Careview: A Review of Caraval

Caraval is the debut novel from Stephanie Garber. It is a novel with incredible flair, especially for a debut. The protagonist, Scarlett Dragna, has always dreamed of going to Caraval (sort of a cross between a fair and an escape room-style game on a massive scale) along with her sister, Tella. Once they get there, Tella is taken, to be what the other participants must find before the end of Caraval.

Scarlett will stop at nothing to find her younger sister, who she's been protecting her entire life. Is it me, or has this plot been altogether too common in YA as of late? Both sisters are very different people - Scarlett is cautious, almost fearful, and Tella is flighty, almost reckless. What I like most about this is that we're not just told the sisters are like that - it effects every choice they both make and everything they do throughout the book. Julian, who first leads the sisters to Caraval, is the source of much of the mystery for the book, as Scarlett, and the reader, tries to learn who he really is.

One thing this book does well is setting the scene early. Within the first few pages, the reader will have a pretty good idea of what Caraval is. The reader also has glimpsed the sisters' personalities, and how horrible their father can be. This is neatly shown in one scene where the sisters are trying to convince their father they were the one who was with Julian - at first, the reader might think it's just standard sisterly behaviour, trying blame it on the other. But it becomes clear that they were trying to protect the other - if one of them misbehaves, their father punishes the other sister. This shows why Scarlett feels it's so important to go through with her marriage as their only way out, and why Tella is so desperate to get them to Caraval. A lot of things make sense after that.

The descriptions are enchanting, utilising even purple prose well, to really bring the reader into the world. You'll feel like you're actually there, at Caraval, where everything is magic (or is it)? The air even has a certain scent, the colours feel brighter, and everything feels more alive. The author uses similes like they're going out a fashion - "sand so fluffy and white, it looked like the icing on a cake" - to give one example. Scarlett's emotions are described by colour - periwinkle curiosity, ashy shades of anxiety- but it's inconsistent, not done every time she feels something. It may have become annoying if it was more common, but it feels underdeveloped as it. The book also seems to have a slight aversion to the word said, but it's not bad enough to ruin it.

It's a very fast-paced read, I read it in literally a day. Pages fly by before you even notice they've gone. Since it's such an easy read, I feel it's one I'm going to enjoy even on rereads, too. Something new happens on almost every page. There are many twists and turns that while you may figure out some of them, you'll never figure out all of them.

Perfect for any fan of fantasy, mystery and adventure, this story is one that will pick you up and sweep you away.

Turning Twenty-five

Today is my 25th birthday.

Something in my head has marked 25 as the last year you can be young, and be forgiven for it. I'm still living with my parents, and I'm studying something where the majority of my classmates are 16. Sometimes, I feel like a failure compared to others my age. But then I think about what I do that others don't, and I feel a little better. I know it's not like I'm the only 25-year-old who's still living at home, but many of the ones I know have moved out. Still, that's the sort of thing that different people manage in their own time.

25 is halfway to fifty, and I can't deny I'm getting older, but I'm also feeling better and better as I get older. I'm more accepting of things now, then when I was young. I would berate myself for every minor mistake, and stress over every tiny thing I didn't like about my body. Now, I go "oh well" and get over it. I no longer take what others say about me to heart. I became good at believing if people didn't like me for who I am, they weren't worth impressing.

I guess what I'm saying is there's no reason to fear getting older, I no longer do. My life is getting better with each year. Getting older is only giving me more things to look forward to. More places to travel, books to read, people to meet.

An Abundance of Reviews: A Review of An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines is a book by John Green, who also wrote Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. It follows Colin Singleton, who has just been dumped by a girl named Katherine for the 19^th time, and so gets dragged along on a road trip by his best friend. I found it hard to believe that someone like Colin would have had 19 girlfriends at his age, let alone them all having the same name, but it’s a fun if implausible premise to get the characters into the story.

It is my least favourite John Green book, and I think it’s because the characters don’t stick in your mind as well. They aren’t as memorable or interesting as some of his others. It’s told in third person, so we don’t know exactly what’s going on in Colin’s mind at any one time. Colin has a talent for anagrams, which I highly dislike. Anagrams themselves, I mean, I can never work them out. His best friend’s personality revolves around being a Muslim and liking Judge Judy. This actually isn’t a bad thing, since John Green did his research, and it’s rare to see this sort of book deal with Islam. His new love interest changes her personality depending on what group of people she’s with. There’s nothing wrong with doing that – I personally find I do it myself – but it makes her hard to pin down as a character.

