C.K. Robertson's Blog, page 13

A Girl Called Whisper: Character Moodboards

Hello Readers & Friends,
I have a fun post today :) As most of you know, I've been working on my YA Contemporary, A Girl Called Whisper. My first proofs have arrived and I have done my penultimate round of editing, so it will be ready for release very soon!

I was scanning my Instagram Explore page and stumbled across a world of insta-moodboards, and fell in love. They're so pretty and visual and I started imagining all these characters based on the moodboards and found myself thinking how great it would be to make them for my own characters! I know Cooper and Whisper inside out, and so making these was super fun and easy. I hope it helps to give a snapshot of what my two main characters are like.  


 
Love, C x

Stranger Things Characters: A Rundown

Hello Readers & Friends,

A different post today! I'm chatting about the characters of Stranger Things - one of my all-time favourite shows. I won't post spoilers, but I finished season 3 last night and O.M.G. What an emotional journey! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, laughing and crying and gasping and UGH. So much better than Game of Thrones.

This post is to be taken lightly, just as a bit of fun. I'd love to know your thoughts, so be sure to comment & share!


HopperOverview: The dad character we all need in our lives. I think he's one of my all-time favourite tv characters. He reminds me of Luke from Gilmore Girls. Kind of hunky, super grumpy and always hilarious.
Best Traits: His bravery - he's always such a hero.
Worst Traits: Crabby

SteveOverview: Steve is my favourite. He has such great character development between first and last seasons. He's so loyal and you can always rely on him and I just love him.
Best Traits: Pretty damn good babysitter
Worst Traits: Always getting beaten up


JoyceOverview: I know I've said this for all three characters so far but Joyce is a favourite. She's such a kick-ass mum and she is also hilarious in her own ways.
Best Traits: Kick-ass detective, always trusting her gut.
Worst Traits: Nervous twitching season one


WillOverview: Honestly, this kid has had the worst time ever. And I don't really have all that much to say about him, because all he ever really does is get possessed and captured and scared. Don't blame him!
Best Traits: Bowl cut
Worst Traits: Demogorg magnet


MikeOverview: The leader of the group. Always keeps calm. Love when he shouts at his mum from another room, cracks me up every time.
Best Traits: Logic and smarts
Worst Traits: Arrogant and dramatic


ElevenOverview: The badass hero of every season.
Best Traits: Superhero powers, duh
Worst Traits: Prone to a tantrum or two


LucasOverview: The only normal one who seems to find everything that's happening in Hawkins as unbelievable as it is
Best Traits: Great skills with a slingshot
Worst Traits: Honestly believes a slingshot is adequate defence against all demogorgons


Mad MaxOverview: Honestly, I have nothing to say about her.
Best Traits: The much-needed gal pal Eleven needed
Worst Traits: Kind of boring


DustinOverview: The brains of the group. Always screaming which makes me laugh.
Best Traits: His smile
Worst Traits: None.


BillyOverview: Mad Max'z crazy big brother.
Best Traits: Huge mullet
Worst Traits: Huge prick


BobOverview: The guy who makes out with Joyce in the stock cupboard and saves the day with his brains
Best Traits: Everything
Worst Traits: None applicable


BarbOverview: Nancy's BFF who we meet for exactly 0.2 seconds of the entire show but all still think about on a daily basis
Best Traits: Great friend
Worst Traits: Pushover


NancyOverview: Mike's older sister who starts off as a prissy and then gets with Steve and turns badass
Best Traits: Went out with Steve, never gave up on #JusticeForBarb
Worst Traits: Her hair in season 3


JonathanOverview: Creepy guy who took naked photos of Nancy without her knowing and somehow redeemed himself and now is a hero?!
Best Traits: Cares about his brother
Worst Traits: Creepy AF


RobinOverview: Sells icecream with Steve. Somehow teaches herself Russian.
Best Traits: Brings diversity to the series (if you know, you know.)
Worst Traits: None that I can think of, actually.


