I know this is super super late but I want to say this to people who are reading this. It’s the end of the year 2020 which has been super sucky for all of us due to various sucky reasons, the big one being an outbreak of a virus called COVID-19. This virus has spread all around the world, causing chaos and unforeseen circumstances that aren’t convenient for people.
Besides this, the rising of COVID-19 has thus led to new and different changes that we must adapt to if we want to stop this in 2021.
One of the new changes is the use of face masks. If we want to stop this, we must wear a face mask in public, wherever we go, no matter what time it is. They are affordable, there are plenty to go around and they come in various sizes, colours and designs. If we don’t do this, we are being ignorant and the world doesn’t have time for that.
Another new change is sanitisers. If you are at a place that doesn’t have a bathroom, use a sanitiser instead. They are lightweight, portable and you can get some pretty ones for a collection. Just like the masks, if we don’t use this, we are contributing to the rise of COVID-19.
On the other hand, if there are bathrooms available,you can just wash your hands. It’s easy and doesn’t take a lot of time. This will kill off germs and leave you healthy.
The third change is the limit on gatherings, whether family or friends. This goes for work meetings too. If it is absolutely crucial, then it is fine but you need to show a slip for it if your area has a procedure. If you are not respecting these rules, you are going to be a danger for other people.
Another note to this is that you can avoid crowds also. This can be applied to grocery shopping, family gatherings and more. A solution to this is online shopping. Nowadays there are a ton of apps and services that allow you to shop for essentials or for your wants. This can allow you to be safe from big crowds and keep you healthy while in your house.
The fourth change is the physical distancing between people. People must distance themselves at least 1-2 metres apart from each other. This is for the benefit of you, your friend and other people so you don’t get sick.
Please do not think these rules are for your discomfort. These rules are for everyone’s safety, health and overall benefit.
To end on a good note, I hope all of you reading this have a good day, be safe, stay healthy, and make sure to follow the rules.
IT IS FOR YOUR SAFETY
Write down in the comments if you’ve heard of different rules in your area and other solutions to these changes.
Hi guys! I’m back to review a book that I got for my birthday this year which is called Don’t You Cry by Cass Green
Whole Summary:
It’s about this woman named Nina who gets trapped in her own home by 2 people Angel and Lucas who are siblings and she has to endure the scary situation and she has to learn to do things that she thought she would never do in her life.
My book review:
I loved that the whole situation stemmed from this whole favour thing between Angel and Nina when she had a really bad blind date.
I love that Angel is the type of person who is the opposite from her name like it’s just so ironic.
Lucas, on the other hand is just so broken like he wants to do the right thing but he’s been mentally and physically abused by Nick that he feels like he’s useless but he wants to help people especially women who have been abused by Nick.
Nina grew throughout the book as a person and she faced challenges on the way as a mother which involved her son Sam.
I really liked that the author made this to tell the public in general about partners and/or ex-partners who have been emotionally and/or physically abusing their partners. And I liked that she included a hotline for people in need of help with domestic abuse.
Nina, Angel and Lucas’s thought processes throughout the novel was interesting to read, the maternal mind set of Nina, the ruthless impulses of Angel and the damaged mentality of Lucas.
One mind set that I didn’t expect from the book was Nick’s mindset but it was intriguing to see how Nick felt towards the end with Nina meeting him and the struggle in the bedroom.
It was riveting to see the flashbacks from Lucas’s and Angel’s childhood revolving around their mom Marianne and how their father died when they were really small and how Nick came into their lives before wrecking it.
We also get to see both of the relationships that Angel and Lucas had with Nick, Angel’s being more fiery and Lucas being more timid.
We also see how Lucas and Alice’s situation came to be throughout the book and Lucas’s urge to protect Alice from Nick and what he did to Marianne.
It was fascinating to see Nick’s charm in making the women who meet him think that they’re useless and that he’s a good person but deep down he was and still is a monster.
There’s a compelling contrast between Nick’s seemingly pleasant presence in the media versus Angel’s and Lucas’s broken-down demeanor which is played around a lot in the book as a way to increase the tension of the situation.
I relate a lot to Nina’s obsessive research into Nick’s background and his actions over the media as I would have done the same thing researching someone or something.
