Best of 2015 | Albums

This list was actually harder to compile than I thought it would be. Not that there wasn't any good music released in 2015, but I listen to a lot of indie bands and artists that haven't released albums yet.  I've also been listening to a lot of old music from the 80s and 90s. But the main reason was that there were singles that  were released that I absolutely adore, but I wasn't a fan of the entire album. This is the case of 25 by Adele, and this may be an unpopular opinion but I don't love the whole album. My favourite songs are Hello and When We Were Young, the two singles that were released. The same can be said for Made In The AM by One Direction. 

Some honourable mentions - Badlands by Halsey, Purpose by Justin Bieber and Chaos and the Calm by James Bay. 

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Coldplay // A Head Full of Dreams
I can remember my dad playing Coldplay when I was little and it was the only music of his that I actually liked at the time. They are now one of my favourite bands, their music just never disappoints. I actually had no idea they were releasing a new album and when I found out, I listened to it straight away. I'd say the album is a mix of good old classic Coldplay and their new techno sound.

Fav songs: Everglow, Fun, Miracles, Adventure of a Lifetime


The Weeknd // Beauty Behind The Madness

I've been a fan of The Weekend for a while now and I don't know why it took me so long to listen to this album because it's amazing. The Weeknd has such a beautiful voice and I just can't get over how much I love this album - I can imagine it being great live. 

Fav songs: The Hills, Dark Times ft. Ed Sheeran, Real Life


Troye Sivan // Blue Neighbourhood

When I found out that Troye was releasing an album, I was a bit skeptical because I wasn't the biggest fan of his first EP, TRXYE. I was however, pleasantly surprised and I honestly love this album. There is not a single song that I don't like. 

Fav songs: Youth, Bite, Lost Boy, Suburbia

4 | 5 | 6

Years & Years // Communion

I first found Years & Years on youtube and the first song I heard of theirs was Take Shelter. Which, to this day is one of my favourite songs of theirs. I love Ollys voice and pretty much all the songs are up beat and are best listened to on full volume while dancing around your room (no shame). 

Fav songs: Real, Take Shelter, Without


Fall Out Boy // American Beauty/American Psycho

I am not one for rock music, but I have always loved Fall Out Boy. I was utterly obsessed with their last album, Save Rock And Roll and the same can be said for their most recent, American Beauty/American Psycho. The music is upbeat as always and I absolutely adore Patricks Stumps voice. I also love the music videos for Uman Thurman and Irresistible - I was laughing all the way through. 

Fav songs: Irresistible, Uma Thurman, Centuries, Immortals

The Neighbourhood // Wiped Out!
I was a big fan of The Neighbourhoods first album, but I think I might prefer this one. I would say that it is more alternative and sounds amazing really loud through headphones. 
Fav songs: R.I.P 2 My Youth, Greetings From California, The Beach


What were some of your favourite albums from this year? 
I'm really excited for The 1975s album coming out in February next year as well as Ed Sheerans third album hopefully coming out late 2016 (fingers crossed).

Sarah x

Best of 2015 | Series

I cannot believe I am already writing another series of yearly round ups. How is it December already? Each and every year seems to go quicker than the last. This years 'Best of' series will consist of TV shows, films, books and a new addition this year, albums. 

I was hoping that Game of Thrones would make it onto this list, as it is one of my favourite shows and featured in my favourite series from 2014. However,  the newest season was pretty disappointing up until half way through. I also watched the first 4 seasons of Gossip Girl and it was alright - I didn't LOVE it. Nonetheless, this list is comprised of  some really great TV shows that I enjoyed throughout 2015.

1 | 2 | 3

The Walking Dead

I had a love/hate relationship with TWD until recently, and I can now say it is one of my favourite TV shows. For the first couple of seasons, episodes would either be a hit or miss but I feel Season 5 is one of the best seasons so far and the first half of Season 6 has been excellent so far. It is very slow paced and is not for the lighthearted - you are guaranteed to see some kind of rotting innards in each episode and it's great. 

