Wednesday 30 May 2018

Month in Review: May


I feel like I was so inactive this month in the blogosphere and I feel like a total failure :( Hopefully June will bring more inspo and hopefully some better blog posts!

What I Read: 

The Scorpio Races by: Maggie Stiefvater: 4/5 stars
The Princess Diaries by: Meg Cabot: 2/5 stars
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by: E.K. Johnston: 4/5 stars
Lets Talk About Love by: Claire Kann: 4/5 stars
And Then There Were None by: Agatha Christie: 5/5 stars

Favourite Book: Definitely And Then There Were None! This is by far my favourite Christie book I have read to date and was so well thought out!

What I Blogged: 

Like I said, inspiration was at an all time low this month. My favourite blog post was the Mental Health in YA Roundup I did with some fellow bloggers, but other than that, it was a "meh" month.

Favourite Blog Posts of the Month: 

Anna reveals the YA Novels with the Best Mental Health Rep! 

Cee explains her fascination with Reaction Videos 

Clare shares the books that Made Her a Reader 

Life Stuff:

This wasn't a very entertaining month. Literally all I did was work, and I have found that my summer is off to kind of a boring start, but in June I have a few concerts coming up and I will be seeing my family and friends more so hopefully things will pick up!

How was your May?

Emily @ Paperback Princess


Friday 25 May 2018

Otherworld by: Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Sci-Fi
Published: October 31, 2017 by: Delacorte Press
Pages: 335
Rating: 2/5 stars



Otherworld is unlike anything you have ever experienced, or so the company says. Avid gamer Simon thought that Otherworld was a simple video game, providing an alternate reality. However Otherworld is about to become more real than he could have ever imagined, and it will suck him and his friends into a wormhole that just cannot be escaped.

I have always been on the fence about sci-fi novels that deal with simulations and alternate realities. However, when Marshall from How I Met Your Mother writes a book, you read the damn book, so I decided to give it a shot. It did fall short because of the fact that these themes make my brain hurt, but I get how the overall concept could be very interesting to people who like gaming.

I think that there could have been a better explanation on what Otherworld actually is. The novel seemed to jump right into the alternate reality without building up to it, which made the whole concept of the game very confusing and I ended the book not really knowing what I just read.

I think that there is a huge market for books like these nowadays, and I think that the Otherworld series can capture the attention of tech-savvy people as well as those who are interested in simulations and the overall concept of reality being utterly fucked up. But you definitely have to read things over to make sure things are understood.

Have you read Otherworld? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Wednesday 16 May 2018

Mental Health in Ya Blogger Roundup!

Hello all! About a month ago, I was asked by fellow book blogger Anna @ Annaish to participate in her mental health blogger roundup. Basically, she asked me and other bloggers to share a paragraph highlighting a YA novel we thought had great mental health representation.

There are so many YA books out there that deal with mental health however not all do it well, and this negative representation can be harmful and triggering. So, in honour of mental health health awareness month, I decided to share Anna's post on all of our paragraphs on my blog too, hopefully to spread awareness on some mental health books you should be reading! Please go check out Anna's blog as well as the other lovely participants of this event :D

Anna @ Annaish: Girl Against the Universe by: Paula Stokes:

When it comes to mental health, YA books tend to romanticise, cure, or isolate a mentally ill character. It’s frustrating, insulting, and misleading because those tropes don’t happen in real life. Thankfully, we do have YA books who don't fall into those tropes and one of those books is Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes.


The book follows Maguire, a girl who has PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) and is on the path of recovery. For starters, her path of recovery isn’t romanticised. The book highlights her good and bad days. Maguire isn’t cured or isolated either. She goes to therapy and has loving support from family/friends. And, probably the best part about this book is, Maguire’s mental illness isn't her only personality trait. She’s spunky, sarcastic, and a fantastic narrator. I could talk about Girl Against the Universe all day long but I'll leave you with this, mental illnesses exists and more YA books need to talk about it.

Emily @ Paperback Princess: Top Ten by: Katie Cotugno:

When Anna asked me to choose a novel I thought had the best mental health representation, my mind immediately went to Top Ten by: Katie Cotugno. This YA novel features the main female protagonist, Gabby, going through high school with intense anxiety and agoraphobia, making her very shy and nervous when it comes to the overbearing parties her classmates throw. Gabby’s best friend is an extroverted star hockey player named Ryan, one of the most popular guys in school. However, what makes this book so awesome, is that Ryan doesn’t “save Gabby” from her mental illness. Instead, through their unlikely friendship, he encourages and supports her and the two remain good friends throughout the entire book. I loved this novel not just because I could relate heavily to Gabby, but also because it didn’t have to feature the trope that the guy and the girl must fall in love and suddenly all her fears are whisked away. It was refreshing to see Gabby and Ryan remain strictly friends and how Ryan learnt how to support Gabby during her panic attacks. This book made me wish I had a friendship like they had in high school.
Kenzie @ Paper Pizza: Turtles All the Way Down by: John Green:


There has always been a bit of controversy when it comes to the topic of John Green’s writing, but when I heard that he was working on a book about mental illness, I knew he would nail it. Aza is the main character in this story and she suffers from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) which is also related to anxiety. Rarely do I ever see anxiety discussed in Young Adult literature and to find a book that describes it PERFECTLY feels like a phenomenon. Even though everyone experiences anxiety, it still seems there is a stigma towards it. With Turtles All The Way Down, you feel as though your soul has been ripped open and there is finally someone who understands you.


