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WELCOME TO BLOGGER'S BOOKSHELF...


where our team of writers love to talk all things books, sharing reviews, features, lists, interviews and more.

Getting lost in a book is escapism at it's finest and it's what everyone who contributes here thrives on.

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Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Book Club | Our Full 2020 Prompts List!

For our 2020 book club we've put together another printable list of twelve different prompts, one for each month of the year.

Just we did in 2019, on the 1st day of each month we'll be introducing you to the month's prompt and the books team members each plan to read, along with some other suggested reads we think you'll love. Of course, these are just ideas so please feel free to interpret the prompts however you wish!

We would absolutely love for you to join in and as usual we're inviting you to share photos and mini reviews of your book club picks on social media using #bloggersbookshelf or tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram.

Without further ado, here are the 2020 Blogger's Bookshelf book club prompts...

January - By an author you love | February - With a tree or leaf on the cover | March - A book about siblings | April - Written by a POC | May - With a number in the title | June - By an author with the same initials as you | July - A book with a map | August - With sunshine or clouds on the cover | September - Featuring or set in a school | October - Re-read a book you previously gave 5 stars | November - With food on the cover | December - By an author you've never read
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Book Club | December 2019 Roundup

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Monday, 30 December 2019

Infographic | A Decade* Of Blogger's Bookshelf

As the year, and the decade, draw to a close we thought it would be nice to reflect back on BB over the past 7 years. Huge thank you to Anjali for putting together this amazing infographic! Scroll down to see some of our favourite BB stats...





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Friday, 27 December 2019

Group Collaboration | Our Favourite Reads Of 2019!



Don't forget to leave us a comment, or tweet us @ blog_bookshelf, and let us know which books would make your top 5 lists this year!
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Sunday, 15 December 2019

Group Collaboration | 2019 Reading Challenge Update

Photo by Fabiola Peñalba on Unsplash

Ria... 2/5 books vowed to read 
I'm glad I did take my time to really read and enjoy the two books I did finish (Becoming, by Michelle Obama, and Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan). I'm also attributing my 2/5 to the fact I ended up reading other fantastic books this year - which made picking my 2019 favourites so hard!

Erin... 5/5 books vowed to read
Looking back through the archives, the last time I managed to cross all five titles off my list was in 2015! I chose this year's very carefully to give myself the best chance and it has definitely paid off! My favourite reads of the five would have to be Us Against You by Fredrik Backman and Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman.

Anastasia... 3/5 books vowed to read
I'm ashamed to say I completely forgot which books I had vowed to read this year, but I still managed to read 3 out of 5 of them anyway! The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman, Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton, and Puddin' by Julie Murphy were all great reads, and I might just have to scoot the other two books I didn't get to on to my list for 2020!

Anjali... 4/5 books vowed to read
Like most years, I didn't manage to get to all of my Vow To Read list, but I'm rather pleased to announce that I read four out of five! I'm quite happy with that. I had vowed to read (actually did end up reading) Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Rirrdan, King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (which I read twice!!), and Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. The only one I didn't end up reading was P.S. I still Love You, by Jenny Han. I'm actually hoping to read it this summer (Southern Hemisphere) before the movie adaptation comes out early next year.

Sophie... 4/5 books vowed to read
I read all of my vow to read apart from All the Light We Cannot See although hoping to fit it in before the end of the year but we’ll see how I go.
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Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Bookish Links #51


1. Here's a list of upcoming YA adaptations. Which one are you most excited for?

2. Michelle has some amazing bookish gift ideas!

3. Speaking of bookish gifts, we love this embroidered patch.

4. If finding a new book club to follow is on your 2020 to-do list, this one's for you. Of course, we'd love for you to join our BB book club too!

5. This list is one to bookmark for planning your 2020 book blog content.

6. We're obviously big fans of Rants and Reviews but you can never have too many bookish podcasts on your feed - this list features loads of titles to try.

7. Get into the festive spirit with this choose your own adventure novel.

8. These personalised bookends will look chic on any bookcase.

9. Looking for something different for your next read? This list features titles with unusual narrative structures.

10. Sophie shared some of her favourite reads from the past few months.

11. In this post from the BB archives, Anastasia recommended a title that's perfect for this time of year.

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Sunday, 1 December 2019

Book Club | December 2019 - Judge A Book By It's Cover


For our 2019 BB Book Club we've put together a printable list of twelve different prompts. On the 1st day of each month, we'll be introducing you to the month's prompt and the books team members each plan to read, along with some other suggested reads we think you'll love. Of course, these are just ideas so please feel free to interpret the prompts however you wish!

