“The end crowns all”

Troilus and Cressida, Act 4, Scene 5

William Shakespeare

So, it’s the Epiphany, the end of the Christmas season *sob* and also my final post on the 30 day book challenge. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading it 🙂 In other news, I’ve almost finished my EPQ Essay! I might post it up here after I’m done, so be nice!

Without further ado, here’s the final seven days of the book challenge:

DAY 22: Favourite Series – It’s got to be either the ridiculously obvious Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (I know I’ve said this before, but come on. Who doesn’t love them?) or the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The latter is more for young children, but both are brilliantly written. And yes, I know many of my choices have been children’s books, but they’re a lot easier to undisputably love than adult books, becuase they’re supposed to make everything simple and nice, whereas adult books are much more complex.

DAY 23: Favourite romance novel – Not really a romance novel, more a romcom, but I love Christmas at Tiffany’s by Karen Swan. It’s ridiculously cheesy and quite predictable, like many rom-coms, but who doesn’t love some of those from time to time?! It draws you in, it’s funny and, of course, has the obligatory make-over that makes one look just fabulous, but three times over – how can one girl have so many haircuts and still look amazing? Well, that’s kind of the point of this book; utterly unrealistic but enjoyable 🙂

DAY 24: The most overhyped book you have ever read – Urgh, Wuthering Heights I cannot stand! I was so excited to read Emily Bronte‘s famously romantic novel, and then I hated every single character. I’m sorry to every Cathy-Heathcliff fan out there, but neither of them are likeable. Catherine and Heathcliff are supposedly so passionate and tempestuous, but Catherine is actually just weak – they never do anything! AHHH! Sorry guys, I struggled through it, but it won’t be anywhere near my ‘must-read’ lists any time soon.

DAY 25: A book you wish was real life – Call me greedy, but definitely Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. As long as I’m Charlie in this world, not Veruca Salt or Augustus Gloop. I want to live in a chocolate factory, I want to have Oompa-Loompas as my friends, I want to find a golden ticket! Incidentally, not sure if you’re aware of this, Sam mendes is directing a new musical of the book, to be released in the West End this year; I’m a bit dubious about it,  but hopefully they’ll live up to the book (crossed fingers!)

DAY 26: A book you have meant to read but never got around to – I got The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins last Christmas and still haven’t read it. I was taking RE for AS Level last year and thought it would be a) interesting and b) useful and yet… I just never found the time. Oops.

DAY 27: A book you would write if you had the resources – what wouldn’t I write if I had the inspiration, original idea, skills or time?! I’d love to write a crime novel, like an Agatha Christie, or a successful children’s book or a play or chick-lit or a classic or poetry, or anything really! Who wouldn’t want to be a successful author?

DAY 28: A book you wish you never read – I read The Ice People by Maggie Gee when I was about thirteen and I was gripped. Seriously gripped. But not in a good way. I mean, I admit it, I’m a wimp, but I had nightmares from this book. It’s seriously disturbing, and I usually like apocalyptic-type books, but this was horrifying. I don’t know why, but this just messed with my mind. It’s probably a really good book if you aren’t thirteen and a scaredy cat and sleeping in a tent at the time, but I really wish I hadn’t read it then.

DAY 29: An author that you completely avoid/won’t read – No one really, to be honest. I’m afraid I do often judge a book by its cover though. If something has a pretty cover or it’s hardback or it has soft, silky pages or that *old book* smell then I’m much more likely to read it. But come on, who among you hasn’t done that? 😉

DAY 30: An author that you will read whatever they put out – Hmmm… again, a hard one. I’m trying to sample as many authors as possible at the moment, so I’m tending to read just one book by each author at a time. I have read every Jane Austen book, but does that really count for this question? Ooh, but I do love Caitlin Moran: How to be a Woman is hilarious and I just got Moranthology for Christmas, so I’m super excited about reading that!

Well, I guess that’s the end of the book challenge! Thanks for reading, and I hope you got some good recommendations out of it all 🙂

Ooh, ooh, ooh, I just watched The History Boys for the very first time, and I never realised Jamie Parker was in it! Now I love him just that little bit more 😉 On a more serious note, it’s a really great film, well worth watching, with tons and tons of now-famous stars in it, and basically an even better (British 😉 )version of The Dead Poet’s Society, in my opinion.

Thanks again for reading and I promise I’ll write more soon.