Thursday 30 June 2011

Winners of FORGIVE MY FINS competition


This is one awesome book I won't forget - the competition for it has now ended, so I can announce the winners! You can find the review for Forgive My Fins here, and the guest post with Tera here. There was a whopping 43 entries for this! It seems like most of you are very interested in getting your hands on this book. 

For the following three people, that wish can come true! The winners of Forgive My Fins are...

Sarah (of Sarah's Book Reviews)! 

Asha of Not Even Lions!

Clover!

Many congratulations! You'll receive an email from me shortly. I will email your details on to the publicists so they can arrange sending you a copy of the book. 

Remember, there are still two competitions on to win a copy of Mistress of the Storm by M L Welsh (International) and to win a random book from me in Magic of Books competition. More competitions are coming soon! 

Outside In by Maria V Snyder


April 2011, Mira Ink 
346 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Young Adult, 

Science Fiction, life in space, teen romance (intense in places), funky gadgets, heaps of drama and suspense, huge plot twists, life under seige, living with the enemy, instruments of torture, high risks, betrayal, confusion, lots of humour, tissues are needed, rebellion, some violence/gore/blood (moderate), evil people

Summary from Mira Ink 
There’s something Outside It wants In. And I’m supposed to stop it? I’m Trella. I used to be a scrub, cleaning the pipes and corridors of Inside. Then I found a whole world beyond the cube we live in and accidentally led a revolution against the Uppers. Now everyone is trying to figure out what happens next. Except me. The fight’s over and I want my life back. I need to explore the new world I’ve found and work out exactly what’s going on with Riley, the Upper who helped me win the war. But there’s something Outside. And I need to step up. Because once a leader, always a leader. It’s coming. Am I strong enough to stop it?

Nayuleska's thoughts
Yay - it's here! I happily re-read Inside Out first. I recalled a lot of what happens, but it's the little parts and really I just needed an excuse to read one of my favourite books! I was intrigued about Trella's future, and I can say that the twists in this book are fantastic. I honestly hadn't thought much about how the Uppers and Scrubs would coexist together. What happens wasn't a total surprise, since it made complete sense, but there's just so much drama I was glued to my seat. It's amazing what trouble disgruntled people can cause. The worst part was when I discovered the internal conflict wasn't the main problem - it was the Outsiders. They really creeped me out, especially at the end when all the ins and outs were revealed. There is a lot of tension/dissent/betrayal between the Scrubs and Uppers. No one is safe from punishment. Least of all Trella. 

The way that Trella was punished was inventive.I try not to refer to other books in a review, but after all the torture in the Study & Glass series, I was wondering just how Maria could keep ticking the boxes for 'inventive pain/punishment'. The devices used on Trella are seriously cool (and deadly). Every time Trella was hurt I got shivers thinking about it. I think I like how her body gets damaged - I'm not a psycho or anything, but when characters are hurt more than a little scratch it affects their performance. Yet Trella didn't let those weaknesses break her. She constantly sought ways around the devices, which shows just how strong a character she was. 

I really liked how at critical points in the book Trella loses the support she had gained. In this book more than the previous one I felt that Trella was a bit selfish, and had a high self-confidence. These not so good qualities contributed to the issues she had to deal with in the book. Her expectations don't necessarily coincide with everyone else's expectations of herself, something she doesn't understand for a while She is victorious in the end, & I'm ever hopeful there will be another book about her. The themes explore in both her character and her situation are interesting ones that had my brain working hard (in a good way). 

Final conclusion 
Maria keeps on raising the satisfaction bar on her books, and the conclusion for Trella's tail is more explosive and engaging than Inside Out. I give this 10/10 (with a sparkly, shiny star). It's that awesome! 

Check out more about Maria and her work on her website, where you can read excerpts of the books too. 

Click here to be taken to the second interview with Maria (the first is here).

Suggested reads
Be sure to read book one in Trella's life: Inside Out which has links to info on nearly all of Maria's other fabulous books (Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, she is one of my top favourite authors. If I had the resources, I'd probably be out sending hot air balloons in the sky to get people to read her books. I mention them to anyone who likes similar genres. Go read them!)  

