Paper prison -
Words for bricks.
Treachery as ink
And metal lies
Committed to paper,
As wife to husband.
Oh! Willful machine
Contorting the mind.
Desperation is key -
Said he, said me?

Slipping – my love
Doll-like faces. Fragile
Bones writhing inside,
love versus pain -
A battle of wits.
Faith, hope
Fear.

Twisted limbs -
And scornful trees
Baited breath behind
The leaves.
Tangled knots of fortunes
Passed. Taken. Waiting.
Can this
Last?

(After reading Grimm’s Tales, I decided to post my own creative content from the point of view of a well known character, with a slight twist. It’s pretty obvious when you start reading, so no points for guessing who the character is!)

There are many things in life that are improbable; but exactly how improbable must an improbable incident be before it is in fact impossible?

I stared down at the table – shattered glass and chipped ceramic filled every open space. Blood-red liquid, sticky and sweet with just a hint of desperation – a tiny, yet painful reminder of last night’s tea.

I’ve never been very good at making friends, have I?  They’re all mad; every last one of them is mad.

My hand slipped, a deeper scarlet mixed with gold. Clink. I reached for my hat – a lid for the overspill of thoughts currently gushing from my brain.

There are some questions in life that one may never answer. Take that little blonde girl – AH! An improbable event must first be categorized improbable before it can even be considered impossible!

My surroundings took me in – spat me out, until nothing but a shell remained. One final slip. One last glance.

They all think I’m mad, don’t they?

Having read all of Grimm’s original tales, I was really looking forward to seeing another’s interpretation of these timeless stories and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed! Phillip Pullman gives brings the tales of the brothers Grimm into the 21st century, making them easier to understand and providing historical/general context about each and every piece inside the book.

My favourite Grimm story has always been ‘The Fisherman and His Wife’. I love the message of the story – be thankful for what you have, because it can be taken away at any point. As a newcomer to Pullman’s writing, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I think he did a fantastic job at conveying the message and I really enjoyed his flowing narrative.

I’m giving this book four stars for the plain and simple fact that nobody could ever beat the original. However, I really loved rereading these tales from a new perspective, and I think the title of the book say’s everything you need to know – young or old, you will enjoy this collection of short stories.

This review is a little late, but here I go anyway! I’m definately a late bloomer when it comes to Harry Potter. I didn’t read them as a child, though I really don’t know why because I’ve always loved books and lets face it - what book lover hasn’t read Harry Potter? The answer was me. I have two friends who are absolutely in love with these books, and I can definately see why because I think I might be on the same page as them (yes, pun intended).

Out of all the Harry Potter books I’ve read so far, I think this one is probably my favourite. Instead of a paragraphed review, I’m just going to bullet point a few thoughts about the book.

• I really loved the foreshadowing when Harry is paralyzed while invisible in Draco’s train car. It perfectly reflects his position when Dumbledore is killed which I thought was very clever.
• Hermione, in my opinion, in the best character in the whole series. As you probably know by now, I have a bit soft-spot for stong female characters because they are so far and few between. Hermione enbodies everything that a young girl should strive to be, and I’m so grateful that there are writers like Rowling, who have given young girls someone to look up to.
• There are so many quotes that made me really think, but this one in particular stood out to me: “It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”
• The amount of detail throughout this book, and the others, is absolutely amazing. Harry Potter isn’t just a book series, it’s a whole world!

Currently reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Being a huge fan of the TV show ‘Dexter’, I really enjoyed reading these books and seeing who/what changed in the translation from book to screen. I’ve always found the idea of a serial killer with a concience fascinating - this was part of the reason why I wrote ‘Reverence’ for English class.

I have to say, I love Dexter. He thinks he’s so inhuman, and yet I’m sure that every single person on this planet has felt like him at some point - an outcast, angry, conflicted or even a little dead inside. Lindsay writes Dexter so very well. He’s very observant and descriptive - you can picture the crime scenes in great detail, almost as if you’re there!

I also loved the idea of Cody and Astor being like Dexter. I’m so sad that they cut this out of the TV show!

Despite this, I did feel that the writing style grew a little tiresome towards the end. I found it really hard not to skip sentences when all he was talking about was a very in-depth and detailed description of blood. It became boring after awhile.

At the minute, I’m in the middle of composing one of two speeches for English class in September. I’ve chosen to write my first speech on reading, because I love reading more than pretty much anything else in this world! Despite my obvious love of the topic, I’m finding it really hard to write. I love writing stories - short or long - but for some reason I just can’t seem to find the right words for this speech and it’s driving me insane! The words don’t quite flow right, if you know what I mean?

I’m going to try and get my first draft done tomorrow because it’s just ridiculous how long it’s taking me to write this.