tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222190652024-02-19T15:19:42.841+00:00This Fleeting Dream - a book blogJuliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.comBlogger316125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-5461324416313353212017-01-28T09:00:00.000+00:002017-01-28T09:00:16.105+00:00Goodbye This Fleeting Dream, Hello Better Than DreamsHello! After the best part of a decade on Blogger I have decided to move my blogs to WordPress. I've also decided to make the name of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUODY4gJ8o1LC4dQcRls7kw">my YouTube channel</a>, <i>Better Than Dreams</i>, the name of the blog as well.<br />
<br />
You can head over to <a href="http://www.betterthandreams.com/2017/01/baker-street-academy-giveaway/">Better Than Dreams right now to enter a giveaway for the graphic novel <i>Baker Street Academy: Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diamond</i></a>.<br />
<br />
I hope to see you over there!
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.betterthandreams.com/"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmiZcioEVHmsmX7CNvP3aj050hUfLGI0mPa0cUTBFnJOtPHZ-nto49H9QrOJqFQoVkwFaoTOC2uAPW5x9YwWnTptzC3nuzZoDb2MHBKyWxTZBG-TCC0EnOXG9XtT1IAiaglLUwg/s640/BTD+2017.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "bitstream charter" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-59085803733210286002017-01-02T08:22:00.000+00:002017-01-02T08:22:07.491+00:00My Favourite Reads of 2016I'm never sure how to organise these things. Usually I just list all my favourite books read that year in a non-specific, non-committal order.<br />
<br />
The difference is that this year I do have a most-favourite book read, and a second-most-favourite.<br />
<br />
So I'm going to strike out and pretend I'm a one-woman book award. I'll tell you my most favourite, the runner up, and then all the other books I thought were especially good, the shortlist, if you will.<br />
<br />
Ready? Okay.<br />
<br />
<b>My Absolute Most Favourite Book I Read This Year</b><br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about this post, and the inevitable YouTube video, and I said to myself, 'What is my favourite book read in 2016?'<br />
<br />
And then I replied 'LOL duh of course it's <i><b>Sorcerer to the Crown</b></i>' and then I stopped thinking about it until just now when I went through my books read in Goodreads just to check I hadn't somehow forgotten about a better book?!?! Like a TOTAL IDIOT because OF COURSE I hadn't read a better book.<br />
<br />
<i>Sorcerer to the Crown </i>is definitely my favourite book that I read this year. It was so fun and thoughtful and I desperately want Zen Cho to write and publish the sequel...months ago on May 16 2016 because that's when I read <i>Sorcerer to the Crown</i>!<br />
<br />
It's about an alternate Regency England where there is magic, except it's only the rich white dudes who get to wield it 'properly'. Everyone else is just doing what the dudes think of as twee little household spells, with two major exceptions: Zacharias Wythe, the Sorcerer Royal, who was a slave adopted by the previous Sorcerer Royal, and all the single Ladies, who are cooped up in boarding schools being told that they need to control/get rid of their magic so they will be suitable wives. Unsurprisingly, all the rich white dudes are panicking because their magic supply seems to be shrinking so Zacharias goes to investigate and along the way he meets the awesome magnificence that is Prunella Gentleman, the ward of the headmistress of one of the aforementioned schools. Cue hijinks and magic and revelations about parentage and dragons. It's hilarious and charming and I didn't want it to end.<br />
<br />
It was so great, I'm tempted to go read it again right now...<br />
<br />
...what? I need to finish this post? Oh boo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNJvIA8ZqIxQd9spla2KPD15YbPfszFthWhzf9-yqZKpxEIiWL8IJoaXD1lko0MtqHxFcJYh8Z8bY0vEKiLMOXPqj2VyHxcFVs1phK5h1SREX3BPVNkvUiYWxFmulg6Ca5I4nQA/s1600/sorcerer_to_the_crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNJvIA8ZqIxQd9spla2KPD15YbPfszFthWhzf9-yqZKpxEIiWL8IJoaXD1lko0MtqHxFcJYh8Z8bY0vEKiLMOXPqj2VyHxcFVs1phK5h1SREX3BPVNkvUiYWxFmulg6Ca5I4nQA/s400/sorcerer_to_the_crown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>My Second Most Favourite Book I Read This Year</b><br />
<br />
As I knew my most favourite book already, I didn't really think about the rest of this list until about two days ago, when I said to myself, 'What is my <i>second </i>most favourite book read in 2016?'<br />
<br />
And then I replied 'LOL duh of course it's <i><b>Love Song</b></i>' and then I stopped thinking about it until just now when I went through my books read in Goodreads just to check I hadn't somehow forgotten...you get the idea.<br />
<br />
<i>Love Song</i>. How can I explain my love of <i>Love Song</i>? I mean, I did not expect to love this book! I thought it would be fun, I always like a book about music and bands and all that. But knowing going in that it was about a girl going on tour with a boy band, I did not expect it to capture my heart and hold it to ransom for 384 pages like it did!<br />
<br />
Is it because the main character is from Croydon and I am half-Croydonian myself?<br />
Is it because there's so much emotional brilliance that I fell in love with each and every single one of the main characters?<br />
Is it because it involves the exploration of a very big and very quirky house in the country?<br />
<br />
It's so hard to describe why exactly I love this book, but oh, how I do. It's excellent. If you like contemporary YA please<i> please</i> pick it up - I'll be busy working my way through Sophia Bennett's backlist.<br />
<br />
<b>The Best of the Rest</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b style="font-style: italic;">When We Collided</b> (Emery Lord) sounds like it's going to be super-twee - it's about a newcomer girl who shakes up the life of the boy who's lived in the town his whole life, but again, emotional brilliance took me by surprise to lift a simple, mundane-sounding premise into something glorious and sophisticated.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0pOSLPL0PtE7qo1ClFQGlFaLlPJ76zNtGL0OGUjwDYLvZHlb27QUJJ38nRmUY0A10qsmeVn_a7eLmzESJ7RgWAj3mUx8nJlrke8LejCsBc-m6ZnPnxSjZuiXsKv33r2-P1Hqhg/s1600/when_we_collided.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0pOSLPL0PtE7qo1ClFQGlFaLlPJ76zNtGL0OGUjwDYLvZHlb27QUJJ38nRmUY0A10qsmeVn_a7eLmzESJ7RgWAj3mUx8nJlrke8LejCsBc-m6ZnPnxSjZuiXsKv33r2-P1Hqhg/s400/when_we_collided.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Maresi</i> (Maria Turtschaninoff) may have suffered a little from the translation because the language is a bit flat and simple but I loved the idea of an island convent for women and the emotional journey the characters went on. I am looking forward to revisiting the world of the Red Abbey in the sequel.<br />
<br />
<b style="font-style: italic;">The Girl with All the Gifts</b> (M. R. Carey) really is as good as everyone says it is. It's better than the film, filling in background details about the characters that make them come more vividly alive. I really enjoyed the ending.<br />
<br />
I actually expected to love <i><b>The Song Will Save Your Life</b></i> (Leila Sales) and I did. Though it was not exactly what I anticipated, it was still a lot of fun and I now have the occasional secret longing to get dressed up and visit a hidden club!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tUDClwKuLf2P_82ynu_5wHYGNq3yqMbd1dYbsXiKvjwXoTppVdmuJE-gNZ8Lcdm7Dzu8gWLjBwcELJpVX9cSdhVBwdrnqb70sfscUwNY2KLorSxyKiGIzVYINqkBEXtP4ugKtQ/s1600/this+song+will+save+your+life+my+secret+rockstar+boyfriend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tUDClwKuLf2P_82ynu_5wHYGNq3yqMbd1dYbsXiKvjwXoTppVdmuJE-gNZ8Lcdm7Dzu8gWLjBwcELJpVX9cSdhVBwdrnqb70sfscUwNY2KLorSxyKiGIzVYINqkBEXtP4ugKtQ/s400/this+song+will+save+your+life+my+secret+rockstar+boyfriend.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDNrWevsk4W/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend</b></i> (Eleanor Wood) is an unconventional comtemporary about a blogger who gets comments from her favourite rockstar that lead into a secret relationship. I loved how realistic this book was - the protagonist makes a massive mess of her whole life! I also appreciated that it dealt with social class, a subject that doesn't come up as often as I'd like it to in UKYA.<br />
<br />
<b style="font-style: italic;">Only Ever Yours</b> (Louise O'Neill) is a zoomed-in <i>Handmaid's Tale</i>, focusing on the experience of teenage girls in a world where women are literally born and bred to be the property of men. It's bleak as hell, but it needs to be.<br />
<br />
I went into <b><i>Rebel of the Sands</i></b> (Alwyn Hamilton) not really knowing anything about it and was soon caught up in this story of rebel teenagers banding together to save their lives and maybe change the status quo. I have the sequel sitting on my bookshelf and I'm sure it won't be long before I pick it up!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixad3XY1aY9TbIIHRIRw69siHzSQGuq0qc_rYCGyuAwJs_rxGkPfenwT04ix3rgGVqt2YMruZALPnT4lKPkdh_j2QslnLUwuhLz91Is4xOUlR0PM3wNKSf9MbfkhFSVBBrReqxnw/s1600/rebel_of_the_sands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixad3XY1aY9TbIIHRIRw69siHzSQGuq0qc_rYCGyuAwJs_rxGkPfenwT04ix3rgGVqt2YMruZALPnT4lKPkdh_j2QslnLUwuhLz91Is4xOUlR0PM3wNKSf9MbfkhFSVBBrReqxnw/s400/rebel_of_the_sands.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGonzzHMk3_/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'd never read any Patrick Ness before <b><i>The Rest of Us Just Live Here</i></b> and now I know exactly what I've been missing out on! It could easily have ridden on its premise of being about the teenagers left in the background while the Chosen Ones save the world, but it rises above parody. It pokes fun at the 'indie kids', and focuses on the ordinary, heartrending difficulties that the others have to face, but ultimately has a lot of affection for all its characters.<br />
<br />
And that's the end of the list! Are any of my favourites on your list, from last or previous years? Let me know!Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-48596255143439605682017-01-01T23:46:00.003+00:002017-01-14T12:09:10.718+00:00Shorts on Sunday #1 - I'll Be Home For ChristmasEarlier this week <a href="http://www.yayeahyeah.com/">Jim</a> got in touch to let me know about his fab new feature, <a href="http://www.yayeahyeah.com/2017/01/shorts-on-sunday.html">Shorts on Sunday</a>, and as I just finished reading the <i><b>I'll Be Home For Christmas</b></i> short story collection I thought I would join in!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GqlZEaP6M8a2Pgn0jIQCRbSPF2IOxpExCrR890qxb-e-7TSkJP645XtR4z99dopd4WB083OjDaU7ioontCDObMjOg__aPIr2iF_g-aByzeTjJakPZli40sy1T2pkSQJWPS1b1Q/s1600/I%2527ll_be_home_for_christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GqlZEaP6M8a2Pgn0jIQCRbSPF2IOxpExCrR890qxb-e-7TSkJP645XtR4z99dopd4WB083OjDaU7ioontCDObMjOg__aPIr2iF_g-aByzeTjJakPZli40sy1T2pkSQJWPS1b1Q/s400/I%2527ll_be_home_for_christmas.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNv631Og5a6/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jim's already covered 'Homo for Christmas', Juno Dawson's short story, which I also loved, because not only is it very sweet and heartwarming, but it is also a great example of a unique narrator's voice - his accent and idiosyncrasies come across in the language and the form of the story. This is something I aim for when I'm writing so I love to find good examples of it to inspire me!<br />
<br />
I had another two favourite stories in this collection. Firstly I'll talk about 'Family You Choose' by Cat Clarke, narrated by a girl who goes to a dinner party hosted by the mums of a boy at school. She doesn't really know him, and as she tells us about the party we learn that she's gone to get away from her own mum. I'm recommending this story because although it's very short, the author conjures up the atmosphere of the party quickly and the characterisation is so good that I felt like I knew the characters deeply after only a couple of pages in their company. Plus, I really wanted to be able to go to the party myself!<br />
<br />
The other story in this collection that left the strongest impression on me is 'Routes and Wings', by Lisa Williamson, about a homeless girl and how she spends a night before Christmas. I recommend this story because the author interviewed Crisis members as part of her research for the story and that has given it realistic detail and depth. It also features some wonderfully vivid descriptions and the hints at Lauren's backstory are perfect - they give us all the detail we need without overwhelming the scenes in the present.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUJhU_prIm2rCmm6-22kFpo9MoBCwA6xzvzqZDVnoEh7cc8bHorZA7-7sknph8E7n92B1DTGVC0wVGk1IDW9QYtY4n0ph9WNB7yhtpR4622VaTpFS9ezzso2VHTLTSgfH_fXk4g/s1600/I%2527ll_be_home_for_christmas_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUJhU_prIm2rCmm6-22kFpo9MoBCwA6xzvzqZDVnoEh7cc8bHorZA7-7sknph8E7n92B1DTGVC0wVGk1IDW9QYtY4n0ph9WNB7yhtpR4622VaTpFS9ezzso2VHTLTSgfH_fXk4g/s400/I%2527ll_be_home_for_christmas_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There are a few days left of this Christmas, plus there's always next year, so I strongly recommend you pick up a copy of this anthology. Not only is it is a great read but at least £1 from the sale of every copy will go directly to Crisis.<br />
<br />
There we go! I'm going to try and join in every week but I can't promise to feature more than one story each time, I'm a way slower reader than Jim, plus I'm busy working on my own YA short story collection!Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-5227928862292203062017-01-01T18:41:00.001+00:002017-01-01T18:41:36.015+00:00Reading Challenges 2016 Wrap UpLast year I read 45 books. I didn't meet my overall target (60), but I was a long way from my all time low of 21 books (2011).<br />
<br />
To be fair to myself, I was very busy. I have been writing short stories like they're going out of fashion (or maybe like they're coming into fashion - I certainly hope so!). I published <a href="https://www.udemy.com/planning-your-work-wardrobe/?couponCode=1010JAN16">an online course</a>. Reading often fell by the wayside as I scribbled down bullet points and edited videos.<br />
<br />
So how did I do on the individual challenges?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Classics Challenge</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmRm5uQikfzwNkkaqG3KCBaJoy-ceH2VJaKz3aw2O_FlWjWUKCxILmSXUHI8S2VIpT0Tx8oJftBJa6MPKUEJfhS2u-Y_3w4GeuMWvNfBa8E2ONKDjMjFk1qF53sdB7fE4jlxwww/s1600/2016classicschallenge1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmRm5uQikfzwNkkaqG3KCBaJoy-ceH2VJaKz3aw2O_FlWjWUKCxILmSXUHI8S2VIpT0Tx8oJftBJa6MPKUEJfhS2u-Y_3w4GeuMWvNfBa8E2ONKDjMjFk1qF53sdB7fE4jlxwww/s320/2016classicschallenge1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I planned to make a proper go at this challenge, after I only managed three books in 2015. I had all the best intentions - I was going to post a video every month on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/thisfleetingdream">my YouTube channel</a> about the challenge. I would still really like to do videos about each of these books, but the research involved is quite time consuming so I'm going to shelve this project for a later date. This challenge was hosted by Stacey at <a href="https://theprettybooks.wordpress.com/2015/12/27/2016-classics-challenge/">Pretty Books</a>.<br />
<br />
I did not complete this challenge, though I did do better than last year. I read:<br />
<br />
1. <i>The Pursuit of Love </i>and <i>Love in a Cold Climate</i>, by Nancy Mitford<br />
2. <i>Claudine at School</i>, by Colette<br />
3. <i>Fifteen</i>, by Beverley Clearly<br />
4. <i>What Katy Did</i>, by Susan Coolidge<br />
<br />
