tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56317888014943803412024-03-05T03:34:07.261-08:00Read A Book On YouSentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-88702091976308228542014-06-07T07:23:00.000-07:002014-06-07T07:24:24.071-07:00David Levithan-Two Boys Kissing <img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nCvIZBztL._.jpg" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am a huge fan of David Levithan and have enjoyed all of his books, collaborations and all. I'd even go so far as to say he's the best YA author around. I'm pleased that many of the books I've been reading and enjoying for years are now being published in the UK and I'm glad he's getting more of a profile here, shame it's probably due to his associations with John Green but exposure is exposure.( I love John Green too, it's just in my personal opinion David Levithan is superior).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Two Boys Kissing weaves together several stories about the young gay experience. The book is narrated by the generation of gay men lost to aids, and through their monologues they recount their own experiences as well as observing what happens in the lives of the young men in the modern day. It's a very skillful way for Levithan to highlight where advances in acceptance have been made but also how far there is to go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The two boys kissing in the title are Harry and Craig, ex-boyfriends who are trying to break the world record attempt for the longest kiss, an action that is born from a homophobic attack on their close friend who also films their record attempt. As the kiss is streamed live more support grows but their kiss isn't without its detractors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This is a very important and timely book, arriving as it does in a time when gay rights are still being fought for and I still find homophobia is rife throughout society. Its about time we could get to a point where who you love and who you want to marry are only of concern to you and your lover, why the hell are the right-wing majority so caught up on who you choose to share your bed with anyway?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This book is many things, sweet, poignant and very moving and it's the kind of book I'd love to see on the shelves of school libraries. It speaks for those of us who hope that one day we'll live in a world less prejudiced and more accepting of the right to love who you love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">On a side note I watched 'The Normal Heart' this week, a HBO film set during the Aids epidemic. Although it's a fictionalised account many of the characters are based on real people and it's a raw and largely unsentimental look at the period. I still can't get my head around the sheer ignorance on display then and that this happened during my lifetime is truly repugnant. If, like me, you like getting riled up about injustice or (also like me) enjoy watching depressing dramas I really would recommend it. Mark Ruffalo, one of my favourite actors is great as always and he avoids what I know could have been a much more theatrical performance in different hands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Two Boys Kissing: 4.5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Normal Heart:4 stars</span>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-60771478035415915532014-05-16T11:08:00.001-07:002014-05-16T11:08:57.028-07:00Love Letters to the Dead<p dir="ltr">Laurel is a teenager drowning in grief for her sister who died a few months earlier, when she is asked to write a letter to someone who is gone as an English assignment she begins a process of trying to understand and come to terms with her grief.Each letter is addressed to a dead star like Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse although the book reads more like a diary as Laurel uses the letters as a way of trying to understand her life.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I first became interested in this book when I was intrigued by the title and then further intrigued by the cover quote from Stephen Chbosky. 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is one of my very favourite books and I'm a big sucker for being influenced by who is quoted on the cover.In this case I was right to be influenced like this.Despite my love for YA in general I haven't been very inspired by anything I've read recently,which made the discovery of this book that much sweeter.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What I loved:</p>
<p dir="ltr">I found the writing very evocative and there was real emotional depth to the letters,I could really feel Laurel battling with her feelings.While she is an understandably sensitive teenager she can also be wilfull and rather reckless which serves to make her seem like a real teenager.Similarly,her relationship with Sky is developed in a realistic way through the initial flood of hormones which then give way to more difficult matters. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Although I assume the book is set now there was  an enjoyable sense of the retro thanks to the references to Nirvana and River Phoenix. I love books with pop culture references and a lot of the references here were ones seeped in nostalgia for my own teenage years.I also liked the absence of references to modern technology and the fact that the teenagers don't speak in slang or text speak.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I always enjoy reading about sisters and their relationship and so I loved reading about Laurel and May although at times it made for heart wrenching reading.Towards the end of the book Laurel becomes increasingly honest about May's death and when the events begin to fit together it was with a building dread that I became aware of what had been happening.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The ending.Although I could anticipate what the very end would consist of I thought it was carried out perfectly and although I was sad it had to end I couldn't have been happier with how things were tied up.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is an excellent debut and for me it's up there with the best the genre has to offer.Aside from Stephen Chbosky I would recommend this to fans of David Levithan,Tabitha Suzuma and Elizabeth Scott.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ8xoH4Zi0rc3EyRo43VW0tx0VyqRPoxm0mRpCmmnhMfPF5u1LaKHSX1D6XrIp6HOOgVl2X97aOIXGhUBytG51qezsCdr41eHp-mgRP-FbgOdMmWSk6v9WEFzp8a94dLy2zXlubFbXbkf/s1600/20140516_183424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ8xoH4Zi0rc3EyRo43VW0tx0VyqRPoxm0mRpCmmnhMfPF5u1LaKHSX1D6XrIp6HOOgVl2X97aOIXGhUBytG51qezsCdr41eHp-mgRP-FbgOdMmWSk6v9WEFzp8a94dLy2zXlubFbXbkf/s640/20140516_183424.jpg"> </a> </div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-88269025355108704912014-05-14T12:37:00.001-07:002014-05-14T12:38:21.898-07:00To Kill a Mockingbird<p dir="ltr">I'm not someone who really subscribes to the notion that there are certain books you 'should' have read.For me reading is all about what's enjoyable and will maintain my interest, I couldn't really care less about the  '100 Books you should Read before you Die' type stuff.However,there are a handful of books I really don't understand why I havent read by now,and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is one of them. After seeing a review on a blog recently from someone else who'd owned a copy for several years but hadn't read it I decided to finally do it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I won't bother with a plot summary because I'm sure most people gave an idea what it's about.This book deals with all manner of issues surrounding tolerance as well as the realities of small-town life and how difficult it can be to operate outside the norm.It also does a great job at showing how integral you upbringing is in terms of the values you are introduced to and the lessons you are taught via your family.