Not Enough Bookshelves

Book Wishes

2012-02-08T15:15:00.001Z

A few books that I want to add to my overflowing bookshelves this February!

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily. M. Danforth

This reminds me a little of The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don't Mind. I have very high hopes. Plus I love the title and the cover is gorgeous

The Fine Art of Truth and Dare by Melissa Jensen.

This sounds adorable and is billed as Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss - I do hope so! Also loving the cover of this, for some reason I always love covers that show feet rather than faces. You can tell a lot about someone from their footwear!

And

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

FINALLY! I have had this pre-ordered since June last year. I can not wait. I fell in love with A Little Wanting Song and I have only read rave reviews for this one, so I can't wait to be charmed by Lucy, Ed and Shadow. Severe cover love for this one too, it is epically pretty.

What books are you buying to light up the dark days of February?

A Long and Rambling Post

2012-02-07T16:06:00.002Z

I can't believe it's February already (edit - I actually started this post of Feb 1st, but blogger is being highly annoying*). I hope you've all had a good start to the year, and are keeping your resolutions! I am doing really well, for the first time ever! Thanks to my The Happiness Project resolution check list. There is something so satisfying about putting a star on a star chart, and as Gretchen says we manage what we measure.

As you might be able to tell blogging was not on my resolution list. It just seemed weird to have to make myself do something I do for fun, but it is getting squeezed out, so maybe I'll add it to my March resolutions. I need to blog more because I've read so many great books already this year. The two I must want to write (gush) about are;

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. This deserves all the accolades it has received. It's mesmerizing and utterly gorgeous.

and

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta. An absolute tour de force. It's truly amazing and it flies by despite being a weighty 592 pages long. It's out in the US March 13th, but you can buy it from FishPondWorld. Meaning you get the lovely Australian cover too. Although I was gobsmacked to discover that Melina Marchetta does not have a UK publisher. WHAT THE HECK! I feel like I should start a campaign or something.

As well as reading, a lot, I've been;

Writing (slowly).

Watching TV, Sherlock, Series 2 = outstanding! and I've finally started watching The Vampire Diaries, which is exactly my kind of thing, but I can only watch it when my husband is out as he took one look at the cover and said an emphatic no.

Watching films Super 8. I so see why it was on so many end of year lists, and The Artist, best picture at the Oscars I think, not that I've seen the other films, but it's so good.

Cutting off my hair. I like it, but my neck keeps getting cold. It's so cold in England at the moment.

Exercising

Baking

Playing on Pinterest - it's addictive. If you want to follow me, I'm here

I'm also planning on doing more on Tumblr, like favourite quotes and things I like, which seem a bit short for a blog post. If you're on it, let me know so I can follow you. I'm Of Starry Skies

So more regular post in february I hope!

* is anyone else having huge problems with blogger signing them out all the time? It got so bad I went to have a look at wordpress, but someone already has the Not Enough Bookshelves address :( Still I might have to leave if it keeps eating my posts, and not letting me upload pictures - sorry about the very wordy picture-less post.

The Raven Boys

2012-02-02T21:46:00.003Z

I'm back, form the blogging wilderness, to go completely crazy over Maggie Stiefvater's announcement of her new novel The Raven Boys. The first in the four part Raven Cycle.

The Cover!

The Title!

The Concept!

Then I read this quote on GalleyCat

“I grew up on a diet of exceptional fantasy series for children— The Dark Is Rising, The Black Cauldron, A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia — and I’ve always wanted to write one of those sprawling epic sagas built from intimate moments."

And I was completely sold. I Can. Not. Wait.

Roll on September!

Book Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stievfater

2012-01-10T11:21:00.000Z

The Scorpio Races was far and away the best book I read in 2011.

You know how some books just suck you in, and hold you captive, and are just completely magical and perfect? And when you finish, you are so happy because it's a perfect ending when you didn't think that was possible five pages ago, but your are also bereft because you've left that world? That's how The Scorpio Races was for me. Thank goodness books can be re-read!

The story begins with the ominous and intriguing words, "It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die." For on the island of Thisby, every November, the deadly Scorpio Races are held. A brutal and dangerous ride along the beach on capaill uisce, vicious and deadly water horses, who emerge from the sea and must be caught, and controlled, if you want to survive the races.

Kate "Puck" Connolly is the first girl to ever enter. She is driven by a desire to change her family's fortune and stop her elder brother from leaving for the main land. No one wants her in the race, and Puck isn't even sure if she'll survive it, but help comes from an unexpected quater, four times champion and loner, Sean Kendrick.

The thing Maggie Steifvater really excels at is mood and atmosphere, and the writing in The Scorpio Races is as beautifully descriptive and evocative as in her other books. The setting, while being richly described, was also vague. As was the period events are taking place in. Which made it easier to believe in the fairy tale like aspect of the water horses and the rituals the riders had. It also gave the book a kind of old world charm. It is also full of amazing characters who are all so richly and well drawn I think they might be out there living on Thisby.

The Scorpio Races begins slowly, but the undercurrent of tension, caused by Puck announcing her intention to ride, builds and builds and after chapter forty I simply couldn't be separated from this book until I had finished. It's heart pounding, nail biting, stay up way past bedtime stuff.

I was so invested in both Puck and Sean's stories, The Scorpio Races is told in a duel narrative, and so you get a chance to see into both their hearts and minds. I was desperate for them to get a happy ending, while being sure it couldn't possibly happen. There can only be one winner in the races, and they both have everything to lose. Without giving too much away, the ending is perfection. . . and had me in floods of tears.

The romance is less, fornt and centre than in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, but I loved it more. There is more hesitation and self consciousness and so I was willing them to give in to their feelings. Also Sean Kendeick might be a man of few words, but the ones he does utter are pretty much perfect. "It's late for that Puck" - oh happy sigh! Plus bread is clearly the new chocolate for those of you courting.

So yes, my book of the year. If you haven't picked it up yet, you really must. It's gorgeous and heart wrenching and a keeper.

12 for 2012

2012-01-03T23:57:00.000Z

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

A new book by Sarah Rees Brennan. I. Can. Not. Wait.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

I have heard so many wonderful things about this on Aussie blogs and I loved A Little Wanting Song

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

A new books by Diana Peterfreund again I. Can. Not. Wait. Especially as it's a retelling of Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Book 2 - Laini Taylor

Flew through the first one and I am desperate to see what happens next.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Sounds so gothic and great.

The Right and The Real by Joelle Anthony

I've read this and can confirm that is is amazing! I can't wait to see a finished version though because the cover is gorgeous!

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cooke

Gothic mansions and ghosts! Out today!

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

Would read anything by her.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

This sounds like it will break my heart, but I do love her writing so I'm prepared to have it broken. plus a Pump Up the Volume style radio show.

Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

I've just started Froi and it's brilliant so far, I'm sure the last volume will be too.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Ah the title alone makes me smile

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

How will it all end??

Plus I am hoping the magical novel Maggie Stiefvater keeps mentioning will be out this year, but I can't see any information on it yet.

What are you looking forward to this year?

Apologies for the lack of links and pictures, but this is my third attempt at this post and blogger keeps publishing a load of random numbers. Fingers crossed that this time it works

12 for 2012

2012-01-02T22:23:00.001Z

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Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:28:00.000Z

I hope you all had a Happy New Year! We celebrated with champagne, mint chocolates and Star Wars - good start to the New Year! Then I went running this morning :D

Anyway, to recap, here are my favourite couples of 2011

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stievfater

The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan

And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlainia Tibsensky

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

The Sky Aways Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Guitar Highway Rose Brigid Lowry

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The winner fo the giveaway who can choose two books from the above is

Rivka Belle! Congratulations! I emailed you.

Thanks for reading this year, I'll be back tomorrow with my 12 for 2012! Here's a great year for books.

Couples Countdown No 1 - Puck & Sean

2011-12-31T23:25:00.000Z

So finally we reach the end!

My absolutely favourite couple of 2011 has to be Puck and Sean from the wonderful The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I fell in love with both of them. Then I fell in love with them falling for each other.

Theirs' is a quiet, restrained falling, but it is so beautiful (and beautifully written), because I was already so invested in the characters small moments had a huge emotional punch. This exchange, for example, reduced me to a small gooey pile of swoon.

"I say, "I will not be your weakness Sean Kendrick."

Now he looks at me. He says, very softly. "It's late for that Puck."

Couples Countdown - No 2 Alan and Sin

2011-12-30T20:32:00.000Z

Couple Number two is Alan and Sin from The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan. Last year Alan and Nick were my couple number two - they started the whole it doesn't have to be a romantic couple thing. I ended that post by saying I hoped Alan would make the list again with a different partner. I'm delighted that Sarah Rees Brennan didn't let me down - it's clear Alan and Sin were meant for each other, even if neither of them thinks so.

In fact they don't care much for each other at all and I never gave a thought to them ending up together (I had Alan paired with someone else) until near the end of The Demon's Covenant when Alan thinks something like "well I couldn't care less what Cynthia Davis thinks." Which we all know is code for I quite fancy Cynthia Davis and care very much what she thinks, although I'm not about it admit it, even to myself!

So I was rooting for them from the start and intrigued at how they were going to get together. The answer would be in a very rocky, but absolutely fabulous way. They had me giggling and swooning. Together these two are dynamite and I just love them to bits. Writing this just makes me want to go read the whole trilogy again - which actually sounds like a great start to 2012.

Apologies for the lack of quotes, but my copy is in the bookcase behind the Christmas Tree and I dare not try and find it. Angie wrote a wonderful post about why she loves Alan and Sin and included two of my favourite quotes.

Number One couple tomorrow, who could have knocked Alan and Sin from the top spot??? And there is still time to enter the giveaway.http://www.notenoughbookshelves.com/2011/12/christmas-coutndown.html I'm closing it New Years Day 12pm GMT

Couples Countdown No 3 - Keek and Sylvia Plath

2011-12-28T22:14:00.000Z

Resuming the countdown (guess we'll be counting down to 2012 now!) after it was interrupted by an evil virus and then a big celebration!

Couple number three is Keek and Sylvia Plath from Arlainia Tibensky's wonderful And Then Things Fall Apart. This book snuck up on me, I wasn't expecting to fall quite as in love with it as I did. One of the biggest reasons for that is Keek and her obsession with Sylvia Plath and The Bell Jar.