<b>British Books Challenge</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQobv3OlaLkOU4yehibXaWv0QJZbzlaUpY4M0XHpqQLyhO0xhkqqzLeoOq7QBXZZ08AeCH8zi00xeDwnrKp4JOtJGTJ3wn2vCpuWAxdTYdUOOoWgvB8z8iq5B4qvlqsZzi8ic2Q/s1600/BBC+pointed+shaded.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQobv3OlaLkOU4yehibXaWv0QJZbzlaUpY4M0XHpqQLyhO0xhkqqzLeoOq7QBXZZ08AeCH8zi00xeDwnrKp4JOtJGTJ3wn2vCpuWAxdTYdUOOoWgvB8z8iq5B4qvlqsZzi8ic2Q/s400/BBC+pointed+shaded.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>In 2015 I read 24 books for this challenge, which was double the amount required. I didn't do so well on this challenge this year, but it was still quite easy to complete and even exceed the target - you can read any kind of book, as long as it's British. It was hosted by Kirsty at <a href="http://www.overflowinglibrary.com/2015/12/the-british-books-challenge-2016-sign.html">The Overflowing Library</a>.<br />
<br />
I read:<br />
<br />
1. <i>The Pursuit of Love</i> and <i>Love in a Cold Climate</i>, by Nancy Mitford<br />
<div>
2. <i>My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend</i>, by Eleanor Wood</div>
<div>
3. <i>Love Song</i>, by Sophia Bennett</div>
<div>
4. <i>London Belongs To Us</i>, by Sarra Manning<br />
5. <i>Girl Out of Water</i>, by Nat Luurtsema<br />
6. <i>Hacker</i>, by Malorie Blackman<br />
7. <i>Rebel of the Sands</i>, by Alwyn Hamilton<br />
8. <i>The Next Together</i>, by Lauren James<br />
9. <i>All of the Above</i>, by Juno Dawson<br />
10. <i>Blood Will Stream</i>, by Nick Bryan<br />
11. <i>After the Last Dance</i>, by Sarra Manning<br />
12. <i>The Girl with All the Gifts</i>, by M.R. Carey<br />
13. <i>The Graces</i>, by Laure Eve<br />
14. <i>Gilded Cage</i>, by Vic James<br />
15. <i>The Uncommon Reader</i>, by Alan Bennett</div>
<br />
<b>Retelling Challenge</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJ5v0CGI_zfcppAetttTfKFo0VXQPUK_quqwhniHLc8EOnqhNnc-d4IMhtPTQIFs6NDNJdSQUW5EJV6jgV0ZaEPCuTTCbc807dS4HY1dFsBuULiBMTeAQdY8jG7kAFBttbqWlUA/s1600/Sound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJ5v0CGI_zfcppAetttTfKFo0VXQPUK_quqwhniHLc8EOnqhNnc-d4IMhtPTQIFs6NDNJdSQUW5EJV6jgV0ZaEPCuTTCbc807dS4HY1dFsBuULiBMTeAQdY8jG7kAFBttbqWlUA/s1600/Sound.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
This was hosted by <a href="http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.nl/2015/12/retelling-challenge-2016-sign-up-post.html">The Daily Prophesy</a>. Despite a lingering sense of guilt for forgetting this challenge, and despite the fact that I acquired ever more fairytale retellings in 2016, I only managed to read one book, <i>Poison</i>, by Sarah Pinborough. It did remind me how much I love reading (and not just collecting) fairytale retellings, but it was too late to make much difference as I read it over Christmas!<br />
<br />
<b>TBR Pile Reading Challenge</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XZFTqM1gYYT0hhQ0cpGavwRdono5bDAgyCbw2hAVaWgtRxRJP9Szf3CEryqSJy5B9KElRspRK6tZll78Jh-YGok4eI5CqsgshqVpOGwXnUJFNE50_HJkJRUS2mjjqSYylBZtuA/s1600/image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XZFTqM1gYYT0hhQ0cpGavwRdono5bDAgyCbw2hAVaWgtRxRJP9Szf3CEryqSJy5B9KElRspRK6tZll78Jh-YGok4eI5CqsgshqVpOGwXnUJFNE50_HJkJRUS2mjjqSYylBZtuA/s320/image2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I was aiming for 31-40, Sweet Summer Fling, but I only managed to read 13. This is a reflection of my low overall total, though I did read more TBR pile books (those acquired before January 1st) in the first few months of the year than later on, which is probably because I was doing the TBR Triple Dog Dare as well.<br />
<br />
1. <i>The Dark Days Club</i>, by Alison Goodman<br />
2. <i>The Pursuit of Love</i> and <i>Love in a Cold Climate</i>, by Nancy Mitford<br />
3. <i>Misguided Angel</i>, by Melissa de la Cruz<br />
4. <i>Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy</i>, by Ally Carter<br />
5. <i>Only Ever Yours</i>, by Louise O'Neill<br />
6. <i>Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover</i>, by Ally Carter<br />
7. <i>This Song Will Save Your Life</i>, by Leila Sales<br />
8. <i>My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend</i>, by Eleanor Wood<br />
9. <i>Claudine at School</i>, by Colette<br />
10. <i>Sorcerer to the Crown</i>, by Zen Cho<br />
11. <i>The Next Together</i>, by Lauren James<br />
12. <i>Poison</i>, by Sarah Pinborough<br />
13. <i>Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book One</i>, by Bill Willingham<br />
<br />
<b>Bardathon Challenge</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR7vshwfPTLggqhCHU_DDdb8twySP5UjXHq_7SHGa2R7eHGik5Bt7AzahGsCgTY8YC-wC95luhEtVQBrS48dMUNSj7fS9i9QsZ2X064p3ZHml76Ttecpp1Ghyphenhyphenpqi3bYKKbz9KNw/s1600/shakespeare400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR7vshwfPTLggqhCHU_DDdb8twySP5UjXHq_7SHGa2R7eHGik5Bt7AzahGsCgTY8YC-wC95luhEtVQBrS48dMUNSj7fS9i9QsZ2X064p3ZHml76Ttecpp1Ghyphenhyphenpqi3bYKKbz9KNw/s400/shakespeare400.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>I didn't do anything for this challenge. It was in the back of my mind but to get around to all the steps involved more planning than I was ultimately willing to do for a reading challenge!<br />
<br />
<b>Challenge Challenge</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Yes, <a href="http://thenovelorange.com/the-2016-challenge-challenge/">someone made a meta challenge</a>. I signed up for five other challenges, as above, so I was going for 'Cinco de Challenge-o'. I only completed one, so I also failed this challenge!<br />
<b><br /></b><b>TBR Triple Dog Dare</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkxsA5GCBCYZvphYzZwn637ZRecTq_n5G-varz8b6Bt7iT19xcd1lI7QJdkgZET5Xh5DJtSFolSILDcOvoXX7qZSB9cQdSif7rAjRh9zVV8eJSG06JwYaaveC8rHCRB_g9B7Ogg/s1600/tbr-final-dare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkxsA5GCBCYZvphYzZwn637ZRecTq_n5G-varz8b6Bt7iT19xcd1lI7QJdkgZET5Xh5DJtSFolSILDcOvoXX7qZSB9cQdSif7rAjRh9zVV8eJSG06JwYaaveC8rHCRB_g9B7Ogg/s1600/tbr-final-dare.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>I had done this every year since it first ran and this was the final dare so of course I had to take part! I only allowed myself a few exceptions and otherwise only read books on my TBR that I owned before 1 January 2016 until 1 April 2016. This challenge was hosted by <a href="http://jamesreadsbooks.com/tbr-dare-2/">James Reads Books</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>In Conclusion...</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I only completed the British Books Challenge and the TBR Triple Dog Dare, but honestly I don't mind. I used to worry a lot about not completing challenges, but <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/reading-challenges-2013.html">as I've said before</a>, if it's easy, it's not a challenge. There wouldn't be much point in signing up for challenges that I could complete without really thinking about it!<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to choosing a new selection of challenges for 2017 and getting going!Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-59634913401718621082016-10-31T14:39:00.002+00:002016-10-31T14:39:58.934+00:00Bookish Brits Vlog 30: UKNA?<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nlpOFwUZ0eI?list=PLGRMUqyRR0VhBPEASjM30UoB4uRItmqqx" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
UKNA? What is it not? What is it? Where does it come from? Why is it so rare?<br />
<br />
Our intrepid reporter-writer Julianne investigates.<br />
<br />
All that's left is for you to decide - do you even want it?
<br />
<br />
(It's been a while since I reposted my Bookish Brits vlogs on here - bear with me while I catch up!)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/bookishbrits">Bookish Brits on Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://instagram.com/bookishbrits">Bookish Brits on Instagram</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bookish-Brits/">Bookish Brits on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/bookishbrits/">Bookish Brits on Pinterest</a><br />
<a href="http://bookish-brits.tumblr.com/">The Bookish Brits Tumblr</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-51568708913780603572016-10-22T12:46:00.001+01:002016-10-25T23:06:51.321+01:00Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon - October 2016I made the last minute decision to sign-up for the readathon today! I was considering it before but as I have two books I want to finish by tomorrow, plenty more on my TBR, and a cold that'll stop me doing anything more adventurous, I decided it made sense to go for it!<br />
<br />
In this post I'll be keeping track of how it goes. To begin, here's the <b>Opening Meme:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?</b><br />
<br />
London, UK.<br />
<br />
<b>2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?</b><br />
<br />
<i>The Rest of Us Just Live Here</i> by Patrick Ness. I've heard so many good things about it. I only have a two book stack (check it out on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL3LHEmAU-W/">Instagram</a> and <a href="http://litsy.com/p/cnNUdmFHbVpZ">Litsy</a>) of books I <i>must</i> read, after that I'm going to pick up whatever I fancy from my many overflowing piles.<br />
<br />
<b>3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?</b><br />
<br />
Dinner! I'm not a big snacker, but I do have nuts and seeds on hand.<br />
<br />
<b>4) Tell us a little something about yourself!</b><br />
<br />
I need to finish 25 books before the end of the year to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge...I'm quite behind! I'm also behind on all my other <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/p/reading-challenges-2016.html">reading challenges</a>, so I want this readathon to help me catch up.<br />
<br />
<b>5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I've been aware of this readathon for as long as it's started, but have never taken part before, being too intimidated! I'm looking forward to finally getting over this and hopefully joining in the many readathons to come!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLXn19xFZja4MS7hV31zypjfpcoqDJ66YBhhZrVh3dymkPd4DOi7cAqLznKNI2CUo6Jt4e5cjKNo4TC5Pv0haGl8Wnb2guGDpPOVwENqJppwJpFfq9EBIuFvb4CfsPsGaSn34LA/s1600/doctor_who_readathonjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLXn19xFZja4MS7hV31zypjfpcoqDJ66YBhhZrVh3dymkPd4DOi7cAqLznKNI2CUo6Jt4e5cjKNo4TC5Pv0haGl8Wnb2guGDpPOVwENqJppwJpFfq9EBIuFvb4CfsPsGaSn34LA/s640/doctor_who_readathonjpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL3LHEmAU-W/">View on Instagram</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And here's the End of Event Survey:<br />
<br />
<b>Which hour was most daunting for you?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Around hour 4-5 I started to flag so I switched from reading short stories to reading a novel!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?</b><br />
<br />
The Rest of Us Just Live Here was fantastic and kept me engaged for the rest of the Readathon.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season?</b><br />
<br />
Nope! This was my first one, so I'm hardly an expert!<br />
<br />
<b>What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?</b><br />
<br />
I loved the use of social media, it really made me feel like I was part of something when I checked in on Instagram and Litsy and Twitter.<br />
<br />
<b>How many books did you read?</b><br />
<br />
I had a good go at two, but I didn't finish either! I'm a very sleep-dependent person and I had a cold so I didn't stay up reading!<br />
<br />
<b>What were the names of the books you read?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The novel I was reading was <i>The Rest of Us Just Live Here</i>, by Patrick Ness, and I was also reading the <i>Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories</i> collection.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Which book did you enjoy most?/Which did you enjoy least?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I don't think it's really fair to compare them but I found the short stories hard-going.<br />
<br />
<b>How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?</b><br />
<br />
I will definitely be a reader in future Readathons! It was a lot of fun!Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-25853267971703372432016-10-04T17:54:00.000+01:002016-10-04T17:54:21.065+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Villains in BooksI could not resist this topic as I love a book villain, especially one who is a little bit sympathetic or is extremely clever!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Top Ten Villains in Books</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPIgSg-zgv9OMTDe2ycBBD4Hika5C39ox3pumr1mMtD24n8mAVpDB36ePVMm1noAKr_hNs5LVdMGnBdqlC7ZqZCbXUxj8Rq-7GoP3hJVtQZ4TXBWLI4w_3Y6aXoR9CGprRjGG_Q/s1600/Artemis_Fowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPIgSg-zgv9OMTDe2ycBBD4Hika5C39ox3pumr1mMtD24n8mAVpDB36ePVMm1noAKr_hNs5LVdMGnBdqlC7ZqZCbXUxj8Rq-7GoP3hJVtQZ4TXBWLI4w_3Y6aXoR9CGprRjGG_Q/s400/Artemis_Fowl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<span style="text-align: left;">1. </span><b style="text-align: left;">Voldemort</b><span style="text-align: left;">, from the Harry Potter series - I thought I'd kick off with a classic and couldn't resist putting Voldemort on the list. He's got it all. He's physically frightening, creepy, wants to kill the lead character, wants to oppress all Muggles, you name it, if it's evil, Voldy wants to do it. Plus his middle name is Elvis in the French translation, which is très drôle, non?</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. <b>President Alma Coin</b>, from the Hunger Games trilogy - I know Snow is more iconic but Coin is ultimately more cunning, and therefore more interesting to me. I love it when a villain appears to be the good one but has a self-serving plan.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. Speaking of self-serving, <b>Piper Greenmantle</b> in Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle is the queen of selfishness. She does whatever suits her in the moment without really thinking about it and that makes her much more scary then any of the other potential villains in this series.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. Another villain that appears to be 'the good one' is <b>Silarial, the Queen of the Seelie Court</b> in Holly Black's Modern Fairy Tale series. The Seelie Court make a good show of being genteel but behind all that prettiness they're child-snatching monsters.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AUrCfpVGc15E99ka1PVGZ96hdeRCDVFjIat1qDFb9ypCY1ClDFOjZlc8HvqexZ8ZuocU-4fujXkS6FLQZT1gjvdTA-HdAoPjsOVyXXSq-k8ovLmX34H-y6iFh9yiqKHcUkhKgg/s1600/The_Sin_Eater%2527s_Daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AUrCfpVGc15E99ka1PVGZ96hdeRCDVFjIat1qDFb9ypCY1ClDFOjZlc8HvqexZ8ZuocU-4fujXkS6FLQZT1gjvdTA-HdAoPjsOVyXXSq-k8ovLmX34H-y6iFh9yiqKHcUkhKgg/s400/The_Sin_Eater%2527s_Daughter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
5. The <b>Queen</b> in <i>The Sin-Eater's Daughter</i> by Melinda Salisbury has so much power she gets away with only the thinnest veneer of civility, which is quickly brushed away when things don't go as she had planned.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6. <b>Opal Koboi</b>, from the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, is probably my favourite villain on this list. She pretends to be an upstanding businessfairy, but is actually deliciously evil and brilliantly cruel. It's so much fun to both see her put Artemis and the others in danger <i>and</i> get her comeuppance.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
7. Opal seized power from her father, and another favourite villain who grasped power when she had the chance to get it is <b>Circe</b>, from Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy. She was the girl who wasn't gifted, who could only access power when her best friend allowed it, and when there was the risk that she would never be able to wield it again, she took matters into her own hands. I have a lot of sympathy for her - even though she does terrible things to get that power.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwfbGp42Bccr58jbQjyLbK9xwAcWQNqV4IlZRiEL9KnZU3ZrzvBXlUy6DheXscHxzPJi3PwZdNJQUcz6Fbf87C0H7er1W0IwdEHRUcMT09R5zmEQSVZv06wEURyW_YtgMfpOjRA/s1600/Hobson_and_Choi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwfbGp42Bccr58jbQjyLbK9xwAcWQNqV4IlZRiEL9KnZU3ZrzvBXlUy6DheXscHxzPJi3PwZdNJQUcz6Fbf87C0H7er1W0IwdEHRUcMT09R5zmEQSVZv06wEURyW_YtgMfpOjRA/s400/Hobson_and_Choi.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
