British Invasion: Day 524

Hello!

Hope everything is okay with you!
I just wanted to give you a little update:

-I am in London and I'll be moving out to a permanent house tomorrow! So excited about that!

-I have been writing (with my writing buddy) to finish our fanfiction (it's in Portuguese). That means that I haven't given much thought about reading. Besides, I have already completed my GoodReads Reading Challenge and I need a break. However, I have finished Poison Study about two weeks ago and now I am re(reading) Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone in Spanish. Yes! In Spanish!

-I have so much homework to do! Actually, I should be doing it right now.

-Uni has been amazing! I am so glad that I moved to London.

-Fall/Autumn comes with one more thing besides the cold: TV Series! I have been trying to watch them but the truth is, I prefer Netflix so much more that I am watching Pretty Little Liars instead of watching TVD or Arrow. Hopefully, I'll make a post about PLL once I finish the series.

-Yesterday, I watched Crimson Peak. So wonderful! I admire Guillermo Del Toro and the actors were amazing. I had never seen Jessica Chastain before but she was a perfect villain! And beautifully creepy. Seriously, you have to watch it.
But watch it on IMAX. I had never watched a movie on IMAX before but I guess that I started with a really good movie. Did you know that it is possible to see a tear forming in the eye? I was amazed by it!

-Due to the huge amount of things that I have to take to uni, I bought a bag in Paperchase and I am in love with her. It's from their Nordic Nights collection. It's very Kenai and Koda.

-And... I'll be joining NaNoWriMo next November! I don't know how I'll write 50,000 words in a month, but surely I will try!

xxxx

Book Review: Percy Jackson and The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

A book where the age matters

I have to admit that whenever I am reading a Percy Jackson book I always have that feeling that this is just a children's book. It is not like Harry Potter - timeless. Percy Jackson was really designed for children and the fact that I am an adult reading that doesn't help because the dialogues and the descriptions are so simple. However, the stories are funny, but I cannot see myself in the book.

Even though I can't identify with the books, I made a promise to a friend that I would read the Percy Jackson series so... here I am making a review about a children's book that I didn't like very much. Promise is a promise, after all. I believe that if I was younger (I remember that I like very much the first book and I was sixteen, I believe) I would have enjoyed this books much more. Anyway, I only have two more left. I think I can handle it.

It isn't a difficult book to read, but the dialogues are sometimes annoying because they are childish. I remember when I was fourteen (Percy's age in this book) I didn't talk like that with my friends. The events occur naturally and for that I thank Rick because that is a genius move. I like this author, don't get me wrong. Rick is a wonderful writer, I am sure of that.

You should read Percy Jackson. But if you don't want to, don't watch the movies because they are awful. Trust me; I like the books much more.

Book Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Can it get any better?

So... Queen of Shadows... My Dorian, my dear, my prince, my king! The first chapter starts with him and my heart cringed and broke a little. Just a little. But then we have Aelin (I was going to write Celaena, but I guess that calling her Aelin now makes more sense), fearless, brave, iconic, smart. She is the heart of the book and I can't imagine it otherwise.

Heir of Fire was putting on a "to-do list" to perform in this book. Get the Wyrkey: tick. Kill Arobynn: tick. Kill the King: tick. Free Dorian: tick. She did all of this and much more. The most incredible think, I think, is the fact that we could see the ending a chapter in their lives and a new one beginning. That ending was marvellous. I could imagine some sighteseeing of Narnia because that is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen in a movie.

The tricks that Aelin does in this book are incredible. From the wit of Aedion's rescue to the moment when she fights Manon.... perfect. Actually, about that fight: I wasn't expecting it to happen in this book, maybe on the next one, but it was so epic that took my breath away and I was rooting for both of them.

The flirting between Rowan and Aelin was epic and frustrating. Why can't they just kiss already? I was laughing, too. Aelin is so amazing in everything that she does.
Aedion, on the other hand... he had Aelin's temper and he was annoying sometimes, but I still liked him. Like a brother, so sweet and protective over her. Awn.

Chaol... I still don't like him. I don't even know how it was possible to like him in Crown of Midnight but for God's sake! He is stubborn. He has his reasons, I know, but I don't know how I could have ever shipped him with Aelin/Celaena. However, his dedication and loyalty to Dorian is remarkable. I ship that bromance.

Manon had her challenges to face in this book, and pretty good ones. I think that she is like Celaena in the first book but with one hundred years. She evolved so much in this book, understanding things a lot more and her heart is showing more emotion. It deserves a "awn" moment as well. One of the most interesting things about her was the fact that when she met Dorian, the Valg prince let Dorian take control of his body so that Manon couldn't figure out it was him. That was a clarity moment - for Dorian and me - and a relief too, after all of those demonic chapters.