So for all of you who have re-read a certain book until it grew dog-eared, and who were made a little less lonely or a little more brave by a friend you found among it's pages, couple three - Keek and Sylvia are for you!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and for those of you who watch wasn't The Downton Abby Christmas Special brilliant!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:00:00.000Z

Merry Christmas

and

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

The Christmas countdown will finish up on the 27th - I got sick!

Couples Countdown: Guest Post by Cath Crowley

2011-12-20T18:58:00.001Z

I'm very excited to welcome Cath Crowley, author of A Little Wanting Song. Her guest post is on Six Impossible Things, a book I've heard wonderful things about, but haven't been able to get hold of yet ~ come on UK publishers buy Aussie!

Enjoy!

My favourite couple from a book that I’ve read this year is Dan and Estelle from Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood.

“There’s this girl I know.

I know her by heart. I know her in every way but one: actuality.

Her name is Estelle. I yearn for her.” (p.1)

Dan and Estelle are so beautifully drawn. They’re real and they’re detailed and they’re funny and they make me want to be with them after the last page. They don’t meet on page one and fall in love. They find out the faults of each other. They find out the secrets they both keep. They find out the good bits in each other.

I love that Dan is unsure how to kiss a girl. “It’s a classic learning-by-doing activity… How difficult can it be? And there is the crux of the matter: I have no idea how difficult it might be.” (p.229) I think the biggest risks are showing someone your vulnerabilities. Dan’s humour and his lack of know-how make me love him. So I know exactly why Estelle falls for him.

The great thing about Estelle is that she’s real. She starts out as an idea for Dan. And then he begins to know her. It’s the slow-knowing that happens between couples that I love in fiction. It’s the missed kiss and the awkwardness. It’s the truth in them. That’s why I love Dan and Estelle.

Fiona Wood is a spectacular writing. After finishing Six Impossible Things I sat in my chair for a while, not wanting to leave the world created. I’ve read it three times and I always feel the same way.

Thanks so much Cath!

Cath Crowley can be found blogging here. A Little Wanting Song is available now. Graffiti Moon come out on the 14th February ~ I can't wait I have heard amazing things about this book!

Couples Countdown No 4 Charlie and Dave

2011-12-19T22:36:00.000Z

Charlie and Dave from A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley.

This is such a beautiful, beautiful book. I loved it. It's told from both Charlie and Rose's point of view and they have such a fabulous dynamic ~ Charlie is shy and quiet, Rose is loud and dramatic, but they're both scared and lonely. I almost went for friendship and picked them as my couple. . .

but I just adore Charlie and Dave and I'm feeling romantic. They have one of those gorgeous, hesitant romances that I absolutely adore. Lots of looks, and almost touches, and awkward conversations.

Here are a few favourite bits.

He stands there rolling his bike back and forth and I want to ask him in. For a girl who doesn't talk all that much, strangely I have a million or more things I want to say to Dave. They're not even important things. It's stuff like Grandpa ordered in some Muppet Show toothbrushes, and I've been using one even though it's too small because I really like Frozzie Bear. But then I stopped using it because I wasn't sure if it was a sign of disrespect to use Frozzie that way.

and

We hover. Lips feathering. Chests spinning crazy. Skin burning. After a while I take out my iPod and give one earpiece to him and keep the other for me. I put it on shuffle and voices swirl around us and it's the strangest feeling. I'm nowhere and somewhere at the same time. The last song we listen to is one of mine. He doesn't know it and I don't tell him. I feel stranger still. As if the singer and me are different people.

Have you read A little Wanting Song? Did you love Charlie and Dave?

Couples Countdown: Guest Post by Kirstin Cronn Mills

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000Z

I'm delighted to welcome Kirstin Cronn-Mills, author of the fabulous The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind. I haven't read BROOKLYN BURNING but I really want to after this post! Thanks so much for sharing Kirstin!

Have you ever been in the kind of love where you need someone, not just need-need them, but you need them for something, like to do something important, but you don’t know where they are so you look for them all over town in places they might go, but they’re not there, so you keep searching even though you might not find them, but you have to find them? And then when you do find them, or they find you, you breathe a sigh of relief, because they’re there again, thank god, and you can rest a little bit? Ever feel like that? Yeah. That’s Kid’s love for Scout. That’s BROOKLYN, BURNING, by Steve Brezenoff.

BROOKLYN, BURNING is the story of the different people Kid loves. There's Konny, his longtime friend, but there's also Jonny the hustler, Fish the bar owner, and Felix the junkie. And then there's Scout. Scout becomes Kid's summer love, and their passion twines around and through their guitar and drum kit. Anybody who's been a teenager recognizes Kid and Scout their shy but connected affection, their hesitation to get too close for fear of losing and hurting. We hope for them, we root for them. We want them to kiss, dammit! And when they finally do, it is sweet for everyone.

What's most lovely about Kid and Scout is Brezenoff's decision not to tell us who they are aside from their names. We know Felix is a guy, Fish is a woman, Konny is a teenage girl, and Jonny is a male for sale. But Kid and Scout are just Kid and Scout. We see them—hair flapping over Scout's eyes, shirt pulling up out of Kid's pants to show Kid's stomach—but those vague descriptions are as far as Brezenoff goes. They're just two kids, trying to find themselves and finding each other in the process. Their relationship moves past pronouns. To me, this is the essence of love—it doesn’t matter who we are or who we’re loving, it just matters that we keep loving.

(A side note: my other favorite couple in this book is Brezenoff and Brooklyn. He’s clearly in love with her, and because of it, so are we. )

Kirstin Cronn-Mills can be found blogging here. The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind is in bookstores and at The Book Depository. Kirstin's new book Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is out 2012 and sounds amazing!

Couples Countdown No 5 - Morgan and Rob

2011-12-18T18:03:00.001Z

Couple Five! Morgan and Rob from The Sky Always Hears me and The Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills. I have such a crush on this book. I absolutely loved it.

I am a big fan of happy ever after, swoony, love stories. But sometimes a relationship sneaks in that's a a bit more thorny and complicated, where love might not conquer all, and maybe that's a good thing. In The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind, Morgan is going out with Derek, crushing on Rob, and sharing a late night kiss with next door neighbour Tessa - recipe for heartbreak right there. Added to that the major incident in the book, involving Morgan's family it could be a bleak and depressing read. But it has lots of laughs, due to Morgan's wonderful voice, world view, and habit of writing fortune cookie fortunes on every piece of paper she finds. Plus there is plenty of swoon due to Morgan and Rob's banter.

I simply adored that in the beginning Morgan spent less time wondering what Rob was like and more time admiring his cute ass.

Their relationship felt real and I loved reading it. Here's a taste

Rob grins. "Come help me stock cigarettes." I wander over while he studies me. "You must be thinking very serious thoughts."
I am not going to tell him the truth; I was pondering his very cute ass, which he displayed as he was working on the smokes. Where has that ass been all my life.

Couples Countdown: Guest Post by Antony John

2011-12-17T17:01:00.004Z

I'm very happy to welcome Antony John, author of the wonderful Five Flavors of Dumb to the blog today. He picked a great couple. I am dying to read Lola and the Boy Next Door (saving it for my holiday reading when I will hopefully have lots of uninterrupted reading time) and this post makes me even more keen to dive in. Thanks for sharing Antony.

Hello, everyone, and a happy holiday season to all! I was chuffed to bits when Alexa asked me to write about my favorite couple of the year—partly because I can’t resist clicking on those web links that take you to photos of celebrity couples (please don’t tell anyone!), and partly because it makes me feel like an expert on romance (even though I know I’m not).

Oh, and a big THANK YOU to Alexa for including Piper and Ed in her countdown of favorite couples. An incredible (and unique) honor, and one I—or rather, they—will cherish for years to come.

So, my first thought when Alexa asked me to write was: Is there really a decision to be made here? After all, the obvious choice for favorite couple of the year would have to be Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

Wait, what? This is a serious post? Oops, sorry. Let me start again . . .

Because I’m a complete softie, and a hopeless romantic, I’m going to go with Lola and Cricket from Stephanie Perkins’ Lola and the Boy Next Door. Here’s the thing: we know from the opening chapters who Lola is going to end up with—and therefore who she is not going to end up with—which means that the suspense is all about how she is going to end up with Cricket, and why things didn’t work out between them two years ago.

But hey, that’s the genius part. Because while we long to see them get together, there’s just enough baggage to drag things out. And dragging things out, it seems to me, is the secret to tingly romance. While many teen boys attempt to move from first base to home run like a racecar shifting gears, it doesn’t make for terribly compelling reading. Literary romances work best when we spend about 300 pages watching the perfect couple almost getting together. 300 pages of lip-locking? Eh, not so enticing.

Of course, it helps that Stephanie Perkins writes awesome characters. Lola is super cool: intelligent, devoted, and fiercely unique in her style. She’s flawed, yes, but in a way that I find totally sympathetic. As for Cricket, he’s the total package: sometimes flamboyant, sometimes introverted; sensitive and thoughtful, yet slow to do / say the right thing. I can totally identify with Cricket . . . except that I’m a crappy dresser.

To prove how much of romance is about chemistry and build-up, I’ll admit that I can’t remember the kiss in much detail. Sad, but true. But it doesn’t matter, because in my mind, Lola and Cricket and still bantering back and forth, out-dressing one another, and generally reveling in each other’s company. And what can be more romantic than that?

Antony can be found blogging here. Five Flavors Dumb is out in paperback (buy it, buy it!) and his new book Thou Shalt Not Road Trip is out April 2012 - sounds like a great read.

Couples Countdown No 6 - Sophie & Robin

2011-12-15T22:38:00.002Z

Sophie and Robin from Sonya Sones What My Mother Doesn't Know.

I was completely enchanted with this book and with Sophie and Robin. The writing is gorgeous and captures both high school and first love perfectly. Sophie and Robin are just so adorable and sweet and I just loved them. I really wish I could go back in time and give these to my high school self! If you haven't read these, they are the perfect Christmas afternoon read - especially if it is snowing outside.

One of my favourite passages

A Second Look

I just dug out the old sketch
that I did of Murphy*
in art class

It's funny because
I distinctly remember thinking at the time
that I'd really captured him.
But Looking at it now,
I see that it isn't
a thing like him.

I didn't get
that impish lean
he has in his eyes,
or that kid-like wonder.
And I didn't catch any of his
goofy sense of humor.

And he had this way
of gluing his eyes right onto yours,
and zoning in on you so totally that he makes you feel like you're
the most fascinating person in the world.
I missed that completely.

It's like I was looking at him
that day in class,
but I wasn't really seeing him.

* Murphy is Robin's last name in case you're confused.

