London!! (before I've been there)

Hi Guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while - I've been quite busy lately. Today, I will be doing a post on my amazing trip to LONDON!

So, first I will get on the train to go to London as I live quite far away. After arriving in London, me, my mum, sister, brother and I will get on the tube to go to Aldgate East where we will walk down Whitechapel Road until we arrive at Whitechapel Gallery - which is our first stop. We will go inside and have a little look around at all the exhibitions. After experiencing the wow factor of the paintings, we will go to the gallery's amazing café to have lunch.



Next we will walk up Brick Lane which is famous for it's mouth-watering curry's and arrive in Old Truman Brewery which has The Power of Poison in. The Power of Poison is a gallery which tells you all about poison! We will look round The Exhibition, then go out, have a walk and a look around. After that we will then meet my dad who works in London for dinner.

 

I'm really looking forward to my day out - I'm bursting with excitement! You'll hear my thoughts on it soon.



Girl Online by Zoe Sugg (before I've read it)

Now, I've really wanted this book since Zoe released it as it includes 3 of my favourite things: reading, Zoella and blogging! So when I finally got my hands on it in Waterstones, I was eager to start reading it but I just had to blog it as I knew it was going to be good!

Front Cover:

 I love the front cover as it is just so simple yet so effective the way it looks like it's got cracks in but it hasn't actually, and the way it looks like there are photos attached by pegs but they're not actually. OMG! I've just realised that as Zoe lives in Brighton, she has taken photos of it and one of them is a carousel that I went on when I visited Brighton!    

Blurb:

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, her crazy family and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisk her away to New York where she meets Noah: a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. Suddenly, Penny is falling in love and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

 

OMG! This book sounds so good - full of secrets, which is what I like books to have. I can't wait to read this book so I better draw this post to a close. You'll hear my review on this book soon, but until then keep checking my blog out!

 

Keep being awesome,

- Ines





5 songs off my playlist

Hi there guys! Today, I'm going to be sharing with you my playlist. (This post is inspired by Lexie @ What Lexie Loves and Noor @ Blogs by Kids)

1. Style by Taylor Swift. Seeing as Taylor Swift is my favourite singer, as soon as she released this song I was jamming along to it and then I just started growing a liking to it.

 

2. Lips Are Movin' by Meghan Trainor. Once her first song All About That Bass was released I thought it wasn't going to be that good seeing as Megan was new to the singing world. But it turned out to be great, so when she relased her second song, I just knew it would be brilliant again!

 

 

3. Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson. This song is just so great! Me and my sister have even made a dance routine for it.



4. Last Night by The Vamps (Bradley Simpson is my favourite). I love all of The Vamps songs as they're my favourite band, but this one is my favourite as it's really catchy.



5. I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen. I listened to it once and the second time I started singing along to the words. It just happened and now I love it.



 

Hope you enjoyed my songs! If you've got any more songs you like leave the name in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out!

 

Keep being awesome,

- Ines









The Athenaeum (before I've stayed there)

Hi there! Today I will be doing a blog post on the wonderful Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments, which I will be staying at soon.
 
First of all, the fabulous Athenaeum is a 5-star luxury hotel based in Mayfair. Staying here means you are surrounded by the breath-taking sites of Buckingham Palace, The Royal Parks, The City, Soho and Canary Wharf. Their restraunt, which has won an award, serves up delicious food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even afternoon tea sometimes! There are loads of activities to do around The Athenaeum including zooming around galleries, museums and the London Eye on the On and Off Bus, watching spectacular shows and pleasent plays, plus lots, lots more!

Here are some images (courtsey of Trip Advisor) *No credit to me.*

This hotel looks so great and I'm really excited about staying there, especially as it's around some of London's biggest tourist attractions. You'll here my review on the stay soon so keep a look-out!

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

The Liebster Award!

Hi there guys! I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by the wonderful Miss Internet. Thank you to her!

On to the questions:

1.What inspired you to start blogging?
Well, it was kind of a who actually. My sister inspired me to start a blog as she had one herself and I thought ' I want to have one of them.' So there is how my blog started, in a sentence.

2. What would you consider to be the genre of your blog?
I think mainly reviews. (Is that a genre???)

3.  Name three pet peeves

1. People eating with their mouth open at dinner tables (although that's kind of being a hypocrite as I do it myself sometimes).
2. People chatting to me when I'm trying to concentrate on something.
3. People spelling my name wrong. I'm experienced with that: Innes, Inis, Iness, I've had them all!