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Guest Blog Post: Terra Lynn Childs, author of Forgive My Fins



Terra, author of the fun book Forgive My Fins, as part of the blog tour has written a post about how writing came into her life. I'd like to thank Tera telling her story about writing, and will now pass you over to her. 



I was never supposed to be a writer. Growing up, I was math and science girl. I was going to be an architect or a veterinarian or a marine biologist. On standardized tests I always scored higher in math and science. I thought I hated reading and grammar and language arts. I blamed it on my first three years of school being in French, but the bottom line is that it never even entered my mind to consider writing as a future career.

Then, when I was in graduate school—studying historic preservation, of all random things—I had a thesis advisor with a PhD in Architecture from MIT. I respected him a great deal and, in my thesis defense session, he said, “Tera, you’re a very effective writer.” When I finished school and went back home, that compliment stuck in mind. I started thinking about how writing papers had always come pretty easily for me. Maybe I was a very effective writer.

At that time, my parents were traveling a lot for their work and I was basically housesitting for them. I spent a lot of time alone, out in the country, with only my dog and eleven acres of trees. I started reading obsessively. I would make weekly trips to town, to the bookstore, and return with a stack of new romances to devour. I probably tore through twenty or more books each month.

The more I read, the more I started wishing characters would do or say things differently than the author had written. Maybe I just like to be in control, but I started reworking sentences in my head or thinking up alternative plot threads. I don’t remember the exact moment, but at some point I realized that I could make the characters do and say exactly what I wanted if I created my own story.

So, with my advisor’s encouragement and my control issues, I decided to write a book. I never finished the first book I started—or the second or third or tenth, probably. But eventually I entered a contest that required a completed manuscript and I wrote a book from beginning to end. There was no turning back. I fell in love with writing—with the process, with the business, and yes even with the grammar. It took me a long time and a lot of wrong turns to discover I was meant to be a writer.

Be sure to check out my review for Forgive My Fins 


Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (Young Adult, 10E/10E)


4th July 2011, Templar 
334 pages, Paperback & eBook,
Review copy 

Young Adult 

Modern life, being different, hiding secrets, family pressure, mermaid life & world, school life, friendships, mystery, teen romance (light to moderate), 

Summary from Templar 

When a mermaid has her first kiss, she 'bonds' for life with the person she kisses. For Lily, a mermaid princess living in secret on land, this means she has ended up accidentally bonded to her obnoxious neighbour, instead of to the boy of her dreams. So begins a tidal wave of relationship drama, as Lily discovers that happily-ever-after never sails as smoothly as you plan it to.

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Lily... she does her best at being a mermaid in the human world, she has a huge heart, is very passionate and sticks to her guns. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? Lily's perceived enemy really isn't an enemy - her actual enemy is herself, and she's pretty hard on herself. Although at the end there's a strong hint about the enemy in book two and I'm really geared up for it! 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? Yes - I spent most of the book with one theory about Brody (her neighbour), and it turned out to be very far from the truth. I loved every surprise that happened . 

One of my favourite parts was....the whole book. I loved the trials, I loved it when Lily turned into a mermaid - I loved it all! 

There's no other rating for this than 10/10! Mermaid mania!!! 

Check out Tera's guest blog post on writing and find out more about Tera's work on her website.

Suggested reading
For a slight darker mermaid read, try Selina Penaluna by Jan Page


Tuesday 28 June 2011

The Queen Must Die by K A S Quinn (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

June 2011, Atlantic Books 
304 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Themes: Time travel, survival, friendships, secrets, life in the royal court, intrigue, danger, high stakes, gorgeous costumes,

Content: fair amount of humour, tissues needed

Summary from Atlantic Books

This is the story of Katie Berger-Jones-Burg. 