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When it is done well,using a child as a narrator can be a skilful technique,something which may well have begun with this book.Scout is an excellent filter through which to experience the world of this book.She is charmingly honest and never afraid to question actions she cannot comprehend.She is also very wilful and a bit of a smarty pants which I love.These characteristics really make Scout feel alive on the page and I have such a vivid image of her in my head as a result.Her innocence also gave me the needed distance from the depressing nature of many of the events in the book.Scout won't allow herself to be beaten down by all of the cruelties that unfold,and that stops things from ever feeling bleak or depressing.Many of the things that happen are sad,infuriating and avoidable yet they are also exceptionally believable. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I am always fascinated by the insights a book can provide into the dynamics inside the family and that's something which is dealt with expertly here.I really felt like I got to know the Finch family and although at times it felt hopeless I was really rooting for Atticus.I admired him a lot as a character and I never felt like he compromised his family and their wellbeing despite the enormity of his job.So often in books I find fathers are barely developed stoical figures or controlling, so I loved Atticus all the more for being a Father that was really setting an example.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I would definitely recommend this book as a timeless story with themes that still resonate today,and is a very memorable tale with a great moral core.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwLV0Nqbdu0Ft3L0RMiXdGiOcUhgAGkF9B9aR7UesNM244qo7mwTuhG58EFdJFdGS7H5ZiQ8ehsXwn84BCH3Hquj8FBOs6hbubZCPxULC3IjvrZ6nlS4o8Q_G8xnKv86YlgQbXxdM3sbv/s1600/20140514_194314%25257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwLV0Nqbdu0Ft3L0RMiXdGiOcUhgAGkF9B9aR7UesNM244qo7mwTuhG58EFdJFdGS7H5ZiQ8ehsXwn84BCH3Hquj8FBOs6hbubZCPxULC3IjvrZ6nlS4o8Q_G8xnKv86YlgQbXxdM3sbv/s640/20140514_194314%25257E2.jpg"> </a> </div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-48462253763607286312014-03-03T12:31:00.000-08:002014-03-03T12:31:18.590-08:00The ComebackI would really like my own corner of the internet to talk about all things book related so I thought I'd attempt to resurrect this poor, neglected blog. I'm not sure what form the content will take because despite having endless opinions on everything I read I don't think my strength is necessarily writing endless reviews. For now I just wanted to say hello and I hope there are a few of you out there!<br />
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My currents reads:<br />
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Diane Setterfield-Bellman & Black<br />
I'm reading this as part of #twitterbookclub which involves reading one chapter per day and then tweeting about it which is pretty fun so far.<br />
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Charlotte Roche-Wrecked<br />
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This is the kind of 'shocking' book I'm drawn to read for several reasons, mainly to see if I can actually be shocked by a book these days. I'm about halfway through at the moment and the jury is still out, I've not found anything about the book particularly subversive despite the graphic sexual content from the first page.If anything I'm finding this quite a depressing read which isn't what I had in mind when I picked it up,I also think it could be quite triggering particularly for people with anxiety as the protagonist is very neurotic and pessimistic.<br />
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Well I think that's all for this outing, back to the reading!Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-34798620642619812922012-09-03T06:58:00.000-07:002012-09-03T06:59:01.862-07:00The Book Pile<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In my latest attempt to get this blog off the ground I thought I'd try and introduce some regular features,the first of which is 'My Book Pile'. Forgive me if this name is already taken but I like the thought of doing a regular post similar to 'In My Mailbox' but also incorporating books I've read and am excited about that week.I may not include ALL of the books I've acquired that week purely because if I've hit some particularly lucrative charity shops my finds may be too excessive to admit to!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Books I've acquired recently:</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(Apologies for the slightly lame photo!)From left to right:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">David Levithan-How They Met and other Stories</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Ian Mcewan-Sweet Tooth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Dorothy Koomson-The Rose Petal Beach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Tera Lynn Childs-Sweet Venom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Danielle Ganek-The Summer We Read Gatsby</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Francesca Lia Block-The Water&the Wild</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Lucinda Riley-The Light Behind the Window</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Ian Mcewan-Solar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">David Van Etten-Likely Story trilogy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Michael Walsh-As Time Goes By</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">David Levithan-Every Day</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So quite a varied selection there!David Levithan is one of my all-time favourite authors so once I had his latest book in my possession it seemed only right to complete my collection by purchasing 'How They Met' too.I also discovered he is one of the authors of 'Likely Story' so I got that at the same time.The Dorothy Koomson book I've been looking forward to for months and has a gorgeous cover which my photo doesn't do justice!'The Summer We Read Gatsby' I've wanted to read ever since I read about it a couple of years ago,I ordered a used copy from the US which has taken 3 weeks to arrive so I'm pleased to finally have it and 'The Water&the Wild' is the only Francesca Lia Block book I don't have I believe,she's another author I absolutely love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What I'm currently reading:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'm enjoying the Mcewan although I'm finding it a bit slow at the moment so I'm hoping it will pick up soon, the slowness led me to start 'The Repossession' which seems really good so far and not the dystopian book I was expecting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In other news...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Those of you who know me personally may be aware I work in a bookshop where for the past 3+ years I've been looking after all of the Fiction sections.That's all set to change this week as I become a floor manager and I'm also taking the Teen section under my wing.I'm a huge Teen enthusiast anyway but I know once I actually work there I'll probably find so much great stuff to read I won't touch any other genres for a while!I'm looking forward to the change and hoping it will be the push I need to get around to reading some of the Teen stuff I've been postponing for ages!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">That's all for now but I also plan to introduce a favourite authors post soon to give an overview of must reads for authors I love and think you should too!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-21665544964084677942012-08-11T06:13:00.000-07:002012-08-11T06:13:04.583-07:00The Return!<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">For months I've been thinking about resurrecting this blog and after considering it once again today I decided to go for it. Thanks for the twitter encouragement too people,you know who you are!