An Abundance of Katherines | John Green | Review

Sunday, 9 December 2012

An Abundance of Katherines | John Green | Review

His single consolation was that one day, he would matter.

Colin Singleton - child prodigy - only likes one type of girl. Girls who are named Katherine. Not Kitty or Catherine or Cat or Rhynn. K-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-E. Colin may like Katherines but you could say that Katherines don't necessarily like Colin back. After being dumped for the nineteenth time by a Katherine, Colin's heart is broken and he wonders if he is ever going to fall in love again. With his best friend Hassan, Colin swiftly finds himself behind the wheel of his own car embarking on an amazing road trip, miles from home. All the while, Colin is on a mission to formularise his past relationships which will help him to predict his future ones. Who will he meet on his travels? What adventures await him? And will Colin finally meet the girl of his dreams?

As a Nerdfighter, I was more than excited to read An Abundance of Katherines. I was not disappointed. John Green has again written a brilliant adventure which leaves you so captivated that you really can't put the book down until there are no more words to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as John Green is one of my favourite authors. I think it's because his writing style is so unique and brilliant. Also, he always injects little bursts of humour which makes you laugh out loud. I love the characters as well, it is so hard not to want different characters as one of your friends. I don't know how many quotes I took down from this book, but it was a lot. Not only does he tell you a story, it's like he's reflecting on things that we as humans think and see all the time which makes the story relatable to the person reading it.

All that being said, I did have a small problem with this book. A teeny, tiny, itsy bitsy problem. The only problem I had personally was the maths. The book is about finding a formula to predict how long a relationship with someone lasts. Now I like maths, and I remember doing algebra in school. But I don't remember learning advanced formulae for my exams. So it was a little bit hard to follow, I must admit. But that I swear, is the only thing I found wrong with it.

Overall I will give this book four and a half out of five! It was brilliant. I recommend to anybody who loves Young Adult. I recommend it to everyone really. I think John Green is going to be one of the names which will still be used in many generations to come. His books are timeless and amazing and if this is the first time you have ever heard of John Green, then I seriously suggest you go and pick up one of his books right now! They also make great Christmas presents, speaking from experience so treat someone or yourself with a John Green book. I guarantee you won't regret it.

This review was written by regular reviewer Lucy. Get to know her here!
Photo from Goodreads

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Looking for Alaska | John Green | Review

Friday, 9 November 2012

Looking for Alaska | John Green | Review

'So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.' 

Looking for Alaska, being, rather fittingly, John Green's debut novel, was the first of his books I'd ever read; it follows Miles 'Pudge' Halter as he embarks upon a journey to Culver Creek Boarding School, in a bid to leave behind his seventeen dull years at home, and begin seeking the 'Great Perhaps' (the last words of François Rabelais, poet - Miles has a strange kind of love for famous last words). 

Miles gets much more than he bargained for, however, when he meets his new roommate, referred to by most only as 'The Colonel', and friends - a slightly wayward band of teenagers, intent on keeping life at Culver Creek far from boring - at the center of which, stands Alaska Young. Beautiful, destructive, unpredictable, Alaska Young - who soon steals Miles' heart. But then, suddenly, startlingly, life at Culver Creek is turned on its head, and nothing seems as though it will be the same again. 

The story was, initially, a bit of a slow burner, for me; split into two sections, Looking for Alaska invests a lot more in setting up the characters, relationships, than most similar novels, and, being a Young Adult book, it's not necessarily groundbreaking for the first few chapters, as a tale of minor teenage rebellion; but, slowly, they sneak up on you, and you find yourself immersed in the world of Culver Creek, feeling part of the group, getting to know them at the pace which Miles does.
John Green has made no secret of the fact that he believes firmly that the suspense of foreshadowing trumps the shock of surprise every time, and I have to say, I was much in agreement as I began the nearing the end of the first part (ominously titled 'before'). 

The narrative is smooth, cohesive, and easy-to-follow, but it's nowhere near comprehensive; we see every event through the eyes of Pudge, and he is about as far from unbiased as a character can be - a teenage boy, blinded by love, telling the story of events which unfold in a disjointed, harrowingly unfair way - whilst the writing is excellent, with a plot that's painfully well-delivered, at no point, even when the book's been read, added to your bookshelf, lent out to friends, does it feel as if you know the full story of those fateful events at Culver Creek, as if you'll ever truly understand what happened, and why.