The Office US

The Office is one of the many series where I saw a gif set on tumblr and proceeded to watch the entire thing. I'm currently halfway through season 8 and have loved every minute. The first season is definitely the weakest and consists of just 6 episodes - you just need to get through it and the rest is brilliant. Jim is favourite character, and this might be my love for John Krasinski taking. Jim and Dwights continuous pranks on each other never fail to make me laugh out loud. I also thought Ed Helms was really good when he joined in season 3. I don't know what else to say other than it's great and you should really watch it if you haven't. I am also going to watch the British version once I'm done and I'm interested to see which one I prefer. 


The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
I had heard so much about this series but held off because of exams and binged watched in two days. I can wholeheartedly say that it is brilliant. I am a big fan of Ellie Kemper from her role in The Office and Bridesmaids. The show follows Kimmy Schmidt (obviously), a bubbly and very enthusiastic young woman who is rescued after 15 years in a cult and tries to make it in modern day New York. It has a bizarre concept but it works, and it's unbelievably funny.

4 | 5 | 6

Elementary
The premise of Elementary is that it is modern day Sherlock Holmes living in New York. I absolutely love Jonny Lee Miller, who plays Sherlock - he does such a good job of the character. Something that makes this show stand out is that Watson, who has always been previously portrayed as a man, is female and is played wonderfully by Lucy Liu. Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell from Game of Thrones) played a small role, but prominent character and she is great as always. This is one of those shows where they have a new mystery to solve every episode, but there is always an underlying and sometimes prominent storyline with the main characters. 

Malcolm In The Middle
I think this is one of the most underrated series. There is not an episode where I am not laughing out loud at the hilarious antics that Malcolm and his brothers get up to. The acting is exceptional from the onset and throughout. I've been watching random episodes here and there but have managed to watch the equivalent of a couple of seasons. If you are looking for a new comedy series, definitely check this one out. 

Jane The Virgin 
It took me a couple of episodes to get into Jane The Virgin, but once I got into it, I was hooked. The show follows Jane Villanueva, a 23 year old engaged virgin, who is accidentally artificially inseminated. From then on, there is a series of intertwining plots and characters that calls for a lot of laughs and chaos. It can only be described as an Americanised Telenovela and it's brilliant. My favourite character has to be Rogelio, he is incredibly hilarious and quirky. 

What series have you watched and loved this year? 
Check out my favourite series from 2014 here. 

Sarah x

Eleanor & Park Book Review

Source

“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Rating: ★★★★

The story follows Eleanor and Park (obviously) who are two misfits that meet on the bus and bond over music and comic books in the 1980s. Eleanor has big red hair, is a little chubby with a wild fashion sense and a tough family life. Park is an outsider but not enough so that he gets picked on - he's just an all around likeable guy. 

Eleanor and Park was such a pleasure to read. I loved the writing style and the fact that the narrative went back and forth between Eleanor and Park. It was interesting to see what they both felt about the same events as well as getting to know both of their living situations and family dynamics. I appreciated the fact it was set in the 1980s and the constant references to comics and music from that decade, that still manage to be relevant today. 

It is also a really easy book to read. I finished it in about two sittings and it would have only been one, but I needed sleep.

Spoilers Ahead - Stop reading now if you haven't read the book. 

1. I loved the element of multicultural characters. However, I felt like there was more room to highlight racism that was evident in the 1980s. Park mentioned his insecurities but we never saw any discrimination towards him. It could have been an interesting subplot of his character.

2. I loved Park as a character. I pictured him as a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt (think 10 Things I Hate About You). I also loved his family. His mum was really funny and the part when she gave Park a Christmas present to give to Eleanor and told him about her family in Korea was so sweet. I also loved how his dad really welcomed Eleanor into the family and was really understanding about her needing to leave at the end. 

3. I thought it felt a bit rushed towards the end and I would have liked to have known what happened to Eleanors mum and siblings. Their fate was unclear - at first I thought they have left Richie, but then again, he was an abusive drunk and anything really could have happened. It's a bit far fetched, but all we were told was that the toys disappear from the front yard and they weren't seen anymore.

