great September everyone!

Bye! xx