I love how Nina and Angel’s relationship turns from an attacker and hostage situation to acquaintances and then to friends at the end and Nina being a motherly advisor to Angel.
Angel and Lucas’s brother and sister relationship is complex and we can see that through the flashbacks, from their personalities all the way to their actions. Their relationship to Marianne is also different.
It was quite nice to break away from the main plot and to delve into the personal lives of the characters such as Nina’s struggle with keeping a platonic relationship with her ex-husband Ian and their son Sam, Angel’s bumpy relationship with her boyfriend Leon, and Lucas’s previous situation before Alice and Nick.
Zach was cute and it was interesting to see the complexities of being a mother as presented by Nina.
It was compelling to read Nina and Marina’s conversation relating to her previous relationship with Nick and you can see that she was hesitating revisiting a dark past that she never wants to experience again which is understandable.
It was sad to realise that he’s never gonna understand the situation he was in and he is going to grow up without a mother which is devastating.
My apologies for making such a long review of the book. I just wanted to spill my thoughts on the book and all the interesting parts that I came across when reading it.
Overall this book was great to read and insightful and I hope they make a second book to make another storyline revolving around Nina, Angel and Lucas, maybe adding in a side plot for Angel’s baby.
Comment down below which character you loved the most and whether you would like a second book or not!
Also comment down below any more thoughts that you had from reading the book that I haven’t mentioned yet.
The murder of George Floyd revolved around him dying at the hands of 4 white police officers, one of them placing their knee on his neck. He then stated “I can’t breathe” to the officers who simply ignored him while bystanders plead for them to stop. He passed out after 8 minutes and 46 seconds and passed away in the ambulance an hour later. He was accused of a counterfeit $20 bill which was indeed real.
His death has been piled on with Breonna Taylor’s death, Ahmaud Arbery’s death, and many many other black people’s death.
The 4 police officers’ have been fired and have faced charges. As of 4th June Officer Derek Chauvin has been arrested and charged with 2nd-degree murder, manslaughter, and 3rd-degree murder. The officers with him will be charged with aiding and encouraging 2nd-degree murder.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old man, father, friend, son, brother, and a human being.
This isn’t the first case either. There was a similar case that happened in 2014 to a black man named Eric Garner, who was also not given his human rights when officers suffocated him to death whilst he was simply on a walk. His last words were also “I can’t breathe.”
PROTESTS
People have been protesting every day to raiseawareness of the injustice of the US police system, the justice of George Floyd, justice for all the innocent black lives taken by police brutality and racism, and the systemic racism that is still much real and present today. These protests are what brought the 4 officers arrested.
The most important matter that they are protesting is Black Lives Matter.
WHAT IS THE BLM MOVEMENT?
The Black Lives Matter movement is an international human-rights movement that stems from the African American community’s campaign towards the violence and racism inflicted upon them. The social movement was founded in July of 2013. It began with the trending hashtag of #BlackLivesMatter on social media.
But don’t all lives matter?
People are also protesting the “All Lives Matter” ‘initiative’.
Black people in America are disproportionately likely to be incarcerated and suffer police brutality.
“The entire point of Black Lives Matter is to illustrate the extent to which black lives haven’t mattered in this country [The US]”.
ALL LIVES WILL MATTER AFTER BLACK LIVES MATTER.
STATISTICS
Here are some statistical facts that prove to you that systemic racism is indeed real.
MICROAGGRESIONS
WHAT ARE MICROAGGRESSIONS?
Microaggressions are terms used (unintentionally or intentionally) that communicate negative derogatory insults towards people or cultures, specifically those that have been mistreated and marginalised.
Examples of microaggressions:
Internalised fear of POC
Negative imagery of POC
Use of slurs and degrading terms against minorities
Words like the n-word are racial slurs and can be a potent symbol of slavery, white supremacy, and historical violence. It’s typically directed at black people specifically AFRICAN AMERICANS, who have reclaimed the use of the word. This DOES NOT MEAN everyone with dark skin NOR those who feel entitled based on uneducated views and personal opinions, that misinterpret the severity and origins of the word regardless of the current circumstances can say it!!!!
