London Book Haul (part 1)

Hello beautiful people!

I spent two days in London for Cassandra Clare and Holly Black's signings last week and I benefited from that time to buy some new books, for my TBR was very small and I really wanted to buy classics. I'm so excited to read them all, because these were all at the top of my wishlist. I'll admit it, when I saw so many of the Penguin English Library collection reunited, I couldn't resist and that's mostly what I bought.

Side note: This one is called London Book Haul (part 1) because I'm going back to London on September 1st, the day of Harry Potter's epilogue. I'm crying in advance.

Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab

While I was at Forbidden Planet, I stumbled into signed copies of Victoria Schwab's books and I was so excited, for I love her books so much. I had yet to purchase Our Dark Duet, sequel to This Savage Song, which is why I couldn't resist and I'm so excited to read it. It's the only one of Schwab's YA books I still have to read.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

I have seen this book everywhere on Bookstagram and many people said it was their favourite book of the year. It is set during the Victorian era and involves the mythical Essex serpent, which is making me very curious (even though I'm terrified of snakes), I'm pretty sure it is right up my alley. Besides, this hardcover is absolutely gorgeous and it was only ten pounds.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I read Great Expectations years ago in French, my first ever Dickens, and it is one of my favourite books ever. I'm planning on rereading it with my friend Clara in the near future and I really wanted to buy this hardcover edition, because it's absolutely gorgeous and there are so many notes in it. 

You can see glimpses of the artwork for each of these Penguin English Library editions,

I'll take more pictures of them in the future, of course!

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

Last year, I read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and really enjoyed it. I wanted to discover more of this author's novels and while I'm a little intimidated by this one because of its length (794 pages), Ellie Dashwood got me so excited about it.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Now that I've read (and loved!) Emma, I only have Mansfield Park and Persuasion to read, when it comes to Jane Austen's novels. I'd rather read Persuasion last, because it was the last one to be published, which only leaves... Mansfield Park. Out of all Jane Austen's novels in the Penguin English Library edition, Mansfield Park is for me the most beautiful and I'm really excited to read it! This is one of the longest of Jane Austen's novels, but as I've managed to read Emma, it shouldn't be a problem.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

This is one of Dickens' more popular novels and I still haven't read it. *hides* However, visiting Charles Dickens museum while I was in London made me so eager to read more of his books, starting with this one.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

I have read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, I have read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, but Anne Brontë? I still have to read anything she wrote. To be accurate, I'm currently reading it and so far, I'm really loving it; I sure hope it stays that way, as I've heard so many people loved it.

The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier

I have now read two of Daphne du Maurier's novels, My Cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn, and want to read all of the books this author ever wrote. I didn't know which one to pick up next, but The Loving Spirit is her debut and I'm curious to see what her first novel is like.

Have you read any of these books? What was the last book you bought?

Lots of love,

Lucie

My Cousin Rachel // From page to screen

Hello beautiful people!

I've been thinking for a while about new content for this little blog and I realised that I truly wanted to talk about book adaptations, especially when it comes to classics because a) I love period dramas b) I think adaptations are a great way to keep you motivated when you're reading a classic and it's a little dense. This new feature is called "from page to screen", because my blog name is ofwishesandpages, it was absolutely fitting. 

Anyhow, I wanted to start this series of posts by talking about My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier, for the movie was recently released.

What is My Cousin Rachel about?

Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, a man who will love his grand home as much as he does himself. But the cosy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries - and there he dies suddenly. Jealous of his marriage, racked by suspicion at the hints in Ambrose's letters, and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart. Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, sophisticated, mysterious Rachel like a moth to the flame. And yet... might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death?

My thoughts

In My Cousin Rachel, Daphne du Maurier creates a gothic atmosphere filled with tension and anticipation, for it takes the first half of the book for the reader to finally meet Rachel. Despite her physical absence, she's everywhere, a mighty being the reader can't help but try to picture, until she ends up being human. This novel is gripping and keeps the reader on the edge of his seat, for he wants to know the truth behind all the deceptions. While the characters are deeply flawed, you can't help but emphasize with every single one of them in turn and that is the genius behind the novel. You have to think for yourself, because du Maurier doesn't hand the truth to you on a silver platter: it's up to the reader to make his interpretation.