“The thing about a spiral is, if you follow it inward, it never actually ends. It just keeps tightening. Infinitely.”


Aza is a great character. She is different from most female characters in the YA world, and what I loved most about this story was how real and raw it was. Whether you love YA or dislike it, everyone needs to read this book. It is an excellent representation of mental health, especially in young adult literature.
Abby @ Ups and Downs: Eliza and Her Monsters by: Francesca Zappia:


Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia is one of my favorite books for its portrayal of social anxiety. For those unfamiliar with its plot, the book follows a girl named Eliza Murk with a famous web comic named Monstrous Sea who keeps this part of her life private. I loved to this book in many ways— the way it portrayed social anxiety and its relationship to how the protagonist connects on the digital world, the injection of art pieces showing Eliza’s comic, and her struggle towards opening up to her friend Wallace, who is also one of the most popular fan fiction writers of the comic. However relatable the character is, the book does get heavy fast, but it does so with an acknowledged nuance and understanding.
Tasya @ The Literary Huntress: Every Last Word by: Tamara Ireland Stone:

This book is one of the most underrated books out there. Every Last Word is a sweet and calm, but sad story about Sam, who has pure OCD. This book addresses the common misconception of all OCD people are obsessed with cleaning and tidying things up and tell Sam's story in such a way that make us empathise with her. The depth of the author research is shown with Sam's portrayal, it doesn't feel stereotypical or shallow, she felt like a real person. Another thing that I love is how supportive Sam's family and friends are and how positive her relationship with her psychiatrist is. She's open and always tells the psychiatrist about everything, she actively participates instead of raging and closing off, which is a great message. This is a really poignant and heartfelt book, and I wish more people read it!

Wednesday 9 May 2018

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by: Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: September 19, 2017 by: HarperTeen
Pages: 464
Rating: 5/5 stars



The battle for the crown has begun, and the Fennbirn triplets have made the stakes higher than ever in the quest to tear down each other. Katharine, the poisoner, has grown blood thirsty and strong. Arsinoe, the once weak sister, has discovered new found powers that could change the course of her life forever. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister, has grown soft and scatter-brained, haunted by the dangers that lie ahead. Only one sister can claim the throne, however some may be less willing to kill than others.

This book was such a step up from the one before it! As you may recall, while I enjoyed the setup that Three Dark Crowns provided, I wished for more action, and with the fight for the crown fully underway in this novel, I got just that! It was fiery and addictive, and I loved each of the sister's character developments.

I loved how this book dove deeper into the three girl's secrets and their mindsets. Katharine has become a full fledged villain, while the horrors of what she must do has finally gotten to Mirabella, who was once so ruthless. There was a dramatic power shift which I really liked.

I absolutely cannot wait for the third book in the series. This story is far from over and it ended on such a cliffhanger that I was so shaken by!! These girls are so well written and I have become so intrigued with their story.

Have you read One Dark Throne? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Tuesday 1 May 2018

Month in Review: April


Exams are over, my job has fully started and I am in a whole new routine now! I have shortened my posting to once a week now as I haven't had much inspiration to blog lately, but hopefully over the summer I'll be brainstorming new ideas. Here's what happened in April!

What I Read:

The Upside of Unrequited by: Becky Albertalli: 4/5 stars
One Dark Throne by: Kendare Blake: 5/5 stars
Otherworld by: Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller: 3/5 stars
Queens of Geek by: Jen Wilde: 3/5 stars
Radio Silence by: Alice Oseman: 2/5 stars
The Raven Boys by: Maggie Stiefvater: 5/5 stars


Favourite Book: One Dark Throne of course!! I ended on SUCH A CLIFFHANGER and ugh I just can't wait for the new book to come out in September!

What I Blogged:

Like I said before, I've been feeling a little uninspired recently. I did do a discussion about Getting into New Adult Fiction that I really enjoyed, but other than that, it was mostly just book reviews.

Favourite Blog Posts:

Veronika and Ruzaika talk Reading Styles 
Cee discusses Toxic Friendships and Reclaiming Enthusiasm 

Life Stuff:

I started my job, and I am quite enjoying it! It is a learning process but I'm trying not to be too hard on myself when I make a mistake and just focus on getting better.

I also have finished my first year of uni! It went by so fast and while I can't say I fully enjoyed it, it was easier than I thought it would be. Summer is now upon me and I'm hoping to write a lot more.

The greatest news of the month: I got into my creative writing program! You may recall a few months ago I shared my writing portfolio. Well it was approved and now I am officially a creative writing major! A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

How was your April?

Emily @ Paperback Princess