4. What's your typical order from a coffee shop?
I'm not that sure actually, probably a hot chocolate from any random shop. Preferably, Costa though.

5. Who are your 5 top favourite band/singer/artist?
This is in order!

1. Taylor Swift
2. The Vamps
3. Meghan Trainor
4. Ariana Grande
5. Mark Ronson

6. If you had to live on 3 foods and 3 drinks, what would they be?

For Food:

1. Sausages - I love them
2. Sweetcorn - It's healthy and delicious, what more could you ask for?
3. Choclate - Come on, I don't think anyone could live without chocolate!

For Drinks:

1. Pineapple Juice - This is my all time favourite drink
2. Milk - Good dairy for you
3. Water - Extremely good for you and sometimes you just need to refresh, so this is the perfect drink.

7. Do you intend on travelling in the future?
Yes, I really want to travel the world!

8.  Name four of your favourite possesions

1. My IPod
2. My bedtime toy
3. My hamster
4. My house

9.   What are three things that you feel you couldn't live without (other than oxygen and all of the scientific aspects!)?

1. My family
2. My IPod
3. Books

10. How long do you spend on the internet on an average, daily?
Probably, for an hour when I get home from school and on the weekends it ranges from 1 hour to 3 hours.

11. What's your favourite memory so far this year?
Probably when I was learning to ski and then it clicked. As soon as this happened the sun showed up, so in the end I was skiing perfectly on my first time skiing and the sun was shining right down on me, as if I was in the spotlight.

Last but not least my nominees

1. Noor @ A Little Bit of Sunshine
2. Emily @ A Unicorn with a Blog
3. Anyone else who wants to do it!!!

Hope you enjoyed my post today!!

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Cap'n John the (slightly) fierce by Johnny Smith with SPECIAL FEATURE!!!!!

OK, so you wondering what the special feature is. It's an interview with the one and only Johnny Smith!

About him:
Johnny Smith is an experienced animation and live screen-writer. As one half of 'Sprackling and Smith', the comedy screenwriting team, he has sold a numerous amount of original feature film scripts, including Disney's box office hit Gnomeo & Juliet. He now lives in London, England with his lovely wife and children.

The Interview:
Me: Who/what inspired you to write Cap'n John the (slightly) fierce?
Him: Hi Ines, that’s an easy one. My actual name is JOHN SMITH and all my life people have said either ‘what a very common name…’ or ‘What are you really called?’ so this is something I’ve lived with for years and years. So I decided I would write stories about a little boy who, like me, has a very common name.
Me: What was your favourite part of the story/why?
Him: In the first book John learns all about the JOHN SMITH club and he gets to go off and be a fearsome pirate. I love that John uses a cucumber for a sword. I love that the pirates have totally silly names but best of all I love it when John uses coconuts as cannonballs to fire at the other pirates.
What is the difference between story writing and script writing?
Him: So I also write films and I’ve thought a bit about the difference between writing films and writing books and here’s what I think. WORLD EXCLUSIVE! There’s not much difference at all! If it’s a film or a book you’re trying to tell a good story with lively, interesting characters.
Me: Who is your favourite character/why?
Him: Of course I would say JOHN SMITH because I’m John Smith too. But I also really like Hayley because she’s so mean and there’s a certain furry character in the Spaceman book and I love him, but really I think it’s Grandad because he’s so wise and so foolish and all at the same time. 
Me: Were you like Johnny Smith when you were younger? If so, why?
Him: Oh yes! I loved playing and making up stories and having fantastic adventures even if they were in my own imagination. I’m sure we’re all a little bit like JOHN SMITH deep down. Aren’t you?

Interview over. Now it's time for the review on the book.

Cap'n John the (slightly) fierce was a great book! Although it was short, it was an amazing read and has now become one of my many favourite books, some of which are Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis, Forbidden Friends by Anne-Marie Conway and Awful Auntie by David Walliams. I really love the way Johnny Smith writes because his books make you feel calm and relaxed, just like the way David Walliams writes who is one of my favourite authors. How funny! Like Johnny Smith, my favourite character was Granddad because he was really funny and he kept on losing his dentures. My favourite part of the story was when John Smith thought it was a friends party but it wasn't actually. I would recommend this book to boys and girls aged 6-9 who like to read funny stories. Overall Cap'n John the (slightly) fierce was a great book and was very enjoyable to read.

