The Understudy | David Nicholls | Review

Sunday, 14 April 2013

The Understudy | David Nicholls | Review

The Understudy tells the story of Stephen C McQueen. Ever since he was young, he has wanted to be an actor and to be famous. He's in his forties now and he is still waiting for his Big Break. Having to do children's shows and play victims in mystery programmes is not what he expected, but now, he's the understudy to the twelfth sexiest man in the world - Josh Harper. Josh has everything that Steve hasn't; a BAFTA award, a gorgeous wife Nora and an amazing house but most importantly, fame. And as Stephen starts to fall in love with Nora, things get even more difficult.

If you didn't know already, I am a massive David Nicholls fan. This is the third book of his I've read following One Day and Starter For Ten. I really love his writing style and way with words. However, with things being busy in the real world it took me over a month to read. This meant I had to go a few days without reading at all and then when I did have time to read, I found it hard to get back into the story. If I had some more free time, I would have got it read much quicker as the storyline was really good and during the bits where I was really engaged, I kept flicking the pages to find out what would happen next.

I also loved the characters, especially our protagonist Stephen. I felt so sorry for him because throughout the book, he does things which have bizarre and horrible consequences and he seems to have bad luck all the time. Nora was an interesting character because she was American, however since I'm from the U.K, it was weirdly difficult for me to imagine her voice as so American when the book is very British and has a lot of British people in it. But maybe that's just me.

So what's the old rating Lucy?

I give The Understudy by David Nicholls a  four star rating. If I had more time to read then it could have been a five star rating but I remember the whole process as being very long and hard to get through. I definitely do recommend it though. This book is chick-lit but it's also not. It is a love story but I think it would be more fitting in the "Humour" genre as I had many a laugh out loud moment. If you haven't heard of David Nicholls and want to try out his stuff, this is the book you should start off with!

This book was reviewed by regular reviewer Lucy.
Photo from Goodreads!

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Dicussion | Favourite Book To Film Adaptations

Saturday, 8 December 2012

Dicussion | Favourite Book To Film Adaptations

Today’s post, our first ever Discussion here at Blogger’s Bookshelf, comes from regular reviewer Erin & guest reviewer Cat. We have been friends since we met at University where we bonded over our love of watching, and more importantly, criticising films. Since films have been a big part of our friendship we have decided to collaborate on a post all about our favourite book to film (and television!) adaptations. We hope you enjoy it!

Cat's No. 3: Starter for 10, David Nicholls (2003) – Starter for 10, Tom Vaughan (2006)

I shall begin with my one of my favourite books, Starter for 10 by David Nicholls. For years I have reread this book at least five times a year and so the film had a lot to live up to! I have to say that the adaptation was surprisingly better than I expected, I think the casting is marvellous; with James McAvoy as the right sort of embarrassing geek and Rebecca Hall who manages to exude an air of political righteousness. I was impressed that David Nicholls actually wrote the screenplay, and so felt comfortable in the knowledge that book was in safe hands for its adaptation. Of course there were subtle changes to certain conversations and scenes, however I imagine that this does have to happen in some cases so that the film can appeal to a wider audience, and the small things were no great loss to the narrative. However my favourite element to the film is the soundtrack; there are plenty of Kate Bush and The Cure songs to set the scene of the 80s and you can quite happily immerse yourself into the story.

Erin's No. 3: Fight Club, Chuck Palaniuk 1996 – Fight Club, David Fincher 1999

My first choice is FightClub, written back in 1996 by Chuck Palaniuk, and arguably a cult classic of both the book and film worlds. In this case I actually saw the film several years before I read the book but right from the first line of both you’re left wanting to know more about Tyler Durden. The film has an impressive cast led by Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter and was directed beautifully by the very talented David Fincher. It seems in the majority of cases that audiences prefer the original books to their film adaptations however with Fight Club opinion is very divided. Despite the fact that the plot differs quite a lot and although the film didn’t do as well as expected at the box office both formats are highly praised by audiences and critics alike. Even the author of the book, Chuck Palaniuk, reportedly stated that he preferred the film adaptation to his own work! Thanks to the vision of Fincher the direction of the film reflects the style of the book perfectly and is more of a companion to it’s novel roots than a rival. Five years have now passed since I first read Fight Club and scanning through it to write for this post has made me realise how much I definitely want to re-read it in 2013!