That may sound like I dislike this book, but that’s not true at all. It’s a fun and enjoyable read, like all John Green books. I just don’t like it as much as his other books, but a not-as-good John Green book is still better than many other books out there. Not to mention that not as good is highly subjective here, and others may rank this one higher with his other books.

It is actually a great book for improving vocabulary. Since Colin is highly intelligent, well-read, and fluent in a few languages, he uses a very wide variety of words. One example – sillage, French word, for the smell that perfume leaves behind. There’s a word that needs to be in common vernacular English. Unlike most books, it actually focuses on some of the difficulties he has from being highly intelligent. He struggles to make friends, can be judgemental, and tends to go off on random tangents.

This book also uses several footnotes. Do you like it when footnotes are used in fiction? For me, they just break up the flow of the story, making me lose my place on the page. But again, subjectivity, someone else might have a different opinion on them.

I feel like people who were called prodigies when they were younger, only to find others catching them up as they got older, would enjoy this book, since Colin is dealing with a very similar situation. 

How to Get on Well With Children

"I don't like children!" some people say. "I don't get on well with them!" or "I never know what to say!" It's something that has always came naturally to me, talking to children, and children seem to like me better now then they did when I was their age. Not everyone needs to deal with children on a daily basis, but we all will at some point. Whether a friend has come around with their kid or a child has wandered up to your table at a restaurant, there's no reason why you shouldn't try and converse with someone younger. Bear in mind that these tips are only if you want to, no-one has to interact with children if they don't want to, but it's nice to be nice.

1. Relax your body: if you're standing closed off, arms folded with an unfriendly expression on your face, children will respond to that. Place your arms at your sides and try to smile slightly. You might find that children naturally gravitate towards you.
2. Say please, thank you and sorry: asking them to give you something? Say please, and thank you if they pass it over. Say thank you if they share sweets with you, and share your own with them. Accidentally bumped their arm on the way past? Say sorry. Model the good behaviour you'd wish to see from them, since it's important to show them that manners carry over into adulthood.
3. Answer their questions: if an adult asked you something, you wouldn't ignore them. Well, in certain situations, maybe, but as a general rule, you wouldn't. So, if a child goes "Hello, what's your name?" answer, and ask them what their name is. Always see if you can ask a question back is a very good rule to follow.
4. High fives: high fives are my secret weapon. They work as a reward when a child has done something especially nicely, and are a nice alternative to a hug at the end of a visit from an adult they don't know well.
5. Talk about Disney movies: even if you don't watch them so much now, your favourite popular one from childhood is a good starting point. They're all still so well known that most children will have heard of them if they haven't watched them. If you do know some of the more recent ones, that's even better. I've had some very nice conversations with children discussing our favourite parts of Finding Dory.

Honestly, I've always thought children respond to me well because I am pretty much still a child in some ways. I think the most important rule is treat them like they are smaller people, with their own likes and dislikes, rather then children as a monolithic block.

Reviews of Alaska: A Review of Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska was the debut novel by John Green. Since then, he's done a few other books for young adults. It follows a teenage called Miles "Pudge" Halter, as he moves away for boarding school in Alabama. While there, he meets several people, including the titular Alaska. Alaska is beautiful, interesting and dangerous. The book is sectioned into days before and after. When you first read, you are going to be thinking to yourself "before what?" It's a fun way to get the reader hooked early. Genre savvy readers may figure out what's going to happen, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable to read.

John Green's talent for characters is less pronounced here - the only one who really stands out is Alaska. For the others, he gives them each One Small Quirk - Pudge knows famous last words, the Colonel is good at pranks, Takumi can rap. Between what we learn about her through the eyes of Pudge, who is infatuated with her, Alaska gets the most character development of anyone in the book. In Paper Towns, everyone comes out of their journey having developed a bit as a character. The Colonel is probably the second-most interesting character, being very clever from a poor family and not always feeling like he fits in. However, none of them really develop so much over the course of the book.

Alaska is often described outside of the novel as a manic pixie dream girl. While she does fit some of the traits - she pulls Miles into her world and makes his life better for a time - she certainly doesn't set out to improve his life. To quote from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - "Too many guys think I'm a concept or I complete them or I'm going to make them alive, but I'm just a fucked up girl who is looking for my own peace of mind."