8. That's enough individuals - now let's move on to a villainous organisation. <b>Rush Recruitment </b>is the big bad of the <a href="http://www.nickbryan.com/p/hobson-choi.html">Hobson and Choi series by Nick Bryan</a> (my boyfriend - <a href="http://www.nickbryan.com/2016/10/hobson-choi-v4-blood-will-stream-out-now.html">the fourth book is out today</a> so I couldn't resist including them on my list), an evil recruitment agency/human trafficking organisation. They're genuinely terrifying, even though so far they haven't appeared that frequently, because they have their fingers in so many pies and commit such appalling acts.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8. In the marvellous historical fantasy <i>Sorcerer to the Crown</i>, by Zen Cho, the villain is really <b>institutional prejudice</b>. Everything would have gone a lot differently for the main characters had they not had to deal with racism and sexism throughout their lives - and a good part of the plot involves them fighting it efficiently and hilariously, in order to save the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
10. Similarly, but more extreme, the villain in <i>Only Ever Yours</i> by Louise O'Neill is <b>the entire goddamn system</b>. Everything is hopeless for frieda and isabel because all the odds have been stacked against them. And that's the most frightening thing of all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Let me know in the comments if any of your favourite villains are on my list, and if you've participated in this week's Top Ten Tuesday.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Tuesday">Top Ten Tuesday</a> was created and is hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a>.</div>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-26929698067412266162016-07-19T16:35:00.004+01:002016-07-19T17:04:21.396+01:00Five More Contemporary YA Books to Read Before YALCYALC is in ELEVEN DAYS TIME! But don't worry, there's still time to get some reading done...maybe just a little if you've got to work! If you want some moral support, the <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-yalc-readathon-challenge-2016.html">YALC Readathon Challenge</a> is still open, and if my <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/5-contemporary-ya-books-to-read-before.html">first recommendations post</a> wasn't enough, I am here for you:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2OuGKtPPCEI8yow4Ohqc9QalTVL_oN3WKRUKSwGOqmvJvryJItlu7vwk9oPl8fpEHDDH6Wip9AusTsUgXiLS3DtUA2Z20lQowfCBDHBwP-gvbskdbJDzQWEqtufA-7L-_FCISw/s1600/YALC+Reading+Challenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2OuGKtPPCEI8yow4Ohqc9QalTVL_oN3WKRUKSwGOqmvJvryJItlu7vwk9oPl8fpEHDDH6Wip9AusTsUgXiLS3DtUA2Z20lQowfCBDHBwP-gvbskdbJDzQWEqtufA-7L-_FCISw/s1600/YALC+Reading+Challenge.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>1. <i>Counting Stars</i>, by Keris Stainton</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITsevPv-f5Ouwjl2MAH8krbD04Gy9mBv-2n3SQXFC0_GecccRiAWw7vaQXkBzCu_tf8dHr7c0y5WWOP-4OD6auF5JIgcqZl-idKKWwP1jCyLle6C6Yqzp6Fw_JlDoUxxTtN6hzA/s1600/counting+stars+keris+stainton+tripod+tfd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITsevPv-f5Ouwjl2MAH8krbD04Gy9mBv-2n3SQXFC0_GecccRiAWw7vaQXkBzCu_tf8dHr7c0y5WWOP-4OD6auF5JIgcqZl-idKKWwP1jCyLle6C6Yqzp6Fw_JlDoUxxTtN6hzA/s400/counting+stars+keris+stainton+tripod+tfd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
View on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIDHMlBg_Ow/">Instagram</a></div>
<br />
<i>Counting Stars</i> is at the older end of YA, it could be called NA (New Adult), and it is my favourite of Keris' books that I've read so far. It follows Anna who moves to Liverpool after she finishes school to move into a shared house and work at a theatre, keeping her YouTube channel going all the while. Anna and her housemates deal with adulthood in very different ways, and it was really interesting and entertaining to see them work their way through grown-up problems for the first time. I wrote a draft of a NA novel last year and <i>Counting Stars</i>, although quite different from what I'm working on, confirmed my belief that it's important that we have more books featuring characters of this age. Keris will be leading a workshop on Writing YA on the Saturday at YALC.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. <i>Hacker</i>, by Malorie Blackman</b><br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3xYWxW-YPNs?list=UUUODY4gJ8o1LC4dQcRls7kw" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
This is a really quick read so ideal if you haven't got much reading time in the next couple of weeks! Vicky's father, a programmer at a bank, is wrongfully accused of stealing a million pounds. To clear his name, she logs into the bank's system and tries to work out what has been going on. It was first published in 1992, so it is a bit dated - for a more detailed explanation, watch the video above - but it's still a quick read, ideal for younger teens.<br />
<br />
<b>3. <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-remix-by-non-pratt.html"><i>Remix</i>, by Non Pratt</a></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WwXYntYbV7fKkKhmiK98cFr4uvgwHjUMphygEB9jMFyR_f0-qOerWlOz9Dv5VotHVK3V1rbaz7otu_xV0VOYtQl3Si8JhSCSQAln3QNCEpkjmxvKVe1HuUDIws-OvpZAzB_1kg/s1600/20150512_105641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WwXYntYbV7fKkKhmiK98cFr4uvgwHjUMphygEB9jMFyR_f0-qOerWlOz9Dv5VotHVK3V1rbaz7otu_xV0VOYtQl3Si8JhSCSQAln3QNCEpkjmxvKVe1HuUDIws-OvpZAzB_1kg/s400/20150512_105641.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Non will be joining Sophia Bennett on the 'Teenage Soundtrack: Music in YA' panel, and rightly so, as <i>Remix</i> is all about the power of music to bring friends together. I made it sound totally cheesy then, didn't I? It's not, I promise! <i>Remix </i>is about best friends, Kaz and Ruby, who are going to a music festival together. Their favourite band in the world is playing, and a bunch of their friends are going. In theory, this should be the perfect break from normality, but both of them have secrets they're trying not to let slip out... <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-remix-by-non-pratt.html">I did a full review of Remix here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>4. <i>Lobsters</i>, by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebVsXwIoVvlX_yHZdp9AmWIEc5VhCaUqBHhtjD_P-rY0rzE-r2lKYaAts7AvTwNhaBSRrWGL3EIlRupIYJhc-TlSgWiBjWXUjAPyh8pH9m06wK93H9t_4LHT92yIh4FaldO3vSA/s1600/lobsters+book+tfd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebVsXwIoVvlX_yHZdp9AmWIEc5VhCaUqBHhtjD_P-rY0rzE-r2lKYaAts7AvTwNhaBSRrWGL3EIlRupIYJhc-TlSgWiBjWXUjAPyh8pH9m06wK93H9t_4LHT92yIh4FaldO3vSA/s400/lobsters+book+tfd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Another book featuring a music festival is <i>Lobsters</i>, but it's quite different in tone - <i>Remix </i>is more serious, full of friendship and romantic dramas, whereas <i>Lobsters </i>is very much a heartwarming romantic comedy. The tag line is 'A socially awkward love story' and that is exactly what you get, as Sam and Hannah try and fail and try again to get together. It's very funny. In fact, I don't think I've stopped laughing at it and I read it months ago - lines from the book pop into my head sometimes and I start cracking up all over again. I would share my favourite line, the one I laugh at the most, but I don't want to spoil it for you. Just read it for yourself! The authors are leading a workshop on co-writing.<br />
<br />
<b>5. <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/book-review-nobodys-girl-by-sarra.html"><i>Nobody's Girl</i>, by Sarra Manning</a></b><br />
<br />
If festivals aren't your thing, why not take a trip to Paris with Bea, who has been obsessed with France ever since her mum first told her that her absent father was a Parisien. When she gets the chance to explore Paris for real, she can't resist - even though she was meant to be in Spain with her school's Mean Girl clique. She finds romance and adventure and gets into a lot of trouble with her mum. <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/book-review-nobodys-girl-by-sarra.html">My full review is here.</a><br />
<br />
Have you read any of these? If you haven't, get on it! While we're having this heatwave, why not roll with it and take copies of <i>Remix</i> and or <i>Lobsters </i>to the park? Go on! <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-yalc-readathon-challenge-2016.html">Join the Readathon!</a><br />
<br />
Many thanks to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of <i>Counting Stars</i> and to Walker Books for sending me <i>Remix</i>.Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-25770341389468403322016-06-19T13:33:00.003+01:002016-06-19T15:13:08.393+01:00Five Contemporary YA Books to Read before YALCAs host of the <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-yalc-readathon-challenge-2016.html">2016 YALC Readathon Challenge</a> I've been thinking a lot about what books I would recommend by authors attending YALC. Hopefully I'll do several posts in this series, but I thought I'd start with five contemporary YA books, as that is my favourite genre!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2OuGKtPPCEI8yow4Ohqc9QalTVL_oN3WKRUKSwGOqmvJvryJItlu7vwk9oPl8fpEHDDH6Wip9AusTsUgXiLS3DtUA2Z20lQowfCBDHBwP-gvbskdbJDzQWEqtufA-7L-_FCISw/s1600/YALC+Reading+Challenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2OuGKtPPCEI8yow4Ohqc9QalTVL_oN3WKRUKSwGOqmvJvryJItlu7vwk9oPl8fpEHDDH6Wip9AusTsUgXiLS3DtUA2Z20lQowfCBDHBwP-gvbskdbJDzQWEqtufA-7L-_FCISw/s1600/YALC+Reading+Challenge.png" /></a></div>
<b>1. <i>Girl Out of Water</i>, by Nat Luurtsema</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7U-6Ia6o57E_PaBeubJfJ9vIYzma8dwkqeLQOk_rgkQbi9QVn4inaJB3e0MmoAx6_naTjRyR8Z_PbofnUpyjUtgY_ur5shXehMfFXvFFuC_z4xuqzH6EVO0xaRwA2jyxgRY2Jw/s1600/Girl+Out+of+Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7U-6Ia6o57E_PaBeubJfJ9vIYzma8dwkqeLQOk_rgkQbi9QVn4inaJB3e0MmoAx6_naTjRyR8Z_PbofnUpyjUtgY_ur5shXehMfFXvFFuC_z4xuqzH6EVO0xaRwA2jyxgRY2Jw/s400/Girl+Out+of+Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
View on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGRc8-hsk5s/">Instagram</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This is the first book I read for the YALC Readathon Challenge (go on, join me!) and it was a great way to *PUN ALERT* dive in - <i>Girl Out of Water</i> follows Lou Brown's attempts to find new friends and a new place in the world following her failure to get into Olympic swimming school.<br />
It's funny (Nat is on the Funny YA panel), heartwarming, and deals with an issue I think is underexplored in fiction - coping with failure. Not everyone is going to succeed against all the odds. Sometimes the odds are never in your favour - and you keep going, like Lou learns to do.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. <i>Love Song</i>, by Sophia Bennett</b><br />
<br />
I have read some amazing books so far this year and plan to read many more - but I'm sure whatever happens this will be in my top five. I was not expecting to fall in love with a story about a girl who goes on tour with a boyband, but reader, I fell HARD.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
I am finding <a href="https://twitter.com/sophiabennett">@sophiabennett</a>'s Love Song so unputdownable I am literally reading it while I <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ukyachat?src=hash">#ukyachat</a>. Not even kidding I'm on page 156</div>
— Julianne Benford (@ladyjulianne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ladyjulianne/status/718516319272988673">April 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/SnugglingonSofa">@SnugglingonSofa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sophiabennett">@sophiabennett</a> I basically had to abandon my own writing to finish it because it was so addictive! I even ignored Two Dots!</div>
— Julianne Benford (@ladyjulianne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ladyjulianne/status/719581710581645312">April 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
I am really looking forward to the Music in YA panel!<br />
<br />
<b>3. <i>London Belongs to Us</i>, by Sarra Manning</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglh9GCU6LJmvaolxhO-9aIIAYirrN_I487j208ktH35InBvBg__VtH1eef-Dp5FnUN0igPSyYzGaxwRH8PKLUWy5iwVDMEcCsNQ_79fsxhGJQJLhYvKHCDOjlU5ReMJ_Y2RLP3wg/s1600/London+Belongs+To+Us+After+The+Last+Dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglh9GCU6LJmvaolxhO-9aIIAYirrN_I487j208ktH35InBvBg__VtH1eef-Dp5FnUN0igPSyYzGaxwRH8PKLUWy5iwVDMEcCsNQ_79fsxhGJQJLhYvKHCDOjlU5ReMJ_Y2RLP3wg/s400/London+Belongs+To+Us+After+The+Last+Dance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Both Sarra Manning's 2016 releases. View on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BEsiEyMsk5t/">Instagram</a></div>
<br />
If you've never read any books by Sarra before this is a great place to start - though if you're spoiler-averse you may want to read <i>Guitar Girl</i> and <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/book-review-adorkable-by-sarra-manning.html">Adorkable</a> </i>first. An enormously entertaining love letter to London filled with snappy one-liners, it follows Sunny's pursuit of her wayward boyfriend (or is he ex-boyfriend?) over one night and features pastries, parties, perilous road journeys, dramatic confrontations and hairspray. There are also several girls you'll wish you could be friends with - highly appropriate as Sarra is on the #SquadGoals panel.<br />
<br />
<b>4. <i>Boy Meets Boy</i>, by David Levithan</b><br />
Look at my beautiful hardback. Just look at it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LsPuEOH761JEHcJdTTjVZbC40dX7ixrtcsnFWbr8DXQQjjeMKcOhJ1EPwIu1CWLkxNyNBA050e28JhFhp2-kDo1XbJpq5J_jPjsDPdwZshUEJr0-srdwsFAL6H0-KXSi-ZcvDQ/s1600/Boy+Meets+Boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LsPuEOH761JEHcJdTTjVZbC40dX7ixrtcsnFWbr8DXQQjjeMKcOhJ1EPwIu1CWLkxNyNBA050e28JhFhp2-kDo1XbJpq5J_jPjsDPdwZshUEJr0-srdwsFAL6H0-KXSi-ZcvDQ/s400/Boy+Meets+Boy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
View on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAfqoOqMkwQ/">Instagram</a></div>
<br />
If just gazing at the cover isn't enough to make you pick it up, this is an LGBT classic. It's a pretty straightfoward romance story with the usual tropes but it's set at a school where there isn't really any homophobia - it's a utopian vision of what school should be like, and although it's not realistic, it's lovely to disappear into a world where things are a little more as they should be.<br />
<br />
<b>5. <i>My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend</i>, by Eleanor Wood</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: droid-sans;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IHJECb4zp4d6gTvUcjKeyOwZH_C2W1vtCOiFjKqF6jkdZtkxgYyWVgyg3HTTT2yBYKl6tzwctvZVQqECWht6t3zCLKs7vz9j7Np8pJCQf3nbgGCAihnWdY2FaPok11JUH_fX2w/s1600/this+song+will+save+your+life+my+secret+rockstar+boyfriend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IHJECb4zp4d6gTvUcjKeyOwZH_C2W1vtCOiFjKqF6jkdZtkxgYyWVgyg3HTTT2yBYKl6tzwctvZVQqECWht6t3zCLKs7vz9j7Np8pJCQf3nbgGCAihnWdY2FaPok11JUH_fX2w/s400/this+song+will+save+your+life+my+secret+rockstar+boyfriend.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">From my 'Music March'. View on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDNrWevsk4W/">Instagram</a></div>
<br />
This is a funny and surprisingly realistic story about Tuesday Cooper, a music blogger who starts getting comments from her favourite rockstar. One thing leads to another and he becomes the secret boyfriend of the title, getting her into trouble with friends and family alike. It's really interesting seeing how she deals with the mess she's in and moves towards adulthood.
