City of Fallen Angels By Cassandra Clare [ r e v i e w ]

Hello lovelies,

I apologise for taking so long to update this blog. I have been all over the place recently and haven't had the time to write or do much in the terms of blogging. Nevertheless, I thought I'd switch it up a bit by reviewing the fourth book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series: City of Fallen Angels.

I started this book the beginning of this month and finished it in under two days. I always seem to tear through this authors novels as the story line is always so captive. I am sure most of you know the story line surrounding this series - whether you have read the books or have watched the movie, so I feel like I don't need to get into too much detail.

On goodreads, I have this book 4/5 stars as I feel like this book wasn't as interesting as the previous three, but still held some good moments. I feel the character development towards Simon was great. I love how the alternative chapters were in his point of view and how we got to explore his vampire side a little more. I found Clary a little irritating in this novel. I think this is because she spends far to much time pining after Jace and not taking more on with the action side of things.

I really liked how we got to learn some more history with the vampires and explore traditions and rules they have. What I would have liked to see more of is the werewolf side of things and other downworlders. I am intrigued for the fifth book and how Cassandra can elaborate more on some issues raised in this book.

Until next time,
Happy reading!

- Hollie x

Unremembered by Jessica Brody [ r e v i e w ]

my picture // my edit // my version of the book.

Hi lovelies,

So I thought I would start a series where I would do some random book reviews to some novels I have enjoyed reading. The first one I am going to do is from the book that I have read most recently called Unremembered by the talented Jessica Brody.

The novel starts in mid action, a girl has supposedly been a part of a plane crash and she's the only survivor. She doesn't remember anything, (from who she is to what a supermarket is.) This becomes a problem for her when she is taken to a hospital and doctors constantly prod and poke at her to see if they can get anything out of her, or make her remember but they can't. But when a mysterious boy starts showing up wherever Violet/Sera is, there seems to be more to the story than what seems. Questions start arising and the ending left me utterly gobsmacked.

The books synopsis is here if you want a better summary.

So I went into this story blind, I didn't even look up any reviews. I didn't want to know anything about the novel. All I knew was that it was a science fiction/teen fic romance novel that people have either loved or hated. So as I began reading, I was amazed to see how thought out this book was. The plot line is incredibly detailed and the book has some really enticing turns. I read this book in one sitting, so I was clearly very indulged into the book. As this part of the review is going to be spoiler free, I want to finish with saying that the reasoning behind everything is so thought out and planned that is completely made sense. I was so amazed and shell shocked to find out some of the answers, that I found myself re-reading some pages to make sure I had got it right. The only problem I came across this book was that everything was paced very fast. The chapters were short and quick and the story moved a little too quickly.

If you are interested in buying the book, you can here.

[ s p o i l e r s ]

01: Oh my god, can we just take a moment to love Sera and Zen? They are seriously the definition of forbidden romance.
02: Maxxer is a girl? Eh, what? When she began explaining everything to Sera, I found myself clinging on to every word.
03: I really liked how Rio was actually good. I liked the fact that although he literally created her, he felt as if he was her father even though he wasn't. He had made someone so perfect and although through the duration of the book until the end I thought he was bad, I realize that Brody uses hints here and there to guess that he's not.
04: I really liked Cody, I thought he was hilarious and such a predictable thirteen year old.
05: I think the locket was a good symbolic representative of Zen and Sera's love. I thought the 1609 thing was really unique too.

Overall, I will give this book 4 stars out of 5. 

If you guys liked this review, tell me below or PM me with ideas on what to review next.

- Hollie xo

The Writing Basics FAQ

Hey there,

So, by request from ask.fm, I am here to give you the ins and outs about writing, how, where, apps etc that help me write. I think this idea is great because it can (hopefully) give you all some insight to the basics of writing. I'm not an expert, this is just what I do/use.

The first question I got was where do I write and if I write in a notebook or laptop?
I suppose it depends on where I am/what I'm doing. Sometimes I get random bursts of inspiration and I type a paragraph or two on my phone. But mostly, I write on my laptop. I am someone who can't write a chapter is one sitting because I find it tedious and I just can't think. I start a chapter at the beginning of the week and I gradually leave the Word document up and write some paragraphs when I feel like it. However, recently, I have just been writing in massive bulks.
I hate writing in notebooks. I hate my handwriting generally, and my hand hurts because I write super fast. I plan in notebooks and refer to it all the time, but I hate writing things in it.

What apps do you use to write?
I don't use any apps, is there any apps?
All I use is word.