One minute, she’s under the bed of her New York apartment… the next she’s in Buckingham Palace, at the height of Queen Victoria’s reign... A dangerous place to be.The Royal Family is in mortal peril. In the secret passages of the palace, a plot is afoot. Suspicious figures huddle in the gas-lit streets of London. And Katie is not the only time-traveller in the city…

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Katie - her adventure is incredible, she gets to make a difference in the past, present and future. 

Is there another character who deserves a special mention? Princess Alice has enough attitude, intelligence, wit and determination to make me wish she has her own story. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? If found to be an imposter, Katie will be in trouble. If she can't get home, she risks changing the entire world with every extra action she does. As for having murderers on her tail, well, I'd say that they are pretty evil. 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? There were several moments where I held my breath for Katie - I loved every moment of her journey. 

One of my favourite parts was...when Princess Alice mentally stepped into the royal shoes and used her position to help Katie. 

I give it a solid 10E/10E. 

Suggested read
Follow Picky as she takes on people's personas in the past to solve mysteries in Mary Naylus's The Dresskeeper
(Young Adult, 10E/10E)

Monday 27 June 2011

What are you reading? #72

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week
 



 
Exodus and Zenith by Juliie Bertagna
Dystopian
(Currently reading the final book, Aurora, which is in some ways quite different from previous books, but really interesting.  Exodus = 9/10, Zenith = 9/10.  Aurora so far is 7/10....)





 

Manga
(I love the anime of this, and the manga is good too! Attempting to carry on with my manga book challenge.  My review...)


Someday's Dreamers vol 1 by Norie Yamada & Kumichi Yoshizuki

Sunday 26 June 2011

Winners of Sophie McKenzie competition


I was about to retweet this competition today, when I realised it had ended! So it means its time to find out who has won The Medusa Project: Double-Cross.

The 3 UK winners are... 

Zoe Crook!

Iffath!

Rosie B! 

The 1 international winner is....

Page Turner Paulina! 

Congratulations to all of you! Expect emails very shortly from me to sort out getting the book to you. 

For everyone who didn't win (and those who did), please check out the competitions currently running here on Nayu's Reading Corner. Competitions can be found to the right of the screen - click on the picture/book cover and you'll be transported straight to the giveaways. 

I'd like to say thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing the prizes for this competition. 

Someday's Dreamers #1 by Norie Yamada, Kumichi Yoshizuki





Tokyopop
Paperback
Personal copy

Manga, fantasy

Magic, helping others, apprenticeship, exams, living away from home, city life, friendships, a lot of humour

Book Blurb
Yume desperately wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a magic user in the worst way! She innocently practices using magic to help the people she encounters; struggling soccer players, the wrongly incarcerated, and a student who wants to show his moon-loving teaching a lunar eclipse on a cloudy evening. On this coming of age journey filled with genuine imagination and a passionate sense of awe, follow Yume as she learns that the true magic of life can take place right inside her own heart. 

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Yume....I loved her in the anime version of this manga, she wants to change the world (like me), is really enthusiastic and passionate, and is still learning her magical boundaries. 


How evil/nasty is the enemy? There isn't really an enemy here, other than Yume's sweet ability to get a bit carried away when she wants to help people out.

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? Yes - although if you've watched the anime you know the story, which is kept mostly true to form in the manga! So I did know what was happening next, and it was very emotional to read about Yume's adventures.

One of my favourite parts was...when Yume was so passionate she dropped to using her home dialect - it was a cute scene.

I give this 10/10! Illustrations are beautiful, and it's a funny manga. I would like to mention that Tokyopop is no longer in existence (as I only found out this week) - noooo! Good thing I like getting manga from Japan!

Check out the other books I've read so far for my Manga Reading Challenge

Suggested reading
On a similar theme, but using different characters and different storylines, there's Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound 1

Saturday 25 June 2011

Rewired by Alex Keller


April 2011, Mogzilla 
176 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Steampunk 11+ 

Mad scientists, strange machines, intrigue, secrets, adventure, friendships, families 

Summary by Mogzilla

“There are worse people than me, boy. Much worse.”