When it comes to the movie that was released this year, I thought that it was such an amazing adaptation of the novel. The atmosphere created there reflected the book so well, with the music filled with tension and a spectacular scenery. It was so Daphne du Maurier when they were in Cornwall, I was speechless. I thought it went a little fast in the beginning, as it is a short movie and we don't have the luxury to wait for Rachel for a long time. Because of that, Philip's obsession with her and how he tried to picture her was a little lost on me because I kept comparing it to the book and I'm not sure it was seen the same way by an audience which hadn't read the book. Nevertheless, it made more sense to do it that way, I'm just a little bitter because I wanted to see Florence more, but as I recognized all the places they showed, I was quite pleased.

The main actors of the movie did an amazing job of carrying it on their shoulders. I love Sam Claflin and was very excited to see him play Philip and I thought that he did a very good job, he acted Philip's obsession and infatuation with Rachel so realistically, while Rachel Weisz portrayed a clever, manipulative and frightening Rachel. Their relationship jumped back and forth, made the audience doubt of Rachel's feelings and it was so well-done. Secondary actors, I'm thinking about Holliday Grainger (Louise Kendall) and Iain Glen (Nick Kendall), also delivered a very good performance, but Rachel Weisz obviously was the real star of the movie. Moreover, can we talk about who they cast as Ambrose? They are so clever.

The movie was very good at creating doubt in the mind of its audience. Several times, it was asked: "did she, didn't she?", to remind us that there wasn't only one solution. I actually liked that one interpretation hinted in the book was made a little clearer here, especially at the end of the movie, because you leave the movie thinking about it. 

Overall, My Cousin Rachel is one of my favourite books of the year and its adaptation was very good at recreating du Maurier's atmosphere as well as the doubt. I'm not sure how it stands for itself when you haven't read the book though, but it made me want to read all of Daphne du Maurier's books, even more than before.

Have you read My Cousin Rachel? Seen the adaptation?

Lots of love,

Lucie

TOP 5 // Classics I want to read the most

Hello beautiful people!

Lately, I've been in a huge mood to read English classics, which couldn't make me happier, as classics used to be a big part of my reading life. Because I have so many of them on my wishlist - I'm going to London soon and I'll buy tons of them - I thought I would share the five of them I want to read the most lately. 

Emma by Jane Austen

I still have three of Jane Austen novels to read and because of the YouTube channels I've been watching lately or my craving for period drama, I'm so excited to continue to read them. Emma is the one I'm the most excited to get to because many of my friends told me it was either their favourite or second favourite Jane Austen. That's all I need to be excited. After Emma, I'll also have to get to Mansfield Park and Persuasion, then to move on to her youthful writings.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

When it comes to the Brontë sisters, I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights six years ago, but as Anne Brontë isn't well-known in France, I never got around to read one of her novels. I'm really curious to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and I've heard it was considered scandalous when it was published, but quite a sucess and that it was very mysterious and feminist. 

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Ever since I read Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, I've been eager to read more of Tolstoy's novels. I read Anna Karenina while I was still in high school and had absolutely loved it. I think I'll reread it in the future, because I don't remember it that well, but for now, I really want to read War and Peace, because I've had the 2016 mini-series on my laptop for a year, but also because I'm very curious about the way he wrote it, considering how huge it is (more than a thousand pages).

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

Last year, I read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and really enjoyed it. I wanted to read more of her novels, but I didn't know where to head next, until I watched Ellie Dashwood's most helpful video. I really want to read all the books she mentioned, but I think I will to start with Wives and Daughters, because it sounded absolutely amazing when she talked about it. Besides, Elizabeth Gaskell wrote a biography about Charlotte Brontë and I need to read it.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

I don't know anything about this one, except that it's one of the first mystery and "sensation" novels and that some people consider it to be the first example of detective novels. Besides, this novel was written during the Victorian era (that's my thing) and Wilkie Collins was a close friend of Charles Dickens, one of my favourite writers!

Have you read any of these books? What classics do you really want to read?

Lots of love,

Lucie

Reading wrap-up + Favourites // July 2017

Hello, beautiful people!

