Around The World In YA Books Tag

Thank you Cátia for tagging me and sorry that it took me like a year to do this. If you haven’t yet, check out her blog!

The Rules

List a country, and then show which favourite book of yours is set in that country. You can use the countries I have used, add your own, or use completely different ones!

FRANCE

How can I not go with Anna and the French Kiss? Speaking of which, it’s time for a reread… Though of course I could also go with Scarlet, another favourite, though I feel more like I’m in France while reading Anna then while reading Scarlet.

CANADA

I recently read Anne of Green Gables, and while I didn’t think I would like it at first since the beginning was pretty slow, I fell in love.

CHINA

Like Cátia, I’m going with Cinder. Sadly I haven’t read that many books set in China (if any besides Cinder? My memory is terrible), but this one is also one of my favourites of course.

THE UK

I could be original and not go with Harry Potter, but where’s the fun in that?

JAPAN

Harriet goes to Japan in Model Misfit and it’s GLORIOUS. I love Japan and it really felt like I was there with Harriet. I love Harriet, her story and the supporting characters by themselves, but in Japan? Sign me up

Okay so I won’t tag anyone specific again, so if you want to do this, feel free to do so! What is a country you want more YA books set in? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Model Misfit by Holly Smale

Genre: Ya | Contemporary
Series: Geek Girl
Goodreads rating: 4.15
My rating: ★★★★★

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”

Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.

With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes.

Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.

Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good? (Goodreads)

I read Geek Girl last year and really enjoyed it, but I never found the sequel, Model Misfit and just ended up buying other books instead. Naturally I was very pleased to finally find it in a bookstore (’cause I could’ve ordered it, but did I mention I kept buying other books?) and for only five euros! After I finished the illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, I immediately started Geek Girl and finished it the next day (I could’ve finished it earlier, but I had to go to bed on time because I had to get up early for school). I just couldn’t stop reading and damn, do I wish I had gotten back into this world sooner!

I barely remembered Geek Girl, but as I started reading everything came back to me very quickly (also Harriet summed it up a bit, so that helped). I don’t remember why, but I gave Geek Girl four stars. Would I give Geek Girl five stars if I read it now? I honestly don’t know if Model Misfit is better than it’s prequel, but I couldn’t find fault with it.

Harriet is a delightful protagonist and is definitely on my favourites list. She has a distinctive voice, is hilarious, cute and very relatable (to me at least). There are a lot of cringeworthy moments at which I actually closed my eyes because I felt so bad for her. The old characters are just as loveable as in the first book (mainly Harriet’s parents, Wilbur and Nick), the new ones being adorable too (I LOVE RIN I CAN’T WAIT TO READ ABOUT HER AGAIN). With exceptions of course.

The characters made this novel, but of course the setting made it even better. IT TAKES PLACE IN JAPAN. JAPAN. JAPAN. JAPAN. Okay I’ll stop now. You guys get it. It takes place in Japan. (sorry couldn’t help myself). I love Japan, so naturally it was really fun to read about Harriet’s antics there. The descriptions were wonderful to read and I just wish I could climb into the book to join Harriet and her friends. 

I just flew through this book. Harriet’s voice is fun to read and I just couldn’t put it down. I almost forgot to get out of the train (thankfully I didn’t, or who knows where I would’ve ended up- at the other side of the country, that’s where). I’m curious to see what happens next to Harriet and hope that it won’t take me this long to pick up the third book!

Have you read this series yet? Do you like it? Let me know in the comments!

The Weekly Hufflepuff #17

IT’S CHRISTMAS BREAK!!

Three weeks of freedom here I come! (though of course I also have to study… But let’s focus on the freedom part)

• I finished the illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Expect a review soon! (when I say review I mean a post with lot’s of pictures and fangirl gibberish)
• I started and finished Model Misfit and even wrote a review already!

It was the last week of school before the holidays and boy am I glad that the holidays have started. I was so exhausted, going to school like some kind of robot and just wishing for it to be Friday already

We finished one of our subjects, so now I just need to write a report and then I’m DONE (I really need to motivate myself to write it)

I met up with a friend on Thursday, you can read all about it here

I finished watching The Heirs and started You’re Beautiful. I watched the Japanese remake Ikemen Desu Ne a few years ago and really loved it, so I’m curious to see the original!

• I dashed through the snow for the Dashing Through the Snow tag
• I talked about my trip to the Christmas market
• I finally posted my review for Magnus Chase

Once again I’m very behind. Bloglovin no longer tells you how many unread posts there are in your feed in total, but I don’t need it to tell me there are a lot! Thankfully I have a lot of freedom now so I have time to catch up!

• Eve started the collaborative Hogwarts story with a fabulous chapter from her character Indira’s point of view
• Engie shares her Christmas wish list as a tiny adult
• Jordyn shares her Bookmas tree
• Joan is giving away awesome virtual Christmas gifts in a super cute and sweet post
• Marie has been blogging for a little over a year now
• Josie wonders where the parents in YA are
• Yvo made a beautiful story using book titles

And that was another week! Tomorrow I’m going to go Christmas shopping, but for now, I have a report to write *sigh*. How was your week?

A Trip to the Christmas Market

Last Thursday I met up with one of my friends who I hadn’t seen in a while to go to the Christmas market at Rembrandtplein. I had a lot of fun, but not thanks to the market! We’ll get there though.

We met up at my old secondary school, as she is now in her senior year and had to go to school in the morning. I felt incredibly awkward standing outside waiting for her. It’s so weird to think that graduation was roughly half a year ago and it already doesn’t feel like my school anymore.

We took the bus to Central Station and from there walked towards the Christmas Market. We did stop at several stores on the way. Like POPCULT, the new H&M (I do wonder why they opened another H&M when there are at least four others in a close proximity, but oh well), a toy store where they sell Tsum Tsums and then we went to a restaurant for lunch, where funnily enough we ran into my mom and one of my best friends who I’ve known since birth who’s basically like my brother. We all had lunch together and I showed mom my new additions to the Tsum Tsum family haha. Apparently they had just been at the store as well and she had send me a picture of the Tsum Tsums with ‘do you already have these?’ – yes, yes I do.

When we were all done eating we continued our way to the Christmas Market. I have to admit we were a bit disappointed, as it was very small and most of the booths only sold food (of course I love food, but I expected them to sell other stuff as well and for it to be a lot more Christmassy!). I did buy some delicious handmade fudge, but we didn’t spend a lot of time at the market since there wasn’t much to do. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood though, it might be fun to check it out as it does look cozy! Plus food.

There are several Christmas trams riding through the city, and they’re really cute haha. I haven’t been in one yet this year, but when I rode one a few years ago they played Christmas music inside!

Before I went out I made myself a promise to not go inside a bookstore, but of course I broke that promise when we passed a bookstore where they have very good deals. It was definitely worth it, as I found Model Misfit, the sequel to Geek Girl which I think I read two years ago, for five euros!

My mom and I ate the fudge in the evening and they were delicious! Except for one, but I forgot what taste it was. The oreo fudge didn’t taste like oreo, but damn it was good. I also recommend cookie dough and regular butterscotch. Afterwards we were a bit nauseous though haha

Do you have any Christmas Markets where you live? Let me know in the comments!