Cat's No. 2: Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen (1811) – Sense and Sensibility, John Alexander (2008)

Ok, so I know the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility cannot technically be called a film as it was made for television, however I felt it necessary to include in this post, as I absolutely adore it. Out of the two Jane Austen novels I have read (Pride and Prejudice being the other), I much prefer actually reading Sense and Sensibility as I find the narrative more engaging. I was excited when I heard this was being shown over the Christmas holidays a few years ago as I am a BIG fan of Andrew Davies’ screenplays for Jane Austen novels (BBC Pride and Prejudice being one of my all time favourites). The programme, although three hours long, is wonderfully engaging and the cinematography beautiful, I would highly recommend the book and adaptation.

Erin's No. 2: Memento, Christopher Nolan 2000 - Memento Mori, John Nolan 2002
Book pictured: The Making of Memento, James Mottram 2002

Some people may class my second choice as cheating because of the complicated way short story Memento Mori and screenplay for Memento came to be. The two were written simultaneously after Christopher came up with the idea to present his brother John’s idea backwards in film format. Memento Mori is only around 5500 words and was not published until it appeared in a 2002 issue of Esquire magazine, two years after the film’s release. Everything about the film is genius right from the opening credits where we get to watch a Polaroid photograph develop backwards. The film is made up of two sequences; the black & white scenes are shown in chronological order and those in colour play out in reverse which when cleverly edited together fits the main theme of memory perfectly. I could write a whole post on how fascinating the making of this film is but today I’m supposed to be talking about books, so let’s get back to that! The book pictured above is all about the making of the film but includes a copy of Memento Mori as an appendix and is where I first read the original story. The making of book itself is also a really interesting read especially if you’re a fan of the film or like me you have an interest in how films are made. The short story does differ from the film but is a quick and engaging stand-alone read. It can be found to read online free here.

Cat's No. 1: Atonement, Ian McEwan (2001) – Atonement, Joe Wright (2007)

And lastly, my favourite film adaptation would be Joe Wright’s Atonement. The cinematography is astonishing, the tones and colours are completely on target, and the direction is amazing. The film stays as true to the book as you could imagine. The book and film narrate three major sections of Briony’s life, however it is not until the pivotal end scene where the truth becomes clear. I do feel that without a written narrative, Briony’s thought process behind blaming Robbie is slightly unclear to those who have not read the book before hand, but adding this to the film would have ruined the tone completely. Having said that, the acting is extremely believable and well played out. The musicality is also astonishing, the use of typewriter sounds create atmosphere and urgency to the early scenes, tying in with Robbie’s letter writing, everything is so well thought out and aesthetically pleasing. I love this film, the book was a little tough to get into (I read it in preparation of heading to the cinema) I think that overall, I prefer the film to the book. This is one amazing story.

Erin's No. 1: About A Boy, Nick Hornby 1996 – About A Boy, Paul & Chris Weitz 2002

My third choice and favourite book to film adaptation is About A Boy which was also the first book I reviewed here at Blogger’s Bookshelf. As a huge fan of the film since it’s cinematic release back when I was just thirteen, this year I set out to finally read Hornby’s original novel. Luckily I enjoyed reading the story just as much as watching it and even though the film ending differs quite dramatically from the book it still manages to do the text justice as both conclusions of the story are satisfying in their own way. The light-hearted and sarcastic humour that manages to lift even the most difficult of topics is executed perfectly in both the book and the film, a factor I believe was key to the success of the adaptation. As adaptations go, similarly to Fight Club, this one has been highly praised and actually received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay although it lost out to The Pianist. I won’t say anymore as I have already written a full review but if you are interested in About A Boy you can find my post here.

What are your favourite book to film adaptations? 

This post was written by Erin (@sawyerandscout) & Cat (@cococat88)
Photographs © Erin / Cat

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Features | 5 Funny Books.

Friday, 1 April 2016

Features | 5 Funny Books.