John Green really does leave the story of Miles, his love for Alaska, the friendships and hardships, loves and heartaches, humour and misery open to interpretation, and, just as the reader is left with far too many questions, it could be easy to assume that he's not too sure of the answers, himself.

Looking for Alaska isn't necessarily a complex book, but it is a deep one, and I firmly believe that it spans, like most of Green's books, far beyond the Young Adult demographic - although it might take a while to get into, if, like me, you don't have much patience for tales of teenage rebellion, it's worth sticking with, and I honestly don't think you'll find it too difficult to reach the end with surprising speed.

4/5 stars

This review was written by regular reviewer Francesca, get to know her here.
Photo © Francesca Sophia.

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Group Collaboration | Our Favourite Reads Of 2012

Saturday, 22 December 2012

Group Collaboration | Our Favourite Reads Of 2012

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

 

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

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

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

All book cover images sourced from goodreads.com

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The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | Review

Sunday, 4 November 2012

The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | Review

The Fault in Our Stars is written by John Green and is probably one of my most favourite books ever. The hype surrounding the book's release was incredible; it was hard not to have high expectations for Green’s new book. However, after just 24 hours of reading I discovered this book was easily one of my favourite books my John Green, if not my favourite book ever.

The story follows teenager Hazel and her journey through terminal cancer. At a support group for cancer patients Hazel meets Augustus. Augustus, a recovered osteosarcoma patient, provides as a companion for Hazel throughout her Cancer journey. Their relationship continues to develop as they explore ideas such as life and death. Hazel’s struggle with the concept of her death being a “grenade” amplifies. It becomes apparent to the readers that Hazel’s tough exterior is incredibly fragile. The struggle sees her and August travelling overseas in search of a special form of closure. (I don't want to ruin it for you!)

John Green is almost famous for his smart use of metaphors and symbolism. Green is often quoted saying “Books belong to their readers”. The thing’s each individual notices and takes from this book will be completely unique. Each time I read the book I manage to pick up on something new or interpret something I already thought I understood, differently.

Genre: Coming of age, Romance, Comedy.

Overall I love this book. I’ve probably read it once every few months since I got it. The book has helped me understand more about my own life and the way to live it. I’ve highlighted, cracked the spine multiple times and basically just worn the book in from the constant reading. I’ve lent the book to so many of my friends after pestering them to read it. Almost everyone I’ve lent it to has returned it and absolutely loved it.

I give The Fault in Our Stars a 4.5/5 stars.

Recommended for:
I'd say this book is for anyone over the age of 12 and any adults. I would say young adults but I know of many young adult writers that read young adult fiction. If you deal with some sort of anxiety, depression or struggle with understanding life and death I recommend you this story as well.
If you’ve enjoyed any of Green’s other books, pick this up! I’d also recommend this to you if you enjoyed Perks of being a wallflower and 13 reasons why.

WARNING: This book is a tear-jerker.

Favourite Quote:
“There is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars.”source

Photos TaylahJoyce
This review was written by regular reviewer Taylah, get to know her here.

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Turtles All The Way Down | John Green | Review

Thursday, 1 February 2018

Turtles All The Way Down | John Green | Review

I'd wanted to read this since it came out but it wasn't very high on my wishlist until I managed to score a copy from a giveaway ran by our own Anjali! I have a very love/hate relationship with John Green books, they're rather a touchy subject with some book lovers. Some love them, some hate them, and some hate them because so many people love them. I'm not one of those, I really liked a few of his books that I read back when I was 18/19 (cough, I hate to say it but before the movie came out and everything went boom). Looking for Alaska, and The Fault in our Stars was great, really lovely to read and enjoy. Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines were the last two I read and I was not a fan, because of that my view on John Green books sort of changed. Then The Fault in our Stars movie came out in 2014 and I wasn't the biggest fan of that so ya know it didn't help.

However because it's been so long, I've grown up and while I may not be his target audience anymore I thought I'd give this one a go. As mentioned before it wasn't the top of my tbr pile because of my thoughts of some of his other books, Anjali pushed me into it... and I did really enjoy it!

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Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

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I have to say when I received it and read the blurb on what it was about I was slightly put off but I jumped in and in reality, without giving spoilers, the whole 'murder mystery disappearance' storyline of the blurb is only really a general subplot floating the real story. A whole lot more important stuff happens than that. Half the time you forget the chase is on. While in some cases this may be thought of as 'why the hell did he even bother with that storyline then?' I think it helped to get the real story going where it needed to be going.

