Who is Tom Ditto?

I've neglected this blog a lot. Not on purpose, but things changed, my plans got skewed, I suddenly found myself without a plan, and then with a new plan, and I've been off learning new skills and studying new things meaning that I haven't had as much time to read as I would have liked. However I've just finished a book which snapped me very quickly back into reading at any moment I can, whether it be on the train, on the tube, in a Starbucks killing a spare 20 minutes or huddled up in bed after a long day travelling.

I picked up "Who is Tom Ditto?" by Danny Wallace in a Waterstones on Oxford Street totally randomly. It was there in the recommended books, and I hadn't read anything for a while, and it didn't look too big and there were lots of questions in the blurb that I wanted to know the answers to. Simple really. I had no idea that I'd love the book as much as I did and that I'd get as quickly lost in the book as I did.

In summary the book is about an average guy named Tom who works as a newsreader for a London radio station, and his journey to discover where his girlfriend had disappeared to. Hayley, Tom's girlfriend leaves him, but leaves a note telling him to carry on as normal. After doing his own research Tom soon finds himself at an unusual meeting and later on encounters a strange girl named Pia. As the book progresses we see the relationship between Tom and Pia develop from an uneasy stranger following into a real friendship built around Pia's efforts to comfort and help Tom get over his missing girlfriend.

Without giving too much away about the content of the book, I feel like I should mention that it covers the subject of "copying" or "following" by having it as one of the key themes. At first when the topic arose in the book, I, like 'Tom' thought it was an absolutely ridiculous idea. However the more I read the book the more I found myself growing more and more curious about strangers around me, and what lives they are living. It's weird, I never really gave much thought to people I passed in the street before. This book opens your eyes to the world around you in a really fun and charming way. It's written in a way that keeps you engaged without being too much of a difficult read. Complex vocabulary is avoided to portray the personality of the characters involved, it's so easy to just read and read and get lost in the world of Tom and Pia without realising how much of the book you've read. There's a quote on the front of the book which reads "The kind of book you have to ration to avoid it being over too quickly" from the Daily Mail. I don't usually trust the quotes on the front of the book, yet this is one which I found myself completely agreeing with by the end. I don't think I've been this lost in the worlds of the characters of a book since I read "Shadow of the Minotaur" by Alan Gibbons when I was younger, officially my first ever 'favourite book' which I must have read about 5 times.

If you're looking for a fun and quirky little light read to escape the hectic world around you then I strongly recommend that you pick yourself up this little gem.

Paper Towns

Hello, I told you I'd be getting through books a LOT quicker now that I'm freee! (However I never imagined that I'd be getting through a single book in 2 days but we'll come to that)

So as you have seen, I have read and seen The Fault in Our Stars, and recently have seen that two more of John Green's books are going to be made into films (this makes me very very very excited after the success of TFIOS) So, being the kind of person who insists on reading the book before I see the film, I picked up Paper Towns and decided to give it a read.

Paper Towns very broadly is a story about a boy going on a crazy journey to try and find a girl who goes missing. Quentin and Margo have known each other for years. Now Quentin has his friends of band geeks and Margo is miss popular and they hardly speak. Margo rocks up at Quentin's house one night and takes him on a round trip causing chaos. Margo goes missing, however she has a reputation for running away and coming back, each time leaving clues that are near on untraceable. Quentin and his friends manage to track down Margo and race against time to find her. That summary doesn't really do the book justice, but I don't want to reveal the important bits in this blog, because this is a book that HAS TO BE READ by everyone and anyone. I couldn't put it down. I would get home from anywhere I'd been and just go straight to my room to dive back into the book. Why?

WELL, this is a John Green book, therefore it is so much more than just a plot. From what I've read so far by John Green it is not possible to just read a book. You have to experience some form of enlightenment and venture along some kind of philosophical path as well. You can just be reading what seems to be some standard dialogue, and then BOOM you are slapped in the face with an extremely well written and honest view of life and people. TFIOS explored life and death and disease and things like that. Paper Towns instead deals with people, and how they act and how they behave and how things around us aren't always as they seem. The whole point of the book is that, when they are searching for Margo and attempting to interpret the clues, everyone has a different idea of what Margo wanted them to mean, and where she is, showing that in reality noone REALLY know who Margo is. They make discoveries about her that she had kept from everyone, the book is about not only a physical journey to find her, but also a journey of discovering who people really are. Deep really.