<br />
What books by YALC authors do you recommend? Would you choose different books by these authors? Let me know! <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/98330.YALC_2016">And don't forget to vote for your favourites!</a></span>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-19181841687085315932016-06-03T08:01:00.000+01:002016-06-27T20:14:31.206+01:00The YALC Readathon Challenge 2016There are two inspirations behind this bookish bonanza - traditional reading challenges, which I don't think have been done before for YALC, and the YALC Readathon, which was previously run by <a href="http://jessheartsbooks.blogspot.co.uk/">Jess Hearts Books</a> (the creator), Michelle from <a href="http://www.flutteringbutterflies.com/">Fluttering Butterflies</a>, Vicky from <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/">Books, Biscuits and Tea</a>, and Carly from <a href="http://carlybennett.blogspot.co.uk/">Writing from the Tub</a>.<br />
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span>I originally planned to start a YALC Reading Challenge months ago, because of the sheer number of authors who are going to be at YALC (the Young Adult Literature Convention) this year. I have a LOT of reading to do. And so have you! There are some amazing people on the list with fantastic titles under their belt.<br />
<br />
However, I then got the flu. I could barely use my computer for the best part of three weeks thanks to muscle pain and fatigue that my doctor insisted was completely normal! Sure enough, I did eventually get better, but now I've lost so much time I decided to combine both ideas, and host the first Readathon Challenge!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpqGYJf5UQGznSrJwh9Bek1ooi8TK0kMhyphenhyphenPn4FuFDrEnrzHgRE2o06kcUsxanwK1bXTb0g-ujYGD6cPCoXCK3egGD3HZ5aW0uTnWQ8CY2p6mnMVEhWpZVhJE1ya0tnlhKy0i26A/s1600/YALC+Reading+Challenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpqGYJf5UQGznSrJwh9Bek1ooi8TK0kMhyphenhyphenPn4FuFDrEnrzHgRE2o06kcUsxanwK1bXTb0g-ujYGD6cPCoXCK3egGD3HZ5aW0uTnWQ8CY2p6mnMVEhWpZVhJE1ya0tnlhKy0i26A/s1600/YALC+Reading+Challenge.png" /></a></div>
<b>Enough about me, onto the rules:</b><br />
<br />
The books that you read for the 2016 YALC Readathon Challenge must be by authors who are appearing at YALC this year. You can see the list of authors who have been confirmed so far <a href="http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/index.php/allguests/authors">here</a>. I also run the annual <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/98330.YALC_2016">YALC Goodreads list</a>, where you can vote for your favourite reads.<br />
<br />
If you're unable to attend YALC this year, you can still take part in the challenge - there will be a lot of livetweeting during the convention! If you're not in the UK, why not sign up and sample some of the finest authors the British Isles have to offer, as well as some internationally successful reads?<br />
<br />
This Readathon Challenge is open from today (3 June 2016) until the final day of YALC (31 July 2016).<br />
<br />
<b>Decided to take part?</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Step One</i></b><br />
Choose how long you want to readathon for - a weekend, a week, a fortnight, a month, from now until the 31st July, a single evening - it's up to you!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Step Two</i></b><br />
Choose your level:<br />
<i>Convention Intention</i> - read 1-4 books by authors who are appearing at YALC<br />
<i>Convention Attention</i> - read 5-15 books by authors who are appearing at YALC<br />
<i>Convention Affection</i> - read 16-25 books by authors who are appearing at YALC<br />
<i>Convention Perfection</i> - read 26+ books by authors who are appearing at YALC<br />
<br />
You can increase your level if you find yourself reading faster than you expected!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Step Three (optional)</b></i><br />
Choose a Bonus Challenge, if you'd like, or more than one if you're feeling brave:<br />
<br />
<i>Happy Historian</i> - previously, at YALC... read two or more books by an author who has appeared at YALC in the past and won't be there this year<br />
<i>Brilliant Bookswapper</i> - read two or more books that you want to give away to another blogger or donate to the YALC bookswap<br />
<i>Radiant Reviewer</i> - review two or more books by authors who are appearing at YALC<br />
<br />
<b><i>Step Four</i></b><br />
Submit your link below!<br />
<br />
<!-- start InLinkz script -->
<script type="text/javascript">
document.write('<scr' + 'ipt type="text/javascript" src="//www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=638342&' + new Date().getTime() + '"><\/script>');
</script>
<!-- end InLinkz script -->
<br />
If you have a blog, please link to a post that says what level and bonus challenge you have chosen, or update your reading challenges list, if like me, you keep them all in one place. You don't have to be a blogger to take part - if you don't have a blog, you can link to your Twitter or Goodreads instead. You can use the banner above if you wish :)<br />
<br />
Personally, I am going to choose the <i>Convention Attention</i> level, and I'm hoping to read the following:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzbFSBYgvu24Srj5Y4G7CXwDRjjco22eeH7RLtisszsv9S8if_tQPPLXSmlvni7Ze_snFzjDJlwocyM6jc_60vXAcx512b_u-8v5jVS2CeVLreGIquCLWTwdt588TSVs3eDmVJg/s1600/13269309_1086222554777232_380358259_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzbFSBYgvu24Srj5Y4G7CXwDRjjco22eeH7RLtisszsv9S8if_tQPPLXSmlvni7Ze_snFzjDJlwocyM6jc_60vXAcx512b_u-8v5jVS2CeVLreGIquCLWTwdt588TSVs3eDmVJg/s400/13269309_1086222554777232_380358259_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It's going well, I'm already part-way through <i>Girl Out of Water</i> and loving it!<br />
<br />
After YALC I will do a post and link to my favourite reviews by people taking part in the challenge. You can also tweet about the challenge and share your progress by using the hashtag #yalcread<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope you decide to take part in the YALC Readathon Challenge and have an amazing time!<br />
<br />
Edited to add, here's a quick video in which I talk about the challenge:<br />
<br /></div>
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAXz8sJz2vo" width="560"></iframe></center>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Please note that the YALC Readathon Challenge is unofficial - I have no professional connection with Showmasters or Booktrust.</i></div>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-6940441598048732522016-03-30T18:30:00.000+01:002016-05-10T01:04:32.663+01:00Limerbooks #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdop7uDMILuQCY6TouFqt2EU8O1SPw0vklTcRxFBtNdMYI6_JS-r8sWlUXI-JsYC7rYlnlCxDbOZz5ODNweqIgLs2qd3fpx4dTuGJpBa23Um9upaLh-cZ8Z93_M5rM4EoaOFwnMA/s1600/limerbooks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdop7uDMILuQCY6TouFqt2EU8O1SPw0vklTcRxFBtNdMYI6_JS-r8sWlUXI-JsYC7rYlnlCxDbOZz5ODNweqIgLs2qd3fpx4dTuGJpBa23Um9upaLh-cZ8Z93_M5rM4EoaOFwnMA/s400/limerbooks.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I have written some limerickesque lines of dubious quality about books I have enjoyed. Can you guess which books they are about?<br />
<br />
Don't go trawling through my Goodreads, that's cheating!<br />
<br />
Also, I know some of these lines don't exactly scan, you don't have to tell me... <br />
<br />
<b>1.</b><br />
<br />
There once was a woman called Linda<br />
Who lived in a time before Tinder<br />
She married and divorced<br />
A small scandal it caused<br />
Then with a French duke she did linger<br />
<br />
<b>2.</b><br />
<br />
There once was a girl called Cia<br />
Who studied hard without fear<br />
But her father's bad dreams<br />
Tore life apart at the seams<br />
And death became suddenly nearer<br />
<br />
<b>3.</b><br />
<br />
There was a brave orphan named Laura<br />
Her long-lost uncle adored her<br />
He lied about his job<br />
But let her get a dog<br />
Things were never the same as before<br />
<br />
<b>4.</b><br />
<br />
There once was a girl who couldn't stop eating<br />
Her sister accused her of lying and cheating<br />
She found out one day<br />
That she wasn't meant to stay<br />
But she refused to let her strange life be fleeting<br />
<br />
<b>5.</b><br />
<br />
There once was a princess who didn't know<br />
That into a monarch she would one day grow<br />
She just wanted to be cool<br />
And do okay at school<br />
And for the popular boy to be her beau <br />
<br />
<b>Let me know your answers in the comments or tweet me!</b><br />
<br />Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-58021358770293370392016-03-22T08:11:00.000+00:002016-03-22T08:11:13.412+00:00Book Review: The Wolf Wilder, by Katherine Rundell<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRMSdrk1b338PWWgNcBUqgIFdUGwiA4jmTzPruZ-weJAX3rD8eTnlnQf36IG1Y2P43GeJozX9FgFV7lEgWxf6_e3PdOGKRC-tMk0Ya8dgHULLy1bOdLFhPUQ87xQUcSIwZPqEzg/s1600/wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRMSdrk1b338PWWgNcBUqgIFdUGwiA4jmTzPruZ-weJAX3rD8eTnlnQf36IG1Y2P43GeJozX9FgFV7lEgWxf6_e3PdOGKRC-tMk0Ya8dgHULLy1bOdLFhPUQ87xQUcSIwZPqEzg/s640/wolf.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/12403504@N02/11299065784/">The British Library</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In pre-revolutionary Russia, the pampered aristocrats often keep wolves as pets. But wolves are not happy to sit on velvet cushions in gilded rooms their whole lives long and eventually they snap, and a pampered aristocrat, or a servant, loses a finger or a toe. The aristocracy believe that if you kill a wolf, you will be cursed, so the wolves are sent away to the wolf wilder, who will teach them how to survive in the wild - how to hunt and howl and be as fierce as they should be. The wolf wilder is Feo's mother, and she has been teaching Feo everything she knows.<br />
<br />
Trouble arrives one night in the form of the Russian army, who are not happy to have wolves released in the forests nearby, where they hunt and kill elks and birds. Feo and her mother are ordered to shoot the wolves or be arrested. But Feo has grown up tough and strong and brave - after all, wolves are her only friends - and she is determined not to give in.<br />
<br />
This was such a lovely book! Full of charm and adventure and very real peril. I loved the idea of wolf wilders, the opposite of animal tamers. It's a concept that is both cute and scary, much like the book itself. The wolves are realistically unpredictable, sometimes they help Feo, sometimes they create more trouble.<br />
<br />
I also loved the other human characters. Feo's mother was fascinating and I wish she had been in the book more. Rakov is a terrifyingly heartless villain, keeping the stakes high. The friends Feo makes while on her journey are so wonderful I can't bear to describe them - I think you should get all the fun of meeting them with a fresh mind. The descriptions of Feo's environment are wonderful too - I could easily imagine Feo's warm and much-loved home, and the harsh, snow-filled world outside.<br />
<br />
I would very much recommend <i>The Wolf Wilder</i> to readers who want to lose themselves in a story that blends history and fairytale.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://wordery.com/the-wolf-wilder-katherine-rundell-9781408862582#oid=https://wordery.myomnistar.com/redir.php?oid=1368_1" target="_new"><img border="0" height="0" src="https://wordery.myomnistar.com/banner.php?id=2_1368_1" width="0" /><img border="0" src="https://wordery.myomnistar.com/admin/images/banner/wordery-affiliate-125x125_1381228447.gif" /></a>Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-42077467040580451262016-03-19T18:52:00.001+00:002016-03-19T18:52:27.106+00:00On Choosing to Read Books that Sound Similar to the Book You're Writing, and Book Review: Suite Scarlett, by Maureen Johnson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz25EEN6WlCJT884NeSuSEGW5zJyf0fGmukynR0SVI0QjGAg0nwsUB9Loh-92tBjvoSEn7eRKexnMol_FiJHC-eQWGn0PzRLQCDYBp5e7uveTf_hS5B7GD8k8I27zJsV4fStmwJg/s1600/suite+scarlett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz25EEN6WlCJT884NeSuSEGW5zJyf0fGmukynR0SVI0QjGAg0nwsUB9Loh-92tBjvoSEn7eRKexnMol_FiJHC-eQWGn0PzRLQCDYBp5e7uveTf_hS5B7GD8k8I27zJsV4fStmwJg/s400/suite+scarlett.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-FNG-cMk-b/">Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many writers say that, out of fear of being influenced, they don't read books that may be similar to the book they are writing until they have finished writing it. This has never made much sense to me.<br />
<br />
Firstly, it is highly unlikely that what you're writing is that similar to what other people are writing. Neil Gaiman summarises this very well in the intro to <i>The Good Fairies of New York</i>, a book that he avoided reading for five years because he was afraid it would be too similar to <i>American Gods</i>, and that of course was totally different to <i>American Gods</i>.<br />
<br />
Secondly, how are you going to know if it is similar unless you read it? How can you accidentally be influenced by something you are reading and paying deliberate critical attention to? I have never had much patience for the 'writing comes from somewhere outside of me, it's not something I do so deliberately' idea. I think it is an excuse. It's often trotted out to explain a lack of diversity in books. 'It's not my fault all the characters are white and middle-class! The story and the characters just came to me'. No it didn't. You made it up. You continued to make it up as you were building it from the germ of an idea into a full-length novel. It's your job, as the writer, to turn a critical eye on your work and correct the unconscious biases that you expressed through it. It's not a sacred gift from outer space/the gods/the muse that you may not alter once it arrives.<br />
<br />
Similarly, I think that writers should read books that sound like they might be similar to their own current projects - with the resolution to learn from it and then change the book they are writing if necessary so that they are more distinct. If you go in with this attitude, how can you be influenced by accident?<br />
<br />
That said, I can understand why a writer might not want to change their ideas in response to another book - if they really love the idea as it is. It does kind of make sense, although that's not how I feel - I know complete originality is impossible, but I can give it a good go! And maybe that's why I haven't finished writing my novel yet!<br />
<br />
I first heard about <i>Suite Scarlett</i> on the blog <i>Reading With Tequila </i>(No link as it's long gone), and wanted to read it because it's about a girl whose parents' business is failing and the YA novel I've been working on is about a girl whose parents' business is failing. I wanted to check for similarities, maybe pick up some pacing guidelines, that sort of thing.<br />
<br />
Nuh-uh. Foiled. <i>Suite Scarlett</i> is completely different from my novel in almost every way. It was obvious from less than a chapter in. So I got to put the writing part of my brain on hold and just enjoy it, which is always good.<br />
<br />
Scarlett Martin lives in the Hopewell, a formerly glamorous, but now faded and decrepit, New York hotel with her parents, elder sister Lola, brother Spencer, and younger sister Marlene. Although they still just about own the hotel, they've had very few guests in recent years, which means that Lola and Spencer have had to get jobs in addition to helping out at the hotel. They each hold a key to one of the suites, and it is their responsibility to clean and maintain it and look after the guests. On Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she is presented with two very exciting gifts: a mobile phone, and the key to the Empire Suite - the biggest, most luxurious, and most commonly-empty suite at the Hopewell.<br />
<br />
It should be an easy job, allowing Scarlett plenty of time to enjoy her summer, but all too soon she has a guest, the eccentric, demanding, and extremely meddlesome Mrs Amberson...<br />
<br />
I absolutely loved <i>Suite Scarlett</i>. I'm a complete sucker for books in which teen characters have to deal with money problems (which is why I'm writing one) and I love weird and wonderful families, difficult siblings, and above all, secret plots! Mrs Amberson is a complete busybody and is delightfully frustrating - just when you desperately want her to stop sticking her oar in, she'll redeem herself. Scarlett's relationship with witty, obstinate Spencer is lovely, and I found Lola and her rich-but-dull boyfriend fascinating. It's a very easy read, one for when you want to relax and be charmed by a book, and I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel, <i>Scarlett Fever</i>.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping that the novel I'm currently editing will be less cute and have a bit more grit to it, but if any reader likes it as much as I like <i>Suite Scarlett</i>, I'll be very pleased with myself.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://wordery.com/suite-scarlett-maureen-johnson-9781471402029#oid=https://wordery.myomnistar.com/redir.php?oid=1368_1" target="_new"><img border="0" src="https://wordery.myomnistar.com/admin/images/banner/wordery-affiliate-125x125_1381228447.gif" /></a>Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-79965282189826448812016-02-06T10:00:00.000+00:002016-02-06T10:00:08.991+00:00Local Library Love: Beckenham LibraryToday is National Libraries Day and in celebration I am beginning a new occasional feature:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHRfjTCCUVgUSudS8dRnfyT8nBWEXqL7BFlfEhrkJ76c21qsjPVE2XkIlVqxc4zu0CeWyDjQGk3KNe_b0lHnTI_gEPw5cYodwYu4Kj03Qa2olYERnsVQVvp2G5VzRcK7OYvCGWg/s1600/local+library+love+heart+pink+gs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHRfjTCCUVgUSudS8dRnfyT8nBWEXqL7BFlfEhrkJ76c21qsjPVE2XkIlVqxc4zu0CeWyDjQGk3KNe_b0lHnTI_gEPw5cYodwYu4Kj03Qa2olYERnsVQVvp2G5VzRcK7OYvCGWg/s400/local+library+love+heart+pink+gs.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This feature will celebrate my favourite local libraries, and if there is a library close to your heart that you'd like to write about, let me know - I'd love to have some guest blogs on this topic.<br />
