/ Blogger's Bookshelf

Tuesday, 29 December 2015

2015 Reading Goals | Final Update

It's time to check in with team BB and take a look at how we all did on our 2015 reading challenges...
If you missed our last update you can click here to catch up!

Ria... 24/30 books read | 3/5 books vowed to read
Whilst I didn't hit my book goal by the end of this year, I did pick up momentum over the Summer after throwing a few graphic novels and some fantastic YA books into my 'read' pile for 2015. I also managed to tick Hollow Pike, Armada, and The Night Circus off my books I vowed to read list for the year. They were the three I was most excited to read and they certainly didn't let me down!

Cat... 2/5 books vowed to read

I have read two of my 2015 vowed to read books, Ready Player One (Ernest Cline), and Life After Life (Kate Atkinson), of which both I loved. I definitely still want to read Unwind, but I think that my other two choices North and South and On the Road, might be a bit too ‘heavy’ for my current reading tastes, and may put them on the back burner for now.

Anjali... 45/48 books read | 3/5 books vowed to read

A few months ago I realised that 48 was going to be unfeasible this year, so I changed to 45, which I have achieved. I've read 3 of the 5 books I vowed to read, The Wicked Shall Rise, Crown of Midnight, and Let's Get Lost. Landline is the next one my list, so that's another from the Vow to Read list. I have read quite a few good books this year, and quite a few rubbish ones. But that's life in the reading world!

Erin... 5/5 books vowed to read
Since our last update, the fifth and final title on my 'vowed' to read' list - Marissa Meyer's Winter - was released so I managed to just squeeze it in before the end of the year! I'm pleased to say that I really enjoyed all of my five choices for 2015 and I'm looking forward to picking out my 2016 list.

Ali... 48/20 books read | 4/5 books vowed to read
I've more than doubled my original goal so I'm very happy with my reading for 2015. My surprise favourite was Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow - I've never read verse poetry before but it's definitely something I'll explore more.

We hope you've enjoyed following our challenges again this year!

Don't forget to leave a comment and let us know how you got on with your own reading challenges & check back soon to see our goals for 2016!

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Monday, 28 December 2015

Library Wars: Love & War | Kiiro Yumi | Review

Summary:

In the near future, the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) is formed to censor all offensive and questionable media, by force. In response to this, libraries are reformed to protect patron rights and freedom of expression. Enter Kasahara, a private in the Library Task Force, full of passion, but not a lot of skill. This series follows her personal growth in the Library Task Force as well as the political and emotional turmoil between Libraries and the MBC.

Review:

I originally started reading this because it's about libraries. I had no idea, when I picked up the first book, that there would also be a few love stories involved. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't really care for love stories. That being said, this has been an amazing series to read.* Kiiro Yumi's depictions of the characters are a delight to read and I am fully emotionally invested in these characters. I've almost cried for one of them.

My favorite part about this series is that it covers actual problems contemporary librarians face. Don't get me wrong, so far libraries haven't had to create their own armed forces, but there's so much more than that in these books. We read about librarians not handing over patron records to the police in an investigation. We read about problems librarians have with parents expecting them to be babysitters. Heck, in order to be promoted, the challenges range from sitting at a computer all day inputting new books to keeping a room full grade school kids occupied for story time, to hosting a public forum on questionable books. This series does a masterful job of showing the many roles a librarian can play. This may all sound boring, but there is plenty of action as well. It really is a war between Libraries and the MBC. There are gunfights and raids.

Of course, the love stories do have to be addressed. Throughout the series the main couple is in denial of their feelings. This could have made the series more of a drama, but Yumi turned it into a comedy. The back and forth between the two makes me, literally, laugh out loud. Personally, it wouldn't surprise me if that's why I enjoy a series with a love story; because it's hilarious. There are other couples in this series and they show so many other kinds of love stories. One is absolutely adorable, another is an interesting meeting of highly intelligent people, and there are more.

In case you can't tell, I absolutely love this manga. I've even started looking for the anime, the original book by Hiro Arikawa, and the live-action movie. This is an incredibly enjoyable series for people who love books, people who love love-stories, and people who love to laugh.

*I'm currently waiting to get Volumes 13 & 14.

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Saturday, 26 December 2015

Bookish Links #12

Happy holidays everyone! We hope you're all enjoying yourselves whatever you've been up to this week. Once again it's time to catch up on some of our favourite reads from around the web, here are a handful of the articles we've been loving lately...

1/ Big Screen Fairytales - with the recent buzz surrounding the final book in the series we've been dreaming about The Lunar Chronicles being brought to life on screen. As it turns out everyone else has too, and Caitlin over at Bustle shared her dream cast. Which actors would you love to see play Cinder, Cress, Scarlet, Winter and co.?

2/ Bookworm Problems - Ali's post focusing on the struggles of a bookworm is a great read that definitely got us thinking about our own bookish habits! How many of these can you relate to?

3/ In A Parallel Universe... - this fun post from Quirk Books explores the idea of what would happen if our favourite girl on fire Katniss Everdeen found herself in some other famous dystopian settings.

4/ Most-Read Authors - this post all about most-read authors definitely got us thinking about which names would make our own lists! Who are your most-read authors? We'd love you to let us know in the comments section below.