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'm not planning to stick to a rigorous schedule with posting as I figure this is supposed to be a fun past-time so I'm content to go with the flow. I've also been thinking about what kind of blog I want this to be, which is a bit more difficult. I definitely want the main focus to be books but I'm hoping to avoid writing endless reviews and instead feature some discussion posts and some more personal 'what reading means to me' type stuff. So here's hoping that all works!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'd also like to overhaul the layout but for now I thought I'd ease myself in and talk about what I've been reading recently. I'm on holiday from work at the moment so I was hoping to read a lot and even made a list/pile of things to read.Of course that hasn't worked out so much,instead I've fallen into a bit of a book slump, fuelled by choosing books I subsequently found difficult to get into and further poor choices. It's picked up a bit over the last few days so I'm hoping for a fruitful few days!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'm currentl</span>y<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> reading:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This is one I've had on my kindle for months but was reminded of after purchasing Jessica Warman's latest book 'Beautiful Lies'. I tend to be like that,I'll buy a brand new title from an author after neglecting other books of theirs for months,blame my massive hoarding streak!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When I'm reading an e-book I usually have at least one physical book on the go too, which at the moment is:</span>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is definitely a book I feel like I should have read by now, particularly as I've read all of John Green's other books and this is one of the most well known, it's certainly the first of his books I became aware of anyway. I think sometimes it makes me sad to think I'll be completely up-to-date on books by an author I love so I purposely 'save' one or two for when I need them, hoarding logic again! I like this so far but I don't feel like it has the magnetic pull I felt when I was reading 'An Abundance of Katherines' or 'The Fault in Our Stars' which I wholeheartedly think is a masterpiece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">While I'm on the subject of 'books I feel like I should have read by now' I ticked another one of those off my list recently:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rp0ofm6jVP9FF8LnxJHwjeJtb_Ld4_BS9UDjMRZeZdkPBtN0teN2NTPHuzGRqrN2zdpPV-6NRw3LTBP6aJ2t6TNivm7WtouW6734fb3_psPeaTeif8MAwwMiqMSb6_9k7DKLQMVZ9k6F/s1600/tumblr_lfyxqjN9Kt1qbkvkpo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rp0ofm6jVP9FF8LnxJHwjeJtb_Ld4_BS9UDjMRZeZdkPBtN0teN2NTPHuzGRqrN2zdpPV-6NRw3LTBP6aJ2t6TNivm7WtouW6734fb3_psPeaTeif8MAwwMiqMSb6_9k7DKLQMVZ9k6F/s320/tumblr_lfyxqjN9Kt1qbkvkpo1_500.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This isn't actually the edition I read, as I couldn't find a picture of that one I just chose the one I liked the most! I've had 'The Great Gatsby' on my mental to-read shelf for years but had never felt it was the right point to read it.Now after reading it I wish I'd read it sooner as I think waiting for so long made me build it up to mythical proportions.I enjoyed it I really did and the writing is faultless. What left me disappointed I think was the brevity of the book and the romance. I was expecting a heartbreaking romance(which I generally LOVE)and instead I found most of the characters vastly unlikeable(which I think is intentional)and the outcome of the story almost pointlessly tragic.I feel bad voicing such opinions on such a well-regarded book, particularly when I did enjoy it and am generally a fan of Fitzgerald's but hey,this is my place to share my thoughts!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So I think that's all I have for now but I'll see you again soon!</span>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-55367248934794169832011-06-15T07:50:00.000-07:002011-06-15T08:06:01.544-07:00Review:Between-Jessica Warman<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n76/n380935.jpg" alt="book cover of Between by Jessica Warman" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10293850-between">Jessica Warman-Between</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Between' isn't actually released in the US until August and October over here but I thought I'd review it now whilst it's fresh in my mind. Perhaps once I've been blogging longer I might have the foresight to make notes as I read but at the moment I'm just winging it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Between' arrived with a plain blue cover with hardly any blurb and comparisons to 'Before I Fall' and 'The Lovely Bones' (both books I really enjoyed), so expectations were high. At over 400 pages in paperback 'Between' is something of a beast and pacing-wise it's a bit uneven. I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say that the book starts with a bang as at the end of the first chapter Elizabeth discovers she has died, but after this initial revelation the book spends the first 100 pages dragging its feet until picking up again around the 150 mark.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My initial problem was with the character of Elizabeth Valchar herself. She's the typical mean girl those of us exposed to American teen books and movies know so well, a spoilt brat who thinks the world owes her a favour. She's similar to the protagonist in 'Before I Fall' in her selfish popularity but rather predictably she starts to grow as a person as she learns a few life lessons.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To begin with the aspects I've outlined above felt too familiar and left me frustrated, however as Elizabeth became accustomed to her existence as a spirit and began to remember more of her life before things became intriguing. Crafting the idea that after death Elizabeth and her companion Alex's memories of their lives are hazy was a clever turn as the reader fits the pieces together at the same pace as the characters do.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Between' is a difficult book to discuss without giving away surprises the plot hinges upon but I really enjoyed seeing Elizabeth develop beyond a spoilt stereotype into a traumatised girl who spends much of her time feeling lost. The love story element referred to in the press release also took me by surprise and doesn't follow the usual path of the anguished paranormal love story.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">By the end once all of the pieces were firmly in place I felt quite touched by Elizabeth's sad story and was really glad I'd persevered through the difficult beginning to get to the heart of the story beneath. 'Between' is a different take on the life beyond death theme and has shown me there is breath left in the telling of paranormal stories.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rating: 4 out of 5</div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-18158732740466197402011-06-13T14:07:00.000-07:002011-06-13T14:29:54.226-07:00Books Quiz<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">I've seen this in various places but please let me know if there's someone to credit!</strong></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; "><br /></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Rules of this survey</strong> - no two answers can be the same book, all books must be fiction.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Book next to your bed right now: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I have a massive stack of books next to my bed, two I know are near the top are 'Hunger' by Michael Grant and 'Pretties' by Scott Westerfeld.