4. I've read some reviews and almost all say they hated the way the book ended - the postcard with three words on it.  I genuinely liked the way it ended. I do think that Eleanor wrote 'I Love You' because she never actually tells Park she loves him. I read something that I completely agree with on a goodreads forum about how Eleanor finally told Park she loved him because she finally felt worthy and that it is a sign that she is healing, now that she is away from her horrible stepdad. Yet again, she could have just written 'stupid asian kid'.  

Have you read Eleanor and Park? What did you think of it?

Sarah x

What I've Been Watching Lately no. 3

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Spectre

I am a big fan of the James Bond franchise and after the masterpiece that was Skyfall, I was really excited for Spectre, but was a bit sceptical before watching it because the reviews aren't great. Overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable film and  the performances were all great. Christoph Watlz, who plays the villain was particularly brilliant and the scene where he was introduced was a masterpiece full of suspense. I would however, liked him to have had more screen time. The main issue for me was the script and somewhere along the way, it gets disconnected. Another problem I had with it is that it took away what I love about Casino Royale and Skyfall, being that those films took a step back from the classic Bond. In Casino Royale, a waiter asks Bond if he wants his drink shaken or stirred and he says "Do I look like a give a damn?". In Spectre, he orders his drink to be shaken. In Skyfall as well, Q gives Bond a gun and a radio and says "What were you expecting an exploding pen?". Again, in Spectre Q gives Bond an exploding watch. Do you see what I mean? I also didn't buy the romance between Bond and Lea Seydoux. Not enough time was dedicated to their relationship and when they confessed their love for each other, it just came out of the blue. For me, Spectre tries to make up for the weak plot with more action scenes. I did actually think the action scenes were brilliant though. It's by no means a bad film and and I really did enjoy it - it is well worth the four stars I gave it. 

Rating: ★★★★

The Martian

I found The Martian a lot more enjoyable than some of the recent space films such as Gravity and Interstellar. One reason being that it was surprisingly  funny. That being said, there were also scenes that filled me with suspense and got be on the edge of my seat. I thought Matt Damon was great in this film and he played his character perfectly, who is a very likeable, smart and optimistic guy. There was no point in the film where I didn't know what was happening and the visuals were also brilliant. I am not a fan of 3D but it was definitely worth it. Probably one of the best films of the year and I'm eager to see how it does in the awards season. 

Rating: ★★★★

Camp X-Ray

I've watched this film twice now and I can honestly say it is brilliant. Kristen Stewart plays a female guard at Guantanamo Bay and she forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. I was pleasantly surprised with  Kristen Stewarts performance as well as Payman Moaadi, who plays the very likeable detainee who strikes a friendship with Stewarts character. What I love most about this film is that it is something different - it shows that not everything is as black and white as it may seem. Its both funny, sad and very captivating and I highly recommend it. 

Rating: ★★★★★


Me, Earl and The Dying Girl

I hadn't heard much about this film before I watched it and was gladly taken by surprise at how much I liked it. It has a bit of a Fault In Our Stars feel to it, in terms of the poetic dialogue but it still managed to be original. It was really funny and all the performances were great. Nick Offerman is also in it and he was fantastic as always. I loved that the film just stuck to the theme of friendship rather than romance between the main characters, which makes it a bit different to most films these days. 

Rating: ★★★½

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Sicario

It was a very slow paced film and by no means has a phenomenal plot. Without the acting and cinematography, it would be your average drug bust film. It is however, incredible. I am a big fan of Emily blunt and this is one of her best works. This film is filled with suspense and is very dark, there is no scene that is hopeful.  I left the cinema just dumb founded, but in a good way. Even though the film mainly follows Emily Blunts character, Benicio Del Toro steals the show. His character is so interesting and you never who he is working for or if he is one of the good guys or not. I loved the music which gave an amazing effect in the cinema and I really hope it translates well to DVD. 

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Man Up

The film follows Lake Bell as an awkward 34 year old who accidentally hijacks a blind date with Simon Pegg. This film has a bit of a cliche plot and it would be easy to discard this film into a collection of bad romantic comedies but its everything else that makes this film so great. The acting was brilliant, Simon Pegg and Lake Bell had great chemistry, the humour was just right and it was all around such a joy to watch. I particularly loved Lake Bells character, she was so unapologetically herself and a very realistic, funny character. It's not a groundbreaking comedy film but it is hilarious and I guarantee you will enjoy it. 