<br />
Today I am going to be sharing my favourite library of all with you, the very first library I ever visited, Beckenham Library.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GCRwUhWA8SQJF6ShR-jE04jq_NBaSnkY9Zox33a-V9QSe_ZEVoUJRGCpTv-LREYrwzs2aNUNFgwCgFdk0uMsXvAIdnvWXoFxJP4T8S8auqcZk9fMsVQdhvUaXygbBdVn9Rnfxg/s1600/beckenhamlibraryentrance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GCRwUhWA8SQJF6ShR-jE04jq_NBaSnkY9Zox33a-V9QSe_ZEVoUJRGCpTv-LREYrwzs2aNUNFgwCgFdk0uMsXvAIdnvWXoFxJP4T8S8auqcZk9fMsVQdhvUaXygbBdVn9Rnfxg/s640/beckenhamlibraryentrance.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
That's how the entrance looks now that they have self-issue/return machines, but when I was a kid there used to be two desks behind that wooden window-frame, one for returns, and one for taking out books. I didn't mind queuing up to take out books - after all, I had plenty to read while I was waiting! I also remember that time there was a Hot Guy working at the library, and I stood in the queue anxiously wondering if he'd judge me on my book choices...<br />
<br />
The first space you enter is the generously-sized children's section. I loved rummaging through the boxes of picture books, finding books for my homework (and for fun) on the non-fiction shelves, and, later, picking up Enid Blyton and Jacqueline Wilson novels I didn't have at home. If it wasn't for this library, I would not have been able to read every single Goosebumps book! I was also obsessed with one particular book about jewellery from all around the world - I was always really interested in different cultures. I got it out over and over again for what must have been at least three years. A few years ago I found it in the library sale and bought it for the sentimental value!<br />
<br />
The children's section was full of kids, which is great for the library and for the children of Beckenham, but it meant I couldn't take any photos.<br />
<br />
However, if you turn left as you go in, you'll find a corner that is my little slice of heaven, the teen section. I may be getting perilously close to 30 but this is still, in my opinion, the best part of the library. Nobody was browsing here so I took plenty of photos.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUXube9suT2VFNXNArwCXSH4AZsH7yP6kMMlFADKdazTQwoRusMNGHsn8ShMri_rW-kPqzxPLFJWSahneA6bDzJJu3mkCHe_wQSs0Nvn6XrtWZIP1QJhwITjUzjO1QBHwn5GF9A/s1600/teen1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUXube9suT2VFNXNArwCXSH4AZsH7yP6kMMlFADKdazTQwoRusMNGHsn8ShMri_rW-kPqzxPLFJWSahneA6bDzJJu3mkCHe_wQSs0Nvn6XrtWZIP1QJhwITjUzjO1QBHwn5GF9A/s640/teen1.png" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Here is a photo which shows off the wall displays:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-OfzTTHP8VrjSIIXDg41_0HxPCHhF7wFYhmgx_KPhHN_TJiVanc_JYkWLEdNhxVoEq7RbyYbI8-QRNum0Om1OYbMi-qhyphenhyphenl7zvLPssgq7oOqaPDhQPw9D8-QYhypNVm9YuWO5aQ/s1600/teendisplay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-OfzTTHP8VrjSIIXDg41_0HxPCHhF7wFYhmgx_KPhHN_TJiVanc_JYkWLEdNhxVoEq7RbyYbI8-QRNum0Om1OYbMi-qhyphenhyphenl7zvLPssgq7oOqaPDhQPw9D8-QYhypNVm9YuWO5aQ/s640/teendisplay.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I discovered so many of my favourite YA books here. When I was doing my MA and trying to read as much teen fiction as humanly possible, I came in one day and found <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/book-review-notes-from-teenage.html">Simmone Howell's <i>Notes from the Teenage Underground</i></a> by chance. I'd never heard of it before. I was able to read and fall in love with her second novel, <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/book-review-everything-beautiful-by.html">Everything Beautiful</a></i>, as well, thanks to the library. I also found <i>Notes from the Teenage Underground</i> in the library sale, a few years later, and bought it, though I was so disappointed it would no longer be on the library shelves!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaWRReXbqS430EH8Zu3onWLy_6N76RKxsnuFr6GOuWqrGC4e27Dvror09zi2k0H0iiwjHYgYqMlUt4ynVYecQEv6DX7S7vgihT-nhLw2Hd1nBeT8nEY9-bc8p-0NAQBmdnemmGA/s1600/teen+back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaWRReXbqS430EH8Zu3onWLy_6N76RKxsnuFr6GOuWqrGC4e27Dvror09zi2k0H0iiwjHYgYqMlUt4ynVYecQEv6DX7S7vgihT-nhLw2Hd1nBeT8nEY9-bc8p-0NAQBmdnemmGA/s640/teen+back.png" width="640" /></a></div>
I've also borrowed books by <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/book-review-noughts-crosses-by-malorie.html">Malorie Blackman</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/book-review-nobodys-girl-by-sarra.html">Sarra Manning</a>, Robin McKinley, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/book-review-leader-of-pack-by-kate-cann.html">Kate Cann</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/book-review-memoirs-of-teenage-amnesiac.html">Gabrielle Zevin</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/book-review-plain-janes-by-cecil.html">Cecil Castellucci</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/book-review-earth-my-butt-and-other-big.html">Carolyn Mackler</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/book-review-massive-by-julia-bell.html">Julia Bell</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/book-review-girl-meets-cake-by-susie.html">Susie Day</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/book-review-born-confused-by-tanuja.html">Tanuja Desai Hidier</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/book-review-blood-ties-by-sophie.html">Sophie McKenzie</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/book-review-monsoon-summer-by-mitali.html">Mitali Perkins</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/book-review-fly-on-wall-by-e-lockhart.html">E. Lockhart</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/book-review-kiki-strike-inside-shadow.html">Kirsten Miller</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/book-review-boys-dont-knit-by-t-s-easton.html">T. S. Easton</a>, and <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/book-review-she-is-not-invisible-by.html">Marcus Sedgwick</a>, as well as quite a few <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/book-review-buffy-vampire-slayer.html">Buffy tie-in novels</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dooFlbDnOVyM7lFYb7UthGaO5s7KQuzIHEC73QtgDGuGLyXdx9jOAixyPq8unuRgKd2bxxogcrBpmoKF4B4pynKe34dFMXRf8wKlFWbbJ_4nhZ4BAYlw-x6EFRh4u_l7SRKm7A/s1600/teen+right.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dooFlbDnOVyM7lFYb7UthGaO5s7KQuzIHEC73QtgDGuGLyXdx9jOAixyPq8unuRgKd2bxxogcrBpmoKF4B4pynKe34dFMXRf8wKlFWbbJ_4nhZ4BAYlw-x6EFRh4u_l7SRKm7A/s640/teen+right.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I remember how excited I was when I got a teenage library card and my borrowing limit went from six to eight. I used to go to the library on a Saturday morning, and borrow eight books. As teen books back then were often really short, I'd have read six of them by Sunday evening, and would then have to make the other two books last for the rest of the three weeks before I'd go back to the library! I used to reread the best bits over and over.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqiksvOvUCulCguVoGok2Q8XBTPIr09dSmkG03ExbcWighWA0-QhWY47DNZEdP9PtRnBK_qmIa-ygFKjLh5FJTd72NCNhQHkM_c8GPrQl7Biiz3VV08tXNNezzrMUT8iPGq-gFw/s1600/teen+GNs+and+RGs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqiksvOvUCulCguVoGok2Q8XBTPIr09dSmkG03ExbcWighWA0-QhWY47DNZEdP9PtRnBK_qmIa-ygFKjLh5FJTd72NCNhQHkM_c8GPrQl7Biiz3VV08tXNNezzrMUT8iPGq-gFw/s640/teen+GNs+and+RGs.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Graphic novels and revision guides! I wasn't a big graphic novel reader when I was a teenager - I was averse to illustrations in books, preferring to imagine everything in my own head - but there was usually another person going through this box on a Saturday morning!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c8aDw9jSZvF217Zndwoc68klc-W9FRuauQHv-jsCjBMraJQyC9J0pJlU-fKg68iAOJZ2DtgrSxm3WLubgaxUvfW6meVkfazBdZW67bYzedQyZY-MBQZEL70OakWlPxtHysoKWQ/s1600/teen+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c8aDw9jSZvF217Zndwoc68klc-W9FRuauQHv-jsCjBMraJQyC9J0pJlU-fKg68iAOJZ2DtgrSxm3WLubgaxUvfW6meVkfazBdZW67bYzedQyZY-MBQZEL70OakWlPxtHysoKWQ/s640/teen+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
That chair used to be where the graphic novels and revision guides are and they used to be on the end of where the quick reads are now. I didn't spend much time sitting in it though - the seats in the adult section are more comfortable...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknd3EJZC8nIrTcnQCDZC20WQMYQ_EYNG0qN2hN13-RzKUvIikwVbSx-q1Ii5Ppj0QsF9FKVQ_wqje7JKsnuEhHwbT4ddHkzHfy-4OoMwPQrWqFfXQj13jcjkvsBuEPwxqY7wf8w/s1600/generalfiction+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknd3EJZC8nIrTcnQCDZC20WQMYQ_EYNG0qN2hN13-RzKUvIikwVbSx-q1Ii5Ppj0QsF9FKVQ_wqje7JKsnuEhHwbT4ddHkzHfy-4OoMwPQrWqFfXQj13jcjkvsBuEPwxqY7wf8w/s640/generalfiction+1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
though not much better, at least there's some padding! There are proper tables and chairs in the centre of the main library and also some desks in the reference section, but obviously they were being used, so I couldn't take any photos.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJB1v47v_m_2akdZ-GeiA75SixclaVdSFzdjXOxCDBedBQhd5ravUScvnviu_btpFMicxIp6zCUF23V61I6JZ3kixpNOvxqUX47nD6pC763pgVftWPsOtjyZtORmvGYb5iKV1Prg/s1600/generalfiction+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJB1v47v_m_2akdZ-GeiA75SixclaVdSFzdjXOxCDBedBQhd5ravUScvnviu_btpFMicxIp6zCUF23V61I6JZ3kixpNOvxqUX47nD6pC763pgVftWPsOtjyZtORmvGYb5iKV1Prg/s640/generalfiction+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Thanks to the general fiction section I got to read books by Angela Carter, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/book-review-girl-meets-boy-by-ali-smith.html">Ali Smith</a>, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/book-review-cold-comfort-farm-by-stella.html">Stella Gibbons</a>, and many more whose names don't spring to mind right now. I used to be able to see a list of every book I'd ever borrowed by logging into the library catalogue but they changed the software and the history has gone, and I've misplaced the handwritten lists I kept before joining Goodreads.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiji70syqJUZgNo2fSVUVFWGJ2ILwyEm6pXp4UP5ny3eoX8_FrIumVZtip632B10VbKoTFNoAMHEl5ONOS6TyKTjfBG54MXhMRWlDcHAWI0cry1Zb8aHoPlMBVlofbgqMDsSQF9Gw/s1600/craftbooks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiji70syqJUZgNo2fSVUVFWGJ2ILwyEm6pXp4UP5ny3eoX8_FrIumVZtip632B10VbKoTFNoAMHEl5ONOS6TyKTjfBG54MXhMRWlDcHAWI0cry1Zb8aHoPlMBVlofbgqMDsSQF9Gw/s640/craftbooks.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Another section I love - the craft books! I am guilty of renewing some of these books for years!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4-5GyIkbiXpy4cTs3nbJGlTL6aen5W60EYUJL_Qky-LcoNVWTiG3eValeDRHL4ZS5m6EmXaabRwdB0EB1B9y6ZIbfbBCDZjYrbyF5vopUMrYCS69QggNhOKmC4p5pHg0g7FuZw/s1600/1000+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4-5GyIkbiXpy4cTs3nbJGlTL6aen5W60EYUJL_Qky-LcoNVWTiG3eValeDRHL4ZS5m6EmXaabRwdB0EB1B9y6ZIbfbBCDZjYrbyF5vopUMrYCS69QggNhOKmC4p5pHg0g7FuZw/s640/1000+books.png" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
I always like to check out the displays in the library. Bromley Libraries have their own list of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, a selection from this list can be seen above. I also find it nearly impossible to resist checking out the new books displays! I have given into temptation looking at these shelves so many times - and so has someone else, recently, judging from the gap on the bottom row below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6CY4ALNyRsprGhzqjlqAjMY6Ui7allGzgj-Ywi5imDh_pAGl3D8UyygvIb7a28QfPH_wpjsD_cAc-1qkgqGZozuZmCeFF4hPmm8CIBk_jDKXYa39ixaYP5r6zzdN2MloELtt9g/s1600/new+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6CY4ALNyRsprGhzqjlqAjMY6Ui7allGzgj-Ywi5imDh_pAGl3D8UyygvIb7a28QfPH_wpjsD_cAc-1qkgqGZozuZmCeFF4hPmm8CIBk_jDKXYa39ixaYP5r6zzdN2MloELtt9g/s640/new+books.png" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
There are so many other parts of the library that I love - the sci-fi and fantasy section, which helped me, as a teenager, work my way through most of Anne McCaffrey's back catalogue, the horror section, where I tried various different vampire series, the music section, where I found sheet music to borrow, and most recently, the cookbooks.<br />
<br />
By the reference section is Literature, where I found writing how-to books aged 14 and realised that writing could be an actual career. Until then, I just kind of assumed I'd write a book someday as a matter of course but would have to do something else as my real job. I haven't published any novels yet and I do have a day job, but I still have that aspiration I first discovered at Beckenham Library, and two first drafts!<br />
<br />
I can't overstate how much this library means to me. I would never have read as widely as I have if it wasn't for this place and its wooden shelves filled with worlds and possibilities. My mum signed me up for a library card when I was two, and I had taught myself to read by the time I was four. I don't come from a wealthy background and could never have bought all the books I wanted to read, so the library was an essential part of my life. It makes me really sad to think that communities across the country are losing their libraries.<br />
<br />
Is there a library with a special place in your heart? Let me know in the comments.<br />
<br />
Many thanks to the London Borough of Bromley for granting me permission to take these photographs, and to the lovely library staff that have helped me over the years.Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-54865455322323002072016-01-02T13:37:00.000+00:002016-01-02T19:14:08.149+00:00Reading Challenges 2015 Wrap UpI decided not to do any reading challenges in 2014. For the full story, see <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/twelve-posts-of-christmas-and-new-year_31.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.<br />
<br />
However, in 2014, a lot changed in my life and I started reading more frequently, so I decided to sign up for some reading challenges yet again! I decided to stick to more relaxed challenges only. I went through the <a href="http://novelchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/2015%20Reading%20Challenges" target="_blank">Novel Challenges list</a> and discounted any challenges with rules that were too strict. I skipped challenges that required me to stick to one goal as I wanted to be able to challenge myself more if I was doing well.<br />
<br />
I hoped to stick to the spirit of 2014 - reading for fun - and to try to resist the temptation to create a spreadsheet! "Let's see how long THAT lasts..." I said, and I did resist for the entire year! It's okay, I made a lot of spreadsheets for work. I still love spreadsheets.<br />
<br />
So, how did I do?<br />
<br />
<b>British Books Challenge</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMKG4hk5M01wPIJXEjA8yk1bU-Zar1F7vdaKEiYVQ2HhK0MkhsipM18O1VBU211MC7xwCaaVfBr_3jzK9XL9w6lDuQmaqt_U9oSFFjc091yW7Ie8fSbRg2pJezYptJJzOC2dUQA/s1600/BBC+pointed+shaded.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMKG4hk5M01wPIJXEjA8yk1bU-Zar1F7vdaKEiYVQ2HhK0MkhsipM18O1VBU211MC7xwCaaVfBr_3jzK9XL9w6lDuQmaqt_U9oSFFjc091yW7Ie8fSbRg2pJezYptJJzOC2dUQA/s1600/BBC+pointed+shaded.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
DONE - I beat the goal of reading 12 books by British authors in 2015!<br />
<br />
I last attempted the British Books Challenge in <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/reading-challenges-2011.html" target="_blank">2011</a> and I managed 7 books out of the 12 I originally planned to read. As I found it so hard I avoided it in subsequent years, but for 2015 it was being run by the wonderful Michelle at <i>Fluttering Butterflies</i> who is a) lovely and b) persistent, so I found it impossible to resist!<br />
<br />
I also vlogged the British Books Challenge, which I think helped a lot as it encouraged me to read enough books to talk about in each vlog!<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTi6d6fv4t8?list=PLDl377_YjolDRRlnjGpp3FQ9zyaBaO_GY" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
British Books I Read In 2015:<br />
<br />
1. <i>Five Children and It</i>, by E. Nesbit<br />
2.<i> Trouble</i>, by Non Pratt<br />
3. <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/an-interview-with-jen-campbell-author.html"><i>The Bookshop Book</i>, by Jen Campbell</a><br />
4.<i> Beware The Dwarfs</i>, by Terri Paddock<br />
5. <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/an-interview-with-kathryn-james-author.html"><i>Gypsy Girl</i>, by Kathryn James</a><br />
6.<i> Elizabeth is Missing</i>, by Emma Healey<br />
7.<i> <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-remix-by-non-pratt.html">Remix</a></i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-remix-by-non-pratt.html">, by Non Pratt</a><br />
8.<i> <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/book-review-sin-eaters-daughter-by.html">The Sin Eater's Daughter</a></i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/book-review-sin-eaters-daughter-by.html">, by Melinda Salisbury</a><br />
9.<i> <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/book-review-wintersmith-by-terry.html">Wintersmith</a></i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/book-review-wintersmith-by-terry.html">, by Terry Pratchett</a><br />
10. <i>The Girl on the Train</i>, by Paula Hawkins<br />
11.<i> The Lost and the Found</i>, by Cat Clarke<br />
12. <i>The Year of the Rat</i>, by Clare Furniss<br />
13.<i> Crow Mountain</i>, by Lucy Inglis<br />
14.<i> Have a Little Faith</i>, by Candy Harper<br />
15.<i> Keep the Faith</i>, by Candy Harper<br />
16.<i> Lorali</i>, by Laura Dockrill<br />
17.<i> Counting Stars</i>, by Keris Stainton<br />
18.<i> <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/book-review-killing-dead-by-marcus.html">Killing the Dead</a></i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/book-review-killing-dead-by-marcus.html">, by Marcus Sedgwick</a><br />