5/ Best Books On Ballet - this recent Book Riot article has some brilliant ideas if you're looking to add a ballet book or two to your 2016 TBR. Have you read any of these titles yet? Let us know in the comments section!

6/ The Disney Effect - Laura's clever post takes a closer look at how Disney adaptations have changed some of the most well-known fairytales into something completely different. From The Little Mermaid to Tangled, you may never look at your favourite in the same way again!

7/ The Best Of 2015 - if you're searching for more titles to add to your 2016 TBR take a peek at this list featuring thirteen of 2015's best that you may have missed out on this year.

8/ Pen Pals - we adore the idea of the Blogger Positivity Campaign and enjoyed reading responses to the recent prompt "Letter to a Fictional Character that Inspired or Helped You!", including this one from Aila. Which character would you choose to write to and why?

9/ Living In A Fantasy World - blogger Katarina recently shared 3 reasons to read Fantasy and we couldn't agree with her more! Will you be adding any Fantasy titles to your 2017 TBR?

10/ Seasonal Re-reads? - we really enjoyed reading about why Amanda prefers to save re-reads for the festive period! Is there a specific time of year that you like to pick up old favourites? Or do you prefer to stick to new reads during the holidays?

11/ One For Your (2017) TBR - Divergent fans rejoice! Author Veronica Roth has recently been talking about her next release (her first outside of the Divergent series) over on her Tumblr page. It's going to be a Sci-Fi/Fantasy tale and we can't wait to find out more!

If you've read or written an interesting bookish article you think our readers would enjoy please let us know - it may be featured in a future post!

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Thursday, 24 December 2015

Features | 5 Warming Holiday Reads

Happy Christmas Eve to those of you who celebrate Christmas! And happy Thursday to everybody else! In honour of this festive time of year I have a few lovely holiday reads to share with you, so if you're not quite in the festive mood just yet then maybe one of these will help you out with that. Or, if you are, then one of these just might be the perfect thing to keep that festive mood going.

1. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow is actually three stories, which all link together very cleverly. The three stories each take place during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, in one small town. The three stories are all very Christmassy YA romances, excellent for if you want something sweet and fast with plenty of snow to snuggle up with before bed on Christmas Eve.

2. My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

I'm actually only part way through My True Love Gave To Me at the moment but so far I have loved every one of the stories I've read in this short story collection. This collection features twelve short Winter romances from twelve of the most popular YA writers out there at the moment. Unlike Let It Snow, these stories are all unlinked and completely different, so it's the perfect book to dip into when you have some spare time between last minute gift wrapping.

3. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop is actually a sequel to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams but the sequel would definitely be easy to follow if you haven't read the first book and just want to get right into this sweet, dramatic story set in a tiny English village at Christmastime. This is actually the only book on this list that isn't YA, so if you're in the mood for something a little more grownup, I'd go for this romantic Christmas story.

4. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

I haven't actually read Dash and Lily's Book of Dares yet but it's sat on my desk waiting to be read as soon as I finish My True Love Gave To Me and I can't wait! This story of two characters communicating via a notebook left in a bookstore, setting each other dares and tasks to complete, sounds really intriguing and I've been assured that it is appropriately festive too!

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

And finally, of course, the classic festive read, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Is there anything that will make a person feel more Christmassy than reading about the first time Harry sees the Great Hall decorated for Christmas? Nothing is more festive than snow on the ground at Hogwarts. Nothing.

What festive books have you been reading over the holidays this year?

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Monday, 21 December 2015

Warren The 13th & The All-Seeing Eye | Tania del Rio & Will Staehle | Review

*Review copy c/o Netgalley, images via goodreads.com & amazon.com

The Warren Hotel, designed by Warren the 1st and built by Warren the 2nd, has been passed down through the generations and Warren the 13th is set to take over on his 18th birthday. Currently twelve years old Warren is living and working in the somewhat rundown hotel alongside his evil Aunt Annaconda and lazy Uncle Rupert. Despite his love of the hotel, working under the strict rule of his Aunt means that Warren dreams of a big adventure and he certainly gets one in this quirky middle-grade fantasy tale!

When Warren’s Aunt learns that a powerful object called the All-Seeing Eye is hidden somewhere on the property she is determined to find it. Question is, can Warren stop her in time to save his family’s beloved hotel? As word spreads about the power of this mysterious object, guests start to flock to the (usually rather empty) hotel, keen to find it and claim it’s power for themselves. With new friend Petula in tow, Warren sets out on his own mission to locate the Eye, crossing paths with a whole host of weird and wonderful characters along the way, including my personal favourite, Sketchy!

Not only is this charming adventure tale packed full of fun but it is also beautifully illustrated. The imagery plays a big part in the story and the illustrations, which have been created using a simple black and red colour scheme, compliment the text perfectly and were my personal favourite part of the book. The layout is also stunning and it’s easy to see a lot of thought has been put into this element, which I really appreciated.

As I don't generally read a lot of middle-grade titles I can't comment on how Warren the 13th stacks up against what else is out there, however I can tell you that I really enjoyed following Warren and co. on their adventure. Plus, the amazing illustrations definitely make the book one to pick up!

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Saturday, 19 December 2015