We're also inviting you to share photos and mini reviews of your book club picks on social media using #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram.

Our prompt for December is... Judge A Book By It's Cover (aka A Cover You Love)



What we'll be reading...


Anjali's Pick: Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

"While snakes on book covers do seem to be quite popular at the moment, I really do like the cover of Serpent and Dove. It's dramatic but almost elegant at the same time, and I love the contrasting gold on the black and dark greys. It's also relatively simple, but includes a lot of textural details too, which I love. While I've read mixed reviews for the story itself, I'm still looking forward to picking this up!"

Erin's Pick: The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

"This book has been on my TBR since the summer and I thought it would fit this prompt well as I really like the colours and dreamlike design of the cover. As I haven't been buying any books this year I haven't gotten around to reading it yet but noticed this week that it has been added to my library's catalogue and marked as 'on order'. So, I'm currently first in the queue and hoping a copy will be in stock before the end of the year. If not, I'll be sure to pick up an alternative title for December's book club."

Other suggested reads...

This post from the BB archives has some great suggestions!




Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month!
 
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Saturday, 30 November 2019

Book Club | November 2019 Roundup

Can you believe we're almost at the end of our second year of hosting a book club? November's theme was 'featuring a ghost' a prompt perfect for the winter evenings here in the UK. Here are a selection of the titles read and reviewed over the past few weeks...




Tunnel Of Bones by Victoria Schwab


"This was the second in the Victoria Schwab's Cassidy Blake series, and it was just as good as the first one (City of Ghosts). The reason I picked up Tunnel of bones for November's book club theme is because these stories follow Cas and her best friend Jacob, who is a ghost himself, around the world with her ghost-hunting tv-show filming parents. There's ghosts left, right and centre and it's brilliant. Super looking forward to the third in the series, bridge of Souls, which will come out in 2020. Check out my full review here." - Anjali


The Ghost Walk by Matt Haig


"Whilst I was waiting for a copy of Ninth House to be available to collect from the library I noticed this title pop up on Borrow Box. At just under half an hour, The Ghost Walk was a fun short story which I really enjoyed listening to." - Erin


Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo


"Ninth House isn't a title I think I would usually have picked up but when I turned to Team BB for recommendations this was one of Anjali's suggestions. Initially I found it a little slow to get into but the premise was interesting and overall I did enjoy it. The ending has even got me thinking that I might continue with the series." - Erin


We'll be introducing December's book club tomorrow so don't forget to check back! Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month.
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Friday, 29 November 2019

Tunnel of Bones | Victoria Schwab | Review



Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.

 She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

 When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.

 And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever. - Goodreads


The November prompt for our Blogger's Bookshelf Book Club was 'featuring a ghost'. Thankfully I had just the book already lined up and ready to go.

In 2018, Victoria 'V.E.' Schwab released City of Ghosts, and it followed the story of Cassidy Blake and her adventures around Edinburgh, Scotland. Cassidy's parents are ghost hunters, and host a TV show, but Cassidy can actually see ghosts; in fact, her best friend Jacob is one.

In Tunnel of Bones we follow Cas and Jacob to Paris, France, where things are not as holiday-esque as they'd like. They join Cassidy's parents around the city on their filming locations, but it becomes pretty clear pretty quickly that there's a poltergeist causing havoc. As the story goes on, Cassidy and Jacob try to figure out who the ghost is menacing in the city of Paris, and how to make it stop.

I really like these stories by Schwab. Even though it's a Middle Grade book, it's so wonderfully written and creatively told. I love Cassidy and Jacob as main characters, and can't wait to read their further adventures in Bridge of Souls, which takes place in New Orleans. If you're after a short read but packed full of great characters and even better excursions into the darker, paranormal side of cities around the world, then I highly recommend picking up these books.
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Wednesday, 27 November 2019

Features | 6 Audiobook Recommendations

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

2019 has been the year that I've really embraced audiobooks thanks to Borrow Box; at the time of writing this post I've listened to no less than 21 titles since I first got the app back in March! With that in mind I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favourites...


1. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Read by Alex Reid, Ari Fliakos, Arthur Bishop, Benjamin Bratt, Brendan Wayne, Fred Berman, Henry Leyva, Holter Graham, January LaVoy, Jennifer Beals, Jonathan Davis, Judy Greer, Julia Whelan, Nancy Wu, Oliver Wyman, P.J. Ochlan, Pablo Schreiber, Peter Larkin, Robert Petkoff, Robinne Lee and Sara Arrington

Kicking off the list is one of my favourite reads of the year, which I enjoyed in both ebook and audiobooks formats back in August. As the story is told entirely through interviews, the audiobook was the perfect format to allow the characters to come to life. If you love interview style podcasts you'll love this one.


2. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Read by Bahni Turpin, Michael Crouch and Robbie Daymond 

A more recent listen, and another book looking very likely to make it onto my top 5 list for 2019, is this YA title from Adam Silvera which follows two teens on their End Day. Listening to the story rather than reading it seemed to make the characters feel really realistic and made the ending even more heartbreaking.


3. Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Read by Becky Wright 

I first read Genesis back in 2014 and really enjoyed it, so when I noticed my library had the audiobook version I thought it would be the perfect way to re-read the book. At just short of four hours I got through my re-read over the course of one day and loved revisiting the story.


4. Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding

Read by Imogen Church 

As mentioned in this post I shared a few months back, I thought Imogen Church did a great job bringing the character of Bridget to life through this audiobook. Similarly to the interview format in Daisy Jones, I think the diary format worked really well as an audiobook and would definitely recommend this one if you're a fan of the Bridget Jones movie adaptations.


5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Read by Stephen Fry 

How could I share this list and not include Harry Potter? This one was my Netflix replacement back in October whilst on holiday in an internet-free cottage and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm now in the library queue for books 2-4 and can't wait to continue with the series in this format.


6. The Rest Of The Story by Sarah Dessen

Read by Rebecca Soler

My final recommendation is The Rest Of The Story, a YA Contemporary set by a lake. It may be cold here in the UK right now but I think this one would be perfect for your summer 2020 TBR.
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Friday, 1 November 2019

Wayward Son | Rainbow Rowell | Review



The story is supposed to be over.

 Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…

 So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

 What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

 They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

 Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun.

This was the sequel we knew we wanted but thought we'd never get. It's the continuation to a story we thought we wouldn't see again.

Carry On was supposed to be a stand-alone novel when Rowell released it back in 2017, but here we are, two years later with a sequel in our hands. I really enjoyed Carry On and the world and magic and characters that Rowell created (you can check out the review I shared here on BB, or head on over to Sophie's review for a slightly different opinion), so picking up Wayward Son was a dream.

The story continues, with Simon and Baz now out of school in the real world, with Watford School of Magicks behind them. Penny is with them in England, while Agatha has skipped the country and is living in America. On a sudden whim, Penny gets Simon, Baz and herself plane tickets to America where they plan to surprise-visit Agatha. However, like you'd imagine, it doesn't all go to plan, and the three end up running into vampires at a Renaissance Faire, being chased down by a Normal, loosing their magic across the country, and discovering that Agatha might not actually be having the time of her life.

This was such a fun story! It's quite a bit smaller than Carry On, and quite a different feel. Moving from a British boarding school of magical education to the wide open spaces of America's highways is going to be a different story, but it was just as brilliant as the first book, if not more so.

As soon as I started reading I was reminded of each character's personalities and quirks, but the additional people that they meet in the US were their own kind of crazy (in the best way). If you've read Carry On then I probably don't need to tell you to pick up Wayward Son, but if you haven't read either, then they are a really fun read, full of magic, friendship, love, monsters and floral suits.

Rainow Rowell also dropped the news this past month that there was going to be a third book! From a stand-along to a trilogy! It's called Any Way the Wind Blows and while there's no word on when that'll be released, I hope it's sooner than two years away.

Have you read Wayward Son? What did you think? 
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Book Club | November 2019 - Featuring A Ghost


For our 2019 BB Book Club we've put together a printable list of twelve different prompts. On the 1st day of each month, we'll be introducing you to the month's prompt and the books team members each plan to read, along with some other suggested reads we think you'll love. Of course, these are just ideas so please feel free to interpret the prompts however you wish!

