Monthly Book Review - April

"She read's books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live" - Annie Dillard

Well the month of April is officially over so its time for us to review our April books. The book's this month were Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Longest Date, Life as a Wife by Cindy Shupack.
I will start will Never Let Me Go as The Longest Date had to be ordered in and I am still waiting GRRRR, hopefully it will arrived soon and I will review it just a little late.

I personally had a hard time with Never Let Me Go, as someone who has received organ donations in the past, will most likely need them in the future and has a little sister who will need one soon this book really struck me. I imagine I would never accept a donation from a living person with the knowledge that they had been bread to produce the organ however if I my little sister was on deaths door then I would insist she accept the organ. 

SUMMARY:

Never Let Me Go is the story of Kathy a girl who has grown up in a world where human cloning is not only achievable but is a part of everyday life. She grows up at a boarding school where all the students are clones, cannot reproduce, will one day leave the school and become carers for older generations of students who are donating their organs before they eventually become donors too.
The book begins as Kathy is caring for a donor and then jumps back in time to when she was a young girl at Hailsham board school to tell the tale of how she became the carer she is now and the relationships she creates at Halisham which change upon leaving the relative sheltered life at boarding school.

THE CHARACTERS: Kathy the main narrator in the book is a curious girl, who seems to accept her fate without too much resistance. Kathy recalls memories throughout the book when she is trying to discover exactly where she learnt her fate. Kathy is a strong and compassionate character that takes to becoming a carer well which is quite possibly why she continues to be a carer much longer than her friends.

Ruth is Kathy's best friend a school, a strong willed yet fragile girl that craves attention. It is clear throughout the book that Ruth has trouble accepting her fate, this is shown through her want to meet her "possible" and her belief of the rumor that Halisham students can defer when met with true love. Throughout the book I can't help but feel sorry for Ruth, she wants so much more than what is given to her in this life.

Tommy is the last main character originally Ruth's boyfriend through out schooling and time at the cottages. Ruth's love of Tommy obviously not the same as Tommy's love for Ruth and this is seen through his constant misunderstandings and squabbles with Ruth. Eventually Tommy and Kathy get together but you can feel the urgency of the relationship and the almost emptiness that perhaps Kathy could be anybody at that point to Tommy as he didn't want to be alone. 

THEMES:
Worth- I felt that the main theme of this book was obviously worth, is one person's life worth more that another person's/creature/animal. If we are to venture down the slippery slope of creating clones for organs at what point does it become to much? When do we stop?

Death -  If we are born knowing what our death will be caused from and that we are there to help prolong another person's life does that make death any less imposing? 

Like I said I finished this book with more questions about what is acceptable in society than I had thought I would have when beginning this book. I am not sure that I would suggest this book to other people as I found it slow in some chapters and almost confusing in others.

THE QUESTIONS:

When did you realize that Hailsham was not a boarding school?

What where your thoughts on the gallery? 

Do you think that the reason Madam and Miss Emily explained taking their cherished possessions really was acceptable?

What is your thoughts on the students having become carers and see all the trauma before becoming donors themselves?

Do you think that Kathy and Tommy should have been able to defer?

What did you think of the ending? Did you feel it left you asking questions?

Did you read these books? Do you have any book suggestions?

DIY Pom Pom Bunnies

Still in the Easter DIY theme, today's DIY is something you can do whilst trying to relax. The monotonous threading of the wool is extremely calming so maybe I should create a few more DIY's that involve this threading step.
For today's DIY I have made cute Pom Pom Bunnies

What you will need to make 2 bunnies:

• 3 balls of thick grey yarn
• 3 balls of thick white yarn
• thin hard plastic sheets
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• felt to match the colour of the yarn
• black beads
• fishing line
• cotton balls

How to create a DIY Pom Pom Bunny

Step 1

Start by cutting out 4 donuts shape from the thin hard plastic sheets, two should be large for the bodies and two should be small for the heads. Then begin winding the donut shapes with the thick grey or white yarn depending on what colour bunny you want.

Step 2

Once the donut shapes are completely wrapped with yarn cut the sides of the wrapped yarn so it frays open, tie a tight knot around the frayed yarn, then use the scissors to cut the plastic donuts off the yarn and continue to fluff the yarn so it forms a ball.

Step 3

Cut the fishing line into small pieces around 5cm depending on the size of your bunny, then tie the fishing line through the buttons holes and knot them around so they are firmly in place.

Step 4

Cut small ear shapes out of the felt and glue to the top of the small yarn ball to create the ears for the bunny.

Step 4

Glue the button and black beads onto the smaller yarn ball to create the bunnies face, then glue the small yarn ball to the larger yarn ball.

I hope you give this DIY a go I found it incredibly relaxing and super duper easy to make. 

What did you think of my DIY  Pom Pom Bunnie

Will you try to create me bunnies?

Monthly Favourites

"The problem is not the problem;

the problem is your attitude to the problem."

- Captain Jack Sparrow

Wow these months really are shooting past at light speed, I supposed because I am getting older and suddenly time seems so much shorter.

My monthly favourites in March........................

Maybelline Color Elixir in Fuchsia Flourish, I have been all about a glossy bright pink lip in march.

I binged watched the first season of American Horror Story and had to sleep with Disney movies on each night after I finished watching it because I was so scared to go to sleep.

The song Bills by LunchMoney Lewis, its so incredibly catchy that I can't stop singing it even when its driving me crazy! 

Youtuber Freelee the Banana Girl, she is this Vegan from Adelaide that eats ridiculous amounts of fruits a day and has massive rants about other health bloggers and I cant stop watching her videos because she is just so ridiculous, she is being sued at the moment for defamation and I really think she deserves it!

The book the Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, its one of the books in this months book club, check it out!

My DIY Easter Bunny Wreath tutorial, it was super fun to make and super adorable.

My chocolate dipped strawberry carrot recipe, super cute to make and tasted delicious.

My 26th Birthday, you can read all about my 26 favourite memories.

My Top blogging blunders post, lots of tips in that one.

Scooting off to my 2 week health retreat holiday that I am still currently on and will return back from on Saturday.

What were your March Favourites?

What did you think of mine?