November 2013 / Blogger's Bookshelf

Saturday, 30 November 2013

Blogger’s Bookshelf Review Round Up #12

It’s been a busy ol’ time since our last review round up! Check out the posts you’ve missed below…

Anjali interviewed author Jamie Baywood, about her book, Getting Rooted in New Zealand, and Ria interviewed giveaway author Laure Eve on her novel Fearsome Dreamer.

There was FIVE new additions to our ever growing list of book blogger/booktuber interviews! Check out Jess from Jess Hearts Books; Alexa from Alexa Loves Books; Allie from Little Birdie Books; Sanne from Books & Quills' and Rob and Kate from Adventures with words' answers.

Our team have also been mingling with some high-profile authors! Newest team member Kath attended an evening with YA author, Maureen Johnson, as part of her tour of the UK. And Erin headed to London for an evening with Veronica Roth in celebration of the release of Allegiant.

And of course Blogger’s Bookshelf celebrated its 1st birthday! Check out just how much has happened in a year in our handy inforgraphic and get to know our team members here (Part One (Anjali & Kath), Part Two (Ria & Erin), Part Three (Laura & Lucy) and Part Four (Niina))

We’ve also had two fabulous group collaboration posts! Check out our Halloween themed ‘Favourite Fictional Villains’ and see what our bloggers would do ‘If We Made The Movies’.

As the year comes to a close, we’re asking you guys what your Top Reads for 2013 were!

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

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Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition | Liv Spencer | Review

Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition is a biography of the young star’s life and career, from authors Jen Knoch & Crissy Calhoun who together write under the name Liv Spencer. The team write books about the things that they love, and previous subjects have included Twilight, The Mortal Instruments and Pretty Little Liars. The Platinum Edition is an update of their 2010 Taylor Swift biography Every Day Is A Fairytale.

The first chapters talk about Taylor’s childhood, how she got her first record deal and of course, her rise to fame. Here we are introduced to many of the people that have helped her along the way including producers, writers, fellow musicians and of course, her family and friends. Overall Taylor’s story is inspirational and the book paints a picture of a determined and hard-working but grounded young woman who has managed to prove that dreams really can come true.

There are chapters dedicated to each of Taylor’s four albums, with a rundown of the tracks and information on the ideas behind them, something her fans regularly speculate about. This is followed up by a chapter focusing on her music videos, sharing how the concepts came about, details on the casting decisions and their commercial success.

The final section of the book is a chronological timeline of Taylor’s career from 2004 up until early 2013. As some of the points in this section had already been covered earlier in the book it did feel a little repetitive, however there was some new information interspersed as well.

Having read the biography as an ebook I have to say that I think it would have been a much better read as a physical book. The timeline in particular, with it’s bullet point layout is something I think would look neater and be easier to follow in print. In addition there is a large selection of images which again, I personally think would be best in print (I read on a Kindle Touch which has a black & white screen).

Although I’m not sure how much of the information included would be new to her die-hard fans, Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition is a fairly informative read and would make a nice Christmas gift this year for the Taylor Swift fan in your life!

*Review copy c/o Netgalley, Image via Goodreads

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Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Being A Book Blogger | Interview With Rob & Kate From Adventures With Words

Welcome to another Being A Book Blogger post! Today we're talking to Rob & Kate the amazing team behind Adventures With Words. Here's what they had to say about 2013 releases, creating podcasts & being James Bond...

AWW screenshot

BB: Rob & Kate, welcome to Blogger's Bookshelf! Tell us a little bit about the team behind Adventures With Words

Rob works as a senior bookseller at a university branch of Waterstones. He’s also the web wizard and editor of our weekly podcast. He’s a big fan of James Bond and thrillers as well as American literature, which he studied at UEA and the University of Kent.

Kate is a secondary school teacher, who reads like her life depends on it, as long as she’s awake enough. She’ll read almost anything, but loves cold crime, good quality sci-fi and fantasy and young adult fiction. She studied English Lit at Durham, where she wrote her dissertation on girls and women in Children’s Fiction. When she’s not reading, she loves Japanese anime and cult series like Buffy and Smallville.