WHY MICROAGGRESSIONS ARE DAMAGING:
No matter how subtle, or blatant the things you say or do are, they have consequences.
One should NOT have to have thicker skin for a joke that you’d like to make because those words DO HAVE MEANING.
The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU. The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU. The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU. The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU. The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU. The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU.The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU. The slurs and insults that you say don’t hurt you, because THEY WEREN’T MADE TO HURT YOU.
And if they were that doesn’t enable you to participate in the use of other slurs or harmful behaviours that weren’t.
WHY MICROAGGRESSIONS ARE DAMAGING (con):
It is important to realise that you don’t know anything. Anything about the slurs and insults you say, anything about the actions and microaggressions you enact and anything about anyone who is hurt in these minority groups because PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT.
You only know something once you EDUCATE YOURSELF. You shouldn’t be the reason, someone feels UNCOMFORTABLE around you when you’re singing a lyric. You shouldn’t be the reason someone considers silencing their PAIN around for your benefit. AND you SHOULDN’T have to be the reason someone feels TARGETED just being born with their skin colour around you.
You have the freedom of speech but it’s up to you whether or not you choose to dehumanise others with it.
SYSTEMIC RACISM:
“Systemic racism” or “institutional racism” refers to how ideas of white superiority are captured in everyday thinking at institutional or systems of a society’s level: taking in the big picture of how society operates, rather than looking at one-on-one interactions.
One noticeable example of systemic racism is the wealth gap in the US, where the median net worth for:
-a white family is $134,000
– a Hispanic family is $14,000
– and an African American family is $11,000
Racism= Privilege + Power
Privilege: A structural, institutional, and social advantage.
Power: the ability, backed up by society, to be a strong social influencer with a greater scope when it comes to what you do, where, and how.
From this definition, it is clear that white people have the strongest ability to be racist and to live in a society built upon systematic racism that works in their favour.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE COMMUNITY
SAY THEIR NAMES!
Tackling personal prejudices
An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge.
It is OKAY to admit to these opinions you may have. It is not OKAY to continue to display these negative and unjustified opinions after noticing them.
WHERE DO I START?
Educate yourself: Education is one of the most valuable things you can do, there are various websites and organisations online that will explain to you why it’s so important and what you can do to help.
Know your history: Educate yourself on anti-blackness, systemic racism, oppression, and the role you and your communities play.
Make your voice heard: Staying silent in times of injustice is just as bad as opposing justice. Use your platform to educate others and share what is going on!
Stay updated: Stay updated on what’s happening around, follow accounts on social media, so you are updated on the continuing action.
Normalise changing your opinion: Normalise changing your opinion, once you have educated yourself on this topic it is okay to change your opinion!
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
You may wonder why this is relevant to you:
This is important to you because it is your job as a global citizen and a human being to understand what is happening to people, even if it is not from your country.
Racism towards the Black community is not as prominent in your country, but it is NOT a valid reason or an excuse for you to not understand what is happening to people. Injustice will never be justice if it is unheard, don’t stay silent! No matter where you come from, this is a global issue and is something we clearly should not be facing in 2020. Please make sure you are not apart of this problem. If you are unsure of what is happening, educate yourself!
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THAT SOME OF YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE, BUT YOU HAVE TO STAND WITH THIS MOVEMENT, AND SHOW YOUR UTTERMOST RESPECT.
HOW CAN I CREATE CHANGE?
Educate people in our community: Once you have educated yourself on this issue, educate others in your community don’t be afraid to speak out!
Speak up and speak out: SPEAK YOUR OPINION!! Don’t stay silent, spread awareness, and make sure everyone knows!
Donate and Sign petitions: Down below there are links to where you can donate and sign petitions to help!!
Support Advocates: Support fellow advocates, making sure you are being respectful and understanding!
I think this quote below from the TV show Mr. Iglesias and this quote from the Invisible Man novel perfectly explains how black people feel they are being treated. But I may be wrong and I will educate myself on this.
“Invisible, you say Gabe?”
“People of colour knows what that feels like,”
“I am invisible simply because people refuse to see me”
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS AS IT IS SO IMPORTANT IN THIS TIME.