AlexiOverview: Russian terrorist
Best Traits: Basically everything. Mostly his comedic persona.
Worst Traits: Annoys Hopper, who we all love unconditionally.

EricaOverview: Lucas's annoying little sister
Best Traits: Intellectual 10-year old with high political knowledge
Worst Traits: Sassy AF

 

Who are your favourites?
Love,
C x

DIY TBR Jar

Hello Readers & Friends,

In a shocking twist of events, I've made another video. Two videos in 2 weeks - I must be mad.
I wanted to make a cute TBR jar and decided to share the process with you guys, so you can make one too.



I used:
1x jar
1x label made on Canva (mine is below if you want to use it!)
2x stickers
1x twine
Note / parcel paper
Cute washi tape
Star sequins

Book Review: ACOTAR by Sarah J Mass

Hello Readers & Friends,

I know I'm about 100 years behind-the-times here, but I finally read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Mass. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. It was worth the hype, reminding me of Holly Black's A Cruel Prince.

The story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with our protagonist, Feyre, a huntress, who is trying to support her starving family. After killing a fae, she is taken captive by a 'beast', who sentences her to live with him. But the world of the fae is cruel and twisted, and she finds herself with more than one enemy.

If you're ready for spoilers, let's dive in...


What I liked:
Feyre. I love her determination and her unwavering loyalty.
The world building and descriptions were really vivid and beautiful, I could really imagine this world that Mass had created.
Lucian was a much needed character, bringing sharp wit and humour to the trio.
It was an easy, breezy read that kept me eager to turn the page but didn't require much thought.
Great steamy romance.


 
What I didn't like:
Feyre. Why does she constantly do what she's told not to do? Hasn't she learnt enough times that it's a dangerous place and if she breaks the rules she'll be in danger? Wake up, hun!
How the hell did Feyre not work out that goddamn riddle?!
There wasn't actually much happening. By way of action and twists, which was disappointing, but I've heard it improves in book 2.

Overall, I think that one of the main problems I had is that I really ship Feyre and Tamlin (as the book intends) but becasue this is such a hyped series I know that everybody ships Rhysand, so I know that in book 2 (which in my opinion isn't needed because this one finished all wrapped up), somehow Feyre turns from Tamlin to Rhysand. It's a shame that twist in the character relationships has been spoiled but you can't help it with a book this hyped - all you need to do is search for fanart to see it obviously ends with Tamlin out of the picture.

Overall, I liked it a lot and really enjoyed reading it but I do hope the second is better as it's such a hyped series and I wanted it to be a 5-star read.

Love,
C x

What's in my Bookstagram prop box?

Hello Readers & Friends,

Today I thought I'd do a video. I know - how unlike me. But it was the best platform for sharing what's in my bookstagram prop box with you quickly, clearly and easily. So if you're ready for me being awkward and to get ideas for props for your own photographs, please feel free to watch & subscribe to my channel.


Love,C x

A-Z Bookish Survey Tag

Hello Readers & Friends,

A different type of post for me today, as my following has grown I wanted to share a bit of a snap-shot into who I am and why I started this blog.

I found this A-Z Bookish Tag on this blog, who credited it to Perpetual Page Turner.
I figured it would be a fun and quick(ish!) way to summarise myself bookishly!