It's been a long time since I wrote anything here, but there I am, on holidays for the first time in *gasp* two years (wait, it means that I haven't gotten a real one since I started this blog? Wut). The past few months have been pretty dense and draining, but finally, I missed blogging. If this isn't one of the biggest blogging slumps of ever, I don't know what it was. Per usual, I read tons of books, even though I was at my internship all weekdays; because what is sleep? Or eating? I dunno.

Let's move on to the books though, or I'll start to ramble. In July, I read a grand total of sixteen books.

• Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie ☆☆☆☆
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (reread) ☆☆☆☆☆
• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (reread) ☆☆☆☆☆
• Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (reread) ☆☆☆☆☆
• The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee ☆☆☆☆
• The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory ☆☆☆☆
• The White Queen by Philippa Gregory ☆☆☆☆
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (reread) ☆☆☆☆☆
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt ☆☆☆☆☆
• The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman ☆☆☆☆
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood ☆☆☆☆☆
• Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan ☆☆☆
• The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord ☆☆☆☆
• La chanson des enfants perdus by Béatrice Bottet ☆☆☆
• The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante ☆☆☆☆
• Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter ☆☆☆☆☆

I had an amazing reading month and didn't really dislike any book, which is such a relief, as I really don't want to lose my time with books I don't like anymore. My favourite books of the month were by far: The Secret History, The Handmaid's Tale and Hamilton: The Revolution, if I don't include my rereads obviously. It was a month of not reading that much YA apparently and I'm not really surprised to be honest.

FAVOURITES

TV SHOW - The White Queen

This month was all about historical fiction in terms of reading, but also for TV shows. I had started watching The White Queen when it aired four years ago, but then, I stopped for no reason at all. This time around, I became so obsessed with it; because I don't know a lot about the War of the Roses, but I'm always eager to see British history on TV. I loved how it centered around different women and I ate the whole season in a matter of days. After that, I decided I wanted to read Philippa Gregory's book series, which is why I haven't watched The White Princess yet, for I want to be caught up with the books.

MUSIC - Sara Farell's cover of It Ain't Me and I Don't Wanna Live Forever

About 90% of what I listened to originated from a musical or a movie (I listen to soundtracks all the time, even if it's only instrumental), but sometimes, I try new playlists on Spotifyand that's how I discovered Sara Farell's covers of It Ain't Me and I Don't Wanna Live Forever. I became absolutely obsessed; because it was acoustic versions and I listened to It Ain't Me on repeat for 24 hours, as it fit so well with something that were happening in my life. I owe you, Spotify!

What have you been up to this month? What was the best book you read?

Lots of love,

Lucie

Reading wrap-up + Favourites // April 2017

Hi everyone!

April was a crazy month, because it was the last month of classes, but it doesn't mean I'm done with uni for the school year. I still have my master's thesis to turn it and as I'm at an internship full time... I'm not making progress. But that's depressing thoughts, so let's drop it. April was an amazing month for so many reasons and I really hope it'll be the same for May. But let's jump into the books I read and my favourites of the month, shall we?

WHAT I READ

April was an excellent reading month, because I managed to read thirteen books! I finally got myself a new ereader - my old one died last December - and it got me even more excited to read, because I love reading in the dark with it.

• The Golden Specific by S.E. Grove ☆☆☆☆
• Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco ☆☆☆
• The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan ☆☆☆☆.5
• Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy ☆☆☆☆☆
• #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso ☆☆☆☆
• Making Faces by Amy Harmon ☆☆☆☆☆
• The Upside of Unrequited ☆☆☆☆.5
• The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie ☆☆☆☆
• Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me by Lily Collins ☆☆☆.5
• The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley ☆☆☆☆.5
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor ☆☆☆☆☆

My biggest disappointment of the month was definitely Stalking Jack the Ripper, because while I saw many people labelling it as feminist... It simply isn't, because the main character kept criticizing every other women and felt well above them. 

However, I read so many amazing books in April! Tess of the d'Ubervilles, Making Faces and Strange the Dreamer are now part of my favourite books and it also came pretty close for The Hammer of Thor, The Upside of Unrequited and The Winter Sea. 