In honour of April Fools' Day, today I am bringing you five very funny books, because, let's be honest, April Fools' Day is generally not very funny, but all of these books are!

Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life by Nina Stibbe

Love, Nina is a collection of the real letters that Nina Stibbe wrote to her sister while working as a nanny in the 1980s. From the two jokey little boys who Nina looks after, to her literary boss's amusing and well-known friends and neighbours, Nina has a lot of funny anecdotes for her sister, and at least one of her letters is bound to make you laugh out loud.

Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford

Love in a Cold Climate is probably the most well known of Mitford's novels, despite the fact that it is actually a sequel to The Pursuit of Love, the first of Mitford's books concerning the Radletts of Alconleigh. Both books are excellent, and very funny, but I think Love in a Cold Climate beats The Pursuit of Love ever so slightly because the full cast of characters in this book are all just so much fun to read about.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's story of the end of the world gone wrong, is one of the most entertainingly written books I have ever read. The main characters include a demon whose car only plays Queen, an angel who works in a bookshop, and a small boy who is supposed to bring about the apocalypse but really just wants to play with his friends, and the whole story is narrated in a pitch perfect comedic style.

Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

Starter for Ten is all about Brian, a first year uni student who desperately wants to appear on the TV quiz show University Challenge. However, although Brian may have a lot of general knowledge, he doesn't know a lot about actually interacting with people, especially girls, which leads to a few embarrassing situations. The good thing about Nicholls's writing though is that even when you're laughing at Brian's stupid mistakes, you still can't help but like him.

Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks

I actually read Round Ireland with a Fridge, the true story of what happened when Tony Hawks hitchhiked around Ireland... with a fridge, over ten years ago and I don't remember many details but I do remember reading it at school one day during quiet reading time and my teacher shooting me questioning looks because I could not stop laughing out loud. That's definitely the sign of a funny book.

I would love to hear your recommendations for funny books in the comments!

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Group Collaboration | Favourite Reads of 2013!

Saturday, 21 December 2013

Group Collaboration | Favourite Reads of 2013!

We're nearly at the end of 2013, so this month's group collaboration has us looking back at those books we fell in love with this year!

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch, Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart, Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Club Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen, Ketchup Clouds, Annabel Pitcher

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Quiet by Susan Cain, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, The Understudy by David Nicholls, Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace, A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Wonder by R.J Palacio, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Cruel Summer by James Dawson

The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, One Step Behind by Henning Mankell, Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi, Allegiant by Veronica Roth, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Next month's post will be all about the books we vow to read in 2014! If you'd like to get involved please email bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com for details. 

Contributors - Ria, Cat, Lucy, Anjali, Erin & Kath

All book cover images sourced from goodreads.com

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Features | Genres That Aren't Genres

Friday, 29 April 2016

Features | Genres That Aren't Genres

I was talking to a writer friend of mine on Twitter recently about how frustrating it is when people refer to YA as a genre and it soon turned into us joking about the other 'genres' out there that aren't really genres. YA is, perhaps, the most frequent victim of this particular kind of misunderstanding. Young Adult is an age group, and within it there are books of so many different genres, but I guess because it has its own section in the bookshop and a lot of the same themes show up across the different genres, people get confused. Still, it isn't its own genre.

Worse than this though, in my opinion, is 'Women's Fiction'. What is Women's Fiction? Is it fiction written by women? Are Jane Eyre, The Secret History, and Murder on the Orient Express all Women's Fiction? Or is Women's Fiction books written for women? This makes even less sense to me because, as we all really know, not all women like the same things, and there is nothing stopping anyone who isn't a woman from enjoying things that are traditionally thought of as 'for women'.

Of course we all know that what Women's Fiction really means is 'Romance Fiction', like it's physically impossible for men to read or write romance. I have never seen anyone refer to David Nicholls as a writer of Women's Fiction but I can't help but wonder, if One Day had been written by a women, would it be classified as Women's Fiction?

Then there's LGBT Fiction. This one I do understand as there just aren't as many novels that feature LGBT protagonists as there should be, and a lot of readers want a way to easily find those that do. But again, is this actually a genre? Or is it, like Young Adult and Women's Fiction, really a marketing target group? Surely a lot of LGBT books could also be classified in genres like Romance, or Literary, or any of the other genres that actually are genres? Maybe if more writers wrote books with LGBT protagonists, that would be the case. Maybe in the future it will be.

