Liebster Award Nomination | Chloe Hanks

I was so excited and honored to have been nominated by the wonderful Chloe Burston to take part in the Liebster Award blogger chain. The idea is that once nominated, you answer 11 question set by the blogger who nominated you and then you write 11 new questions. You then nominate more bloggers that you admire to answer your questions and then set their own and so on. I absolutely love the idea of this; it's a perfect way to discover new writers and also for your readers to get to know a bit more about you. 

 Here are the questions the fabulous Chloe (awesome name by the way) gave me to answer:

1.Why did you start blogging?
 Since a very early age I have loved words and creating things with them. I have always been an adventurous reader and writer and I had found myself abandoning that initial skill when I fell more in love with songwriting. Due to the fact that I can sometimes find music and performing a little overwhelming, I wanted to get back in touch with writing for my own purpose in a different style and a blog felt like the perfect platform to do that! 
2.If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?
I really want to visit Santorini in Greece and I'd love to tour the states of America. 
3.What is your favourite makeup brand?
In terms of higher end products, Too Faced is my absolute favourite because their makeup is really well pigmented and their eye shadow pallets are stunning. For a drugstore brand I love Maybelline's foundation. 
4.Do you prefer Tea or Coffee?
Always coffee. Caramel Lattes are the love of my life. 
5.What is your favourite animal?
Dog. I'm a sucker for cats too though.
6.Are you currently reading a book if so what is it?
The Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling. 
7.Do you prefer taking pictures for your blog or the writing content?
Writing the content, always. I find choosing the right words a lot more creative that taking a picture, although the photography can be fun too. 
8.What is your favourite meal?
Anything Italian. 
9.What are your goals for 2016?
My main focus is my A Levels, and hopefully take and pass my driving test sometime this year. I'd also like to take some time for myself and hopefully become the best version of myself that I can be. I feel like thats a very vague answer but it seems like a good idea to always have bettering yourself as a goal. 
10.Name one beauty product you can’t live with out
Micellar Cleansing Water. 
11.Who is your favourite youtuber?
The Michalak Family are my favourite youtubers because their videos are stunningly edited and they put so much work into what they do. They're the most under-rated vloggers and just such humble and honest people. It's so inspiring to watch. 

I'd like to nominate the following bloggers to take part, simply because they are genuinely lovely people that inspire me and I have enjoyed their writing thoroughly!

Ellen Larson 

Jamie Bryson

Jessica Keitley 

Alix Evans

Here are the 11 questions I nominate these bloggers to answer:

1. Which writer has had the biggest influence on your written work?
2. What are the main inspirations behind what you write about?
3. What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?
4. What fact can you name that not many people know about you?
5. What is your biggest pet hate?
6. Who is your favourite musician?
7. What is your go to comfort food?
8. What movie do you watch when you're sad?
9. What was the last song you listened to?
10. What is your favourite dessert?
11. Blogging aside, what is your favourite hobby?

 Make sure to nominate more bloggers and set your own 11 questions for them to answer. 

All The Light We Cannot See | Review

In his compelling and tragic tale of a wartime, star-crossed love, Doerr skillfully swerves to avoid cliches and audience expectations. This novel is perfect if you want to expand your reading collection, vocabulary and writing style. Doerr tells his tale through the tragic misfortunes of Marie-Laure and Werner in their alternate countries of France and Germany throughout the Second World War; however, he juxtaposes common anticipations by exploring with his English speaking audience the story of the assumed villain rather than a spectacular wartime hero. In a story unlike any wartime novel I have read before, Doerr manages to strike empathy as well as curiosity from his gripped readers. 

 Although the issues raised can be somewhat overwhelming, the resolution leaves the reader with enough closure to move on, keeping the stories of these characters with them, without answering all of our questions. As a direct result, Doerr provides a new outlook on the infamous war. Doerr also tackles the issues of prisoners of war, the Hitler Youth and wartime rape, including the future impact on the personas in a tasteful style that will leave the reader thinking rather than feeling uncomfortable. The character development introduces more complex personas that the audience can connect with- Marie-Laure loses her sight early on in the novel which subtly enhances the audience's empathy with her later sense of loss. It is stunningly captivating. Similarly, Werner's innocent ignorance within his involvement in the Hitler Youth emphasises the question of who the villains of this war really were. Thus allowing a deeper insight into the tragedy of that lost generation. Doerr exposes callous prejudices that were a ripple effect of these injustices. 

 Each chapter within this novel is a work of pure art; my favourite being entitled, 'The Sea Of Flames.' Doerr's captivating imagery, symbolism and vocabulary emits a sense of learning throughout the book. Whilst discovering new words and vocabulary, Doerr manages to subtly teach a broader lesson to his readers. 

 The book in its entirety can be hard to digest at times with a lot going on at once and a complex narrative style. As readers, we follow an abundance of interlinking stories across broad time periods; however, if you continue, allowing the links to connect, the confusion is replaced with a new outlook and perspective that leaves the reader resolved yet always wanting to know more about what happened to the lost characters slipping through the pages. By shedding very little light on Marie-Laure and Werner as lovers, though he no doubt falls deeply for her, Doerr creates their sense of emptiness within his readers who subsequently wish there had been more for them. Overall, it is a captivating read and a skillful allegory that opens the eyes of readers in a riveting new way.