A NEW BEGINNING

Hello everyone,

I am back for a while now. I feel awkward typing this as I haven't blogged in a while so I apologize in advance for an utter crapness I splurge out, As you can see, I have actually removed all my previous posts hence why this post is called 'A New Beginning'. I want my blog to be mine again and I want to be passionate about blogging again so I decided to erase the past and begin this new era of The Perks of Being A Bookworm. If you read my blog before it was usually gushing over love triangles and writing random posts about random things and I enjoyed it for quite a while, blogging was my happy space, I found myself drifting away from blogging and I felt as though my posts were getting quite repetitive and there wasn't really much for me to say. Doing the same posts over and over again felt like such a long task and I felt myself sighing whenever I remembered to write a blog post.

That old feeling is over. Looking at the books I have read this year, the movements I have explored this year I have found a new and better me. Taking a step bakc and looking at what is in front of you and around you is a great experience. I used to believe that getting the most views possible was the only way I would be able to be proud of my blog, Now this blog is about me, not views, me.

I will only be reposting some old content like my poems but I will be doing things my way. No more mediocre book reviews and repeated copy and pasted posts, this blog will represent me and me only. I also want to use this platform as a way to help me get through  my English GCSE as I really want to do English Literature at A Level so expect many posts about Shakespeare, specifically being Romeo and Juliet. Also expect loads of posts on feminism (my obsession)

Also if you want to contact me on the basis of collaborative posts or anything similar to that you can email me on:

theperksofbeingabookworm@hotmail.com

I hope you guys can join me on my journey to discovery.

Keep Reading,

Naomi...xxx

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Bibliophile-A Poem

Hi Guys,

I was inspired by my favourite youtuber Savannah Brown to write poetry and start my writing journey. Here is one a made at the end of March called Bibliophile when I was sitting in bed and I couldn't sleep.

You say you can read me like a book

I'm a tsunami of mismatched metaphors

Jumbled juxtaposition and misunderstood satire

Bound together in a tattered "well loved" novel

Wrung in the hands of those who once cared, taking a piece and passing it on as though at a party of sadistic teens and instead of passing parcels, we pass feelings.

Illustrated by a psychedelic paw, each page a burst of melancholy colours, scribbles in permanent link embedding itself into the rough paper and ending unfinished sentences.

You say you can read me like a book, yet

Your eyes skim past the meanings written in italic comic sans, screaming to be looked at but you sit in your clear specs feigning the intelligence you claim to have.

Coffee stains, heart pains, messed up lies and constant tears.

You say you like literature and hidden meanings, you're addicted to words spun to create images. Why can't you see the message I'm clearly sending to you? You say you're a bibliophile, why can't you be addicted to me?

Thank you for reading this poem. It has nothing to do with me but I like to create characters and I wanted to act heart broken for one night.

Keep reading,

Naomi...xxx

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The Serpent King-A Book Review||

The Serpent King
By Jeff Zentner
Rating: 3.75/5
 Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.

Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living:

(*received I'm exchange for an honest review*) 3.75/5 stars

The Serpent King was far from what I expected. We really delve
 into this Southern United States idea on religion and how it effects people's opinions on others completely. In this community called Forrestville we meet three characters, Dill, Travis and Lydia wjo don't fit into the category of cool to other people. Travis is a fantasy book loving, lumber working and overlooking boy who just wants to be understood. Lydia is the girl with the blog, she looks out for her friends, is quick witted and a believer in imperfection. Then there is Dill who is basically the main focus of the story, his dad is in prison, his mother has to work hours to make ends meet and all he has is his songwriting. This follows their journey through senior year and the pressure they take to try and make futures for themselves even though they're from a small town.

I tried to explain the book without giving to much away as it is better to be kept on the dark side with this one.  This book really captured the essence of being a teenager and I really did enjoy Zentner's writing style as it was easy to follow yet kept you pulled into the story.

My only criticism for this book would be the fact that the pacing varied throughout the book. In other words, sometimes it was a bit too fast and sometime it was a bit too slow but by the end there was a balance. I found myself having to flip back sometimes to pick up parts I didn't really catch on to.

My favourite character by far would have to be Travis. The way that he was fearless and selfless and really valued the small things in life. He was admirable and really came through a lot. He didn't let petty arguments between his friends wreck his day and I just wanted to be his friend so we could discuss fantasy books together.

I'm not going to lie. I did shed a big tear at the end if this book and I don't cry much when I read books! It was a full on 1am sob and the way these characters overcame their issues and pushed forward even if they felt like their thread had snapped.