What do you think? Do you think I'm wrong and that any of these are and should be genres? Are there any more 'genres that aren't genres' that annoy you as much as Women's Fiction clearly annoys me? Let me know in the comments!

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Features | Unlucky Characters

Friday, 13 May 2016

Features | Unlucky Characters

In honour of today being infamously unlucky Friday the 13th I thought it might be fun to look at a few of the unluckiest characters in literature. So if you're having a particularly unlucky day today you can look at this list and think 'hey, at least that isn't happening to me!'

The Baudelaire Orphans - A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

With a title like A Series of Unfortunate Events, I think even those of us who have never read these books could guess that the Baudelaires' lives are pretty much filled with the absolute worst of luck. From their parents' untimely demise at the start of the first book to the string of awful foster carers and increasingly worse situations that the Baudelaires find themselves in throughout the 13 books. Honestly, these kids probably have the worst luck of any of the characters on this list but hey, at least they never give up trying! Even when their efforts are continually thwarted. At least they try.

Brian Jackson - Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

And here's another one who just keeps trying. Starter for Ten is full of Brian trying. Trying to get his teammate Alice to be his girlfriend, trying to make friends, trying to fulfil his dreams of being a University Challenge champion. But his rotten luck just keeps holding him back. Bad dates and embarrassments in front of Alice's parents, unfortunate instances with old friends and potential new ones, and some choices that mean even his University Challenge dreams take a beating. Brian's story is really just one of never quite being able to catch a break.

Mia Thermopolis - The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Now you might think that finding out that you're the heir to the throne of a small European country is actually pretty good luck, but Mia would absolutely be the first person to disagree with you. Finding out that she's a princess puts a real spanner into the works of Mia's life. Over night she goes from being a normal, if a little unpopular and slightly nerdy, teenager to being the future ruler of Genovia. Of course this comes with unwanted media attention, regular princess lessons with her less than cuddly Grandmere, and a new bodyguard to follow her around 24/7. All things Mia would most definitely prefer not to have.

Neville Longbottom - The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Oh, Neville. From Neville's very introduction as the boy who Hermione is helping find his lost toad on the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to his frequent run-ins with Professor Snape, bad luck never seems very far away for poor Neville. The worst luck of all, of course, being that he just happens to share a birthday with Harry Potter, once putting Neville's parents right in the firing line of Voldemort's paranoia. But, like a true Gryffindor, Neville never lets his bad luck keep him down.

Oliver Twist - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Like most of Charles Dickens's protagonists, Oliver gets his happy ending eventually, but boy does he have to wade through some absolute rubbish to get to it. We first meet Oliver as a starving child in the workhouse with the gall to ask for a little bit of extra food so that he might get a fighting chance of making it into adulthood, and somehow things only get worse from there! First to the funeral home, then to Fagin's band of merry thieves, Oliver gets more than his fair share of bad luck before it actually starts to tremendously balance out. So let that be a lesson. If you're hitting a run of bad luck now, there might just be some crazy good luck around the corner!

Who are your favourite unlucky characters? I would absolutely love to hear about them in the comments! Let's all share some examples of terrible luck so we can maybe all feel a little better about our own lives.

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Group Collaboration | Our Favourite Reads Of 2012

Saturday, 22 December 2012

Group Collaboration | Our Favourite Reads Of 2012

  As we are now fast approaching the end of the year this month's group post is all about the books we've read and loved in 2012. We asked you to tell us your top 5 books read throughout the year and these were the results...
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, About A Boy by Nick Hornby, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline   New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Catching Fire & The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, Genesis by Lara Morgan, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Across The Universe by Beth Revis, A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard Girl Perfect by Jennifer Strickland, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Legend by Marie Lu, Stolen by Lucy Christophher, Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins   Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, Feed by Mira Grant, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell, Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion    Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell      Virals by Kathy Reichs, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, The Help by Kathryn Stockett       Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, An Abundance Of Katherines by John Green    The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch, The Help by Kathryn Stockett        A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad, No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay, A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham, The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson        Looking For Alaska by John Green, Freakonomics by Stephen D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, One Day by David Nicholls     

 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Salem's Lot by Stephen King, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice     The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Delirium by Lauren Oliver       The Passage by Justin Cronin, Divergent & Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Variant by Robison Wells, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Next month's post will be all about the books we vow to read in 2013! If you'd like to get involved please email bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com for details.    