FAVOURITES

TV SHOW - Legion

If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably heard me raving about this TV show during April and from time to time, I explode and mention it again, but this show is genius. It's my favourite of the year and one of my favourites of all time... And we only have eight episodes (until next year). This is a X-Men spin-off about David Haller, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, at least that's what he thinks, until he meets Sydney, who shows it that there might be more to it than that. With every episode, I was speechless for a long time, couldn't form proper thoughts, because that's how much I fell in love with it. Moreover, the lead actor is Dan Stevens and oh well, I love him so much, ever since Downton Abbey (and Beauty and the Beast helped a lot), and he was amazing in the show. I could talk about this show for hours, but you'll get bored, so go watch it! Oh, also, both Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir love this show and as they're amazing authors, you should trust them! *wink*

FOOD/DRINK - Coffee

I've never been a coffee person, but I can remember clearly the first time I knew I had to drink it... And it was the night of the Oscars. As I live in France, it literally happened at night for me (when it ended, my friends were waking up, can you imagine), so I had to find a way to stay up and I thought it would work (my excitation worked anyway). Ever since then, I drink a lot more of coffee, go to Starbucks and such. So now, I love tea AND coffee. There is nothing better than to love both.

FOOD/DRINK - Dark chocolate

Is it a thing that happens when you become an adult? Eating dark chocolate. Apparently, it's a thing for me, because I finally found the taste to be richer. Oh, and all the foods with milk chocolate I used to it? Now I'm choosing dark chocolate over it every single time.

What did you read in April? 

What were your favourite things of the month?

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor // Book review

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor

Publication date: March 28th 2017

Genres: young adult, fantasy

Number of pages: 536

Summary: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep. 

REVIEW 

“It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming?”

I've been in love with Laini Taylor's writing ever since I read her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy (in about three to four days, when they're so big), so of course, when I heard about Strange the Dreamer, I was so excited to get my hands on it. The release date was pushed back by several months, but in the end, it was a good thing, considering how amazing this book was.

I don't talk a lot about author's writing, except when it stands out a lot. Laini Taylor has such a poetic writing that makes you feel like you're inside a fairy tale and that's part of what make her books so different from the others. From the first line of the prologue, I was compelled into the story, because it seemed so tragic and intriguing. By the way, I had forgotten part of the prologue when I read the ending and when I reread it... W-O-W.

Moreover, the world-building was absolutely spectacular. Laini Taylor created such a vivid and interesting world and she explained it so well, I never felt left out or overwhelmed this information. It's true that because of it, the book is a little slower-paced than most fantasy novels, but I really didn't mind. It was the type of book where you savour every word because you can never get enough. The characters didn't really know about the city of Weep at the beginning of the novel, except for Lazlo, but when they discovered all about it, it wasn't cliché like in some books. I already miss this unique world and I cannot wait to get back into it when The Muse of Nightmares will be released.

”You have no idea how much consideration I've given it. I lived seven years inside these books. My body may have been going about its duties in the library, but my mind was here. Do you know what they called me? Strange the dreamer. I was barely aware of my surroundings half the time.”

I absolutely loved the main characters of this book. At first, I wasn't sure that I was attached to them the way I was attached to the characters of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but oh well, this time I didn't have the whole series waiting on my shelf. Lazlo was absolutely wonderful to read about, because he was a dreamer and a librarian, so obviously I could relate to that. He was curious and so dedicated to understand the mysteries of Weep that I was there, just along him, trying to figure everything out. The other main character is Sarai and I was a little unsure about her at first, because we only saw her later in the book. I can't say much about her, because it would be a spoiler, but I felt so much compassion towards her. At the end, I loved her so, so much. She was brave and challenging, and in fact, was also a dreamer.

The thing is, I can't talk much about this book without spoiling, even though there are still a lot of things I wish to say. I'll just talk a little about the romance in the spoiler section because I want to, but that's about it.

/SPOILER/ (highlight if you want to read)

”I think you're a fairy tale. I think you're magical, and brave, and exquisite. And...” His voice grew bashful. Only in a dream could he be so bold and speak such words. “I hope you'll let me be in your story.”