It actually manages the impossible - a sex scene I don't mind? I think this is because it is as realistically awkward as first-time sex between two teenagers is likely to be. It serves to develop the personalities of the characters and their relationship.

It also has one of John Green's best quotes - "If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane." Which is fitting, since Pudge can quote a lot of people's last words. While most of his books have their good quotes - "My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations," or "Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl," the drizzle and hurricane quote has stuck in my mind since I read it.

I feel like I've spent most of this review comparing Looking for Alaska to John Green's other books, but I will mention it definitely stands out on its own merits. I can't think of a specific sort of person who might enjoy this book, but it's one that everyone who enjoys Young Adult should enjoy.

The Review in Our Stars: A Review of The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a book by John Green, who also wrote Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska. The protagonist is a teenage girl called Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has terminal lung/thyroid cancer. She meets a boy at a cancer Support Group called Augustus Waters, and shares with him her favourite book, about a girl similarly suffering from cancer. However, that book ends in the middle of a sentence, and trying to find out what happens next takes Hazel and Augustus to Amsterdam.

One of the things I like about John Green books is the theme of "is someone's first impression of a person correct?" More often then not, the answer is no. Augustus comes across as pretentious at first, but as we get to know him, the more we (and Hazel) like him. Also, Peter Van Houten turns out to be totally different to the impression Hazel got of him through her book. The other big theme is "who decides what happens in stories?" John Green has been honest about how he feels that "books belong to their readers." And while I agree with this, since every reader is going to come away with a book with a different interpretation and writers can't control what a reader thinks, I still believe a writer can go back and add more to their books over time. However, it is wrong of a reader to demand more from a writer then they are willing to give, as Hazel and Gus do find out.

John Green's talent for characterisation comes through again, but in a more subtle way this time. Sometimes, his characters appear larger then life, almost unrealistic. However, both Hazel and Gus are very down to earth, with relatable flaws and misconceptions someone there age might have. "Some infinities are bigger then other infinities," for example. Hazel's narration is relentlessly sarcastic, full of witty observations. She talks about death in a way that only someone who is dying can get away with. Both of them jump off the page and embed themselves in your mind. Hazel at one point categorises a movie as a "boy movie" but I believe this is indicative of what Hazel thinks, not what John Green thinks. A complaint I have heard people say about John Green is that his characters talk too perfectly, that they always know what to say. In some books, realistic "um, uh," stuttering diction works. However, the two leads play off each other so well that here, it calls for that sort of too-perfect dialogue.

It is a book about cancer, but it's not a Cancer Book. That said, if you are averse to Cancer Books in general, there is nothing here that will change your mind. However, if you are indifferent to Cancer Books but like Young Adult/Romance/good stories in general, you might get something out of it.

The movie adaptation is very well done, as I'm guessing most people might know. A stellar performance from the two leads, some wonderful shots of Amsterdam and the adorable story makes for a very memorable movie. Definitely one to watch if you enjoyed the book, and of course if you enjoyed the film, you should read the book!

I recommend this book especially for people struggling with long term illnesses or disabilities. It is good for people to read about others in a similar situation (which is why diversity is important!) and I can't think of many other well-known YA books with protagonists with disabilities.

It's Okay To Say No!

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Paper Review: A Review of Paper Towns

Paper Towns is a book by John Green, who also wrote, among other things, Looking for Alaska and The Fault in our Stars. It follows Quentin Jacobsen, a teenager from Orlando, as he tries to find his neighbour Margo, after she runs away. It is actually my favourite John Green book, due to it's highly comedic nature. It divides quite nicely into three parts - the first part, a pranking spree with enough tension to make it feel like an actual war. The middle bit reads a good bit slower, and is almost like a mystery. Then we get into the road trip, which is where the book really hits its stride.

Like most John Green books, there is a running theme of "do we ever really know people?" and "is the face someone presents to the world who they really are?" but in this one, there is also a thread of "do we ever know ourselves?" Quentin, arguably, learns more about himself over the course of the book then he does Margo.