The main thing I took from this book though was Aza's mental health journey. While I've never had anxiety as bad as she struggles through a few of her moments definitely resonated with me. John Green definitely has the spiral metaphor down, there have been definite times in my life where my thoughts have just spiralled down and down and down, Turtles All The Way Down.

I've come to realise the reason the main plotline isn't very important is that we're seeing the story from Aza's mind. She can't even get through lunch without her anxiety spiralling her thoughts so of course the plotline can be easily distracted. It makes the entire book very relatable if you've gone through anything similar to what she's going through.

Plus they have tuatara which, living in NZ and tuatara being from NZ, made me squeal a bit. I then wondered why it was called Turtles All The Way Down and not Tuatara All The Way Down, but you then get to that scene and the penny drops and there's a magical moment where they say the name of the book and everything clicks and it's wonderful. You know the moments right? This would usually be the part of a comedy show where the main character breaks the fourth wall and looks into the camera and winks at the audience.

Anyway, it's a great book, and definitely improves my John Green views! Not perfect, but books rarely are these days, definitely recommend you read it though especially if you've been through any sort of anxiety. Four stars ^^

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Let It Snow | John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle | Review

Monday, 9 December 2013

Let It Snow | John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle | Review

In the middle of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, the three stories of Let It Snow centre around the happenings in and around the town Gracetown.

Maureen Johnson's 'Jubilee Line' follows one girl as she tries to trudge through the snowstorm after her train breaks down, bumping into a hapless boy and striking up an unlikely friendship. 'Cheertastic Miracle' by John Green is the story of three best friends and their mad misadventures to get to the Wafflehouse in Gracetown, snowstorm or no snowstorm. Lauren Myracle's 'The Patron Saint of Pigs' wraps up this mini trilogy with some help from Starbucks, a teacup pig and a good ol' Christmas Miracle...

So what's my verdict?

Fluffy, light-hearted and silly, Let It Snow is like a warm hot chocolate with extra marshmallows on top! Maureen Johnson's quick witted 'Jubilee Line' kickstarts the book with much flair and is by far my favourite of the three stories. Her lead character Jubilee and the kinda-sorta romantic interest Stuart's friendship fun to see develop and I have to admit I loved their ending - as cheesy as it was!
I had high hopes for John Green's short story and his sarcastic, humourous and - at times - ridiculous writing style is definilley present in 'Cheertastic Miracle'. The main trio of characters feels very familiar in terms of personality to those in Green's previous novels, which would explain why I warmed to some of them straight away!

Lauren Myracle's 'The Patron Saint of Pigs' is probably my least favourite, mainly because it felt like it was simply tacked onto the end and I wasn't a fan of her main character. I did, however, enjoy how she intertwined all of the elements of the previous two books into her own story! The final ending had the feel of a Christmas Rom-Com!

All in all a nice quick, super cheesy, festive read that will have you snorting with laughter at some points and that warm fuzzy Christmas feeling inside ;)

Reading Soundtrack:

Christmas Wrapping: The Waitresses; The Only Gift I Really Need: Dashboard Confessional; White Christmas; Michael Buble; Won't Be Home For Christmas: Blink 182; Shake Up Christmas: Train; River: Joni Mitchell; Christmas Lights: Coldplay

For lovers of 

all three authors, Rainbow Rowell and 'Love Actually'.

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Feature | John Green Reading Soundtracks

Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Feature | John Green Reading Soundtracks

Reading many of John Green's books I always felt his stories lend themselves well to churning up a fantastic cinematic scores and after the release of TFIOS we definitely saw how much the movie's soundtrack played a role in creating the atmosphere for the film. The Paper Towns soundtrack is just as awesome, and with Looking For Alaska (potentially) on the horizon I'm definitely excited to see how the musical direction of the movies corresponds to the themes of the book.

You may remember our fab June group post last year, where our contributors created reading playlists to accompany some of their favourite novels. Off the back of that I thought I'd get musically creative and make up my own reading soundtracks for all of John Green's novels. I won't bore you with plot summaries too much (they're all on GoodReads if you haven't read these yet!), but I'll let the music do the talking for the theme, feel and journey of each story

Looking For Alaska

"...if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.” 

Paper Towns 

“Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one.” 

An Abundance of Katherines 

“Here's to all the places we went. And all the places we'll go. And here's to me, whispering again and again and again and again: iloveyou”

Will Grayson/Will Grayson

“Some people have lives; some people have music.”

The Fault In Our Stars

“You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world...but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.” 