19.<i> Return to the Secret Garden</i>, by Holly Webb<br />
20. <i>The Wolf Wilder</i>, by Katherine Rundell<br />
21. <i>Witch Wars</i>, by Sibéal Pounder, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson<br />
22. <i>Cuckoo Song</i>, by Frances Hardinge<br />
23. <i>The End of Mr Y</i>, by Scarlett Thomas<br />
24. <i>Lobsters</i>, by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison<br />
<br />
<b>Dive into Diversity Reading Challenge</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://ratherbereadingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DiversityDive-Challenge-Button.png" title="Dive Into Diversity Reading Challenge 2015"><img alt="Dive Into Diversity Reading Challenge" src="http://ratherbereadingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DiversityDive-Challenge-Button.png" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>As this has no specific goal I'm not sure how I did..! However, although I read a few novels with LGBT themes, I didn't read many by non-white authors. I think I need to make a serious effort with this next year.<br />
<br />
<b>Fairytale Retelling Reading Challenge</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com/" title="The Daily Prophecy"><img alt="The Daily Prophecy" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ak9FP6Wjd9Q/VIMM36tqaUI/AAAAAAAAHhw/9sr0qwOY7q0/%252528Unless%252520you%252520are%252520Snow%252520White%252529_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
I don't think I managed to read a single Fairytale Retelling. Eep.<br />
<br />
<b>2015 Classics Challenge</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2yv_IFpxNnKd4-p8GWR435r_2Y9gJO0mFsdwV8iFv8vwf_rKVhJrEbLRx2Ols8s25ovD-jgjouPYquRcj3av22_OLHDxcv6GPh_xOVYV7HGSaknurUbrEaTpOby03_aNZIo7aw/s1600/classics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2yv_IFpxNnKd4-p8GWR435r_2Y9gJO0mFsdwV8iFv8vwf_rKVhJrEbLRx2Ols8s25ovD-jgjouPYquRcj3av22_OLHDxcv6GPh_xOVYV7HGSaknurUbrEaTpOby03_aNZIo7aw/s1600/classics.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I got talked into this one on Twitter, and I'd already read one book that qualified at the time and had another lined up! But then I kind of stopped...<br />
<br />
1. <i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i>, by Frank L. Baum<br />
2. <i>Five Children and It</i>, by E Nesbit<br />
3. <i>Forever</i>, by Judy Blume<br />
<br />
<b>#FinishItFeb</b><br />
<b><br /></b>DONE - though I only read two of the previously-unread Artemis Fowl books in February, it took me until July to finish the series!<br />
<br />
<b>The TBR Double Dog Dare</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAczredS8IrF_FVp78x74CaLhCbVIGY1424c5a_E1ZryySAJDjufgrg1b5EaiEO7wmYIWGSYAUpLwmtcH9o1uSiv3qP5T_d9yRqtdMyaCQyn5vPxFI3UChmt0wGK9zujrVm2nkg/s1600/tbr-dare-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAczredS8IrF_FVp78x74CaLhCbVIGY1424c5a_E1ZryySAJDjufgrg1b5EaiEO7wmYIWGSYAUpLwmtcH9o1uSiv3qP5T_d9yRqtdMyaCQyn5vPxFI3UChmt0wGK9zujrVm2nkg/s1600/tbr-dare-2014.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
DONE - I only read books I already owned until April 1st with the following exceptions:<br />
<ul>
<li>books for my book club</li>
<li>books I get sent for review that I REALLY want</li>
<li>books for #FinishItFeb</li>
</ul>
<div>
How did you do with your reading challenges last year?</div>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-53108246095366899902015-12-31T18:06:00.006+00:002015-12-31T18:06:41.979+00:00Top Ten Books Read in 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
What a year! I read 61 books this year, which is the most I've read in one year since 2009. I can hardly believe I managed to read so many books, what with taking on extra work and moving into my flat, but somehow I did and I am really pleased with myself.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I didn't do terribly well with most of my reading challenges but I finally, after years of trying, completed the British Books Challenge! I'll be posting again in the next few days about all the challenges I want to have a go at in 2016.<br />
<br />
In the list below, books marked with an * were sent by the publisher for my consideration, this did not alter my opinion of any of these books.<br />
<br />
Now, without any further ado...<br />
<br /></div>
<b>My Top Ten Books Read in 2015 (in the order I read them)</b></div>
<br />
1. <i>Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception</i>, by Eoin Colfer<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QRMThRhOFFw?list=PLGRMUqyRR0VhBPEASjM30UoB4uRItmqqx" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
This year I finally finished the Artemis Fowl series and, first book aside (and not qualifying, as it was a reread), this one is my favourite. Opal Koboi is a wonderful villain and this book is a rollercoaster of magical and technological delight. You can see me talk about all the Artemis Fowl books in the video above.<br />
<br />
2. <i>Elizabeth is Missing</i>, by Emma Healey<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbxSBJu495BUsOtdPSCpGd-J4eA9rDJU_N4OgGbVzg0eA6ZKsDlt_tzO0LXKdgH-ya_QXKfNI2O64DivwKH11uU7cFBKgGnDeO0uKrixWLiy4f7SyaIeh_mzHE5M3ftJiWY71tw/s1600/elizabethismissinginstagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbxSBJu495BUsOtdPSCpGd-J4eA9rDJU_N4OgGbVzg0eA6ZKsDlt_tzO0LXKdgH-ya_QXKfNI2O64DivwKH11uU7cFBKgGnDeO0uKrixWLiy4f7SyaIeh_mzHE5M3ftJiWY71tw/s400/elizabethismissinginstagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/1Pv5C_Mk-2/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm going to describe how good this book is via a quote from my sister, who almost never reads novels: "I think it's one of the best fictional books I've read. Made me teary at the end".<br />
<br />
3. <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-remix-by-non-pratt.html"><i>Remix</i>, by Non Pratt</a>*<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqCy6tuSLS3rBZ3BLtn40AeZb3WfMtY7FLtUakcT6yIFr7LyJlInQlcbuH15g3rJ6iOVtbZ2FXm8df8xoRVDBWZ0lm5oQy0z5Hb7wvyrDmLF-_YL88wPtFZivEc8pYQzu1QM18A/s1600/remixinstagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqCy6tuSLS3rBZ3BLtn40AeZb3WfMtY7FLtUakcT6yIFr7LyJlInQlcbuH15g3rJ6iOVtbZ2FXm8df8xoRVDBWZ0lm5oQy0z5Hb7wvyrDmLF-_YL88wPtFZivEc8pYQzu1QM18A/s400/remixinstagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/1dttRaMk0C/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Friendship ups and downs at a music festival. I'm really pleased with how my review of this one came out, so rather than repeat myself, I'll tell you to go read it <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-remix-by-non-pratt.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
4. <i>I'll Give You The Sun</i>, by Jandy Nelson*<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NOeqdKy9b0mAAVK6NLPbH3-6R_tU9g0sh45F3qjNXD1jgi9XoAA1tQ0U37TUiX-mP1mlIM7kY_hIekHtAgHOnLCn8dBE7YOBRggdpoPROCKPfC7TfY6hH-BUsM-O_7a-K1rv-Q/s1600/illgiveyouthesuninstagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NOeqdKy9b0mAAVK6NLPbH3-6R_tU9g0sh45F3qjNXD1jgi9XoAA1tQ0U37TUiX-mP1mlIM7kY_hIekHtAgHOnLCn8dBE7YOBRggdpoPROCKPfC7TfY6hH-BUsM-O_7a-K1rv-Q/s400/illgiveyouthesuninstagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/21XkLVsk86/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also read (and loved) <i>The Sky is Everywhere</i> this year but I think <i>I'll Give You The Sun</i> had more impact on me - I keep mulling over parts of it in my head. It's about twins who were once very close and how devastating events changed their relationship and the way they see the world.<br />
<br />
5. <i>Have a Little Faith</i>, by Candy Harper (and the sequel, <i>Keep the Faith</i>)<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HHSkJ2D4-bM?list=PLGRMUqyRR0VhBPEASjM30UoB4uRItmqqx" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This is so good! Funny, easy to read, addictive - as soon as I'd finished the first I had to grab the second, and I can't wait to read the third book, <i>Leap of Faith</i>, which actually comes out today! You can watch me talk about why I think Faith is the perfect comedy heroine in the video above.<br />
<br />
6. <i>Wolf by Wolf</i>, by Ryan Graudin<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YWabheH07tk" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
I read this book for my book club and also received a copy in my first Illumicrate box (watch the unboxing video above). It's a gripping blend of alternate history, fantasy and sci-fi, featuring a shapeshifting girl on a mission to kill Hitler.<br />
<br />
7. <i>Lair of Dreams</i>, by Libba Bray*<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDPj0Rez4tPl9Eh5DrVmkH7YJSNPRY_kn02j6aaSPwqcZhm3BtMm8J39VCr6NizBoOPdIyitsNMt97js07_vjAqfQN_JAGz70ufDl5drrLF5Jr7JagAjQwUKHNzvkW8nF9hm-YA/s1600/lair+of+dreams+instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDPj0Rez4tPl9Eh5DrVmkH7YJSNPRY_kn02j6aaSPwqcZhm3BtMm8J39VCr6NizBoOPdIyitsNMt97js07_vjAqfQN_JAGz70ufDl5drrLF5Jr7JagAjQwUKHNzvkW8nF9hm-YA/s400/lair+of+dreams+instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/7Fo_scsk9p/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is the sequel to <i>The Diviners</i>, which featured on <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/top-10-books-read-in-2014.html">last year's list</a>. I loved returning to the glittering yet horrific world of this series, and the focus on different characters in this book - it made it more interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what other intriguing - and gifted - individuals we get to meet in the next book.<br />
<br />
8. <i>Counting Stars</i>, by Keris Stainton*<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QzqRCJFE0YI?list=PLDl377_YjolDRRlnjGpp3FQ9zyaBaO_GY" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
This is what I would categorise as New Adult - a story about a group of young people living in their first houseshare - and it's fabulous. Definitely my favourite of Keris' books. I spoke about <i>Counting Stars </i>and <i>Lair of Dreams</i> in my September Wrap-Up/British Books Challenge Vlog, above. <a href="https://twitter.com/ladyjulianne/status/645247664813121536">Also, it's got most of my name in it.</a><br />
<br />
9. <i>Cookoo Song</i>, by Frances Hardinge*<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7qYIpdhrZHdXr8JKowWFlZUdVw8FWq2rbPy-KxbbEsREq3fQPrQOylZH8D86B0DRDK_Zh1-GFRvIfe_R39nN5-tnwba_Bf8YPDsIsk4vkiThxslN2gGOrAGpCIsp_ul7v5sW0w/s1600/cuckoo+song+instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7qYIpdhrZHdXr8JKowWFlZUdVw8FWq2rbPy-KxbbEsREq3fQPrQOylZH8D86B0DRDK_Zh1-GFRvIfe_R39nN5-tnwba_Bf8YPDsIsk4vkiThxslN2gGOrAGpCIsp_ul7v5sW0w/s400/cuckoo+song+instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/9j0f3CMk1e/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was just gorgeous. It's a beautifully-written, emotionally-involving, glorious, frightening, and marvellous adventure. I am definitely in love with changeling stories now and must find more. When I'm not devouring Frances Hardinge's other books, that is. Seriously, believe the hype, Frances Hardinge is as good as everyone says she is.<br />
<br />
10. <i>Suite Scarlett</i>, by Maureen Johnson<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUuDW73JCFQNr4jGpaLogbkg6qWFwOuJefZ1Y9khKsxcw_fZUGkbldUTgBU7dV0hi7JHSkofUoRN57YF25uN2asev-mw4Z5nVRwWW3Xhty7pFX2yzt8bs_lkwRSwCYFuUC3ZcAg/s1600/suite+scarlett+instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUuDW73JCFQNr4jGpaLogbkg6qWFwOuJefZ1Y9khKsxcw_fZUGkbldUTgBU7dV0hi7JHSkofUoRN57YF25uN2asev-mw4Z5nVRwWW3Xhty7pFX2yzt8bs_lkwRSwCYFuUC3ZcAg/s400/suite+scarlett+instagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-FNG-cMk-b/">View on Instagram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have a full-length review coming (I've written most of it), but to summarise, <i>Suite Scarlett </i>was a delight. Funny and charming, it follows the trouble Scarlett gets into when the newest guest in her parents' struggling hotel takes it upon herself to meddle in her life. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel!<br />
<br />
That was HARD to write! I'm not sure it really is my definitive top ten - but it's as close as I can manage, having read so many great books this year. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Are any of these books on your list? Let me know!Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-1075549087805705162015-12-07T11:21:00.000+00:002015-12-07T11:21:23.023+00:00Book Review: The Sin-Eater's Daughter, by Melinda Salisbury<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXzKBPjYG862OOARbxEvPYmfTdUrb9PXGQbxVKqntBXh2dF0L-5NWGdxvD8vb7C1DWeeXty1MUB_pCHdTzobzcNfUtXVphRdltmO3aoY0JhGoRspAeQdhBY_H9xd6IP7B1NAvdg/s1600/IMG_20150407_000029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXzKBPjYG862OOARbxEvPYmfTdUrb9PXGQbxVKqntBXh2dF0L-5NWGdxvD8vb7C1DWeeXty1MUB_pCHdTzobzcNfUtXVphRdltmO3aoY0JhGoRspAeQdhBY_H9xd6IP7B1NAvdg/s400/IMG_20150407_000029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this copy of The Sin-Eater's Daughter in one of the Little Free Libraries<br />
of Walthamstow. I left it there, as I already had a copy, but I wanted to use this<br />
photo as it's a lovely cover and my proof doesn't have the big central image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Twylla used to be the Sin-Eater's daughter, trained by her mother to take over the role when she died, until she was chosen by the gods for a different path, and left that life behind. Now she is Daunen Embodied, the daughter of the gods, betrothed to the prince, living amongst the splendour of the royal court - and executing their enemies. For Twylla's skin is poisonous, and none who are not anointed by the gods may touch her without suffering a horrible death.<br />
<br />
<i>The Sin-Eater's Daughter </i>was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. The problem with trying your best to ignore the hype and avoid spoilers is that sometimes this leaves you without a clear idea of what a book is meant to be about! I was expecting an exciting new fantasy world to explore, but <i>The Sin-Eater's Daughter</i> is actually quite light on the fantasy. Other readers (now I'm free to read reviews without the threat of spoilers), have said that it's more of a fictional-setting medieval romance, and I agree. I haven't read the blurb, as I read a proof copy, but if I were writing one I would definitely place emphasis on the romantic elements.<br />
<br />
I would also mention rituals. <i>The Sin-Eater's Daughter</i> is all about rituals. Twylla, in her struggle to understand her position, learns how rituals can give us strength, but also how they can keep us locked in to dangerous patterns. I loved all the details about the religious roles and ceremonies - they seem both strange and familar, despite belonging to a fictional society. This is what really hooked me when I was reading the book - I found it almost impossible to put down when I had to go to work or sleep, because I was absolutely fascinated by the setting and by Twylla's descriptions of the society she lives in and her duties as Daunen Embodied.<br />
<br />
I also really enjoyed the politics and I'm looking forward to seeing more of that in the second in the series. In fact, I liked the political intrigue so much that it made me impatient for the romantic scenes to be over so that the drama could continue! Maybe I'm getting old?! There's a bit of a love triangle, and it's all tangled up with the politics, which made the romantic interests a bit less likeable than they might otherwise have been, but people are complicated. Twylla's whole life is complicated. And there's the epilogue. I can only say that I really liked the epilogue, because spoilers!<br />
<br />
I would recommend <i>The Sin-Eater's Daughter</i> to people who like dramatic, life-and-death romances, and perhaps as a gateway drug for those who would like to dip their toes into the fantasy genre. If you feel intimidated by complex magical systems, weird and wonderful creatures, and imaginary cultures, <i>The Sin-Eater's Daughter</i> could help ease you in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thisfleetingdream-21&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=1407147633&asins=1407147633&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=710FED&bg_color=FFFFFF">
</iframe><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thisfleetingdream-21&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=B00SLH2Q6U&asins=B00SLH2Q6U&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=710FED&bg_color=FFFFFF">
</iframe><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thisfleetingdream-21&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=1407147641&asins=1407147641&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=710FED&bg_color=FFFFFF">
</iframe>Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-54141712876110858692015-10-20T13:41:00.001+01:002015-10-20T20:03:33.216+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Top Ten Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_PUTh13qm8lWD8-zkzY6_Q6VVE1zOM_DiHY4a4_iIHj4RcFBUeUfkF0j-Ckjt7QXbmTgL-rvxbPdasycB-d2t3nr6sdp14vSn8CgtKcsr5wAnjIsfoEhAHhb3jWmYy8GGw1ZEQ/s1600/IMG_20140122_191556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_PUTh13qm8lWD8-zkzY6_Q6VVE1zOM_DiHY4a4_iIHj4RcFBUeUfkF0j-Ckjt7QXbmTgL-rvxbPdasycB-d2t3nr6sdp14vSn8CgtKcsr5wAnjIsfoEhAHhb3jWmYy8GGw1ZEQ/s400/IMG_20140122_191556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Presumably I'd summon him via a spell in an old book...</div>
<br />
1. Firstly I'd wish for a signed first edition of <i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</i>. Obviously because I love Harry Potter and not because I could sell it at auction for tens of thousands of pounds...*innocent face*<br />
<br />
2. Next I would wish for Libba Bray to be given the ability to write her brilliant books really quickly so that I don't have to wait long for the next two sequels to <i>The Diviners</i>.<br />
<br />
3. See also Candy Harper so that I can have the third Faith book now!<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HHSkJ2D4-bM?list=UUqRvDBYIeyPlpw_dEIXWSSg" width="560"></iframe>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Play this video to hear me talk about how amazing the Faith books are.