BB: Where does your love of books come from, and how did you get into reviewing?

We have both been avid readers since we were young. Kate was read The Hobbit and loved adventure stories such as Robin Hood and King Arthur, while Rob enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia and Sherlock Holmes. Rob began reviewing when he started working for Waterstones, discovering new books that he wanted to talk about on a daily basis. After starting Adventures With Words as a way of sharing book reviews, Rob was joined by Kate and between us we cover a wide range of genres.

BB: As well as written reviews you also have your own podcast - what made you want to use this particular media?

Podcasts allow us to create an immediate and conversational response to what we are reading. We have been told that people feel a part of what we are doing and get to know us as individuals. People always like to talk about what they are reading; we are doing this but just happen to record it!

BB: Something we think a lot of our readers will be interested in is your new YA-based podcast. Could you tell us a little bit more about your future plans for the series?

The YA-podcast was originally inspired by a conversation with a listener who thought that her children would enjoy something similar to our normal podcast. It is Kate's special interest so she is producing it and hopes to include interviews and short stories from some of the well known British YA writers currently out there.

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BB: We’re now coming to the end of 2013, what have been your favourite new releases of the year?

Kate has really enjoyed Tall Tales from Pitch End by Nigel McDowell. She thought it was an exciting and moving story but also that it was written in a unusual, lyrical style which makes it stand out from the current crop of YA. Rob has enjoyed Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, a wonderful Gothic story with beautifully written prose that makes him long to return to Barcelona.

BB: If you could swap lives for the day with any fictional character who would you choose and why?

A fantastic question! Rob would slip on a tuxedo and sip a vodka Martini, becoming James Bond for the day. Who wouldn't want to live like 007, except perhaps with fewer cigarettes! Kate would like to be Beth Bradley, from The City's Son by Tom Pollock. It would be a privilege to see the true magic and excitement hidden behind everyday London. Although she would never be able to walk past a crane again without a shiver...

BB: Finally, which other book blogs, websites, YouTube channels or podcasts would you recommend to our readers?

We'd love you to listen to Hear... Read This!, a monthly book club podcast that we take part in alongside Simon and Gav of The Readers. Gav is taking a sabbatical from The Readers while he launches No Cloaks Allowed, a new blog for readers of fantasy, meanwhile Simon interviews authors every fortnight on You Wrote the Book.
Rob really enjoys the Book Riot podcast, for his weekly fix of book news and reviews while Kate enjoys Adam Roberts' book blog Sibilant Fricative, a mixture of opinion on science fiction and fantasy with some young adult thrown in.

You can find Adventures With Words by clicking the links below:
- Blog
- Podcast
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Goodreads

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I'd like to say a huge thank you from all of us here at BB to Rob & Kate for taking part in this interview. If you are a booktuber or book blogger and would like to be featured in a similar post we'd love to hear from you - just email us at bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com for information!

Interview & post by Erin
Cover images via Goodreads

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Monday, 25 November 2013

Quiet | Susan Cain | Review

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. You may have seen them around, they’re the listeners or off in the corner coming up with ideas. You may even be one of these people often labelled as quiet, shy, and easily overwhelmed in crowds.

Susan Cain endevours to explore this often forgotten personality type. Her starting point is the softspoken values of early civilisations to society’s evolution and preference for the ‘extrovert’ ideal, and more importantly why we suddenly live in a world where ‘he who shouts the loudest’ has reached a saturation point. Cain delves into the historical and contemporary psychological and biological research behind the differences between introverts and extroverts, showing the reader how the brain functions differently for the two personality sets.

She provides real world context for the studies, by speaking to and presenting case studies of individuals on all points of the introvert/extrovert spectrum. Cain also explores the varrying environments of the world and how it can effect introverts, from the modern open plan primary school classroom, to the differing cultural atmospheres of Asian and American schools, to the brash leaderships and collaborations styles of business in the 21st Century.

What is most interesting is the examples of successful Introverts in the real world, the advice she gives on how to work with and not against this personality type, and the empowering messages that will make you think twice about how powerful introverts can be.