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Features | Controversial book opinions

Thursday, 30 July 2015

Features | Controversial book opinions

Warning: This post contains mild spoilers for A Court Of Thorns And Roses and Allegiant. If you don't want to read these, only read up to number 4.

Most of the time, I do seem to agree with what everyone else appears to be saying in the book blogger world. However, I definitely have some opinions about certain books that not many people seem to agree on and I thought it would be fun to share them with you...*prepares to be attacked by fangirls for daring to say I don't like a certain book*. Anyway let's get started with he one which is probably already obvious from the picture which is,

1) I like Twillight 
Yes this book had problems. And yes, the Edward Jacob love trying did get a little tedious at times. However, as a whole I enjoyed the series. It was exactly what I hoped it would be, which was a vaguely entertaining romance with elements of fantasy and action in there as well. I personally don't think its as badly written as people that it is.

2) I didn't like The Dealthy Hallows
I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter but the last book was such a disappointment to me. I hate to say this but I found it kind of boring. They spent what felt like the entire book doing nothing but camping. Maybe it was because I had such high expectations for it considering the other books, and its the only book I've ever been so excited for that I bought it on the day it came out. However, I far preferred the previous 6 books.

3) Will Grayson Will Grayson is my favourite John Green book
Everyone goes on about TFIOS and paper towns, and whilst I do love both those books I think Will Grayson Will Grayson is better and doesn't get the hype that it deserves. Having two authors with completely different writing styles writing alternating chapters could turn out so wrong, but the contrast works amazingly. While we are on the topic of John Green...

4) I really didn't like Looking For Alaska
I expected to love this book and did enjoy the first half, the second half was, in my opinion, awful. In fact I disliked it so much I didn't even finish the book, and I very rarely do that. After the event in the middle of the book the rest of the story felt pointless, and I didn't bond with the main character at all. I just couldn't get into it. I'm still a huge fan of John Green, but I think that being a fan of someone doesn't mean you can't be critical of what they create and that you have to like everything they produce as some people seem to think.

5) I ship Lucien and Feyre
I just finished A Court Of Thorns And Roses and loved it, but I kind of felt like Tamlin was a bit of a meh character. There wasn't anything wrong with him, he was just a bit boring. By far my favourite character in the book was the hilariously sarcastic Lucien who I think would have been a much better fit for Feyre.

6) I loved the Allegiant ending
Yes it completely ripped my heart out. However, it was a great decision, and it made the trilogy as whole a little bit more powerful. If I had the chance to change it, I wouldn't.

So those are some of my controversial book opinions. I'm sorry if I just dissed your favourite book, but hey everyones allowed to express their own opinion sometimes  (although if you choose to express your unpopular opinion of a fandom on tumblr then I am not responsible for the consequences)
Katie x

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Features | Book Recommendations For Film Fans

Thursday, 20 August 2015

Features | Book Recommendations For Film Fans

If there's one thing I love as much as I love books, it's films (actually food and TV are pretty high too, but neither of those are relevant to this post I'm afraid.) So for today's post I thought I would share a few book recommendations based on some popular films. Because what's more fun than reading a book that reminds you of one of your favourite films? Actually, you can totally use this list the other way too and find some film recommendations based on books. Isn't that useful?

1. If you like Moonrise Kingdom or Little Miss Sunshine then you might like The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet follows ten year old cartographer, T.S., as he hitches a ride on a train across country to collect a very prestigious award. This book has a lot in common with Moonrise Kingdom, the central story of a young boy running away from home being, of course, the immediate thing that comes to mind. There is also a balance of darkness and optimism that reminds me a lot of Little Miss Sunshine, and although T.S. makes his journey alone, his relationship with his family are a huge part of the book. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet is also illustrated with T.S.'s diagrams and drawings throughout, which links nicely with the beautiful look of both films.

2. If you like The Breakfast Club (or any John Hughes film really) you might like Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Okay so I know everyone and their mother has already read Eleanor and Park but I couldn't make a list like this without mentioning it. Eleanor & Park, like so many of John Hughes's teen films, is set in 1980s America, but the story of growing up and falling in love could be set in any time period and it would still be pretty much the same. In The Breakfast Club five very different teenagers are thrown together in detention and soon find out that they maybe aren't so different after all, and that they all have their own unique problems. In Eleanor & Park the title characters are thrown together on a school bus and they slowly learn the same lessons with the added bonus of falling in love.

