Not Enough Bookshelves: June 2011

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

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) 😀

sorry for no photos, blogger won’t upload 🙁

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 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 😀


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

Piper can’t hear Dumb’s music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb. (from Goodreads)


As soon as I read Nic’s of Irresistable Reads wonderful review of Five Flavors of Dumb by Anthony John, I knew it was a book I needed. Much as I love demon’s and werewolves and dystopian futures, contemporary YA remains my one true love, because when it’s done well, it rocks! Five Flavors of Dumb is done very, very well.


Although this is the tale of how and if Piper will get Dumb their gig, at it’s heart it’s a story about family, and Piper’s family were amazingly well portrayed. Especially her brother Finn whose a popular, guitar playing, almost bad boy ~ his scenes with Piper were my favourites in the book.


Then there is Piper herself and she is a fabulous character; funny, honest, strong, confused and at times endearingly clueless. I loved how she didn’t give up and kept battling and trying to find solutions to her problems. I also liked how her deafness was part of her and referenced throughout the novel, but it certainly wasn’t her stand out trait or the point of this story.


The five member of Dumb provide a lot of comedy and some heartfelt moments. I loved their growth, especially the girls, and I found myself truly invested in whether they would become a band and get a gig.


On top of all this there is an adorable romance, with a sweetheart of a guy (who can make perfect cups of coffee!), and who shows over and over how much he cares about and likes Piper. Plus a truly swoony kiss.


Meaning Five Flavors of Dumb is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year. Plus it has an awesome cover!

Luckily you can always find Summer in books. I did a guest post at Daisy Chain Book Reviews on my favouirte summer reads, I’d love it if you dropped by and told me your summer must reads.

Image from Weheartit

I also decided to join Audrey’s Awesome Awktopus Summer of YA Lit Challenge (mix and match from her ten mini challenges – such a great idea). I absolutely love making lists, especially of books I’m planning to read, although I suck at keeping to them 🙂

Here’s my summer list ~ I can practically feel the sunshine on my face as I read it!

1) Start and Finish a Series ~ The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

2) Read THAT book, the one you keep putting off for some reason ~ The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

3) Read a Summer related book ~ Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

4) Read a Book published before 2000 ~ A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

5) Read three stand alone book by the same author ~ C K Kelly Martin

6) Buy a book ~ Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Thanks Audrey, that cheered me up.

Do you like planning your reading, or do you pick a book based on how you feel in the moment?

I love Sarah Rees Brennan’s triology and The Demon’s Surrender was pretty much the perfect ending to it.