As expected from a John Green book, the characters dance right off the page and embed themselves into your consciousness. He seems to have a knack for character names - Margo Roth Speigelman, maybe because it is repeated so often, has been in my mind since I first read the book. As a character, Margo is flighty, not exactly likeable, but not dislikeable either. She pulls you in to her adventure in the same way she does with Quentin, and like Quentin, we'll spend much of the rest of the book trying to understand her. Quentin, a somewhat-shy nerdy type, displays surprising qualities and grows into a more confident individual. I grew to really like Lacey over the course of the book. Quentin's friends, Ben and Radar, are between them responsible for some of the funniest moments and display enough loyalty to go along with Quentin's more ridiculous schemes, but also know when to call him out for being too obsessed with Margo. Ben sometimes talks in ways I don't like, but as far as I know, it's realistic to how teenage boys actually talk.

A lot has been said about Green's use of Manic Pixie Dream Girls. I don't think Margo qualifies for the label, personally. An MPDG to me is someone who puts all of his or her energy into making a love interest feel better about themselves, while displaying many quirky traits. And no, I don't feel like they have to be exclusively female. If anything, Margo subverts this trope. Pulling Quinten along for the ride the night she leaves was more an act of convenience, since she needed a car. Her running away was purely for herself, and Quentin wasn't meant to come chasing after her.

The film suffered from comparisons to The Fault in our Stars, but I honestly like it better. It's much more lighthearted, the slower portion of the book keeping the humour in the movie. Lacey and Quentin had more chemistry then Lacey and Ben or Quentin and Margo (I know there was a reason, but it's worth mentioning). I have a lot to say about the changes to the ending, but I can't mention them here without spoiling, so I won't.

Recommended for teenagers and adults with teenage hearts who would appreciate a book that will make them laugh.

Film Review: Viceroy's House

Viceroy's House is a film about the last Viceroy of India, before the Partition of the nation into India and Pakistan. It is directed by Gurinder Chadha and stars Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi and Michael Gambon. As a white person from Britain, I obviously will have a different perspective on things then someone of South Asian descent, so I apologise for any misconceptions I may have made in this review.

Lord Mountbatten (Bonneville) arrives in India to prepare the nation for it's new independence. However, tensions are already running high between Hindus and Muslims. Meanwhile, a forbidden romance begins between two of the servants, Jeet Kumar (Dayal), a Hindu and Aalia Noor (Qureshi), a Muslim. As violence runs high and Partition becomes inevitable, Lord Mountbatten moves forward the date on which the transfer of power will happen. This film benefits from a fantastic cast, including a truly inspired performance by Gillian Anderson as Lady Bonneville.

This is not a film to watch if you want something to cheer you up. It handles its subject matter with respect and dignity, and you'll come out of it having learnt a lot. However, It's a film that details one of the darkest periods of Indian history, and doesn't gloss over the worst parts. There is one particularly powerful scene where we go from news of the violence during partition, to scenes of celebration, to the despair of the refugee camps.

I can understand people who may have apprehensions about this sort of film. However, it's not a "white saviour" film. It makes it perfectly clear that most of India's problems were caused by British colonial rule. The new Viceroy and his family come to India with good intentions, showing respect to the people of India that would put many people nowadays to shame. However, the more they try to fix things, the worse they make things. The disconnect between how the servants live and how the Viceroy and his family live are made clear. Many times, what is being discussed between the various leaders from England and parts of India will affect the servants more than the people taking part in the discussion. The camera shows this very well by focusing on the servants listening faces than on the people talking. Throughout the film, the lives of the ordinary people of India, rather than the white people in power, are always kept at the forefront of the audience's mind.

I recommend anyone who wants to learn more about the Partition of India and anyone with a personal connection to the history of India to see this film. And please, pay attention to the dedication at the end.

I Love Bookstagram Tag

When I first got an Instagram, the last thing I thought people used it for was sharing pictures of their books! Now, though, sharing mine and looking at other people's book posts is one of my favourite parts of the site! I've picked up so many new ideas of what to read, and it's so cool to see someone reading something you love!

What's Your Instagram Handle?

@fiona.murphy314

How long have you been in the bookstagram community?

Just on one year!

How many people do you follow?

203

How many followers do you have?

68

What are your favourite hashtags?

#currentlyreading and #shelfie - you can tell a lot about someone by their bookshelves, and I love knowing what people are reading at the moment!

What is your favourite genre of pictures?

Pictures that aren't staged, or at least look unstaged. There's a wonderful homey feel to them.

How often do you post?

This varies, since I post food pictures if I ate something that was especially good, and if I go somewhere interesting like London I'll post what I can see on the streets. Books-wise, every few days or so?

How often do you check Instagram?

Heh... fairly often. I love seeing beautiful pictures so I think it might be my most checked social media account now.

