• Books Best Book Series: The Harry Potter Series
    It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of the teenage wizard and the seven increasingly lengthy stories that featured him. Published between 1997 and 2007, the books were the defining pieces of literature for a whole generation of young people. The stories, which tell of Harry, an orphan who grows up without knowing he has […]
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  • Books Best Book Series: The Hunger Games
    Katniss Everdeen lives in a post-apocalyptic version of the USA, where inhabitants’ movements are restricted to the districts in which they were born. Condemned to a life of hard work, Katniss works hard to feed her family. However, when her name is pulled from a hat, she is chosen as a participant in the Hunger […]
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  • Books Best Book Series: Artemis Fowl
    Described as ‘Die Hard, with fairies’, the Artemis Fowl series is an incredible mix of James Bond-style gadgets, violence, crime and humour. Artemis is a twelve-year-old genius determined to earn lots of money and become a super-villain. After he captures a fairy to hold for ransom, he engages in an increasingly dangerous battle of wits. […]
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  • Books Best Book Series: Twilight
    Whilst for some, this might seem like a fairly controversial choice, the incredible popularity that the Twilight saga (both films and books) has had over the years means that it has to feature somewhere on our list! Protagonist Bella moves to a new city, where she falls in love with a gorgeous yet mysterious boy […]
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  • Books Best Book Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
    This Percy Jackon and the Olympians series came about when the author Rick Riordan’s son requested yet another bedtime story based on the Ancient Greek myths. This collection of books has been a huge hit with everyone from primary school upwards. The stories follow the life of Percy Jackson, a demi-god and son of Poseidon. […]
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  • Books Best Book Series: Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
    The Mortal Engines series, by Philip Reeve, is a futuristic dystopia, set in a post-apocalyptic world where people live in large cities and travel around consuming one another in a bid to win increasingly scarce resources. Whilst science fiction isn’t for everyone, these stories work as a parable for modern times and our environmental battle […]
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  • Books Best Book Series: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J R R Tolkien
    Written largely during the Second World War, The Lord of the Rings is, as a trilogy, one of the best-selling books of all time. Originally written as a follow-up to Tolkien’s children’s novel, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings tells the tale of Frodo Baggins and his companions as they seek to destroy a magic […]
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  • Books Top 5 Daisy Jones and the Six songs
    Daisy Jones and the Six is a great example of an excellent best-selling book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, being turned into a great show. However, the show made a few changes by incorporating songs into a story that is deemed to be loosely based on the emergence of the  Fleetwood Mac.  5. ‘Aurora’ ‘Aurora’ is […]
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  • Books Book Review: Animal Farm
    Animal Farm is a book, which, many would think is about animals on a farm, however, the message is far more advanced. The short answer is that it is about the dangers of communism. Animal Farm is aimed at 13+ but can be read by any age. The farm is run by Farmer Jones, but […]
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  • Books Book Review: The Bunker Diary
    The Bunker Diary is written by British author Kevin Brooks. It was published in 2013. Many people wanted it banned for its disturbing themes and dark plot. However, in 2014 it won the Carnegie Medal. Plot We follow 16-year-old Linnus as he writes about his experience in a diary. One day he was walking along […]
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  • Books Book Review: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
    This amazing murder mystery thriller is written by British writer Holly Jackson. It is an extremely enjoyable read. If you love thrilling and exhilarating books that keep you up at night desperate to know what happens next, this book will be right up your street. What’s more, there are 2 other books in the series […]
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  • Books Book vs Film: The Hunger Games
    Would you prefer to read and envision the story of the Hunger Games in your mind or would you prefer to lie back and watch a multitude of talented actors tell you the story? Either way, both ways are successful in conveying a brilliant storyline. Whether you have already read the fun series, have never […]
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  • Books Book review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
    ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ is written by Taylor Jenkins Reid and is easily considered to be one of the best ‘booktok’ books. It is filled with plot twists and some unexpected moments. It is filled with characters who are made to be hateable and characters who are made to be likeable. It is […]
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  • Books Is Benjamin Dean’s “The King is Dead” Worth the Read?
