Meet The Team | Part Four

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Meet The Team | Part Four

Today we have the last post in our mini series of interviews featuring the Blogger's Bookshelf team. The final member is Niina - here's what she had to say about being part of team BB...



Niina
I'm 26 years old, live in Sweden and work in public administration. I love traveling, eating cheese and reading about the zombie apocalypse. I also really like Christmas. That's pretty much it, now you know everything about me…

How did you initially get into blogging and what was it about joining team BB that appealed to you?

I'm not sure why I started blogging in the first place but I started with a blog in Swedish but got a bit bored with it when I realized that I didn't really have a big amount of people to connect with that way. I was a bit unsure about blogging in English at first because I thought people would comment on my bad English, but that has never happened yet. I had been thinking about starting a book blog for a while but thought that it would be too much work to do alone so I immediately said yes when I was asked to join the BB team.

Which of your published reviews are you most proud of? & any favourite group posts?

I'm not sure if these are the reviews I'm most proud of but I liked my review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and then I want to mention my review of The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell because it's an amazing book. My favorite group post was Wish You Were Where!?

Are there any Swedish authors/books you would recommend to our readers?

I have to admit that I don't read a lot of Swedish books. They main reason for that is that I prefer reading in English (I get to read and practice my skills in English at the same time). But Astrid Lindgren is probably loved by every Swede for her amazing novels for children and teens. She's known internationally for Pippi Longstocking but I would really recommend The Brother's Lionheart (a fantasy) and The Children of Noisy Village (which I know are available in English).

You are a big fan of zombie novels, what would be your survival plan if there were ever a real zombie apocalypse?

Yes, I do actually have a survival plan and it's pretty simple. My theory is that where there's less people there's going to be less zombies (pretty logical). So I would go to our summer house in Lapland, Finland. It's in the middle of nowhere so it's the perfect place to hide. I'm a bit worried about where to find a good gun though…there isn't a lot of guns laying around here in Sweden.

Which two fictional characters, from different books/series, would you like to see appear together in a new story?

Sirius Black from Harry Potter (he's my favorite character from the Harry Potter books) and R from Warm Bodies (yes, a zombie). That would be an interesting story...

Finally, which books are top of your TBR list right now?

There's too many books on my TBR list… But I guess A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg is on the top of my list because I'm planning to start reading it tonight (yes, I'm already getting into the holiday spirit).

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Thank you to Niina for taking part in this interview.

We hope you've enjoyed getting to know the girls behind the reviews here at Blogger's Bookshelf.
If you missed any of the previous posts you can find them here: Part One (Anjali & Kath), Part Two (Ria & Erin), Part Three (Laura & Lucy)

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The Road | Cormac McCarthy | Review

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

The Road | Cormac McCarthy | Review

“People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didn't believe in that. Tomorrow wasn't getting ready for them. It didn't even know they were there.” - Cormac McCarthy , The Road


The Road is a story about a boy and his father and their journey heading for the coast through a burned and abandoned country where the few surviving people have started to turn on each other...

I have to start this review with admitting that I watched the movie before I even knew the book existed (shame on me!). And I also have to tell you that I think it's an excellent movie...Now when I have those things off my chest, let's move on to the actual book review...

Some people might think that this story is slow and that the language is a bit sparse. But I think that the story is honest and heartbreaking and that the language is beautiful. The You guess it right, this is a pretty sad story set in a really depressing world. But it's also a beautiful story about the relationship between a father and his son. I know what you're thinking. It sounds like Niina is describing a 5 star book. And yes, you're almost right. But not quite. I did really think that this was an amazing book and a really interesting and enjoyable reading experience but I personally had two small issues that I have to share with you;

1. I wish I didn't watch the movie before I read the book! I know that this is my own fault but the movie is actually really accurate if you compare it with the book and I missed the excitement of not knowing what would happen next. I know that this has nothing to do with the quality of the book but it did really affect my reading experience.

2. I read too many post apocalyptic novels written for young adults so I'm used to a different pacing. I told you before that I appreciated McCarthy's writing style and the beautiful language. But some parts of the books were just a little bit too slow for me.

That being said, The Road is an excellent novel and I recommend you to give it a try (if you haven't seen the movie read the book first! Then watch the movie because it's also really good!) The only thing missing for me to give it 5 stars is that feeling that keeps you up all night just to read one more page because that didn't quite happen for me. I give The Road 4,5/5 stars.

This post was written by regular reviewer Niina, get to know her here.

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Guest Review | Where'd You Go, Bernadette? | Maria Semple

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Guest Review | Where'd You Go, Bernadette? | Maria Semple

Bernadette Fox is something of an enigma. When an enigma becomes wrapped in a mystery, Bee, Bernadette’s precocious fifteen year-old daughter, becomes determined to finally understand her mother. Taking the form of a series of correspondence, Bee literally writes the book on Bernadette. By collecting letters, newspapers articles, emails – everything connected to her mother, Bee gives us a unique and thorough insight into the life of her extraordinary mother.