Hi guys! I am back to review another book that I got for my birthday which is called “Fans Of The Impossible Life” by Kate Scelsa.
Whole Summary for:
It’s got three points of view- first is from a girl named Mina who is our main character who is trying to start over at St Francis Prep and promises herself that she would at least try to pretend that she’s a normal girl. Next is her gay best friend Sebby who was raised in a home with other kids like him and has a complicated life and keeps dropping out of schools and keeps getting into trouble. Last is a shy boy named Jeremy who is an art nerd and doesn’t have many friends until he meets Mina and Sebby on his first day back.
This book revolves around mostly Mira, Sebby, and Jeremy who gets drawn into Mira and Sebby’s world and how they act around other people and to each other. He becomes very close to them and there is a major emotional event that the three of them get sucked into and it’s got such an interesting ending to it.
My book review for Book 2:
This was a really interesting book to read and the cover is really nice for the paperback version.
The characters were compelling to read and their individual personalities contrasting with each other.
I liked the POV of Sebby as it was written in a second-person view and we could see into his thoughts and feelings.
It was fun to read into Mira’s hobby of thrift shopping with Sebby and the troubles they have in the mall.
It was really deep for this book to dive into dark themes such as self-harm, the possibility of homelessness, drugs, etc.
It was fascinating to see a glimpse of a possible relationship between Sebby and Jeremy.
I love how Mira, Sebby, and Jeremy get closer throughout the book and that Mira and Jeremy stay friends at the end.
The other characters’ interactions with the main characters were amusing to read and added to the development of the plot of the book.
Overall this book was great and I really liked the close friendship of Mira, Sebby, and Jeremy and the other friendships they had with other people and enemies.
Comment down below which characters you love the most!!
Hi guys! I am back to review a book that I got for my birthday which is called “A Place Called Perfect” by Helena Duggan.
Whole Summary:
It’s about this girl named Violet who moves into a town called Perfect because her dad has found an opportunity for his optometry business there. At first, Violet senses something that doesn’t feel right because her mom is getting strange each day, she is hearing voices in the town, she has to wear glasses to prevent going blind and she has to be perfect and there are rules to being perfect at her school and everywhere else in town. Then there are the 2 optometry brothers named Mr. Edward and George Archer. There’s something strange about the brothers that Violet immediately notices. She also meets another person named Boy who can’t remember his own name. Together they find out dark secrets about the town and what the brothers are doing to the people. Then they get help from a person who knows the secrets but lives as a hermit.
Then they build a machine that will help the people in the town get back to normal and then they pursue the brothers but they get away.
My book review for:
I loved the concept of the book. It’s very interesting to see what the brothers were doing to the people of the town and how Violet’s mum was affected by this too.
I liked the friendship between Violet and Boy and how they trusted each other with their weaknesses and strengths.
It was awful to read how Boy couldn’t remember his name and there was a whole society of ‘shadow’ people that were hidden away from the rest of the town because they knew too much about the brothers’ secrets.
The cover is really nice for the paperback version.
Overall this book was great to read and I hope they make a second book to conclude if they caught the Archer brothers or not.
Comment down below which character you love the most and whether you would like a second book or not!
Hi guys, back again! Today I will be talking about the 3rd book in The Magic Misfits series- The Magic Misfits 3 The Minor Third.
In this one, we also get 2 plots- one is a glimpse into another misfit named Theo Stein-Meyer and the other is the Misfits investigating a ventriloquist named
Whole Summary:
1st plot- Wendel Whispers And His Darling Dummy, Darling Daniel
The Magic Misfits were improving their magic routine for the talent show and they get interrupted by news that a creepy ventriloquist named Wendel Whispers is coming to Mineral Wells for a show at the hotel. They get suspicious, think he is a bad guy, a part of the Emerald Ring and they go on an adventure to accuse the guy. Instead, they find out they’re wrong and he’s innocent. However, from this, they find out that Kalagan will soon be coming for them and they have to be prepared and they might have to break up for their protection.