Author You've Read The Most Books FromWould have to be either Cassandra Clare or Bella Forrest - purely because their series are so many books long and once I start a series I enjoy I can't stop! Probably Bella Forrest though - The Girl Who Dared To Think series and The Gender Games series were two favourites.
Best Sequel EverCrooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I wrote a full review, this book blew my world apart.
Currently ReadingThe One by Kiera Cass. I've spoken about her series before and after finishing Columbine and My Twisted World I needed something light and easy and dumb.
Drink of Choice While ReadingEither red wine or hot chocolate, depending on the time of day and my mood. Hot chocolate is for before-bed reading, wine is for daytime reading. If it's the morning, I'll have a coffee. I like to feel cosy when I read.
E-Reader or Physical Book?If I didn't have a bookstagram account to photograph for I would probably be an e-reader, because it's just more practical for carting around and obviously cheaper. On holiday I am always an e-reader. But I love holding a physical book and collecting nice covers.
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated in High-SchoolI want to say someone cool like Jace Wayland or Peter Kavinsky, but looking back at my highschool boyfriends it would probably be an asshole like Locke from A Cruel Prince.
Glad You Gave This Book A Chance
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It's not the type of genre I would usually pick up and the blurb wouldn't entice me, but it's one of the best books I've ever read in my entire life. My friend bought it for me because that's how badly she wanted me to read it, and I can't thank her enough. It's mind-blowing.
Hidden Gem BookWunderkids: Wildwood Academy by Jacqueline Silvester. It's an independent book described as Gossip Girl meets Vampire Academy, and had me turning every page as quickly as possible. I can't wait for the sequel.
Important Moment in Your Reading LifeOf course, Harry Potter. This is what really taught me what a 'fandom' is. Before that, I would have to say The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton as the series that taught me to love reading.
Just FinishedColumbine by Dave Allen. Full review here :)
Kind Of Books You Won't ReadI don't want to say I won't read these books, but I will say the genre I don't enjoy and would never choose first: historical fiction/war fiction. Of course there are always exceptions, but in general I steer clear of these genres. 
 Longest Book You've ReadThe longest single-standing book I've ever read was probably A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
Major Book Hangover Because OfI cried when I finished the Harry Potter series. I don't think any book hangover will ever top that.
Number of Bookcases You OwnThere are two build-in bookshelves in my lounge which I use for colour-coordinated books, and then I have a couple in my 'reading room' which I use for bookish merch and series which I photograph frequently.
One Book You Have Read Multiple TimesI've read Lolita by Vladamir Nobakov a couple of times because I feel like I get something new from it every time. In general I don't re-read books, I feel like with the limited time in my life I want to spend my moments reading new things rather than re-reading things.
Preferred Place to ReadIn bed, or in my armchair. I do really like reading on my morning commute though - it makes the journey fly by.
Quote That Inspires You"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." - Albus Dumbledore
Reading RegretNot reading LOTR. Or any of the Bronte sisters. I need to improve on my classics in general, I think.
Series You Started and Need to FinishI  really want to finish The Belles series by Dhonielle Clayton.
Three of Your All Time Favourite BooksThis is so hard! How can anybody narrow down to just three?! I would have to say Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone for pure enjoyment and happiness, Six of Crows for the characters and Ready Player One for storyline. But of course there are much better books out there that have blown my mind, like The Hate U Give, A Little Life and Psycho, but if I'm rating by pure enjoyment, those are the three I go for. (Today.)
Unapologetic Fangirl ForI love The Mortal Instruments, I love Clary, I love Jace, I love the Shadowhunters world, I love everything about it.
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The OthersChildren Of Virtue by Tomi Adeyumi. Children of Blood and Bone was fantastic and I just can't wait for the sequel.
Worst Bookish HabitBeing over-excited when I finish a book and giving it 5 or 4 stars when on reflection, it doesn't deserve it.
X Marks The Spot: Start at the Top Left of Your Shelf and Pick the 27th BookA Totally Awkward Love Story by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
Your Latest Book PurchaseThe last book I bought was The Bane Chronicals 1 by Cassandra Clare, from World of Books. Since then I've been on a book-buying ban but I've borrowed Armada by Ernest Cline and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen Mcmanus from Bronte.
Zzz -Snatcher Book: A Book That Kept You Up Way LateI stayed up ploughing through Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Love,
Cx

Book Review: The Selection series by Kiera Cass

Hello Readers & Friends,

I want to talk about The Selection series today. I read the first book a while ago and wrote a review about it here. As I have mentioned a few times before, this series is my one true guilty pleasure. I read the first one to see what the hype was about and then just bought the rest of the series straight away, giving pretty much all of them 4 star reviews.

