Retail Happy Boost

At the moment Waterstones is having a promotion in order to boost their sales. Obviously, having one on my campus and being a sucker for not wanting to have them go bust, I complied. It involves collecting 10 stamps, one for every £10 spent, to then receive a "free" £10 gift card. So essentially, you're paying £100 for a £10 gift card. Normally I wouldn't be silly enough to pay for their prices but being an English student I didn't mind so much buying a couple of my required texts in exchange for stamps.

So I got down to 7 stamps and then thought I'd get the last three with books I've been wanting to buy for months.

This just so happened to fall on the publishing date of the standard paperback version of Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear. It was originally published back in November, but I'd bought the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle series, The Name of the Wind, in standard paperback form (and if you've seen the ridiculous difference in size between the two, you'd understand why I waited!) That and the fact I still can't read the second instalment until precisely the 11th May. The first book had me gripped from the beginning and if you love fantasy novels of wizards with a bit more oompf, I highly recommend you get your mits on it! (Official review still to be made once I've had the delight of rereading it for your purposes. And my own :P)

I also decided to get the first book in Riordan's second series of children's books, Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero. Despite being at the age of 18 when I read them, I thoroughly enjoyed the Percy Jackson books and love the film! Naturally I was very excited to hear they're making the second book into a film in 2013. So for a few months I've been deliberating whether to give his second lot a go, but again, this shall have to wait until I have finished university (in a few weeks time may I add! Scary stuff.)

As for John Green, I have a copy of all but one of his books (An Abundance of Katherines) and I have to say so far, I've been less than thrilled with his work. Having said that, I'm 19 and studying literature. But having always been a sucker for adolescent fiction with a gripping plot, Green just hasn't pushed my buttons. Still, I thought I'd give his newest publication, The Fault in Our Stars, a chance and hey-presto, I got my gift card.

Fourthly, I went to Smiths and purchased the flowery item in the bottom left corner. Just for my general ramblings. I'm currently in possession of 5 different journals and still not one of them is for my writing. I just haven't found the perfect bound for my ideas just yet but they are floating in my brain patiently waiting.

For now,

Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.