Couples Countdown Guest Post by Audrey of Holes In My Brain

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000Z

Welcome to the lovely Audrey whose fabulous blog holes In My brain has been one of my favourites for a long time. I love Audrey's reviews, especially when she falls in love with a book and does a complete rave - no one raves quite like Audrey :D

There really are an infinite number of YA couples I’d love to talk about, and I maybe one day I can find the words beautiful or tragic enough to describe some (I’m looking at you, Froi and Quintana) but for now, I’ll rewind to the very beginning of 2011 and still one of my favourite books of the year. And perhaps not as hugely promoted as recent dystopias, I’ve reverted to my go-to genre of contemporary fiction as well. From Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, here’s to Andi and Virgil.

Andi is kind of depressed. Yeah. And if you can get past her angsty-ness, she’s kind of a hugely talented guitar player and beautiful lyricist. She’s emotionally hurting and grieving after the death of her little brother and in a foreign country hanging out with her dad. She’s stumbling through the streets of Paris and…

Enter Virgil. A French-Tunisian artist and taxi driver with rhymes that I kind of swooned for even though they’re not exactly conventional. But he’s gorgeous and has a genuine heart and…

I loved the relationship between these two; brought together by music (I love books with music) and then midnight phone conversations, sunrises, a moment at the Eiffel Tower I reread like six times, and more music, the two circle around each other just Andi feels the world slipping out from under her. And maybe that makes all the difference. Because it’s different and off-balanced and romantic with all the rough edges, and I will forever adore his off-beat rhymes and her broken lyrics and when she sang him that song and oh gosh, I just want to get all of you this book for Christmas because I (more than ‘kind of’) loved it.

Thanks so much Audrey. Revolution is definitely on my wish list now!

Couples Countdown No 7 - Ruby and Chole

2011-12-13T14:37:00.000Z

The only siblings on the list this year are Ruby and Chloe from Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma.

This is such a riddle of a book. I liked it even better on a second reading and think I might like it still better on a third, because I'm still not quite sure I get it!

Sibling relationships are always fascinating to me. In Imaginary Girls the relationship is particular intense. The bond between Ruby and Chloe is portrayed incredibly well. They have their own world and it is only the things that happen in that world that really matter to them, everything else is just show.

It was a relationship I loved reading about, but not a relationship I actually loved - it's too unsettling. It is compelling though, which is why Ruby and Chole make my top ten list this year.

Have you read Imaginary Girls, what did you think?

Couples Countdown: Guest Post by Angie of Angieville

2011-12-12T07:56:00.001Z

To kick off the second week of the countdown. I'm delighted to welcome one of my favourite bloggers
Angie from Angieville. Angie writes the most beautiful reviews. She always makes me want to run out and buy the book she's in love with straight away! I have her to thank for bringing the The Demon's Lexicon, The Queens' Thief and Meg Rosoff to my attention - I'm extremely grateful!

So here is Angie with her couple of the year!

Hello there, gentle Alexareaders! Thanks for having me. It's certainly cozy round these parts. When Alexa asked me to take part in her Christmas Couples Countdown this year, I was delighted. I look forward to this event every year, and I knew it had been a good year for romance. But when I started reminiscing, it turns out it had been too good. At least for me and the couples I encountered over in my little reader's corner. Wowzers, it's been hard narrowing it down to my favorite couple from 2011! It nearly killed me. I mean, 2011 was the year of Grace and Vaughn, who nearly sent me to an early grave so hard did I fall for them, so worried was I over the state of them. It was the year of Carly and Ryan and all their surfy, honest, refreshing goodness. It was the year of Puck & Sean Kendrick, for the love of all that is holy! Those two alone deserve a moment of silence in which to reflect on their sheer perfection.

What is a girl to do? This narrowing it down to just one business . . .

Well, I dithered. And I pondered. And I re-read favorite passages. But when it came down to it, I came back to that crooked couple I love with all my crooked heart. Because 2011 was the year of Alan and Sin. And I'd been waiting for happiness for this boy for three years. You understand that happiness for a Ryves brother is hard to come by in general. But as far as I was concerned, it was About. Freaking. Time. for my Alan. And happiness came, unbeknownst to him, in the package of Sin Davies--the heir-apparent to the Goblin Market. It was unbelievably satisfying having front row seats to the meeting of these two equals. I am such a fan of strong equals coming together and clashing (naturally), and challenging each other (naturally), and each finding a partner (in crime) in the other. All of that took place between these two. The fact that it was against their admittedly formidable collective will was just icing on the cake.

These two brought that slow, sly, sated grin (yeah, you know the one) to my face more than once. I think about them all the time and know they're no doubt cutting a swath through London as we speak. With all that charm and underhandedness? Oh, yeah. They're doing just fine.

My favorite quote from each of them:

"Oh, Alan Ryves," she said. "You're a fantastic liar. You are the smoothest con man of them all."

"I don't have deal breakers," Alan said. "I look on tempests, and am never shaken."

My heart, you guys. My heart.

My heart too! Thanks So much Angie, what a great couple! Anyone else out there loving Sin and Alan?

Couples Countdown No 8 - Piper & Ed

2011-12-10T22:36:00.000Z

Piper and Ed from Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. Ah I loved this book so much, and I had so much fun reading it. It's great story and the ending just builds and builds to a rock and roll finish. I have to quickly mention Piper's relationship with her family, especially her brother Finn, because I thought it was brilliantly done and Finn was my favourite character of the book.

However, on to Piper and Ed.

There's is just the cutest, sweetest romance. It can be irritating when the main character has no idea the guy likes her, but it was done just right here. The tension building up and up until I was just kiss already! Which is a place I kind of love to be.

So yeah Piper and Ed completely earn their place in best couples of the year. Favourite line ~

But all I could think was that he'd understood me when I needed it most.

Couples Countdown: Guest Post by Sarah of Desirous of Everything

2011-12-08T14:08:00.000Z

I'm delighted to welcome Sarah of Desirous of Everything to the blog today. I discovered her wonderful blog earlier this year and am completely hooked, her blog is a must read - funny and inspiring!

Hello Not Enough Bookshelves readers! My name is Sarah. I blog over at Desirous of Everything and was honored when Alexa asked me to be a part of this series! I gave it a lot of thought and ultimately decided that the best couple of 2011 is... Andy and April from Parks and Recreation, hands down! And I take my fictional television characters very seriously, people. I am still upset at the boring lameness that has become Jim and Pam on The Office. Ugh, please don't get me started on that one! Or as April would say, "It's just... adults are boring. And I hate them. And I don't want to buy all this stupid, boring adult stuff and become boring adults." Um, exactly , Jim and Pam!

Okay, I'm sorry, I did not come here to hate on Jim and Pam (because they will always have a soft spot on my heart) but I came here to love on Andy and April and here are my top five reasons why.

5. They high five all the time!

4. They eat turkey chili out of a Frisbee.

3. They swear on dead crows.

2. Their "Fancy party" was really a secret wedding!

1. They bring out the best in each other! April is coming out of her shell this season because Andy loves her for who she is and nothing more. And Andy knows he can be more than a shoeshine boy because April believes in him! April and Andy are hilarious and adorable and while everyone knows that hilarious + adorable = awesome sauce, it's also so clear that they're doing something right. They don't care what anyone else thinks of them, they want to have fun together and make the most out of life with their bucket lists and goofy shenanigans and when it comes down to it, they are best friends. That's true love if you ask me! I love these guys! Best couple evs.

Thanks for having me Alexa! All images and gifs found via Andy and April Timblr. Thanks!

Thanks so much Sarah. I've never seen Parks and Recreation but I really need too!

See you tomorrow for Couple Number 8!

Couple Countdown No 9 - Rosie and Asher

2011-12-07T13:53:00.000Z

The Australians are coming, and they will capture you heart! I've read so many brilliant Australian books this year was hard to choose who to include here, but my first couple from down under (yes there is another) have to be Rosie and Asher from Brigid Lowry's Guitar Highway Rose.

This book just completely charmed me. Rosie and Asher's relationship is adorable and sweet and gorgeous to read. Here's a taste.

SUNSHINE AND ROSES

with rolled-up towels for pillows rosie and asher lie on their backs on the grass the sky is gently blue no clouds they take off their shoes so their feet can breathe they wriggle their ties and talk about when they were little and what's your middle names and what's your favourite food and what job would you most hate to do and what is the worst thing a parent can say to a kid and what's your favourite film and what's your favourite book and what shall we have for lunch and maybe we should get going in a while they do not kiss but they both want to instead their feet touch and so do their arms it is electric magic their tiny arm hairs tingling happily together the sun warming then watching sky through gree-leafed gum branches close enough to heard each other breathe sweet togetherness this lazy lying down dance of love.

And yes, that whole section is written exactly like that. Although the book consists of a variety of formats. It did feel a little strange at first, but the format ended up being one of the things I really adored about the book.

If you haven't read it, definitely pick up a copy of Guitar Highway Rose and fall in love with Rosie and Asher too.

Couples Countdown: Guest Post by Meredith of Fairy Tales and Cappuccino

2011-12-06T15:57:00.007Z

I'm delighted to welcome Meredith to the blog today with the first guest post for the Couples Countdown. Meredith can be find blogging about writing, books, and life over at Fairy Tales and Cappuccino. Her blog is lovely and I especially love her 5 things that make me happy even on a Monday feature. It always leaves me feeling happy and usually craving a starbucks!

Anyway here is Meredith on her favourite couple of 2011.

My favorite literary couple of this year came from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Kate “Puck” Connolly and Sean Kendrick are slated to race against each other in the water horse race, but as they train together, they begin to fall in love. And the reader begins to fall in love with them.

Puck is impulsive and stubborn, a tomboy of a girl who feels more at home on the back of her beloved horse, Dove, than anywhere else. Sean Kendrick is a boy of sharp angles and silence, so in tune with the water horses (murderous horses dragged from the sea) that he almost seems to belong to the ocean himself. The two of them seem to understand each other immediately, even though the rest of the world doesn’t.

Their relationship is a slow burn, something that builds every time they see each other. And when they finally admit their feelings to each other, you can’t help but cheer.

I couldn’t get enough of this couple. They were just so cute and genuine, with a believable chemistry that jumps right off the page. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

Thanks so much Meredith, great choice! Personally I cheered and swooned, quite a lot. That Sean Kendrick :D

Have you read The Scorpio Races? Did you love it?