So what’s my verdict?

I could speak volumes about how much I loved this book, but this post would go on for pages and pages! Quiet is full of eye-opening insights into the biological and psychological anatomy of an Introvert. It’s incredibly in depth and well researched by Cain, who’s knowledge of the subject matter seeps through each page.

But don’t mistake this for a science textbook, Quiet is just as much about the social and human effects introversion can have on individuals as the biological make up of their brains. It celebrates introverts and empowers them to share their trait with the world, because they are just as important as extroverts. Though the book is, obviously, heavily skewed towards an introverted reader, Cain never reverts to anti-extrovert bashing. She encourages a balance between the two, showing how both types of personality has it’s weaknesses and solutions on how they can work in perfect harmony.

As a self-confessed introvert I found myself nodding along to many points she brought up. It was a reassuring read as someone who, for many years, felt this personality trait was a hinderance rather than an enabler (Cain references the fact that introversion is often mislabelled as shyness). The first thought that crossed my mind when I finished was ‘Everyone in the world needs to read this book!’ and my view still holds firm. Quiet was brilliantly written and Cain’s tone felt both unpatronising and incredibly inspiring!

Reading Soundtrack:

Keep Your Head Up: Ben Howard; Voices: Joe Brooks; Long Live: Taylor Swift; I'll Be Ok: McFLY; I Stand: Idina Menzel; New Perspective: Panic! at the Disco

For lovers of

human psychology – in particular the works of Jung and Myers Briggs - as well as Cain's TED Talk on The Power of Introverts.

1 comment

Saturday, 23 November 2013

Group Collaboration | If We Made The Movies

For this month's group post we asked you to put yourself in the director's chair. We wanted to know which books you would love to see come to the big screen, and which existing adaptations you would change. Here's how cinema would look if we were in charge...

movies ria 1

This month's contributors - Ria, Laura, Lucy, Cat, Anjali
Images of actors all via imdb.com
Post & graphics by Erin

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Next month's post is all about our Favourite Reads Of 2013! Let us know your choices via Twitter, Goodreads or drop us an email - bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com

1 comment

Friday, 22 November 2013

Another Way To Fall | Amanda Brooke | Review

First of all, I'm going to start this review by saying that I'm not entirely sure why I wanted to read this book. I had it on request from the library, but I can't remember requesting it. I only request books that a review or a recommendation has made me want to read, so I must have wanted to read it at some point. It's fair to say I went into this with a lot of anticipation.

Another Way to Fall is the story of Emma - told after three years of treatment for brain cancer that there is little more that they can do for her, and that her treatment will now be pallative, rather than curative. Emma starts to write about the life she is now denied. As she writes, the lines between fiction and reality start to blur and her story takes on a life of its own.

The story opens with the horrible news that Emma, the protagonist, will die. Before you get to know Emma or any of the supporting characters, you already know what the end of the book will be. I really struggled with this being so early on in the book, as it became very clear that the book was going to be about Emma's death, rather than her life - and on a personal note, I wasn't sure that was a book that I wanted to read.

Each chapter starts with a page or more of Italic writing about Emma, which comes to light is her writing her book about herself. Unfortunately, for me I felt this came across way too late and made the narrative confusing. Past the first few chapters I also found these excerpts fairly boring, and easily skippable as Emma tended to explain to another character what had just happened in them. They were also just too idyllic, which I understand to be the life Emma wanted, but it was just another factor that made them skippable - it is the formula everyone expects their life to go in, so of course you know the next step. Unfortunately, Emma writing her story is the premise of the book... and as I didn't like that, I didn't like the essence of the book.

So it's a shame, because I obviously wanted to read this book enough to reserve a copy of it but it has to be 3/5 stars for me.

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

1 comment

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised By Wolves | Karen Russell | Review

“I look for my sister but it's hopeless. The goggles are all fogged up. Every fish burns lantern-bright, and I can't tell the living from the dead. It's all just blurry light, light smeared like some celestial fingerprint all over the rocks and the reef and the sunken garbage. Olivia could be everywhere.” - Karen Russell, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell is a collection of short-stories that are mostly about children going through some kind of trouble while they do their best to grow into the strange world of adults. The stories are all different but still very much alike, filled with a lot imagination, a few magical elements and tons of strange quirky twists.

