The Wicked Will Rise | Danielle Paige | Reviewed by Anjali

Friday, 8 May 2015

The Wicked Will Rise | Danielle Paige | Reviewed by Anjali

“She had been both good and wicked and everything in between. She had been both at once, too, until it was hard for her to even tell the difference any more.”

You may recall my review of the first book in this series, Dorothy Must Die. You can check out that review to get a bit of an overview of the story, but in short, Amy Gumm is the other girl from Kansas. She is swept away to Oz in a tornado, and she has a mission: "Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage. Then and only then—Dorothy must die." (taken from GoodReads) At the end of the story (no spoilers really, don't worry), Dorothy is still alive, and the story continues in The Wicked Will Rise. 

Amy Gumm is still in Oz, still having her mission to complete. Not all went as planned for Amy, and now she must figure out not only who she is in Oz, but find her friend on a lost island, understand the ways of the wingless monkeys, try and figure out if the Princess Ozma is actually stark-raving-mad or speaking profound truth. As she continues to battle against the forces of Good (which are actually evil), and work with the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked (who are mostly good), to restore Oz to how it should really be, Amy must also come to discover the person that Oz is turning her into, who it is making her to be...and if she really wants to be that person.

With action and mystery, magic and all the things we love about Oz, The Wicked Will Rise is a great sequel to Dorothy Must Die. Like the first book, the characters are brilliant and so creative.The new characters that are introduced in this book have their own flare and personalities that make you want to smile, and sometimes cringe. In The Wicked Will Rise, we're introduced, too, to more of Oz and the magical lands that it has. I really love the imagination of Paige and the world that she has re-imagined from the story we all know and love. What did disappoint me a little was the length. At less than 300 pages, it was a decent amount shorter than it's predecessor (by over 100 pages), and while I love a short book, I feel like another element could have been thrown in to make it even a tad longer. However, I really did enjoy it and I'm looking forward to the next book, which I believe doesn't come out until next year, possibly even 2017.


Image from Good Reads.

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Features | Paper books vs Kindles

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Features | Paper books vs Kindles

Before I start, I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Katie, and I am the new features writer for Bloggers Bookshelf. From now on I will be posting a book related feature every other Thursday, so I hope you enjoy reading them!

For ages I was convinced I would never be convert to ebooks. Although friends gushed about how much they loved their e readers, I was sure it could never replace the feeling of reading a real book. That was up until I received a e reader for my birthday. I’m now fully converted. Truth be told, I can’t even remember the last time that I read a paper book. Since I know a lot of people are still not convinced that e readers are the way forward, I thought about the reasons that I love mine.

1) More comfortable to read

We are all familiar with the feeling of trying to get comfortable lying down in bed with a book. If it’s a heavy hard back, you pretty much have to accept that its just not going to happen without your arms aching or the book falling on your face. E readers are a lot lighter and smaller than a paper book, so it’s much easier to hold. It can also be read one handed which is useful if you’re trying to eat and read at the same time (please tell me I’m not the only one that does this). You can also adjust the font size to suit your eyesight.

2) Easier to buy books

The frustration that ensues when you realise you’ve finished a book, have nothing to read and you’re miles away from the nearest book doesn’t exist anymore. Wherever you have internet connection, you can buy books. The only downside of this is it’s probably not great for your bank balance.

3) More convenient for travelling

You no longer have to take an entire suitcase of books with you on holiday – one small device can hold an entire library. It’s also much lighter for carrying around with you during the day.

4) No losing your place

I’m the kind of person that can never find a bookmark, so I usually resort to folding the corners of books (I’m sorry booklovers, please don’t hate me). With a Kindle, it automatically saves your place, so you can easily resume where you left off.

5) Cost of books

Books tend to be much cheaper as ebooks than as paper books. This may however be offset by the fact that you have to purchase the e reader in the first place. They are not expensive as some electronic gadgets (I think my Kindle was around £50) but they are still fairly pricey.