</div>
<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
4. I would also wish for Robin McKinley to be given the overwhelming desire and inspiration to write a direct sequel to <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/book-review-sunshine-by-robin-mckinley.html">Sunshine</a></i> in which EVERYTHING IS EXPLAINED.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5. I would wish to meet Angela Carter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6. And Virginia Woolf.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
7. And Shakespeare.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8. Actually I'd also like the Book Genie to transport me back in time so I could see one of Shakespeare's plays being performed for the very first time.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
9. And tangentially, I'd like a TARDIS in my flat to serve as my library.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
10. I'd also like the ability to finish writing my own books really quickly, and for me to get an agent, and a publisher, and for my books to be wonderful and successful, <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/and-now-some-nepotism-interview-with.html">and the same for my boyfriend</a>...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
...oh wait, I'm out of wishes, and this isn't real, it's just a <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Tuesday">Top Ten Tuesday</a>? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Damn.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks to <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a>, as always. Let me know in the comments if you did this week's Top Ten, and if we have any of the same wishes! That way, if we are visited by the Book Genie, we can save wishes by wishing that both of us get to do x...</div>
</center>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-32189174627538342642015-10-18T13:43:00.000+01:002015-10-18T13:43:09.075+01:00Book Review: Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZTEmHJ16X6NT69snWx3wT6ePWTsqkT7lpLWHRbaPevfWA_ZY9Y5gftMSMhNlFcLuySBSFRzM2LxK2NJryAhRnkSTICMmGKIDDEJUChtE4yRUGRfuA3YA1vGc_dLQsrdXkC6aAA/s1600/bloodandchocolate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZTEmHJ16X6NT69snWx3wT6ePWTsqkT7lpLWHRbaPevfWA_ZY9Y5gftMSMhNlFcLuySBSFRzM2LxK2NJryAhRnkSTICMmGKIDDEJUChtE4yRUGRfuA3YA1vGc_dLQsrdXkC6aAA/s640/bloodandchocolate.png" width="522" /></a></div>
<br />
Vivian is <i>loup-garou</i>, a child of the Moon, a werewolf, and she loves it. She relishes the thrill of the change, delights in running through the forest in the dark, feeling powerful and beautiful. She used to love being part of the pack, as well, until one of them killed a human, and vigilantes burned down their home, killing Vivian's father, the leader of the pack.<br />
<br />
Now they have moved to a town, leaving their old lives and hopefully their fears behind. Vivian feels isolated and lonely. She wants friends. So when she finds a poem about werewolves in the school magazine, she is intrigued. The writer is human, but could he be the one to truly understand her? Will they fall in love?<br />
<br />
<i>Blood and Chocolate</i> was first published in 1997, but for the most part it doesn't feel that dated. The review quote from Publishers Weekly on the front of my copy calls it 'as addictive as chocolate' and I have to agree, I really struggled to put it down! Vivian is a teenage girl with no self-esteem problems at all - she's hot and she knows it. She's very aware of her own sexuality and desire, and she sets out to seduce Aiden, the poem's writer, rather than waiting to be approached. She also pays a lot of attention to the politics of the werewolf pack, and her own role in the group - her confidence is tempered by her fear that it was her fault that her father died.<br />
<br />
Whenever she's rejected or anyone attempts to order her about, she's angry and defiant. On the other hand, she desperately wants peace and longs to be able to run free with the pack without worrying that there is a killer in their midst or that they will be hunted by humans. These internal conflicts drive the story and make Vivian a compelling and unusual protagonist.<br />
<br />
This novel is by no means perfect. It's hard to know what the author is trying to say about the gender politics of the pack for most of the novel, and ultimately a lot of those issues are unresolved. I guessed who the killer was before it was revealed. I strongly disliked the ending and the resolution to the romantic storyline.<br />
<br />
But I loved the energy throughout, and Vivian's refreshing confidence. I would recommend <i>Blood and Chocolate </i>with the caveat that there may be aspects of it that you really hate, but that overall it's very interesting. Definitely a book I want to discuss with other people.
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thisfleetingdream-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=0552546127&asins=0552546127&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=710FED&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-8707801749806309792015-10-08T20:35:00.000+01:002015-10-08T20:36:16.727+01:00Book Review: Killing the Dead, by Marcus Sedgwick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I hadn't read a World Book Day book in ages. I may have only read one World Book Day book previously - <i>Shop Dead</i> by Kate Cann, which was one of the books in 2001. It's about a girl who is obsessed with shopping and the way she looks, told from the point of view of a guy who takes her on a date. Kate Cann is amazing at writing teenage boys. I remember my sister got it with her voucher (I invariably forgot to use mine). <i>Shop Dead </i>is pretty dark, as is <i>Killing the Dead</i>.<br />
<br />
Apparently <i>Killing the Dead</i> has some relationship with <i>The Ghosts of Heaven</i>, one of Marcus Sedgwick's full length novels, or at least they both heavily feature spirals. I didn't want to look into it too much in case of spoilers. I did enjoy <i>Killing the Dead</i> so I'm very intrigued by this and will have to give <i>The Ghosts of Heaven</i> a go.<br />
<br />
At first <i>Killing the Dead</i> seemed like an odd choice for a World Book Day book. It's historical fiction, set in an American all-girls boarding school in 1961. I've always thought of World Book Day books as being aimed at reluctant readers, and the setting and time period won't be familiar to most teenagers, as you learn almost nothing about the Sixties at school. But then it got really dark. If there is one thing I believe about teenagers' reading preferences, it's that they love it when things get dark. I did. I still do.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_2aoDA7110gfOMLl2tjsKwRyBJZiJWuhRlKmMwBeNnnI1vaeCsXkg6plLHpZTi-MhsVosGkZr3NIVnvo9yt-BeF2ij7YVhnmoQdG8BUMi0pbhc5N9oZnYVLPahGInAxjOrO5uQ/s1600/killingthedead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_2aoDA7110gfOMLl2tjsKwRyBJZiJWuhRlKmMwBeNnnI1vaeCsXkg6plLHpZTi-MhsVosGkZr3NIVnvo9yt-BeF2ij7YVhnmoQdG8BUMi0pbhc5N9oZnYVLPahGInAxjOrO5uQ/s400/killingthedead.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Killing the Dead</i> is set during the aftermath of the death of a schoolgirl, Isobel, and in the run-up to the school's annual Procession Day. We see this time from the perspective of different characters, slowly building up a picture of what Isobel was like and what might have happened. Then there's a twist that contradicts this picture and our assumptions.<br />
<br />
I thought that both the build-up and the twist were very well done. It's a very short book - 117 pages of quite large type - and Marcus Sedgwick doesn't have a lot of space for characterisation but I found almost all the characters well-drawn and easy to imagine. There were two exceptions. Isobel is a mystery. Even when we learn what happened, she maintains some mystery, but this seems appropriate - she is, after all, dead. Margot, another schoolgirl, the new Procession Queen, apparently haunted by Isobel's ghost, is also a mystery, but it felt less like she should be. Her personality isn't really detailed until her role in Isobel's death is explained, which works for preserving the mystery, but as I was reading the chapters in the run up to the reveal I felt like I should have more of a handle on her character than I did. I couldn't really imagine what kind of girl she was and why she did things. I was left trying to fill in those gaps for myself without much to go on.<br />
<br />
I'd love to discuss <i>Killing the Dead</i> so please let me know what you thought in the comments or tweet me!<br />
<br />
<br />Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-70342573528042328752015-10-05T09:00:00.000+01:002015-10-08T20:35:58.120+01:00A Garden of One's Own, or, Book Review: Return to the Secret Garden (Return to the Secret Garden Blog Tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo1VZXHHsZU6FyXx9l1S64W_OhvbTT7Orb4JSwGubzIIlTPvB9jpVSV1VbpZe8vxA50p_sZdXeXeP5IvJ1Wu3oghrwdOp9AHg7Cpca7vkzWF9NK4WG1AGrfM2tUPtoPHVGbLv_Q/s1600/Webb+FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo1VZXHHsZU6FyXx9l1S64W_OhvbTT7Orb4JSwGubzIIlTPvB9jpVSV1VbpZe8vxA50p_sZdXeXeP5IvJ1Wu3oghrwdOp9AHg7Cpca7vkzWF9NK4WG1AGrfM2tUPtoPHVGbLv_Q/s400/Webb+FINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Secret Garden </i>is one of my favourite books of all time. It's certainly my most reread book, my copy boasts a heavily creased cover and spine as well as yellowed, torn pages. When I was a teenager I had a habit of reading just my favourite scenes in books over and over, so until quite recently it had a bookmark in it at the scene where Colin gives a lecture about Magic. When I reread it in preparation for <i>Return for the Secret Garden</i>, I was slightly underwhelmed by that scene - I'd mythologised it in my head, remembered it as longer, more dramatic.<br />
<br />
That's what I do with my favourite parts of my favourite books and films and songs, especially when I haven't revisited them in a while. Those scenes or dramatic moments become bigger to me than they are, and I forget the rest of what made them so great. As I reread, or rewatch, or relisten, I reevaluate it, and the thing as a whole, and this often leads to surprising revelations. See my previous post about <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/now-it-all-makes-sense-or-book-review.html">Harriet the Spy</a></i> - in that case I thought I loved best the parts about sneaking around and spying on people, but it was the stuff about writing that really sunk in.<br />
<br />
Anyway, remembering that scene so fondly, I thought what I loved most about <i>The Secret Garden </i>was the Magic. Wrong again! As an adult, reading it, I realised what actually I loved most is the secret garden! (And this isn't just because I've recently become obsessed with plants.) I love seeing private spaces. Photographs of lived-in houses. Scenes in films with carefully constructed and personalised rooms - the teenage bedroom, the shop the character owns and decorated themselves. At night, on the top deck of a bus, I look out for open curtains and gleefully stare into other people's houses.<br />
<br />
Mary Lennox is a girl who doesn't have anything of her own, a space where she can be herself. Her bedroom is a place she is brought to and taken out of on the orders of others - but the garden she finds by herself. It's her sanctuary. On this reread, I was actually slightly disappointed when she starts letting other people in!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hzzuYMosxY0JlDFBVJ7cSVVMcbc8U0c9RDkNcCcd3MXRQRcN-WFNDLQPTA8B9x6POhVJ37l9B8cD3L-_i6kJOeff5WFnjutaCcxBtzTB6vW6s36b2qzI3Gz_V1lIo9fPXuxqEA/s1600/IMG_20150826_212609%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hzzuYMosxY0JlDFBVJ7cSVVMcbc8U0c9RDkNcCcd3MXRQRcN-WFNDLQPTA8B9x6POhVJ37l9B8cD3L-_i6kJOeff5WFnjutaCcxBtzTB6vW6s36b2qzI3Gz_V1lIo9fPXuxqEA/s320/IMG_20150826_212609%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My much-loved copy of the original book. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/63CojUMk9h/">View on Instagram</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Return to the Secret Garden</i> is set thirty years after the original, and follows another young girl's search for a place where she belongs. Emmie has never really had a proper space of her own. She lives at an orphanage, where she shares a dormitory with other girls. To snatch some privacy, she climbs through a window onto a rickety old fire escape. It's there she meets a stray cat, the first thing she has that's really hers (as much as a cat can be owned!). But then along comes the Second World War, and the orphanage is evacuated. Emmie has to leave her cat behind and travel a long way to a strange old house in Yorkshire, one Misselthwaite Manor.<br />
<br />
I was a little apprehensive about reading a sequel to a book I love so much, but I found <i>Return to the Secret Garden</i> charming. It was great to see another little girl find a kind of home in the garden, even though it's no longer locked, and she has even less right to it than Mary, being an unconnected orphan, rather than the niece of the manor's owner.<br />
<br />
Like Mary, she is grumpy and sometimes rude, but also very determined once she gets an idea in her head, and I loved all these characteristics in Mary. Many people prefer Frances Hodgson Burnett's <i>A Little Princess</i> to <i>The Secret Garden</i>, but I am a <i>Secret Garden </i>person through and through. It helped that I actually owned a copy of <i>The Secret Garden.</i> I read <i>A Little Princess </i>one time and returned the book to the library. I saw the film once for my birthday. That was enough (though when I rewatched it as an adult, it did make me cry).<br />
<br />
Sara, the 'little princess', is too good to be relatable, she's always kind and sweet, no matter what happens. Whereas Mary gave me hope - that even if I wasn't perfect, I could be likable, and I could try and improve. Emmie is the same. She's an orphan, but she is neither tediously pathetic or overly good. She seems realistic, as do all the children, who fight and fall out but ultimately help each other out.<br />
<br />
My least favourite part was seeing the children of <i>The Secret Garden</i> as adults, but that might be only because I have never ever imagined them grown up! I think children reading this after the original won't find it jarring at all.<br />
<br />
I'm sure I would have enjoyed reading <i>Return to the Secret Garden </i>as a child - it takes some of the best features of the original and puts them into a familiar yet strikingly altered setting. It's a cute, quick read. Many thanks to Scholastic for sending me a review copy (it's a particularly gorgeous little hardback) and to <a href="http://fayerogers.co.uk/">Faye Rogers</a> for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.<br />
<br />
Have you ever read a sequel to a children's classic that wasn't by the original author? What did you think? Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour and enter the giveaway! Yes, Scholastic are giving away a copy of The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett and a copy of Return to the Secret Garden by Holly Webb to one lucky blog tour follower!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="320ab7e460" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/320ab7e460/" id="rcwidget_0xc7p9xo" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuct0zJzklWyDBKqPxBrhoMkK-xdz3UPBjvg_2Vh4IHEJ2tt3zHeGQVe2V-TT6OqTdtaODuHdmuIDytfFzNe2hu5wFzB6or7BShbIuUrCU6eqh7iu1_uhNBxoFPDtGfPHa5Ag65g/s1600/RTSG+Blog+Banner+FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuct0zJzklWyDBKqPxBrhoMkK-xdz3UPBjvg_2Vh4IHEJ2tt3zHeGQVe2V-TT6OqTdtaODuHdmuIDytfFzNe2hu5wFzB6or7BShbIuUrCU6eqh7iu1_uhNBxoFPDtGfPHa5Ag65g/s1600/RTSG+Blog+Banner+FINAL.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-65451181879143260542015-09-16T11:02:00.000+01:002016-10-31T14:37:18.018+00:00Bookish Brits Vlog 28: A Guide to Book Swapping<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_rkxJvcCNH4?list=PLGRMUqyRR0VhBPEASjM30UoB4uRItmqqx" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
I love this hat. I have never worn it outside. I have worn all my other hats out, but this one is blue and it doesn't go with much of my clothing.<br />
<br />
Anyway, book swapping!<br />
<br />
In this video I recommend <a href="http://www.bookmooch.com/">Bookmooch</a> (worldwide) and <a href="http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/">ReadItSwapIt</a> (UK only). If you're in the US you can also try <a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/">PaperBack Swap</a>.<br />
<br />
If you don't want to post books, look into <a href="http://www.bookcrossing.com/">BookCrossing</a>. You may also want to see if there are any <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/a-tour-of-little-free-libraries-sky-is.html">Little Free Libraries</a> near you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/bookishbrits">Bookish Brits on Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://instagram.com/bookishbrits">Bookish Brits on Instagram</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bookish-Brits/">Bookish Brits on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/bookishbrits/">Bookish Brits on Pinterest</a><br />
<a href="http://bookish-brits.tumblr.com/">The Bookish Brits Tumblr</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-10334307718544760672015-09-15T10:05:00.002+01:002015-09-15T13:47:53.302+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Quickly Save If My House Was Going To Be Abducted By Aliens (or any other natural disaster)This week's <a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Tuesday">Top Ten Tuesday</a> is actually a freebie, which means that you get to make up your own topic or choose one of the past topics that you missed or want to redo.<br />