2nd plot- A glimpse into Theo Stein-Meyer’s life
In this book, we enter Theo’s story as we see him go through his everyday life. We see him as a child of a prodigious family of musicians which includes his mom( Mrs.Stein-Meyer) and dad (Mr.Stein-Meyer), and his older siblings (Cleopatra, Giovanni, Leonard, and Fiona). We see that he feels a lot of pressure to live up to his family’s accomplishments and we see that they do not approve of his magic talents and only want him to practice his music.
We also see his interactions with Emily Meridian who seems to intrigue him.
My book review:
1st plot-
I liked the beginning of the book with all of the Misfits improving their acts for the talent show. It was quite surprising that the bullies made a comeback to disturb them but it was awesome that Emily fought against them. The ventriloquist’s dummy was quite okay but a dummy in real life would be really creepy.
2nd plot-
It was quite intriguing to see the interactions between Theo and his family and his family with each other.
I quite liked that they all had really cool names and nicknames and they all had a different musical talent-
Leo/the oldest who played cello in an orchestra in New York City.
Gio/second oldest who was the bass guitarist in a popular wedding band outside San Fransico.
Cleo /middle sibling. She taught piano at a prestigious music school in Boston.
Fiona/ the youngest. She sang mezzo-soprano in operas all around the world.
I love the part where Theo comes home to find his family playing together as an orchestra and he joins in too. Such a cute family moment!
I can relate to Theo trying to live up to his family’s accomplishments and him not wanting to be a failure. I can relate to him listing out his sibling’s accomplishments and trying to be like them.
I can also relate to Theo feeling warm inside when he’s with Emily but I cannot relate to him speaking without any difficulty around her.
I think Ridley was jealous when Theo invited Emily into the group because she’s been close with Theo for a long time before all the Misfits met each other. I guess I can relate to her like you would get a bit jealous when your friend has found a new friend and talking with them more often.
I like that in the end they decide its better for them to separate so they’re better protected from Kalagan when he comes soon. I also liked that they kept in touch with each other through letters so they can keep up to date with each other.
I was quite sad that Emily had to leave town with her dad but he probably did it to protect her which I understand.
Overall this was a good book with a mostly friendship and family aspect to it. I can’t wait for the next book!
Comment down below which part of the book was your favourite!
Hey guys! Back again, today I am going to give you a book review of the next part of The Magic Misfits series- The Magic Misfits 2 The Second Story. In this one, we get Leila’s backstory before The Magic Misfits happened and it introduces another Emerald Ring member, Madame Esmeralda, or aka Sandra Santos.
WHOLE SUMMARY:
1st Plot-Madame Esmeralda
The Magic Misfits get a mysterious visit from a Madame Esmeralda, also known as Sandra Santos who is a stage psychic. They learn that Sandra was one of Dante’s friends and that she was a member of the Emerald Ring which was Leila’s dad Dante Vernon’s childhood magical club along with Lyle Locke (Carter’s dad), Bobby Boscowitz (B.B Bosso) and other members.
She claims to be a clairvoyant, which The Magic Misfits are intrigued by, but Ridley isn’t as fascinated as them as she repeatedly tries to prove that she isn’t a real psychic but a fraud. She claims to be in Mineral Wells for a show in the hotel and The Magic Misfits want to watch her but they also want to investigate an incident in the hotel that they overhear from Mr. Vernon.
They discover a few memories of the Emerald Ring such as etchings of initials and the incident that was caused by one of the members, Kalagan. By discovering this, they now realise that Kalagan, is getting dangerous and may be coming after them soon.
^I like these kinds of plot tropes where there is a group of people with a special trait and there is one person who gets a bit extreme about it and is then cast off from the group and the whole group goes off in their separate directions before an event in the future puts the extreme person back into the group.
2nd plot- Leila’s past
Another plot that occurs in this book is Leila trying to remember her past before she was in Mother Margaret’s Home for Children. A flashback back to her life in the home starts at the beginning of the book. Her name wasn’t always Leila Vernon and she didn’t always live in Mineral Wells. In fact, she was first named Leila Doe because nobody knew who her family was before Dante Vernon and The Other Mr. Vernon adopted her.