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Favorite series: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I love the Harry Potter series but the series I've enjoyed most in the last couple of years is the Wicca series by Cate Tiernan. I enjoyed all 14 books in the series and the last one was an incredible ending to it all.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Favorite book: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I have quite a lot of books that are really special to me but my favourite is 'The World According to Garp' by John Irving. To me it's the perfect book, funny and absurd and moving and unpredictable.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I'd probably take something huge like a complete works or 'Shantaram', something I'll probably never get around to reading otherwise!</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Book/series you would take with you on a long flight: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">Probably something fairly long by an author I can rely on to deliver or a good book I've already started reading. One of the best books I've read whilst on a long journey was 'My Name is Memory' by Ann Brashares.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Worst book you were made to read in school:</strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "> I usually came to appreciate books I had to study so on reflection I'm glad I read them all. That said I didn't enjoy Pat Barker's 'The Ghost Road' too much the first time around.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Book that everyone</strong><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; "> </strong><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; "><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; ">should</em></strong><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; "> </strong><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">be made to read in school: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I think both are now studied for GCSE/A Level but definitely 'Animal Farm' and '1984' by George Orwell. I read both when I was 14 and they are still amongst some of the most powerful books I've ever read, not to mention that they seem to become more and more relevant over time.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Book that everyone should read, period: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I'm a big fan of cult classics so if someone is looking for something to read that's slightly off the beaten track I'd recommend 'The Dice Man' by Luke Rhinehart or 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D Salinger.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Favorite character: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">This is a hard one! I absolutely fell for Henry from 'The Time Traveller's Wife', I love his bookish nature and the tragedy of his condition- he's my ideal book crush!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Best villain: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">Not too original here but I'd have to say Voldermort, he is menacing and creepy beyond words.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Favorite invented world: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">This is a hard one! I tend to favour books with fantastical elements in an urban setting rather than a whole new world, but I'm a massive fan of Alice in Wonderland so I'll go for Wonderland!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Most beautifully written book: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">I've found all of the books I've read by Alice Hoffman completely beautiful, in particular 'The Skylight Confessions' which is beautiful from cover to cover and made me cry.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; ">Funniest book: </strong><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">The funniest book I've read recently is 'Domestic Violets' by Matthew Norman which has several laugh out loud moments. I also remember laughing out loud at 'Things my Girlfriend and I Have Argued About' by Mil Millington, I love down to earth books with characters arguing over pointless every day things!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; 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border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></span></div></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-62327422037005846432011-06-10T12:35:00.000-07:002011-06-10T13:00:10.997-07:00Did You Miss Me? Plus: Flyaway ReviewMy apologies for my lack of blogging business lately, I tend to run out of steam with things sometimes but I'm determined to try and keep this blog going, even if I don't update as regularly as I might like. I have been reading rather a lot so I have some books in my mental archive.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, it's on with business for a bit!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8597910-flyaway">Helen Landalf-Flyaway</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1299569803l/8597910.jpg" alt="Flyaway" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I got hold of this book via Netgalley, I'm always on the lookout for interesting YA books on there, particularly as a lot of American titles I might not be aware of otherwise turn up on there. 'Flyaway' was just such a title and one I started reading after noticing one of the reviews mentioned Ellen Hopkins.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Flyaway' introduces us to Stevie, a fifteen year old free spirit who thinks her Mom is the greatest person on earth. That is until her Mom disappears for three nights with no warning, leaving Stevie forced to stay with her uptight and interfering Auntie Mindy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In many ways Stevie is the archetypal teenager with problems: moody and angsty with a fair bit of door slamming and resentment on top. As Stevie gradually rebuilds her life without her Mom around and comes to terms with her Mother's flaws and drug addiction, she manages to blossom into her own person. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Flyaway' is a really sweet story that deals with difficult issues in a way that manages to avoid oversimplifying or becoming too dark. Stevie's work at the bird sanctuary is a really nice aside as is her burgeoning romance. I think this book would have benefited from being a little longer but that aside I have no criticisms and it certainly left me with a smile on my face. Plus kudos on the cover it is lovely!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me access to the book.</div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-6327502656103510182011-05-27T12:35:00.000-07:002011-05-27T12:37:33.831-07:00Guest Post and All ApologiesI have a guest post about 'Beastly' up on the lovely Clover's blog:<div><a href="http://www.flutteringbutterflies.com/2011/05/guest-review-beastly-by-alex-flinn.html">http://www.flutteringbutterflies.com/2011/05/guest-review-beastly-by-alex-flinn.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>My apologies for not updating recently, I'm out of the reading slump so have been prioritising my reading over reviewing. I'm hoping to get back into the swing soon so to my few loyal readers: please keep following I'll be back soon and have lots of lovely books to discuss!</div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-43030249212705400922011-04-22T12:37:00.000-07:002011-04-25T12:00:11.742-07:00Guest Post and Review:The Last Good Place of Lily OdilonFirstly, I wrote a rather person guest post for the lovely Clover, which can be found <a href="http://www.flutteringbutterflies.com/2011/04/guest-post-in-darkness-sentimental-geek.html">here</a>. I'm still not finding myself on the right track reading-wise but I am getting <i>some </i>reading done so it's better than nothing.