The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

My rating: 4/5 stars

The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy is definitely one of the most interesting memoirs I’ve read thus far. It is also quite a contrast from the sort of memoirs I am accustomed to reading.

See, typically, I read memoirs of people who have passed away or are dying; and the general message of these memoirs is usually one that promotes embracing life, living in the moment, carpe diem etc. And of course, these books leave me feeling inspired and motivated and hopeful and grateful about this life that I am blessed to live.

Now, The Rules Do Not Apply, left me with a whole array of emotions and is nothing like the other memoirs I just described above. It is brutally honest, strikingly devastating and painfully real. I had to keep reminding myself: “holy shit, this is someone’s actual life and not just a well written story with mind-blowing plot twists”.

I think Ariel Levy did such a fantastic job of articulating her story. I actually did not know of her prior to reading this book. This book was recommended by the belletrist book club and I am really glad that I decided to add it to my reading list!

 

Teen Titans: Death of the Family  by Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, Scott Snyder & Brett Booth. 

My rating: 4/5 stars

I recently came across this comic at FanExpo Canada (which was amazingggg) and I picked it up for 2 reasons:

A few months ago, I read Batgirl: Death of the Family and I wanted to see how this comic would tie in with Batgirl’s.

I have recently developed a strong love for the Teen Titans. I have watched the animated movies Justice League vs Teen Titans; and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, multiple times.

Here are the things I loved most about Teen Titans: Death of the Family:

• I absolutely loved getting to know more about Tim Drake. Out of all the Robins he is the only one who I knew absolutely nothing about so it was great getting to learn more about his background.
• That teamwork though! Not only do we get to see the Teen Titans in action, we get to see them fight alongside Batgirl and Red Arrow. Also, seeing Batman’s Robins together will always make me happy and to have Tim Drake and Jason Todd take on the Joker together was beautiful.
• Bart Allen/Kid Flash. I’ve always known of Bart Allen & I’ve seen him in a few episodes of Young Justice Season 2; but the Kid Flash that I am more familiar with is Wally West (dreamily sighs). However, I really enjoyed Bart’s Kid Flash. & not only is he hilarious but he definitely proved himself to be an amazing superhero. I feel like his team will be constantly amazed at the things he is capable of doing & I love that.
• Joker – The guy we love to hate and hate to love. Scary and sarcastic as ever. He referred to Kid Flash as “Little Lightening” and I literally laughed out loud.

Can’t wait to read more Teen Titans!

 

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

I quite liked this book and I read it fairly quickly however I struggled with my rating on this one.

There is a lot of praise surrounding this book, particularly with regards to its portrayal of mental health. And in that aspect, I completely agree. A lot of YA books try and fail to combine mental health and romance in a way that is realistic and non-insulting to people who actually relate to these circumstances. I’ve got to say though, Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a really great example of the right way to touch on this subject. It was very detailed and in my opinion gave an honest and informative insight into what living with Agoraphobia looks like for some people. Therefore, on the subject of accurately portraying mental health and healthy relationships it is a 4/5 stars for me.

However, I ended up taking away 1/2 a star because I didn’t find the characters to be particularly memorable. I had already forgotten the main character’s names by the time I was done. I do want to stress that it in no way takes away from the great story that it was.

 

180 Seconds by Jessica Park

My rating: 3.75/5 stars

Okay this book was ADORABLE. So freaking cute !! It was really cheesy at times, sometimes too cheesy to handle but overall this was such a feel-good story; despite some not so happy scenarios that occurred.

I became a huge fan of Jessica Park after reading Flat-Out Love early last year; so when I saw she had a new book being released this year, I could not wait to get my hands on it.

I think 180 Seconds is such a great story! It was so pure and cute and different. I think it’s really cool to see romance and characters that mirror the ‘norms’of social media today. This book also does a great job of showing the impact of social media. And although it reads cheesy; if you think about it, everything that happens in this book isn’t entirely ridiculous, especially in today’s social media frenzy. Social media has helped bring people together in many ways but also has its negative aspects and this book showcases just that.

I still think it could have been less cheesy. But Jessica Park remains a fave ❤

 

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows 

My rating: 5/5 stars

So this was by far my favourite book of the month, maybe even of the year, quite possibly my favourite book, period.

This is a retelling of British history. And by “retelling” I mean, a completely different account of British history. A much better one.  ‘My Lady Jane‘ is filled with characters that will completely captivate your heart. Jane, Edward, Gifford (call him ‘G’), Gracie and Pet. I absolutely loved them all!

And if you’re thinking, ‘oh god British history? really? how boring is that?’ I promise you this book is the furthest thing from boring. It was so freaking hilarious. I laughed out loud way too many times.

If you haven’t read My Lady Jane, do yourself a favour and add it to your reading list right now!