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Cinderella written by Chris Weitz (after I've seen it)

Once I had watched this film, it zoomed straight up to the top of my favourite film list, which is, updated, Cinderella, Paddington, Mr Peabody and Sherman and then Maleficent.


Today, I'm going to do things a little differently. I am going to do a recount. Here it is:

It was 2 o' clock in the afternoon when my nanny came to pick me up. I felt really excited!! Once we had parked, we said hello to my cousin, who works in Cycle Care, before walking down to the busy Eden Centre. We started to make our way over to Cineworld. On the way there, we bumped into one of my nan's old friends. After that, we went to go and buy our tickets, and for me, a bag of popcorn. The film was starting in a few minutes so we had to dash in to Screen 11 (which was where Cinderella  was playing).

We got there just in time and as we sat down the film began to start. It was amazing, but sad at parts. I really loved the special effects, they nearly blew me off my seat because they looked so realistic (my sister even thought they were real)! Throughout the film, I felt sad, scared and relived. I was really sad when the film finished because, believe me, it was GREAT! We headed back to the car but had a quick stop in M&S so my sister and I could have a little treat. We then went back to the car, probably all thinking about the brilliant film we had just watched and feeling sad because it's over. But we must remember the quote Dr Seuss said 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it's happened.'  And that's what I did.

 

 

 

*I really liked the film and would totally reccomend it to girls/women of any age!*

 

Keep being awesome,

- Ines 



Cinderella written by Chris Weitz (before I've watched it)

First of all, I'm really looking forward to watching this film as it looks amazing!

Here is a little bit about the cast:
Script-writer: Chris Weitz
Director:  Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Cate Blanchett, as the evil stepmother, Lily James, as Cinderella, Richard Madden, as the Prince, and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother. See website for whole credits.


Basically, the plot of the story is:
After her father dies tragically, young Ella (played by Lily James) finds herself having to deal wither her stepmother (played by Cate Blanchett) and her two daughters who make Ella a house maid. But, despite all of this, she is determined to live a happy life. And when an invitation to a ball is pushed through the letter box, Ella has hope that she might meet the handsome stranger she met in the woods a few days ago. But her mean stepmother refuses to let Ella go. Suddenly, help arrives from a kind beggar women who has a magic touch.

  Will Ella ever find her true love? Watch the film to find out...

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Forbidden Friends by Anne-Marie Conway (before I've read it)

My sister has read this book before and she said it was AMAZING! So let's see if she's right.

 Front Cover:

The first thing I noticed when I looked at the front cover was the question written on it: What happens when the perfect summer turns sour? Now that's intriguing me. The second thing I notice is that at the top of the front cover it's all nice and sunny then gradually, as it gets nearer the bottom, it gets darker and cloudier. And the third thing I notice is that there's one stray balloon with the name of the title around it: Forbidden Friends. Now I'm thinking, what does all these things have to do with the book? Maybe the Blurb will answer my question.

Blurb:
Be prepared for some deep suspense as the following sentences are about to make your mind whir... Here we go:

When Lizzie and Bee meet on holiday, it feels as if they were always meant to be friends. Escaping their parents and exploring, everything seems perfect in the hot summer sun.

But as the two girls grow closer, some strange questions rise to the surface... Is Lizzie really an only child? Why has Bee's dad disappeared? And why, as the holiday comes to an end, are the two girls forbidden from seeing each other again?

Could one dark secret from the past hold the answer? Could one fateful night keep Lizzie and Bee apart... for ever?

Too. Many. QUESTIONS. I just need to read the book. So I am going to. You'll hear my review on it soon but right now, I'm off to read this extremely suspenseful book.
 
Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Anyone but Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp (after I've read it)

Wow! What can I say? Apart from that Anyone But Ivy Pocket was AMAZING!!!!!! I couldn't put it down when I had started reading Ivy's unbelivable adventures.

It was really clever because throughout the book Caleb Krisp made Ivy keep on saying ' for I have all the natural instincts of a ... '

This book was full of murder and mystery and questions came and went at different times of the story. Here are some of them:

1. Is Miss Always good or bad?
2. Who are the Locks controlled by?
3. Who killed the Duchess of Trinity/why?
4. Where did Countess Carbunkle go to ?

The basic plot of the story is: Ivy is fired by Countess Carbunkle who has, meanly, left a sum of £1 to Ivy. She has nowhere to go until she is suddenly called by the dying Duchess of Trinity who wants her to deliver one of the most precious and rarest jewels (The Clock Diamond) to Matilda Butterfield. Soon after Ivy sets off on her long journey to England, the Duchess of Trinity is murdered by a mysterious person, and from there on Ivy tries to discover the murderer and on the way, she finds unbelievable secrets from the past...