If you can't wait for tomorrows couple you can always look at the list from 2010 and 2009 and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Couple Countdown No 10 - Grace and Cole

2011-12-05T23:24:00.002Z

So we are starting to countdown with a rather unusual pairing ~ Grace and Cole from Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy.

Quick Note for those who haven't read Forever yet, don't worry! Maggie doesn't pull the biggest twist of all time and have Grace run off with Cole, leaving Sam all alone with his guitar.

I went into Forever, the final novel in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, expecting to be delighted by Grace and Sam's deepening relationship and their sweet moments together - love those two! I was also hoping to be swooning/laughing as Cole and Isabel continued to prowl around each other - both far more dangerous in human form then any wolf.

What I didn't expect was to adore the relationship that started between Cole and Grace. I wasn't really expecting much interaction between them at all actually, but there was, and I loved it. Seeing Grace through Cole's eyes, and seeing Cole through Grace's eye added a depth to their characters I hadn't even been aware was missing. Also Cole's observations of Sam and Grace together are both gorgeous and kind of heartbreaking.

The way all four characters interconnected was really nicely done and is another reason why this trilogy is one of my favourites.

See you tomorrow with the first guest post!

Christmas Countdown

2011-12-04T22:50:00.003Z

Welcome to the

THIRD COUPLES CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Wow that's quite impressive isn't it? Anyway if you are new around here, for the past two years I have celebrated the countdown to Christmas, by devouring mince pies, watching Love Actually, listening to jaunty chirtsmas tunes, AND blogging about my ten favourite couples of the year. So hard to narrow it down to ten!

Year one was all about romance. Year two was more about friendship. This year is a mixture of the two. I do hope you enjoy it. Some wonderful bloggers and authors have again joined in - thank you! If you want to share you're own favourite couple, either below or on your own blog, I would love to hear about them!

GIVEAWAY

I will be giving away two books from my countdown list. Just fill in the form below (I know you don't know what they are yet, but they're good, I promise). Open to anyone who lives in a an area the Book Depository ships too.

I hope you'll enjoy counting down with me! Thanks for sticking around :)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000Z

Unravelling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

I loved What Would Emma Do? and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, and this sounds exactly my kind of book - Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious." --Lisa McMann

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-23T07:00:00.001Z

So excited for this one and the cover is just gorgeous!

Bitterblue is a companion book to both Graceling and Fire and takes place in the seven kingdoms eight years after Graceling. This third book will tie all three books together in some way. Bitterblue is the sixteen-year-old protagonist, and Katsa, Po, Giddon, Helda, and other characters from Graceling will be part of the fabric of the book. (from Goodreads)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What are you waiting for?

Inspiration

2011-11-17T09:13:00.003Z

We're half way through National Novel Writing Month and I'm in need of some inspiration - to keep going, to keep struggling through, when I'm not quite sure where I am going or what I am doing. I need a guiding light!

Luckily the internet is full of inspiring things, here's two blog posts I read this morning that inspired.

A Reminder of What Really Matters by Kristin Hoffman (link found at The Intern)

I loved this post, especially the end which I am sticking over my desk.

And then put everything out of mind when you’re sitting down to write. Because that’s your time, your space, your joyful play with the characters that you love and the world that you’ve built. Let nothing get in the way.

Yes let nothing get in the way, especially fear and doubt!

Second, Shannon Hale (who is always inspiring) is wrote about her struggles with her latest book in a post called Biting off more than I can chew, and then chewing

Cut out and keep quote -

"Write what you know" is for sissies.

Yeah it is.

Anything Inspiring you today?

Maggie Stiefvater Book Signing

2011-11-15T08:47:00.000Z

On Saturday I headed up to London to the Maggie Steifvater event at Foyles.

Just a side note - Foyles is my favourite bookshop in England and well worth a visit if you are ever in London and need a rest from all the sightseeing!

The event was excellent and made even more so by the fact that Jonas and Plunkett were performing. They sang Summer Girl, a song Sam writes about Grace in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, and they performed their song Spaceship, which Maggie listened too while writing Linger. They're really good (and funny) and I recommend checking them out on iTunes. I like Stole the Show.

Jonas & Plunkett and Maggie (who had seriously excellent boots on)

Then Maggie spoke, she was very funny and engaging and made everything feel very spontaneous and interesting, which must be hard because she'd been on tour for a while.

She began with a list of the Ten Things You Need To Know To Write a Maggie Stiefvater novel. Of which I can remember;

1) Start with a mood

and

10) Ignore the list.

Then she told the story of finding out she was on the NYT best seller list. She was on a plane, on a cellphone, the air stewardess was unimpressed! Then she told about visiting a british school, where the first question was actually a comment that her accent was cute, and the second was what airline did she fly with - haha very British. I hope one of them asked her about the weather in America.

Then she spoke a little about her The Scorpio Races (which is amazing, review coming soon, but I think I can safely say it was my favourite book this year) and how much she wants to leave readers sobbing wrecks.

Then she took questions. Of which I remember these answers;

The duel narratives are because she wanted to know what the boy was thinking not have the girl guessing.

Cole is her favourite character (really? not Sean!) but you need to find yourself a Sam.

If you get stuck - research.

There may be another fairy book, but it keeps getting kicked in the ditch by other books.

She can not speak about her next book, but referred to it as magical novel.

That's all. I should really take notes as I'm sure she said a lot more interesting things!

The we made a very long line to get books signed. As she'd told us she wanted to leave her readers sobbing. I told her I'd cried over The Scorpio Races in Costa coffee the day before (p316 people who've read it), and I did cry again at the end *sniff*.

Anyway I wouldn't go to a signing and not pick up a copy for my lovely blog readers. So if you would like a signed copy of the The Scorpio Races (UK cover) leave a comment here by Friday 18th November 12pm GMT and I'll put your name in the hat.

It's International.

NaNoWriMo Week 2

2011-11-15T00:10:00.000Z

Well NaNoBloPo kind of feel down and died this weekend - opps!

NaNoWriMo is fairing better. I now have 9,133 words.

One thing that has really helped me keep writing is Scrivener Project Targets. I leaned all about them in this post by Sarah Enni.

How much do I love seeing that bar go green! A LOT! It's so satisfying.

How is everyone else doing?

P D James & Pemberley!

2011-11-14T14:56:00.000Z

I don't how this book has only just come to my attention, but it sounds wonderful. P D James is one of my favourite mystery writers. Her books, and the television adaptations of them, are wonderful.

This book has a different focus though. It's set six years after the end of Pride and Prejudice and begins with a late night arrival at Pemberley by Lydia, whose husband Mr Wickham has been murdered!

I'm not a huge fan of what happened after the happily ever after books, but if anyone can do it P. D. James can.

I'm also completely inspired that P. D. James didn't start writing until she retired, and is now 91 and has published over 20 books - it is never to late :)

Death Comes to Pemberley is out now in the UK, and out on the 6th December in the USA.

I much prefer the USA cover. It's much nicer than that yellow, I prefer the font too.

Do you like retellings, works inspired by Jane Austen? What's your favourite?

11/11/11

2011-11-11T22:44:00.000Z

My view at 11.11am on 11/11/11.

My Dad was always pointing out when the dates fell in patterns, he would have loved the fact that his grandson was born on 03/06/09. Then I never paid much attention, now I find it is another way to remember him.

***

It is also Remembrance Day here today. WW1 ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Thanks to all those who served and who currently serve.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-09T07:00:00.002Z

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Diana revealed the gorgeous cover for her latest book last week on her blog. If you hop over there you can read an intriguing snippet from the story and the background on the title - which I love!

We have to wait until June for this one and I'm counting the months. I love Diana's writing and I love the premise of this book, oh and I love the main characters names too.

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.

But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s PERSUASION, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it. (from Goodreads)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What are you waiting for?

45 Days and Counting!

2011-11-08T20:46:00.000Z

NaNoWriMo Week 1

2011-11-07T23:29:00.000Z

Well week one of my own person NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is over and I have 5,659 words. Not as many as if I was doing it for real, but more than the targets I set for myself, so I'm very happy.

Alos I LOVE my story. Really, really love it.

It's hasn't been that hard fitting writing in either.

I really wanted to get up early and do it, but I am so not a morning person. So I've been staying up late and it seems to be a good time to write. I like the quiet. I like knowing there is nothing else I should be doing (well apart from sleeping).

Fingers crossed for another 5,000 next week.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo or some version of it? How is it going?

Happy Monday

2011-11-07T08:16:00.000Z

I ~~stole~~ borrowed this Happy Mondays idea from Meredith who blogs at Fairy Tales and Cappuccino (isn't that a lovely blog name?)

Anyway five things making me happy today;

1) My son slept in till 7.30am! This is unheard of! Six is his usual wake up, but it can be earlier. Fingers crossed it happens tomorrow too.

2) On Saturday I am going to a Maggie Stiefvater book signing in London. I am very excited. I'm also hoping I'm not the only adult there! Any other UK book bloggers going? I'd love to say Hi if you are.

3) Orange leaves. There are many things I don't like about Autumn - shorter days, colder days, rain, but I do love watching the trees turn. It's beautiful here right now.

4) Pinterest I just love this site. I have found so many fabulous things on there. My current favourite is this, love the quote, plus I collect owls, so added bonus.

5) Mince Pies. Much nicer than they sound. They're a traditional Christmas treat, full of fruit and spices. Mr Kipling makes the best ones, but I'm planning to try making my own this year.

What's making you happy on this wet, misty Monday?

Just Ordered!

2011-11-06T12:15:00.001Z

Thanks to FishPondWorld! I simply couldn't wait until March!

Also there is going to be a Jellicoe movie, squee, I'm so excited!

Bought any books this weekend?

Bonfire Night

2011-11-05T12:00:00.000Z

One of the things I have most been looking forward to since retuning to the Uk, is getting to go to Bonfire Night.

Historically it is a celebration of the failure of Guy Fawkes and his friends plan to blow up King James I (VI of Scotland, have to put that in for my Dad) and the Houses of Parliament (you can find a more detailed account here, if you are curious).

Although a Guy is still made and burnt on the bonfire, the 5th November is now mainly a chance to watch fireworks, stand around a big fire, eat parkin and drink mulled wine and generally have a magical night.

There is something about the smell of a bonfire on a cold, crisp autumn night that is just gorgeous. I have always loved Bonfire Night, but I'm even more excited this year because; I haven't been to one in seven years, it will be my son's first Bonfire Night experience, and there is a brilliantly evocative scene in The Scorpio Races set around a Bonfire, that completely has me in the mood to go to one. Now if only I had a November cake to eat!