We're also inviting you to share photos and mini reviews of your book club picks on social media using #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram.

Our prompt for November is... Featuring A Ghost


What we'll be reading...


Anjali's Pick: Tunnel Of Bones by Victoria Schwab

"I don't often read Middle Grade books, but when Victoria Schwab released City of Ghosts last year I knew I had to pick it up. I love her stories and this one didn't disappoint. This year the second in this series came out, Tunnel of Bones, and I'm really looking forward to picking it up this month. It follows Cassidy Blake and her best friend, Jacob (who happens to be a ghost) as they move around the world following Cassidy's paranormal-television-show parents on their spooky TV-location sites. It's a lot of fun, and if you haven't read the first one then I definitely recommend it!"

Erin's Pick: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

"I was really unsure what to choose for this month's prompt so I turned to my fellow BB team members for recommendations. Anjali suggested this new release from Leigh Bardugo which has an interesting premise. I'm just hoping my library reservation turns up in time!"

Other suggested reads...

- The Haunting Of Bodmin Jail (Anastasia Gammon) - further info
- City Of Ghosts (Victoria Schwab) - review
- Horrorstor (Grady Hendrix) - review
- Say Her Name (Juno Dawson) - review
- The Coffin Path (Katherine Clements) - review


 
Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month!
 
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Thursday, 31 October 2019

Book Club | October 2019 Roundup

And just like that October is over. Our book club theme for the month was 'by an author with an alliterative name', and there was one author in particular who was a popular choice! Here are a selection of the titles read and reviewed over the past few weeks...







This month’s @bloggersbookshelf book club theme is ‘books by authors with alliterative names’ and I don’t think I’m the only person to choose Rainbow Rowell’s Wayward Son as my pick for the month! Wayward Son is quite a different story from its predecessor, Carry On. Although it deals very much with the aftermath of the events in the first book, Wayward Son takes us away from the magical school setting of Carry On and introduces the reader to a completely different kind of magical world in the U.S.A. I actually think I enjoyed Wayward Son slightly more than Carry On. Maybe that’s because I liked the exploration of how the characters are dealing with the events of the first book or maybe it’s just because I love a road trip story. Probably both. Either way, this is an excellent follow up to Carry On and I can’t wait for the third in the series! - #vsco #vscocam #bloggersbookshelf #bookshelfbookclub #waywardson #rainbowrowell #bookreview #bookstagram #vscobooks #bookbloggers #bookworm #booklove #prettybooks #beautifulbooks #instabooks #bibliophile #igreads #booklover #ya #yabooks #yabookstagram
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Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell


"This sequel to Carry On was brilliant! I loved getting back into this world and following Simon and Baz across America. The additional characters were a lot of fun, too, and I can't wait for the next book which doesn't have a release date yet." - Anjali

On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta


"For this month's book club I picked up the audiobook version of On The Jellicoe Road. I thought the concept and mystery elements of the story were interesting but I think I would have enjoyed it more in a different format." - Erin







"Witches are not so delicate", I said ✨ • Believe the hype, believe the accolades and nominations, Madeline Miller's Circe was an absolute treasure to read. I may be biased as I am on a big of a Greek mythology binge (having finished both Mythos and Silence of the Girls this year) but this retelling of the infamous witch of Aiaia was more than magical. Part love story, part family drama, and 100% a true hero's journey, Miller's retelling manages to capture the more human side to Circe that (imo) we always need lay buried in between the lines of the more male dominated legacies of the traditional myths✨ • @bloggersbookshelf #BookshelfBookClub #Circe #madelinemiller #myths #greekmythology #mythsandlegends #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookreview #booksofinstagram #currentlyreading #igreads #myreadinglife #booksbooksbooks
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Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell


"Pumpkinheads is a graphic novel illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks, and is everything you'd expect a Rainbow Rowell story to be. It's sweet, it's funny, it's set in an adorable location (hello pumpkin patch!), and the characters are a dream. This is going to be a book I see myself picking up every year in our Southern Hemisphere autumn, and in October at Halloween time. So cute!" - Anjali






We'll be introducing November's book club tomorrow so don't forget to check back! Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month.
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Saturday, 26 October 2019

SEVEN | Happy Birthday Blogger's Bookshelf


TODAY BLOGGER'S BOOKSHELF TURNS 7...