My book review for this is that this second part was really good at explaining Leila’s past before she became a Magic Misfit and telling more background on the members of the Emerald Ring especially the introduction of Madame Esmeralda. I love that they gave a description of Madame Esmeralda which gave the viewers a sense of who she was as a person and her mysterious personality. I also love her magic skill which is claimed to be clairvoyance, as it adds to her mystical personality.
Some parts of the book that I elaborated on –
I was, however, sad that she was apart of B.B Bosso’s gang but she did seem guilty about it afterward which is relieving because she knew what she did was wrong and didn’t want to do it at times, for example at her show itself when they wanted her to say something she didn’t want to, she had to ask for several audience members to come up on stage, which was the frown clowns themselves and, she uses her magical skill to present the spirits of the audience members’ families which was all fake at the end.
^When Sandra ‘claimed’ that Leila’s parents were here looking for her, at first I was shocked that they came to Mineral Wells to look for Leila but I was kinda suspicious because after all this time they suddenly want to look for her, but I went along with it and then when we got introduced to the parents, I was glad that Leila wasn’t as gullible to believe that her parents had come to see her, after all this time, and she was still close to her current family, The Vernons.
She knew that the only way to check if the people were her real birth parents, she would ask them if they know anything about the key that she wore as a necklace around her neck. Unfortunately, when the birth parents want Leila, Carter and The Vernons to come to a meeting with 2 lawyers to finalise decisions about getting her back, it’s revealed that the birth parents don’t know anything about Leila’s key necklace and suspiciously Carter recognises the song that 1 of the lawyers was humming to be the song that the frown clowns used to sing in the first book.
^I was shocked by this but not too shocked as I kinda thought that the frown clowns from the first book would come back for them but this was a good twist in the book.
He discusses his suspicions with Leila who agrees with him through morse code and their suspicions are confirmed when The Vernons disagree with Leila going back to her birth family and want to leave the meeting. They are stopped by the lawyers and birth parents who are all revealed to be the frown clowns. I wasn’t surprised but it was cruel to make Leila think that her birth parents would come to see her. When they lock Leila, Carter and The Vernons up in a basement cellar room, they see a similar door that they found back at the hotel with the other Misfits but still couldn’t figure how to open it, Dante gives them a hint and they finally open the door to a tunnel.
^I loved this part of the book as it surprised me but not too much. It was captivating when we got an insight into Leila’s mind about her struggle between choosing to get back with her birth parents or her current parents now.
That’s it for the second book.
Comment down below who do you want to see more of and/or who do you want to see from the Emerald Ring that hasn’t appeared yet?
Also, comment on what were your favourite parts of the book?
Hi guys, back again! Today I’m going to tell you about a book series called The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris, who you probably know from movies and tv shows. The recap of the 1st book is that this boy named Carter who’s a street magician who lives with his greedy and mean uncle, Uncle Sly who cons people with his tricks but then Carter runs away and discovers a circus where he meets a great magician named Mr. Dante Vernon but also discovers that an evil ringleader named B.B Bosso is planning to steal anything and everything that he and his crew can get their hands on. Carter then takes a trip to a town called Mineral Wells and meets 5 kids who are like him and through teamwork, friendship and magic they work together to stop B.B Bosso for good. In the end, they defeat him, they stay good friends and Carter realises that he and another misfit named Leila are cousins and her new father is Dante Vernon himself and her other poppa, another Mr. Vernon.
My review for this is that it’s a really entertaining book, there are puzzles that you can solve and magic tricks that you can try out right in this book alongside reading. It teaches you valuable lessons that are implied in the story such as friendship but also taught by Mr. Vernon and the other Mr. Vernon themselves.
The pictures are amazing and they show the story well. The plot to me is the perfect way to introduce the characters one by one and when they’re interacting with each other.
As for the characters, I think it’s interesting that each character has a unique personality and a magic persona that resonates with their personality for example- Theo Stein-Meyer is an impeccably dressed person and his magical skill is using his violin to levitate objects and using his pet doves in magic shows. His skill reflects his personality as a neatly dressed and intellectual person in the group because, in my opinion, the violin is a classical instrument and is considered a fancy instrument and he is usually seen in his fancy tuxedo.
I like how at the end of the first book they create their own hideout in Mr. Vernon’s magic shop by locating it in a hidden bookcase and Carter and Leila themselves have rooms of their own besides Mr. Vernon and the other Mr. Vernon.
