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Top 5 Wednesday: Books for your Hogwarts House – Gryffindor

 

This is a new project I am starting called Top 5 Wednesday. Quite a few of the other bloggers I follow on WordPress do this so I thought I’d give it a try plus its kinda like a tag which I never do cause I don’t know but I’m thinking this is my way in. You basically do a top 5 every week on a Wednesday. I know i’m late but I do have an excuse I went to see Adam Silvera last night and totally forgot to finish when I came home. Next I will be better I promise! Anyway this week is books from your Hogwarts House which for me is Gryffindor!!!

The Top 5 Wednesday Group was created by gingerreadslainey but it is now run by Thoughts on Tomes and is open to everyone on goodreads.

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from Goodreads

1 The Spiderwick Chronicles The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

I chose this book not only because I adore this series and have since I was a kid. Also because the kids in this book especially Jared are so courageous throughout the book and the rest of the series which is quality that is looked for in a Gryffindor.

 

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from Goodreads

2  The Moving Finger (Miss Marple) by Agatha Christie

I chose this book because in this mystery Miss Marple has so much determination to solve this mystery in her cunning little ways. Determination is quality that is looked for in a Gryffindor.

 

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From Goodreads

3  Railhead by Philip Reeve

I chose this book because there is a character called Nova who is a droid and is so loyal to Zen in the story I just love it and I think loyalty is one of the Gryffindor qualities.

 

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From Goodreads

4 See How They Lie by Sue Wallman

I chose this book because not only the character Mae but all the other children in Hummingbird Creek have this immense bravery throughout the book. This is also a quality of a Gryffindor I think.

 

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From Goodreads

5 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I chose this book because it is one of my favourite read of all time but also because there is a character Kaz who is the leader of the gang and is so daring in his plans which is a quality of a Gryffindor.

Let me know what you think of this list in the comments below!

 

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Hot Milk By Deborah Levy

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Title: Hot Milk

Author: Deborah Levy

Rating: 3/5 stars

Page Count: 218 pages

Genre: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27866173-hot-milk

Synopsis:

Hot Milk is the story of a girl Sophia who has an almost invalid mother who has taken over life. So they travel to Almeria in Spain where the Gomez Clinic resides to cure her mother of her paralysis in her legs. It follows Sophia’s anthropological journey through her time in Spain assessing her life.

 

If you are looking for a spoiler-free review her is one I did on my YouTube channel:

Spoiler Free Review

 

Favourite Quote:

On page 51 it is a dialogue between Rosa who is Sophia’s mother and the head of the Gomez Clinic Dr Gomez at lunch discussing her ex-husband. I really liked this quote as was full of witty comedy on how her ex-husband left her for a younger woman.

Style of Writing:

The interesting point is at most of the start of the chapters there was a snippet of writing that it was an interesting addition but ultimately I did not see the point. Her style was simple and quite descriptive which I enjoyed as it made the book more of a critique of her life than the story of her mother’s legs. I really liked the detached narration of Sophia.

Themes:

The theme of family is the main element of this book and assessing how important it is to people. The family dynamic within Sophia’s family showed the effects of modern-day life and was very relatable. The element of lesbian love interest was a clear representation of how complicated it can be if it is a new experience for people. It read as a respectful representation.

Characters:

My favourite character would have to be Mr Gomez he is such fun and intriguing with great wit. I felt so sorry for him at the end. I liked Sophia she was relatable to me especially because of her young age. However, I did find her irritating in the middle as she was not fully developed. I didn’t like Ingrid for me she had too many agendas as a character and was such a confusing person. In terms of Rosa the mother by the end I think she just needed a wake up call and was such a burden even to the story that you kinda hated her.

My Thoughts:

This book was an interesting read in terms of it being basically an anthropological study of her life and cultural memory. However, the story as such was anticlimactic in terms of it didn’t develop anywhere as in Sophia’s mother’s illness or Sophia’s life. The ending was disappointing as the second last paragraph had some meaning but then it ended with a sentence on a jellyfish which I believe was not needed. Overall, though intriguing I did not enjoy it due to its lack of direction. I believe this book is more catered towards those who enjoy a complex literary read.

 

If you have read this book let me know what you think down below in the comments!

Social Mediaring:
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Lootcrate Unboxing #2

Here is my unboxing for my second Lootcrate it was very exciting as it included the items from; Guardians of the Galaxy, Destiny, Star Wars, The Goonies and Avatar The Last Airbender!

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https://youtu.be/1StIxocEFiM

 

 

If you wish to subscribe here is the link:
https://www.lootcrate.com/subscription-crates/lootcrate

 

 

 

Social Mediaring:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyCCannings

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Lootcrate Unboxing #1

Here is my first ever Lootcrate unboxing which I am very excited about because I have heard lots about this subscription box and it definitely lived up to my expectations. This months box theme is mystery which inclueded something from Batman, Stranger Things, Jessica Jones and The X-Files.

 

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https://youtu.be/SW-G8aOYkb4

 

 

Here is the website if you wish to subscribe:
https://www.lootcrate.com/subscription-crates/lootcrate

 

 

 

 

 

Social Mediaring:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyCCannings
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Legendary Star Lord Vol 1 Review

Legendary star-lord

from Goodreads

Title: Legendary Star-Lord Vol 1

Author: Sam Humphries

Artist: Paco Medina and Freddie Williams

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Genre: Marvel superhero, comics, SCI-FI

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23017960-legendary-star-lord-vol-1?ac=1&from_search=true

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:

This comic follows Legendary Star-Lord on an adventure through space. It follows his revenge mission for Thanos and how he plans to rid the world of him. But will his revenge work to his advantage?