Overall, I do recommend this book as it is a gripping read which I think you would enjoy!

Sorry if this review is messy, I'm a bit rusty as I haven't written a proper review in months!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx

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Waiting On Wednesday||

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week is.....

THE WINNER'S KISS

By Marie Rutkoski

Publication Date: 24th March 2016

(GOODREADS)

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.
At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.But no one gets what they want just by wishing.
As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win? 

Why Am I Waiting This Wednesday?

After marathoning the first two books at the start of the year, The Winners series has quickly become one of the favourite trilogies of all time. I'm extremely invested into this world and the publication date is so close yet so far! I really can't wait for this book to be released.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday??

Keep Reading,

Naomi...xxx

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HORROR BOOK REVIEWS||

*Both books mentioned were received in exchange for honest reviews. This is no way effected my opinion on these books*

Hi Guys,

Last year one of my personal goals was to step out of my comfort zone a tiny bit more. This included my reading. I used to only read books like "Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snoggimg" which are cutesy tween reads. I started to read more fantasy which I have now become obsessed with and different genres like steampunk and historical fiction. One genre I hadn't dived into completely was horror because I get scared so easily but I enjoy being scared. Today I will be reviewing two horror books which I enjoyed that I would recommend if you feel like being scared a bit!

THE DARK ROOM BY TOM BECKER

When Darla and her feckless dad, Hopper, move to Saffron Hills, Darla hopes it'll be a new start for the both of them. But she stands no chance of fitting in with the image-obsessed in-crowd at her new school. Then one of her classmates is brutally killed when taking a photo of herself. A murder Darla herself predicted in a bloody vision. When more teens die in a similar fashion it appears that a serial killer is on the loose - the 'Selfie Slayer'. Darla alone is convinced that the murderer might not be flesh and blood

MY THOUGHTS

I personally loved this book! It gave me the right kind of chills and really had me on the edge off seat. I liked how  modern elements were added to make the story more relatable for a younger audience and it gave of an eery feel to the book. This was a gripping, action packed and fun read which I would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a horror book to send a shiver down their spine! I overall gave this book a 4.5/5 stars.

THE HAUNTING BY ALEX BELL

Some curses grow stronger with time…
People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch’s history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house’s dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember.
Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one particular spirit is more vengeful than ever…
A chilling new title in the Red Eye horror series from the author of Frozen Charlotte.

MY THOUGHTS

Although this book was a fun read, I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I had high hopes for the book but it took me so long to get through it as it didn't pull me in as much as The Dark Room. Nonetheless, it was a fun read and I did like the diversity in this book by having one of the main protagonists in a wheel chair who is strong minded and thoughtful. It still held the creep factor and I would recommend this book if you're into historical horror! I gave this book a 3/5 stars.

Keep Reading,

Naomi...xxx

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A Piece of Creative Writing

Hi guys,

Recently I have started to enjoy creative writing so I just wanted the share something I wrote in one English Lesson (btw this wasn't planned as I forgot to do the planning homework, lol!). I edited it a tiny bit so here it is:

A blanket of murkiness does not only cover her once blue skies but the water which drowns her vast body parts. She chokes on the outcome of human activity, gropes for the layer which once protected her and burns slowly underneath the stat which once kept her going. She was earth and she was slowly dying.

Vultures circle the sky and though they were waiting for her downfall and destruction, preaching on withered trees and picking at carcasses which lay across the few dry lands. Rubbish, plastic bottles, tin cans, cables, batteries, fish, sharks, birds, life. All shattered across the shores, burying themselves into the sandbags though they can be dug up again like Viking coins wanting to be part of history but, who would be there to find them? Who would want to stay on a sphere of water, wastage and war?

 A place which survived for millions of years only to destroy itself. A place where people never got along and showed guns, skilled guts and severed heads instead of showing unity, peace and love. It wasn't she who caused the destruction. She gave them a blank canvas and some paints only to be served ripped material, crimson staining the innocent and a chipped wooden frame. They gave her splinters and she didn't have time to pull them out because the damage was already done expecting her to smooth it all over and suddenly be as she was before. That's the thing. She isn't the universe. She can't decide whether or not she wants to expand or collapse into herself, she can't keep herself and everybody around her going on and on until time decides to stop. Maybe she could've prayed to some deity, but don't be silly, she's just a piece of rock right?