Bernadette was once the eco wunderkind of the architectural world but she retreated into obscurity following a tragedy. Adrift in the world of SUVs and competitive parenting in suburban Seattle, she finds herself at odds with those around her who are extremely hostile to her ‘alternative’ ways. After promising Bee to take her on a cruise in Antarctica, Bernadette quickly becomes more and more anxious and desperate to hide herself away without disappointing her daughter. She resorts to extreme (and to the outside – unhinged) measures resulting in her going missing with Bee on her trail.

Where’d you go, Bernadette? is a pleasure to read. Semple has created a rich story around Bernadette, filled with humorous characters. My personal favourite relationship is that between Audrey Griffin and Soo-Lin Lee-Segal, two mothers with children at the same school as Bee who are easily scandalised by Bernadette’s behaviour and like nothing more than indulging in a good email based gossip. This relationship is like something straight out of Desperate Housewives, with Soo-Lin an active member of a ridiculous sounding support group – Victims Against Victimhood - and Audrey constantly on the verge of hysteria. This is a key strength to the novel. Semple manages to develop the supporting cast enough for them to actually add to the main plot, not distract from it, something that many other writers seem to struggle with.

My one niggle is with a small part of the ending. I don’t want to spoil anything but there is a transgression which seems too easily forgiven. This didn’t seem to ring true to the characters personality. However, this wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me.

I really highly recommend this book. It is a quirky, funny, but ultimately touching tale of a truly special mother-daughter relationship. Maria Semple used to write for the sitcom Arrested Development and it shows. Where’d you go, Bernadette is a fantastically entertaining story with great characters and a delightfully tongue-in-cheek tone.

This post was written by guest reviewer Ali - find her blog AlleyHope here

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Bridget Jones - Mad about The Boy | Helen Fielding | Review

Monday, 4 November 2013

Bridget Jones - Mad about The Boy | Helen Fielding | Review

Bridget Jones is back, in all her former glory including the insecurities, vulnerability and stubbornness which we have previously seen. She is a more mature (in age), widowed (Oh Mark!) and Mother to two children. Can she pick her life back up and get herself back on the dating ladder?

This book was pre-ordered months before its release, landed on my doorstep on release day and was finished within the week. That however does not guarantee that I utterly adore this book, just its ease of writing style. Fielding is back, in her usual informal, witty and casual way which allows you to sink into this book no matter what else is going on around you - busy train, boyfriend playing fifa and shouting at the TV - nothing could pull me away from her writing.

That being said, for me Bridget Jones, is not Bridget Jones without Mark Darcy. I had avidly avoided spoilers and was honestly completely shocked, to read about his death. It disgruntled, annoyed and disappointed me (What? A third film without Colin Firth?!) however I do understand why Fielding has made this move. How could we enjoy the trials and tribulations Jones faces if she is happily married? It just wouldn't be the same.

Jones gets herself back on the dating bandwagon but this time modern technology is involved and there was nothing more humorous in this book than read Bridget's portrayal of signing up to twitter and tweeting. Her references to real life events give me more reason to enjoy her writing.

Bridget is her usual likable self, after reading the very first line it was easy to fall back into her routine. 'Roxster' (a very obvious name for a toyboy) a new character was another reason however as to why I couldn't get on with this book, I found him annoying and the named grated on me the more I read it.

Obviously there is a happy ending, however I was not satisfied, I guess I longed for the lovably posh and gorgeous Mr Darcy - and as this will always be in my head, this book will always (for me) fail to meet the high ratings of the previous Bridget Jones books.

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

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Struck | Jennifer Bosworth | Review

Sunday, 3 November 2013

Struck | Jennifer Bosworth | Review

"My name is Mia Price and I am a lightening addict. 

I want the lightning to find me. I crave it like lungs crave oxygen. 

Nothing Makes you feel more alive than being struck."

With a description like that, I was intrigued. But I was a little disappointed.

Struck, by Jennifer Bosworth,  follows the story of Mia Price, who lives in the city with her mother and brother, just trying to get by. The story begins just after the biggest earthquake ever has hit, and nothing is like it used to be. People are homeless, and those with homes are only just getting by. Kids like Mia and her brother Parker are able to get food rations if they attend school as usual, so, in an attempt to help their mentally sick mother, they do so. Their mother, who never leaves the house, watches Rance Ridley Prophet on TV, a crazy man who is, essentially, the leader of a religious cult. At school, Mia discovers that, along with the Followers of Prophet, there are another group of people among them, the Seekers, who tell Mia that she has the Spark, and is the one who is going to stop both Prophet from getting into people's minds, and also the storm that is fast approaching.

That's the main gist of the story, but as I got past the first few chapters, I began to discover that it wasn't really what I was expecting. I think I expected more lightning, more storm chasing, or more of this lightning addiction that was mentioned in the description. It became quite clear that it was more about Mia saving or destroying the world and stopping a false prophet and his crazy followers, than what I thought. Which was fine, in itself. I don't think many of the books we read are what we thought they would be, but I did find myself getting bored with it. I didn't really care for any of the characters, the love interest was a bit creepy, and while the story line had it's cool moments, over all, I don't think it was the book for me.