Contributors - Cat, Taylah, Ria, Elle, Francesca, Lucy, Laura, Lulu, Kristina, Emily, Niina, Anjali, Amy & Erin

All book cover images sourced from goodreads.com

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Blogger's Bookshelf Review Round Up #6

Saturday, 20 April 2013

Blogger's Bookshelf Review Round Up #6

 Has it been a month already? Gear up for another review round up and read up on any reviews you missed…

• Dune by Frank Herbert | Reviewed by Anjali 
• My Mum’s Going To Explode by Jeremy Strong | Reviewed by Laura 
• Ashfall by Mike Mullin | Reviewed by Niina 
• Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch | Reviewed by Lucy 
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuio Ishiguro | Reviewed by Ria 
• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami | Reviewed by Erin 
• Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan | Reviewed by Anjali 
• The Rough Guide To Europe On A Budget by Rough Guides | Reviewed by Laura 
• The First Days by Rhiannon Frater | Reviewed by Niina 
• Skinny B*tch by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin | Reviewed by Francesca 
• The Understudy by David Nicholls | Reviewed by Lucy 
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley | Reviewed by Ria 
• Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay | Reviewed by Erin 

We’ve also had two new additions to our ‘Being a Booktuber/blogger’ series and interviewed Marie from BookswithMarie and Maria from I Believe In Story.

Our contributors also tickled our funny bones with out April LoL Literature group collaboration post! Check out their favourite funny books, quotes, characters and more here.

Don’t forget to get involved in our next group collaboration post. In May we’ll be debating again and asking…

should we judge a book by it’s cover? 

Let us know you opinions by email, tweet us or on our GoodReads page!

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Features | 5 Cosy Autumn Reads

Thursday, 15 October 2015

Features | 5 Cosy Autumn Reads

Autumn is not my favourite time of year but there are certain things that I can't help but enjoy, like apple and spice scented candles, hot chocolate, and getting cosy with my thick winter duvet and a good book without feeling like I'm going to suffocate from the heat. So today I'm going to share with you 5 books that I think are perfect for this time of year, for snuggling under duvets as the evenings get longer, and to draw your mind away from how cold your feet are when they accidentally poke out of the end of your swathes of blankets.

1. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

Okay so maybe murder and intrigue aren't the first things you think of when you think 'cosy' but this time of year, with the bitter chill in the air and the long nights closing in, is the perfect time for an old fashioned mystery, and there's a good reason why people are still reading and adapting Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories even now!

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Although school is most definitely a thing of the past for me now, thanks to the old academic term dates, autumn will forever have just a little tinge of that back to school feeling for me, which makes it the perfect time to snuggle in and read a good college-set story. Plus this is the perfect time of year to try and perfect your own version of Levi's pumpkin mocha breve.

3. Starter For Ten by David Nicholls

Similarly to Fangirl, Starter For Ten is perfect for this time of year thanks to its university setting. It's an excellent reminder of how starting uni can sometimes feel. (Although thankfully my experience was nothing like Brian's!) A very good one for those of us who have been there and done that, but I think anyone planning to go to university soon would enjoy this a lot too.

4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Autumn is definitely a time for magic and sorcery, and The Night Circus has that in bucketloads. It's completely atmospheric, sucking you right into the magic of this travelling circus, and it's absolutely perfect for this time of year, with Halloween coming up, the leaves changing, and the nights gradually getting longer. 

5. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Admittedly, a lot of the action in I Capture the Castle happens during summer months, but from the moment this book starts, with Cassandra's feet in the kitchen sink of the crumbling down castle she and her family call home in the middle of the English countryside, everything about it screams 'cosy'.

What cosy books are on your reading list for autumn? 

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News Round Up!

