Features | Reading Slumps

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Features | Reading Slumps

Reading slumps are a common occurrence with most readers. At times, you won't want to read your books, and even though they're piling up you'll put them off because you're just not in the mood to read. Possibly one of the worst feelings as a reader is when you know that a slump is coming, but you've got plenty of books to be reading.

It's YALC this weekend, and I'm only just coming out of a, relatively small, reading slump. Whilst it was only a small one, because of YALC it was the time where it really wasn't welcome, less welcome than it usually is!

As I said, most readers probably have a reading slump and perhaps far too often too. I've learnt a few things about reading slumps, so I thought for today's post I would give you a few things I've learnt with regards to reading slumps, and possibly even how to get through one.

1. Take a break. Don't force yourself to read a book, because you're probably just going to end up hating the book, even if the book is actually really, really good. Put the book down, or push the books aside, and do something different for a while. Even if it isn't for a particularly long time, just give yourself a break from the books. 
2. Find a book that you know you're going to enjoy or you're excited about reading. There might be one book on your TBR pile that you're slightly more excited to read than the other one. Once you've taken a break from the books, why not try reading this one first? That way, you'll be reading a book you're really enjoying. This helps me a lot; I've read a few books this week that I've been particularly excited about!
3. Remember, reading shouldn't be a chore. A lot of people now have blogs or places they review books for. This is all really great, but at the same time books are intended for your own enjoyment. If at any point they begin to feel like a chore, refer to tip 1!
4. Reading slumps pass, but don't be discouraged. If you're like me, your TBR pile is pretty high. If you're in a reading slump, it's easy to feel slightly overwhelmed by the prospect of all these books. Usually the slumps pass, and although it's difficult to say how long it will take for the slump to pass, don't feel discouraged or down on yourself for not reading your books. They'll be there waiting for you once the slump has passed.

I hope if you are at YALC this weekend (today is the final day!) you are having a good time and thanks for reading! 

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The Memory Book | Lara Avery | Review

Friday, 29 July 2016

The Memory Book | Lara Avery | Review

Received from Hachette Publishing NZ 

They tell me that my memory will never be the same, 

that I'll start forgetting things. 

At first just a little, and then a lot. 

So I'm writing to remember.

All Sammie wants to do is graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town, and go to College. With all the determination needed to do just that, nothing is going to get in her way – not even an illness that will start taking away her memories and eventually her health. To combat her Niemann–Pick Type C (NPC) disease, Sammie creates the Memory Book. She records her days, her schooling, her conversations, her super crush on Stuart Shah, her worries, her determination, her achievements, her neighbor and childhood friend Cooper.

Sammie continues working hard to be her class’s valedictorian, making sure she’s getting to class, she’s doing her work, she’s striving to achieve her goals. She even starts going out with Stuart, who previously was only ever her heart-throb from a distance. While her relationship with her good friend Maddie is, at times, strained, Sammie enjoys life, and recognizes the moments that she forgets things.

It’s in one of those times for forgetting that she finds herself lost, or rather, misplaced, on her way to a party. Thankfully, she knows to call Cooper, who comes and picks her up. It’s this time that is really the beginning of the memory loss becoming more frequent, and not only that but of her renewed friendship with Coop.

As the weeks and months go by, her memory book starts to fill up, and while there are more memories on paper (or screen, as it were) there are less in her mind. As Sammie begins to forget things more frequently, the pages are shorter, the accounts less detailed, the strain in her writing more apparent. As she and those around her – her family, her friends – struggle with the memory loss, the story follows in parts as Sammie’s health deteriorates.

This was a beautiful book. I wanted to just keep reading and keep reading. It was a ‘just one more chapter’ kind of book, which really got away on me actually, as sometimes the ‘chapters’ were just 1 page long. Or even one sentence.

Every so often, there would be a section written by a family member or Cooper, especially nearer the end when Sammie couldn't write as much. Because Sammie was the narrator of her own life for the majority of the book, you literally only knew what was happening around her when she wrote it down. Sometimes other character's notes helped in the back-filling of an event or situation that Sammie either didn't know about previously, or just simply didn't remember.

I really liked Sammie as a character, and I think that, because you were reading what she the character had wrote, it was like you wanted to her be good and fine, and you wanted her to achieve and be happy, even more so than if it were just a story about a sick girl written in first person. I don’t know if that makes sense, but hopefully you know what I mean. She was funny and quick witted, and I found myself laughing at loud out some parts, and wanting to cry at others.

While the ending was what you would expect, it still came quickly and was still as tear-worthy had it been drawn out. It was beautifully and wonderfully written, and I definitely want to read Lara Avery’s other books.

Have you read The Memory Book? Is it on your TBR list? 

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Red Rising | Pierce Brown | Guest Review

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Red Rising | Pierce Brown | Guest Review

'Red Rising' takes us to a future reality where the Earth is dying, and people have started to colonise the Moon and other planets. On Mars, our main character Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of the planet. The Reds' job is to extract enough precious elements to one day terraform Mars and allow humans to live on the surface - Reds are the "last hope".