They are not literary masterpieces, with complex twisting storylines and 3-dimensional characters. But what they are is wonderfully fun, easy to read, engaging and totally enjoyable, which is why they are considered a 'guilty pleasure' read. They are so predictable, but it doesn't make it any less fun getting to the end.  Like a Netflix-own Christmas film.

I actually thought it was a 5-book series, and when I got to the end of The One (book 3) I realised it's actually a trilogy and two side-stories. The abrupt ending to a series that I thought I had two more booksworth was a bit devastating for me, I had a bookhangover for sure. Because I relied on these books to get me out of readings lumps and to turn to after my heavy reads, so having to say goodbye to the main characters I thought I had two more books of was a sad time.

What I loved:

The mushy, girly, ridiculous romance. The unflawed Maxon and the whole Love Island-style competition concept.

Maxon and America's relationship. It was just fun and easy to read and I was always rooting for them - how could you not?

Celeste mixing the character type up a little bit.

The teen rom-com-movie-style makeover scenes. In particular the photoshoot in The One.

What I didn't love:

They introduced these rebel groups and that storyline never really went anywhere. It could have added another dimension to the end of the book, bus as it ended we never really found out what happened to them or what their intentions were. I would have loved more books going into what happened when they tried to *SPOILER* undo the caste system.

The unrealistic way that Maxon and America dealt with the rebels. It would have been a good way to add another layer of tension to the storyline but it never really happened, everything was just very easy to fix or manage.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun pick-me-up YA fantasy. If you liked The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton, you'll probably like The Selection.

Love,
C x 

Book Review: Columbine by Dave Allen & My Twisted World by Elliot Rodger

Hello Readers & Friends,


Today I have a different sort of review. A double review! I read a non-fiction, the infamous Columbine by Dave Allen which dissected the events surrounding the Columbine School shooting of '99.
I am really interested in anything to do with murderers, serial killers, sociopathy, psychopathy... you get the picture, so it was a good choice for me.

 I really also want to mention another recent read in a similar vein - My Twisted World, (AKA, The Manifesto) by Elliot Rodger. Rodger was the boy behind the 2014 Isla Vista shootings who uploaded Youtube videos of himself ranting about how he hated women and would massacre them all for 'denying him sex.' His manifesto is his life story, starting when he was a lonely, akward child and carrying us through to the eventual killing spree aged 22.  What fascinated me most about Rodger was that he was never diagnosed, despite seeing several psychiatrists and therapists. There was no final explanation given for his strange, anti-social personality and build-up of rage and jealousy. It was actually a really good read - the language he uses is very oddly formal the way he describes things and the adjectives he chooses, but it makes certain parts of the book all the more dark and shocking. I have seen people claim he had aspergers or autism, but as I said, there seems to be no formal diagnosis. I do recommend this as a shorter option to Columbine.

Columbine dissects several topics with fantastic non-bias. From the media coverage and police cover-ups to extensive backgrounds on both Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. It is written in a way that reads almost ficticiously, which made me feel as though I wasn't reading non-fiction. Obviously the subject matter is quite heavy, and it took me a while to get through this book because it's not the sort of read you look forward to each night.

Ten years were spent researching for this book, and you can tell. It's detailed and pacy, working through victim aftermath and family reactions and feeding in flashbacks building up to the fateful day of shooting.
It depicts Eric as a psychopath, aggressive, calculating and intelligent. Dylan as suicidal, depressed, lonely and angry. It debunks myths and explains their origins. It shares excerpts from The Basement Films the boys taped, and their private journals. It was fascinating, dark, twisted and shocking.

I gave it 4 stars only because it was quite long-winded and would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about Columbine.

“The final portrait is often furthest from the truth.”  

“Psychopaths don't act like Hannibal Lecter or Norman Bates. They come off like Hugh Grant, in his most adorable role.” 

"Eric outdid Dylan with the apologies. To the untrained eye, he seemed sincere. The psychologists on the case found Eric less convincing. They saw a psychopath. Classic. "

"For Eric, Columbine was a performance. Homicidal art. He actually referred to his audience in his journal."


