ThisIsMe

Penrhyn Castle : There are many haunted locations across the U.K but maybe none quite as chilling as Penrhyn Castle in Bangor , North Wales . With around 100 recorded sightings on record and many more visitors experiencing strange occurrences daily, Penrhyn Castle makes for the perfect Halloween get away. In this article, I will look into the history and some of the strange stories that surround this historic sight. (Image:  Penrhyn   Castle ) Lord Penrhyn’s Ghost: Perhaps the most active apparition at Penrhyn is that of Lord Penrhyn, the landowner over the Castle and the owner of the Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales . He died on 10 March 1907 aged 70 in London . He is often seen outside or in what was his sitting room or in the keep bedrooms. Visitors describe him as ‘tall and slim with high cheekbones. He had a beard and was wearing a long, dark jacket and striped grey trousers.’ ‘He had a high collared sh...

Overall I did enjoy this book. However, it isn't the best Victorian novel I've ever read. The story is a sensationalist novel and is almost imitating a detective novel with its plot. All of the characters were interesting and believable. They all had their flaws and were both likable and hateable. I also thought this was a very thought-provoking book and offered some interesting commentaries on the differences between men and women as well as the class divide, madness, and emigration. That being said Lady Audley's 'secret' was fairly obvious. I won't spoil it here but you can quickly work it out by around the mid-point of the book and I thought we were told it too early. I also thought the story was slightly drawn out. Most Victorian novels do seem slow-paced by our modern standards but this book, in particular, I thought could have been told in 100 pages less. I thought it was a pretty simple read so if you are at all interested in Victorian Literature you wo...

I wish I could give this book more than five stars!!! Erin Morgenstern has beautifully crafted a world which is so enchanting and easy to get lost in. I have no hesitation in saying that this is the best book I have ever read! I have cried multiple times in the past few hours with the thought that I have finished it. Make no mistake though; I will definitely be re-reading it over the summer, just to spend more time in its fantastic story. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone; it's a definite must-read.

I was unsure how to rate this novella at first but having sat with it for a few days and done a bit of reading around the story and the author I've decided I love it. The whole plot is very unusual, and the story starts at the end. It deals with hypnotism and other supernatural and pseudo-scientific occurrences and abilities. The entire story is written in a brilliant way that is suspenseful and provides a creepy tone. I haven't read any George Elliot before so I can't compare this to any of her other works. Most of her books are very realistic which this indeed wasn't. This was a very unrealistic Gothic novella that tackles a lot of themes like the developments of science at the time, human relationships, disability and illusions. The plot was thoroughly entertaining right up until the climax which I won't spoil, but it was one of the best and most shocking endings to a Victorian story that I have ever read. I would recommend trying this book if you're interes...

A great sequel to the fantastic 'Caraval' which was one of my favourite books of 2017. This book picks up straight after the events of that book, however, 'Legendary,' is told from the perspective of the other sister, Tella. I was not expecting this change of narration, but I thought it was refreshing and is not something you see in many series. This book is less about subverting your expectations but more about adding to the lore and mystery of the world of Carnival. The first book was very enclosed, so it was nice to get an expanded setting for this series. Garber's amazing descriptions once again shine through in her writing, and if you loved Caraval, then you will love this book. That being said this was SOOOO close to being another 5 star read for me this year but I do have a few problems with it. Firstly, a problem which I have with a lot of YA books, the men were all similar playboy types, whether they were heroes or villains. Unfortunately, I couldn't ...

I didn't enjoy this as much as Mary Barton. I think because it wasn't originally written and a novel and it shows. The chapters were initially published periodically at the time, so there is no real overarching story for the first half of the book. It was only when Gaskell started writing the chapters/ stories more consistently that a more linear story forms and even then the last two chapters were published ten years apart. That being said 'Cranford' was a fascinating insight into the Victorian rural life and the impact new inventions like the railroad and the post had on society. I also liked what this novel said about gender. Cranford is almost all populated by women, so it was exciting reading Gaskell's take on a female dominated society. She did present some quite modern views in this novel which I was surprised to see. I would not recommend this book as an introduction to Victorian fiction as it was slightly hard to follow at times and not as exciting as oth...

So I just finished this book, and I'm a mess right now. I'm writing this in between bursts of crying, so I hope it's coherent.  I was so skeptical about going into this book because of how many great reviews it had, how wrong I was! This book made me laugh out loud and cry like a baby. The world was so beautifully crafted and rich with lore. If you want a lesson in world-building, then look no further than this book. I don't want to talk about the plot because it would ruin the discovery for you. Pick up this book yourself if you want to know more about it! Laini Taylor's world is somewhere I want to live forever! I don't think I've ever read anyone write a dream better than the author of Strange The Dreamer. It was so refreshing to see a likable male protagonist from the start as well, something which has been lost in a lot of current YA books. The romance in this book was brilliant and not forced in any way. There is sex, but it feels completely normal a...

Wow! Just wow! I'd thought I'd gotten out of my John Green phase, but no, here I am again, giving five stars to another John Green book. I found the summary of this book to be quite misleading as reading about Aza and her mysteries makes it seem like another Paper Towns. Turtles All The Way Down is nothing like that previous Green book, however, and the detective plot is secondary to other aspects of the story. It is only really important at the beginning and end of this book. Instead, a better description of the story would be that it is a Perks of Being a Wallflower-esque coming of age story which deals with mental health-related issues. The plot is very heavy in how it dealt with mental health and had me worrying about Aza's, and other character's, safety while reading it. This book is probably the most adult-targeted book of Green's which I have read, although he has dealt with heavy themes in the past, this book, in particular, explores some dark stuff. It is...

Not the best SJM book, but definitely not the worst. I feel like I had low expectations going into this book from hearing what other people thought of it. This book is basically a holiday special, but it offers a much-needed break after the bloodshed and epic scale of the first trilogy. It was a return to a simple story and more lore and world building than fight scenes and action. There is no real threat or suspense in this book; however, it was interesting reading the narration from other characters perspectives, which is something we haven't really seen in the previous books. Overall, this book has me excited to read more, and I would not give it a miss if you have read the earlier installments in the series.

A great collection of standalone stories set between Volumes 1 - 3. If you're a fan of the show, you will love them, but I do not think they are a great introduction if you've never seen the series before. Go and binge Volumes 1 and 2 (and honestly why not the rest of them!) before reading this. It is especially entertaining if you love RWBY Chibi, with the majority of the stories in this book being short comedic ones. I also think this would make an excellent introduction if you want to get into manga. It was straightforward to read and follow so if you've never read a manga before this might be a good place to start!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm debating giving it a three, but I think I'm going to give it a four because overall I did enjoy it, just know that it rests on the border. As a fan of the DC comics, having read many collections from many characters over recent years, I was excited when I heard a series was starting showcasing YA authors writing for established superheroes in this format. I was also nervous, however, and I think it's fair to say my anxiety was justified. To start with some of the things I did like about it, I felt like the beginning of the book was much better than the end. Leigh Bardugo did a great job at humanizing Diana (AKA 'Wonder Woman') from the beginning which can be difficult to do with immortal and god-like characters, just look at the Superman movies. Straight from the first chapter Diana was relatable and a brilliantly constructed character which the author has undoubtedly done justice too. There is also no knowledge needed o...