The past year has flown by and we can't believe BB is turning seven already!

To celebrate we're giving you the chance to win one of six amazing books! Each title comes highly recommended by a member of Team BB as they're some of our favourite reads of the year so far and have been specially chosen because we know you'll love them too. Scroll down to find out which books we've selected.

Also! As it is our seventh birthday we're also throwing in a special little bookish pin too, so you can declare your love of books to the world!

You can enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter gadget below to be in with a chance of winning.



Ria's Pick: The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

Kelly's Pick: England: Poems From A School by Kate Clanchy

Erin's Pick: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Anastasia's Pick: A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood

Anjali's Pick: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Sophie's Pick: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for your support!

- Team BB
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Friday, 18 October 2019

Features | Reading Challenge 2019 Complete | Five Fave Books so Far


Like many of us book lovers, I take part in the Goodreads Reading Challenge each year. If you're unfamiliar, it's basically a chance for you to set yourself a book reading goal to achieve in the coming year. Usually I go for something between 40 and 50 books, and last year I managed to get through 76 (though, granted, about 10 of those where were super short and about the same amount were graphic novels), so I knew I should go for the higher end.

My goal for the year was 50, and I'm pleased to say that my goal was achieved on September 30th when I finished listening to The Upside of Unrequited, by Becky Albertalli. That doesn't mean I'm slowing down or not reading any more - far from it! I have so many books that I really want to read this year, and a literal pile next to my bed for all the ones I'm reading next.


I thought to celebrate this wee achievement, I'd share with you my five fave books that I've read in 2019 so far (although obviously subject to change come December).

  • Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
  • The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
  • The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
  • Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
  • King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Both Truly Devious and The Vanishing Stair were so so so excellent and I can't rave about them enough. The third and final book in this latest series by Johnson is The Hand in the Wall and it comes out in January. I cannot wait to get my hands on it! 

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy is the companion novel to The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue and was just as fun as it's buddy. I actually read this for the first time earlier in the year and then re-read it via audio book later in the year; I've never re-read a book that I read for the first time in the space of a year, let alone months apart. 

Four Dead Queens is a YA debut novel from Scholte, an Australian author, and it was so good! I loved every single second of it and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future. She's also an artist, and does paintings of all her characters which I think is so amazing, and also helpful to visualise exactly what her characters look like. 

King of Scars was the latest in the Grishverse books by Leigh Bardugo, and it follows Nikolai Lanstov, who was one of my favourite characters in the Shadow and Bone series. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and reading more about the world Bardugo has created, but from Nikolai's perspective. 

So there we have it! Five of my fave books so far from 2019. How is your reading challenge going? Are you on track? Think you'll make it? Let us know what your favourite reads have been this year; we'd love to add some to our TBR lists! 

(Also check out our Vow To Read list from the beginning of year! I've read 4/5 so far!)
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Friday, 4 October 2019

The Upside of Unrequited | Becky Albertalli | Review


"Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

 Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back.

 There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?"

After reading (and loving) Simon vs the Homo-sapiens Agenda last year, Leah on the Offbeat this year, and also What if It's Us (co-written with Adam Silvera), Becky Albertalli's The Upside of Unrequited had been on my list of books to check out. I managed to score the audio-book from the library and listened to it on a solo road trip I did recently.

I didn't love this book as much as any of the others she's written, but it was still an enjoyable story. Molly was a fun character but she was a little bit too obsessed with boys and crushes and falling in love and girl! Just cool it a little! There's a lot of that throughout the book, and at times it did get very old very quickly (one of the reasons I didn't give this a higher star rating).

But there are wonderful things about this book too. Molly and Cassie are twins to mothers, who have a baby brother too, and a somewhat complicated family (though aren't everyone's?). Their friends are wonderful in their own ways, and the love interests are sweet and quirky, too. As Molly tries to figure out if Will is actually flirting with her (and tries hard to ignore Cassie pushing her towards him in a 'you guys need to go out!' sort of way), and how she feels about her co-worker Reid, the story follows her over the course of a summer as she celebrates milestones with her family, watches her sister fall in love, and wrestles with all the weird and wonderful aspects of being 17.