3. If you like Rushmore you might like Looking For Alaska by John Green

I'm going to admit here and now that this one is probably the most tenuously linked comparison on this list. Also, as with Eleanor & Park, pretty much everyone in the world has already read this book. Hear me out though, Rushmore and Looking For Alaska have a lot of differences. For example, Rushmore Academy is not a boarding school, and there are no plays in Looking For Alaska. They do, however, share a vibe. They both have a sense of adventure and they're both about teenage boys trying to find their ways in the world. They also both feature doomed crushes and lessons learned. Also the main protagonists of both books are a little pretentious and friendless when their stories begin. Which, for some reason, is the kind of thing I like in a main character.

4. If you like Romeo + Juliet you might like Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Quite simply, these are both unique interpretations of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Whereas Romeo + Juliet sets the famous story in 90s America with guns instead of swords, Warm Bodies makes Romeo a zombie. There's really not much more to say, but if you liked Baz Luhrmann's take on Romeo and Juliet then I think you might enjoy Isaac's Marion's too.

5. If you like The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert or Hairspray or pretty much any other musical film you can think of you might like Hold Me Closer by David Levithan

Hold Me Closer is the companion novel to the equally brilliant Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green, but what makes Hold Me Closer unique is that it is not actually a novel at all. It's a script. A musical script, in fact, (although with very novel-like stage directions) written by the best character in Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Tiny Cooper. This is definitely a book for musical lovers, which I definitely am, but it's more of a Priscilla or Hairspray than Evita or Les Mis, if you know what I mean. It has its sad moments, as any good musical does, but by the end of the show Tiny makes sure you feel uplifted and positive, just like all my favourite musicals do.

So those are just a few book recommendations for fans of some excellent films. Do you have any film-specific book recommendations to add to the list? I'd love to hear them in the comments!

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BB Book Club | Book Titles In Other Languages

Friday, 29 June 2018

BB Book Club | Book Titles In Other Languages

Mongolian edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*

While we haven't started reading it yet (although high-fives all round if you have!) July's Book Club pick is Portuguese Irregular Verbs, by Alexander McCall Smith. You can find the BB Book Club July announcement here, but in short, the book tells the tale of a professor of philology, the study of written words and language.

In keeping with a language theme, and before we dive into the 128-page story, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the books we know and love, and check out their translated titles. Book titles that are translated often have completely different titles than the original, and this happens for a few reasons: the translated language simply doesn't have a word that means the same thing as the original language word, or the phrase, metaphor, simile or structure of the original version doesn't translate well, or turns into waffle in the new language.

Some of the book titles I'm sharing today have been translated from their original language into English, and some have gone the other way. One is similar to the original English version, but for the most part, the translation has made a big difference.

philology - noun: // the study of literary texts and of written records, the establishment of their authenticity and their original form, and the determination of their meaning.

1 | The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

The Macedonian translation of this well-loved Young Adult novel by John Green is 'The World is not a Factory for Fulfilling Wishes'. The original title, if you remember the story, is an altered version of a quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, when the character Cassius says: "the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars." In this context, one interpretation says that it is not fate that drives people to their decisions, but rather simply being human, and all that comes with that. Green takes the quote and changes it in TFIOS, the meaning being altered to infer that the fault most definitely is in our stars; there are some things that happen in life that are thrown upon us, with no fault of our own (like cancer in the story). The Macedonian translation, then, doesn't really have the same meaning, nor the same catchy nod to Shakespeare.

2 | Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer

While the original English title doesn't really make too much sense - I guess Twilight is when the sun goes down? Vampires, sun, Edward sparkling etc - but the French translation is 'Fascination'. Um. I guess that's true?

3 | Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

Short, simple, makes sense in English. The German title of this YA story is 'When You Die, Your Entire Life Passes Before Your Eyes, They Say'. Long, with commas, and I guess it makes sense in German.

4 | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson

Originally published in Swedish, the title was 'Men Who Hate Women'. When it was translated into English in the American market, it was changed. This has to big one of the biggest book title changes in recent history. The whole focus of the title changes from a man-centred one to a woman-centred title.

5 | The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

There have been many translations that have been a bit iffy when it comes to Tolkien's Middle Earth stories, but the Swedish translation of 'The Hobbit' is 'The Hompen'. To make it funnier, some of the main characters, locations and creatures were renamed, including poor Biblo Baggins, whose named changed to Bimbo Backlin. In fact, there was a lot of funny translations in The Hobbit - you can find them here. Even just a skim read of this article will have you picking up the Swedish changes.