I have to admit that I had quite high expectations when I started reading this book. I thought that a collection of short-stories filled with surreal elements and quirky strange children would be right up my alley. And in some parts this collection did live up to my expectations because I really enjoyed a few of the stories! My favorite stories were Haunting Olivia, St.Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and The Star-Gazer's Log of Summer-Time Crime. These were the kind of stories that I kept thinking about even weeks after I finished the book. Then there was a few stories in the collection that I liked or thought were pretty decent. But then there was a few stories (maybe two or three?) that I couldn't get my head around.

So, I have pretty mixed feelings about this book because there is a few stories in here that are really worth reading! I think that Karen Russell is a talented writer with an amazing imagination. But I didn't think every story was worth my time. I guess this is the case with most books with short-stories. Every story is not going to please every reader.

I think that St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves is an interesting book, a reading experience I wouldn't want to be without. But I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Some stories were a bit too strange even for my taste and some stories were too much alike to stand out from each other. With some really good and unique stories and some that I could live without I give St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves 3/5 stars.

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

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Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Features | An Evening With Veronica Roth

A surprise selection of goodies | My signed copy of Allegiant | Veronica interviews Shailene

A couple of weeks ago I headed off to London for An Evening With Veronica Roth hosted by Waterstones at the Prince Charles Cinema. Here’s a rundown of the event…

After briefly introducing herself Veronica started by reading a deleted chapter from one of the short stories from the Four collection. The chapter was an alternative POV of the scene in Divergent where Tris is the first to jump into the net after choosing to transfer to Dauntless.

Next came the short, and spoiler free, Q&A portion of the evening. The first question asked was - how did the character of Tris come about? Interestingly Veronica said that she had originally tried to write Divergent 4 years earlier, from the POV of Four but felt it just wasn’t working. Deciding she needed to create a new lead, she first found the voice of Tris and ‘shaped the character around the way that she spoke’.

When asked if she had any regrets or anything she would change about the series looking back, Veronica chose her depiction of Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews in the first book. Why? A simple answer: ‘Kate Winslet’s Jeanine is better than mine’. She likened the character she created back in book one to a ‘Disney villain’, lacking a vulnerability that Kate has brought to the role during filming. In regard to the rest of the series she felt she had made ‘the right decision even if it was the hard one’ – perhaps something for those who have criticised the events and bold choices in Allegiant to keep in mind.

After the main Q&A actress Shailene Woodley, who portrays main character Tris in the upcoming film, made a special guest appearance on stage where Veronica posed a few questions of her own. Shailene spoke about preparing to play roles ‘authentically’ and how she doesn’t tend to research for them in advance, but prefers to be observant whilst on set, listening to others and adjusting her performance in the moment. In this case however she did mention how helpful it was to be able to refer back to the book when she was stuck!

In speaking about what attracts her to take on a role, Shailene said she likes to take on characters and scripts that effect her personally and take her on an ‘emotional rollercoaster’. Talking specifically about Tris she discussed how wary she has been in the past about fronting a franchise, but after falling in love with the book knew she had to take on the role. During the last few quick fire questions Shailene stated that if the Chicago of Divergent were real she would choose to be factionless. And if she were at Hogwarts? She would definitely be a Gryffindor!

Before the signing we were also treated to a screening of the trailer for Divergent’s film adaptation which hits UK screens on 4/4/13 (disappointingly a few weeks after the US release date!). The trailer shows sneak peeks of many memorable locations from the choosing ceremony to the Abnegation houses and the Dauntless compound, as well as key moments from the story. It was great to see it on a big cinema screen and I’m looking forward to the film’s release next year!

Post & photographs by Erin.