This book was really enjoyable to read because I really like to read books about mystery. My favourite character was Ivy because she always spoke her mind and was very daring and adventurous. My favourite part was when Ivy healed the grumpy old Lady Elizabeth's headache - it was really funny, you'll have to read it to find out why.  I would recommend this book to girls and maybe boys from 8-11 who like to read murder or mystery stories.

I really hope to hear some more of Ivy's wonderful imagination, bubbly personality and her lies which would be amazing if they were true.

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

The White Giraffe by Lauren St John (after I've read it)

Today, I am going to do something a little bit different. I will write some questions down and then give answers to them.

1.Which part of the story was your favourite and why?

 

I liked the part when Martine's dream about healing a goose came true because it was quite unexpected and it made you know what Martine's 'special gift' was.

 

2 . Who was your favourite character and why?

 

My favourite character was Tendai, a member of the Zulu tribe, because he was very kind and tried to face problems himself.

 

3. Would you want to read another book by the author and why/ why not?

 

I  would like to read another book by Lauren St John because she describes the setting really well and helps you build up a picture in your head.

 

4. Which part of the story was your least favourite and why?

My least favourite part was when Martine's parents died in the fire because I thought it was a bit too early on in the story and it made you not want to read the book anymore. But luckily I did carry on because the book was amazing!!!!

 

5. If you met Martine, what would you ask her?

 

I would probably say 'Did you have any friends at your old school or were you sad there as well?' and 'Did you like Ben?'

 

 

I really enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely try and read another one of Lauren St John's brilliant books.

 

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Happy Easter!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone! I'd just like to wish you a very happy Easter!!!!!! I hope that you got loads of Easter eggs, I got a Dairy Milk  Oreo one. Which one did you get? Just remember though, Easter isn't all about the chocolate, it's about Jesus rising from the dead.

 

             

Once again, I'd like to wish you a happy Easter, but maybe whilst your having fun eating chocolate just stop and think about the real meaning of Easter.

 

Keep being awesome,

- Ines

 



Noor's Big Birthday Blog Party!!!!!

I really like reading Noor's blog (http://www.alittlebitofsunshineblog.com/) so I decided to do her Big Birthday Blog Party.

<a href="www.alittlebitofsunshineblog.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/si960/blog%20party%20button_zps2hstqv2x.jpg" width="500px" height="500px" /></a>

1. How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I really like celebrating my birthday with my family, friends ( and a big chocolate cake)!

2. Fruit or veggies?
Veggies - especially peas and sweetcorn.

3. Writer or reader?
That's so hard to choose!!!! Probably reader though.

4. Swim in the summer or make snow angels in the winter?
 Swim in the summer

5.  Who are your blogging inspirations? Blogs and people
My blogging inspirations are Noor, Emily, Lexie (my sister) and June S.

6.  What are you top favourite blogs?
My favourite blogs of all time have to be mylifeasapreteendork.blogspot.com, alittlebitofsunshine.com, blogsbykids.net and the-impossible.com.

7. What is your opinion on the selfie stick?
It's Ok but I like taking selfies on my IPod more.

8. Favourite food.
Another really hard one. Either sausages or soup.

9. Are you homeschooled?
 No

10. Do you like unicorns?
I don't think they're real but I've read books about them and they look really pretty.

11. PC or Mac?
I prefer a PC.

Happy Birthday Noor!!

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Operation Bunny by Sally Gardener (after I've read it)

When I was reading this book I felt scared, nervous, anxious and glad. All of these feelings, I think, would've been feelings that the characters had been feeling at different time throughout the book. This shows that when I read books I feel like I'm one of the characters in then story as well.

The brief plot of the story, without giving any exciting parts away is:

Emily Vole is abandoned in a hat box at Stansted Airport and rich parents Ronald and Daisy Dashwood adopt her. Daisy, who is all about fashion, thinks that Emily will have glossy strawberry blonde hair and deep blue eyes but when it turns out she doesn't makes her the house maid and it's even worse for Emily because 3, not 1,  3 new babies are coming. Five years later, Emily meets Miss String and Fidget her talking cat. Miss String teaches Emily how to read, write, all about history, all about  maths and how to speak fluent German, French and Old English. But then disaster strikes and Emily and Fidget need to escape...
Soon, they are on the run and get on a train not noticing it's full of brightly coloured pink bunnies. And from there on Emily discovers mind-blowing secrets and is chased by mean old witch Harpella, who wants to steal all fairies wings.

