Saturday, 25 April 2015

My Top 5 BookTubers




BookTube is such a booming community at the moment, and I have to say I have so much respect for those who have channels. I tried the whole filming a video and it was soooo awkward to watch back to say the least (maybe this will change in the future). All the BookTubers I watch are so natural and the videos are edited perfectly. 

My subscription list to all these BookTubers is growing daily, so I thought I would take the chance to share with you my top 5 BookTubers.


1. Jean Bookishthoughts
Twitter - @JeansThoughts 



2. Megan Olivier
Twitter - MeganOlivier12



3. Booksandquills
Twitter - booksandquills



4. Priceiswong
Twitter - priceiswong



5. Katytastic
Twitter - kat_tastic



I cant recommend these girls highly enough. They are all very different from one another and are great at putting across their views and opinions, to the point i always want to run to the shop and pick up loads of books once i have watched their videos. 

BookTube is a great place, and who knows maybe one day I will try it out........or maybe not. Lets leave that to the people who do it best :)

Thanks for reading,

Claire :)

Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Real Books V's Ebooks



This is a question I stumble across time and time again in the book community, both online and in the real world. I find myself having a constant debate in my tiny little head thinking I'm cheating on real books if i favour ebooks. There's no right or wrong answer to this question in my opinion, each to their own. I think i prefer ebooks (please don't hate me). 

So here's the next question.....Why do i favour ebooks? I best explain myself here: 

  • As much as i completely adore physical copies of books the ebook version tends to be slightly cheaper. Watching those pennies is something I have became good at since returning to work part time. In my case its obvious I'm going to pick the cheaper option. 
  • The selection of FREE ebooks is really overwhelming. I obtained the first book in The Selection Series by Kiera Cass absolutely free - whats better than that??
  • Ebooks are so easy to download - if you are waiting on a new release then you can have it the second it goes live with one click of a button, speedy service.....right?
  • All my ebooks are stored on my Kindle, no hassle, no fuss, everything in the one place....hey presto!!! 
  • My kindle is just so much more portable than a book. Granted not all books are huge but still, Id still rather carry my light, petite and full of choice Kindle around with me. 
  • Out and about, don't like the book i have started to read, that's OK as i have another 100 more at my fingertips to chose from. 

Don't get me wrong I still absolutely love to read and actual book and love having my own copy (some of those covers and spines are just too pretty not to have) but ebooks are just so much more convenient for me.

Let me know what you prefer and why? I love reading varying opinions on this topic. 

Thanks for reading,

Claire :)

Monday, 20 April 2015

All about meeeeeee!!!

Two book reviews done....so I thought I would take the chance to let all you lovely readers know a bit more about me. 

As you have probably gathered, my name is Claire. I live in Scotland and absolutely love it, although the weather could be a little better....damn you Scotland. I stay with my partner and little girl who is 18 months, which is really scary because it doesn't seem so long ago since she was a teeny weeny baby!!! Is there a pause button?? 

Before I had my little girl I worked full time in an office job (which is all I can really tell you). When I returned to work last September, I chose to cut my hours so I could spend quality time with my little darling daughter. To say I'm blessed is an understatement as not everyone can cut their hours at work to suit them, so every day I sit and think how totally grateful I am to be in this position.

The cut in hours has obviously freed up a lot more time for me, so have taken the opportunity to start up this blog to talk about books, meet new people, and keep this baby brain of mines active :)

My fav genres are young adult, new adult, contemporary, fantasy and anything vampire related!! I cannot get enough of The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead......to say I'm drawing the books out is an understatement because I just don't want them to end. I might shed a tear.......just kiddin'! Harry Potter was my fav series growing up, just to be different from everyone else......not. 

Did I mention my age, I don't think I did. I'm 28 and hitting that pause button as mentioned before as I'm getting too close to 30. You are only as old as you feel.....so they say. 

This pretty sums up me and my life people, but if there is anything you would like to know just ask away :)

Thanks for reading.
Much Love,

Claire :)

Saturday, 11 April 2015

Room by Emma Donoghue ***book review***

Published - September 13, 2010
Author - Emma Donoghue
Genres - Literary fiction, Novel
Awards - Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction
Source - Bough via The Book People
I don't know where to start with this book......I'm aware that many people love this book and cant rate it highly enough but my thoughts are very mixed. On Goodreads I rated this book 2/5★. There will probably be a couple of spoilers in this review, so if you have yet to read this book I advise you don't read any further.

This book is written from the view of Jack a 5 year old boy, beginning to end. Now don't get me wrong this made it very hard hitting and very emotional but at the same time i found this very difficult to read and for me the story didn't flow as well as it should. Jack and his 'Ma' live in a 'Room', he has lived there all his life and everything they need is in this room. At this point it it very obvious that they have been kidnapped and are living here against their will. 