4 comments

Monday, 18 November 2013

And Then It Happened | Linda Green | Review

Mel married her childhood sweetheart Adam after being together 10 years, they are now happily married, have jobs they love, perfect marriage, great friends and a gorgeous daughter called Maya who loves anything that isn't girlie. That is until Mel gets a phone call which leaves her world crashing down around her. Adam has been in a life threatening accident and he's been left in a coma.

I picked this book up on a whim in the supermarket because the front cover caught my eye, it looked like my kind of easy read. I was wrong it was not a easy read, that's not to say the writing style was not easy but the story line, I cried and I cried. Tears of sadness, tears of joy. There were times when I was too scared to read on - I did not want childhood sweethearts to torn apart by a devastating accident.

I instantly feel in love with this couple, they were adorable but not sickeningly adorable and little Maya reads to be the cutest little girl. So the whole way through the book I was routing for them. What I really enjoyed about this book was how realistic I felt it was, I haven't experienced anything like this in real life (thankfully!) but when reading this story line it felt realistic and honest.

However what I found was that, each section of the book felt a little lengthy and I was constantly waiting for it to move on, which meant I found myself skim reading some pages to try and get to the next stage of the book. I know as soon as I start skim reading, that the book I'm reading just doesn't have that 'something' that keeps me really engaged and excited by what I'm reading.

I wouldn't go out of my way to read this book, that being said I wouldn't steer others away from it, it's honest and heart-wrenching story line makes it a worthwhile read.

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

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Sunday, 17 November 2013

Ask Anya | Interview with my 10 year old sister | Interview by Anjali

I was pondering what to write for my post this week, and I have to admit, I didn't have anything. I'm half-way through The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (and liking it so far), so I didn't have a recent book to review. Then I saw my 10 year old sister, Anya, reading in our lounge and I thought 'hey! Maybe a new perspective; I wonder how she sees books'. So I asked her if she'd like to write about it. And she did. So I gave her some easy questions, which she wrote out her answers to. I typed them up for her; here's what she said.

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Ask Anya

What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading a book called The Raider's Promise. It is the last book in a series of five.

Tell us a little about it.
This book is written by Lois Walfirid Johnson. In this series, there are quite a few main characters, but the man one is Brianna O'Toole, or Bree for short. This book is a Viking based book, and the story goes that Bree and her brother Devin get captured by Vikings. This is where a 14 year old boy named Mikkle comes in. He led a raid on Ireland, and when he meets Bree and Devon, their adventure really begins. Mikkle, because he met Bree and Devon, realises that his raid was wrong, and they help him to learn from his mistakes.

What is it that you like about this book/series?
I like that it is a good moral story, but also that it gives you a taste of history, and what it was like back then.

Who is your favourite character, and why?
My favourite character is either Bree or her friend that she looked after on Mikkle's boat (whose name is Lil). I like them because they are both very brave and strong, and both have a very nice characters.

Do you have a favourite scene or part of the story? Why is it your favourite?
My favourite scene throughout the series is the part where Bree escapes from Mikkle's baot, and her friend Lil goes with her. Nola, another older person on board, gives them all they need to survive, although she knows that they will be back. To get food for Lil and her, Brree makes disguises so that they can survive on the fish in the near by streams. I like this because the author makes it really tense and exciting to read.

Would you recommend this book/series to other kids your age, and why?
Yes, I would recommend this book to kids who are my age and older. But for younger children it might a bit a bit hard to read, so they should read it with their parents.

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There we have it folks! A child's perspective and thoughts on a book she is reading. It's interesting to see what she thought about the book, and to see her thoughts on why she liked it. I know that a lot of the time we see something, or read something, and know that we like it, but to articulate why is another matter. Being book bloggers here at BB, we love doing just that, but I never really thought about what a 10 year old might think about the books they are reading.

So! If you have children, and you want some adventure stories with good morals, Anya suggests these books. My other sister also read these when she was younger (now she's 19), and I remember her really loving them to. So, thank you Anya for this!

We hope you guys enjoyed it!

Image from Goodreads

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Thursday, 14 November 2013

Being A Book Blogger | Interview with Allie aka Little Birdie Books

Welcome to another edition of Being A Book Blogger! Today we're talking to the lovely Allie of YA & Contemporary review blog Little Birdie Books. Here's what she had to say about movie adaptations, blogging tips and the best book boys...

