My Favorite retellings

Hello Everyone,
In this post I would like to share my favorite YA retellings, because I feel like they are becoming more and more popular every day. I think they are giving a new aspect to every story, sometimes even for villains or they just place the situation into a more modern surrounding. So here are my 5 favorite retellings:
#5. Beastly by Alex Flinn: This was one of the first retellings I have ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart. This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it takes place in a modern world. Basically there is this very popular boy, who is very selfish and he gets cursed, so he turns into an ugly not a beast, but an animal like creature. He has to find someone, who loves him, so he kidnapps Lindy (the nice girl) to live with him, but don't worry her father was a drug addict and he kind of gives her away to him. And you guessed it, they find love. Cute, romantic, plus it's a retelling.
#4. Saving Juliette by Suzanne Selfors: This is not a really a retelling, but it takes place in Verona, where Romeo and Juliette's story does. It's about Mimi, who plays Juliette in her family's theatre and hates the actor who plays Romeo, because he is a selfish rockstar. But one day they end up in Verona and we get to see the iconic love-story through Mimi's eyes. And they even try to influence the story and save the tragical lovers. This book gave me a hole new side to the story.
#3. Dorothy must die by Danielle Paige: A story taking place in Oz, which is now ruled with the evil Dorothy, who is most likely a mean girl and there is this girl, Amy, who is chosen by the Wicked to kill Dorothy. And the evil ones are the good guys in this story. Now that is what I call an interesting story.
#2. The Wrath and The Dawn by Renée Ahdieh: This is a retelling of a Thousand and one nights, but it opens a whole new aspect to the story. A young Caliph, who is known for killing his wife after marring them and a girl who would do anything to revenge her best friend's death. But as usual things don't go as planned an Shahrzad (the main character) and Khalid (the Caliph) start to develop feeling for each other.
#1.: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson: I am going to be honest the first four books were in no particular order, but this one is by far my favorite, so I saved the best for last. This is a moving story taking place in Neverland before Wendy arrived. In this book Neverland can be reached from the normal world by ship, but people never really go there anyway. Lost boys don't fly, it is just a legend. And the reason why they don't grow up is, because at some point everyone on the the island stops growing.This story is told by Tinker Bell, and it tells the story of Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. Tiger Lily is part of the tribe, but she never really feels she fits in. Her father is a shaman of the tribe. When she meets Peter in the woods they start to have this weird friendship and of course they fall in love. But since they are both weird and stubborn their love is very interesting. And then Wendy arrives and everything changes. If you haven't read this one, I totally recommend it.
These are my favorite retellings let me know in the comments, what are your favorite retellings or if you have read any of the books above, let me know your opinion about them.
Bye
Bianka

Captain America: Civil War movie-talk

Hello Everyone,
Since I haven't done a movie review in a while, coming out of the cinema yesterday, I definitely felt like I should, because the movie I saw really made me think and I got inspired.
Today I saw the new Captain America: Civil War movie and I though I would share my thoughts about it in a post. I like Marvel movies a lot and even the TV shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Daredevil. For me it's very interesting how they make the stories cross and how they build this world. I suspect it is not easy. After the second Avengers movie, I felt a little bit disappointed, because it was depressive and too "deep" for me. So when I first saw the trailer for this movie I began to be very excited, because I was ready for a good superhero movie. And after Deadpool came out I knew it will be good.
In my opinion it's not really fair to call this a Captain America movie, because it was basically an Avengers movie. The plot was well built up and every character knew their purpose in the story. The plot was fast from the beginning and it only slowed down, when it was necessary. The fun part was there as well and it was just the right amount in order to loosen up the tension.
The main question of the movie was the interesting part for me. It was about the boundaries, which even a superhero shouldn't cross and about power too. How can the government let these people run around without boundaries or if they need any in order to be able to do their jobs. This was the cause of the main conflict and it was sad for me, because on the two sides the "leaders" were my two favorite superheroes. And yes they are both the good guys, but even on the good side there can be bad decisions. They can have different values, which they have a right to protect. This fight gave an opportunity to a lot of other superheroes from other movies to show up and this was the very best part of the movie. There was the big fight scene and there wasn't even an evil criminal. Only the good guys fought. With each other. This was definitely the movie, where not just the action scenes were interesting. Also this was the movie where Spiderman showed up in the Marvel universe first time in ages and although I liked Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, but Tom Holland was doing great in his new role and I am interested to see how he does in future movies.
My favorite character was Captain America aka Rogers, because he stood out for what he thought is right and he believed in his friend even when no one else did. That is real friendship and for me in a hero those are very important values.
Tony Stark aka Iron Man wasn't as funny as in the previous movies, but I liked this more serious part of of him a lot.
So if you love this genre then you should definitely go and watch it, you won't regret it. And if you want to see a movie with epic action scenes then go and watch it. 
If you have seen the movie I would love to hear your opinion about it in the comments.
See you later,
Bianka