As the story develops we learn more about the main character, Jack, Ma and 'Old Nick' (the man who has been keeping them in this room with no escape). Jack doesn't know any better and doesn't mind staying in the 'Room' but 'Ma' is desperate to escape, which is no wonder after we learn that 'Old Nick' comes into the room at nights, while Jack is sleeping in the wardrobe (or is at least meant to be), and rapes 'Ma'.

Both Jack and 'Ma' come up with a plan to say that Jack is really ill and needs to be taken to the hospital, so Jack has fish smeared all over him and isn't allowed to wash to make sure it genuinely looks and smells like he is really ill. So when 'Old Nick' comes in later on that night he decides that all Jack needs is some strong medicine from the pharmacy. 'Old Nick' does not return with any medicine, so 'Ma' decides to wrap Jack in the rug and when 'Old Nick' returns she says that Jack is dead, and he has to bury him but not in the back garden. The plan works and Jack manages to tell people that his 'Ma' is back at the 'Room'. She then is rescued thanks to Jack's bravery. 

The rest of the book could have been wrapped up a lot sooner than it was. It basically shows the struggles Jack and 'Ma' have on the outside world and finishes with them visiting 'Room' one last time. 

My main likes of this book were:

  • The book was split in to 4 chapters, which made it clear to identify the different stages it went through.
  • All the characters were made to seem very real to the reader. They were explained in great detail giving the reader a vivid image.
  • The description on their 'Room' was done with accuracy and precision, again giving the reader a very clear mental image.
My main dislikes of the book were:

  • Jack talking about his penis 'standing up' in the mornings - just no need for this in my opinion!
  • The book for me was dragged out when the escaped, almost like the author didn't know where to go with the storyline.
  • The book being narrated by a five year old the whole way though. I just found this hard going to read. 

I know that loads of people love this book but it just wasn't up my street. Please don't be offended if you like this book, these are just my opinions. 

Please don't hesitate to comment if you have a view on this book, I'm always interested to see what other think.

Thanks for reading,

BookishReadables aka Claire :)






Friday, 3 April 2015

The Fault in Our Stars - Book Review

Title - The Fault in Our Stars
Author - John Green
Genre - Young adult, contemporary
Source - Bought from Amazon
Rating - 5/5★


There was so much hype about this book, especially when the film adaptation was released  and I have to admit I wasn't sure what to expect. Of course after all hearing all the reviews and hype on booktube I had to jump on the waggon with this one, and it certainly was not a let down!!

Hazel Grace is 16 and has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Her mother wants her to attend a support group which Hazel doesn't want to go to. To keep her mum happy she goes and this is where she meets Augustus who has just had the all clear from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. This is where the roller coaster of emotions begins. Romance, sadness, humour just to name a few and let me tell you, as a reader, you will feel like you are there with them. 

Both Hazel and Augustus embark on adventure to Amsterdam to meet the author of their favourite book, An Imperial Affliction. The authors name is Peter Van Houten and he isn't exactly what the expect......in fact he is far from it. During this trip Hazel has many struggles with her breathing which is to be expected. She becomes very close to Augustus in more ways than one, but her world is torn apart when Augustus reveals some devastating news. Where do they go from here? Please don't let this be true. Those were just a couple of thoughts I had when this tragic turn of events was revealed. 

This novel is very hard hitting but allows the reader to see what teenagers living with cancer must be feeling and how their families cope too. It is not an easy subject to approach but John Green done this with true class. Keeping some humour in the novel made it much easier to read. 

I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like a book that makes you happy and sad, laugh and cry then this is a goer. You will not be let down. John Green managed to capture my heart, rip it to shreds then almost mend it again, gaining a 5★ review from me over on Good Reads. 

BookishReadables aka Claire :)

Thursday, 2 April 2015

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Wednesday, 1 April 2015

A little introduction....


Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my blog. 

My name is Claire and have decided to start writing about my reading experiences. I am constantly looking for blogs that are all about books and find them very interesting, so why not start my very own?

I will share all my reading experiences on here, from what I'm reading to what I'm buying. 

All my opinions are my very own and everything i write about will be honest, whether it be good or bad. 

I am a member on good reads (very recent member at that) so if you would like to be "friends" don't hesitate to message me at bookishreadables@gmail.com. If there is anything you would like me to review or something you would like to see on my blog I welcome all suggestions......and feedback. I want this to be a place all you readers enjoy. 

Phew.......that's my very first blogpost out the way, look forward to writing my next one. 

Much Love,

Bookishreadables aka Claire :)