As for My Twisted World, I gave it 4 stars also. I enjoyed it more as the tone of voice was so strong it was almost comical at times, but in the end it was too repetetive to warrant 5 stars. Some quotes to share:

"The boys in my grade talked about sex a lot. Some of them even told me that they had sex with their girlfriends. This was the most devastating and traumatizing thing I’ve ever heard in my life."

"I didnt do anything at that barbeque except swing on their swing in misery."

"As the phrase that I had coined goes: If I cannot join them, I will rise above them; and if I cannot rise above them, I will destroy them."

 "One time, as I was walking across the huge bridge that connected the two campuses, I passed by a girl I thought was pretty and said “Hi” as we neared each other. She kept on walking and didn’t even have the grace to respond to me. How dare she! That foul bitch. I felt so humiliated that I went to one of the school bathrooms, locked myself in a toilet stall, and cried for an hour."

"I have always had a penchant for luxury, opulence, and prestige."



Love,
C x

Ep11 Plots & Shots: Eve of Man by Tom & Giovanna Fletcher

Hello Readers, Friends & Listeners,

This week for Plots & Shots we argued about Eve of Man by Tom & Giovanna Fletcher. I liked it, Bronte hated it.

We talk a lot about what the world would be like without women, and ramble drunkenly about the storyline.

As always, spoilers and 0 professionalism.

Tune in next Wine Wednesday for our next episode!

Love,
C x

Mid-Year Book Roundup | June 2019

Hello Readers & Friends,

Last year I did a round-up of all my reads for 2018, and as we hit June I thought I would share a mid-year update. I set my GoodReads goal at 59 books this year, slightly higher than last year but I am currently on track having read 29 books this year so far.

A reminder on how I rate:
* Could not read or get around style of writing/ shit storyline, likely DNF
** Really didn't like, could rant about, would not recommend, disappointed
*** Was a fine read, will probably have forgotten about it within 6 months but passed time nicely
**** Really enjoyed, looked forward to reading every day, would recommend
***** Could not put down, thought about for ages after, into the fandom and would re-read

So, my quick roundup -

 1. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard *****
2. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare ****
3. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare ***
4. Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher ***
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer **
6. This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell ****
7. Three Dark Crowns by Kendra Blake **
8. Lolita by Vladmir Nobakov *****
9. Cruel Prince by Holly Black *****
10. The Taking of Annie Thorne by C.J Tudor ****
11. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs ****
12. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo *****
13. You by Caroline Kepnes ****
14. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell ****
15. She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge ****
16. The Wicked King by Holly Black ****
17. The Selection by Kiera Cass ****
18. The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner ***
19. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton ****
20. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard **
21. The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson ***
22. The Wicker Light by Mary Watson ***
23. FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell ****
24. More Than This by Patrick Ness ***
25. The Elite by Kiera Cass ****
26. Viper by Bex Hogan **
27. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas *****
28. One Of Us is Lying by Karen McManus ****
29. Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo ***

CR: Columbine by Dave Cullen




Anddddd my mid-year awards (I can't wait to see if any of these get knocked out by the end of the year!)

Favourite Read: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Best Contemporary: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Most Thought-About: Lolita by Vladimir Nobakov
Favourite Series: The Elite by Kiera Cass

Very different books, but interesting! I must admit, this year has been quite disappointing so far with big names and hyped titles letting me down (See: Viper and Cinder). I was also disappointed in Patrick Ness, though I will still give his books another go, and I have also lost interest in The Red Queen series.

Overall I've enjoyed the trashy Elite series the most, had my world changed by the Crooked Kingdom duology, thoroughly enjoyed my Lolita re-read and was really happily surprised by how much I enjoyed The Hate U Give and also One of Us is Lying. Special mention to The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, which was probably my favourite fantasy after Bardugo's works.

How has your year been so far?

Love, C x