50 Subscribers on YouTube, Where I've Been and Too Close by Alex Clare Cover

For those of you who don't know, I have a channel on YouTube which I use to post videos of me singing (mainly original songs but the odd cover from time to time). In recent months I have neglected my YouTube account because I haven't much free time. I'm currently in year 11 which means I'll be sitting my GCSE exams in May and June and I've had lots of coursework deadlines and revision things that have needed to be done. Seeing as though last week and this week were my Easter holidays, I had hoped that I would be able to film a few videos that I could use to upload over the next few weeks so I could create an almost regular schedule to upload video but it hasn't really worked out that way. Over the summer I hope to be able to film regularly because I'd really like to be able to get into the process or uploading videos regularly, whether that will be weekly, fortnightly or even monthly, anything is better than my current absences that last for months on end.

While I was away from YouTube I managed to reach 50 subscribers. I'm sure any of you with an interest in YouTube will think of this as a very small number but to me, it seems massive. When I think of it as 50 people turning up to a show to see me and only me, it just seems incredible. Also, in my opinion, 50 is the first milestone of follower/subscriber numbers and I can't even explain how grateful I was the day I reached it. If you've subscribed to me, thank you. I really do appreciate it.

The latest addition to my YouTube channel is a really quick cover of Too Close by Alex Clare that I recorded today. I was having a break from revision and the sun was shining so I thought I'd take advantage of having decent lighting (which is a rare occurrence where I live in Wales) and just film it. It's full to the brim with little mistakes and flaws but I figured a rough and unpolished video is better than no video! Especially because my last one was uploaded in December!

Let me know what you think of my YouTube channel and if you've got any helpful hints or tips I would very much appreciate them! Thanks for watching it and reading this and just being generally lovely. :)

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

338 Pages

Rating: 5/5

Lola and the Boy Next Door follows the story of Lola Nolan, a costume enthusiast who vows to never wear the same thing twice, as she finds herself in various difficult situations. 17 year old Lola is completely in love with her 22 year old boyfriend Max, but when her next door neighbours move back after several years she finds it difficult to remind herself of this fact. Her neighbour, Cricket Bell, has grown up and matured since the last time she saw him. With Cricket's new sense of style, maturity and height also comes the old feelings Lola once had for him. But what will she do?

Having read Anna and the French Kiss last summer, I was so excited to read this book and I'm happy to say, it didn't disappoint in the slightest. I didn't find the characters as lovable as those in Anna and the French Kiss, however they were still very likable. Stephanie Perkins' talent for writing never ceases to amaze me and reading this made me extremely excited for her next book, Isla and the Happily Ever After, to come out.

If you've not read Anna and the French Kiss I would definitely recommend reading that first. Although the story doesn't continue, there are certain things that were much nicer to read having known certain things from Anna and the French Kiss. Other than that, I would recommend this book very highly!

(Book 7/50)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

262  Pages

Rating: 4/5

This is the first classic book that I've read outside a classroom situation and entirely because I wanted to read it and I have to say, once I got used to the older language in it I found it very enjoyable! It was less difficult to understand and follow than I expected it to be and I found that by around halfway through I was just enjoying it and I was used to the writing style along with everything else.

I'm sure the majority of you are aware of the story of Pride and Prejudice, but it follows Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters. It sees them deal with difficult situations and follows their quest to find husbands.

Personally, I feel that this is the kind of book that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. It's such an iconic book and I can definitely see why. I would recommend it to anyone who loves reading and wants to read a classic book, even if they haven't read one yet.

One of the things that inspired me to read this book is the web series adaptation that I'm currently following called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The web series (created by Hank Green) is based around a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Lizzie tells the story entirely through video diaries. It's definitely worth the time it takes to watch it. It can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/lizziebennet

(Book 6/50)

Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson

260 Pages

Rating 3/5

I got this book for Christmas and wasn't really sure about it at first. I wasn't sure if it was my kind of thing and a lot of reviews I'd come across mentioned not to be deceived by the cover and described it as not being a light bit of 'chick-lit' but I think I disagree to a certain extent. Although the story line isn't that of a stereotypical 'girly' book, I did think it was still a quick and light read.

Kiss Me Kill Me is the first in the Scarlett Wakefield series. When Scarlett gets invited to a party thrown by one of the 'cool' girls in the school, she jumps at the chance. The party takes a turn for the worse and she kisses a boy called Dan who promptly dies in her arms. No one knows how Dan died but they all blame Scarlett and this forces Scarlett to transfer schools. The book shows how Scarlett begins to uncover the truth about that night and follows her on her quest to discover how Dan really died.