The end was so epic! I still am astonished at the amount of things that happened in the end! So magnificent, so beautiful and tragic. I can't wait to read the next book because I want to see Aelin and her court in Terrasen with Dorian as an ally. That shall be interesting. I want to see the Queen back to the throne that she deserves.

Book Review: On Writing by Stephen King

It wasn't what I was expecting but I enjoyed it

This is the first book that I read by Stephen King. Somehow, I feel that I know him because the writing style also defines person. This book is more a memoir than a writing text book. People talked a lot about his tips but I found so many and what saddens me is that the book is not even about that.
 He writes about his writing journey - from the beginning. His tips are advices and knowledge that he acquired throughout his long life but if you can learn one thing from this book it that there are no rules when it comes to writing. Yes, you follow certain standard things (he focuses a lot in grammar and vocabulary) but the rest is all up to you.
In the end, it wasn't what I was expecting but I wasn't disappointed. He writes as if he is talking to you about his writing over tea. I felt that close to him. I think that I didn't enjoy the book as much as I wanted to but I am also taking some of his knowledge about writing to my own stories, which is something incredible. I will probably never read something from him - I'm not a horror person - but now I know how his work works and that is the best backstage sneak peek that I could ask for.

Book Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Just wow

The third book. It's unbelievable, especially when the fourth comes in September and I have already pre-ordered.
Celaena - she will never stop being my Celaena, it doesn't matter if other characters call her differently - grows so strong in this book, after the absolute devastation that was Crown of Midnight. I liked to see her growth in this one, and now... we are the same age! How awesome is that? There is time when you read YA and you are younger than the characters and then... I am at the time when the characters are as old as I am. That is so awesome!

Dorian... My poor sweet prince Dorian also evolved a lot in this book. His love (or whatever it was) for Sorcha was so pure and natural that I was really rooting for them. But it just wasn't meant to be. It is crucial here to say that while Dorian grew as a character - he was just a prince in the first book but now he's acting like a king - it is not possible to say the same for Chaol. I understand his sacrifice but until the end he didn't know where he stood. Is it really that difficult to decide?

The King... now I am truly afraid of him, especially after what he did to his son. I am going to be so sad when the next book comes out because I know what is happening to Dorian and it is so not fair! Do not touch my bae!

Now... the new characters! We have Rowan, Celaenas trainer who then becomes so much more. He seems a little rough in the beginning but then we understand that it is the fact that he is almost immortal that makes him that way - he's been through a lot.
We also have Aedion and let's just say that Celaena has been surrounded by very handsome men since an early age. He is her protector, her sidekick and they gre up together. It makes him like a brother, a protector, a possible king, maybe. Let's face it: all of them - Dorian, Chaol, Rowan and Aedion - are possible kings for a queen such as Celaena.

I absolutely loved this book; I can't wait to read Queen of Shadows!

Book Review: High-Rise by J.G. Ballard

Slow and boring

For a psychologist, this book might be interesting. Ballard's history is also interesting but, maybe because I was born in the end of the century and I have a different opinion of the world around us, I couldn't relate to the story. That said I am not going to focus the storyline as much as I was thinking I was able to when I started the book. It was too slow to be interesting.
There are two ways to read this book: the high-rise as the main character or the characters as the main focus. The way that the high-rise is built is more interesting because it shows how social classes work, like a pyramid in the Middle Ages. The introduction by Ned Beduman helps a lot, specially if you read it before and after you read the book.
The behaviours of its habitants are the main focus and what keeps things moving, but don't expect much action. I also don't believe that all humans would turn into such selfish, cannibals and schizophrenic when confronted with that situation. Also, it is not realistic. Not anymore, at least. I still believe that good people exist and what hapenned in there was the exception, not the norm.
I would define the book as very futuristic, a vision of a possible apocalypse or a very old vision, not from this century.

Book Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

The plot thickens...

Cassandra has a way of enchanting us throughtout the books and it is possible to see her evolution as an author as well which is amazing and I believe it is one of the most incredible things that a reader might experience while reading a book series.
Clary is so strong, something that pleased me a lot because I've always seen her as a little teenager who didn't know what to do in a world full of monsters. After all, she can take care of herself. Alongside, Simon: he will always be my favourite character, there's no question in that. He is funny and sweet and here he is a true warrior, summoning an angel, defying his rage and defending not only the ones that he loves but himself as well.
Alec and Magnus... well, what can I say? Bloody hell! I understand both point of view and I am angry at Alec as well even though it was crystal clear that he would've never considered the proposal.
Sebastian is that awful thing. I thought that Valentine was crazy, but Sebastian is a whole other level, trying to live two lives at the same time. Impossible.
Jocelyn, on the other hand, even though she was the key for the first three books, she has lost her charm, I believe, now that she's alive. I still don't know what to expect of her, but I'm not expecting much. I think that her past is far more interesting than her present or future.

I only have City of Heavenly Fire to read. I already am nostalgic of this series that I learnt to love.