I really enjoyed this book and my favourite part was when Daisy and Ronald Dashwood lose all their expensive things, it really made me laugh. My favourite character was Miss String because she kept on saying things like buddleia, buddleia and buddleia again (which I think is Old English) and because she was very intelligent teaching Emily History, Maths, English, Reading and lots of different languages.

I would recommend this book to children aged 7 - 11, boys and girls who like reading books with a little bit of all the emotions that I listed above (scared, nervous anxious and glad).

 

Keep being awesome,

 - Ines

The White Giraffe by Lauren St John (before I've read it)

My sister has read some of Lauren St John's books before and really enjoyed them so I was delighted when Orion sent me a copy of The White Giraffe.

Front Cover:
The front cover really pulls you in and makes you look closely. The giraffe stands out which makes everything in the background (a bird, some deer drinking at a water hole and a tree) look small which as I said before makes you want to look closely. I think the story is set in Africa because the animals you can see on the front cover come from Africa. For some reason, the ground is a fiery red. That makes me ask a question. Why is it that particular colour? Why not a sky blue or lemon yellow? Questons are good for the author and the publisher because they make you want to know more about the story which make you wan to read the story.


Blurb:
Right. The blurb has made me really want to read the story. I think the sentence which helps the most is ' The giraffe looks at her as if it is waiting...' An ellipsis always hooks me but this one was used so well that is has really wowed me. It's kind of like the book is waiting for me to read the story.

So I will. I'm going to read the book now but you'll hear my thoughts on the book soon.

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Happy Red Nose Day!!!!!

Hi there!

I'd like to wish you all a very Happy Red Nose Day. I really hope those children in the UK and Africa are helped this year. Here are some facts about Red Nose Day:

• The first every Red Nose Day was in 1985 on Christmas Day when they raised a whooping £15 million pounds.
• Thanks to the money we've raised between 1988-2008 has made 46.5 million children go to school.
• Since when it was first founded (1985), Comic relief have set up 17,000 projects in the Uk alone.
• Comic Relief has helped to protect over 6 million people in Africa from Malaria which is caused by parasites that are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

 

Here is the story of Ngosa, one of the many children who has been helped by Comic Relief:

I hope you all wish the children in the UK and Africa are helped and that we raise lots of money for them. Happy Red Nose Day!!!!!!!!!!

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Anyone But Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp (before I've read it)

Front Cover:
The front cover looks quite posh because of the gold writing in a fancy font and the very posh border around the outside of the book. It's very smooth apart from the tiny bump of the writing. The 'O' in
Pocket is a pocket watch so maybe that has something to do with it. I think that this book is set in the olden days because just from the silhouette it looks like Ivy is a maid and you only have maids nowadays if you're very rich.

Blurb:
This is a very interesting and different blurb. Instead of being a summary about the book, it's a letter from the author explaining he is so embarrassed that he's published it but personally I think that Anyone but Ivy Pocket will be amazing.

Esteemed Reader,

To be honest I am horrified.
Mortified.
Naturally I blame Bloomsbury.
Publishing Anyone But Ivy Pocket was their idea and now they tell me my literary creation needs help. It is wickedly impertinent! They say are must throw myself at the mercy of the greatest band of blackguards and ne'er-do-wells the world has ever known. I speak, of course, of booksellers, librarians, teachers and reviewers. It would seem that Ivy's future depends upon you and, that without you, all will be lost.
Ivy Pocket came to me in a flash of creative fire. (My writing desk still has burn marks!) She is so violently deluded, majestically self-important, frequently ill-mannered and has the intuitive sense of a pound cake. What's more, she is caught up in a ghastly business involving a murdered duchess, a mystical necklace, a brattish aristocrat and a most remarkable destiny. But without your support, she will never reach the children who will inevitably fall in love with her shining personality. That will be heartbreakingly disappointing as I still have two more books to write. And bills to pay.
With great reluctance (for I am magnificently coy), I must beg you to do what you know is right - spread the word, tell the world and help Ivy Pocket on her way to greatness. Anything less would be a crime against literature.

Regards,
Caleb Krisp, Esq.

I have spread the word about Ivy Pocket so now it's your turn to do so. You will be able to hear my thoughts on the book in my after post which I'll write soon.

