Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Read August 2020

I thought that this was an intriguing book with an interesting concept but on the whole it fell a little short for me.  Everything was all hints and vagueries and abandoned thoughts. There was an overall lack of clarity. Even the ending lacked impact. An explanation that wasn't an explanation, some more dropped hints and then it just kind of ended. I wanted more of the "then" than short passages.  I wanted more about Summer, her past, just her, she didn't really feel like a proper character.

It also took a long time for the story to get going with the plot. For a while I wasn't sure what the plot was beyond moaning about being notorious for something they didn't do. Mia's muteness in the past was a slightly odd character trait. Also her and Brynn blended together a little too much. Their voices were sometimes a little too similar and apparently both have very sharp features which was also odd. I loved Abby though! A fat character portrayed positively! Although if I were Mia I wouldn't be commenting on my best friend's hypertension and prediabetes, especially as they have no relevance on the character or plot. Bad move on the author's part.

3/5 stars

Stef Out x

2021 New Year's Resolutions

So hello and welcome to my 2021 New Year's Resolutions!

> Get at least one piercing

> Get at least one tattoo

> Read 100 books

> Watch 150 films

> Go to the cinema 5 times

> Learn to drive

> Get a new car

> Go to Longleat

> See a show on stage

> Learn to cross stitch

> Learn to crochet

> Write 20,000 words of a novel

> Get fitter

> Break in my sequin Doc shoes

> Keep up to date with book reviews

> Start to grow my hair out

Not listed but are extras/stretch goals are: get a new job, move house, get a new dog, stretch my ears. Mum's knees are struggling to cope with the stairs so she's going to go to the doctors and play it up so she can hopefully get the council to move us to a ground floor flat or bungalow, preferably with a small garden. Then we can get a new puppy and not have to worry about the stairs with toilet training. That's part of why we decided against one last year. As for job I mentioned in my last post about the hours etc.

Things like the cinema, shows, Longleat are me being hopeful about the state of the world and everyone getting vaccinated and things hopefully starting to normalise. My fingers are tightly crossed. Stage shows are actually why the shoes are on there... If you're a long-time reader of this blog then you know I saw Mamma Mia at the Bristol Hippodrome a few years with some peope from work. Ever since I've wanted to see it again (without the annoying work colleagues) and when Dr Martens released the reversible rainbow sequin 1461 shoes I fell in love because rainbows! But I also thought they would be perfect for shows, events etc. However I've had them... A while now and they are proving difficult in terms of cutting into my ankles. A little while ago though I finally got some leather balsam - not the official Dr Martens one because that was more expensive for less than the one I got - and they've now had two applications and I think I'll try the hairdryer thing as well and hopefully we'll get somewhere. It is doable because my metallic pink boots caused a lot of issues at first and now they are perfectly comfy and I can wear them 6 hours plus at work.

Anyway enough typing for now. I've decided not to bother with my film breakdown this year, its just too much hassle trying to work out what genre everything is.

Stef Out x

2020 Resolutions Recap

So that's it. Another year over thank goodness and welcome to another resolutions recap *corny game show audience cheer*.

1. Get at least one piercing
2. Get at least one tattoo
3. Get fitter
4. Sort out my health
5. Draw or write something every day
6. Get a new car
7. Learn to drive
8. Get a new puppy
9. Watch 100 films
10. Read 100 books
11. Go to the cinema at least 8 times
12. Go to Longleat
13. See a show on stage
14. Start to save more money
15. Learn to knit
16. Learn to crochet
17. Learn embroidery
18. Write 20,000 words for NaNoWriMo
19. Get up to date with book reviews
20. Start to grow my hair out

Well thanks to the worldwide hiccup known as the coronavirus or Covid-19 a lot of stuff got cancelled and everything went on lockdown in the UK for several months back in March. We had a second smaller one in November for just a month.

The first lockdown is the only reason I completed any resolutions at all! It prompted me to learn embroidery, I caught up on reading for a grand total of 127 books read this year. Also despite the wealth of stuff on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky (I don't have Disney+ yet) I watched a lot of films... 227 to be exact... Cinema trips suffered greatly though. Only 5! Cats, Frozen twice, Sonic the Hedgehog and Doolittle.

In hindsight draw or write something every day was probably never realistic for me...  Not when time-sucking mobile games exist LOL! Fitness went down, health is probably also still not great *sigh*. To save money you need money to start with and since the lockdown work have put a stop to overtime so I'm down to my contracted 21 hours over 3 days where I was doing 28 over 4. I haven't made it an official resolution (as you'll see in my next post) but I think I do need to look for a new job. My manager is draining and I need more hours. Maybe then I'll also feel "right" about growing my hair out.

Anyway this is long enough for now so I will go and be back tomorrow with a 2021 resolutions post!

Stef Out x