Like I said, it's a must to read. I promise that once you start reading you won't be able to stop, all you'll be thinking is what's the next clue? Where will it lead them? Where is Margo? Why did she run away? Will Quentin actually 'man up'? Who is Margo?

I will leave you with this quote from the book (One of the best but I could list a page of them)

"It is hard to leave- until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world."

The Fault in Our Stars (Movie)

My exams are over! I don't have to revise anymore! I can finally READ for pleasure again hallelujah.

However, technically speaking this isn't a book blog post, there will be many of those to come as I make my way through the mountain of books that I have been itching to read. But for today, I'm going to write about the film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars.

I went to see the film on Thursday with my friends Kirstie and Nic in Birmingham, and it exceeded my expectations. But although I was so excited to see the film, from the trailer and casting I had doubts about how good the film could be compared to how much I loved the book. In my eyes Augustus was exceptionally good looking and arrogant, and on the surface Ansel didn't appear to meet my criteria. Also, I know how films can miss out really important events and themes from the books, and completely destroy them, and part of me didn't want this brilliant book to be destroyed by a film which has just been made for entertainment and isn't true to the book (particularly bad films of books include My Sister's Keeper and Percy Jackson - the books are SO much better) 

This is not the case with TFIOS. All of the details are there, some of the best direct quotes from the book, the attention to detail is incredible. The changes they do make are only tiny, they make it a little more teenagery (about having a crush which actually works v well) and the ending a little bit, but again it's still true to the book and it just works.

You know how as you read a book you have a mental image of everything, the scene, the characters? It was like someone had just taken that vision and placed it onto the cinema screen (Gus's room was EXACTLY as I pictured it, it was weird to see!) And Ansel played Gus perfectly despite my doubts. He was loud and confident, yet sweet and caring, cheesily charming yet a little feisty.

I was expecting it to be emotional, it's a cancer story and a character dies = sad, but I don't think anyone who watched TFIOS is prepared for the roller-coaster ride of ups and downs (haha hardcore TFIOS fans appreciate the reference) that you experience during the couple of hours sitting in front of the cinema screen. A real loving and strong relationship is built before your eyes, from Gus' attempts to attract Hazel's attention, to the constant messaging, to them completely falling for each other, so when that is torn away from us at the end it's no surprise that all you hear around you in the room is loud wailing noises. But asides from being very sad and more sad and crying oceans sad, the film also managed to capture the "life changing think about everything uplifting" feel you got from the book which I wrote about here (ooh fancy editing skills and things, might start taking this blog thing more seriously) Both of the characters fight till the end, they show such determination to do things for themselves, they are not their illness. I don't know about you but I find that so inspiring, the spirit and determination and it just makes me feel like I should tackle anything that comes my way.

So basically, if you're undecided about seeing TFIOS, you should definitely see it.

The Fault In Our Stars

So I am slowly going to work through the books which I have read this year so far. Today's book is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I saw a trailer for the film coming out this summer, and always feel it necessary - if not essential - to read the book BEFORE watching the film. This is one of those typical teenagery cancer books. Two cancer patients meet at a support group, Hazel, who is suffering and Augustus who is in remission. It was love at first sight, and incredibly quickly they find themselves on a romantic adventure in Amsterdam while they search for the author of Hazel's favourite book. All lovey dovey.

Except it's not. It never is in books like this, not really. I think that's one of the things that attracted me most to the book. It's realistic, there is no happy ending. The trip to Amsterdam isn't perfect. John Green deals with the harsh reality of the world exceptionally well, yet in a way which leaves you questioning every life choice you have ever made.

The Best Character?
Would definitely have to be Hazel. She has this way of making comments that are so bluntly true yet oddly uplifting at the same time. She is well aware of her condition, and the condition of those around her, yet there is another layer to her which is a lot more understanding than we are first shown. She is so afraid of hurting people that she won't give them a chance to get hurt. She blossoms from the girl who is doing basically nothing every day into a girl dining under the stars in Amsterdam on an adventure across the world. She understands that there is no way of preventing what will happen, but she also attempts to see the best in everyone and everything.