One day Darrow discovers that this is a lie told to the Reds to keep them compliant. In fact, Mars has huge cities on the surface inhabited for generations by Golds - a higher class of people who see Reds as slave labour. A mysterious group of rebels helps Darrow disguise himself as a Gold to infiltrate the command school in order to take down the Golds from the inside. The command school is a dangerous place, with all the Gold students fighting each other for the chance at the best start to their career.

It's quite difficult to introduce this book without spoilers! I went into it not knowing what it was about, only that it was set on Mars. I like going in "blind", as it means I am more open-minded about what's inside!

I enjoyed this book immensely. Darrow is believable, and I cared about what he cares about - his attachments to loved ones feel genuine and part of who he is. I really like Pierce Brown's characterisation. I liked the way he includes various different personalities within Reds and within Golds, showing that the "Colors" are not just a stereotype, despite the initial characteristics from their breeding. We also learn about other Colors briefly, but I have a feeling that these groups will be fleshed out in the next books in the trilogy - also I don't want to give those away for you! They're just very clever factions of society that make sense as a whole. Of course, it's limiting that one's parents, siblings, spouse, children and so on are all the same Color and therefore only ever capable of that one role in society, but that's what the book illustrates is wrong with humanity - that's why Darrow wants to overthrow the leaders.

I am always a little wary when I see reviews saying that books are amazing or on the contrary, did not "live up to the hype". I don't take any notice of hype, especially when it comes to Young Adult novels. In this case I trusted my own judgement from the summary which I read when I first bought it, and I knew I'd probably like it!

Even if you think you don't like Young Adult books, I still recommend this novel for anyone with a cursory interest in different societies and world views, as well as any fascination with terraforming other planets or with Roman gods/archetypes which are used a lot in Gold society. I'm certainly looking forward to book 2.

★★★★★

This review was submitted by guest blogger Jemma.  

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Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog | Andrew Masterson | Review

Monday, 25 July 2016

Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog | Andrew Masterson | Review

*Image and book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

A non-fiction collection of unusual scientific studies. Many of these studies challenge a lot of what we take for granted, especially with regards to our eating habits and understanding of online culture.

Review:

Yes, this is a non-fiction book, but don't take that to mean that it is boring. This book is a wonderful combination of informative and humorous. Admittedly, some of the stories do not lend themselves to humor, but they are well balanced with those that are. 

There was a relatively diverse array of types of research, but I found that the majority were about diet. Why do popular foods come in and out fashion? What is the logic behind the SLOW food movement? Are GMO free foods possible? I was very happy to find that research supports my addiction choice to drink coffee. 

I also appreciate Masterson's tone throughout the book. It really felt like you were having a fun discussion over dinner or drinks. I consider the vast majority of these stories to be good topics for discussion if you're like me and need to practice things to say or talk about. Really the only thing I didn't like was that the book had no bibliography. Fortunately each segment provides enough information that, should you wish to verify the stories, you can find them.

If you're in the market for an informative read about several topics, would like your own opinions/logic questioned or confirmed, or would just like to find out how Lolcatz can bring down a government, I highly recommend this book. You will find something to interest you and others.

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Group Collaboration | Favourite YA Novels

Saturday, 23 July 2016

Group Collaboration | Favourite YA Novels

This month in celebration of YALC hitting London again this year we want to delve into our most popular genre here on Blogger's Bookshelf, Young Adult novels! 

We got our bloggers to give us a tonne of Young Adult recommendations, both old and new, for you to peruse through. Check them out!

 

Thank you to this month's contributors: Ria, Joshua, Rachel, Erin, and Anjali

Next month we're asking all about the books you wish had sequels. If you'd like to get involved just email bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com or drop us a tweet @blog_bookshelf!

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Features | Readathons

Friday, 22 July 2016

Features | Readathons

If you had asked me what a readathon was three years ago, well I probably could have figured it out, but I definitely would have been guessing. Now they're everywhere, taking place on blogs and vlogs all over the Internet all the time. This week, in fact, it's the annual BookTube-A-Thon, the very first readathon that I took part in last year. (Are you doing the BookTube-A-Thon this year? How's it going? I hope you're doing better than I am!)

For any of you out there who, like me a few years ago, have no idea what I'm even talking about, a readathon is an event, usually organised by someone with a blog or youtube channel, during which the people taking part try to read as much as possible. Sometimes there are challenges for the sort of books that should be read but the idea is usually just to read as many books as you can over a specific period of time.

So what is the appeal of readathons? Well, if you're like me, and you have a tendency to buy books faster than you can read them, it's a great opportunity to get through some of that TBR. If you're someone who loves to read but doesn't always make the time for it, it's a good excuse to push yourself to try and find extra reading time wherever you can. If you're just the kind of person who really loves to find a challenge in everything you do then readathons are absolutely the perfect chance to bring that competitive spirit to your reading too!

For me though, the best part of readathons, especially big ones like the BookTube-A-Thon, is the communal aspect. Knowing that you are taking part in this challenge with people from all over the world. Watching daily update videos, searching through the hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. Sharing a week of reading with people you've never even met or spoken to before. That's my favourite thing about readathons.

What's your favourite thing about readathons? Or your least favourite thing if you're of the anti-readathon persuasion. Let me know in the comments!

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