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7882720-the-last-good-place-of-lily-odilon">The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n71/n356676.jpg" alt="book cover of The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a rather random acquisition of mine, I'd seen it mentioned somewhere online and then decided to purchase the e-book whilst at a loose end last week. Rather unusually for me I bought and read this book within a matter of days, whereas a lot of the time I am 'desperate' to read a certain book only to have it sit neglected for eons until it's the 'right' time to read it. Anyway, I found the combination of the intriguing premise, good title and moody cover were not to be resisted.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lily Odilon shifts between the present and the recent past and fills in gaps as it goes. All of the events unravel from Arthur's perspective, and I found it refreshing to read a YA from a male perspective. The action revolves around the enigma of Arthur's girlfriend Lily and her mysterious disappearance in the middle of the night.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There were several compelling parts of this book and a couple which were less so. I really liked piecing together a picture of Lily, as although at the centre of the book she is only seen through the memories of others and even by the end of the book I didn't feel like I was under her skin. I liked this because it was exactly the kind of character Lily was shown to be throughout, a damaged and unstable girl that had that certain something.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I also loved the use of memory and the 'gaps' in Lily's memories that contribute a lot of suspense to the story. It's difficult to go into detail about this aspect without giving away parts of the story but I liked seeing the fragile side of Lily and how she hid this from others, and I thought her diary was an excellent prop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The things I didn't like so much were the rushed ending and generally the character of Arthur. He was only developed in relation to Lily so while we heard plenty of back story for her there was hardly any real personality behind Arthur and while I get he's meant to be a normal guy propelled into a crazy situation he was too cowardly and indecisive for me. The ending brings my rating for the book down from a 4 out of 5 to a 3.5 because after waiting for the whole book to find out what had happened to Lily there was such a rushed ending it fell massively flat.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I definitely enjoyed this book and it does tackle some tough subjects and it has some real moments of tension, but an extra 20 pages to explain things more would have created a more lasting impression for me.</div></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-83026380703398372852011-04-20T12:59:00.000-07:002011-04-20T13:17:18.695-07:00Jenny Colgan-Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n71/n358461.jpg" alt="book cover of Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10134852-meet-me-at-the-cupcake-cafe">Jenny Colgan-Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Apologies for my lack of posts lately, I haven't been writing because I haven't been reading, or at least <i>finishing</i> books. I must have read a bit of about five different books but nothing stuck for me. Thankfully the book drought seems to be over as I finished this rather delightful book today. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe' is Jenny Colgan's twelfth book and the first of hers I've read. Aesthetically it is such a pretty book and I love the title too. About 6 years ago I read a wonderful book called 'Sophie's Bakery for the Broken Hearted' by Lolly Winston and when I discovered this book I hoped I'd find something similar. Although the story here is more gentle it's certainly engaging and completely absorbing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The story centres around Issy, a rather wallflower type character who has inherited her love of baking from her Grandfather. When she gets made redundant from her job as an estate agency, she decides to invest her redundancy money into starting her own business. The chapters are integrated with tried and tested cake recipes which I loved, and as the book progresses the reader gets to follow Issy on her journey to success. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Like all good girlie stories there is a suitably hopeless lovelife with a completely vacuous git as well as a rather dreamy alternative with some interesting baggage. Issy's friend Helena and colleagues Pearl and Caroline are always on-hand with both sage and, often unwanted, advice. As 'Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe' is a rather long book I felt I could really get immersed in the story and the pacing felt just right. Issy's business doesn't go from zero to hero overnight and this made the story completely credible. Issy is a really easy to like and everyday character and her Grandfather is lovingly developed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book definitely put a smile on my face (as well as making me desperate to try all of the cakes it mentions!) and got me out of my reading slump. I really want to attempt following one of the recipes now and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romantic stories, particularly if you share my sweet tooth!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Four Stars</b></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-79289867340685365482011-04-10T02:27:00.000-07:002011-04-22T12:39:47.065-07:00Guest PostI've helped out with 'Translation Month' at Mostly Reading YA's blog, my review is here if you care to take a look:<br /><a href="http://mostlyreadingya.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-review-eye-of-leopard.html">http://mostlyreadingya.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-review-eye-of-leopard.html</a><br />I will have some reviews coming up this week but I've fallen into a bit of a book slump so things are moving rather slowly.Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-24204879073684118072011-04-04T14:11:00.000-07:002011-04-04T14:31:22.877-07:00Branching Out A.K.A My First Manga<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.diversionprojects.org/images/the_Death_Note.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6345999-death-note-black-edition-01">Death Note-The Black Edition (Vol. 1 and 2)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> So every now and then I surprise myself by reading something 'outside the box' on a whim and really enjoying it. I like to think my tastes are pretty varied already but I sometimes get into a bit of a genre rut and need something new to work its magic on me. After reading several fantastic books in a row recently I stumbled over what to read next. I spotted this new volume, (which combines the first two books), and was taken in by the black cover and black edges. Sometimes a pretty cover is just enough y'know?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, the story? It goes something like this. Light Yagami is a model student and a seemingly ordinary teenager until a twist of fate lands a Shinigami death god's 'death note' into his lap. The death note in question is a notebook which, once you record a person's name in it they die. As the books progress the reader discovers more 'rules' of the death note and ways the owner can control the deaths and their victims.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As Light becomes increasingly addicted to the control the death note gives him a parallel story begins to develop chronicling the police investigation into the deaths of multiple criminals all over Japan (all victims of Light's death note of course).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was hooked by the questions 'Death Note' raises about right and wrong. After all, at least initially Light's victims are criminals, many of whom are murderers so he sees his act as a positive one for the country and regards himself as the saviour of humankind. As Light becomes consumed by his power and control things slip and the line becomes more blurred. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although this omnibus ends in the thick of the action I can't wait to read more and I'm glad I broke out of my mould! As a result I've also borrowed a few graphic novels from the library so I can rediscover those too.</div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-50905941518880922552011-04-03T10:27:00.000-07:002011-04-03T10:40:36.634-07:00March in BooksI haven't posted anything for over a week, I have been reading but I haven't felt compelled to review anything so while I wait to feel inspired I thought I'd do an overview of March instead.<div>Here are the books I managed in March:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>20) CHELSEA CAIN-THE NIGHT SEASON</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>21) C.J SKUSE-ROCKOHOLIC</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>22) DIANE CHAMBERLAIN-BREAKING THE SILENCE</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>23) CAT PATRICK-FORGOTTEN</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>24) KIMBERLEY DERTING-DESIRES OF THE DEAD</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>25) MIKE LANCASTER-0.4</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>26) CHRISTOPHER PIKE-WITCH</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>27) AMY PLUM-DIE FOR ME</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; "><b>28) STEPHANIE PERKINS-ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; ">29) LAUREN OLIVER-DELIRIUM</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; ">30) SAMANTHA SCHULTZ-I DON'T WANT TO BE CRAZY<br /></span></b></div></span></span></div><br /><div>I really enjoyed almost all of the books I read this month so it's been a good one, although I usually find if I'm not enjoying a book I'll just put it aside in favour of something else, life is just too short to read books I'm not committed to ! </div><div>My favourite reads this month were 'Rockoholic' by C. J Skuse and 'Anna and the French Kiss' by Stephanie Perkins. At the moment I'm in two minds about if it's worth reviewing 'Delirium' because I've seen so many reviews of it already, but I might do some mini-reviews and include it there.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the moment I don't have any concrete plans for my reading in April, but as I have 10 days off work I'm hoping I can tackle one of the lengthy books I've been postponing!</div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-74488756002547510602011-03-25T02:27:00.000-07:002011-03-25T03:06:12.220-07:00The French Edition: Stephanie Perkins-Anna and the French Kiss<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n75/n375207.jpg" alt="book cover of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss">Stephanie Perkins-Anna and the French Kiss</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I bought this book after seeing glowing reviews for it on tons of my favourite blogs and reading on Twitter than John Green was recommending it too. I then proceeded to put off reading it for several months as I thought it couldn't possibly be as good as everyone was saying, right? I WAS WRONG. This book is absolute perfection. I consumed is as quickly as I possibly could and haven't stopped thinking about it in the few days since, despite going on to read what seems like another great book.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In case anyone out there hasn't come across this book then here's a quick summary. Film geek Anna is forced by her super-tanned but not super-Dad Father to spend a year at school in Paris to broaden her horizons. Leaving everything she knows behind in Atlanta, including a possibly maybe romance, Anna goes to a country where she knows no-one and doesn't speak the language.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On her first night at school she is befriended by her next door neighbour and introduced to one of her friends, an English boy with the lyrical name of Etienne St. Clair. Anna's meeting and subsequent friendship with St. Clair forms the basis of the book and is a fantastically realised event. 'Anna and the French Kiss' isn't a plot-driven book and is all the better as a result. The development of the relationship between Anna and St. Clair progresses and evolves at a realistic pace and towards the end I was practically shouting at the characters to express their real feelings!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Anna is a great character and one I could really relate to. I love characters who are given a tangible personality and real interests and aren't just a series of physical attributes. Anna loves the movies and I loved reading the details about the films she sees and how Anna scribbles reviews in her notebook. I also love the 'Anna Banana' nickname, her obsessive cleanliness and Batman pyjamas... this is a girl after my own heart and one who feels noticeably real.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now for St. Clair...well he's so perfectly written if there's any justice in the world he should immediately transcend to the top of the 'YA Hearthrobs' tree. Forget Edward Cullen this guy is a cupcake with sprinkles on top. He's funny, infuriating, loyal and loveable. He's the perfect best friend and possible boyfriend a girl could ask for, if only he'd just stand up and shout out his feelings.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I found much of the later part of 'Anna and the French Kiss' really touching, particularly when Anna describes a person rather than a place as home, I thought that was a really lovely sentiment. I also loved how Anna switched from calling her amour St. Clair to Etienne which not only has a noticeable effect on him but seems really intimate. I also found the way the relationship between them changes when St. Clair's Mom gets ill was really sweet, and although it's kind of inappropriate I loved his clandestine nights spent with Anna because he couldn't be alone.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In summary, this book is a treat of the highest order and will leave a smile on your face afterwards. The only things I even slightly less than loved about this book was the cover (which I find presents the book as rather cheesy and isn't how I imagine Anna would look at all) , and also the title for similar reasons. Those slight detractions aside if you love a believable romance that will leave your heart racing as well as making you laugh and cry then this is for you. I wholeheartedly LOVED it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Five Stars</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-37121770105534699432011-03-18T10:07:00.000-07:002011-03-18T11:35:38.923-07:000.4-Mike Lancaster<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n72/n364997.jpg" alt="book cover of 0.4 by Mike Lancaster" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9575046-0-4">Mike Lancaster-0.4</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a book I purchased after seeing the cover online and being intrigued by the ideas behind it. I generally really enjoy dystopian fiction but I was a little unsure what to expect from this one as it's described as 'sci-fi' on the back cover, and sci-fi is one of the few genres I tend to avoid.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm really glad I decided to pick this one up a few days ago as it's a gripping and rather disturbing look at a possible future. This review is hard to write because I went into this book not knowing much about it and I think this is the best way to approach it. What I will say is that the book consists of 3 tapes narrated by Kyle Straker after events in his village take a very strange turn...