Rating: ★★★★


Inside Out

I heard nothing but good things about this film when it first came out but I wasn't rushing to the cinema to watch it. There are just some films that are not cinema films. And when I got around to watching it, I really enjoyed it. I actually found myself laughing out loud at parts. It was a bit predictable, but then again, it was made for kids. The main reason I really like the film was that it had a really prominent message about depression. I also really loved how everything tied together with all the memories and subplots. Overall, it was brilliant and can't recommend it enough. 

Rating: ★★★★

Little Miss Sunshine

I remember watching this film when it first came out and I think I was too young to enjoy it properly and get all the jokes. And because of that, I had the impression that the film wasn't great and never watched it again. Recently, Jack Howard mentioned it as one of his favourite films and I thought I had to give it another go, and I loved it. I'm sure most people have watched it but if you haven't, its about a very dysfunctional family going on a road trip to California to support young Olive in a bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant. I thought all the characters were the right about of quirky and were also well rounded and likeable. It's a real feel good film eventually after lots of mishaps  and has just the right amount of humour and heart-felt moments to make it great.

Rating: ★★★★

Have you watched any good films recently?

Sarah x

September Playlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

September has been a month of indie and alternative music for me. I've found a lot of music from The Hyve, which is a youtube channel with tonnes of alternative and indie music from various artists. Definitely check it out if that is the sort of music you like. 

Cape Cub // Swim

Eliza and The Bear // Let Us Be Young

LAYLA // Smokestacks 

Hollow Coves // The Woods

Magic Man // Paris 

Magic Man // Waves

We The Wild // Body Electric (Blue)

Bad Suns // Cardiac Arrest 

Daughter // Candles


What have you been listening to recently?

Sarah x

August Playlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Another month has come and gone and August has been a good one for music.  

Jaymes Young // I'll Be Good

Jaymes Young // Moondust

James Young // Habits of My Heart

Aosoon // Under

The Beach // Thieves

Jack Watts // Push Blue

Matt Corby // Brother

Birdy // Wings

Kaiser Chiefs // Ruby

Imagine Dragons // Summer

Macklemore ft. Ed Sheeran // Growing Up (Sloane's Song) 

The Kooks // Bad Habit

I have also been been listening to Birdy's Album 'Fire Within' found here. Jaymes Young has been on constant repeat and you can listen to all his music on soundcloud here. 

I also reached 100 followers on Bloglovin'. It means the world that people want to actually read what I have to say so thank you so much!

What are some songs you have been listening to this month?

Sarah x

What I've been Watching Lately | Summer Edition

Mad Max Fury Road

There are so many things to admire about this film from the stunning visuals to the script and the bad-ass female characters. Something I also love is the fact that the plot is so simple; they drive down a road and turn around. It is as simple as that and yet, you get to experience two hours worth of a brilliant movie. This is probably my favourite film of the year so far.

Ant Man

I did not have high expectations for this film after watching the trailer and though it would be a bit silly. But, it was actually rather good. There was humour that was actually funny and not cringe worthy like in Avengers 2. There was also a good ratio of action scenes to the rest of the film. I do recommend that you watch it just because it is a good film and if you ever what to watch any future Marvel films and understand them, I'm betting that you will need to watch this one.

Home

I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It was a bit strange at first hearing Sheldon Cooper's voice making grammatical errors but soon got over it because I was just so engrossed in the film. Yes, it is a film for kids, but who does't love watching a kids film now and then? If you are looking for a humorous, feel-good film then definitely watch Home. 

Spy

I have been a huge fan of Melissa McCarthy ever since her role in Bridesmaids and was very eager to see Spy. And I loved it. It was really funny and the cast was excellent. I particularly liked Jason Statham and Rose Byrne. The only bad thing I can say about the film is that the plot was a bit generic to any other spy comedy film. None the less, this is a must see. 

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation

I really really really liked this film. I am a big fan of the 4th Mission Impossible and I might even like this one a bit better. I liked that you couldn't really tell if certain characters were good or not and there were a lot of surprises from the onset and thought. And as always, the stunts were brilliant. If you can, go see it in the cinema!