    The King is Dead is a queer and scandalous book involving the royal family and racism. It’s about a 17-year-old boy called James and he is the next king. It is up to James to lead Britain and to be the country’s first black king. However, the population of the country he is set to […]
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  • Books Book review: Song of Achilles
    The Song of Achilles tells the story of the mightiest Trojan warriors. Achilles and his lover Patroclus grow, fight and love their way through one of the most brutal wars in Greek mythology. What makes it stand out? Firstly, let’s just say that Madeline Miller has created a literary masterpiece. She has shaped the story […]
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  • Books Book Review: Holding
    Graham Norton’s debut novel Holding attracted significant media attention and glowing reviews. Most likely because Graham Norton of The Graham Norton Show wrote a fiction crime novel. Presumably most reviewers would have liked to slate it for some kind of self-gratifying purpose. I hate it when celebrities get book deals. Half of them can’t write; it’s never usually because […]
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  • Books Book Review: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
    When Charlotte Brontë called her sister Anne’s book The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a “mistake” and prevented it from being published for ten years, I do think she was being rather severe. Anne Brontë’s second novel is not the masterpiece Jane Eyre is or Wuthering Heights. I am hesitant to call it a masterpiece at all, but there are […]
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  • Books Book Review: A Monster Calls
    A Monster Calls is one of the most renowned books of the 21st century. Patrick Ness, its author and flame-carrier, is just as renowned. There is a reason for that. A Monster Calls is one of the most moving, brilliantly executed, and informative novels I’ve read in a while. I’m possibly too old to be considered the target […]
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  • Books Five books you need to read
    I may sound like an incessant English teacher– but reading really is so beneficial for everyone. Reading for just 30 minutes per day can help reduce stress, improve your memory, and increase your vocabulary. The escapism that novels can offer is comforting, and through reading, you truly learn so much more about yourself and the […]
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  • Books Book Review: The Color Purple
    The Color Purple feels strange to write in American English. It would feel somehow wrong and a disservice to such a touching, thoughtful, and pure novel to add that “u” into the title, though. So, I won’t. Alice Walker’s writing is uniquely American, in the same way that Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird carries that […]
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  • Books Book Review: The Love Hypothesis
    The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is the latest read from my to-be-read list that has been interrupted by my studies, but we all need a break from Plato every now and then. I didn’t know what to expect from the book. I don’t read many romantic books, but this was recommended by friends, Twitter, […]
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  • Books Book Review: Bridget Jones’s Diary
    The Bridget Jones’s Diary empire is synonymous with the nineties; it has (rightly) achieved legendary chick-flick status; is renowned for being comedy gold; and criticised just enough to make the whole thing semi-controversial. The last part depends on who you ask. But Bridget Jones’s Diary hasn’t always been that mega bucks film starring Texan Renee […]
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  • Books Book Review: Beautiful World, Where Are You
    Sally Rooney has had a stratospheric rise to fame and success after the publication of her first two novels, Conversations with Friends and (of course) Normal People. Both novels have received widespread critical acclaim, with the latter cementing Rooney as perhaps the frontrunner of millennial literature. Beautiful World, Where Are You only serves to compound this reputation. This novel, […]
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  • Books Book Review: Ace of Spades
     Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. This book was an unexpected buy, but the premise of the book had me hooked. A Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars-type thriller but with two black leads who are LGBTQ? Sign me up! In fact, the plot is so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I can see […]
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  • Books Book Review: The Midnight Library
    Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library was a Sunday Times number one bestseller. Why? For the life of me, I cannot fathom it. That’s personally, though. If I look at the general state of the world and publishing as it is, I can totally see why. The Midnight Library is essentially a mix of everything this society has come to superficially […]
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  • Books From Child Hunger to Child Literacy
    Never one to see a person sit on the bench for long, Marcus Rashford is now ready to take on literacy after tackling child hunger last year. Teaming up with powerhouse publisher, Macmillan, the England footballer is launching a book club that will provide books to disadvantaged children in 850 primary schools across England and […]
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  • Books Book Review: Triple Cross by Tom Bradby
    Well, the first thing I have to say about this book is that it is an absolute cracker. Tom Bradby returns on top form for the final instalment of his spy thriller with Triple Cross and I was, in no uncertain terms, hooked from the off. Triple Cross picks up where Double Agent left off. MI6 […]
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  • Books Book Review: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
    Well, here I am at ten to one in the morning having completed Three Women. Before I proceed, this book – and so this review – is not suitable for a younger audience. Three Women is at its core, a reportage-novel hybrid about sex and power, which manifests itself in the following trigger warnings: rape, […]
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  • Books Book Review: 1984 by George Orwell
    1/5 1984 is always cited as one of the best books ever written. It’s supposed to be intelligent, sharp and profound. Instead, I found it to be dull, rambling and unremarkable. Oh, and rampantly sexist. George Orwell was clever – I’ve read his essays and I like them. But 1984? It was hard to believe […]
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  • Books Book Review: The Light Between Oceans
    5/5 Three things are rare when it comes to me and books. First, someone buys me a book and I actually like it; second, it takes me less than two weeks to read a book; and third, I pass a book on to my grandma because I think it’s so good. M L Stedman’s The […]
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  • Books Book Review: Secret Service, Tom Bradby
    5/5 Heavyweight ITV journalist Tom Bradby is best known for presenting the news each night at 10pm on our TV screens. But, for those who care to follow him on Twitter, you will know he also has another talent up his sleeve: writing. His latest novel Secret Service proves very well that he is exceptionally […]
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  • Books Tin Can Cook: A New Way To Cook on a Budget
    Jack Monroe is almost a scientist in the way she experiments with food. She takes the experimenting to a whole new level in her latest cookbook Tin Can Cook. The canned food-based recipe book is food blogger and anti-poverty activist Jack Monroe’s fourth cookbook. For anybody who hasn’t done much cooking, the wording of the […]
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  • Books Book Review: You Got This
    5/5 You Got This by Bryony Gordon is all about being yourself and being true to yourself. The book, published in May this year, openly talks about and explores topics such as self-respect, body image, mental health and more. Each chapter of You Got This has a different theme, but all of them have one […]
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  • Books Book Review: Can You See Me?