Mandrake von Guggenstein has escaped!Snatched on the day of his execution by a nightmare creature called Grilsgarter, the Terror of Beacon is loose again.The clock is ticking. Can brothers Ludwig and Hephaestus find him before their world is plunged into darkness again?

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Ludwig...considering all the trouble his father caused, he bears up pretty well under public scrutiny and is resourceful. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? Put it this way, when I saw the enemy, I felt my body go on edge, I wanted to be surrounded by fluffy cushions, lots of chocolate, and felt that if I looked out the window, the enemy would be there. 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? It was a book I couldn't second guess what happened next, which was rather fun (although I do like it when my theories prove correct)

One of my favourite parts was...when Ludwig hid a mini HELOT, which became useful later on. It shows he thinks in all shades of grey, not just black and white. 

I give this 9/10! 

Suggested read
Make sure you're up to date with the story from book one, Haywired


Friday 24 June 2011

EVENT CLOSED The magic of books & Competition, international, 3 winners ends 8th August

A photo of one set of my bookshelves - they look a bit different now, and I have twice that amount of books in my room.

THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED 
Today is another not so great day. The good news is that its not a virus/infection/whatever, so no germ gremlins per se. Just my body going on strike instead. 

I find laughter and friendship get me through the tougher times at the moment. But what I dangle in front of my mind are books. (Can you imagine if I did that physically? All those books swinging too and fro? Or if I had all the books I'd ever read - well, I wouldn't be able to move!) 

I got through work by the thought of flipping through a graphic novel when I got home(Yoko Tsuno series in native French), and also by selecting a few children's books for review - I picked out some cute looking pictures books and a few others. I came home to a box of books (always a happy sight!), and a catalogue of books (I'm in total dreamland with all the books!). 

I remember through the trauma of being a teen, books were stable (unless they got a dunking in the bath or other body of water), reliable (apart from the odd misprint of pages which always made me laugh), thrilling (I would read near the curtains in the height of summer when it was still light and I was supposed to be sleeping), good fun (even when I ended up with several heavy library fines!)

It's true that love makes the world go round, and to some extent money does too. People may not know that books makes the world go round too. Books are read as relaxation before bed. Books are used to explore concepts and situations which are pretty tough to deal with in real life. Books are there to bring smiles and laughter especially if the world is looking a bit skewed from where you're sitting. Books hold a magic all of their own: so how do you feel about books? What do you use them for? 

Competition

The prize: 3 winners will each receive 1 book picked at random from my shelves/stacks/piles of books (to avoid duplication I will double check that the winners haven't got the books I've picked for them. It could be in almost any genre.
The deadline: Friday 8th July 12pm GMT

The rules: Be sure to read the protection policy 





Who can enter? Anyone - it doesn't matter if you're a follower or not, as long as you love books you can enter! It's a worldwide competition, so let your friends on little islands and large continents know about the Magic of Books!  

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Nayu's DVD Watching Challenge #4 Winx Club, Alias, Shakugan no Shana

It's week 5 of my DVD watching challenging! For various reasons last week this post didn't happen. But lets see what I've been reading the past two weeks! 

First lets have a look at my progress on The Winx Challenge!



Last week's goals = finish season 2 and make a start on seasons 3.
Actual goal = I am on disc 1 of season 4! 

Yup, you read write. As I was ill over the weekend (didn't feel right, rested up, but was off work on Monday), I watched Winx. I finished season 3. I love it for the Enchantix powers the girls have, the transformations are lovely, the power they get from it is incredible. The power of Valtor (the bad guy in this series) is phenomenal. But the girls have to give up so much in this series, to get what they need. 

Bloom learns more about her biological parents. Her Enchantix power isn't complete, because she's so special. But she finds a strength within her core which suits her dragon power, which is shown when she changes into Enchantix 

Flora has a cute little sister, who she gives her life for, and thus gets her Enchantix. 

Techna gives her life in the world to save another community. Only her boyfriend Timmy never gives up on her. Her Enchantix is nice because her hair is actually a little long. 