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski review

Hi Everyone, 
I know it's been a long time since I have posted a review, but now I finally have the time to write one about the Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski.  This is the 3rd book in the series and I couldn't wait for it to come out. But at the same time I didn't know if the author is capable of giving the right ending to the series. I don't even know why I doubted. If you haven't read the first two books in the Winner'

s trilogy or the 3rd, don't continue reading if you don't want to be spoiled.
So overall I think it was a great book and it was a good closure for this series. Although there were some weird situations. First, is it just me or the fact that Kestrel forgot everything by the time Arin came to save her, felt like a telenovela?! It was a risky move from the author, but it fit perfectly into the plot. I liked that it was taking place in the war and as a character both Arin and Kestrel grew so much. At first I was a bit nervous about Kestrels amnesia, but at the end I get why it was necessary. Kestrel needed this dramatic change of heart, in order to participate in the story of this book. And Arin is still one of my favorite character in this series, because he grew so much and changed so much, while staying true to himself. The thing, which bothered me was the God of Death inside of his head. I don't know what was the purpose of it, but it was really bothering me. It could've been represented as a simple inside voice or something.
My favorite character in this book was definitely Roshar. He always knew what to say, whether something serious or funny. It would have been interesting to see some of the chapters from his point of view. And the friendship between him and Arin was one of the best bromances in YA in my opinion.
When Kestrel and the General met at the end it was very emotional, at least for me and in my opinion it was one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the book. Reading that scene, I didn't know what to expect, because it was such a weird situation in my opinion and there wasn't really a good solution to the problem.
The war part of the story was very realistic and well written and I felt like I am actually on the battlefield. Speaking of that, I don't think this war will ever be over and at some point in the book it was revealed. I liked this negative aspect to the ending and deep down it made the goodbye from the series a little less sad, because I know these characters will always be up to something.
The writing was also very amazing, although trough the middle it was a little bit slower, but it was slow at the right points of the story. I'm going to be honest, dual point of view was never my favorite in books, but Marie Rutkoski made me love it. It switched between Arin and Kestrel right when something important was about to happens I had to keep reading. 
Needless to say my love for this series only grew after this book and I am very glad that after the second book I didn't put it down. If you have read this series, what was your opinion about it? Leave a comment down below.
Until next time,
B

I finished high school

Hey Everyone,
Sorry for these past couple of weeks, I was just very busy with studying and I couldn't think about anything else but learning. I didn't feel inspired and all I could write about was learning. So, today I graduated from high school and I still have some exams to complete, but on paper I am not a high school student anymore. And honestly this makes me the happiest and the saddest person on earth. I seriously don't know how I feel about this. In order to celebrate this big day in my life I thought I would share my high school experience with you and altogether what happened in my senior year.
Actually there is not much to say about my first four years in high school, because nothing really happened. I was a good student, I had a couple of friends, but I didn't feel like I fit in. Everyone was very nice, but I was too angry at the world and I was not comfortable with myself. I wasn't in a good place in my life.
When my senior year started I just simply wanted to get better emotionally and slowly I spent more time with my classmates and it was simple. At the beginning of the school year I had a leg injury, so I couldn't go to training for about three or four weeks. Suddenly I could go out to eat with them after school and somehow it was just easier. It's still hard sometimes to be open and talk to new people, but I am doing better and better everyday. Just in this one year I found friends, who I want to keep contact with even after we are ready with the exams. I was very nervous usually when I had to talk with teachers, but throughout this year I learned that they don't bite. Long story short, this year was awesome, because a lot of things changed for the better.
Also this was the year I launched my blog and believe me, although I have loved writing since I remember, sharing it on the internet is a different thing. So this was a big step for me and it still is. There are so many posts waiting to be published, but I always change my mind. One day you will see them.
I just wrote this quick post, to let you know that even if you don't enjoy your high school years, you can benefit from it and maybe it will get better in the most unexpected moment. And also I am very grateful if you follow my posts on this blog or if you tell your opinion about them, because I know I am still learning and every little comment is a big help.
Until next time,
B