What's your favourite filter?

I tend to use the default ones

Iphone only, purist or rebel?

I have a Samsung Galaxy, soo...

What's the best part of being in this community?

Getting to see what everyone else is reading/has read

What's the worst part about being in this community?

The hit it's been to my wallet. I learnt about so many new books... which are expensive.

Three favourite bookstagram accounts currently?

@novelheartbeat, @myriadinklings and @booknerd_reads

All The Bright Reviews: A Review of All The Bright Places.

All The Bright Places is the first book for young adults by Jennifer Niven, who has previously wrote fiction with an adult audience in mind. It follows Theodore Finch, a boy who everyone thinks is 'weird' and wants to kill himself, and Violet Markey, who is struggling with the loss of her sister seven months ago, who contemplates suicide on top of the school bell tower. When a teacher makes them do a project to write about two landmarks in their home state of Indiana, Theodore and Violet decide to check out many of the more unusual sites of their home state. Well, Theodore decides, and just kind of pulls Violet along for the ride.

Theodore has what I can only surmise is Kleine-Levin syndrome, where he can fall asleep for weeks at a time. This is a known disorder, however his sister tells the school that he's off with flu and his mother apparently doesn't know that her son is asleep for such a long period of time? I don't know any school that would believe someone having a four-week-long flu without checking into it. His father divorced and Theodore and his two sisters have Sunday Night Dinners every week with his father's new family. His father is also violent, and in some places I had to wonder if Theodore had picked up the trait.

Violet wanted to be a writer, and she has a blog she ran with her sister. However, after her sister's death, she hasn't written anything. I really wish it was as easy to get famous with a blog as authors seem to think it is. Violet is often accused of using her sister's death as an excuse. However, through her eyes you can see how much she is truly struggling with it, but also places where she isn't trying as much as she could be. Both leads go through a lot of character development over the course of the book. I must say, though, what kind of name is Germ for an online magazine? It just makes me think of nasty germs that give you illnesses.

One of the joys about seeing two points of view is that you can see two characters from different perspectives. In Theodore's narration, Violet can seem unnecessarily cold to a boy who just saved her life, but from her side, you can see her struggles to let him in and trust him. In Violet's POV, you can see her struggle to let him in and to live again after he sister's death, yet Theodore can come off as pushy. Overly pushy to a girl who's shown no apparent interest as of yet, pushing her past her comfort zone after her sister's death. I kept hoping someone would mention this. While it does make both characters flawed, I kept wondering if Theodore's flaws pushes him into the unlikable column for me. I changed my mind on him several times over the course of the book. However, he calls her Ultraviolet Remarkeyable. Tell me that's not the cutest thing you've ever heard? One of the things he did do that bothered me a lot was wait for her to come out of class, so he could walk her to her next one, before they were dating, even though she'd told him not to. Then, he guilt trips her over doing this. "Oh, do you just not want to be seen with the weird guy? Even after I saved you're life?" That's not a direct quote, I am paraphrasing here, but it does sum up his attitude.

One of the more interesting things about this book to me was that many of their landmarks are real places! There really is a guy named John Ivers who built two roller-coasters called Blue Flash and Blue Too in his backyard. There is a place for abandoned bookmobiles called The Bookmobile Park. And the Blue Hole in Prarieton is real, too! In fact, this book did something amazing - it made me want to visit Indiana!

I would recommend this book to people struggling with the loss of a family member, but I'd be more cautious with recommending to to people struggling with depression.

Epic Reads Book Tag

If you could invite one author and their fictional characters to lunch, who would you invite and what would you serve them?

J.K. Rowling and all of Dumbledore's Army/Order of the Phoenix. Treacle tart, cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, and butterbeer to drink!

What book do you wish the author would write a prequel for?

Pride and Prejudice with the Bennett siblings as children/young teens. I can chose an author who isn't alive, right? I would have said the Lily, Snape and the Marauders prequel, but I didn't want to use Harry Potter twice in a row.

Which two characters (not from the same book) would make a good couple?

Kelsea Glynn from Queen of the Tearling and Kai from The Lunar Chronicles. I'm pretty sure they would have a lot to discuss about the pressures of running a country and dealing with an evil Queen!

If you ran into your favourite author on the subway and could only say one sentence to them, who is it and what would it be?

It would have to be J.K. Rowling, and I'd just say thank you.

What book made you a reader and why?

