LOOKING FOR ALASKA By John Green

This is the second of John Green's books that I have read, the first being The Fault in Our Stars (Which incidentally earned itself a place on my Book of the Month list in January of this year), which I loved and therefore it would only make sense to enter this book for my reading challenge under that category of 'A book by an author you love but haven't read yet'.

Having previously read The Fault in Our Stars, and being absolutely blown away with it, and it hitting the top of my all time favourite books list in the skip of a heart beat, I'm not going to lie, I had high hopes for this one, and is I expected, the awesomeness that is John Green delivered again! I can't say that it hit the same level as TFIOS, because I don't think anything every will, but that is in no way at all, me saying that this is not a good book. It is! It is an amazing, gripping, perfectly poignant book which everyone should read.

This is the story of Miles Halter, a boy with few aspirations, a knack for learning famous last words and soon to become Pudge to his new friends, as he starts a new life at Culver Creek Boarding School where he meets the infamous and beautiful prankster, Alaska Young.
Pudge does exactly as his parents tell him not to, gets involved with smoking, sex, getting into trouble, the whole shebang, but his heart is broken after a terrible 'accident' which leaves the entire school without Alaska.

This is an amazing story which really shows how death can tear us apart as much as it can bring us together. As the reader you are forced into choosing sides between characters who are friends with each other, friends with you. Its a fact of life that everyone with die eventually, but it doesn't make things any easier when it finally happens to someone you know and love.

I would recommend this to any one of the age to read Young Adult fiction, due to a small number of graphic scenes and a running message of alcohol abuse and smoking. This is a funny and yet heart breaking book which will stay with you for an awfully long time to come.

Mr Green...  I salute you. 

TAMPA By Alissa Nutting

Before I begin... let me warn you that the content of this book is extremely graphic and inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18 (and probably some people over it!) This is an adult novel and should be read by an adult and mature audience, and not for the squeamish and faint hearted... ...

Now that I've got the warning bit out of the way, let me introduce my sixth book for the POPSUGAR 2015 Reading Challenge. I have chosen this one to be read for the category of 'A book set in high school'.

Celeste is a 26 year old high school teacher who feels a desire to be a little more intimate with her 8th grade students than should probably be permitted. This is the story of how she seduces Jack Patrick, a 14 year old boy, into becoming the embodiment of her fantasy. Obviously, as soon as his voice breaks and he begins to grow body hair, the whole illusion will be broken and he will be no good to Celeste's needs. However after about a year of this horrid affair, things stop going to plan and disaster strikes for Celeste, Jack and everyone else they know.

I've got to admit, I'm not entirely sure what made me pick this book up. I saw a review that one of my good friend did on this book, and still, despite knowing the basic content of the book, I still took it to the counter and borrowed it from the library. The whole point of this reading challenge is to read things that you haven't read before, or to pick up something you normally wouldn't read. I certainly hadn't read anything of this nature before, and I don't think I will be doing so in the future. I think I have to put this book in the same league as E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey, however I must say that technically, Tampa is much better written.

On the positive side, I thought it was an interesting look into false and failing relationships, and how they outside look of a couple can be incredibly deceptive. I felt sorry for Ford (Celeste's husband) and the awful way she treated him. I also found it interesting the way that Nutting presents this almost as an issue of mental health, rather than just a fantasy taken too far.

All in all, I don't know if I can honestly call this a good book, maybe I'll stick with 'alternative'. Tampa is an 'alternative' book, and I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to give this one a try.

THE THREE By Sarah Lotz

Well, here we are again! This time I've been reading The Three by Sarah Lotz who you may remember as being on of the authors of The Ward. I must say that I was left a little confused and disappointed with it. I am not adding this to the list of my 2015 Reading Challenge as I didn't actually finish the book.

I really like the idea behind the book but I found it difficult to keep up with characters as Lotz kept changing the point of view. Don't get me wrong,I enjoy books which are told from different points of view, but I thought that repeating the same event from five or six people's perspective before moving the story on got a little tedious after a while and it made it difficult to follow and read.