The Fades

2011-11-04T19:00:00.037Z

A little bit of TV reviewing this Friday.

The Fades is my current TV obsession, it's just so good! A sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with ghosts/zombies, set in a grey and vaguely grim england.

Here's the Main Cast

Paul - the outsider/chosen one, given to bad dreams of a coming apocalypse. Fond of strawberry coloured cords, his sister's best friend, and dessert (loved how he and Mac were always eating dessert)

Mac and Paul and dessert!

Mac - Paul's best friend. Utterly fabulous and steals every scene he's in. Also does a brilliant re-cap at the beginning of every episode.

Anne - Paul's twin sister. Starts off as a mean girl with a big mouth, but is utterly brilliant in later episodes.

Jay - Anna's best friend, Paul's secret crush. Another awesome girl.

Neil and Sarah - members of the Angelics. A secret group who can see ghosts and guard the world against them.

Mark - Sarah's husband, Paul's history teacher. Played by the very cute Tom Ellis.

The plot (kind of)

Paul is seeing a therapist due to his strange and violent dreams. Then one night he sees a women killed in a abandoned shopping centre and discovers he is an Angelic. The angelics are a secret group of people who can see ghosts.

The ghosts are starting to be able to touch things and people. The ghosts would like to be alive again. This is not good news for anyone.

The main reason I'm blogging about it, apart from my the fact that I love it deeply, is because if you are a writer, then The Fades is a brilliant case study of how to create a world, build tension, develop character, be funny, twist expectations and always keep your viewer/reader guessing. Episode Four in particular is some of the best storytelling I've seen.

If you can get your hands on this, watch it. I am counting down to Series Two.

Although a warning - as the BBC puts it The Fades contains violence, strong language, disturbing scenes and some sexual content.

Five Books!

2011-11-03T14:43:00.000Z

I saw this meme over at Angieville and then again at InkCrush and thought it looked fun. So here we go.

1) Book I am currently reading

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Ah this book, this book! I adore it. I am forcing myself to go slowly because I just can't bare to rush such gorgeous evocative writing, but I am also desperate to get to the end to see what happeneds (and seriously what is going to happen? I have no idea). The perfect combination, right?

2) Last book I finished.

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

A lovely, sweet, sad ghost story.

3) Next book I want to read

Tie between The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and Crossed by Ally Condie

4) Last book I bought

Katie in London by James Mayhew

Following a trip up to London my son became obsessed with Big Ben and the London Eye. It's surprisingly hard to find book featuring them. This one is gorgeous though and involves one of the Trafalgar Square lions coming to life (now there's an idea NaNoers!)

5) Last book I was given

My lovely Mum gave me the deluxe penguin edition of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It's so pretty.

If you take part let me know, I'd love to see what you're reading.

November Books!

2011-11-02T22:02:00.000Z

Only two books coming out this month that I absolutely must have.

Crossed by Ally Condie

I adored Matched and I've been dying for the next installment. I am also having serious cover love for this series.

Legend by Marie Lu

I have heard amazing things about this book and the premise sounds great.

What books are on your must read list this month?

To NaNo Or Not To NaNo?

2011-11-01T09:59:00.001Z

That's the question that's been posed by a lot of blogs lately. I've been swayed by each post, I'm easily swayed.

I've done NaNoWriMo twice and finished. So I can do it! Although I never edited either of those stories (!)

But November is busy this year. If 'Im trying to squeeze in 1667 words a day too, my brain might explode!

Then I came across this post It's Not a Sprint (thanks YA Highway) and decided to embark on my own version of NaNo. So I'll be starting out at 250 words a day and adding. Maybe I'll be writing 1667 words by week four, or maybe I'll still be writing 250 words a day. Either way it'll be better than my current output of 0!

And, because I like a bit of pressure and I'm interested to see if a brain can actually explode, I'm also doing NaBloPoMo. I miss blogging and this seems a good way to get back to it.

Also inspired by Sarah I am creating a star chart for both. I do like to see progress and I love stickers.

Finally my reward! on the 1st December I'll be settling down with Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. (which I heard even more fabulous things about last night on Simon Mayo's BBC2 radio show) and
a huge bar of chocolate.

Good Luck to all of you doing NaNo or some version of it. I am cheering for you!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:36:00.000Z

I adore Halloween but this is the first time I have ever carved a Pumpkin. They're not exactly prize winning, but I am proud all the same. I'm also delighted that my son is completely into Halloween this year and has loved the dressing up, the pumpkins, the stories about ghosts and skeletons (FunnyBones is a favoruite) and most of all the chocolate!

Hope you're having a Spooktacular day!

Book Review: As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000+01:00

Elizabeth Scott is one of my favourite authors, so I was delighted
that she had two books out in 2011. Between Here and Forever and As I Wake. Being a contemporary girl I was more excited for Between Here and Forever, but As I Wake surprised me.

Ava wakes up not knowing where she is, or who she is. Her adoring
mother Jane claims she lost her memory. But as Ava has
frightening flashes of a different past she begins to suspect secrets
are being kept. When a mysterious boy, who features prominently in her
fragmented memories, turns up Ava finds herself searching for the
truth, no matter what the cost.

As I Wake is full of tension and uncertainty. I wasn't quite sure what or who to believe, or where the book would take me. I loved unravelling the pieces with Ava though and I appreciated that the world of the book, and the central mystery wasn't over explained. In some books that vagueness would drive me crazy, but it really worked here. It added to the atmosphere, and the main pull of this book is the atmosphere. All the time I was reading I had this sense of unease, I was worried about the characters, and I was utterly sucked into Ava's confusion.

One of the things I love most about Elizabeth Scott's work is how she absolutely nails characters into your heart and As I Wake is no different, I loved Ava, Jane and Morgan. No one writes relationships quite like Elizabeth Scott. I always end up falling for her boys, but she also writes brilliant parent/child relationships and I really liked the one in As I Wake.

I loved how things wrapped up (even though it wasn't what I'd expected) and found myself thinking about the novel, and the ideas explored, a long time afterwards. It's one of those books you want to discuss with people and see if you noticed the same things, or felt the same way.

I highly recommended As I Wake both fans and non fans a like.

Waiting On Wednesday for This Is Not A Test

2011-10-25T22:07:00.000+01:00

A new Courtney Summers and it's about zombies. I am pre-ordering this one as soon as it's available.

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up.

As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, everyone’s motivations to survive begin to change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life–and death–inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What are you waiting for?

Strictly Jason

2011-10-21T07:33:00.000+01:00

To celebrate Friday I thought I'd share my favourite (of this series) Strictly Come Dancing routine. If anyone reading is also a Strictly fan please wave your hand in the comments :)

Strictly is appointment tv in my house and this season is fabulous. It's a great line up, and although I am loving Alex, Anita, Harry, Chelsee, Russel and (surprisingly) Robbie Savage, my heart (and vote) belongs to Jason Donovan.

I was totally in love with Jason when he first appeared on Neighbours, way back when. I saw him as Joseph in the West End, and even saw him live in concert. I adore him on Strictly. He's so into it and last weeks performance was hysterical and brilliant, just watch it and see!

Happy Friday Everyone!

October Books!

2011-10-03T14:38:00.000+01:00

There are so many fabulous books out this Autumn! I've only read one of my must reads from September, but there are six amazing new books out, that I just have to have.

My TBR pile is teetering alarmingly!

I loved The Wolves of Mercy Falls and this books sounds amazing and intriguing.

I adored Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly, it made my top ten list for 2010, so I'm very excited to read Amplified.

Melina Marchetta = auto-buy!

I read a lovely review of this by Jen at Daisy Chain Books and bumped it onto my must read list.

I loved What Alice Forgot and am looking forward to this new one from Liane Moriarty

I have still to read Beautiful Darkness, but I loved Beautiful Creatures and need to know how the story ends!

What's on your MUST READ list for October?

Six Things I've Been Doing While I haven't Been Blogging

2011-09-26T14:41:00.000+01:00

1) Playing with my son ~ we are both in love with the new dragon at the playground.

2) Reading ~ Mainly adult books (hence the lack of reviews), but I did read and love Meg Cabot's All American Girl books. Also I've just started As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

3) Watching Jane Eyre, finally! I was so excited about this movie and then it came out the day I left the US, and then it didn't release here until September. Which is crazy as it was a BBC production. Anyway I am happy to report it was well worth the wait. The two leads are fabulous, it's beautifully shot, and it's a really good adaptation.

4) Watching TV ~ one good thing about Autumn is the TV. I'm currently loving the second season of Downton Abby, the last *sob* season of Spooks, and the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, Jason Donovan to win!

5) Making Granola, this is so yummy and so easy, but I am eating it like candy!

6) Writing ~ still slogging away here. The word count rising slowly.

Book Review: And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky

2011-09-08T14:01:00.001+01:00

Keek’s life was totally perfect.

Keek and her boyfriend just had their Worst Fight Ever, her best friend heinously betrayed her, her parents are divorcing, and her mom’s across the country caring for her newborn cousin, who may or may not make it home from the hospital. To top it all off, Keek’s got the plague. (Well, the chicken pox.) Now she’s holed up at her grandmother’s technologically-barren house until further notice. Not quite the summer vacation Keek had in mind.

With only an old typewriter and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar for solace and guidance, Keek’s alone with her swirling thoughts. But one thing’s clear through her feverish haze—she’s got to figure out why things went wrong so she can put them right. (from Goodreads)

After reading an interview with Arlaina Tibensky on The Contemps, I impulse bought And Then Things Fall Apart (thank you Kindle).

It was love at first word. Not since I encountered Francesca Spinelli have I so instantly been hooked by a character's voice (I know regular readers, I know!).

Keek is fabulous, I just loved her. Her voice lunges out of the book, grabs hold of you, and keeps hold, long after the last word is read. Arlaina Tibensky does a wonderful job of making her just the right side of self absorbed and angsty. She's realistic, but not annoying. She's also funny and confused, and, like all my favourite characters a bit of a mess.

As she poured out her story and her opinions, I laughed, sympathized, and laughed some more. Half way through I did have a flicker of worry that there was no way the second half could be as good.

Dear reader (as Keek would say) it absolutely was.

As her health returns Keek has more interactions with the outside world, but this book remains low on dialogue, and high on retelling and reflection. Which is not a combination I normally fall for, but here it is done perfectly.

I don't think it's for everyone, I'm sad to say. The lack of dialogue, the frank musings on sex and virginity, and the very frequent references to The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath may not be to all readers tastes. For me though it was absolutely wonderful. I adored every second I spent in Keek's head. I wish I'd known her when I was fifteen.