The parrot Presto is a hilarious character in the book and throughout the series. The fact that he is a talking parrot and he shouts out peculiar outbursts or phrases makes the story have a sense of goofiness and fun.
The magic shop itself is a wonderful aspect of the story and is considered home by all the Misfits. The atmosphere is magical like the shop itself. When you see it by reading it through the misfit’s eyes you can tell that there a lot of fun tricks and toys lying around and you can feel how the misfits’ get a sense of warmth every time they walk into the shop and this contributes perfectly to the story.
This is my recap for the first book.
Comment which character is your favourite!! Mine’s Leila- I love her style and her magic skills.
Also, comment on what was your favourite parts of the book?
Hi guys! Today I’m going to talk about a recently released book and movie called Five Feet Apart aka FFA and its amazing! The basic synopsis (on the internet) is about this seventeen-year-old named Stella who spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of strict routines, boundaries and self-control – all of which get put to the test when she meets Will, an impossibly charming teen who has the same illness. There’s an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction.
This is the book version- “Stella Grant likes to be in control – even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. What Stella needs to control most is her distance from anyone or anything thatmight pass along an infection and jeopardise the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.
The only thing Will Newmanwants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. In one week he’ll turn eighteen, and then he’ll be able to unplug himself from all these machines and actually go see the world.
Wills exactlywhat Stella needs to stay away from. But now six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment. What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?
I found the paperback copy of this book, but if you find the hardback, good for you but if you prefer the paperback then that’s fine too.
The design for the book cover is amazing. It’s got a plain black background and an illustration of lungs decorated with different kinds of flowers and leaves. In the middle of the lungs there are two people- a girl and a boy and they are apart from each other and the title “Five Feet Apart” is between them suggesting the barrier that separates them. It is written by Rachael Lippincott with Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis.
I believe this is based on a true story.
My review for this book is that it’s light and funny, it doesn’t romanticise the illness it actually informs you what the illness is, the conditions of it and many other stuff. The characters are fun to read and have their own personalities which are kinda opposite from each other. Also from the book each characters personality rubs off on the other person and it’s interesting.
My review for the movie is that it’s amazing. The girl Stella played by Haley Lu Richardson plays the character perfectly. A phenomenal actress! The boy played by Cole Sprouse also plays the character perfectly. A phenomenal actor! The other characters played the other actors and actresses are amazing also. The soundtrack for the movie is so good. I listen to it on my Spotify playlist and added the whole track from the movie. Although I wish we could see the whole movie with the deleted scenes and ending. It’s just amazing.
Okay that’s all I’m gonna say for this book and movie review because I don’t wanna spoil too much if you haven’t read or watched it yet. Thx guys for reading!
See you guys on my next post!
Comment down below which scenes from the book or movie you liked the most!
Also comment down how much you love it and if you have read or seen it yet.
Hey guys, back with another post, I wanna talk about my opinions about the whole The Land of Stories series.
Disclaimer- all images seen here are from the internet and not me
1. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
The first book in the series was an amazing book. The author Chris Colfer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a Golden Globe-winning actor, who I guess the majority of you know was previously on the famous musical hit show Glee. He also wrote other books such as Struck By Lightning and etc.
Here is the full blurb of the book-
“Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, the twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.”
“Alex and Conner Baileys World Is About To Change“
“When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasuredfairytale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land Of Stories, where fairy tales are real. “
“But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land—Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother! The twins want to get back home. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way?”
Now to the actual book review. I loved all the characters in the fairytales and how they were changed and their quirky personalities. I like how the twists and turns were unexpected. I got this book randomly at the bookstore and I was interested in the title, book cover and the blurb on the back. I bought it immediately and as soon as I got home, I read it. When I always buy a book I read it wherever I go so I read this in my room, my living room and etc. My overall opinion on this is its a great book and I highly recommend it if you love fairytales or fantasy books in general.
A cool addition inside the book is this colored map of the fairytale world so you can see and imagine the teens journey through the world. Another reason why I highly recommend this.