2iks

BB: Hi Allie! For any of our readers who aren’t already subscribed to Little Birdie Books could you tell us a little bit more about the girl behind the blog?

Well there's the basics: favourite colour is green, favourite food is Indian takeaway (chicken tikka masala mmmm). And, well, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm kind of a book junkie (and by kind of, I mean ridiculously huge). I'm one of those annoying people that always has a book in their hands and gets into a complete zone, blocking at the world. So often when I'm reading my friends / family will have to yell my name about a dozen times before I realise they're talking to me.

Some other key information:
I'm quarter Greek, quarter Italian, quarter German and quarter English. So I have a BIG family. It's great!
I studied Creative Writing at university and it was the most amazing experience of my life. Our teachers were all published writers and I learnt so many invaluable things. Unfortunately, I graduated in July, so I think this means I'm an adult. Kind of.
I'm double-jointed in my toes - this is an essential piece of information.
I'm an avid baker and, not to brag, but my blueberry muffins are out of this world.
I am the reigning Scrabble champion. Challenge me ... I dare you *shifty eyes*

BB: How did you get into book blogging and do you have any advice for those who are considering it?

I've always got a book in my hand, so book blogging seemed like the perfect thing for me to do to fill my time after I graduated. It's just a fun way to share my thoughts with other bloggers and get into great book discussions.

I think if you want to be a book blogger then go for it. There is such a lovely community out there and I have met some of the sweetest people.

The best advice I can give is not to get too held up doing thousands of blog tours and cover reveals just to get some hits on your site. Those posts tend to be quite impersonal and don't make for good discussions in the comments. Also, if you book loads you'll get super stressed and It'll take the fun out of blogging and, really, blogging is all about enjoying yourself and sharing your passion.

I'd also really recommend taking part in some memes - a lot of blogs have linkys for you to sign up so you can see other people who are participating. It's a great way to integrate yourself into the blogging community and find other awesome bloggers.

Also, do try and respond to comments. If someone is kind enough to leave a message on your post, then reply and return the favour by visiting their blog and leaving a comment. A bit of give and take is always nice and, again, it's a great way for you to start a conversation with fellow bloggers.
Oh and one more thing - be prepared to live on Goodreads and for your TBR to become a mountain!

BB: You have a lovely blog design with a cute bird-themed rating system. How did you come up with the idea?

Well my blog name was something I stumbled upon accidentally when my mother mentioned how a 'little birdie' had told her the book I was reading was good. I knew then I had a name for my blog and I wanted the design to play on that name.

The last thing I wanted was for my blog to look business-like and boring. Little Birdie needed something eye-catching and fun! Stephanie at Hopeless Romantics was cool enough to design my blog for me and she was great at really taking into account the kind of look and feel I wanted (and including the most adorable birdies in the header).
As for the rating system, stars are so 90s ;)

BB: Another unique feature of your blog is the 'Birdie's Book Boys Feature' every second weekend - if you had to pick a top 3 from those you've written about so far, who would make the cut?

Oh man, that's seriously tough! Okay, okay, let's see ... I'd probably say Oliver Parish (The Art of Wishing), Dexter Jones (This Lullaby) and Chase Jennings (Article 5).

Oliver is absolutely hilarious, plus he's a genie so a good time is bound to be had by all!
Dexter is quirky, sweet and endearingly clumsy. Plus he plays guitar and I'm still not over my musician phase.

And then there's Chase who manages to be both the bad boy and the guy next door *swoons*.

BB: Here at BB our TBR stacks are never-ending, which five books are at the top of your list right now?