Although Augustus is not to be ignored. He has that cheeky, arrogant yet charming personality that comes with good looking teenage boys. What I like best about him is that despite his suffering he never drops his character. Right until the end he is attempting to charm Hazel with his wit, and is determined to remain independent. I think that's what adds another layer of emotion to the book.

I didn't cry like everyone said I would, and it's not that I'm emotionless (I have cried so many times), but instead I finished the book feeling really positive and with a completely new outlook on day to day life. If you are in need of a little kick into reality, and a book that will really make you think about any self pity you are suffering from, and the choices you make I strongly recommend this book (plus you only have until the summer until you lose your imagination's own perfect image of Augustus before the film takes over)

I shall leave you with one of the best quotes from the book,

"Our fearlessness shall be our secret weapon" 

My Mad Fat Diary and My Madder Fatter Diary

The first book I read this year was My Mad Fat Diary by the extremely fabulous Rae Earl. Many of you will be familiar with the TV programme and probably even more familiar with the totally lush face of Nico Mirallegro aka Finn aka Sex Wizard but did you know that this TV series is in fact based on the original diaries of a 16 year old Rae Earl.

If like me you decided to read the book AFTER watching the TV series you will soon be confronted with the issue that the characters in the TV series are not the characters in the book (although it soon becomes clear who is supposed to represent who and just takes a little bit of time to get your head around). So some basics about the book. It's a diary. It is effectively Rae violently scribbling down whatever comes to mind (with some brilliant poetry scattered about here and there). The diary covers EVERYTHING that a teenage girl will be familiar with. Physical appearance, SEX, boys, bitches and  booze. However Rae's ramblings also reveal much darker and deeper issues which she is confronted with. Having just left a psychiatric ward she is still battling with her own thoughts, OCD and depression. The second book deals more with these, alongside the traumatizing A Levels. In My Madder Fatter Diary however, we see Rae overcome her issues. She begins losing weight, she goes on a trip to Poland (which is incredible considering her anxiety).

So why did I love these two books so much? Reading them is basically the same as having a random yet secretly sensible yet hilarious best friend in the room with you. Have any of you ever felt like "I can't do it" or "noone else understands" or "I'm so alone" or "HELP"? I'm sure you have. Delving into the witty yet truthful comments of Rae helps to sort all of that, as you realise that there are others who know how it feels. And what's even better? We get to see Rae step forward out of her comfort zone and if she can do it you can too. I finished the two books feeling "you know what I can do it and it will all be okay you know". It's just great to have read something which is so relatable. Rae really opens up to her diary, and I think that is why it's so comforting in a weird sort of way. Because it is the original diary it is all written so informally, in the kind of way that we can understand every little emotion through capital letters and random punctuation. Oh and if the cuddly familiarity of it wasn't enough, Rae also makes up some completely bonkers yet hilarious words of her own, example: "Orgasmsexplode" Where do you come up with something like that from?!

 I was always told to keep a diary, I thought that was the stupidest idea I have ever heard, however since finishing these books I have started my own. You will finish the book just completely inspired to write down any little thing that comes into your head, whether it's just how crap your life is, or some cheeky conversation with a boy, or whatever you feel. Go and pick up a pen and scribble away (Only once you've picked up these diaries and given em a read though)

Hello, let me introduce myself...

My name's Rachel. I'm 17 (very very nearly 18). My life revolves around doing things. I cannot sit around and do nothing. I use things to escape reality. I spend 90% of my money on gigs and concerts and cds. My new year's resolution was to read more books. It's not that I don't like reading, in fact when given the right book, you can't keep me away from it, it's just that I don't have enough time to read. Anyway, I have just firmed a place to study Classics in September at the Royal Holloway. Everyone asks me what I want to do when I'm older, am I allowed to say read? Classics isn't your conventional degree, it has no guaranteed jobs at the end. Truthfully I love book shops, I love escaping to a new world, I love feeling connected to a book. I love holding a new book. I love discovering things. I would love to read as a career. This blog is being set up by me to attempt to share with you my recent reads and thoughts and feelings and emotions and giggles and tears and ramblings. I don't know maybe I can get good at rambling and one day can say that reading is my career.

All suggestions welcome, need as many as I can get!

xxx