And Then Things Fall Apart has a guaranteed place in my top ten of the year, it is just sofa king* good.

And because the best books speak for themselves here are two of my favouirte quotes.

Reading makes me feel like I've lived a thousand lives in addition to my own. Characters in books really stick around for me. You know cartoon cells, the translucent sheets they draw on to make cartoons? Every time I read a book, especially one that grabs my guts, there is another translucent layer added to what makes me me. Each layer is saturated in color and signed by the artist.

Getting all emotionally wrapped up in made-up people's lives gives me a chance to take a break from my own life, to stretch my legs under warm water, close my eyes, and inhale until I can think straight.

Finally, how absolutely gorgeous is the cover. I, of course, how need a hard copy too. It makes me want to do all my writing on a typewriter, or you know have one around for aesthetic purposes, there would be too much typex required if I used a typewriter.

* say it fast. It took me about thirty pages and then it clicked

Book Review - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

2011-09-03T17:27:00.000+01:00

I wish I could remember who told me about this book, I want to go back and give them a huge hug, for introducing me to a book that might just be life changing.

As you can probably tell I really loved The Happiness Project, which is why it's getting a mention here, when it's not YA. Normally I am not a fan of self help books, and I hesitate to call The Happiness Project that. It's more an inspirational memoir of one woman's year. I started my own Happiness Project on the 1st September and I do hope I'll keep going for the whole year. I even set up a blog to detail it all (but I've failed to post there yet - excellent start right?)

The Happiness Project is a really nice mix of Gretchen Rubin's own Happiness Project and all the books she's read on happiness (there are a lot) I loved all the research she did from Ben Franklin to St. Thérèse. She splits the book into twelve months and focuses on a different area of her life each month - love, work, parenthood, etc. I found most of the scientific and psychological research she shared fascinating. I love stuff like that. I was also completely involved in her story, it was like reading about a friend. She's very honest, and I felt like I knew her by the end of the book. I was also ~~deadly jealous~~ inspired when she set up a book group for adults who love YA .

I think most people will feel a connection to Gretchen Rubin when they read this, due to her style of writing, and the fact that a lot of the small barriers to happiness are things we all deal with but don't give much thought too. For example I would never claim that a pile of papers and junk mail on the side makes me unhappy, but it does annoy me and some days it can be the tipping point. Frequently I look back and realize I got upset about the small stuff to avoid getting upset about the big stuff. If the small stuff is sorted though then the big stuff becomes more manageable. Or so I'm hoping.

Even if you're a generally upbeat, happy person, I think The Happiness Project is worth reading. It's a great reminder of how important the small things are, and how we should make the most of, and appreciate each moment. As my favourite quote from the book goes "The days are long, but the years are short."

Gretchen Rubin also has an excellent blog The Happiness Project

Waiting on Wednesday - The September Edition!

2011-08-31T07:00:00.000+01:00

September is (hopefully) going to be an excellent reading month!

First up, As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

15th September 2011

Squee a new Elizabeth Scott, and it sounds amazing, and the cover - wow!

Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust (from Goodreads)

The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern

15th September 2011

This sounds so imaginative and wonderful. Plus it began life as a NaNoWriMo novel (hope for us all). I loved the WSJ article, Conjuring the Next Harry Potter, on it too.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

29th September 2011

Well I adored Anna and I can't wait to meet Lola! Very excited about this one.

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

29th Septmber 2011

Even in my writing cave, cut off from the internet I couldn't help but hear about this. The hype has been HUGE, hoping it lives up to it.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

And finally the Jane Eyre movies hits cinema's here on the 9th September- I'm so excited.

What books are you dying to read in September?

(all release dates taken from Amazon.co.uk)

The Glass Is Not Only Half Full It Has A Chip In It Too!

2011-08-30T09:45:00.000+01:00

I was meant to be having an internet free day, the husband and baby have gone out and I was going to finally finish THE BOOK.

But, of course, I couldn't help myself and clicked on a few of my favourite blogs. Where I saw a book with such a great title I went straight to Goodreads to find out what it was about. Guess what I found?

My Book.

Of course it won't be completely my book. I know that. I know that every author brings their own experiences, style etc.

It has enough similarities to make me want to cry though, or throw something, or eat a large tub of ice cream.

BUT

I am not going to do any of those things. Although my general tendency is to think the glass is half full (and chipped) I am going to try and be a glass half full, with cute umbrella stuck in a lemon wedge, person today.

See about 20,000 words into The Book I had to decide whether to go Path A or Path B. I choose A, but I could go back and do B now.

Or I could work on the shiny new idea.

Or I could brain storm all the ideas I had on holiday.

Anyway I will not cry, or throw things* and I will NOT stop writing. I shall remember how much I learned writing the book, and how much fun it was, and I shall channel Churchill and Never, Never, Never Give Up!

* I reserve the right to eat that tub of ice cream.

Book Review - Guitar Highway Rose by Bridget Lowry

2011-08-29T11:19:00.000+01:00

Popular and smart, fifteen-year-old Rosie Moon is the quintessential good girl. She also wishes she could be someone else for a while, someone more interesting. Asher Fielding is the mysterious new boy at school who has dreadlocks and a love of Jim Morrison. On the first day of tenth grade, Rosie develops a crush on Asher, and when the two pair up for a poetry assignment they quickly form a bond. When Asher is falsely accused of stealing a wallet at school, he and Rosie decide to escape it all--their families, their school, their ordinary town--and hitchhike up the Australian coast. They know they shouldn't, and that is exactly why they do. Part road story, part love story, Guitar Highway Rose is a thrilling ride for anyone who has ever dreamed about escaping everyday life, even just for a little while. (from Goodreads)

I inhaled this book, it's so gorgeously told, so vibrant, and sensory. I could see the waves on the beach, smell the salt air, taste the pasta and porridge, and feel Rosie's intense longing for something to happen. It made me want to pack everything up in a blue VW van and head for Australia, to road trip up and down the coast.

Guitar Highway Rose is a coming of age story and it really captures how it feels to be a teen. To have that longing for change and control over your life.

I loved Rosie and Asher the two main character, but this book also brims with wonderful secondary characters. The multiple points of view, which dart between characters (there are no chapters and sometimes no punctuation), lets you see a little of everyones' thoughts and I really enjoyed that. The format feels so fresh and original and a perfect fit for the story.

I highly recommend Guitar Highway Rose, it's definitely got a spot on my beloved bookshelf.

Here's a taste

My name is Rosie Moon. My star sign is Aries. I come from a long line of women who have flower names. I am nearly sixteen. I live near the sea. I like reading, roses, swimming, late nights, chocolate, clouds. I'm hungry for a juicy life. I lean out the window at night and I can taste it out there, just waiting for me.

Sunday Snapshot

2011-08-28T09:37:00.000+01:00

First - stay safe East Coast friends.

Second - I was running in the park and suddenly there was a hot air ballon!

What's Your Inheritance Book?

2011-08-27T14:17:00.007+01:00

While roaming the internt I stumbled across the Orange Inheritance Collection. To celebrate the launch they asked 100 men and women to pick the book they'd pass on to the next generation.

So now I'm asking you!

What would your Inheritance Book be?

It took me a while to decide, but I had to go with His Dark Material Trilogy by Phillip Pullman. I can't imagine the baby not getting to visit Lyra's world, and meet armored bears and witches and feel the chill of the Northern Lights, and imagine what his daemon would be, and of course meet the boy he's kind of named after :)

(also I know Kim is totally going to save Harry Potter!)

Book Review: The Sky Always hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

2011-08-26T11:37:00.003+01:00

Reading wise this summer has been something of a disappointment. A lot of the books I had saved up expecting to adore didn't engage me. Luckily my summer reading was saved by the arrival of The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, which I won in a competition on Tara Kelly's blog, and which Kirstin kindly emailed internationally

I'm so glad she did, because it is a gem of a book.

There are many things to love here, but the main reason is Morgan. She is such an engaging narrotor with such a compelling voice. From the first few lines I just knew I was going to love her and I did.

She's funny and fragile and strong and confused and honest and very real. She has a thing about words, wants to write the Great American Novel and fortune cookies. Plus she screams on hillsides. I completely get why quite a few other characters in this book were trying to kiss her - I think I have a crush myself.

The characters in The The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind are dealing with a lot of things and yet this book has a quiet feel to it. It is could almost be a segment on This American Life, with Ira Glass narrating ~ I mean that as a huge compliment. It feel reals. It's like we've dropped into Morgan's life, it is at a critical moment, but the huge family secret (and it is huge) that gets revealed, never becomes overblown.

Although Morgan's life is nothing like mine, now or when I was a teenager, I knew her and I understood her.

There are some outstanding secondary characters here too. Morgan's next door neighbour, Tessa, with whom she shares a late night kiss, Rob the boy she works with and crushes on, and Morgan's unconventional Grandmother.

If you like real, relatable, and funny contemporary fiction you should track down The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind.

Kirstin Cronn-Mills blogs here

And here is the trailer for The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don't Mind, which captures the tone of the novel perfectly.

Hello (again!)

2011-08-21T22:10:00.000+01:00

I feel like the blog has been very neglected this summer, but I guess that's what summer is about - taking a break.

Anyway I am back and have that new year feeling. September has always heralded new beginnings for me more than January. Hopefully I'll return to regular blogging and write some reviews!

The holiday was amazing despite slightly dodgy weather and my son's first bee sting (thank goodness for magic cream and ice cream!)

Books Read - 4 (seems low, but one was A Dance of Dragons which is like five books)

Movies Watched - 4

Flashes of inspiration on WIP - 1 (but a good one)

Shiny new Ideas - 3

Light Houses climbed, carrying child on back - 1 (that's a work out)

Boat Trips taken - 0 (thwarted by bee sting, see above)

Cats adopted - 1

Croissants eaten - too many to count

Gmail inbox - 199

GoogleReader - 629 - but I will hopefully get it under control and catch up.

The Scorpio Races Trailer

2011-08-21T16:21:00.001+01:00

So happy I am back from holiday in time to enter this contest! The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is one of my most eagerly anticipated reads of 2011. Even more so after this trailer - I'm loving the music!

I may go crazy and order a signed copy from Fountain Bookstore

So True!

2011-08-04T20:49:00.000+01:00

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

Charles William Elliot

Bookish Things I Like

2011-08-03T07:45:00.000+01:00

So despite the internet ban, I did pop online occasionally and I have to share a few links to bookish things I have seen and loved.