However! If you like books about religious cults, TV shows, and secret societies that run out of high schools, with a stalker-ish love interest, then you might enjoy this book. Don't let my negative views on it stop you from reading it. I've given it 2 stars, because, going with Good Reads rating system, it 'was okay'. I liked the idea of being addicted to lightning strikes, but I feel it didn't come through enough.

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Meet The Team | Part Three

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Meet The Team | Part Three

Welcome to the third part of our interview mini series. Today's post features Laura and Lucy who have both been part of the Blogger's Bookshelf team from the beginning. Here's what they had to say about being part of team BB...


Lucy
I am a twenty year old book lover with more than sixty books on my shelf! I could spend all day reading but most of the time I am dragged off to go to my job in a nearby grocery shop! I live in Northern Ireland and enjoy zooming up to Belfast on the train to go shopping as well as the odd bit of writing in cafes! Also a major Disney fan and my favourite Disney movie at the moment has to be Tangled.

How did you initially get into blogging and what was it about joining team BB that appealed to you?

For a time I was a BookTuber and after making a decision to stop making videos, I was determined to talk about books in some way. So I found Tumblr and fell in love, as you do. Now I don't do book reviews as much as I'm now part of this brilliant team that is the Blogger's Bookshelf. I thought at the time that it was a brilliant way to write about books and be a part of the online reading community and now one year on, I still feel the same!

Which of your published reviews are you most proud of? And any favourite group posts?

The reviews which I am most proud of are definitely The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak and The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly because they are two of my top favourite books I've read in my life. I also really enjoyed doing the post where I did World Book Night in April this year! It's hard to pick a favourite group post because the topics are always really good and there's lots of things to talk about. However, I did really enjoy February's group post where we got to talk about our favourite literary couples and I also enjoyed talking about my favourite villains in October's group post.

As someone who loves writing and has taken part in NaNoWriMo in the past, what your favourite thing about the creative writing process?

My favourite thing about the creative writing process is definitely when you're in the planning stages when you have all of these ideas. For me as well I could be thinking of an idea and my mind wanders and sure enough, it finds an even more brilliant idea which provides so much more motivation and inspiration in writing the book.

On the same note, if you were to publish your own novel what genre would it be?

It would definitely be a fantasy book to start me off with. For this year's Nanowrimo, I am writing a novel about pirates and mermaids so there's lots of adventure to be had!

If you could invite 5 fictional characters to a dinner party who would you choose and why?

I would definitely choose Emma Morley from One Day as she is one of the most real characters I have ever read and she would give me excellent writing tips. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter because I think we'd be able to have a lot of conversations about books. We must have boys in this dinner party too so I would choose Peeta Mellark because of his adorableness and he'd be able to bring beautifully decorated cookies with him. I would have Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones at the dinner party because he would provide us with amazing stories of the land of Westeros and make us all laugh. Finally I would get Liesel Memminger from The Book Thief because she is just a brilliant character from a brilliant book and it would be such a thrill to meet her and I'd be able to give her so many book recommendations.

Finally, which books are top of your TBR list right now?

Right now I am reading The Hunger Games series and I plan to finish the series before the Catching Fire movie comes out. I also plan to continue reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series. The next book I will be reading in that series will be A Storm of Swords which is the third book. After that I hope to read a Classical book for a change maybe Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens!


Laura
Yikes, I'm never sure what to say when someone says introduce yourself, I feel like I should say something along the lines 'hi I'm Laura and I'm a bookaholic'. Aside from that I'm also a primary school teacher, gamer, chocoholic and marmite lover.  Reading is my favourite hobbies especially when I'm travelling, all that downtime at airports and on planes provides perfect reading time.

How did you initially get into blogging?

I started blogging back in 2010, I had just finished uni and was heading for a gap year so I guess it was partially to fill some time and partially because I already read heaps of blogs and wanted to get more involved in the community.  I had my own blog for around two years before unfortunately my job took over my life an I had to stop.

Which of your published reviews are you most proud of? & any favourite group posts?

I think I'd say I'm probably most proud of my first review as I always found reviewing things a little tricky and I probably proof read it 6 times before publishing it but that has led to all the rest which in some cases almost write themselves.
My favourite group post was the book covers one, as I'm such a sucker for a good book cover it was nice to see lots of different designs.

As you had to step away from blogging because of your job, what made you want to join Blogger's Bookshelf?

Oh that's easy, 2 reasons: 1) I loved and missed blogging. 2) I LOVE books. Bloggers Bookshelf is the perfect place to feed my need for blogging and vent my opinions about books.

Are there any books you loved as a child, that you're now getting to share with your students?

All of the Roald Dahl books - I especially loved The BFG and it's always the first book I read to my new class. They're as much of a hit now as they were when I was a child.

If you could swap lives for the day with any fictional character who would it be and why?

Oh to be Elizabeth Bennett! Why? Well there could only be one reason! Oh Mr Darcy! 

Finally, which books are top of your TBR list right now?

Well it's actually my birthday this month and I've literally sent out an Amazon wish list full of books for family to get me! So I have lots. However Cecelia Ahern (my favourite author) has a new book out later this month - so that'll jump straight to the top! 

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A big thank you to both Laura & Lucy for taking part in this post.

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