Layla discovers she is to be married to someone she's never met...but, as often can be the case in arranged marriages, she is very well suited to her fiance. 

Stella is Stella. She actually learns that beauty isn't everything, and she happily gives it up to save the world. She gets her Enchantix when she saves her father. 

Musa has some pretty nifty moves. I'm having a brain cloud moment and can't remember how she got her Enchantix! This is bad. I do need food though. Oh well! She looks so happy when she transforms - they all do, but her and Flora in particular look happy. 

After seasoon 3 ended, I watched the Winx film. Couldn't sleep until midnight! It was awesome! The girls are in 3D, and finally I understand why Bloom doesn't discuss her parents in season 4 - she finds them in the film! I was tearing up a lot. The Enchantix powers are as awesome as ever. There are much higher stakes in the film, and the ancestral witches (evil!!!) play a big role. But its lovely. Really lovely. Especially some of the girls' costumes. 

So this week it'll be on with season 4! Yay! I love it because they are going out into the wider world, using their power to help people on Gardinia (Blooms home town) believe in them (such a big clue when the new power for the girls is Believix & it's very awesome!) I love Winx!!! 

This week's goal = finish disc 1 of season 4. 

Next up: Alias



Last week's goal = get onto disc 2 of season 2

Um yes, this so didn't happen. When I feel rubbish, I need things to cheer me up. Alias isn't a feel good series. It is - but its quite dark too. So I didn't watch it. 

This week's goal: get onto disc 1 of season 2 (I'll aim lower...)


Next up: my 3rd challenge, Shakugan no Shana!



Last weeks' goal = to move on to disc 3.

This week's goal: = to move on to disc 3. 

Yup, like Alias, I haven't watched it. Been watching Winx!!!!! & also spent the day watching Maria Watches Over Us - I got onto season 2. 

That's it for this week's goals - here's to completing them by next week!

EVENT CLOSED Win 1 of 3 copies FORGIVE MY FINS by Tera Lynn Childs UK only, ends 29th June


This is event is now closed. 

Next week I'm taking part in the blog tour for Forgive My Fins. It's a very sweet, light hearted book. You can see the cover and learn more about it here. I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

There will be 3 copies of the book for prizes. This is a UK only competition - sorry to all my international readers. 

The prize: 3 copies of Forgive My Fins 

The rules: please be sure to check out my protection policy

The deadline: 12pm GMT Wednesday 29th June


Guest blog post by Melanie Welsh





As part of the launch of Mistress of the Storm in paperback, Melanie has kindle written a post about writing. I'd like to thank her for an insightful, personal post, which is beneficial to new writers, and I'll pass the rest of the post over to her. 


Getting from book to publication

In January 2007 I made a New Year’s Resolution. I decided to finally act on my life’s dream and try to secure a book deal. It wasn’t brilliant timing. Our first son was about 9 months old, and I had a very busy job.

Publishing is a complex industry that often feels shrouded in mystery. But the one thing my husband, our friends and family were all very clear on is that book contracts are hard to come by. So I agreed with my husband that he would help me find the time to try - but that if it didn’t work I would pack up the dream and get on with doing something more constructive.

This post is a whistle-stop tour of my experience. I’m ashamed to say it will tell you a lot more about my shocking lack of patience and tendency to go a bit mad when pregnant, than anything else. And I should also point out that no two authors follow the same route. A friend of mine recently got signed to an agent and found a publishing deal with Simon & Schuster in the same week (I only gnashed my teeth for a couple of hours).

Back to 2007 then. I’d read that as few as 1 in 100 manuscripts submitted direct to a publishing house actually made it to publication. I didn’t like those odds so I looked for an agent first. I crossed my fingers and sent off the first three chapters plus a synopsis to three companies I’d been told were good – and very luckily found a place almost immediately. Now all we had to do was get a publishing deal…

There is an article, written by my now publisher David Fickling, on the Guardian website, in which he discusses the process of getting published and makes the following comment:

“Nowadays, professionally speaking, your champion will in all likelihood be either a commissioning editor in a largish publishing house, or a literary agent. Getting your typescript to either and having them actually read it are necessarily tortuous and difficult.”