The reason I didn't give this book a higher rating is because I felt it didn't really have much content in it. I found the writing style nice and easy to read however the plot seemed a little slow at times. I still enjoyed it though and will be buying the next one in the series.

(Book 5/50)

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

248 Pages

Rating 4/5

This is the book I'm currently studying (in Year 11) for my English Literature GCSE. I wasn't expecting much from this book after reading last year's book To Kill A Mockingbird and not enjoying it because I assumed it was just that I didn't enjoy books I had to read rather than had chosen to. This book proved that wasn't the case.

Because we are studying this in school, a lot of it was read during lesson time by classmates and my teachers. I found that because we were encouraged to talk about the events of the chapter immediately after reading it, the novel became even more interesting. There were many examples of symbolism that were pointed out by my classmates and my teacher that I may not have picked up on if I'd read it myself.

The story follows a group of boys who are stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. All of these boys are under 12 years old. As the novel progresses we learn how they chose to deal with their situation and the community they develop.

I can definitely see why this is the novel is chosen to be the novel studied in Year 11 GCSE English Literature. I felt like I learned a lot from reading this novel, not only as a reader but also as a writer. The way William Golding uses symbolism is both beautiful and intelligent and I found it really interesting to try and decipher what was symbolism and what wasn't.

I would definitely recommend this book as I personally found it a really enjoyable read!

(Book 4/50)

Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart

323 Pages

Rating 4/5

As a massive fan of the TV program 'Miranda', when one of my best friends gave me this as a birthday present at the end of December I was very excited. It definitely didn't disappoint either.

This book isn't what I expected it to be. It's not the typical book written by someone 'famous' that's an autobiography they release seemingly for the sake of being able to say they've written a book. In Is It Just Me? Miranda tells many different funny stories that have happened over the years or just her opinions on certain topics and often talks to her 18-year-old self giving her helpful little hints and tips.

Having spoken to other people who have read this book, I've realised it maybe isn't to everyone's taste. A few people that are fans of the TV show 'Miranda' that have tried reading this book said they didn't enjoy it. Obviously I am here to give my opinion on the matter and I can honestly say, I thought this book was fantastic.

I found this book really unique due to the style of it and I don't think anyone who enjoys both reading and Miranda's TV show won't be disappointed with this read. It's definitely worth it for me.

(Book 3/50)

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

313 Pages

Rating: 5/5

I read this book last year and it quickly because my favourite book of all time. Since it came out in January last year I thought it was a good time to re-read it and I'd forgotten just how much I loved this book.

The Fault In Our Stars is the story of 16 year old Hazel who has a form of cancer that affects her lungs and 17 year old Augustus who lost his leg to cancer. Although cancer and illness are obviously one of the main themes of this book, it's about a lot more than that.

I think one of the reasons I love this book so much is because it shows how 2 teenagers make the best out of the situations they find themselves in, often without meaning to. I also like the fact that what you think will happen doesn't and things don't always go their way. I also think the other characters are all really believable, from Hazel and Gus' parents to their other friends.

I really can't recommend this book enough. I think it's truly one of the most amazing books I've read and it's one that, if I had the time, I would happily sit down and read cover to cover.

This book has several paragraphs and sentences in it that I think are truly amazing pieces of writing, so I thought I'd share one with you:

"My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations."

(Book 2/50)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

295 Pages

Rating 4/5

After seeing many BookTubers rave about this book (mainly padfootandprongs07 and jessethereader) I asked for it for Christmas and if was definitely worth it! There's just something about this book that I found amazing and couldn't put down. I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers as it contains a lot of humour that wouldn't be understood by younger readers and some of the language used isn't appropriate for anyone under the age of around 13, in my opinion. Obviously, that's just my opinion however if you are under that age, it's probably best to ask your parents if it's okay to read this.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is written from the perspective of Greg Gaines, a typical high school student who's main aim is to remain 'friendly' with everyone without committing to one social group. His only real friend is a boy named Earl and even then, they describe their relationship as 'professional'. One day, Greg's mother tells him how a girl named Rachel that he knew when he was younger has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Greg then decides to spend time with Rachel, more because he feels as though he has too than wants to.

This book says so it's self, it is not a typical 'caner book'. There's something about the way this book was written that made me fully believe that Jesse Andrews was really Gregory Gaines and the character was so believable, even in writing style, that I found this book was really unique.

I can see how this isn't the kind of book everyone would enjoy but if you think it might be your cup of tea, I would definitely recommend it because, in my opinion, it's definitely worth reading.

(Book 1/50)