Reads and Ramblings with Beth

  Hello everyone,  I know it's Monday, not Sunday evening which is when I usually post but I was still reading my last book of January and needed to rest early for a really busy day today! But I've gathered my thoughts now and am ready to share them with you all! So, I managed to read 6 books in January which isn't the best for me but the new uni semester has started and I spend a lot of my time reading articles etc rather than books due to that. However, I managed to read 3 physical books and 3 ebooks, which I was impressed with as I've had my kindle for absolutely years and yet could probably count the times I've used it on one hand.  The first book I read in Jan was The Foundling by Stacey Halls . I really loved this and it reminded me so much at the beginning of reading Hetty Feather when I was much younger. The plot was kind of predictable but it's historical fictions so you somewhat expect it. I definitely like Halls writing style, I think it's really ...

  good evening! Back with a bookish post for the first time in a little while, as I've finally managed to get back on track with reading. I adore Matt Haig's writing and this book was no different! I received it for Christmas after seeing people all over bookstagram reading and reviewing it and saying such great things. I was really intrigued by the plot and drawn to its gorgeous cover - it just had to go on my Christmas list! (Haig's books always have gorgeous covers which I just love). Where to start with this book?! I loved it!  I thought that Nora was a really likeable character and a really well built character too - she had a detailed personality and lots of hopes, dreams and backstory. I really felt for her during the whole book. Haig wrote her emotions so vividly that there were times when I had to take small breaks from the book because he created such overwhelming sections. The Book of Regrets was an incredibly clever and powerful element of the story and I really...

  hi everyone!  A few months ago I posted my Uni Reading Module 1 mini reviews  after it was requested on my Instagram poll. I promised to be back with Module 2 and I've only just now gotten round to it - sorry about that!  If you don't already know or haven't read many of my other posts - I am a BA English Literature student and I have a really varied reading list, with some personal favourites of mine and some brand new reads too! Module 2 - The Gothic: Transgressive to Shock >The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole (1764) This is hailed as the first gothic novel and it has such an interesting back story which I definitely encourage you to look into.  This is a very typical novel of incest, secret passages, tyranny and death. Spooky paintings and a curse, a damsel chased around a castle. Reading it nowadays it's quite amusing  - I liked it! 3  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ >Dracula - Bram Stoker (1897) This is a really exciting gothic read. It's a little slow to ...

    Hi, you there! Yes, you! Thank you for visiting my post - this was chosen by poll by my followers and I hope you find something here to add to your own TBR!  My Hardback TBR 1. The Red Daughter - John Burnham Schwartz   This story follows Svetlana Alliluyeva - daughter of Joseph Stalin - as she is smuggled into America. She has to adapt to her new society after her radically different life in Russia; however, she spends time reverting back to her previous lifestyle - joining a cult-like community, and travelling back to the Soviet Union.  Burnham Schwartz's father was the lawyer who escorted Alliluyeva to the US and he has used the collection of documents and research he has to write this extraordinary novel.  2. Call Me Evie - J. P. Pomare This is quite a dark, psychological thriller that definitely isn't for the faint-hearted.  17 year-old Kate Bennett, is being held against her will in an isolated beach hut having been put there by a mysterious ...

hi everyone!  A few weeks ago I held an Instagram poll asking whether people would be interested in seeing mini reviews of the books on my first year university reading list. I am starting my degree in September and have been enjoying reading the books in preparation to start!  Lots of people were interested, so here is the first part!! Part 2 will be up very soon - I have 1 more book to finish.  Module 1 - Intro to Literary Studies > Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith (2007) This book is a modern retelling of Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', re telling the myth of Iphis and Ianthe, through Anthea and her gender queer partner Robin.  Everything in this book is about challenging normal expectations and the wonder of fluidity, from the characters to the unique style of narration. There are many important themes such as feminism, activism, gender identity, sexuality, sexual harassment and homophobia.  The water motif that runs through the book is a really beautiful portraya...

HELLO EVERYONE 🌲 Welcome to the second part of my review of Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree series. You can read my first post 'Babbles about childhood Books: The Enchanted Wood & The Magic Faraway Tree' here . Today I am reviewing the final two books in the series.  The Folk of the Faraway Tree (Book 3) This portion of the post is an exciting one; as not only am I reviewing this book for my own enjoyment, but because I read this book for my first ever 'Buddy Read', with Rebecca (@GirlDaveReads)  who I met on Twitter. You can read her thoughts on this book here ! Let's get started, shall we?  Praises What I loved most about this book was the interaction between all the original characters, and the newcomer, the children's friend Connie. Connie couldn't be more different from the children; their cousin Rick who visited in the second book was much less rude and difficult to control, but nevertheless Connie does provide some ...

Hello everyone 🌳 Welcome to the first of a new little series of book reviews in which I will be reviewing books that I have been re-reading and enjoying from my childhood and younger reading days. In this post I'm going to review 2 short books by Enid Blyton that I absolutely adored as a child.  The Enchanted Wood (Book 1) This is the first book in the 'Faraway Tree' collection and was originally published in 1939. In this book, the children - Joe, Beth and Frannie - move to their new house and have fun discovering the enchanted wood and meeting the residents of the faraway tree, as well as enjoying several different lands.  Praises One of the great things about these books is that they are so auditory, a staple for a gripping children's read - but I'm also a sucker for a land that's really well described and especially if sounds are focused on! The trees in the enchanted wood have their distinct "wisha wisha" sounds which I abso...