I have so many too, it's kind of ridiculous. There's just SO many books I need to get my hands on! I think top 5 are:

Pushing the Limits - There has been endless raving about this (and the second book in the series), so I need to see what all the fuss is about asap.
The Fourth Wish - I seriously cannot wait to see how Margo adjusts after the end of Art of Wishing. Plus: hello Oliver!
Three - The next book in the Article 5 series. This is one of my all-time favourite series, so I'm twiddling my thumbs until it comes out.
Fangirl - This has been getting some serious buzz in the blogosphere and I loved Rainbow Rowell's last book Eleanor & Park, so I'm dying to read this.
Ignite Me - Another series, I know, but there are just so many good ones out there and this is no exception. Tahereh Mafi has such a unique writing style that completely draws you in. Also: Warner is crazed. Team Adam all the way.

BB: If you could choose one book that hasn’t yet been adapted to be turned into a movie which one would it be?

I'd really like to see The 5th Wave on the big screen. There's such an amazing story to be told there and SO many kick-ass characters. I think if it could make a great film series or even a TV show. There's just so much material there, especially with all the different points of view.

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

I think it'd be hilarious to have all of the male love interests from various YA novels thrown together. It'd be one tortured testosterone-fest.

BB: Finally, which book blogs (other than your own of course!) would you recommend to our readers?

There are seriously so many talented bloggers out there. Buuuut I think my top five would be:
1. Forever Young Adult
2. Cuddlebuggery
3. Bewitched Bookworms
4. Readers in Wonderland
5. Read, Breathe, Read

Visit Allie's blog here: Little Birdie Books

Allie's Social Media links:
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/lilbirdiebooks/pins/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/alliechristo
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8969137-allie-christo
Instagram - http://web.stagram.com/n/alliechristo

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I'd like to say a huge thank you from all of us here at BB to Allie for taking part in this interview.

If you are a booktuber or book blogger and would like to be featured in a similar post we'd love to hear from you - just email us at bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com for information!

Interview & post by Erin
Cover images via Goodreads

1 comment

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

A Really Awesome Mess | Trish Cook & Brendan Halpin | Review

Image via Goodreads

“Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends.” Source

For me this is one of the most difficult reviews I’ve had to write as I have quite conflicted feelings about the book… but more on that later.

In the first chapter of this dual-POV book we are introduced to Emmy, who as a baby was adopted from China into an American family. Emmy has grown up alongside her parent’s biological daughter Joss and has always felt like the odd one out. Emmy winds up at Heartland after issues with both bullying and anorexia. The other POV we follow comes from Justin, who has just as many troubles of his own, including a battle with depression. At Heartland Emmy and Justin are forced to form a Breakfast Club-esque misfit group alongside other teens they would have never been friends with in the ‘real world’. The group have to learn to put aside their differences and work together to achieve their personal goals, and this idea becomes the backbone of the story.

Although intriguing and different from those in other YA novels, the characters weren’t always likable and at times were difficult to root for. Having said that I was pleased to find that each member of the group did have quite a distinct personality, something that I have found lacking in some of the other books I have read recently.

From what I have seen this book has received extreme mixed reviews from readers, with many feeling offended by the way in which serious issues such as anorexia and depression are depicted and dealt with. Although I didn’t necessarily set out to take this book too seriously, I did myself find some issues with the way some of the teens’ problems were portrayed, particularly in the flippant comments exchanged by the characters, and can completely understand why some readers have been annoyed by this aspect.

Despite having some issues with A Really Awesome Mess I did find the writing styles very easy to follow and would definitely consider reading more from these authors in future, perhaps with a different subject matter.

At the end of the day I can’t deny that part of me did enjoy the book, if there hadn’t been something appealing about it then I wouldn’t have finished it over just two days. On the other hand I really did feel it was flawed, at times inappropriate and although I thought the idea had a lot of potential, it didn’t quite hit the mark.

*Review copy c/o Netgalley

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Monday, 11 November 2013

The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood | Review

*image via GoodReads

Offred is a young woman living in the Republic of Gilead. She's a Handmaid and serves only one function in this society: to breed. She's essentially a surrogate mother and one of hundreds, if not thousands in the Republic, who are selected and prepped to help repopulate the State. The price to pay if she chooses to rebel? Death. Either by hanging or sent out to the Colonies to die of radiation poisoning. She's not the only one suffering though and there are many rebelling all around her in the smallest ways possible. Not even the government can suppress human desire.