Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. Her mind resets itself several times a day, and has since the age of ten, when the tumor that was removed from Flora's brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend's boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this one memory breaks through Flora's fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake is responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life. 

With little more than the words "be brave" inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to Svalbard, Norway, the land of the midnight sun, determined to find Drake. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must "be brave" if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.

Reading the Riot Act

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Published January 12th 2017 by Penguin
Paperback 303 Pages

Flora Banks has no life. She has a best friend and a school and parents that love her - but her memory lasts barely a day, hours maybe. Still, she goes on, writing notes to herself on her arms, writing her memories down to tell herself later. Then, at his leaving party - Flora kisses her best friends boyfriend, Drake,...and the next morning, she remembers him. Then the next day, and the next day. The kiss on the beach and the boy. She remembers something, finally but the guy is gone, across the ocean and her friend hates her for kissing him. When her estranged brother becomes sick, Flora is left alone and after several R-rated emails between her and Drake, Flora is on a plane. She feels the memory slipping away and she knows Drake is the only person who can help her. 

She heads to the Arctic, with no idea where he is or what he's doing - but she goes anyway. I was really excited once she'd decided to go. This book has a lot of repetition. I mean A LOT!  Which is understandable, but still annoying as hell. The majority of it is re-reading the same stuff we read a few pages ago. Flora Banks has Amnesia - but I definitely do not! We get to the Arctic and here I am hoping things are about to happen. No. It's gonna take another 100 or more pages of wandering around in shops and having the same conversations over and over before she even gets an idea of where Drake is. This entire section made me wonder how insensitive I am - maybe that's the point. I didn't care that Flora was struggling, that she was in a new place and could not remember getting there. That she had no idea what was happening to her and still managed to make the slightest progress. Still, I hated her for getting in my way - for taking too long. 

When Flora begins to make friends, begins to recall more and more of what is happening, I become very proud of her. It's the point we know there is something more than Amnesia going on because without her medication, she is starting to remember more. She goes on excursions, sees polar bears and I forget about Drake - just like Flora does. I'm in the moment with her but it seems even sweeter, because I know I'm the only one who will remember it. 

Just as I give up on Drake - there he is. Flora, like a mad woman sails to his girlfriend's house with no memories. It's bonkers and I'm not annoyed at her anymore. FLORA IS A DAMN BADASS! Of course, we get there. Drake's girlfriend answers the door and he pretends not to be there. He slams the door in her face and the girlfriend brings her inside. It is horrible. He says that the kiss never happened, that all the emails were from Flora to herself, she imagined them all. She is crazy. And maybe she is. Suddenly the whole journey I've taken with Flora is bathed in suspicion, I don't know what to believe her on or if even she knows what's true and false.

Flora's parents bring her home, her father instantly seeming like the most comforting person we've seen in this book. Flora's brother is dying and he came to get her anyway. She doesn't know why none of them have spoke in years, there's still more to figure out but is any of it true? Is she just mad? Well, no. It's turns out the estrangement came when Flora's mother decided to buy illegal medication off the internet. In truth, the arguments between the mother and everyone else is because her Amnesia is getting better. The dad knows it, her brother knew it and now her best friend knows it. Flora is being doped up to keep her docile and it's affecting her memory. Then, her best friend to the rescue. She pops by for a visit, Flora lost in the fog of drugs. She tells Flora she knows she wasn't lying about Drake - because a girl from the party took a photo of them kissing. She does remember, and they are going to see a doctor who can help - besides she's only a week away from being 18. Soon, her mother won't be able to control her. And it ends. Just like that. I am furious. 

I have issues with the ending. First off, the whole point of writing about someone dealing with an illness is redundant if that person is magically healed. I get it was about the journey, but if I was suffering from something like Amnesia or a  memory disorder - I'd feel ripped off. Everyone in these stories ends up "normal" in the end. What a load of crap, why can't someone with a problem be allowed a story without them having to be magically cured of the problem? Why can't it be about representation? I didn't want Flora to get better, it felt...dishonest. Next, I had a problem with the parental plot twist (that everyone saw coming), I don't care how protective you are - I don't see any mother, especially the one we've watched worrying for Flora and wanting her to be happy- drugging her daughter to be sure she remains memory-less. It's too far-fetched and honestly, if the doctors knew that was happening, where the hell are the police? Why isn't the father doing anything? I didn't get it and I don't believe it. 