During the summer and autumn of 2008 I would open that article repeatedly and stare at it mournfully. Because by then I knew my manuscript had been submitted to David Fickling Books and that they were reading it. DFB are the home of Philip Pullman, John Boyne and Siobhan Dowd to name just three. And of all the publishers, they were the ones I didn’t even dare to dream of being considered by.

Waiting to hear what someone you admire thinks of your novel, is like being eight years old on December 24th: agony. In the meantime I was expecting our second son. And in a fit of pregnancy-insanity-fuelled superstition, I refused to tell my agent. I was terrified that if either she or DFB found out, they would delay their decision still further. And I needed to know.

So of course, it was about five days after Ben was born that DFB rang to say they liked the book and wanted to meet me. Could I get to Oxford? Apologies to the squeamish, but it’s not easy getting out and about when you’re breastfeeding.
‘We’d like to meet in four weeks time,’ they said.
‘Perfect,’ I replied.
Wild horses could not have kept me away.

Luckily for me, Bella and Hannah were more than worth the effort. They are both charming, funny and (most importantly for me) very nice. And even more fortunately, they decided to sign not just my first book, but the whole series of four.

That is one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had – talking to people you respect, who like a book that you’ve written. I’ve compared notes with my friend and he agrees that it feels as if a massive practical joke is being played on you. But once I’d got over the disbelief it was the best Christmas of my life (even taking into account that our son Ben had colic and we were getting a maximum of three hours sleep per night).

There’s been so much I’ve had to learn along the way to actually publishing a book, and I can’t see that changing any time soon. Bella and Hannah took a big gamble with me – the manuscript they signed was a very different beast to the book that now sits on the shelf in shops.

Working with book editors was – of course – a completely new experience. I can’t deny that the process is sometimes frustrating and it’s frightening too because this is your life’s dream and you don’t know what lies ahead.

So how does that editing process work? Quite slowly. (Did I mention how impatient I am?). It takes months to finish each re-write, then you tend to meet up and discuss the story themes that are, or are not, working, possible solutions, the motivations for different characters and the ‘logic’ of the world you’ve created. Novels are lengthy and complex but must appear to be fluid and simple - working out their structure feels a bit like playing a game of chess with yourself.

It took Bella and Hannah another year to help me shape the manuscript into a publishable shape. Mistress of the Storm, the first in the Verity Gallant series, came out in July 2010 and was recently published in paperback. The second novel, Heart of Stone, is due out in January 2012.

The funny thing about finally achieving the seemingly impossible dream of becoming an author is how quickly it becomes a normal part of your life (I haven’t mentioned this yet to my friend!). Occasionally I have to remind myself that even to have got this far is an achievement. The odds against getting published – by anyone – are stacked against you. Someone told me recently that you’ve got a better chance of becoming a fighter pilot. I’ve got no idea whether that’s even vaguely accurate but it feels right at times.

So is it worth it? Absolutely. Verity is in many ways my third baby and, like a child, being with her is at times frustrating and even infuriating. But I know she makes me a better person and I can’t imagine my life without her.

EVENT CLOSED Win copies of Melanie Welsh's MISTRESS OF THE STORM (UK & International) Ends 5th July


This event is now closed. 

I reviewed Mistress of the Storm last year when the hard back was released. Earlier on this month the paperback was released. Alongside a guest blog post from Melanie, the lovely publicity team at Random House Children's books are giving away 5 copies of the book to all UK readers, & I'm giving away 1 copy to my international readers! Let's get on with the competition!

The Prize: 5 copies of Mistress of the Storm (UK), 1 copy of Mistress of the Storm (International) 

The rules: please read my protection policy


Tuesday 21 June 2011

Having another Rest and Relaxation day

Good news - I'm feeling better! Made it in to work (yay!).
Not so brilliant news - feeling pretty shattered, which is expected. So I'm putting my feet up, about to watch more of a favourite show *happy sigh while humming Winx tunes* (This is for season 1 - I'm actually near end of season 3, but I currently am not up to searching for a picture to reflect the season)



finish REBEL by RJ Anderson (re-read)



and start the latest one, ARROW

What are you reading? #71

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week


Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson
Young Adult
(This read was made all the more special by chatting to Sarah in real time about how I was finding the book....via Twitter!)