I've been reading almost since I could talk, or at least ask others to read to me, my parents say my first words were read and book! I can't narrow it down to one specific book.

Incendio! Your bookshelf caught fire. Show the book you'd save.

Ahhh my copy of Half-Blood Prince. It was signed by Warwick Davis. Other books can be rebought, but I've never get that back.

Which dystopian world would you want to live in if you had to choose one and why?

Well, that's an... awful question. My mind has managed to get itself stuck on The Hunger Games, even though I do not want to live in Panem. Or can we be more specific, like I'd like to live in the Capitol? But even there, you have to watch children being killed on TV every year... I haven't read much dystopian ficton, so my honest answer is I don't know.

What is your most epic read of all time?

A Song of Ice and Fire series. They're long, a huge project to read, and a true epic fantasy sprawling continents.

What is Your Biggest Fear?

I always found this an odd question, because I never really thought I had one. I don't mean that like I was trying to be brave, but I've never minded spiders, wasn't afraid of the dark, injections never bothered me. Basically things people might bring out for this question as a default answer, I didn't really have. This isn't to say I never got scared, however.

There are those fears that are more intangible. Scared to go to school the next day, because I'd been bullied so bad the day before. Scared of going to class, because I'd forgotten to do the homework for it. Anxiety in social situations, where there are too many people who I don't know well. I will say that I've had some of the best experiences in my life when I've forced myself to overcome this and step outside my comfort zone. And worry about where my life is going, not living up to everyone's expectations, including my own, and not having enough time to have the life I want.

I think a lot of those things stem from something that I have realised recently is my biggest fear - people finding out I'm not the person they think I am, finding out myself that I'm not the person I think I am.

People naturally put on a lot of different faces with different people. And it's not that any one of these people is a lie - they're all different parts of my personality. If friends saw me with my parents, they probably wouldn't recognise me. If Mum asks me to do the washing up, expect a fair bit of pouting and "why me?" It's not that I won't do it - I understand my parents do a lot for me, and I'm happy to help - it's just that the complaining is kind of a game at this point. With friends, I'll sometimes start washing up voluntarily to give them a hand. I'll tidy houses if I'm staying over, or do little jobs if I'm asked. The way Mum and I act would actually take a little explaining to others. Then I have some friends that I'll go to for a good gossip and bitch, and others who think I'd never bitch. It's surprising how many people are surprised when I swear, or to learn that I drink occasionally. That's not too bad, but if someone who thinks otherwise learnt how lazy, disorganised or irresponsible I can be - even those who know this don't know how bad I can be about it - I'd hate feeling like someone thinks the worst of me.

But if I ever had to find out I'm not as brave as I think I am? That maybe I'm not as adventurous as I think I am? That I'm not smart or funny at all, and no-one really likes me people really just humour me? That I really am not nice and kind at all? I think I'd hate that more then anything else.

Why I Like Spring

Spring is my favourite season. I might be a little biased, because it's my birthday!

1. Daffodils! Daffodils are my favourite flower, they always remind me of this time of year, they look so sunny and yellow, and cheer me up whenever I see them. Here, they'll last until mid-May sometimes, which is lovely.
2. Nicer clothes - after being in thick, dark colours for six months, it's so nice to see pretty pastels and florals in the shops. Even if it's too cold for them yet.
3. Blossoms on trees - related to daffodils, they just cheer me up to see them, and they fall off sometimes like pink snow. You can also include other flowers that come out at this time of year, like crocuses. They're so nice to see after winter.
4. Wildlife comes back - little birdies flying home, animals out of hibernation, butterflies bringing colour to the world and bees buzzing. You get to hear more birdsongs, too!
5. New life - where I used to live, there was a field of sheep alongside the main road. At this time of year, they'd have their lambs, and they were so cute bounding about in the field.
6. Weather gets better - I mean, it feels odd to be typing this after today, where it's as grey and miserable as any other day, but it feels like we have 6 months of just constant grey. No snow, just grey. So it's lovely when it gets a little warmer.
7. Days get longer - in the UK, days get really short in winter. Leave home in the morning in the dark, come back home in the evening dark. Especially if it's a dark, grey day, it feels like you never see daylight.
8. Colds go away - which for me means I stop sneezing so much! I have almost a permanent cold from September until mid-February. And in summer, my allergies kick in. Luckily there's not much in spring that tips them off.
9. Easter - A.K.A an excuse to eat my weight in chocolate eggs on one day.