    Can You See Me? is a book written by author duo Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott. In the book, we learn about the life of Tally, an eleven-year-old girl with autism. When we first meet Tally, it’s the last day of the summer holidays, and the next day, Tally is going off to secondary school […]
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  • Books Review: No One Is Too Small, Greta Thunberg
    4/5 As the UK experiences a sweltering heatwave which has seen the hottest day on record ever, it’s no wonder climate change is on the agenda. We all know it’s happening – why else would parts of the UK be as hot as Dubai in July? Climate change activist Greta Thunberg hits the nail on […]
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  • Books Book Review: Say Her Name
    Juno Dawson’s Say Her Name, published in 2014, offers a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat classic horror book experience. This book is an intriguing page-turner for young teenagers and one that must be read by all. Mary Worthington, a student at Piper Hall, is at the centre of Say Her Name. Mary Worthington is the real name of […]
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  • Books Book Review: Payback
    Payback, an enigmatic anti-capitalist group staffed by teens, has one mission: to steal from the rich and give to the poor. Its dramatic heists create a sensation. But when excitable Payback fan Tom is recruited, he accidentally brings with him a shady money man, Mr. Ruiz. And he’s not the only one on their tail. […]
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  • Books Why we need the Grinch more than Jesus
    Mediocre recent adaptations aside, I really like the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It’s a fable of the dangers of self-isolation, superiority complexes and shunning joy. The Grinch is a symbol equalling Ebenezer Scrooge in cultural ubiquity during December. And he’s better than Scrooge. Because he’s green and looks better on an ironic Christmas […]
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  • Books Film review: Fantastic Beasts – The Crimes of Grindelwald
    I wasn’t going to write this review. Someone else was going to have to cover this because I doubted my ability to think objectively due to my deep unconditional love of all things Harry Potter. I needn’t have worried about that. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the sequel to 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where […]
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  • Books Film review: The Grinch
    Kudos to the genius who had the idea to release a film about a being who hates Christmas in November. That’s a finger on the zeitgeist right there. The Grinch is the latest 86-minute adaptation of a 69-page children’s book. It depicts Benedict Cumberbatch’s Grinch as he plans his dastardly scheme while Whoville prepares for Christmas. […]
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  • Books A beginners guide to… Marvel films
    In the eighties/nineties, Marvel comics was on the verge of bankruptcy. They were kept afloat because they had the license to produce Star Wars comics but otherwise they were literally selling filing cabinets to stay in business. So for a bit of a cash boost, Marvel sold the film rights to their most valuable characters […]
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  • Books Book Review: Persuasion
    4.5/5 After reading Pride and Prejudice and feeling totally disappointed, my hopes were as low as can be when I started reading Persuasion. It reads basically the same as Austen’s most famous work, but Persuasion is undoubtedly filled with more wit and humour accessible to any reader than P&P, making it much more bearable in […]
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  • Books Four worst fictional holiday destinations
    I’m aware that the majority of you are just coming to the end of your holidays and packing bags for school/uni. I, however, I have completed my MA this morning and, rather than celebrate this, I felt I’d waste your time with 500 words or so. I’m looking through travel mags and airline sites to […]
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  • Books B**P REWIND: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
    Truman Capote’s classic novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s is brief, wistful and filled with a prominent sense of longing from both the unnamed narrator and Holly Golightly, the protagonist. Published in 1958,the novella follows a year and a half in Holly Golightly’s company – something that is rare, as precious as a diamond and as sought […]
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  • Books 4 Sidekicks who are better than the hero
    It’s a thankless job being a sidekick. You have to go through the same adversity the protagonist does and at the end of it, all you get is a lousy pat on the head and (in Chewbacca’s case) not even a medal. What the hell Leia? For your viewing pleasure, here’s our list of sidekicks […]
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  • Books The worst superhero roommates
    Many of us know the struggle of trying to organise friends into finally getting the deposit down on that flat. The search for housemates at uni is arduous and taxing. Except for council-tax, obviously. It’s understandable why some impressionable young people would decide: “you know what, screw it. I’m gonna live with a superhero”. I […]
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  • Books George RR Martin Delays GoT Book Again
    Author of the esteemed Game of Thrones books, George RR Martin has delayed the next book in the series to release an ‘imaginary history’, of the house of Targaryens. Martin revealed that The Winds of Winter wouldn’t be coming in 2018. The last book that was released was A Dance with Dragons, in 2011. This […]
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  • Books Tracy Beaker the Single Mother
    If there’s one book character who deserves a follow-up story, it’s Tracy Beaker. Written by Jacqueline Wilson, the books and TV show followed Tracy, a young girl who had been abandoned by her mother and placed into a children’s home nicknamed the Dumping Ground. Fans of the show will know that Tracy was very hard […]
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