March Reads

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell (5/5*s)

Kindred Sprits is a short story released for World Book Day, which follows Elena as she queues to see the new Stars Wars film. Rainbow Rowell is one of my favourite authors and although I haven't seen any of the Star Wars films I really loved this. It's only 60 pages long but I really enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters. I hope we get to read more about Elena and Gabe soon!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (4/5*s)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas follows Bruno and his family as they move out of Germany and live close to a concentration camp, where Bruno then becomes friends with one of the prisoners. I tried reading this when the film came out but I only got half way through it. I'm so glad I gave it another chance as it really gives a unique view on the holocaust and WW2.

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare (5/5*s)

City of Glass continues Clary story and the battle against Valentine, but this time in the setting of Idris. This is the best book in the series so far! City of Glass was full of action, unlike the previous book. I really enjoyed Simon's character in this book and I found myself liking him more and more. I also liked the change of location and finding out more about Idris and how the Clave works. A few of the plot twists were predictable, but there were also a few shocking ones that I really didn't expect!

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer (4/5*s)

Scarlet follows Scarlet Benoit as she encounters mysterious street fighters and cyborg fugitives, and tries to find her Grandmother! I really enjoyed Scarlet and I loved seeing how her story fit in with the main plot line of Cinder and Queen Levana. I definitely preferred Scarlet and Wolf to Cinder and Kai! I also loved the introduction of Thorne - I can tell he'll be one of my favourite characters by the end of series.

Persuasion by Jane Austen (4/5*s)

Persuasion follows Anne Elliot as she finds herself thrown together with Captain Wentworth, 8 years after she broke of her engagement with him. This is one of the shorter Jane Austen novels, which I actually preferred as it felt more plot-driven. I also really loved Anne, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her!

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare (4/5*s)

The Infernal Devices is the first spinoff series from The Mortal Instruments, with Clockwork Angel following Tessa Gray as she encounters the world of the Shadowhunters in Victorian London. I really loved this book and I think I'll end up liking this series more than The Mortal Instruments. Although it's set in the same universe, The Infernal Devices has a completely different feel to it. I can't wait to find out more about Tessa, Will and Jem!

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (?/5*s)
The Secret Garden centres around a 10 year old girl called Mary, as she moves to England to live with her Uncle and discovers a forgotten garden on the grounds of the manor. I actually haven't finished this yet but I only have around 100 pages left and I'm hoping to finish tonight. I'm really enjoying it so far and I love reading about Dickon and all of his animals!

What did you read in March?

Making Time To Read

Finding the time to read for pleasure can be a challenge. For some people it's a full-time job and other commitments, for me it's university and coursework that takes up my time. Although I was a complete bookworm when I was younger, for years I only read for pleasure in the Summer because I simply didn't have the time. School or university and the work to go with it left me exhausted at night, and all I wanted to do was waste my time on the Internet and watch a lot of TV.

In the last year, I've seemed to find the perfect balance between work, reading and any other interests and commitments I have. Here are my top tips to make sure you find time to read:

Take Time Before You Sleep

I usually go to sleep around 10pm to make sure that I'm rested before my early mornings for university, and in the last year I've started going to bed an hour or an hour and a half earlier so I can read before I sleep. In this time I can get around 100 pages into a book. I also find it really relaxing and discovered that I actually sleep better if I read beforehand, rather than watching TV.

Utilise Your Breaks

My university timetables have never been great and often have 2-3 hour breaks between classes. If my friends are busy and I've managed to get all my work done, I like to either go to my local bookshop or sit in the university library and read.

The Journey To Work/University

I travel to university on the train every day, with the journey taking 30-45 minutes it's the perfect time to read a few chapters of whatever book I'm reading!

Weekends

I like to try and get a lot of my university work during the week, and leave more time at the weekend to read. There's nothing better than a Sunday afternoon spent reading and drinking tea!

How do you make time to read? Do you do any of the above?

March Street Style Inspiration

This month I'm really loving wearing my pink coat again - it's the perfect pastel shade for Spring! With the weather finally brightening up, I'm also able to wear my fedora again without the fear of it blowing away. Paired with my Nike trainers and a breton top, it's the perfect every day outfit!

I also really want to get a pair of blue mom jeans - quite different from my usual black joni jeans but I think they'll be really nice in the Summer.

What's inspiring you this month?

For more street style inspiration check out my Pinterest board, my Tumblr blog or check back next month for the April instalment.