Here is my spoiler free review:

https://youtu.be/i_Y8xinoW8U

SPOILER ALERT!!

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this comic it was fun, witty with a curious story. It was a great starting point to a comic series it built up the story really well with a slight altercation with Thanos but the promise of more. It also had a great use of other characters introductions and storylines to develop the plot. I really enjoyed the fact that the plot had all the components of a great story with romance, rivalry and drama.

Artwork:

I loved the artwork it was not too busy but still had a lot going on on most pages which kept the pace going at a steady pace. The palette of colours used is so pretty and space agey with the blues and purples which made me love it even more. Not only that but I really enjoyed the people and monster designs they were very classic marvel with an updated look.

Dialogue:

I really loved the dialogue it was very witty with jokes that were very relatable to real life. The dialogue also gave us a good amount of background to understand the situation a bit as like everything in Marvel its all interconnected so starting new series can be confusing. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue which was an advantage as it kept the superhero pace.

Favourite Characters:

I really loved Star-Lord partly because he was quite like Chris Pratt’s version. Also he had this great mixture of kindness and charm to him. I also really enjoyed Captain Victoria although a small part and would liked to have seen more of her because she is a badass confident woman.

Hated Characters:

I didn’t like Thanos he is an arrogant villain but it was interesting that they made him more humane in the sense of his conscious in a conversation with Legendary Star-Lord. I also didn’t like Kitty the girlfriend of Legendary Star-Lord as she was too whinny and didn’t have enough of a part in this volume to develop her character I assume she will develop later in the volumes.

Overall:

Awesome comic with witty dialogue and beautiful art and the promise of lots of interesting drama in later volumes.

If you have read this comic or are planning to feel free to leave a comment below I would love to know your thoughts!

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Lazarus Vol 1 Review

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from Goodreads

Title: Lazarus Vol 1

Author: Greg Rucka

Illustrator: Michael Lark

Publisher: Image Comics

Genre: Action, Thriller, Dystopian, Comics

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18259637-lazarus-vol-1?ac=1&from_search=true

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis:

Lazarus is about a women Forever who is a robot in the service of the Carlyle family. The Carlyle family has a rival family in this dystopian world who is the Morray family. There is an attack at the Carlyle base but who is really behind the attack?

Here is my Spoiler free review:

https://youtu.be/Eyrl98gIFlQ

SPOILERS NOW!

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this comic it is a high energy action comic with twists and turns that will keep wondering where the mystery lies. The plot was intense and a great pace for an action comic. The concept of a dystopian was interesting that we would revert to family that holds us together I would think it would be violence but I’m a synic. It was a bit of a anticlimatic start but so good by the middle.

Artwork:

It is mostly a dark palette which shows the dystopian side to the story with lots of black outlining that gave a serious tone to the comic. I feel like Lazarus could have been slightly brighter only because I would have liked to have some hope but its dystopian so. I really liked the use of purple in the chapter 3 and 4 it made it look beautiful.

Dialogue:

There is not much dialogue in the comic which is good because the storyline centres on violence attached to this world. The dialogue between the family is very typical and relatable with lots of drama which I love.

Favourite Character:

Forever is badass and interesting character because she has empathy like a real person and her connection to the family intrigues me. Also she has this relationship with the other family’s robot which interesting see how different they are and how much humanity influences them as characters. I really like her history and want to know and about her purpose to the family.

Hate Character:

Jonah mainly because he is such an ignorant asshole and such a typical son wants to take over the business but there was a lot of characters are like that but that might change. Another reason I didn’t like him is his conspiracy with his other sister it was creepy and made me hate me more.

If you have read Lazarus or want to read it please feel free to comment below I would love to know your thoughts!

 

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Book Events May To June

I apologise about getting the Diana Galbadon event to you too late but it was last minute. Here are all the links for the events:

Cory Doctorow in Conversation with Laurie Penny:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/cory-doctorow-in-conversation-with-laurie-penny/london-tottenham-court-road

Politics or Play: Citizenship in Children’s Fiction:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/politics-or-play-citizenship-in-childrens-fiction/london-kensington

Bookpop Event! (Superwoman book not Supervillain SORRY!):
https://www.waterstones.com/events/bookpop-with-ashley-poston-hope-norton-and-sam-maggs/london-piccadilly

Maria Turtschaninoff and Laura Dockrill in Conversation:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/laura-dockrill-and-maria-turtschaninoff-in-conversation/london-islington

John Barrowman Signing:
http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Events/Detail.aspx?eventId=3326
An Evening with Alan Lee:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-alan-lee/london-piccadilly

An Evening with Adam Silvera:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-adam-silvera/london-piccadilly

Truth or Dare YA Event:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/truth-or-dare-the-teenage-years-with-non-pratt-lisa-williamson-and-hannah-witton/london-piccadilly

Middle Grade Magic:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/middle-grade-magic-with-peter-bunzl-maz-evans-mg-leonard-and-lara-williamson/london-kensington

Wine and Dine an Evening of Thriller Debuts:
https://www.waterstones.com/events/wine-and-die-an-evening-of-thriller-debuts/london-tottenham-court-road

Let me know if you going to any of these events and if you are please come say hello!
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