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While we may laugh at the translated versions of some of these books, it's important to remember that it goes both ways: an original title in a language other than English might not work if it's translated to English. Every language has different sayings, different meanings, and a different culture driving the way the language works, so a translation is never going to be spot on.

And, after all that, these titles I've shared have been translated back into English so we can enjoy them. We may have missed the meaning behind some of them, too.

Do you know any other books that have different translated titles? Feel free to share them! 

*Photo by Anjali; shows Mongolian edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the translation of which reads pretty much the same as the English. Don't mess with Rowling! 

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Will Grayson/Will Grayson | John Green & David Levithan | Review

Monday, 30 September 2013

Will Grayson/Will Grayson | John Green & David Levithan | Review

Meet Will Grayson. Nerdy, lovable, an over-thinker and over cautious. 

Meet will grayson. Closed off, manic depressive and introverted…

…wait, what? Two Will Grayson’s? This is about to get complex.

Will Grayson or what I like to call uppercase Will, is a typical high school student, navigating life with his larger-than-life gay best friend Tiny Cooper, dealing with girls and his love of obscure bands.

Lower case will grayson doesn't care for much, other than conversing with his only real friend, Isaac, over the Internet. He’s a complex character, is snarky and sarcastic, with a dull and pessimistic outlook on life.

The novel alternates between the two boys stories and perspectives – don't worry you'll be able to tell the difference between the two straight away – with each playing out almost like separate short stories both in style and even typeface. That is until one cold night on the street corner in Chicago, when the two Graysons paths cross and their lives are turned upside down.

So what’s my verdict?

I'm no stranger Green or Levithan, so I knew reading their two writing styles colliding together – much like the Wills themselves – would create something a little special.

First up, upper-case Will Grayson, who leads the novel and is Green’s typical nerd boy who’s a little unlucky in love, but a likeable character. Lower-case will grayson is a whole other story. Much more complex, a little emo but saddening-ly lonely, his character is the most interesting to me.

The book is so character focused there isn't much of a plotline but that doesn't really matter too much in this context. The switch in scenes and locations are simply a backdrop to a YA story about friendship, relationships (of the hetrosexual and LGBT kind) and muddling through the minefield of being teenager.

Despite the book being called Will Grayson/Will Grayson, I feel the ‘/’ should represent a not so little character called Tiny Cooper. As upper-case Will’s best friend, he’s just as much of a main character as both of the Graysons themselves. His over the top personality and close to ridiculous antics prove to be the glue that holds the story together once two Wills meet.

The book can get heavy at times, particularly on lower-case will grayson’s chapters, but the humour is also there in sarcastic and silly doses (Green’s typical humour is particularly prevalent during his chapters). I'm also impressed with how well the LGBT aspects of the novel are handled by the two authors, the issues aren't preached by two adults but spoken and dealt with realistically through the voices of their characters.

I have a funny feeling this will be a Marmite type of novel. As I said before there’s not much of a plot to drive the stories, though in my opinion the character development alone is to keep a reader turning pages.

Reading Soundtrack:

Loser: Beck; Aftermath: Adam Lambert; Falling Apart: The All-American Rejects; When I Come Around: Green Day; Are We All We Are: Pink; Just Keep Breathing: We The Kings

For lovers of

Green & Levithan’s novels – An Abundance of Katherines & Boy Meets Boys in particular and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This book was reviewed by regular reviewer Ria, get to know more about her here!
*cover image via GoodReads

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Features | Quick Reads For Rainy Days

Friday, 12 October 2018

Features | Quick Reads For Rainy Days

In my opinion, there is no better way to spend a rainy day than under a blanket with a cup of tea and a good book, and all the better if you can snuggle down and read one from start to finish without having to sacrifice your cosiness by getting up too often. So, to encourage you all to spend a rainy day or two doing just that, here are five books that can easily be read in one day with only minimal stops for food.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The movie adaptation of Stardust is one of my favourite films to watch on a rainy day, and although the book on which it was based is certainly different to the film, that doesn't make it any less fun. Gaiman's story of a young man called Tristan on a quest to retrieve a fallen star to prove his love is truly the closest thing I've ever read to a fairy tale for grownups, full of adventure and magic in equal measure. Stardust is the perfect fantasy world to escape to when the weather in our world is a bit too dreary.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

John Green's latest book is a lot quieter and more introspective than his previous works but, in my opinion, it is also his most absorbing book to date. Following Aza, a teenage girl living with OCD and anxiety, as a local mystery brings her back into contact with an old friend, Turtles All the Way Down is an intense read but ultimately a hopeful one, and, if you're anything like me, it will leave you with an overwhelming desire to hang out with Aza and her best friend, Daisy.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

There are few things I find more comforting than a nice romantic comedy and, although it certainly has its fair share of drama, I would still class Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda in that category. Simon Spier, a gay teenager not yet out, who finds himself being blackmailed over an email flirtation with an anonymous classmate, is one of the most endearing protagonists I have ever come across, and I would definitely suggest that he is someone you set aside an entire day to spend time with.

Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell

If you haven't quite got an entire day to set aside, but maybe you could manage an afternoon, Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell might be a more appropriate choice. Almost Midnight is a tiny little book, a collection of just two short stories, both of which have been published before but not with such a sparkly cover or such beautiful illustrations. The first story, 'Midnights' is set over multiple New Year's Eve parties, and the second, 'Kindred Spirits' takes place in the lead up to a midnight showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Both are all kinds of adorable.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Finally, a graphic novel full of fun and adventure. Nimona follows a supervillain and his sidekick, the titular Nimona, on their mission to prove that the good guys aren't so good, and maybe cause some mayhem along the way. Stevenson's illustrations are full of colour, a delight to look at, and the story is one that will keep you turning the page until the very end, at which point you'll probably wish there was more. Nimona is a sure fire way to cheer up a cloudy day.

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Blogger's Bookshelf Review Round Up #1

Saturday, 1 December 2012

Blogger's Bookshelf Review Round Up #1

Welcome to the first of our monthly round ups here on Blogger's Bookshelf. 

Missed any of our review? Never fear! Find them all here!

• Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan | Reviewed by Ria
• About A Boy by Nick Hornby | Reviewed by Erin
• His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman | Reviewed by Elle
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Reviewed by Taylah
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer | Reviewed by Laura
• Feed by Mira Grant | Reviewed by Niina
• Looking for Alaska by John Green | Reviewed by Francesca
• Before I Die by Jenny Downham | Reviewed by Lucy
• Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky | Reviewed by Ria
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger | Reviewed by guest blogger Anjali
• Zom-B by Darren Shan | Reviewed By Erin
• The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling | Reviewed by Elle
• Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella | Reviewed by Taylah
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll | Reviewed by Laura
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman | Reviewed by Niina
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness | Reviewed by guest blogger Nazneen
• The Lying Game by Sara Shepard | Reviewed by Francesca
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett | Reviewed by Lucy
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver | Reviewed by Ria
• Shift by Em Bailey | Reviewed by Erin

Plus, don't forget to check out our November collaboration post on our Favourite Genres and get involved in our next collaboration post by letting us know your Top 5 Reads of the Year. Tweet us or email us your answers by 19th December!

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Book Club | January 2019 - A Roadtrip Novel

Tuesday, 1 January 2019

Book Club | January 2019 - A Roadtrip Novel

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 January is... A Roadtrip Novel

What we'll be reading...

Ria's Pick: The Wangs vs the World by Jade Chang

"The classic road trip novel with a diverse twist! Excited to see how Jade Chang takes a genre that's so quintessentially American and weaves in the immigrant story."

Anjali's Pick: Mosquitoland by David Arnold

"I've seen this book around on Goodreads, blogs and in bookstores and have heard it's a fun and funny read. I've been meaning to pick it up for a while now so this is the perfect opportunity. Looking forward to reading about Mim's travel adventures on a Greyhound bus!"

Erin's Pick: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson 

"I really enjoyed reading Amy & Roger's Epic Detour back in 2015 and feel that a re-read is long overdue. Luckily, January's challenge is the perfect opportunity to dust off my Kindle and revisit the story."

Other suggested reads...

- America For Beginners (Leah Franqui)
- Let's Get Lost (Adi Alsaid) - review
- An Abundance Of Katherines (John Green) - review
- Vivian Versus The Apocalypse (Katie Coyle) - review
- You Are Here (Jennifer E Smith) - review
- Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas (Hunter S Thompson)
- Paper Towns (John Green) - review

  Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month!   Follow

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Features | The 5 Worst Book Covers I Own.

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Features | The 5 Worst Book Covers I Own.