At first, I thought that the romance was happening a bit too fast, but it made a lot of sense. Lazlo and Sarai had both been lonely their whole lives and it felt logical that they found happiness with each other. Also, the scenes when they were together in his dreams reminded me so much of Legion (aka my favourite show at the moment), I had so many feelings. /SPOILER/

After that ending, I have no idea how I'll be able to wait until The Muse of Nightmares comes out, but I don't really have a choice, don't I? This book was absolutely amazing and I'm so happy Laini Taylor didn't disappoint me... At this point, I'd read her groceries list.

Overall, Strange the Dreamer was absolutely amazing and worth the wait (I mean, I waited two years and some people three?!). It had beautiful writing, original world-building and characters I grew to love. I was hesitant to give it five stars, for I couldn't help but try to compare it to my love for Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but it wasn't fair, as it's not even a series yet. But honestly, it's such a unique book that I couldn't stop reading and wow. I can't wait for The Muse of Nightmares!

Making Faces by Amy Harmon // Book review

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

Publication: February 21st 2017 by Spencer Hill Press (first publication on October 12th 2013)

Genres: contemporary, romance, amazingness (haha)

Number of pages: 300

Summary: Ambrose Young was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have . . . until he wasn't beautiful anymore.

Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.

REVIEW

When I first heard about Making Faces, I thought I wasn't interested in it, because the cover with a shirtless guy was so misleading. I was pretty sure it was another new adult novel and I don't really enjoy those. I actually read this because of French reviewers, who kept recommending it to everyone. When I saw the new cover, I finally bought it, without really reading the synopsis.

Let me tell you: Making Faces is so much more than a romance. In the first pages, you think it's going to be the typical romance where the main character, who feels that she's ugly, will end up with that so hot guy. But oh, that's not the case at all and that's what I understood when the characters saw the events related to 9/11 unfold. It was the first time I read a book that dealt with the attacks in 2001 and the Iraq war. These events had heavy consequences on the main characters and I loved how it felt way more realistic because of that. Making Faces isn't just about our characters: it's about life in itself. Amy Harmon plays with cliches and turns them around every time.

The main characters were absolutely fantastic. I related so much to Fern, who was a bookworm, loved to write and wasn't confident. She doesn't feel beautiful and yet... She's a strong young woman, because she learned from an early age to take care of people. Ambrose seemed like her opposite at first, because he was this beautiful young guy who had it all... Until he hadn't. He was strong physically, but fragile emotionally, and also completely kind. But the one who stole the show was Bailey. He was hilarious and optimistic, despite his disease and knowing his life wouldn't be long. These three main characters were so complex and complementary from each other, it was absolutely wonderful to read about them.

Moreover, I loved their dynamics. Obviously, I loved the romance between Fern and Ambrose. Amy Harmon built it slowly and I loved how healthy, sweet, playful and profound it was. These characters were perfect to balance each other and it never felt like there was drama. In most novels, I roll my eyes so hard because of relationships drama, but here? It wasn't the case at all. I loved how Fern showed Ambrose that there were so much more to life than what he first thought. They loved each other for their personality and who they were and you could definitely feel that.

 The other relationship that shines through the whole novel is Bailey and Fern's. They've known each other their whole life and aren't scared to be who they are, even if they look ridiculous in front of the other. It's probably one of the purest friendship I've ever read about. 

 On top of these wonderful characters and relationships, Making Faces also talked of many important topics. I already mentioned it was set right during and after the attacks on the World Trade Center. This novel explores the consequences of these events on people, because their mentalities changed, but also for people who chose to go to war to defend their country. It was also the focus of abusive relationships, religion, tragedy and getting back on your feet when life hits you down. It was an emotional roller coaster (I cried so much) and from an early stage, I knew I was going to rate it five stars and that it would become one of my favourite books. I don't think I can give this book justice in a review, because it was how good it was. 

 Making Faces was such a wonderful and heartbreaking story, I know it will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm so happy I finally discovered Amy Harmon's writing through this one and I cannot wait to read her other books. I have so much love for this novel that it's hard to put it through words, but I can only recommend you to drop everything to get yourself a copy.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? If you've read any other book by this author, tell me which one I should read next! :)