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Operation Bunny by Sally Gardener (before I've read it)

This book was actually sent to me by Orion Books and I am very lucky to receive it.  I have also read some other books of Sally's ( The Boy with Magic Numbers and The Strongest Girl in the World) and have loved them.

Front Cover:
Things that are on the front cover:

1. 2 flying keys
2. an ordinary girl
3. an extremely furry brown, orange and white cat and
4. 4 pink bunnies

From looking at them, I can already conclude that this book is going to be quite peculiar, what with pink bunnies and flying keys! Let's see if the blurb fits my prediction.

Blurb:

When Emily Vole inherits an abandoned shop,

she discovers a magical world she never knew existed.

But a fairy-hating witch, a mischievous set of flying

keys and a train full of brightly coloured bunnies are

just a few of the surprises that come with it.

 

With the help of a talking cat called Fidget and a

grumpy fairy detective named Buster, it's up to

Emily to get to the bottom of Operation Bunny...

 

      = Things that  prove my prediction - basically weird things

 

Emily Vole - it's quite an unusual name and, hey I'm not being nameist or something.

A magical world - it says it in the name - MAGICAL!!!!

A mischievous set of flying keys - now that's something you don't see every day.

A train full of brightly coloured bunnies 1. bunnies aren't brightly coloured and 2. you wouldn't get on a train and sit next to a bunny - especially a brightly coloured one.

A talking cat called Fidget - you wouldn't go to a pet shop, by a cat and then when you get home it talks to you (but if that has happened take your pet to the vet) because that is just plain weird.

 

Above, are the reasons why this book, I think, is very weird but sometimes I like weird books and I have a feeling this is going to be one of them.

 

Bye now, I'm off to read it, you'll hear what I thought of it soon, enough.

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Emily's Guest Post

Hello! I am Emily from My Life as a Pre Teen Dork and today I am guest posting on Ines's Insights which is one of my favourite blogs. I am reviewing The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. So let's get started! The cover I got was very fancy and as I recently discovered: very new. I found a page on the web about the new covers which you can view here. Here are some pictures all over.

    

 

 

In this book, the awesome Katniss Everdeen volunteers as a tribute for the Hunger Games when her little sister Prim is chosen. In the Hunger Games 24 teenagers must fight till death and the last one standing wins. I would rate this book 5 out of 5.

You can catch me over at My Life as a Pre Teen Dork where I try to do a daily blog post. 

~ Emily at my life a

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

 

The Imaginary by A. F. Harrold (before I've read it)

I was actually very lucky to be able to go to the Imaginary's book launch and see A. F. Harrold (the author) and Emily Gravett (the illustrator) in person. It was amazing and I am so grateful towards Liz for letting me come along.

The front Cover

Front Cover:
This book has really caught my eye from the moment I saw it. It's different, in a good way, from all the other covers of books. I think it's because the only colour is the title and the plants in Amanda's imagination
which
makes it look very effective. There are 2 different pictures. One is what it is in real life - well apart from Rudger Amanda's best, (imaginary) friend. The second one is what Amanda is imagining. Just from looking at the front cover I can see that Emily is very talented at Art.   


Blurb:

        Rudger is Amanda's best friend.

He doesn't exist.

But nobody's perfect.

I love this blurb because it builds up tension inside you. It's different to other blurbs just like the front cover because it's short and it gets you thinking what might the story be like... I also like the way the blurb is shown - Mr Bunting (the bad guy) is showing Amanda a wisp of smoke coming from his hand and that is where the blurb is. 

I can't wait to read this book, it sounds amazing!

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Cats the Play (after I've seen it)

First things first, the play was amazing and the scenery (a junkyard) looked just like it was a real one. My favourite part was when Nicole Scherzinger sang Memory because her voice filled the whole theatre with a sound like an angel and because she had sang from the heart of her soul as if she was an actual cat though, I don't think any cat would be able to sing as amazingly as her!


Even though the play didn't have any narrators to tell you where the story was at, you could still know because of the songs. My Mum, Nan, Auntie, Sister and I sat in the stalls so we had quite a good view of the stage.

My favourite song was Rum Tum Tugger because it was really catchy and when the man sang it, it made me want to jump to my feet and start dancing along singing " The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat!" Other songs I enjoyed include Memory, Grizabella the Glamour Cat, Macavity and Mister Mistofelees.