So yeah, The One Memory of Flora Banks was a mixed bag. Often, that can be a good thing - it keeps it all interesting. Overall, I gave this book a solid 3 stars! A totally respectable rating. 

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and Facebook. Until then...Happy Reading.

I read a quote from Mark Twain about a year ago as I drifted through Goodreads.

“Classic' - a book which people praise and don't read.”

At the time this really stood out to me at the time, as even though I confessed to adoring books. I hadn't read any "classics." I pondered  the relevance of them, how could they relate to a contemporary audience? Why are they "classics" in the first place? But all in all I made a promise that I would make an effort to read classics...but what is a classic?

Naturally being one of today's lazy youth. I used Wikipedia to find out. 'A classic book is a book accepted to be particularly significant or noteworthy within a society.' That seems like a pretty solid, if not boring, description, so I delved deeper. They are the books we are forced to study and naturally hate because of them. They are the books we hear adults brag about reading and using in pretentious arguments. They are the books that people quote on Facebook to seem smart.

At this point I realised classics seemed to be related to how people are viewed. Then I met my best friend. Fee is obsessed with Jane Austen, an author I had always disliked (nothing personal I just figure she is kind of a hypocrite and her writing is a bit...dry). Fee talked about Austen in a way that really made me think about when I read her in school.  I figured I may be wrong about disliking the book so I gave it another try.

I still hated it. Although the second time I did feel myself relating more the Elizabeth. She is sharp and observant: No one crosses her field of vision without being assessed, and judged. I've always been one to make snap decisions and the book warned against that.

I decoded to read some more "classics" to see what the hype was about. I'd heard pretentious people raving about 'The Catcher in the Rye' plenty of times so I figured it could be fun to tear that apart.

THIS WAS THE MOMENT IT ALL FELL INTO PLACE!

I finished this book a mere hour later and wished I had read it when I was sixteen. I was so angry at the world, at myself. I hated everyone around me but I also loved them and never wanted them to leave. I looked at the world and called out its bullshit and felt so unbearably alone and yet I hated being around people. If I had read this book when I was sixteen. I would not have felt so alone. Holden is the embodiment of every angsty teenager, and not in a patronizing way. Salinger seems to remember exactly how it feels to be a teenager even though he wasn't a one when he wrote this decades ago.

I read more classics and the lessons followed. I quickly came to the conclusion that "classics" CAN and DO matter. We call them "classics" because they know something. Something about our society (Fahrenheit 451) or ourselves nature (Lord of the Flies). They give us insight into ourselves personally (The Great Gatsby) and to show, from one human being to another, that many of these isolating feelings are infact  universally shared.

Afterall...we read to know we are not alone.

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

I had picked this book up several times attempting to read it since its publication. I then decided I never would and got rid of the book, only to buy it again a few months later. Now having read as far as humanly possible, I have to say it. So much potential just lost and scattered to the wind.

Don't get wrong, the first 200 pages I flew through. I couldn't figure out how I'd been missing this book for so long. Eva and Addie were such an antithesis and there development was great to read. I adored the slight love story and Hally! My god Hally, Her and Lissa were just the coolest, the way the switched back and forth and gathered people to rebel and change the world quietly. I was loving it. I was pumped! 

Then they get taken to well, wherever the hell they were taken and I stuck it out as long as possible. It just got monotonous,  Nothing was happening, and if it was happening it was so unrealistic I just fond myself scoffing and muttering 'pfft sure' under my breath. 

The part that finally made me shut the book and never turn back, was the phone call to her Father. It made me mad. He promises not to let her stay there and that he'd come with her, I liked the idea he would try but something terrible would happen but so on so forth. But instead they use Eva and Addie's life as leverage to get there son a kidney. I'm sorry, even if he is ill, no decent parent (as we are led to believe they are) would let one child die to improve the life of another. Her brother isn't dying this isn't like a 'he needs this now or he will die' situation. This is a ''dialysis is really not ideal' situation and it was so ridiculous and made me so mad, I threw the book across the room. 

I don't care what happens. 
I literally just don't care and I should not feel that way about reading a book. I want to follow the charaetrs to the end, even if it isn't well written. There has to be something dragging me in, but there wasn't.

Such a shame because the premise really excited me and the first 200 pages were promising. This book was such a disappointment. Two stars!

Warning: Spoilers (duh.)