I do see that there are some disadvantages to e readers. You don’t get to support local bookshops, they don’t smell as nice and you can’t read them in the bath. (Well I still do but it’s not advisable). You also have the issue of charging them, although I wouldn’t let this be a deciding factor as you can easily get through 2 books without having to charge it. At the end of the day, some people get on with them and some people don’t. Just keep an open mind – you might be surprised by how much you like them.
Katie x 

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Boy Meets Boy | David Levithan | Reviewed by Christina

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Boy Meets Boy | David Levithan | Reviewed by Christina

Boy Meets Boy is about Paul, an average high school student who has boy problems, friend problems - every usual kind of teenage problem apart from his sexuality. That was never in question since Paul is openly gay and everyone around him is okay with that. The book also follows several other characters, within the same friendship group, who each have their own story lines and problems.

Boy Meets Boy simultaneously entertained and disappointed me. I liked Paul - the main character. I liked how most of the characters were so openly LGBTQ* and it wasn't something that needed explaining or justifying, as some books do. Most of the story involved a love triangle of sorts and I didn't enjoy that. I could see the main drama coming and when it happened, I had no sympathy for the main character and found myself disconnecting from him. Another aspect I had a big from with was that I felt as though there were so many characters with their own issues, it was hard to connect to any of them. The book would have been much better if it had focused on fleshing out one or two of the characters, rather than kind of half creating so many and not giving them much depth.

I did enjoy reading the book and the romance aspects were swoon-worthy, but the characters were underdeveloped and the story line was kind of basic. The book was quite short and it is a good addition to LGBTQ* literature, but I wouldn't re-read this book.

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Headstrong | Rachel Swaby | Reviewed by Rachel

Monday, 4 May 2015

Headstrong | Rachel Swaby | Reviewed by Rachel

*Image and review copy c/o Blogging for Books

Summary:

Swaby has collected information on, and written mini-biographies for, 52 women whose contributions to math and science helped us all to better understand the world we live in.

Review:

This book covers the lifespans of women ranging from 1647 (Maria Sibylla Merian) to 2014 (Stephanie Kwolek). It is almost impossible to read this book without learning, not just about each woman, but also about the science she worked on and at least some the history of her time-period. This book is highly informative and well researched, as any book on scientists should be. However, Swaby is also able to bring in an emotional aspect that does not distract from the science of the contributions. Most of the emotions involved are anger at the unfairness of women not being paid for their work or not being given actual lab space despite their well demonstrated abilities. I also appreciate Swaby including other emotions, like love, “When [Gerty] could no longer make the trek from one room in the lab to the other, [her husband] scooped her up and carried her, working together until the end.” (Pg. 18) But the biggest feeling you get from this book is the dedication these women have to science. Be it because they love science itself or they love the mental stimulation, it is impossible not to pick up on this.

I was personally amazed at just how many women were involved in science that I’ve never heard about, especially given their major contributions. Alice Ball found a way for oil based, injectable medicines to be easily absorbed by the body. Hedy Lamarr gave us the foundation for Wi-Fi. How did I not know about these women before? I also appreciated that Swaby did not include a mini-biography about Marie Curie “[b]ecause Marie Curie is who we talk about when we talk about women in science…” (Pg. xiii) We all know her. This book was created for the lesser known, yet incredibly influential, women scientists.

Not only is Headstrong well researched, it’s well written. Swaby is unable to give any one scientist more than 6 pages due to the sheer number of people. Yet I found this to be a perfect way to read this book. I am introduced to each scientist, their work, and their life in a very succinct yet still meaningful manner. Because of this, the reader never feels bored or bogged down by facts.

I happily recommend this book to anyone with even an inkling of interest in science, history of science, or women’s studies.  You will have a good time reading this book.

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The News Round-Up #1

Sunday, 3 May 2015

The News Round-Up #1

Hi there! Joshua here, and I'm excited to be starting this brand new scheme here with Blogger's Bookshelf! Because, every two weeks, I get to bring you the biggest news from the world of books and you get to read it here! I'm hoping I do a good job of it as well, but without further ado, let's get started!