Spineless Classics print entire classics on a single sheet. My favouirte has to be Pride and Prejudice poster, which I adore, but I also love What Katy Did and The Secret Garden

I'm also loving these posters of children's classics by Christian Jackson, one image evokes the whole tale. Love the Alice In Wonderland image.

Finally Penguin are doing some great covers at the moment. My Mum sent me the cloth bound version of Pride and Prejudice ~ isn't it gorgeous?

I also love there new classics deluxe ranger, which Abby of Abby's Bookshelf blogged about here. The Jane Eyre one is fabulous and on my wish list!

Finally not especially bookish but so fun I love this site dearphotograph. People put a photo of the past in the same spot in the present ~ it's very cool.

Hello August!

2011-08-01T14:47:00.000+01:00

Hi! Anyone still out there? I hope so.

It's the 1st August and the finish line is not crossed, but in sight! I managed to write nearly 35,000 words - woo-hoo, go me! I have about 8,000 to go (I think) which will take me to 52,000 total and a finished first draft!

Thank you so much to everyone who left a you can do it comment - it was lovely having so many lovely cheerleaders.

The internet break was interesting. I was more focused on writing. I barely missed Twitter and Facebook at all, but I REALLY missed blogging. I do love my little blog, and getting comments and visiting all my regular reads and adding to my TBR list.

I didn't miss TV too much, but I missed reading. I was reading non-fiction, I can't not read, but I missed my novels so much. I did actually crack three days ago when I won a copy of The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don't Mind. I had a quick peak at the first page and then had to keep reading, it's such a great book.

Anyway once the 8,000 words are done, my rewards (aside from the pure satisfaction of finishing) are

A holiday in France! Where I shall be eating seafood (everyday single day!), building sandcastles, watching films and reading many, many books, but these are two I can't wait to dive in to.

I am dying to know the end and have avoided all reviews. No spoilers for this one!

I can't wait to see what happens next, I did sneak a look at the first chapter in Waterstones, but thank goodness for the Kindle I can barely lift this book!

So how have you all been? What great books have you read/movies have you watched? Have you been enjoying the sunshine?

The Risk of Failure

2011-07-12T09:54:00.000+01:00

Although my blog claims to be about reading and writing YA, I do tend to stick to the reading side of things. Talking about writing still feels weird to me.

I'm going to be unplugging for a bit though and I thought I'd share why.

Last week Natalie Whipple posted about her two book sale. I'm so happy for her. I've been following her blog for a while and I know it's been a long road for her.

Her sale was also a kick in the pants for me.

See I discovered Natalie's blog at the end of 2008, when we were both finalists in Nathan Bransford's First paragraph Competition. Now Natalie has an agent and a two book deal and I. . .um. . .don't.

I could stamp my foot and whine, but like I said I've been reading Natalie's blog and I know that book contract didn't just land on her doorstep delivered by the good luck fairy. She worked really, really hard and she kept working.

Now in my defense I haven't been sitting around doing nothing. Since 2008 I wrote the book to go with that first paragraph. I edited the hell out of it four times! I found my wonderful critique group. Oh and I also had a baby and moved countries.

But since last August, when after five full rejections I decided to put novel one aside and work on something new, I've been faffing about. No other way to put it.

I think I may be scared of finishing a first draft. Now I know that's just the beginning. Now I know that finishing and editing a novel is not a guarantee of an agent and a book deal.

But I really need to get over that and get down to work! As one of my favourite authors, Philip Pullman, says;

If you want something you can have it, but only if you want everything that goes with it, including all the hard work and the despair, and only if you're willing to risk failure

So I am unplugging, cutting back on television, and reading (yes even reading. I really do want this), so I can buckle down and try and get this first draft done by August 1st.

Wish me luck.

I'll probably check blogs on Sundays, I can't go completely cold turkey, but I won't be posting (my procrastination method of choice) for a while.

Do You Re-read?

2011-07-08T08:05:00.000+01:00

Thanks so to everyone who answered my how do you read questions. I loved reading the answers.

In case you're interested most people read one book at a time, in bed at night is the preferred reading place, YA was the genre of choice :) and audio books were nowhere near as popular as I thought they'd be.

I really miss talking books (much as I loved reading/writing reviews it's not quite the same) so until I find a book group I thought I might ask you guys ~ till you get bored anyway.

So today's questions are all about re-reading, which I've been doing a fair bit of recently.

Do you re-read books?

I re-read about ten books a year.

Which books to you re-read?

My most re-read books include Saving Francesca, Perfect You, His Dark Materials (always re-read this at Christmas) The Pursuit of Love, I capture the Castle, Pride and Prejudice (currently re-reading after finally watching the Keria Knightly version ~ it's so good I shouldn't have been prejudice against it!), What my Mother Doesn't Know, The Truth About Forever, Hideous Kinky, Wyrd Sisters,

My re-reading habit has grown since I started reading YA. Also I tend to re-read in the winter time. maybe I need the comfort when the weather is bad and the nights are dark.

What makes you re-read a book?

For me it's the characters. I want to revisit them. Looking at my list the books tend to be the slower paced books, not the ones where I'm reading fast to finish.

If I judged books by their covers I'd pick you!

2011-07-05T17:15:00.000+01:00

In 2011 I have added 66 books to my TBR lits on Goodreads. The actual list total is 263. As I average about 5 books a month and new books are being added all the time, it's clear I will never read all these

books.

So how's a girl to choose?

Well obviously I'll read books by favourite authors, books that come recommended by people I trust, and books I'm waiting for in series, but if I was choosing based purely on the cover I'd be reading these.

I actually find this quite freaky, but also utterly intriguing.

Add caption

The first time I saw this cover I was completely captivated. I didn't even care what it was about, I just wanted it.

Okay, I have heard many extremely wonderful things about this from Australian bloggers, plus I love A Little Wanting Song. But I do find this cover so gorgeous, love the typeface, love the way the girl and boy are sitting, LOVE the bubbles of light.

Just wow! I think this may be my favourite cover this year. Hope the story matches it.

I don't normally like faces on book covers, but this just works. I like angle of the shot. I also love the way they've done the o in love.

I am a sucker for anything heart shaped, so I love the apple. Plus with the title and the girl it all looks so mysterious and tragic.

Any of these appeal to you? And what would you be reading based on cover love?

What, When, Where and How do you Read?

2011-07-02T09:00:00.008+01:00

I have always been the reader among my friends and family, because they believe I am a voracious reader I have always held that image of myself too. Visiting the blogs participating in Nomes 2001 Faves Lists though, it became clear that I am not voracious compared to you guys!

Which got me thinking ~ what, where, when and how do other people read?

So I thought I'd ask.

What do you read?
Do you read mainly YA,? A mixture of adult, YA, MG?

The bulk of my reading is now YA, probably a 4:1 ratio with adult books.

Where do you read?
Do you take your book out and about with you? Or always read at home?

I tend you read at home, I'll use my iphone and read blogs if I'm at a loose end when I'm out.

When do you read?
Do you schedule it in? Do you read all day? At night? In the morning? Do you sandwich in your reading or do you prefer to have a good chuck of time?

I tend to read at night. Although if a book is brilliant I'll chuck the chores and read through my son's nap time. I like to know I've got a big chuck of time (or at least half an hour) to sink into the book.

How?
Do you read more than one book at a time? Do you use audio books?

I can only seem to do one book at a time. I am becoming more and more of a fan of audio books, although the narrator has to be right.

I'm really curious so I hope you'll share : D

All photos from Weheartit

Winner of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

2011-07-02T07:13:00.000+01:00

The Winner is

Skye of In the Good Books

Thanks to everyone who entered. Hope you manage to get your own copy of the book because it is amazing.

Also I just hit 300 followers, thanks so much you guys. So I think we need a thank you contest, I'll just have to think about what it will be.

Things I Loved In June

2011-07-01T08:05:00.000+01:00

1) The Killing or Forbrydelsen, as it is called in Denmark. I could not have loved this show more ~ it is all kinds of wonderful. I used to do a happy dance when the next dvd arrived from LoveFilm.

If you haven't heard of it, it is a danish crime show. The Danish version follows detective Sarah Lund, as she investigates the murder of Nanna Birk Larsan. Sarah is now one of my all time favourite TV characters. She's absolutely obsessive about her case, in a kind of lone gunman of the wild west way.

She will not stop till she gets her man (or woman!)

Plus I love her jumpers.

I need to borrow a Granny to make me one

2) How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff ~ huh what's that you say? You read my 2011 Faves list, you know I love this book to distraction? I should just write a review already? I am trying, but it's so hard to write it. I may have to resort to a list of love.

3) Wimbledon ~ yay for tennis and strawberries at SW1. And oh my gosh there might be a Brit in the final. Finger tightly crossed.

4) New Shoes ~ I usually spend my summer in flip flops, but I couldn't resist these. They're from CLARKS! For those of you unfamiliar with the store, it's where generations of british school children have been dragged for foot measuring and new shoes. Apparently while I've been overseas they have stepped up their game and moved beyond shiny patent shoes with buckles.

5) Sour Wine Gums ~ I love winegums and new sour winegums rule.

Faves of 2011 (so far) ~ The scenes and the Random

2011-06-30T08:02:00.000+01:00

the scenes

1. best first chapter ~ I just started I Know it's Over and ~ whoa! ~ what a first chapter. Also loved Before I Fall

2. best climax ~ Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John, very rock and roll :D

3. best ending ~ The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Ress Brennan - everyone where they should be,
happy sigh, but no perfect bow HEA <3

4. best plot twist/revelation (no spoilers!) ~ The Queen of Attiolia - Jaw dropped! Not once but twice! Good lord the twisty turns of these books.

5. scariest/most disturbing scene ~ ah I can't say it's such a spoiler if you haven't read the books. But I was shellshocked, shellshocked. The Demon's Surrender also had some disturbing moment, which made you think about the nature good and evil.

6. steamiest scene (or sweetest/sexiest kiss award) ~ Sweetest kiss ~ Robin and Sophie in What my Mother Doesn't Know by Sonja Sones. Sexist ~ Piper and Ed in Five Flavors of Dumb.

7. best swoon-worthy moment ~ Sin and Alan - swooning until I'm nothing but a little puddle of swoonyness on the floor.

8. biggest nail-biting moment ~ most of Divergent. Gah people jumping off things is terrifying to me.