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along

Image from Yako Books The Summer I Turned Pretty was recommended by a friend. I didn't hold out much hope as it seemed initially like a "fluff" book. And it was, it totally was, but I loved it. It was cute and really solidifed those feelings as a teenage girl and that moment, just before someone is about to kiss you. It was well written but the characters could be very annoying. Belly (stupid name) is very spoilt and self centered and she was a bit bratty. She was also insightful, delightful and fun. Conrad was to be honest sexy but an asshole. He was such a dick to Belly at the party and super aggressive. He was the older brother and he acted like a selfish brat so him and Belly deserve each other. Jeremiah was adorable and just so fun to read.

I actually really enjoyed this book and I didn't expect to. The only thing was, I feel like I was mis-sold this book. It's sold as a love triangle between two brothers, and maybe as the series progresses it will be, but currently it isn't. Currently it's Belly dating a guy called Cameron, kissing Conrad once and having a somewhat awkward moment with Jeremiah. The romance really wasn't there at all. I mean Cameron was sweet enough but he made no impression. This book really should have been the first half of 1 book not the first in a series. I will continue with it and find out what happens but yeah, it's a tad annoying.

The cancer story line was really what hit me most. I adored Susannah, she was awesome and fun and I actually cried when we learned she was dying. I've read an excerpt of the second book so I know she survives until next summer but I really loved her and I feel like I know her and that is incredibly sad. I hate Taylor, she drives me insane and yet I think character-wise that's probably who I'd most be like. Loud and annoying! The girl needed a slap (does that mean I do?) 

Overall it was a good, fun, summer read. It wasn't too taxing but it was emotional enough to hook me in and keep me reading. I gave it 4 stars!

Series are an important member of the YA family. We love a long story that keeps going and gives us as much as possible. When you love a story there is nothing better than finding out there are more books, although that being said, some series are better than others. This is the countdown of my CURRENT favourite top ten

10. Dust Lands Series by Moira Young

Amidst the wreckage of a ruined civilization, Saba must fight to save herself, her family, and maybe her whole world.

The Dust Lands Series by Moira Young makes my top ten because of the first and second books in the trilogy. The final book was admittedly a disappointment but Saba is a strong protagonist and it's hard not to fall in love with her and her journey. The relationship development between her and her siblings is beautiful and the final chapter of Raging Star is really quite lovely.

9. Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver
Lena and Alex, two teens battling against the controlling government that believes that love is a disease and forbids it from their community.

Delirium is one of those trilogies that people were let down by the ending but Pandemonium is one of the greatest books I have ever read, the structure is just genius. And much like Veronica Roth's Allegiant, the ending becomes better and more able to cope with in time and after a re-reading. 


8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Enter a future world where every year two tributes from each district are thrown into an arena expected to fight to the death or get knocked out by other means. Only one can survive.

A classic YA fave, The Hunger Games needs no explanation as to why it deserves to be in my top ten. Although I will say that despite how controversial. I loved Mockingjay. 



7. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
The mysterious "Kid-Killer" affliction has left most American children dead, but Ruby is not one of them-she's one of the dangerous ones, the ones who lived. 

The Darkest Minds is by far one of the most interesting concepts I have ever read. I adored the first book and the second one was just as good. Ruby is delightful as is Liam and the characters development throughout this series is phenomenal. The final book in the trilogy In the Afterlight is out this year. I highly, highly recommend.
6.  Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
 Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."

Another YA classic, Divergent is a wonderful trilogy with a shock conclusion. If you haven't quite got over Allegiant,I recommend reading Veronica Roth's blog. Her post about her plot decisions is beautiful and really helps to understand the authors point of view. 


 5. Harry Potter by J. K Rowling






Need I say more.  






4. Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

Riley Blackthorne is a 17-year-old trying to make her way in an Atlanta plagued by marauding demons and scheming necromancers. With each passing day, Atlanta is becoming the latest battlefield between Heaven and Hell.

This is one of the most consistent series I have ever read. Each book is as good and as satisfying as its predecessor. Riley is badass, Beck is just...great! And the narrative is full of twists and turns. You will fall in love with this series. 


3.Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
The series revolves around The Edison Group, a team of supernatural scientists, and the subjects they have experimented on. 

An incredibly absorbing trilogy that follows Chloe Saunders. Her inner struggle to control her powers and find out who she is will surprise and enthrall you. Armstrong is a well known horror writer and brings aspects of this into these novels to give it a great, scary edge.




2. Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer   
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Follow Cinder as she tried to take down the evil Lunars in these wonderful novels based loosely (incredibly so) on fairytales. The final book Winter is scheduled for release and I am so excited for it, I am going to pee my pants. 