How do I edit my chapters?
I don't really. I only begin editing when I have finished the whole story. Wattpad is where I write my rough drafts. I will usually proof read the chapter, but I usually glance over paragraphs as I write.

How many hours does it take for you to write?
Eh, it depends on the book to be honest. I mean Neverland takes maybe an hour, because I sit here and make an outline of what I want to happen in the chapter, but because I leave my chapter up for a week for most other novels, it can range from something like half an hour to 3/4 hours.

Chapter Outline?
This is the basic thing I like to follow, this example is great: http://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Novel-Outline

Character Appearance? 
This is also another great example: https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130626195657AAhBuY3

I really hoped this helped.

- Hollie

My Wattpad Pet Peeves.

Hey there,

So occasionally, okay, all the time, I come across something that makes me really irritated. I get annoyed at certain things and now it's coming to an extent where I want to share, I hope I am not the only one.

1. NUMBER ONE: When a writer puts at the end of the their blurb, read to find out! But I mean, what else are we going to do, eat the book? Fart on it? Can you not state the obvious please, of course we are going to 'read to find out'.

2. NUMBER TWO: When writers write their book in lower case because it's trending. No, stop before I blow your brains out. It's fine for everywhere else but when you are actually writing. WRITE IN SENTENCES/CAPITAL LETTERS AND IN NORMAL FORMAT. I don't care how good your synopsis is, but if you start writing like 'lucy plucked ellie from her barn, cuddling the dog to her chest as she smiled down at samatha, the mommy dog.' I'm just like, 'okay dead.'

3. NUMBER THREE: When you sit down to read a book and the first page is on the lines of, 'hello my name is sophie, I am seventeen with brown hair and green eyes. I live in london with my dog and my mum is a vet' sorry are we watching some theatre performance, a movie? Why, for dear lord are you introducing your character like that? Who even sits down and writes, 'hello my name is sophie...' I want to bang my head against a wall and cry, it's painful.

4. NUMBER FOUR: When writers put at the end of the synopsis, 'I'm shit at blurbs but the story is great I promise.' But how can you write a 200 page book and not manage to conjure up a four line blurb. Uh, u ok.

5. NUMBER FIVE: When readers post on stories, 'check out my story'. This is a personal pet peeve for me, but it really irritates me. Does my story have a sign saying, 'welcome aboard, don't forget to leave your story suggestion down below', no I think not. It's just one of those things that really tickle my nerves.

These are just some of my pet peeves, do you want anymore? What are your pet peeves?

-Hollie.

FAQ

frequently asked questions || holliehannah

Hey lovelies,

I am asked loads of questions daily asking me this, that and the other. So instead of having to repeat the same thing again, I am going to submit this post answering all your questions.

1 - Is your name actually Hollie Hannah?
Yes and no. My name is Hollie but Hannah has got nothing to do with my name. As much as I like to express myself, I want my personal details kept personal regarding my last name.

2 - Are you British?
Yep!

3 - Favourite writers on Wattpad?
I have so many. Everyone I follow are my particular faves.

4 - Favourite published writers?
John Green, Nicholas Sparks, L.J Smith, Lauren Oliver, Stephaine Perkins, Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth. (2014)

5 - How does my story get views?
It doesn't just happen over night. You've got to be serious about what your writing and you need to work at it. Some of the most famous authors don't get famous at the click of their fingers. My suggestions is to write what you know. Develop your story ideas and make sure you have a unique plot. 
If you want to read more tips, click this link.

6 - What's your one biggest tip on writing Teen Fiction?
Clichè is common and pretty popular right now. But try and limit it to a certain point, (only have maybe one or two things) then it makes your writing better. Also, have a plot line that defines your story. We all like a good book but when we see the same thing written time and time again, it gets boring.

7 - Will you ever publish?
Maybe. I'm not sure if my writing is ready yet. I'm a perfectionist and I would need to thoroughly edit everything before I even contemplate it further.

8 - Do you have a boyfriend?
Nope!

9 - Favourite character from BBV?
Damon! - he's adorbs. Unfourtantely though I've deleted the book, the reasoning behind it all is on a post here somewhere. But you can check out the new version of BBV renamed to Storm Clouds and Other Misconceptions (Damon is still there!)

10 - Does anyone know you write?
Well, my friends and family know I write, just not in Wattpad. I guess it's my thing and I'm not ready to share it with people yet. 

IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE QUESTIONS, POST THEM BELOW AND I'LL ANSWER THEM.