This year, you may have heard that YALC, the Young Adult Literature Convention, returns for 2015, and the full author line up has been announced! I myself happen to be heading to YALC on the Saturday this year, and this year's line up consists of people like Carrie Hope Fletcher, Annabel Pitcher, Derek Landy, Cassandra Clare, Holly Bourne, Patrick Ness and so many other incredible authors! I for one am incredibly excited for YALC this year and tickets are still available! You can read about the line up here and book your tickets here!

YALC not your thing? Well, do you know about Non Pratt? YA Book Prize nominated author Non Pratt is due to have her second book released next year by Walker, but the news came just this week that she's been signed to release two more books with Walker! I loved Trouble, which if you're not familiar with it, is a book about a teenage pregnancy but dealt with in the most sensitive way I've ever seen it treated, and I certainly am excited to read Non Pratt's next books as well! You can read more about the announcement at The Bookseller here!

Still not got some news you like the look of yet? Well, how about the 10th (yes, the tenth!) Diary Of A Wimpy Kid novel's cover being released? Being released in the UK on the 3rd November, the cover for Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Old School was released in a live webcast from New York on the 27th April, and for the fastest seller of 2014, you can only imagine the sort of success Old School will get!

Cover sourced from Goodreads

Now, let's talk Zoella. Do you remember Girl Online, the phenomenal debut from Zoe Sugg that sold the most copies in it's first week of any debut novel, and then we found out it was actually co-authored between her and Siobhan Curham? And we all got super angry about it because we were basically lied to? Well, a while ago, Amazon listed Girl Online 2, without any cover or official title, but still up for pre-order? Zoella released a vlog not long ago, and revealed that this time, she'd be going it alone: just her and Amy Alward (who, by the way, actually has her own book coming out this spring, called The Potion Diaries). Want to know more about this really quite exciting announcement? Here's Zoella's vlog, where she explains a bit more about it:

So what amazing books have been released in the last few weeks? Here are some of my favourites, and I've left you a link to a place where you can buy it (probably Waterstone's) and a place where you can read (or watch!) someone else's thoughts on them!

• All I Know Now: Wonderings And Reflections On Growing Up Gracefully by Carrie Hope Fletcher. Buy here or watch a review by Emma Blackery here!
• We Are All Made Of Molecules by Susin Nielsen. Buy here or read a review here!
• A Work In Progress by Connor Franta. Buy here or read a review here!
• Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Buy here or read a review here!
• Not exactly within a fortnight ago, but Seed by Lisa Heathfield is really popular! Buy here or read a review here!

That's it from me! I'm back in two weeks time to cover some more news from the world of books right here! Got any suggestions? What else would you like to see in the news round up? Email bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com and let us know!

See you in a fortnight!
Joshua

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Being A Book Blogger | Interview With Jenny aka Jenny In Neverland

Friday, 1 May 2015

Being A Book Blogger | Interview With Jenny aka Jenny In Neverland

It's interview time again! This week we're talking to Jenny the girl behind the brilliant blog Jenny In Neverland. Here's what she had to say about growing up as a bookworm, the tough side of review writing & switching lives with a John Green character...


BB: Hi Jenny! For those who haven't heard of Jenny In Neverland could you tell us a little bit more about you and your blog?

Hello! Thank you so much for having me on your blog! Well, I'm Jenny, in case you hadn't worked that one out! I'm a 22 year-old blogger, Disney fanatic, obsessive cleaner, book lover and excessive takeaway eater from London. I love reading, obviously. It's always been my most passionate hobby. Jenny in Neverland was born around March 2013 and is where I post book reviews, film reviews, lifestyle posts (such as travel, food and days out) plus miscellaneous posts like discussions about blog/book related topics. I thrive from reading and my blog and I absolute adore every aspect of blogging!

