Winter Reads

I love reading. I always have done, ever since I was four or five. I learnt to read from such an early age, taking interest in colourful books with few words. As I got older, my reading skill improved as did my writing. From reading so many books, I learnt a lot of new vocabulary which I included in the many stories I'd scribble down. One of my all time favourite authors was Jacqueline Wilson and I remember when my dad ordered me a bunch of her books off Ebay; it felt like Christmas when they arrived! As I'm halfway through my teenage years, it's come to my attention that many other people in my age group look at reading as it being 'boring' or 'uncool'. Personally, I think reading is a wonderful thing and it also makes a person that bit more intelligent.
Now that we're into the colder months, I enjoy reading so much more. I love lying in bed with a good book and a cup of tea, especially when I know there's no reason for me to leave the house and brace the coldness. I'm more of a summer girl, I enjoy the heat and being able to go outside and not freeze to death.
Anyway, back to the point, I have dug out (of my ridiculously huge collection) five of my favourite books!

 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- by Stephen Chbosky

"Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor."

I am actually in the middle of reading this book. I watched the film first, a while ago, because I didn't own the book. I really wish I'd waited to buy the book before watching the movie because, despite the move being excellent, nothing beats the original book. The book is set out in letter form, where Charlie (the main character) is writing to his 'friend'. I don't think he ever reveals who his friend is, but I haven't finished the book yet so I'm not positive. It is set in the early nineties which I do enjoy about the book as it gives me a bit of insight into that time and if it was any different to how we live life now. Perks has been able to make me laugh out loud and it has - almost - reduced me to tears at some points! There's few books which have managed to make me do that. I've barely been able to put this book down - I can only say that for one other book. I'm always excited to start reading again and see what Charlie has been up to. Stephen Chbosky has the amazing talent of making the reader feel like Charlie is one of our friends so I know I'm going to be extremely sad when the book comes to an end.

 The Fault in Our Stars
 - by John Green

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

The Fault in Our Stars was a Tumblr classic a while back. Everyone and their mother owned and had read this book and proceeded to put quotes on Tumblr and express their love for it. This caused me to buy it and it's the best thing I've ever done. This book reduced me to tears but also made me really laugh at parts - I laughed and cried together sometimes. John Green has an excellent sense of humour and his writing is very witty. He's such an intelligent man and it shows within the book. I think I secretly fell in love with Augustus Waters and his charming ways! I read it very quickly as I refused to put it down - I didn't even go on the internet much whilst reading this because I was that hooked. The fact it is a #1 New York Times Bestseller doesn't surprise me at all. This deserves to win hundreds of awards! If there are over a hundred book awards anyway... I don't want to give away any of the story in case I ruin it. I highly suggest you buy this book straight away though!

Shiver 
- by Maggie Stiefvater

"When a local boy is killed by wolves, Grace's small town becomes a place of fear and suspicion. But Grace can't help being fascinated by the pack, and by one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. There's something about him - something almost human. Then she meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away..."

I read this book a long time ago and I loved it immensely. It's all about a girl, named Grace, who got attacked by a group of wolves when she was a small child. Ever since, she kept seeing one of the wolves at the bottom of her garden, when it was the winter time. In the summer, the wolf turned into a teenage boy. The book skips between POVs (point of views), one chapter is written by Grace, the other chapter is written by Sam (the boy/wolf). I'm not too clear on the storyline as I haven't read it in a while - I'll definitely be reading it again some time soon! Maggie Stiefvater brought out a sequel, which is called Linger. I bought it straight away but still haven't read it. I love the simplicity of the front cover, the white and red really stands out against the black background.

 Glass Houses
- by Rachel Caine
"Morganville is a small town filled with unusual characters - when the sun goes down, the bad come out. In Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows - one that will spill out into the bright light of day.

For Claire Danvers. high school was hell, but college may be murder. It was bad enough that she got on the wrong side of Monica, the meanest of the school's mean girls, but now she's got three new roommates, who all have secrets of their own. And the the biggest secret of all isn't really a secret, except from Claire: Morganville is run by vampires and they are hungry for fresh blood..."

As the blurb suggests, the story is set in a town called Morganville which is run by vampires. These aren't your well-known fantasy vampires, like Edward Cullen; they are dark creatures, which give the story an exciting edge. Glass Houses is the first book in the series; there are 15 in total, I believe. This is another book I haven't read in a long time. After I've finished Perks, I think I will read it again so I can continue reading the rest of the series. I hate going straight in to read book two or three if I haven't read the first one for a long time! They are all very thick, long books so it may take me a while...

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You
- by Ally Carter

"'Do you ever feel like you're invisible? I know I do - just call me Cammie the Chameleon. But at my school, that's seen as cool. Why? Because the Gallagher Academy might say it's for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies.'

Cammie Morgan might be capable of killing a man in seven different ways but she's about to begin her most dangerous mission yet: falling in love."

I finished this book quite recently but it did take me a while to get into it. I tried reading it a couple times beforehand but always ended up reading something different instead because it was just so difficult to really get into and enjoy. However, after a few chapters, I began to start liking it a lot and read it a lot quicker than it took for me to get into it. There are three other books in the Gallagher Girl/Academy series and I did start to read the second one (Cross My Heart & Hope To Spy) but, again, I found it difficult to really enjoy so I stopped reading it. I might go back to it soon because the first one was ever so good! It had a bit of a twist at the end which I wasn't expecting; it actually made me so sad! I won't spoil it for you though. The storyline is a really good idea and it is now one of my favourite books.

That's it for my favourite winter reads! I'm looking forward to the rest of the winter period so I can read heaps more books; I have a huge pile of unread books I need to read! It's such a cosy season and I really do love it. If you have any favourite books or you've read any of the ones I've mentioned, leave a comment below!