Recent Reads #1: Some new favourites and some disappointments

Hi everyone! So I wanted to start writing wrap-ups of some of the books that I've read recently and have more to say about. I want to start from the beginning of this year but as I read quite a lot in the first few months of this year I am probably going to split this into more than one post! I'm going to give a summary, a few thoughts and my rating for some of the books that I have read. I hope that you enjoy this post!

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising is set in a world where there are people who live on Mars and mine for the people on Earth. They believe that they are making Mars safe for humans to live on but this is a dangerous job and there are secrets behind the more powerful in society.

This book sounded really interesting and I was in the mood for some sci-fi. It's a really popular book but unfortunately I didn't really like it. I liked the concept but I didn't like the characters. I found the main character and even parts of the plot irritating.

3/5 stars

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: The Farseer Trilogy Book One Book Review

Title: Assassin's Apprentice (Book one of the Farseer Trilogy)
Author: Robin Hobb
Genre: Fantasy
Number of pages: 460
Length of audiobook: 17hrs 18 minutes
Trigger warnings: child abuse, animal murder

Synopsis:

Assassin's Apprentice follows a boy called Fitz throughout his early childhood and teenage years. Fitz is the illegitimate child of the prince of the kingdom. No one knew that he existed until he is brought to the castle. The King will not allow Fitz to claim his birthright and his father is banished. Fitz is allowed to stay in the castle and is essentially raised by the stable master who names him Fitz (he didn't have a name before and was simply referred to as 'boy'). We find out early on that Fitz has a power, one that allows him to go into the minds of animals, to communicate with them and see what they see. This power is seen as forbidden and evil so it is discouraged. As Fitz becomes older he makes an agreement to be the king's ally and his assassin.

4 Ways To Avoid Disaster With Your Home

You may not realise this but there are a few disasters that you can encounter as a homeowner. It’s important to ensure that you are prepared for these issues and that you are able to deal with them effectively. The first step is understanding what these disasters are and how they come about. So, let’s take a look at a few of the worst examples.

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Avon Round-Up: The Latest Offers in Makeup and Skincare

Hi everyone! So I have loved Avon since I was little, it is a brand that my family have always used. They offer affordable make-up, skincare, perfume, toiletries and even clothing. They also run a lot of offers including free gifts! So I was incredibly excited when I was approved to be an affiliate with them! I thought I would do regular round-ups of their latest offers and some of their products so that you guys can see some of their incredible range.

Free eyeshadow worth £15 when you buy Euphoric mascara

This mascara is £9 and you get a free gift of an eyeshadow set with it. The Euphoric mascara is for lengthening lash volume with a lightweight feeling.

Learning French Journal #8 Professions

Hi everyone! I've been trying to teach myself French for a while and I thought it would be fun to create some blog posts as I go along to help myself study so I will be doing regular posts on French. In my last post I discussed some basics when asking questions. In this post I will be looking at talking about careers. Please note this is not a study guide, if I make any mistakes please let me know!

Talking about your job:

• Je suis... (zhuh swee...) - I am...

(Just a Few) Charities That Could Use Your Help

The world is a sad place right now and many of us have been trying to spread some kindness and positivity in any way that we can. I wanted to write a post about just a few charities that could use your help. You can donate, fundraise or even shop from most of these charities.

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Popular YA Books: Have I Read Them?

I decided to take part in The Bookternet All Stars Charity Challenge where you go through popular YA books/authors and say if you have read them or not and what your opinions are! There is also a donation page for COVID-19 relief charities which I have linked below.

As I wrote this post, I noticed that I have some potentially controversial opinions so I apologise in advance! I feel like my reading tastes are very varied! So here is my post about what I have and haven't read:

Future Plans You Should Be Making During Lockdown

It’s a difficult time for everybody at the moment and we are all having to maintain social distancing to make sure that everybody is as safe as they can be. Many of us are struggling to get to grips with being at home all of the time, and it’s important that you find ways to entertain yourself so you can keep your spirits up. There are a lot of things that you can do at home to keep yourself busy, but one of the best things to do is to start thinking about what you are going to do when the lockdown lifts. This situation has caused a lot of people to reconsider their priorities in life and stop taking things for granted, so now is the best time to start planning what you are going to do once the crisis is over. These are some of the future plans that you should make during lockdown.

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9 Ways To Keep Busy While Social Distancing

During these unexpected times, many people are finding themselves with fewer things to do than usual. Even if you are still working from home, or are one of the many key workers doing a great job, there is still the time when you would be out doing things that you enjoy that you can't do at the moment. This change has been hard on a lot of people. Motivation can be hard to come by, and if you do have the motivation to do something, you might not know what to do.

It is okay if all you want to do is look after yourself by taking a shower and binge-watching some television shows, but if you want to do something else, below are a few ideas that might inspire you:

(Pixabay)

Things That I Have Been Trying For Self-Care

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. This has been a period of worsening mental health for quite a few of us and I have been trying to find ways to practice self-care and manage my well being so that I feel better. Here are some things that I have been trying. If you have any other suggestions please let me know!

Colouring

 I have found colouring to be a useful way of breaking myself out of negative thinking. I have a few colouring books and I just chose which page I felt like colouring in at that time. I've been compiling a list of colouring books here, some I own and love and others look interesting to me and I would like to try in the future.