It's a fun book, but like I said, definitely not a favourite from Albertalli. There is, however, a Simon cameo in this book (which I didn't realise until after I read it - like, duh, Anjali, come on), and it's kiiiiiinda a spoiler, so if you haven't read Simon vs the Homo-sapiens Agenda, I would suggest you play it safe and read that first.
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Tuesday, 1 October 2019

Book Club | October 2019 - By An Author With An Alliterative Name


For our 2019 BB Book Club we've put together a printable list of twelve different prompts. On the 1st day of each month, we'll be introducing you to the month's prompt and the books team members each plan to read, along with some other suggested reads we think you'll love. Of course, these are just ideas so please feel free to interpret the prompts however you wish!

We're also inviting you to share photos and mini reviews of your book club picks on social media using #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram.

Our prompt for October is... By An Author With An Alliterative Name

 

What we'll be reading...


Ria's Pick: Circe by Madeline Miller

"Circe tells the story of the daughter of the rejected daughter of Titan, Helios. Black sheep of the family and banished for meddling with mortals, her isolation leads her to discover witchcraft. I'm on a bit of greek myth binge, so I'm super excited to get going with this one!"

Anjali's Pick: Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

"Carry On by Rainbow Rowell came out several years ago and I really enjoyed the story (I've read it twice). Wayward son is the sequel and it just came out this September. I'm super looking forward to reading it and seeing what Simon and Baz are getting up to."

Sophie's Pick: City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

"It's one of my Vow To Rereads this year and I really enjoyed it back when I first read it probably 7ish years ago. So excited to get stuck back into Clary and Jace's story."

Other suggested reads...


- Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell) - review
- The Bone Season (Samantha Shannon) - review
- The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
- Crazy Rich Asians (Kevin Kwan) - review
- City Of Bones (Cassandra Clare)
- Ulysses (James Joyce)
- The Giver (Lois Lowry) - review
- The Unexpected Everything (Morgan Matson)

 
Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf on Instagram to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month!
 
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Monday, 30 September 2019

Book Club | September 2019 Roundup

Things have been a little quiet here on BB this month, but we'll be back to sharing more posts soon as we head into October to celebrate our 7th birthday! For now, it's time to share our September book club roundup where our theme was 'also a movie or TV show'. Here are some of the books shared this month...







For this month’s @bloggersbookshelf book club we’re reading books that have also been adapted into TV shows or films, so I chose a book that’s been on my TBR for a while, Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Everything, Everything is the story of Maddy, a teenage girl who is allergic to the outside world. Maddy can’t leave her house, where she lives with her doctor mom, and very few people are allowed in, so she spends her day attending online classes, watching movies with her mom, and being monitored by her only other friend, her nurse, Carla. It’s not ideal, but it keeps Maddy alive, and she’s content with not knowing what she’s missing. But when a new family moves in next door, and Maddy makes friends with the son, Olly, over email, she gets her first taste of what she can’t have. After that, it’s hard to go back to not wanting it. Perfect for fans of classic YA romance with a unique twist, Everything, Everything is the kind of engrossing read that sweeps you up into its world and dares you to step away. I can see how, for some, it may be a little too heavy with those romantic YA tropes, but when done well, I think they’re great, and in this novel Nicola Yoon does them very well. - #vsco #vscocam #bloggersbookshelf #bookshelfbookclub #everythingeverything #nicolayoon #bookreview #bookstagram #vscobooks #bookbloggers #bookworm #booklove #prettybooks #beautifulbooks #instabooks #bibliophile #igreads #booklover #ya #yabooks #yabookstagram
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First, they killed my father by Loung Ung


"A memoir of Ung's personal experiences as a child survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, 'First they killed my father' is a harrowingly necessary account of war through a child's eyes. This is admittedly a book you don't enjoy but you devour. I know little of the Cambodian civil war and the mass genocide in Phnom Penh, but Ung's account is so horrifyingly vivid you almost feel as if you're living the sadness and anger alongside her. 
From the invasion of the Khmer soldiers, leaving behind her family home, separation and eventual execution of members of her family, severe exhaustion and starvation, her recruitment as a child soldier, every emotion she felt during those years bleed into the page. 
Whilst obviously a difficult read, the story ends with hope (and eventual reunion with her brothers and sisters in Vietnam). Ung was one of the lucky few who escaped and has used her experience to teach others and advocate for a better world so no child ever goes through what she did."  










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We'll be introducing October's book club tomorrow so don't forget to check back! Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month.
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