Young Adult
(I love the cover! Apart from a few parts which felt rushed, this is a fun read with a lot of drama...)






Young Adult
(Mermaids are in! Light hearted with lots of suspense...a must read!)






Children's
(HELOTS are back....and there are scarier things than the original HELOTS in the world... O_O)
 
 
 
 
 
So...what are YOU reading this week?  Do tell!
 
 

Sunday 19 June 2011

Blog changes

Ever since I set up this review blog over 2 years ago, I have never specialised the genres I read. I've reviewed most genres. I love so many books, I love the variety how different books suit different moods, I love sharing the diversity of books with everyone. I've steered away from generalising just because I found it hard to pick one or two genres.

I think it boils down to the fact that although I want to review every book published which comes my way, in reality I don't have enough time for that.

Last week I discovered the time frame I'm potentially looking at for finding treatment that works (I hasten to add what I have isn't terminal, it is just unusual and I'm not responding to obvious medication. I mostly blog about life 'stuff' over on my other blog, Nayu's Realm) could reach into 2012. The strategies I'd used up until now in organising my time will need to be adjusted to cope with that change.

Up until now, I've been eclectic in the books I review here. I've reviewed mostly YA books, which may make my next decision a little odd.

NRC is shortly going to become a review blog focused on children's books


For the most part gives me leeway. I love YA. I will keep reading YA. Right now I need to read books which (mostly) are a little lighter to read, which have a lot of humour in, are fun and cute. I find a lot of children's books tick all those boxes. Serious issues are explored a lot, but not necessarily to the extent of YA.

Here are the changes to my blog

  • Honouring current commitments (not a change, just a notice)
    • All books I've agreed to read will be read and I will participate in the relevant tours. 
  • Children's books which I will be reviewing
    • Picture books
      • These are often the first books to be read when I receive them. I love the diversity of designs, how the pictures convey different emotion and different textures are used within the illustration. 
    • 0-5 years
      • Early years of childhood are precious, filled with incredible changes as each child learns more about the world and the people they love. I enjoy checking out the highly entertaining books for this age range. 
    • 5-9 years
      • I remember reading heaps of books during my first few years at school, and I still love reading stories for this age group, which are filled with heaps of imagination (like all books), often help the child understand a few issues by using language they'll understand. 
    • 9 - 11 years/Older readers 
      • Usually with less illustrations than previous books, the books in this range can address various world issues in great depth, with greater peril for the protagonists, and the enemies get very creepy. 
      • There may be some overlaps with YA 
    • Topics I'm particularly interested in within Children's fiction
      • School stories - they never get old 
      • Magic/magical creatures - there's fun to be had with magic around
      • Fairies/princesses - never fail to make me smile 
      • Animal stories - somehow that's an area that I've never lost a passion for
      • Historicals - a genre I particularly love at the moment 
      • Mysteries & quests - because I love adventure
      • Books that will make me laugh - I'm on a mission to keep in good spirits, and books play a vital role in that. 
      • Anything samurai/ninja/Japanese related - because it's awesome! 
I would like to note that I'm in the process of letting all my contacts know about this change in review focus. I've run out of time to send emails tonight, but I expect to have finished sending emails by the end of Wednesday 22nd June.  (updated 8.45pm 19th June)

I hope this all makes sense. Please do get in touch if you have a query, either in the comment box or via email. If you're a publisher or author whose books fit some of the options I've listed, please do get in touch with me, as I'm eager to dip further into the kaleidoscope of children's fiction. 