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

My love of books come solidly from my mum; she is just as big of a bookworm as I am and ever since I can remember, she was reading me books, surrounding me with books and encouraging me to read. I remember when I was a kid, she would read me the Harry Potter and Narnia books in bed at night. She would also take me to the library regularly and sign me up for the summer library reading challenges, which I loved! I loved seeing my name on the wall of the library under the amount of books I'd read!

I got into reviewing simply from finding another bloggers blog. I was Googling reviews for the book I was reading at the time and found this review on this blog; I started looking around and realised that this person was a book blogger and I couldn't believe it, book blogging was a THING? So I emailed the blogger and she very kindly helped me set up my own blog and it went from there! I started just by reviewing books I had read and books on my shelf and wasn't overly dedicated to it, but over the two years, I've met so many other book bloggers – a whole community of them – and my blog and my posts grew from there!


BB: Which of your reviews are you most proud of? Which was the hardest to write?

Oh heavens, I think all reviews are quite hard to write. It's difficult to do justice to a book that is literally too good to put into words and it's also quite hard to successfully explain why you disliked certain elements of a book without coming across as rude or insensitive!

A book review I wrote this year for The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman I'm proud of because I managed to get across just how that book made me feel. The author also contacted me on Twitter the day I posted it and said it made her well-up which is a great feeling to know your review has had that impact on an author (you can find that review here: https://jennyinneverland.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/2015-reading-challenge-a-book-that-made-me-cry/)

The Boat by Clara Salaman is another of my favourite reviews too (you can find that review here: https://jennyinneverland.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/the-boat-clara-salaman/)

The hardest review I had to write was for The Book Thief because it's my all-time favourite book and I literally didn't know what to say to do it justice. It ended up being probably my longest review because I didn't want to miss anything out and no matter what I wrote I would just think, “Ugh, this book is better than that”. I finally managed to get my thoughts down about it but even now, I wouldn't know what to say that accurately describes how I feel about that book! (You can find my review of The Book Thief here: https://jennyinneverland.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/book-review-the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak/)

BB: You also post movie reviews on your blog. If you could choose one book that hasn’t yet been adapted to be turned into a movie which one would it be?

Ooh this is a great question! There are so many books that would make great movies! I would have originally chosen my two favourite John Green books for this question; Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns but obviously both of these are being made into movies now! (Which I am sooo excited about!)

I think The List by Joanna Bolouri would make an incredibly funny film! This book is such a success and the main character, Phoebe, would be amazing on screen. I also recently read The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths which would adapt fantastically to the big screen!

Sorry – was only meant to chose one!

BB: We're always looking for recommendations. What have been your top reads of 2015 so far?

2015 has been such an incredible book year so far; we're only in March and I've already read some amazing books! Previously mentioned above, The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths has been my favourite read so far. Magic and crime; the perfect combination! The Ice Twins by S.K Tremayne (which you've probably heard of!) was also a incredibly chilling read! The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman, although released last year and I've only just got around to reading it, I would also highly recommend and it'd be up there in my top reads of 2015. Also, 1 more, By My Side by Alice Peterson. Beautiful novel!


BB: Just for fun, if you could swap lives for the day with any fictional character who would it be and why?

Nooo! This is too hard there are so many characters! Margo from Paper Towns would be incredibly intriguing. I loved her character and the mystery about her and I loved how despite the fact she wasn't even present for over half the book, the story still revolved around her.

BB: Finally, we would love some recommendations, which book blogs are your favourites to read?

Oh there are just so many incredible book bloggers out there! Here's a few;
Becca's Books - http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/
Sky's Book Corner - http://skysbookcorner.blogspot.ch/
A Book And Tea - https://abookandtea.wordpress.com/
Laura's Little Book Blog - http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Books, Biscuits, And Tea - http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/
Bookboddle - http://bookboodle.co.uk/

Where To Find Jenny Online: Blog | Twitter | Facebook


I'd like to say a huge thank you from all of us here at BB to Jenny 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!

Images c/o Jenny

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