I was expecting more after reading The Ward and I had kind of gotten my hopes up that this was going to be an amazing book. I  apologies to anyone who really enjoyed this book, I understand that this is a popular book with many people and there are probably people who disagree with me, but I'm afraid you can't like every book you ever pick up.

For a review from someone who really did enjoy this book, head over HERE

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND By Lewis Carroll

Thought I'd mix things up with the reading challenge categories this time. Number five, and I've decided to read a book for the Banned Books category! Yes Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was a banned book. Banned in China for the polymorphisation of animals. Incidentally, the copy I borrowed from work had Through the Looking Glass in it as well, however I read it as one wonderful book.

I absolutely love this book(s). It is just so absolutely nonsensical and fantastical, you couldn't ask for anything better. I have to admit that out of any world created by any author in the whole of literary history, I would choose to visit Wonderland... I mean who wouldn't.

In the first of the two novels, Alice spots a white rabbit checking his pocket watch and exclaiming he's late, though what he's late for he will not explain. Bored of reading and listening to her sister, Alice follows the rabbit down his rabbit hole into an entire other universe of the strange an bizarre. Along the way she meets animals who can talk, playing cards who paint roses... literally, and a Queen with a penchant for executing people.

In the second book, Alice, once again bored with every day life, delves through the mirror in the drawing room, arriving in a back to front world where she becomes a living pawn in the biggest game of chess you could ever imagine. It's thanks to Through the Looking Glass that we have the well known characters of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, as well as the poem Jabberwocky, and a great other iconic Alice in wonderland, images that Disney stuck into the film.

No word of a lie, I could read this book over and over again,  thousand times. I already know 99% of the poetry off by heart. This tops out at my favourite book of all time and if I could I would make this compulsory reading everywhere! No one is ever too old for the magic of Wonderland, so whether your 5 or 105 year old, pick it up, read it. Then read it again, and finally give it to your friends before reading it a fourth and fifth time.

This right here is quality literature, a masterpiece of English writing. The basis for all grounded childhoods and a gateway into the imagination of children and adults everywhere!!!

THE METHOD By Juli Zeh

Okie dokie! Here we are with the fourth book I have read for the POPSUGAR 2015 Reading Challenge. This time I've read a book to fill the category 'A book originally written in another language'. The Method was originally written in German and the translated into English by Sally-Ann Spencer.

Mia is a scientist in the world run by The Method. Everything about this world is completely health based. Everyone is required to submit various blood tests and urine samples to The Method in an attempt to create an completely illness free human race. Things begin to get a little heated when Mia stops submitting her data. She is now technically a criminal and could be facing a fate worse than death.

Ermm.... I'm not really sure where I should start with reviewing this book. It had the weirdest effect on me, no word of a lie. I found that while reading this, I wasn't particularly hooked, I wasn't gripped to the story line, I didn't even find the book overly special or interesting, but something kept the pages turning. I'm not entirely sure what it was. It could have been the fact that I wanted to make sure it ended right, or I had a slight hint of hope that it might get a little more gripping.

I really, really liked the idea and the structure of the world that Zeh created and I think there is a lot of potential for this to have been a really good book. I felt that the relationships between characters were very confused. As a reader, on many occasions, I wasn't sure whether the writer wanted me to like a character or not.

Over all I think it was an interesting book and a good idea that maybe could have been written down better. Whether or not the German manuscript read better or not, I don't know and unfortunately as I don't speak German, I will never know. I didn't not enjoy this book but I didn't particularly enjoy it either and unfortunately I don't think I'll be reading an of this author's other books in a hurry.

As usual I don't like telling people what they can an can't read. We all have different preferences and this blog is purely my personal opinion. If the synopsis sounds like something you would like to read, go for it. It's only a short book. What have you got to lose?

THE SHINING By Stephen King

Oooooh *shivers*, no guessing which category this book got read for. You got it! A book that scares you. Before I go any further, let me clarify the kind of fear that this book induced in me. It was the shiver-down-the-spine kind of fear rather than the pant-wetting-screaming-crying kind of fear, although I could see how The Shining would have that effect on people. I guess I've just read too many graphic, horror/murder novels to be frightened of blood and gore, but no matter how many books I read, I will always be an unwillingly willing victim to psychological terror.