Saturday 18 June 2011

A little under the weather

I'm not feeling amazing this morning, so I'm going to relax with books and dvds. Here's a picture of one of my favourite anime, Aria the animation. From left to right you have Ma - she's the president of Orange company (the cat), and child progedy Alice, who makes Prima history by going from pair (2 gloves, trainee) to prima, missing out being a single (one glove, still a trainee but with more skill than pair). Pink haired girl is Akari, the only trainee in Aria company (which only has one prima but that's the appeal of it), with the Aria president. Then you've got Aika, the daughter of the owners of the huge Himeya company, with the Himeya president. This is an awesome anime which is uplifting, makes you feel better just by watching it, and looks at a variety of issues in an idyllic setting.

Hopefully by relaxing (which means no writing reviews, no writing my wips) today, I'll zap away those germ gremlins pronto.

Thursday 16 June 2011

Winners of Pete Johnson competition

It gives me great pleasure to reveal who has won an awesome prize. Three entrants have each one the set of Pete Johnson's books, all about life as a teen vampire. 






The winners are.....

Emily 13! 

YA Reader!

adeythom!

Many congratulations to you all. I'm just sending an email with your details to Random House Children's Books publicity team, and they will be in touch soon to sort out sending the books to you. 

There are more competitions coming soon, and this one is still running so get entering! 

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

I'm looking forward to re-reading Tiger's Curse, which I initially wasn't fond of due to lack of conflict, because I understand more of what happened thanks to Tiger's Quest. I'm looking forward to when book 3 will be out. Kelsey gets an awesome power, which I hope will grow over time. Check out my review over on Cem's Book Hideout.


Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

If you fancy a summer themed read, Summer at Willow Lake made me think of school holidays (not that I ever went to camp, although I am fascinated with the concept of it), which were and are a part of Olivia's life in her family renovation project. It isn't an easy summer though, as there are lots of secrets which get unravelled. Head over to Enduring Romance for my review of this 9/10 book.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

What are you reading? #70

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week



Wuthering Hearts by Kay Woodward
Children's 12+
(A fun modern take on the literary classic 'Wuthering Heights' [not that I've read it...].  I know the author (Kay) online, and the review will be in a few weeks time, along with a guest post!  Stay tuned...)
 





Passion by Lauren Kate
Young Adult, Paranormal
(This is the third book in the series [a fourth is out next year] and was mostly enjoyable. It gets both 8/10 and 2/10 grade.  Check out my review over at Cem's Book Hideout for an explanation on my split decision further...)






The Medusa Project: Double Cross by Sophie McKenna
Children's
(The plot thickens as the children with special abilities are on the run from their enemy, with the emotion jealously affecting the protagonist Nico.  Check out my review...and don't miss your chance to win!)






 
Seahorse Stars: The First Pearl
Seahorse Stars: First-Aid Friends
by Zuzu Siner
Children's
(I adore this new series by LA Weatherly under one of her many aliases.  To check out my reviews for each title, just click the title link above.)





Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Romance/Family saga
(Olivia discovers family secrets when she renovates her grandparents currently closed holiday camp.  Review to come...)






City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Young Adult
(Wow - this is a high-action book with a cliffhanger ending. Book 5 isn't out yet.  In the mean time, check out my review over at Cem's Book Hideout....)





Heart Magazine: A Dream Come True by Cindy Jefferies
Children's
(Having work experience in a fashion magazine office isn't as easy or fun as it sounds - a highly enjoyable read!  Review coming soon...)





 
Secrets at St Jude's: Drama Girl
Secrets at St Jude's: Sunshine Girl
by Carmen Read
Young Adult
(Funny and insightful reads about life at boarding school.  These never get old.  Both get 8/10 rating.  My review for the first title is now live over at Cem's Book Hideout...the second, still to come...)






Red's Wolf by PJ Schnyder
Paranormal Romance
(Another book in the series which started with 'Hearts Sentinel'.  It's a lot shorter than HS and not quite as action packed, but still a good read.)






Coming Home by Graylin Fox
Young Adult Paranormal
(A sweet tale of mending a heart after a tragedy.)



So, what have you been up to reading wise this week?  I'm all ears...