9. most hilarious scene ~ The Demon's Surrender had lots of brilliant one liners. What Alice Forgot has some brilliant scenes and (this is a cheat as it was a re-read) but The Year of Secret Assignments just kills me ~ my ultimate put a smile on your face book.

10. most heart-breaking/tear-jerker moment ~ The Demon's Surrender "I missed you!" ~ had me in floods. The End of How I Live Now was completely heatbreaking

the random

1. fave first sentence ~ Slight cheat here as it is the last two sentences of the first chapter

Mostly everything changed because of Edmond.

And so here's what happened.

2. fave book title ~ What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

3. fave reading experience (ie: created a great reading memory) ~ How I Live Now ~ sofa, chocolate, hot tea, rain pounding the windows up till 1am because I couldn't stop.

4. book with the best food in it (made me so crazy-envious-hungry) ~ Those rolls in What Happened to Goodbye sound amazing.

5. book with the most sensual weather (made you shiver/sweat) ~ Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

6. most embarrassing book cover (feeling sheepish in public) ~ Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead :)

7. can’t believe you waited this long to read the book (!) ~ How I Live Now and The Queen's
Thief series. if you have not read them, well good grief you are in for a treat!!!

I had so much fun doing these list and my TBR pile has swelled enormously. Thanks to Nomes for hosting and to all of you for commenting (<3 comments) and recommending such great books. I'm looking forward to making a whole list in 2011, when hopefully I'll have a few more contenders (sorry for the repeats, well not really as I did love those books) :D

sorry for no photos, blogger won't upload :(

Faves of 2011(so far) ~ The Characters

2011-06-27T07:43:00.001+01:00

The lovely and inspired Nomes of InkCrush has created

In her words (which are so much better than mine ~

it's already (nearly) half-way through the year (!)
and i am SUCH a huge fan of lists so i have created a kind of book blogger sharing-the-awesome book awards to celebrate all the cool stuff i've read so far this year. (which is just a fun-funky style book awards/survey thingy). i will be running it over three posts* staggered throughout the last week of june. (day one beginning this friday)

Hop over to InkCrush for the rules and to sign up.

Day 2 ~ The Characters

1. best female POV ~ Daisy How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Definitely the most unique/engaging voice I've read this year.

2. best male POV ~ Robin from What my Girlfriend Dosn't Know by Sonja Sones. Oh I loved Robin even when he was doing stupid things I loved him!

3. Best couple <3 ~ oooh tie! Daisy and Edmond from How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff and (actually I won't say as. . . spoilers!)

4. who i so want to be best friends with ~ Piper from Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John and Deb from What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. I love Deb I really want a whole book about her and for her to fall for Jason :D

5. who i fell completely in love with (new literary crush) ~ I'm pretty smitten with Engenides from The Queen's Thief and Eli from Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott.

6. worst (best) villain ~ Gereld in The Demon's Surrender

7. best character twist (who you loved then hated or vice versa) ~ The Queen of Attiolia

8. best kick-arse female ~ Piper from Five Flavours of Dumb

9 best kick-arse male ~ Four from Divergent by Veronica Roth

10. broke your heart the most ~ Alan in The Demon's Surrender, oh Alan I love you and you have so much crap to deal with. Also a scene from Five Flavors of Dumb with Finn and Piper (the one with the guitar for people who've read it)
11. best/worst character names ~ Piper from Five Flavors of Dumb & How I Live Now and Eugenides from The Queen's Thief (could I get away with calling my child this???) for the best. And Mclean from What Happened to Goodbye for the worst - seriously she sounds like a toothpaste!

Bonus 5 Best Covers from Books I read this year

Faves reads of 2011 (so far) ~ The Books!

2011-06-24T08:11:00.003+01:00

The lovely and inspired Nomes of InkCrush has created

Hop over to InkCrush for the rules and to sign up.

Day one ~ The Books!

I'm afraid that I have a bit of a Titanic at the Oscars thing going on. Of the 27 books I have read so far this year a few are sweeping the boards. Sorry, but on the other hand you can tell I think they are really amazing.

1. favourite book read so far in 2011 ~ How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. I can not even begin to tell you how much I love this book. It's pure brilliance and I'll be reading everything else by meg Rosoff.

2. most powerful book ~ How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

3. brilliantly funny ~ The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan. It's not a comedy but lots of giggly moments and fabulous one liners.

4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read ~ Where she Went by Gayle Foreman. *sob*

5. most beautiful story ~ Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

6. delicious rainy day comfort read ~ What my Mother Doesn't Know by Sonja Sones. *sigh* I've re-read this four time now, I just love it.

7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award ~ Divergent by Veronica Roth

8. the beautiful prose award ~ Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. Oh my goodness Nova Ren Suma just has this ability with words, it really is magical.

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting ~ Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. The reservoir is like another character, a very scary one!

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award ~ Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohen and David Leviathan. New York, New York!

11. most original and imaginative ~ Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award ~ The Thief (Book 1 of The Queen's Thief) by Megan Whalen Turner. I thought this was a typical adventure/quest book. It is SO much more.

14. most haunting story ~ The Invisible Bridge by Julia Orringer (not YA just FYI)

15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it ~ Seabiscuit by Laura Hillendbrand. non-ficiton about a racehorse and I couldn't put it down!

16. series that i’m loving ~ The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

17. most memorable voice award ~ How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

18. completely awesome premise award ~ What Alice Forgot by Laine Moriarty. Alice loses ten years of memories, oh how things have changed.

19. would make the best movie ~ Divergent by Veronica Roth

20. want to re-read already ~ How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

So, yes, I guess we can safely say How I Live Now, Imaginary Girls and The Queen's Thief will be in my top ten of the year :D

Thanks for creating such a fun list Nomes, looking forward to Parts 2 and 3. Let me know if you've joined in so I can come see what your favourites are.

Interview & Giveaway with Nova Ren Suma

2011-06-23T07:44:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited today to welcoming Nova Ren Suma, the author of the beautiful and haunting Imaginary Girls, to Not Enough Bookshelves.

Imaginary Girls is one of my favourite books of 2011 and definitely the most original. You can read my review here. Nova was kind enough to take some time to answer my questions. I hope you guys enjoy the interview and pick up a copy of Imaginary Girls.

1) Imaginary Girls is such a beautiful, haunting and amazing story, but I'm having trouble describing it to people without spoilers. Can you share your elevator pitch?

Thank you so much! First, let me say that elevator pitches intimidate me and if I were ever trapped in an elevator and asked what my novel was about I can't promise I wouldn't panic and stab all the buttons and flee at the closest floor. That said, this is what I say when asked in person and I can't escape:

Imaginary Girls is the story of two sisters, their strong bond, and the dead body that threatens to break it. I like to call the book contemporary with a fantastical twist—and I try not to say too much more than that.

2) Your style is extremely distinctive (loved Chloe's voice) and I can't think of anything like it. Who are your literary influences?

I've always found myself drawn to strong first-person voices. When I was first finding my voice as a writer, I was devouring books like Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys, A Feather on the Breath of God by Sigrid Nunez, The Last Life by Claire Messud, and The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (which is really collective first-person, and wow, what a novel!). I think what I read and admired in those days really shaped my own voice. I was first inspired to write YA by the author Laura Kasischke, whose novels Boy Heaven and Feathered completely took hold of me and—in leading me to stop writing adult fiction in favor of YA—effectively changed my life.

3) You're very open and honest on your blog about how hard your journey to publication has been, aside from never, never, never give up, what one piece of advice would you give aspiring writers?

I would tell aspiring writers the thing I refused to listen to myself: Don't be afraid to give up a manuscript and start over. I mean start over entirely. From scratch. Even if you've devoted five years to writing it and you want to try every literary agent on the planet with it until there are only ants left. I say this only because I had a hard time letting go. I felt in my gut that I should, but I didn't want to admit it. It took me years to realize that the novels I'd written were not working and I could, in fact I should, try a new story.

It's hard to give in when you've spent so much time on something, but sometimes it takes a few tries before you find your stride. The truth is, I'm glad—relieved, even—that there are 845 unpublished pages living under my couch. It's okay that those novels never made it. Imaginary Girls is what I wanted to write all along.

4) Ruby is such an amazing character, so vivid and compelling. Did you ever consider telling the novel from her point of view, or writing a duel narration? And was it hard to find what makes her tick or was she one of those characters who just was?

I'm completely taken by Ruby. She's surely one of those characters who just walks out onto the page and takes over. I couldn't stop her, and the story took flight from what she did.

I love trying to imagine what Ruby's really thinking and what she means by what she does—but so much of the way I see Ruby is through her little sister Chloe's eyes. Chloe who adores her. Chloe who believes almost anything she says. It's important that Chloe tell this story because her vision of Ruby is what gives her so much magic. I never wanted to write this novel from Ruby's perspective. That would have taken the mystery away.

The 5 quick currently questions

a) Currently reading? I'm just starting this novel called Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey that comes out from HarperTeen this fall. I try to avoid reading too much fiction when I'm drafting, but I'm having a hard time putting this one down and I may not be able to wait.

b) Currently watching? I'm in the midst of Netflixing all available seasons of Friday Night Lights, which I'm shocked that I like so much, since I have no interest in football. I think that speaks to the skill of the series writers that someone like me, who avoids sports at all costs, could be so drawn into the lives of these characters. I could learn from this.

c) Currently listening to? The Xx. I can't stop playing them while I write my new novel.

d) Currently eating? As I answer this question, I am battling a craving for some Thai food.

e) Currently wishing for? A searing bolt of inspiration so overpowering, I'll look up a few days later and my whole manuscript will be finished.

And because I love this book so much, I'm giving away a copy. Just leave a comment below to be entered. I'll randomly pick a name on the 30th July.

The giveaway is open to where ever the Book Depository ships.

You can find out more about Nova Ren Suma and Imaginary Girls at her website and her wonderful blog, Distraction No 99.

Imaginary Girls is currently on a Blog Tour ~ the tour details can be found here, secrets are being revealed and giveaways hosted so check it out!

Thanks again to Nova for answering my questions and thanks to all of you for reading :D

Viva La Revolution!

2011-06-22T12:07:00.002+01:00

Tara Kelly, author of the fabulous Harmonic Feedback (my review is here, I loved this book!), has launched a

Realistic YA Revolution!

You can check out her post and win an ARC of her new book Amplified on her blog Tara Tracks. As a huge fan of realistic YA here are six of my favourites that haven't had as much attention as they deserve;

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jazarb

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonja Sones

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Thanks to Jordyn of Ten Cents Notes where I found about the revolution!

What would be on your list?