Bookish Pet Peeves

Friday 28 March 2014


Let's be honest: we all have pet peeves. 

Some of us have more than others and some things get under our skin more than is strictly normal. But that's okay; it's natural. Or something like that... 

I know I certainly have lots - especially when it comes to books - and I thought I'd share my top five with you to see if anyone feels the same way. And, you know, to have a bit of a rant because that's always good.


  1. Broken spines. There is literally nothing worse than a book with a creased and bent spine. I like my books to look pristine and new, no matter how many times they've been read. Spines in bad condition just do not bear thinking about. I actually grimace when I see the beaten up books on my shelves.

  2. Oddly sized books. You have your short hardbacks and your tall hardbacks, your short paperbacks and your tall paperbacks. But then you also have your paperbacks that stick out further on the shelf, paperbacks that sit too far back on the shelf, mass market paperbacks that are too short and too shallow, paperbacks that are too tall and too deep, paperbacks that won't fit in the gap you've made for them and make you tear your hair out... You get the idea.

  3. Hardbacks with no dust covers. I know I take the covers off to read (do not get me started on using the flaps as a bookmark... just... don't) but I do like them because they make books look nice, especially on shelves.

  4. Insta-love. This is probably my biggest content related peeve. Just why would you include insta-love? I can't think of any reasons why you would because it's always so bad and cliché. And, sadly, it's all too common in young adult these days.

  5. Cover changes. Sometimes, this can be a good thing. Like when the old covers are ugly, or when you haven't started collecting the series already. But when you have the first few books in a series in one cover, but are then forced to buy the remaining books in a different style...
So, these are my top five bookish pet peeves. I do have a bunch more, but this are the ones that really make me tick and that I could go on and on about (but I won't, don't worry). Let me know what your biggest annoyances are and whether we share any of the same ones!

Book Review: Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory

Friday 21 March 2014

16074352Stormbringers
Philippa Gregory
Genre(s): fantasy, historical fiction, young adult
Published: June 1st 2013
Pages: 280
Rating: 3 stars

Luca Vero is a member of the secret Order of Darkness, tasked with searching out and reporting signs of the end of the world. Breaking his journey in Piccolo, he finds a place filled with superstitious fears: of the unknown, of the forces of the sea and sky, of strangers. With him are his loyal friend and servant, Frieze, and his clerk, Brother Peter, as well as the Lady Isolde and her mysterious servant-companion Ishraq. The five of them are followed into the town by a huge children's crusade, led by a self-proclaimed saint. Its young leader promises that the sea will part before them, and allow them to walk dry-shod all the way to Jerusalem. Luca and Lady Isolde are swept up in the growing excitement; but something dangerous is brewing far out to sea...

Stormbringers, the second instalment in the Order of Darkness series, is a much more enjoyable, thought out and developed book than it's prequel, Changeling.

For starters, the characters feel a lot more comfortable throughout the book, and it was easier to understand and sympathise with them. It was also easier to become very annoyed with them at certain points in the story, but - to me at least - that is a sign of a well rounded character. Stormbringers makes you really start to care for and value them all, but Freize and Ishraq in particular. The plot as well as the emotion Gregory manages to weave into her prose mean this is a very character driven instalment and you cannot help but feel for them all and wish things could change.

The plot, too, it also a lot more defined and sits a lot more comfortably when reading than that of Changeling. The whole aspect of the wave washing through the village and the mystery surrounding it was very interesting and more than once I found myself questioning how it could possibly happen. That being said, it didn't happen until the book was almost half way done (and it's only a short one) and I felt that the build up took a little too long and the solution... didn't seem like much of a solution.

Nevertheless, Stormbringers was still an interesting and gripping read with good insight into life during the 1400s, even if it is written in a fairly simple manner.

Rainbow Bookshelf Tour

Friday 14 March 2014

Looks like I owe you all another apology for the lack of posts again. I truly am sorry, but I can explain! College has kept me really busy and although I have been reading I haven't been reviewing or writing much, and I haven't had much inspiration for posts. I know you've heard this all before and it's a pathetic excuse, but it's true and I'm sorry.

But don't worry! I do plan on posting more regularly again in summer - but it will most likely one post every couple of weeks, let's be real here. Once my exams are done and I've got plenty of time off I should be able to come up with some ideas for posts. Should being the keyword in that sentence.

Enough of that, though, because I do actually have a post for you today. I had a sudden urge (and a lot of spare time) to re-organise my bookcases and, well... this happened.



Yeah, I actually took all the books off their shelves, grouped them into colours, and then put them back on in (a kind of) rainbow order. It was fun - if you're the type of person who enjoys organising - and it managed to kill the better part of an hour.

Here are some close ups, because I know you're dying to see the order I put them in. (It was mainly based on height, not colour, if you care.)


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