Cinderella

I pleasantly surprised with this film. I genuinely enjoyed everything about it, from the cast to the visuals and script. This might be my bias towards Disney talking, but there are just so many things about this film to love.  If you are a huge Disney fan then I really do think you will enjoy this film.

Aloha

There is no nice way of putting it, this has got to be one of the worst films I have ever watched. The film was so confusing with under-developed characters and a very weak and predictable plot. I do not understand how a film with such a good cast including Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murry and Alec Baldwin can be so so poor. I was actually really looking forward to watching the film and it was a big disappointment. 

Age of Adeline

I really don't know how I feel about this film. I can't tell if I feel bad for the main character, Adeline, who doesn't age for over 100 years or annoyed that she victimises herself constantly throughout the film. It's an alright film if you feel like killing some time. 

Any good films that you've watched lately?

Sarah x

A Very Late Summer Playlist

I know summer began quite a while ago, but I thought I would still share some music that I have been playing non-stop recently. 

Waiting For Love // Avicii

Runaway (U & I) // Galantis

Where Are U Now // Skrillex and Diplo ft. Justin Bieber

Sugar // Maroon 5

Maps // Maroon 5

Paradise (Kasbo Remix) // Coldplay

Midnight (Kygo Remix) // Coldplay

High Hopes (Filous Remix) // Kodaline

Real (LeMarquis Remix) // Years & Years

When Will I See You Again (Amtrac Remix) // Shakka

Someone Else (Party Favour Remix) // Miley Cyrus

Lean On // Major Lazer and DJ Snake ft. MØ

Five More Hours // Deorro ft. Chris Brown

Stole The Show // Kygo ft. Parson James

What's on your summer playlist?

Sarah x

Youtubers I am Enjoying at The Moment

Youtube has become massive over the last few years and with over 1 billion users, it is sometimes hard to find new channels. Here are some Youtubers that I haven't necessarily found recently, but have been loving.

Casey Neistat
I had know about Casey for a while and watched a couple of his videos, but never really got into them. However, I watched a video of his last night and continued watching his cannel until the early hours of the morning. Casey has got to be one of the most talented Youtubers out there. His video 'Make It Count' is one of my favourite Youtube videos ever and you can find it here. 

Jimmy0010

I can't remember how I found Jimmy's channel, but I am completely hooked. If you like Jack Howard's videos, you will like his. Most of them are just chats, but his seemingly endless awkwardness is just brilliant. 

Bo Burnham

I don't really know if Bo can be classed as a 'Youtuber', as he is mainly a comedian. A brilliant one at that. He started out a couple of years ago with original and comedic songs which have garnered a couple million views each. I highly recommend you watch his show 'what.', which you can find here.

Hannah Maggs
I'm sure many are aware of Hannah and her channel, where she and her husband, Stef post weekly vlogs of their life along with their adorable son, Grayson.


Which you Youtubers have you been enjoying lately?

Sarah x

What I've Been Watching Lately no.1

I'm not too sure why, but I have been watching an immense amount of movies lately. I know I shouldn't be, seeing as though I should be revising for my finals coming up. Nevertheless, I have watched some incredible movies and I felt like sharing them with you.

The Imitation Game

This is possibly one of my favourite films of all time for a number of reasons; (1)  Benedict Cumberbatch, (2) Keira Knightly, (3) it is just a brilliant movie. It revolves around Alan Turing who broke the enigma code, reducing WW2 by about two years and saving countless lives. In return, he was utterly wronged by the British government. Hands down a great film that I know you will enjoy. 

The English Patient

I watched this film per a suggestion from my Dad and I am very thankful that he did. The film is about a man who is badly injured and is looked after by a nurse during the end of World War II. His past is revealed through flashbacks as a young man, in Egypt making maps for the British government while he was falling in love with another man's wife. 

The Normal Heart

I cannot remember how I cam across this film but I am bloody glad that I did. The film is set in the 1980s in New York and is about when people didn't know a lot about AIDS and thought that gay men were only susceptible to the disease. I think movies like this are so important to remind us of the struggles faced by individuals and social groups in the past, in order to try and rectify those mistakes and make the world just a little bit better.