This is the first Stephen King book I have ever read and I must say that I wasn't disappointed. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from the great S.K but I'm really pleased with what I did read and I do not regret it in anyway shape or form. I will certainly be reading more of his novels in the future.

We start off with Jack at an interview for the job of winter care-taker at The Overlook Hotel. Looking at this as a second chance to get his life back on track after a life time of alcohol abuse, a slowly dwindling writing career and a more than dwindling marriage. However his son Danny has an incredibly strong psychic 'gift' despite being only five years old. Alone and snowed into the hotel, things start coming to life in the hotel and its grounds and things start to reveal themselves for what they truly are. The question is, is the Overlook Hotel a door to a new life, or something else?

Hallorann was my favourite! Throwing that out there right now, I liked Danny and Wendy as well, but I always loved Dick Hallorann throughout the entire time! He's the kind of person who you'd want for a Grandad, or and Uncle. His heart throughout the entire thing is so unique and genuine it is just impossible not to love him.

I would definitely recommend this book. It's gripping, your hooked from the first page, the characters are believable and after reading this it is incredibly easy to see why Stephen King is the best selling author he has become. You aren't just buying/reading these books for the author's name, you're reading these because they are amazing!

THE MAZE RUNNER By James Dashner

Here we go with my second book for the 2015 POPSUGAR reading challenge, this one is heading for the category: A book by an author you've never read before, and it's true! This is the first of Dashner's novels I have ever read, and I must say that after this I wouldn't mind reading a few more.

I've got to admit that I hadn't heard about this book until I say they poster at our local cinema for the new film that recently came out last year. Then browsing through the bookshop I stumbled across a copy, (or rather thousands of copies) and I very nearly didn't buy it. I love the hunger games and when I saw the plug at the bottom about how its 'a must for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES, I was worried that I would be disappointed that it would be a non-story. Compared to the Hunger Games so that it would sell more copies but I thought What the heck and took it to the counter and paid for it.

However I now stand here with my hands held high in surrender and apology to all you Maze Runner fans out there... you were right. This book is amazing and it has indeed left me with a book hangover to such an extent, that I don't know when I'll be able to start the sequel.

Just like it says in the blurb, we begin the story just as confused as Thomas and we stay as confused as he is until starts fighting back and asking questions. From the moment the box open, and Thomas is spewed into the Glade, to the moment he falls asleep at the end, you feel everything that he feels. Basically Thomas has somehow been made to live in a huge concrete square surrounded by walls that seem to be impossibly tall. There are four 'doors', on in each wall but all that seems beyond them is black. We soon learn that the Glade, as it's more commonly known, is the centre of a giant, seemingly unsolvable maze. He is trapped in there with 50 - 60 other teenage boys and there is only one rule: Solve the maze or die. The people before Thomas arrived have been trying to solve the maze for two whole years, so why should his arrival make any difference?

Firstly, I thought that this book was incredibly well written. The idea of creating lab rat style humans is almost unthinkable and I cannot begin to think where I would have started if I were the writer of this book, but Dashner has done an incredible job of making it realistic and believable. There was not a single moment when I stepped back and said 'Whoa! this ain't real'. The author here has managed to find the perfect balance between reality and fantasy, a sometimes very difficult thing to do. As a slight aside, I love the way that each boy is nicknamed after a famous scientist, that tickled me. I loved it.

As usual I talk a little bit about my favourite character so that what I'm going to do now. Newt. Favourite character has to be Newt. He's strong, he's a leader, he's hot and I just think that if I had to be stuck in a giant hostile maze with anyone, it would be Newt. I kinda liked Chuck as well in that annoying little brother sorta way but Newt definitely had to be the one for me.

Certainly one I would recommend to all people great and small who enjoy a good book, and most definitely a book for people who think that reading is ponsey and for girls, because this book could not be further from that assumption. Give it a read, see for yourself and see if you would be strong enough to solve the maze.