To her the endlest seas felt like the sorrow she continuously drowns in. The polluted skies show her blurred lines of understatement and that she should've wept long before, now there wasn't enough time to save her. She should've choked them from the air supply like they strangled her with their industrialisation. She should've somehow fed the hungry mouths and given them her lands and then starve those with money motivated stomachs-yet it would make her worse than they ever were. She should've shielded the endangered, fought the tyranny and the hate. Then she remembered, she wasn't human. She wasn't meant to feel emotional, feel pain, have faith or wish for the better. She wasn't allowed to have pity or fear or hatred or even love. She lost all those privileges when she let life roam her. She was once a gem of the galaxy, different to any other. Now she was a dull stone and she let it happen.

Thank you for reading this!! This is my first try at creatively writing properly so it probably is utter crap!!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx

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Racial Diversity in YA (and the lack of it)||

Hello Guys,
If you don't already know, one of my main goals for 2016 was to write even more discussion posts as I do enjoy them. Today I am going to be talking about racial diversity in YA and how we are extremely lacking in the racial diversity section of things. It's kind of sad in a way that in my 14 years of living and 10 years of reading, I haven't been seeing enough characters from backgrounds of an ethnic minority and that really does annoy me. Even if a character from an ethnic minority is in a book, they are always taking the backseat and dying in vain of white characters. The only reason I'm writing this is that I'm sick of seeing the same character's regurgitated throughout books and I'm sick and tired of not seeing strong lead characters from different ethnic backgrounds. It gets extremely boring and to be honest it is pushing me away from the YA genre.

My problem is that young people grow up idolising characters which just don't represent them and they will long for the long straight hair or the green eyes or the fact that these white characters in books are getting all the attention. Also, I am not here to bash white people as I'm not racist but I'm just saying things how they are. Let's face it, YA is literally being white washed and I hate that. I thought that now we are in the 10's and we are reaching such great  milestones that racial diversity in literature shouldn't be a problem. I'm  not here to ask for all white characters to be exiled but I'm asking for more of a balance. Sometimes I do want to read a book about characters who are Indian or African or Middle Eastern or Eastern European or Latina or Aborigines or Native American or Vietnamese or South American or Caribbean. The list of culture is endless yet books decide to stay on one side of the spectrum. I want to read a book about a badass black girl because that would be awesome!


I don't blame authors though. They have to write books which they think publishers will be pick out to keep a roof over their heads and to pursue their dream of writing for a living
 I think that publishing houses need to pick out more titles with characters from ethnic minorities and cultural difference. I think that we as a community can come together and fight for YA books to represent the world and its beauty. I feel as though blatant racism is being covered up too but that is for a later topic. I  know that we have started to discuss these kind of things and I love that but not enough people are joining in on the conversation and we do welcome you with open arms.

If you visit and school in London, you will see people from every where. Everybody has a different culture and we talk about our differences and I think that this should be discussed. I'm lucky enough to grow up in a city where I've met people from all over the world with different parts in them, learnt a bit of their language and just be friends with people who are the so different to me. I think that this should be represented more and I'd love to see the day this happens.

Feel free to debate with me and be a bit of a devils advocate. Also please remember I am 14 years old, I wasn't alive for the milleniium, I can't name many tv shows pre 1999, I was using WiFi to play CBeebies games before I could read and I do love to jam to a bit of One Direction once in a while. I'm basically trying to say that I don't know a lot and I have a whole load of years to learn more!

Keep Reading,

Naomi...xxx

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Dear DIMINY,||A Book Review

Dear Diminy,


You were in my top 5 books in 2015 and I really just wanted to write to you. I have never felt more in love with a contemporary series in my life which probably has to do with the awesome teenage author (Estelle Maskame) who created you and made you a very special book.


First I would love to talk about the Spanish speaking, vegetarian and public speaking bad boy who blessed us all with his fun personality, awesome car and the fact that he cared about a lot of things. Tyler was mature, knew his boundaries in the first place and although he did make a shaky decision it wasn't like he wasn't afraid to admit to what he had done. His romance with the main female character was a like a forbidden romance and I just loved how he handled it. He just had me anticipating that home run (if you have read the book you will get the reference).


I also loved how amazingly descriptive you were. I have never been to New York yet I could picture each scene there perfectly. I would love to applaud the amazing imagery in this book and the attention to detail which some other books lack and really gave the book a wonderful setting. For a teenage author to write such an amazingly compelling book is brilliant and really kicks those who say that teenagers are lazy right up the behind.


I can't say much without giving away spoilers from the first book so I would recommend for you to ad this series to your tbr and get reading about an awesome romance!


Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
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