Ratings: 10/10
2. The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns
The second book in the series is obviously the continuation of the first book and the full blurb goes like this:
“After decades of hiding, the evil Enchantress who cursed Sleeping Beauty is back with a vengeance.
Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother! Against the will of their grandmother, the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy-tale world from the greatest threat it’s ever faced.”
My review for this book is that the plot is still super good and follows the Bailey kids on another adventure.
Ratings- 10/10
3. The Land Of Stories: A Grimm Warning
The full blurb for the third book goes like this:
“The Brothers Grimm have a warning for The Land Of Stories.”
“Connor Bailey thinks his fairy-taleadventures are behind him—until he discovers a mysterious clue left by the famous Brothers Grimm. With help from his classmate Bree and the outlandish Mother Goose, Conner sets off on a mission across Europe to crack a 200-year-old code.”
“Meanwhile, Alex Bailey is training to become the next Fairy Godmother… but her attempts at granting wishes never go as planned. Will she ever be truly ready to lead the Fairy Council?”
“When all signs point to disaster for the Land of Stories, Conner and Alex must join forces with their friends and enemies to save the day. But nothing can prepare them for the coming battle… or for the secret that will change the twins’ lives forever.”
My review for this one is that the plot gets moving and like it gets you pumped up for like the action coming later at the end of the book. (If that’s not a spoiler)
Ratings- 10/10
4. The Land Of Stories: Beyond The Kingdoms
The full blurb for this one is:
“Fairy tales are just the beginning.
The Masked Man is on the loose in the Land of Stories, and it’s up to Alex and Conner Bailey to stop him…except Alex has been thrown off the Fairy Council, and no one will believe they’re in danger.
With only the help of the ragtag group of Goldilocks, Jack, Red Riding Hood, and Mother Goose and her gander, Lester, the Bailey twins discover the Masked Man’s secret scheme: He possesses a powerful magic potion that turns every book it touches into a portal, and he is recruiting an army of literature’s greatest villains!
So begins a race through the magical Land of Oz, the fantastical world of Neverland, the madness of Wonderland, and beyond. Can Alex and Conner catch up to the Masked Man, or will they be one step behind until it’s too late?”
This book is really good and the blurb tells you a couple things that are gonna happen and that’s all I’m going to say for thisreview.
Ratings- 10/10
5. The Land Of Stories: An Authors Odyssey
The full blurb:
“The Masked Man has captured all the royal families from The Land Of Stories with the help of his army of literature‘s greatest villains. Alex and Connor know they are no matchagainst the Masked Man’s legion of villains, but they realise they may be in possession of the greatest weapon of all: their imaginations! So begins the twins’ journey into Conner’s very own stories to gather an army for the ultimate fight against the Masked Man.
Meanwhile, an even more dangerous plan is brewing- one that could change the fates of the fairytale world and the Otherworld forever…..
For this one, I love seeing all of Connors stories come to life and I don’t want to say anymore.
Ratings– 10/10
6. The Land Of Stories: Worlds Collide
The full blurb:
” Now they must brave the impossible…
Alex and Conner’s biggest fear has come true. The land of Stories fairy-tale characters – both heroes and villains- are no longer confined to their world! With sinister lans being put into motion by Morina, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook and the rest of their evil literary army, Conner doesn’t think the situation can get any worse. That is, until Alex goes missing!
While mayhem brews in the Big Apple, Conner and his friends will have to fight their biggest battle yet. But without Alex by his side, Conner doesn’t know how he will win the war and keep everyone he loves safe. Can Conner find Alex before it’s too late? And can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale worlds?
Embark on this final thrilling adventure with Alex, Conner and the rest of the gang – a breathtaking, bittersweet conclusion to the beloved #1 bestselling Land of Stories series.
My review is that this book is epic and has an epic ending.That’s all I got to say.
Ratings- 10/10
My final review for this series is that I really love the individual color scheme for each book like the green for the first book, the purple for the second book and so on. I think my favorite books in this series is the first one, the fifth one and last one. AlsoI bought this books one by one but Isuggest youbuy it altogether in one book case if you want to. Thx for reading!!
See you on my next post!
Comment below if you lovedthis series and what books you loved the most and comment below what would you like me to review next!
Thebookaholic 