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed the set-up of the tapes and the 'missing' parts from the blank space at the beginning and end of every tape. I also loved the footnotes added explaining popular culture references like Coldplay, and these really added some humour to the book. Although the characters could have been more developed, this may will be a necessary limitation of the 'tapes' set-up, meaning the events of the novel are filtered through Kyle's experiences alone.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This book is so current in its references to Twitter and the like that it succeeds in making the version of the future it presents that much more chilling and believable. The reader can only discover what the characters do which does make for some unanswered questions at the end of the book, although I gather a follow-up is planned.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'0.4' is a great introduction to dystopian fiction and one that reminded me of Michael Grant's 'Gone' series. It reads like a 'Brave New World' lite and would be ideal for teens not quite ready to tackle classics such as '1984'.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking novel that raises the question: how many advances in new technology or too many?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Four Stars</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-5893311038860804552011-03-12T13:00:00.000-08:002011-03-13T13:07:27.174-07:00Fell in Love With A Band:C.J. Skuse-Rockoholic<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8yyAuVtdpqgTcjV4kYthputDVKtRrDzf4hFu1wGkd5VxQDPsMOSZbcwdURLq8ZQg8aqgUS91Vf5rIlTyFBTIQ9OGAD32sUSIuj8zBMtEqZzwhZAAaAhusJGH-5vLJEmfJXfZ_djdQZw2/s1600/rockaholic.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582157260151717298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8yyAuVtdpqgTcjV4kYthputDVKtRrDzf4hFu1wGkd5VxQDPsMOSZbcwdURLq8ZQg8aqgUS91Vf5rIlTyFBTIQ9OGAD32sUSIuj8zBMtEqZzwhZAAaAhusJGH-5vLJEmfJXfZ_djdQZw2/s320/rockaholic.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9637716-rockoholic">C.J Skuse-Rockoholic</a></div></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Every so often a book comes along that seems to tick all boxes and give me exactly what I wanted,sometimes things I don't even consciously know I want from a book. After trying to read 'Sing Me to Sleep' by Angela Morrison and getting nowhere 'Rockoholic' arrived in the post and I immediately loved the manic collage of the cover and dived right in. I bought this book based on good reviews I'd seen elsewhere and my awareness of the author's previous book, which I'm yet to read.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Straight-away I was hooked by Jody's story of obsessive love for <i>her</i> rock star Jackson Gaitlin. Not only did I think C.J. Skuse had captured spot on the feelings of a young girl with a big habit I felt like I was reading about the internal feelings of my own youth. It's worth adding a disclaimer here that I felt such an affinity with Jody because I was that kind of girl. An awkward teen with an all-encompassing love for a certain Manic Street Preachers, I spent my teen years eating, sleeping and breathing their music and much of my emerging personality and indeed person I am <i>now </i>was shaped by those years.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Essentially this book is about what happens to Jody when she goes to see her favourite band in the world and comes home with more than she bargained for. I loved the fact I didn't know much about this book before I read it so I don't want to reveal too much here.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">I could picture myself when I read about Jody queuing for the Regulators gig in her 'special t-shirt that shows she is a <b>real </b>fan' and one of my favourite scenes in the book was her description of her thoughts and feelings while she waits for the gig to begin. The crushing disappointment that follows after she misses the ending and then later meets Jackson and sees the reality behind the persona were brilliantly realistic and very touching.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">This book encompasses so many themes for me it's really awe-inspiring in its achievements. The maturity that comes to Jody with the realisation that the Jackson she fell in love with is nothing more than a myth was well-developed and runs alongside the gradual dawning of her feelings for Mac. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">All of the characters here are realistic and well-developed but I think Jody's Grandad deserves a special mention. The fallout from her grief is very touching and I love that as a reader you get to gradually learn more about such superbly cool and rebellious man. The evolution of Jackson is at the heart of the story and I went through despising him at the beginning for crushing Jody's dreams to admiring him by the end when he takes massive risks in order to really make his own decisions.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">In YA terms I tend to read a lot of American books and while these are fab, one of the many things I loved about 'Rockoholic' was its inherent Englishness. I loved the endless cups of tea and mentions of Asda and Waitrose, all of which meant I could relate to the story even more. Jody's madcap turns of phrase were really refreshing and hilarious and her 'thank Cobain' mantra made me smile every time. The dullness of being confined to a small town really comes to life and I love that Jody's hometown is only ever referred to as 'Nuffing-On-The-Wold'.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">I actually find reviews this positive much harder to write than the more critical ones as I feel like no words will possibly do justice to how great I think this book is. Although the issues of grief and drug addiction form much of the basis to the story there is also masses of humour to be had and the curly wurly incident alone had me laughing out loud. If you've ever had an obsessive love for anything and found that other people fail to understand your wavelength then this book is for you. It's sad, laugh out loud funny and has characters that will really stay with you. The ending was pitch perfect and for me only made more so by turning to the acknowledgements page and seeing that one of C.J. Skuse's band dedications was the Manic Street Preachers, holy hell that was the icing on an already delectable cake!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">So that's it. I've tried to put into words how much I love this book and I hope that somewhere amongst this fragmented review that comes across. If you want something fresh and exciting then look no further, this book will give you more than you even knew you wanted.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Five Stars!</div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-50930846488962769872011-03-08T12:58:00.000-08:002011-03-09T11:02:53.475-08:00Chelsea Cain-The Night Season<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrE43kf9yc6denl5n0NQtcAE8n81DXqx7q3ISjKw4bz-aVUCY7UsBVTDl0KbpKaE27v4YEAJ_na9yExmCDL-VZ7OGCWu2dlaiJpQYDR6oJI8ciK0xYUBZOTDWD9W35OBYvDiCkiuy1ceqh/s1600/n365348.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 206px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582157669010127794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrE43kf9yc6denl5n0NQtcAE8n81DXqx7q3ISjKw4bz-aVUCY7UsBVTDl0KbpKaE27v4YEAJ_na9yExmCDL-VZ7OGCWu2dlaiJpQYDR6oJI8ciK0xYUBZOTDWD9W35OBYvDiCkiuy1ceqh/s320/n365348.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8698295-the-night-season-gretchen-lowell-4">Chelsea Cain-The Night Season</a></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Until about eighteen months ago crime fiction didn't really appeal to me, something that was swiftly changed by the arrival of a certain Chelsea Cain in my life. A friend of mine had read 'Heartsick'and sang its praises, so when I found it in a 3 for £1 sale I scooped it up. It may have been destined to stay on one of my ever higher piles neglected and unread had it not been for the fact that I had a sick day and wanted to be distracted.