<br />
When I scrolled through the list of past topics my eyes quickly lighted upon this one, which I felt I had to do for the title alone. I mean, abduction by aliens? I'm pretty sure that's an <i>un</i>natural disaster if ever there was one...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoyTaHDvjddqlUMTMGCGp7t6_3z5ANeolLb0VsQcwy95WltSwcceK9iMgwtSlpzLyO7UJ21AbyGF9a2yP32plQwvqZChXULNmGYgell8MEDRbaPfxQ0YXSaS8VFE4Dd2QvsBHVw/s1600/IMG_20150826_212609%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoyTaHDvjddqlUMTMGCGp7t6_3z5ANeolLb0VsQcwy95WltSwcceK9iMgwtSlpzLyO7UJ21AbyGF9a2yP32plQwvqZChXULNmGYgell8MEDRbaPfxQ0YXSaS8VFE4Dd2QvsBHVw/s320/IMG_20150826_212609%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/63CojUMk9h/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Top Ten Books I'd Quickly Save If My House Was Going To Be Abducted By Aliens</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(or any other <i>un</i>natural disaster)</b></div>
<br />
1. My signed hardback copy of <i>The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks</i>, by E. Lockhart. Because getting to meet E Lockhart after having loved her books for years, in a room full of people who also loved her books (and this after years of feeling like one of about three people in the UK who'd even read her books) was so cool and I'd want to have this book to remember it by.<br />
<br />
2. My signed copy of <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/book-review-diary-of-crush-french-kiss.html">Kiss and Make-Up</a></i>, by Sarra Manning, which contains my favourite bits of the Diary of a Crush trilogy. I met Sarra and had it signed back in 2010, at a Chicklish event at Dulwich Library. I was unbelievably excited because a) it was the first YA book event I'd been to b) I got to meet some bloggers for the first time c) as well as Sarra Manning, who had been my hero when I was 14, I got to meet Keris Stainton, Luisa Plaja, and Simmone Howell. It still remains the only multi-author event I've ever been to where I'd read at least one book by every author!<br />
<br />
3. My copy of <i>Burning Your Boats</i>, by Angela Carter<br />
4. My copy of <i>The Curious Room</i>, by Angela Carter<br />
5. My copy of <i>The Magic Toyshop</i>, by Angela Carter<br />
6. My copy of <i>Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales</i>...because they're all fancy hardbacks and the first two are definitely out of print and the bottom two might be.<br />
<br />
7. My hardback copy of <i>The Diviners</i>, by Libba Bray, because it's a way nicer cover than on the paperbacks and I want to get it signed one day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KDiMX2wV8EgAviny_VV3n-w_oB1PrIQuHGloRkTBI6PDwx-WTU0RhwYEt3_cNJImCPm4knFbH1g_Zt_LOLNojfR7j9E5bhiowVd9VlYvI8UWj7aigsY75-DLB5w-fPI_PUpnZw/s1600/IMG_20150901_132409%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KDiMX2wV8EgAviny_VV3n-w_oB1PrIQuHGloRkTBI6PDwx-WTU0RhwYEt3_cNJImCPm4knFbH1g_Zt_LOLNojfR7j9E5bhiowVd9VlYvI8UWj7aigsY75-DLB5w-fPI_PUpnZw/s320/IMG_20150901_132409%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/7Fo_scsk9p/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
8. My childhood copy of <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-want-to-reread.html">The Secret Garden</a></i>, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, because I read it so many times it's all battered and worn-in and a new copy would never be the same.<br />
<br />
9. My childhood copy of <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/top-ten-tuesday-childhood-favourites.html">Matilda</a></i>, by Roald Dahl, for the same reason.<br />
<br />
10. My first edition, second printing, of <i>The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls</i>, by Emilie Autumn, because even if I don't decide to keep it I could sell it on eBay for monies. Ditto for all of my digipak CDs.<br />
<br />
What books would you save? Have you met any authors and had any books signed? If you did Top Ten Tuesday this week, which topic did you choose?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Tuesday">Top Ten Tuesday</a> was created and is hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a>.<br />
<br />Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-29941621856696503902015-09-14T11:02:00.000+01:002015-09-15T13:51:52.160+01:00Bookish Brits Vlog 27: The Social Media Book Tag<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AANpaRGmYZg?list=PLGRMUqyRR0VhBPEASjM30UoB4uRItmqqx" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
Let's get social...with social meeeeedia...<br />
<br />
But seriously, this is a great tag and I'd love to see more people do it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/bookishbrits">Bookish Brits on Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://instagram.com/bookishbrits">Bookish Brits on Instagram</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bookish-Brits/">Bookish Brits on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/bookishbrits/">Bookish Brits on Pinterest</a><br />
<a href="http://bookish-brits.tumblr.com/">The Bookish Brits Tumblr</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219065.post-49932638102592870972015-09-12T23:36:00.001+01:002015-09-13T13:02:13.034+01:00A Tour of Little Free Libraries: The Sky is Everywhere is EverywhereEarlier in the year, I was staying over at Nick's old house in Walthamstow. It was a bright, sunny weekend, just perfect for a little local adventure.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcqpZvNA7jliZJWuaZ9Zh35U63Y5ILVYA9tamodj3LkmIEpyB2TptxnqGZdx7qfG7bsst4jft3w20ba29ItFzVn0RYswraJpXC7EhgDTCfVvAeqNg5440oJzD9pfBJ0UNSAEfWg/s1600/IMG_20150405_190332%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcqpZvNA7jliZJWuaZ9Zh35U63Y5ILVYA9tamodj3LkmIEpyB2TptxnqGZdx7qfG7bsst4jft3w20ba29ItFzVn0RYswraJpXC7EhgDTCfVvAeqNg5440oJzD9pfBJ0UNSAEfWg/s320/IMG_20150405_190332%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span data-reactid=".0.1.0.0.0.2.1.0.0.1" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-reactid=".0.1.0.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.$text0:0:$text0:0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Stop one on our Little Free Libraries </span><a data-reactid=".0.1.0.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.$text0:0:$entity0:0" href="https://instagram.com/explore/tags/e17/" style="border: 0px; color: #125688; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">E17</a><span data-reactid=".0.1.0.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.$text0:0:$text1:0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> tour was Cleveland Park Avenue.</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.1.0.0.0.2.1.0.0.1" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span data-reactid=".0.1.0.0.0.2.1.0.0.1.$text0:0:$text1:0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s purple with bears, hares, and pears. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1GkdqWskym/">View on Instagram.</a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'd recently been sent a box full of copies of Jandy Nelson's <i><a href="http://thisfleetingdream.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/top-ten-tuesday-books-ive-read-so-far.html">The Sky is Everywhere</a></i>, as part of Walker Books' campaign to spread <i>The Sky is Everywhere</i>, well, everywhere, and Nick had some books he had decided not to keep (as well as one copy of <i><a href="http://www.nickbryan.com/p/hobson-choi.html">The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf</a></i>). So, we decided to explore the local area and visit the Little Free Libraries to leave some of our books and hopefully find some to take away. I posted a video about this a couple of weeks later, but I always planned to write it up for this blog as well, so here goes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2-hc5XMbDnFqVQW3DePjTopEQ15JL-PA3wpMF2JYlWSKpdWwGA_epC1K9aiiixX2ImfZ021XAXxkyKmH6RaaksPVghLy4jMupuRvbIcVcXe-ym6RhQgTMx4vX2vhswTFANVMQg/s1600/IMG_20150405_160812%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2-hc5XMbDnFqVQW3DePjTopEQ15JL-PA3wpMF2JYlWSKpdWwGA_epC1K9aiiixX2ImfZ021XAXxkyKmH6RaaksPVghLy4jMupuRvbIcVcXe-ym6RhQgTMx4vX2vhswTFANVMQg/s320/IMG_20150405_160812%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop two, Eastfield Road. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1GQYMhMk54/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtleZTAm2xgsYnqPiKasaVBJ2ccpLGoRse12_aWdgTwQeP3LXp-4ZOYg7DUyW-BfxHXfw9EgHdQPeeASLD7nGMYRaOFheCumygL8Gpw-fw46NvScycLkqFxK8NkVdSPGD10Y_-w/s1600/IMG_20150405_220312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtleZTAm2xgsYnqPiKasaVBJ2ccpLGoRse12_aWdgTwQeP3LXp-4ZOYg7DUyW-BfxHXfw9EgHdQPeeASLD7nGMYRaOFheCumygL8Gpw-fw46NvScycLkqFxK8NkVdSPGD10Y_-w/s320/IMG_20150405_220312.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The book I picked up at Eastfield Road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://littlefreelibrary.org/">Little Free Libraries</a> are a concept that's been brought over from the US in recent years - tiny huts containing bookshelves, designed to stand in front gardens and school playgrounds, or inside cafés and pubs. They're intended to encourage people to read more and to participate in their local community.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7PEvDZQxCwfwM0LTNJ7W5ftuYWxPS9jf2ONs7qH6Zh3EmiLIDJ_5ZkPqBV99RR7fIxjL8Zh-uXx37s0EvUkwRG6bxVH6i4hIstyfALuvoDowD_Cl64E2a7CVYDll_sBxLdIkbg/s1600/IMG_20150405_192351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7PEvDZQxCwfwM0LTNJ7W5ftuYWxPS9jf2ONs7qH6Zh3EmiLIDJ_5ZkPqBV99RR7fIxjL8Zh-uXx37s0EvUkwRG6bxVH6i4hIstyfALuvoDowD_Cl64E2a7CVYDll_sBxLdIkbg/s320/IMG_20150405_192351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cairo Road, stop three. I love the purple, naturally. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1GmzpqMk5D/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I believe the Walthamstow LFLs were the first in the UK, but Little Free Libraries UK have now brought the idea and the boxes to people in other parts of the country, including Swindon, Birmingham, Bath, and Essex.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIF0rhvT4d6GKWovLWQoLtihhpFylV_yVQrH5T-AI7mkJTIAyF-eH99e7qkBk3aLzQSie9IQLPbDH1DTTuaFUxK-YndQeY9snwEx8bj4mxZ9JGSLUMgRIUl_1g2Lr0QJhP_EPZA/s1600/IMG_20150405_220113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIF0rhvT4d6GKWovLWQoLtihhpFylV_yVQrH5T-AI7mkJTIAyF-eH99e7qkBk3aLzQSie9IQLPbDH1DTTuaFUxK-YndQeY9snwEx8bj4mxZ9JGSLUMgRIUl_1g2Lr0QJhP_EPZA/s320/IMG_20150405_220113.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Howard Road's foxy Little Free Library. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1G8FL-sk0J/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwosOiGwld_i3r7E-iwmJeOLVGgW6t58SbW547PblPgyoPh8TvodsacAH84aiAgrbMrv74wHFB_GpQwzQklwoTLOzAVEQ4UwWk-UC8QHkltE-4kNAGt2klVUrsHjgp2toUlYmCQ/s1600/IMG_20150406_105218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwosOiGwld_i3r7E-iwmJeOLVGgW6t58SbW547PblPgyoPh8TvodsacAH84aiAgrbMrv74wHFB_GpQwzQklwoTLOzAVEQ4UwWk-UC8QHkltE-4kNAGt2klVUrsHjgp2toUlYmCQ/s320/IMG_20150406_105218.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wandered lonely as a cloud...to another Little Free Library,<br />
this time in Aubrey Road. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1IRHZmsk7o/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course they are by no means a replacement for public libraries, but I like to think of them as a gateway drug. Many Little Free Libraries are outside and therefore open 24/7, unlike most public libraries. They're also very pretty and enticing. People will pass them on their way to and from work and be intrigued. They can pick up a book in a spare couple of minutes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OvcKFXu6nsfzhX9BfsCaD7p8DJBRQpNek_XCBd9k_XSNW5rGlzeMCaVvEye1sfyD03nrf19eOgzASBTy6FM55kd-ZdGSZ4tqsgtOb9JN82ts05jvOXJzscMxOQn-Varn8NE4LA/s1600/IMG_20150406_122424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OvcKFXu6nsfzhX9BfsCaD7p8DJBRQpNek_XCBd9k_XSNW5rGlzeMCaVvEye1sfyD03nrf19eOgzASBTy6FM55kd-ZdGSZ4tqsgtOb9JN82ts05jvOXJzscMxOQn-Varn8NE4LA/s320/IMG_20150406_122424.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A double-decker Little Free Library at Garner Road. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1IbqCksk6J/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11OEY1mgKWH584Etsf6dOu-a_gwseeorI5YUKpjdFop3xGbKw4tH5GIFyV9RiEGam0XcTVMP0TrbKBqAWT8UzKVMDXsFJgapdFD6Udj64FZq3bWRM0RLm519B9PBflD8CEQuajQ/s1600/IMG_20150406_141029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11OEY1mgKWH584Etsf6dOu-a_gwseeorI5YUKpjdFop3xGbKw4tH5GIFyV9RiEGam0XcTVMP0TrbKBqAWT8UzKVMDXsFJgapdFD6Udj64FZq3bWRM0RLm519B9PBflD8CEQuajQ/s320/IMG_20150406_141029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up after I'd made my donation.<a href="https://instagram.com/p/1In74FMk_4/"> View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If someone catches the reading bug, they'll be reading far more books than the Little Free Library can provide, or want to find more books in specific genres, and that will draw them towards their local public library. I hope so, anyway.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBxH0dVaY-0uthwFNnAkvJwbsqWskOvGF-Ry0w1PN7P51rBDcQaoZL-uFoKFYisUmRplDuCJvAhYWXffullcsAv5cxmKWkjn4LBhi1JbRUZY3uHM-z7RPkq3PmGggqlyMTpRWOg/s1600/IMG_20150406_165042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBxH0dVaY-0uthwFNnAkvJwbsqWskOvGF-Ry0w1PN7P51rBDcQaoZL-uFoKFYisUmRplDuCJvAhYWXffullcsAv5cxmKWkjn4LBhi1JbRUZY3uHM-z7RPkq3PmGggqlyMTpRWOg/s320/IMG_20150406_165042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Brettenham Road, where Nick left a copy of <i><a href="http://www.nickbryan.com/p/hobson-choi.html">The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf</a>. </i><a href="https://instagram.com/p/1I6El_Mk1Q/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCxTShX_FG0vAGFDhy3asle3heLXIrxYyFzTKm09quQO9y5FilCjOOpn072ETs5Yc6yVsdRFPWr5KH7_LziFn5UTFwTQa6A8bP8t7J_zF6pKN_hClv39-6Fa-bdS5kxSm2gllxQ/s1600/IMG_20150406_172516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCxTShX_FG0vAGFDhy3asle3heLXIrxYyFzTKm09quQO9y5FilCjOOpn072ETs5Yc6yVsdRFPWr5KH7_LziFn5UTFwTQa6A8bP8t7J_zF6pKN_hClv39-6Fa-bdS5kxSm2gllxQ/s320/IMG_20150406_172516.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I picked up <i>The Rosie Effect</i> for my sister, who had recently finished<br />
reading <i>The Rosie Project</i>. She's a former reluctant reader who is<br />
currently working her way through an impressive amount of books!<br />
<a href="https://instagram.com/p/1I-BPjMk9y/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypzkkhfqrVoUIw5fnRCxWO2vJqXHdp52Jm1EsSrNl2dC2dumyWHXwWMZmuMLBNZ8yghnDob0rin15gdVENOlpSlt-KNur2ZO_pO4rBG61M8GyC-_JTWTJkc69QKNqp-kNXVhIfQ/s1600/IMG_20150406_180756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypzkkhfqrVoUIw5fnRCxWO2vJqXHdp52Jm1EsSrNl2dC2dumyWHXwWMZmuMLBNZ8yghnDob0rin15gdVENOlpSlt-KNur2ZO_pO4rBG61M8GyC-_JTWTJkc69QKNqp-kNXVhIfQ/s320/IMG_20150406_180756.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brettenham Road also features a friendly cat!<br />
<a href="https://instagram.com/p/1JDD-osk3S/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If people start to feel included in their local community, thanks to LFLs, that can also draw them towards their local public library to take part in activities and events.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCIpvLmesNosvvy45n-NNNChA2oNkgvzNQec63vkYI8c8KUDCQPjwGhtT0Iz9crjaG3cWXrItQCnGpxqlzkQ3hvXnIvhNxtDjvLyq4i0FEBBRAV-yzdJXKjHzlBsqQtEOZGcfSg/s1600/IMG_20150406_205635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCIpvLmesNosvvy45n-NNNChA2oNkgvzNQec63vkYI8c8KUDCQPjwGhtT0Iz9crjaG3cWXrItQCnGpxqlzkQ3hvXnIvhNxtDjvLyq4i0FEBBRAV-yzdJXKjHzlBsqQtEOZGcfSg/s320/IMG_20150406_205635.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our final stop - Ruby Road. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1JWcRKsk-b/">View on Instagram.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXzKBPjYG862OOARbxEvPYmfTdUrb9PXGQbxVKqntBXh2dF0L-5NWGdxvD8vb7C1DWeeXty1MUB_pCHdTzobzcNfUtXVphRdltmO3aoY0JhGoRspAeQdhBY_H9xd6IP7B1NAvdg/s1600/IMG_20150407_000029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXzKBPjYG862OOARbxEvPYmfTdUrb9PXGQbxVKqntBXh2dF0L-5NWGdxvD8vb7C1DWeeXty1MUB_pCHdTzobzcNfUtXVphRdltmO3aoY0JhGoRspAeQdhBY_H9xd6IP7B1NAvdg/s320/IMG_20150407_000029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UKYA alert! <a href="https://instagram.com/p/1JrRdEsk5O/">View on Instagram.</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had a great time visiting these Little Free Libraries - they're all so beautifully designed, and it was really nice to walk around parts of Walthamstow that we hadn't been to before.<br />
<br />
When I went back home I felt a bit jealous of the people of Walthamstow and their LFLs - though Beckenham has a wonderful public library that I have loved for as long as I can remember.<br />
<br />
I wasn't to stay jealous for long...but that's another blog post! Have you read any of the books I found? Is there a Little Free Library near you? Would you like to have one in your front garden? I'd need to acquire a house with a front garden and the salary to be able to afford one first, but I can dream...<br />
<br />
If you want to watch my video of the Little Free Library tour, here it is:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SHPHgz4GueY" width="560"></iframe></center>
Juliannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717669339443902755noreply@blogger.com0