Kingsman

I had been wanting to watch this film for ages and when I saw that it was out, I was over the moon. The film was both witty and smart and I found myself enjoying the entire film. Plus, Colin Firth just gets better looking with age and that should be reason enough to go see the movie. 

Love, Rosie

I have been wanting to watch this film for the longest time now and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an adaptation of "Where Rainbows End" by Cecelia Ahern, which I talked about here. I found myself constantly comparing the film to the book though, which I wish I hadn't because it removed some of my ability to simply enjoy the film on it's own. 

Big Hero 6

I really wasn't expecting much from this film because it looked a bit silly. But I was pleasantly surprised and I really enjoyed watching it. 

The Theory of Everything

I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of this film by now, but if you haven't watched it, you need to. The film follows Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his life  coping with ALS while still being able to become one the most renowned physicists of all time. 

Laggies

I was really eager to watch this film for ages and it did not disappoint. I mainly wanted to watch it because of Keira Knightly, but the film itself is great. The film is about a 20 something year old who has lost her way in life and gives herself a week away from her unfulfilling life.

Godzilla

I really didn't know much about the Godzilla before watching the film but it wasn't what I had expected. I didn't have high hopes for the film but I actually really enjoyed it. Not only is it packed with amazing action scenes, but I thought the actors in the film were particularly brilliant, specifically Bryan Cranston and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Insurgent

I have been a major fan of the Divergent series and have talked talked about the book here and also did a movie and book comparison here. I was really eager to watch the second instalment following my love for the first film and I was not disappointed. 

What have you been watching lately?

Sarah x

March Playlist

Source Unknown

Hello there,

It has been a while.

I've found a lot of remarkable music recently and I thought I would share some with you.

Coasts // Oceans

Ellie Goulding // Love Me Like You Do

Rixton // Hotel Ceiling

LAYLA // Oh My Love

Nothing But Thieves // Temp You (Evocatio)

Imagine Dragons // Second Chances

Imagine Dragons // Polaroid

Imagine Dragons // Release

Echosmith // Cool Kids

Hoodie Allen ft. Ed Sheeran // All About It

Laura Welsh // Undiscovered

Skylar Grey // I know You


What have you been listening to lately?

Sarah x

Best of 2014 | Books

Reading is something I love to do in what little spare time I seem to have these days. I haven't read a lot this year, but the books that I have read, I have really enjoyed. I have also done a similar post on my favourite movies from 2014, which you can find here and my favourite series, which can be found here. 

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion 
I just finished this book the other day and what a wonderful book it is to read. This book was adapted into a film by the same name, which I also adore. The book revolves around 'R' who is a zombie and befriends Julie, a human. Things begin to change once R meets Julie that is much bigger than just the two of them. The main aspect of the book that I love is the way in which Marion writes. The book is both heart-felt and funny and I highly recommend it. 

Where Rainbows End by Cecilia Ahern 
I am eagerly waiting to watch Love, Rosie, which is the film adaptation of this book and could not wait, so I decided to read the book in the mean time. This book is actually a lot longer than I expected it to be, but I finished in about two days (with little sleep mind you). Nonetheless, I really enjoyed watching the characters grow and how the their relationship changes throughout the years. The only pitfall to this book is that it is so frustrating how nothing ever works out for Rosie and it takes 40 odd years for this book to finish, with a bit of a naff ending. 

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 
I had never read the Harry Potter books until recently because I always found it a bit daunting. I am currently on the third book and almost finished. I am going to try finish the series soon and I am looking forward to it.

A Visual Journey by Ed Sheeran
 I got this as a Christmas present and read it in three sittings. If you love Ed Sheeran, you will enjoy this book. It is about his musical journey accompanied by some brilliant drawings of him by Phillip Butah. 

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth 
Even though I sadly watched the movie before reading the books, I still adore the books. I read the entire trilogy in under a week and read Allegiant in a couple of hours. I have actually done a blog post about a comparison between the first book and the movie, which you can find here. 

What books have you enjoyed this year?

Sarah x