HOW TO SURVIVE EXAMS

Hi Everyone, I'm so tired I cannot even tell you. I have three weeks left until my big final-exams. I just want to get over with it, but I'm kind of sad, because high-school will be over. Since a lot of my friends have exams coming up as well, I thought I would show you, how I get ready for the exams and how do I manage to stay focused and motivated, because if someone should be crowned as the queen of procrastinating, then it would be me for sure. So here are my tips and tricks:
#1.  Don't panic! - I know, it's hard not to panic (I do it all the time) , but always try to stay calm, because if you are more relaxed, it will be easier to study.
#2. Always start studying in time.- This one is pretty obvious and self-explanatory, but if you start the work earlier, it will be much easier at the end, because you won't have the stress of not being prepared on top of the "before-exam-nerves". And it is important too, because your brain needs time to store everything you learned and put it to your long-term memory if you skip this step there is a big chance you won't remember the whole thing.
#3. Make a schedule. - This tip helped me a lot, since I am not an organized person, when it comes to studying. Plan which days you are doing for example  math or history. Because that way you'll know exactly, what you have to do each day and you won't be desperate at the end of the week, because you didn't study literature for example.
#4. Time is the key. - The one method, which was working for me was to study in 45 minute time-periods and then take a little break, 10 minutes maybe, eat something, go to the bathroom or go outside a little bit. It really helps, since it is very hard for me to sit in one place for a long time.
#5. Set goals. - This can be a long-term goal (which is important to have), but you can set daily goals, which will help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you know, what you are working for, it will definitely make you more motivated. Setting realistic goals is something you have to think of too, because let's face it: we are not superhumans to learn everything overnight.
#6. Listen to music. - I started to do this recently and it really works. I don't listen to my favorite songs, while I 'm learning, but Spotify has some great playlists for this purpose. Just open your Spotify-
app and go to browse and then to focus and there you have a bunch of playlists to keep you from the boring silence, while studying.
#7. Have some time for yourself. - It seems pretty obvious, but some people don't rest or take time to relax, while studying for an exam. Obviously it isn't the time to lay around all day, but you have to know, when to put down your book or your notebook to have some sleep, have a relaxing bath or read something. Or even go out, have a coffee or see a friend. I would skip night-outs at this time of the year, just because it takes away a whole entire day afterwards as well. Balance is the keyword to be prepared and stay sane at the same time.
I hope you enjoyed reading my tips and tricks for studying and surviving an exam. Let me know in the comments if you try any of them out and also if they worked or not. And last but not least, if you have an exam coming up, then stay strong, keep your head up it will be over soon and most importantly GOOD LUCK!
Until next time
B

Me before you by Jojo Moyes review

Hi, 
I just finished this amazing book and apparently it's hard to stop crying or stop being so angry. I'm sooooo angry at this book, I cannot even put it into words. And it's not the bad kind of angry, it's the sad kind of angry. You probably guessed it by now, I read Me before you by Jojo Moyes. Everyone has been talking about it in the book community and I saw the trailer for the movie, so I  wanted to read it and see it for myself, why is this book so hyped up. This book made me feel so many emotions and if I'm honest, it wasn't quite what I expected. I expected it to be more about the love, but instead it was more about the decisions, more about the friendship and the fact that sometimes we can't save, who we want to save or we can not make them stay, even when we love them. I think Clark and Will have the cutest friendship in book history. For me their love wasn't that important in this book. Of course it was there, we could see it and there was even a big moment, but it didn't make much difference. Because the most important thing in my opinion were the things they taught each other and the memories and feelings they gave each other. I was hoping, Will will change his mind, but towards the end I kne

w he wouldn't. It was heartbreaking. And parts of me can understand him, but the other part of me is screaming at him for doing that. Louisa is the absolute hero, because I think it would be very hard to stay positive in a situation like this. But she managed it and I think this was the biggest lesson of her life. The scene at the clinic was the most heart-wrenching, because we all knew what's going to happen, but they were just lying there together and telling each other how good the six months together were.
I think this book is about possibilities and to use our opportunities, because they are there just once. Yes, this book was painful, but it also made me think about a lot of things in my life and I like it, when a book makes me question some parts of my life. On some ways every book, every story has a lesson or two about life, even if it's obvious or is something you already know. This book thought me life is short and your possibilities are there to take them and use them to get the best out of yourself. And also it taught me that it doesn't matter how crazy you're brother/sister or parents are, you can count on them when you need them.
Thanks for reading my review, if you read the book, please share your opinion about it in the comments.
Bye Bianka

March Wrap Up

Hey Everyone,
today I'm here with my March wrap-up. I managed to read four books this month, beside learning for my final exams. The next month will be extremely stressful for me, so I was glad that I read four books this month. So here are the books I managed to finish in March:
Conspiracy of blood and smoke by Anne Blankman: I was so excited to read this book and I wasn'T disappointed at all. It's the sequel to Prisoners of night and fog. I have a review about this if you are interested click the link: http://booksdreamsandlifestyle.blogspot.hu/2016/03/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke-by-anne.html
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick: This was a fast read contemporary novel. It was about first love and it was so cute. Click the link for the review: http://booksdreamsandlifestyle.blogspot.hu/2016/03/hey-everyone-sorry-for-uploading-this.html
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard: A fantastic sequel, with amazing plot-twists and I can not wait for the next book to come out. And let's be honest, you can not really resist that cover. Spoiler review: http://booksdreamsandlifestyle.blogspot.hu/2016/03/glass-sword-book-review-spoilers.html
Me before you by Jojo Moyes: Everyone has been talking about this one, so I thought: Why not read it?! And it made me think and cry and laugh at the same time. And that cover is also very pretty.  Click the link for review:
http://booksdreamsandlifestyle.blogspot.hu/2016/04/hi-i-just-finished-this-amazing-book.html
So these are the books, which ones I read through March. Basically beside reading I haven't done much this month, okay, probably I freak out daily, because of my exam coming, but other than that I think I had a pretty good reading month. If you have read any of these books, I would really like to know your opinion about them, so please write it in the comments.
Until next time,
B