1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

   
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. 

 I initially read these books last year on a random whim after grabbing it at Waterstones and I never just buy books without researching first. But I was really glad I did. A year later I have just reread them after the release of The Assassins Blade (Throne of Glass Prequel Novella Bind Up) and it occurs to me that this may be my favourite fantasy series EVER!

I love Celaena so much, in a way that I've never connected to a protagonist before, she isn't simply kick-ass and hard and cold, shes also soft and sweet and goofy and she's real person in the greatest way that a collection of words can be a person, she is so incredibly complex that it doesn't seem possible for her not to be a person. Then there's Chaol who is the weirdest love interest but also seems so incredibly right, Dorian isn't just the typical kind of 'here he is, prince charming' fantasy that people love to read in books. But Chaol gives off the idea of what it's really like to be in love, he is the reality of love rather than the fantasy and I adore that. Sarah J Maas has created real life on the page. I often forget it's constructed and that none of this has actually happened.

The world is beautiful it's like Game of Thrones meets modern day and the way it feels natural to move through. And I normally hate books about Fae, I avoid them because I can't stand them and after I first read this book, the Fae part seemed not that important, it was more to do with how great the story was. The percentages of the book focusing on each narrative felt really good, really natural, it wasn't all about the competition or Elena or the love story or even this kind self acceptance and misery Celaena goes through story, they all flowed naturally and felt like that was how much time should have been spent on each part. I love this book in the weird way that I can love something that isn't real, something that was made up. 

The third book Heir of Fire is out September and luckily there are to be six novels within this series. 


 It's beautiful right! 

I honestly implore you, if you haven't read this series, pick it up. You will not be disappointed, it makes me all ...
 on the inside.

The first book in this series A Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a beautifully written book, if not heavy on the set up. Of course everyone who read this book fell in love with Akiva and Karou/Madrigal. The flashback scenes of there past lives was a thing of beauty and with the bombshell ending  of Akiva killing Karou's 'family.

Safe to say, I had no idea what to expect from the second book in the trilogy, Days of Blood and Starlight.

Admittedly I got into this series a little too late. The final book Dreams of Gods and Monsters has been released  and I am desperately trying not to find spoilers. Days of Blood and Starlight was one emotional journey. Karou and Akiva are over and for the first 40 pages Karou is nowhere to be found. And the reader feels her loss. By the time we hear from her again I was bouncing around, jumping up and down excited for it. She is by far one of my favourite protagonists, she's strong-willed and yet still retains emotional depth and vulnerability. In this book we find her siding with the Chimaera and most shockingly Thiago (The white wolf who executed her past self).

The most refreshing thing about this series is that the love story is very minor, at its core this series is about war, the loss, darkness and sacrifices in thee name of war.  This is where Thiago comes in. Karou works for her murderer, sacrificing her safety and putting up with harassment and even an attempted rape scene in order to protect her people in the name of Brimstone. I mean, can this girl get any more awesome. We start to feel her gentleness in this book, within Daughter of Smoke and Bone Karou was a badass, martial arts, blue haired flying goddess and in Days of Blood and Starlight we see all of this stripped away. She is still a badass but more in the internal strength to go on and protect her people everyday. I had a lot of respect for Karou in this book.

With Karou's struggle we luckily have Zuze to give us a little comic relief and to reignite the hope (Karou!) that we slowly lose watching Karou struggle. Zuze and Mik remind us that even in this world at war that people still retain the ability to surprise, enchant and adore. There love story is so refreshing, the trust and banter is a wonderful antithesis to Karou and Akiva's.

I want more Zuze and Mik.

This book is a lot heavier on Akiva than it's predecessor. Taylor somehow gives us the information that Akiva killed Karou's 'family' and yet we feel his guilt and struggle so hard that we still root for him. Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl style we are rooting for him. We are rooting for forgiveness, for accepting mistakes (even though it was an colossal one) and we are rooting for the ability of love to conquer all. To unite worlds, mend hearts and end suffering. Taylor manages to do all of this without Akiva coming across as pius, preachy or more loquaciously 'douche-y' and that is a feat most authors struggle to do so successfully.

Days of Blood and Starlight is not as quirky and charming as its mischief-filled predecessor,  but it's a novel that encourages you to contemplate the consequences of war for both winners and losers and futility of revenge. It discusses the ugly face of war in which nobody wins and everybody suffers. It is heart wrenching and this series has turned into something very special and very unexpected.

Warning: Spoilers! Duh.

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.