Before the show had started, you were allowed to go into the 'Jellicle Ballroom' where you could have your face painted. Around the edge of the room, there were mannequins modelling all of the costumes from the original play. They were stunning, covered with beautiful decorations from sparkly sequins to flimsy feathers.

Unfortunately, Nicole Scherzinger is no longer playing Grizabella any more but the play is still running so, book your tickets now!

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

Cats the Play (before I've seen it)

In January me, my sister, my Mum and my Nan are going to see the play of Cats. 

At home, I have been listening to the CD and so far my favourite song is Memory as it is very touching and moving. I have heard the poem (but in case you haven't here it is     http://allpoetry.com/poem/4615685-Memory-of-CATS---after-T.S.-Eliot-and-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-by-Jonathan-ROBIN). But all the songs are absolutely amazing.

Nicole Scherzinger is going to make an appearance as Grizabella. 

Cool Facts:

1. Cats has been to 300 different cities and has been seen by over 50 million people. 
2. Cats is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history 
3. Cats is directed by Trevor Nunn with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Here is a brief plot:

On just one special night of the year, all Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, makes the Jellicle choice and announces which of them will go up to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.

I think I am going to really like it.

Keep being awesome,
- Ines

The wonderful Danesfield House (before I've been there)

My grandparents have been very kind and treated me and my family to stay at Danesfield House (where George Clooney had his wedding!) over Christmas. 

From the brochure, Danesfield House looks wonderful - especially at night when it's lit up.

Day: 

 Night:










Danesfield House has reached some achievements such as 

• Hotel Chef of the year, 2011, awarded by The Hotel Cateys
• Michelin star awarded in Great Britain and Ireland 2012
• The winner of the most amazing hotel venue in 2010
• The winner of the most relaxing spa in 2011
• and much more

I think that Danesfield House will be amazing and a fabulous way to spend Christmas Day as I'm with my family in an excellent location on one of the best days in the year.

Keep being awesome,
Ines

It's Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (before)

I'd just like to wish you a Very Merry Christmas. I just have a few questions about Christmas that you can answer by commenting.

1. What is your favourite Christmas song?                                 Frosty the Snowman
2. Who is your favourite reindeer? and                      I like Dancer but Rudolph is my favourite 
3. What do you want to get most for Christmas?                    I really want to get Lego Friends

Merry Christmas!! 

One Lovely Blog Award Blog Tag

Hi! I was checking out Noor's blog and I realized she had tagged me for the One Lovely Blog Award Tag. Thanks Noor!

The Rules:
Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
List the rules and display the award (above)
Add 7 facts about yourself 
Nominate 15 or lower other bloggers
Follow on blogger the person who nominated you.

7 facts about me:
My name is French (Je m'appelle Ines)
I absolutely adore Taylor Swift
My favourite author is Jacqueline Wilson 
I've seen and had a selfie with Olly Murs!!!!!
I was born at 11:28 am on a Monday in 2006
I am an expert Hula-Hooper (Yes, I know it's crazy)!
My favourite color is lilac.

As most people have already been tagged I tag anyone who reads this and has a blog.

Happy 1000 page views!

Yesterday, I was checking my blog and realised I had over 1000 views (just about)! I want to say a MASSIVE thank you to all my readers who have made this happen.

As well as that, I just wanted to say a Happy Halloween. I dressed up as a cat and went out trick or treating. I now have a bucket of chocolate and sweets which will disappear in a few days! Magic!

Summer's Dream by Cathy Cassidy (after I've read it)

This book didn't really entice me like good books do to me. That is why I didn't finish the book.

Usually books are really interesting but every now and then I come across a book that doesn't    WOW me. Summer's Dream sounded like a really good book but it just isn't. The reason is that Cathy Cassidy went into too much description and repeated herself a few times. This really disappoints me as I'm a big Cathy Cassidy fan and have read quite a few of her books including Coco Caramel, Sweet Honey, Cherry Crush and Bitter Sweet. 

I would rate this book 6 out of 10 but read it if you want because everyone has a different opinion.  

Even though this book wasn't good, it won't stop me from reading other Cathy Cassidy books.  

Summer's Dream by Cathy Cassidy (before I've read it)

Do you remember my post on Coco Caramel. Well this book is all about her sister, Summer.

Front Cover:

I already know from the other Chocolate Box Girls series that Summer is obsessed with dance, especially ballet. That probably explains the reason why the cover has quite a lot of ballet shoes, ribbons and general girls stuff.You might realize that the title has dream in it (Summer's Dream) and dreams don't always come true...
This book looks good and bad, the good reason is I'm sometimes really girly-girly and this book looks like it's going to be girly-girly, and the bad reason is I'm sometimes a tomboy and Summer probably isn't going to be a tomboy.  