Today I want to talk about what I think makes a good book cover but, because I am by nature contrary and awkward, I want to do that by talking about what I think makes a bad book cover. So I'm going to share with you the five books from my shelves that, in my opinion, have the worst covers.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green

My main problem with this cover of Looking for Alaska is that I personally don't think it actually reflects the story inside at all. If I had just found this book in a bookshop, with no prior knowledge of John Green or his work, then I doubt I would have picked it up. When I think of Looking for Alaska I think of adventure, self discovery, and mortality, and I don't think this cover represents any of those things as well as the other Looking for Alaska covers I've seen. To me this just looks like the cover of a sad forbidden romance story, which is not what Looking for Alaska is.

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

This and Lola and the Boy Next Door's matching cover both suffer from a very different problem to the Looking for Alaska cover. These original covers for Anna and Lola actually both represent the stories pretty well, and I know that a lot of people love them for exactly that reason, but I just think they look so embarrassing. I imagine a lot of people were probably put off Anna and Lola because of these covers, which is a real shame because they're some of my favourite books. So I may be annoyed that Isla and the Happily Ever After doesn't match the first two in the series on my bookshelf, but mostly I'm just glad that all these books finally have covers that might entice more readers than they turn away.

3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

There is so much going on with this cover, I just don't know where to start. It's just too busy. From the model who looks nothing like how I imagined the protagonist to look, to the terrible typeface choices and frank abuse of photoshop layering and drop shadows, to the strange background that makes it look as though the sky is on fire behind the castle, it's just all too much. This is a beautiful book and it deserves a beautiful cover, which this is not.

4. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Who is this man? Why is he leering at me from the edge of this book? Is it supposed to be Dorian Gray? I can forgive all the movies for constantly casting dark haired men as Dorian but shouldn't the book cover at least recognise that Oscar Wilde describes him as having 'golden' hair? The basic design of this cover is fine, but the choice of picture is really just ruining it for me.

5. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This cover, like I Capture the Castle, is just so busy. Again, it looks like someone got carried away in photoshop. I have seen a few different covers for this series and they all look better than this so there really is just no excuse. The only thing I can say in favour of this cover is that it does give a sense of the adventure and action inside the book, so I can't say that it doesn't suit the story, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

So what makes a good book cover? I think it's obvious from the 'bad' covers I've chosen that I personally like a more minimal design and I'm not overly keen on big looming faces, but looking past my own personal preferences I think the key to a good book cover is in the two functions it should be performing. 1) A cover should make a reader want to pick up the book and read it. It should entice the reader, make them think that this is the sort of book they might be interested in. 2) It should do this by accurately representing the book inside. A cover should be attractive to look at, but it should also tell you something about the book you're about to read.

Let's not forget the attractive bit though, because let's be honest, we really all just want our bookshelves to look nice, don't we?

What do you think makes a good book cover? What do you think makes a bad book cover? Do you actually think my choices are all great book covers and I'm talking total rubbish? Let's talk about it in the comments!

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Features | Thoughtful Quotes

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Features | Thoughtful Quotes

So because I'm extremely disorganised, I only just remembered I had to post today. I also have nothing to write about. I have been staring at a blank page for around half an hour, starting posts, writing about 3 sentences then giving up. I guess I have writers block. Therefore, I decided to do a post that involved no thought from me, and share some of the quotes I have highlighted on my kindle. There will be a more interesting post from me in two weeks time, I just can't think of it today. All of these quotes made me think about something in some way, though, so hopefully you will enjoy them.

"You don't drift, not if someone matters to you" - Abigail Haas, Dangerous Girls  

"It's hard to believe in coincincidence but it's even harder to believe in anything else" - John Green, Will Grayson Will Grayson

"A lot of people want to become someone, but we are scared if we try, we won't be as good as everyone imagines we could be" - Ava Dellaria, Love letters to the dead

"Double locking the front door seemed pretty insignificant compared to dying" - Non Pratt, Trouble

"Hello, my name is your potential. But you can call me impossible. I am the missed opportunities. I am the expectations you will never fulfil. I am always taunting you, regardless of how hard you try, regardless of how much you hope"  -  Nathan Filer, The shock of the fall

"If you don’t eat, you’re going to die. And more importantly, men don’t find skinny women attractive." - Louise O' Neill, Only ever yours 

"Part of growing up is making sure your sense of reality isn’t entirely grounded in your own mind" - David Levithan, Every day

"I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals." - David Levithan, Every Day

"People love the idea of a paper girl" - John Green, Paper Towns

Katie x 

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Group Collaboration | Favourite Reads of 2013!

Saturday, 21 December 2013

Group Collaboration | Favourite Reads of 2013!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All book cover images sourced from goodreads.com

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