Sunday, 12 July 2015

News Round Up!

Since last month, a lot has happened in the world of books. I'm back at it for this month, bringing back all the stuff that's happened in the last month, and what's happening in the near future too!

But seriously, where do we start?

Perhaps it's pretty important to start with the CILIP Carnegie Medal and Kate Greenaway Award. If you're unfamiliar with the Carnegie Medal or Andrew Carnegie at all, here's a brief introduction: Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) was a Scottish philanthropist. He once said, "if ever wealth came to me that it should be used to establish free libraries." By his death, he'd paid for 2800 free libraries in the English speaking world and by his death, over half of library authorities in the UK had Carnegie libraries. Kate Greenaway is definitely someone to be reckoned with too: she studied at the Royal College Of Art, and her first book was published in 1879 and it was a bestseller. Known for her set ways of illustrating children with late eighteenth-century and Regency fashions, she died at the age of 55 of breast cancer and is buried in Hampstead Cemetery, London.

In memory of them both, CILIP (Chartered Institute for Librarians and Information Professionals) run an annual Carnegie Medal and Kate Greenaway, now the UK's oldest awards. This year's winners, as voted for by UK librarians, were Tanya Landman's Buffalo Soldier, which is based on the story of slave Cathy Williams, the only known African-American to enlist in the US army posing as a man and who served for three years before she was found out. The Kate Greenaway Award goes to William Grill for Shackleton's Journey, making William the youngest ever winner of the Award. 

If you'd like to read more, check out this press release from CILIP.

Staying on the theme of awards, on Friday the United Kingdom Literary Awards were announced and the winners were:

• For the 12-16 category: Every Day by David Levithan
• For the 7-11 category: Oliver And The Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
• For the 3-6 category: The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.

The UKLA spoke about each book, describing Every Day as a “highly original book which is handled with real integrity”, billing The Day The Crayons Quit as a “a very funny book that encourages children to be adventurous and creative,”, and on Oliver And The Seawigs, saying, "it has been written and illustrated with such wit and so many highly original ideas that it reaches out to everyone.” The awards were announced at a ceremony in Nottingham, and for more information, check it out over at The Bookseller!

The Guardian run their Children's Fiction Prize every year, and they've just announced their longlist (hot off the press this!) for the Prize, which last year went to Piers Torday. Eight books have found themselves on the longlist, and they are:

• Five Children on The Western Front by Kate Saunders
• My Name's Not Friday by Jon Walter
• An Island Of Our Own by Sally Nicholls
• The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
• El Deafo by Cece Bell
• A Song For Ella Grey by David Almond
• All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• Apple And Rain by Sarah Crossan

Plus, any young person can enter their Young Critics Competition too, and it's never too early to enter either! Entries have opened, and you can find out all the information here!

Like many other book lovers, I think everyone's been on the edge of their seats anticipating Tuesday 14th July, but in case you have been living under a book world record, this Tuesday sees the highly anticipated launch for Harper Lee's sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, as Go Set A Watchman is released. Everyone has gone Harper Lee mad in the days leading up to the event, as many prepare to storm bookshops for her latest novel. There's still time to pre-order it, so make sure you guarantee yourself a copy! I myself have gone and bought To Kill A Mockingbird, having not being familiar with Harper Lee, and I intend to read it before Tuesday too!

But let's not forget a UK annual tradition in our libraries: the Summer Reading Challenge is back! The theme this year is Record Breakers, and just like last year, the goal is the same: read 6 books over the course of the summer holidays from your local library! Run by The Reading Agency, it launched yesterday and runs through until the 5th September 2015, so get any children you know registered, and show a tiny bit of appreciation for the volunteers (like me!) who are helping their local libraries make it happen. If you are one, good luck to you over the summer too!

It's come to near the end of this round up, but what incredible books have been released over the last few weeks? Here are some of my picks!

• Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
• Lorali by Laura Dockrill
• The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward
• Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
• The Baby by Lisa Drakeford
• Way Down Dark by James Smythe

All curiously enough released on the 2nd July! 

That's it for this month! Let us know what stuff you want included in next month's round up by emailing bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com and I'll see you next time!

Adios booklovers! 

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