Last Minute Gift Guide Part 3: for Fans of YA Books

Welcome to the third part of my last minute gift guide, which focuses on gifts for fans of YA books like The Hunger Games, Divergent and Maze Runner series.

Below are some of my recommendations for YA book merchandise that you should be able to get hold of quickly in-store or through Amazon Prime next-day delivery.

Happy Shopping!

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Release date: October 22nd 2013

Genre: YA Dystopian

No.pages: 526

Synopsis

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningliess. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Top Ten Films I'm Looking Forward to in 2016 (with trailers)

2016 looks like a fantastic year for films. Some of my favourite franchises are releasing sequels this year and I'm so excited to see them already. Although with a new baby, we'll probably have to wait for them to come out on DVD.

Here's a list of the films I'm most anticipating for 2016:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read Dystopian Fiction

Today is Top Ten Tuesday, a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!  Every week they post a new top ten list and everyone can join in and share their own picks. If you'd like to take part, hop on over to the blog and sign up with the linky. If you don't have a blog, feel free to post your answers in the comments.

This week's topic is: Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read X. I've chosen Dystopian fiction.

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait for:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth- 

22nd Oct 2013

B is for Birds #atozchallenge

[Carion Crow by Aomorikuma, GNU FDL]

Today I'm continuing with the Blogging from A-Z Challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of awesome bloggers. My theme is: Elements and features of speculative fiction and entertainment. So throughout April I will be blogging about characters, objects and themes that appear in sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian series. Today's post is all about Birds.



Birds (both real and fantastical) are a prevalent symbol in religion, mythology and folklore throughout the world, so it's not surprising that they often feature in fantasy novels. Here are some examples:

Divergent Casting News and Fan Art

If you're a big fan of Divergent by Veronica Roth, you will have heard that a movie is in the making for 2014 and will have probably put quite a lot of thought into who your ideal cast would be. Fans have suggested actresses such as Saorise Ronan (YES!) and Taissa Farmiga to play Tris, and actors like Steven R McQueen (Jeremy in The Vampire Diaries) and Max Irons to play Four.

But this weekend it's been announced that Shailene Woodley is in final negotiations to play Tris. This has sparked a lot of heated debate among fans on various facebook groups, many of whom disagree with the casting choice because of her 'un-Tris-like' appearance. I admit that when I first saw a pic of her, I thought "What? No way! She looks nothing like Tris!" Then I realised that it's nothing a bit of hair dye and eye contacts can't sort out. I've not seen her in a film before, but she has had good reviews for the part she played in The Descendants alongside George Clooney. At the end of the day, the acting ability of the person who gets the role of Tris matters more to me than their appearance, and I'm hopeful that Woodley will do a good job.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

*SPOILER ALERT!*

I’d read many good reviews about Divergent, and heard that it had been hailed as being on par with The Hunger Games. As a big fan of dystopian fiction, I decided to give it a go.

Insurgent Release Day, Paris Holiday and Big News!

It's been more than two weeks since I returned from my holiday in Paris and I've finally gotten around to posting. In my defence, I've been super busy with my work and social life. I recently took on more hours at work so I have a little less time in the evenings for blogging and my weekends have been filled with entertaining friends and attending birthday parties and weddings.

Divergent Fashion

Divergent by tizzy-potts featuring high heels