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The twisted relationship between Archie and Gretchen that develops throughout this series is certainly distracting, not to mention both fascinating and downright wrong. I quickly consumed the second book and later the third, leaving me well and truly hooked. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>With a wait of nearly two years for the latest installment anticipation for 'The Night Season' was high...Firstly, the fact that this is billed as the latest Gretchen Lowell book is a bit misleading. Gretchen appears only briefly at the end and the book focuses much more on series regulars Archie and Susan. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The book has a solid beginning with the discovery of a 60 year old body in a river, a discovery which soon becomes entangled with the bodies being discovered in the present day. The backdrop of the novel is the massive and merciless floods attacking Portland and the scenes of chaos and destruction are described vividly and memorably. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>As always Cain's writing is gripping and sparse and her characters are loveable and ones I always want to cheer for. As I neared the end of this book though I couldn't help but think things fell a little flat. It just seemed too short to tie the three threads of the story (the old corpse, the present day corpses and the mystery of a missing child) together adequately and the resolution of the story seemed a little too neat. Overall, although I enjoyed this book and read it quickly I felt like it was something of a stop gap while the ongoing enigma of Gretchen Lowell is left to develop in the background. I'll still greatly anticipate the next book in this series but I really hope it will go back to the twisted dynamics I fell for in the first place.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Star rating: 3.5 Stars</div></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-78827996853160444492011-03-02T02:04:00.000-08:002011-03-02T02:11:36.641-08:00My Reviewing PolicyThis is something of a housekeeping post to let anyone reading know what to expect from this blog. I will mainly (at least initially) be focusing on reviewing books that are either bought or given to me via work. In light of this I intend any reviews to be constructively critical and honest, and to provide a quick reference I will also include a star rating out of 5.<br /><br />Once I'm more in the swing of posting regularly I hope to introduce other features including author profiles and spotlights on my all-time favourite books. Please bear with me while I find my groove!Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-48433048790236653702011-02-25T11:02:00.000-08:002011-03-02T02:49:27.196-08:00Review: Simone Elkeles-How to Ruin A Summer Vacation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n62/n311315.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 308px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 475px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n62/n311315.jpg" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/491944.How_to_Ruin_a_Summer_Vacation">Simone Elkeles-How to Ruin A Summer Vacation</a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">Firstly, let me tell you how much I love Simone Elkeles. I first came across her books by chance when a good friend at work received a copy of 'Perfect Chemistry' and urged me to read it. I was a bit unsure as I was worried it would be a cliched tale of star-crossed lovers. When another proof copy arrived in the shop I decided to take a chance on it and was BLOWN AWAY. I loved the characters, I loved the writing and I knew I was hooked by the fact that I stayed up far too late to finish reading. I was supremely touched by the book and although I found the epilogue a bit unnecessary, 'Perfect Chemistry' immediately made it onto my list of favourite YA novels. I've since read 'Leaving Paradise' and most recently 'The Rules of Attraction' and really enjoyed both.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">Which brings me onto the book in question, 'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation'. When I became aware of Simone's books I quickly scoured the internet to find out what else she had written. I'm surprised that this series hasn't had as much attention as her others, I can only assume this is partly because they have only been published in the US. I don't think the covers do the books any favours either but if you overlook that this first volume is worth a look.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation' follows 16-year-old Amy who spends the summer in Israel with her estranged Father Ron, meeting family she didn't know existed and didn't know of her existence either. From the outset I found the path of the book pretty clear, as I assumed Amy would initially experience a culture shock before starting to see the good side of meeting her family and discovering her heritage. My initial assumptions proved to be correct in that Amy spends the first part of the book behaving like a spoilt brat and then later opens her mind a little.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">I did find the pacing of the book a little off as it felt like Amy swung from hating her Father to loving him rather abruptly. Similarly the love interest seems to go from 0 to 50 in seconds, and as I read the romantic scenes with Avi I couldn't help but regard them as a prototype for the scenes Simone would write a few years later for the rather lovely Fuentes boys. That aside however and in light of the fact this is her debut, 'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation' does have its good points. As always Elkeles writes assuredly about a teen wrestling to find their identity and the challenges faced by who they are and how others view them.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">Although not my favourite of Simone Elkeles books as I didn't warm to Amy very much throughout, I do think 'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation' is a solid basis for a series and I expect Amy will mature throughout the two subsequent books. Confronting the issues of religion, identity and family, this book demonstrates some key themes throughout Simone's books and is worth a look for anyone who has enjoyed her more well-known novels.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><strong>Star Rating: 3 stars</strong></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></div>Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5631788801494380341.post-13942988254644155092011-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:10:09.491-08:00Greetings and SalutationsHello out there!<br /><br />This is my official welcome to my rather tentative blog. I discovered the world of book blogging, in particular YA blogs last year and have since been debating about starting a blog of my own. I've finally decided to take the plunge so here we are! My intentions for the blog are quite modest at the moment, I really just want to write about the books I read and what I like and dislike about them. I work as a bookseller so I come across a lot of books and my to be read stacks are more like mountains!<br /><br />In terms of what I like reading my tastes are pretty varied. I love YA novels particularly those by Simone Elkeles, Lisa McMann, Elizabeth Scott, David Levithan, Maggie Stiefvater,Luisa Plaja and Malorie Blackman amongst others.<br />I also love reading contemporary fiction and the authors that get me hot under the collar are:John Irving, Alice Hoffman, Haruki Murakami, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland, Jasper Fforde, Lindsey Kelk,Paul Auster, Val McDermid, Chelsea Cain, and Sophie Hannah.<br /><br />I'm hoping what I can offer here are a varied selection of books that are worth a look. If you stop by please say hello!Sentimental Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02429658492475308411noreply@blogger.com5