Blurb:                                                                
Cathy Cassidy has been clever and included a question that make you want to read the book even more. (I've highlighted the question in blue below.)
 She has also included a dramatic phrase. (Highlighted in yellow below.)                                                     

  Also she's included a clause. (highlighted in green below.)                                       

Summer has always dreamed of dancing and when a                  

place comes up at ballet school she want's it so badly                                               it hurts.                                                                                                        

Middle School ends and the holidays begin, but, unlike 

her sisters, Summer has no time for lazy days and sunny

beach parties. The audition becomes her obsession, and

things start spiralling out of control...

The more Summer tries to find perfection, the more lost

she becomes. Will she realize- with the help of the boy

who wants more than friendship- that dreams come in

all shapes and sizes? 

Wisher the Runaway Piglet by Georgie Adams (after I've read it)

First of all, I'll just give you the lovely memory of when I was reading it. I was sitting on the balcony of my grandparents flat in France which is over-looking the amazing Mediterranean.

But let's not get carried away but let's get on with the review!!

Wisher is an extraordinary character. She's sweet, sensible and calm and she has magical powers which can sense danger. Like, how cool is that?!
However her 2 eldest brothers Bramble and Bracken are wild and crazy wanting to be the bravest, the strongest, the fastest, basically the best.

My favourite character is Barley Longears (the dad of the rabbit family) as he is

• Thoughtful                                                                             Protective
• Sensitive
• Sweet 
• Kind
• Helpful  

The basic plot of the story is:
Wisher finds out about the runaway piglet who ran away from her farm after an unexpected dog incident whilst trying to get back to her own cosiness of her burrow. Together they help each other to find their homes and to keep each other safe from the dangers of the outsideworld...

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to girls 7-12. 

20 things you might not know about me blog tag

Yesterday, Lexie tagged me to do the 20 things you might not know about me blog tag. Thanks Lexie!!

The Rules:

• Copy and paste the questions below and turn them into a blog post (or answer them on a video and post that instead).
• At the bottom of the post tag from 2 -10 bloggers to answer the questions.
• Use the title 20 Things You Might Not Know About Me Blog Tag. Once you've published the post leave a comment below with a link to your post.
• Use the hashtag #20ThingsBlogTag when sharing via social media.

And we are ready to start:

1. How tall are you?

 Probably about 1m 5cm.

2. Do you have a hidden talent?

Don't laugh but hula-hooping. What, I am amazing at it.

3. What's your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

Bloggers who write posts pretending that they have been there.

4. What's your biggest non-blog related pet peeve? 

People who try and impress their friends by telling them pathetic lies.

5. What's your favourite song?
Shake it off by Taylor Swift but all her others are my second favourite.

6. What's your favourite Etsy Shop that isn't yours?
What even is an Etsy shop. Please tell me by commenting.

7. What's your favourite way to spend your free time alone?
Blogging, watching TV and reading/writing.

8. What's you're favourite junk food.
Duh, easy peasy, Domino's pizza and all the things with it.

9. Do you have pet/s?
No, but we are considering on getting a tortoise, hopefully.

10. What's your favourite fiction and non-fiction book?
Goth Girl by Neil Gaiman and, I know this sounds geeky, but Rocks and Minerals.

11. What's your favourite beauty product?
My favourite is lipstick but close behind is nail polish.

12. When were you last embarrassed?
I always go red when I get told off (which I do rarely) so that was today.  

13. if you could only drink one beverage for the rest of your life(besides water) what would it be.
Uh. duh apple juice. I love it, I love it, I love it!!!

14. What's you're favourite movie?
Probably, The Lion King - even though it made me cry.

15. What were you in high school, jock,prep,prom queen,cheerleader,nerd, valedictorian?
I'm nowhere near high school but I'd like to be a prep or cheerleader.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be.
New York!!!

17. PC or Mac 
PC

18. Last romantic gesture from crush,date,boyfriend,girlfriend?
I don't have a boyfriend. Swear!

19. Favourite celebrity?
Probably all the actors and actresses on Disney channel which we were banned to watch. Thanks a lot mum!

20. Who would you secretly like to be blogging friends with?
I'd like to be friends with Noor who my sister is friends with already 

And last but not least I tag

• rukiya 
• emma
•