On Sunday at the MTV VMAs, we were shown the first teaser of THE HUNGER GAMES. This was introduced by Jennifer Lawerence (aka Katniss), we were shown this...
Reactions? Well, on Twitter from what I've seen, it's been mostly positive. There has been one or two "is that it?" and I feel like that. But this is a teaser to the trailer so I will wait before I past judgement, but from the looks of it, it feels right. But am going to wait for the real trailer and then the movie to past judgement.
But what do you guys think???
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
GoodRead - Flash And Bones
I feel I should explain how I managed to get my hands on an ARC of Kathy Reichs' new novel, Flash and Bones, as I'm a little surprised about this myself (though this seems to be the way I get ARCs now, by the sounds of it). I listened to the audiobook No Rest For The Dead, and commented on Twitter how the two chapters Kathy Reichs wrote were my favourites and reminded me why she's my fave crime writer. After that, I tweeted (half jokingly, not expecting a reply) something along the lines of "Would it be very cheeky of me to ask the publisher if I could have an Arc of Kathy's new novel?". Now, I expected nothing from this. I swear. But, within the hour, the UK publisher of the paperbacks (and sister to the publisher of the hardbacks) tweeted me back, saying "Sure! Give us your address and we'll send it to you." And they sent it to me. I did a happy dance in my kitchen when I received it.
So, what does Temperance Brennan investigate on this, her fourteen outing? Charlotte is getting ready for the biggest NASCAR week of the year. And it looks like Tempe isn't going to enjoy the hype or buzz as she is called to a landfill site near the speedway. A body has been discovered in a barrel of asphalt, a hand poking through the top…
With the country's media on Charlotte, Tempe has her work cut out to identify the body. Could it be the sister of a young man who went missing with her boyfriend ten years ago? As Tempe slowly begins to investigate, she slowly finds herself involved in the FBI and touching on one of America's largest fascist organisations. But before she can truly identify the body, the FBI confiscate the body and destroy it… By accident? Or are the FBI hiding something?
Now, I am sure that some of you lot who are Kathy Reichs readers are shouting at this blog, going "She's doing the same outline again! She gets a body, tries to identify it, the media goes into a frenzy, she tries to solve it and, when she does, her life is in danger". But, it works for Kathy and, if it aren't broke, don't fix it. And it was interesting to see how we got to the point where her life is in danger. And when you start a book which has the line "In the end, Summer saved my life", how could you not. It's almost like 206 Bones, where she awoke in a underground catacombs, and you have to read through the mystery to get to this point though you get some "flashforwards" of how Tempe got out of the catacombs, so you read two stories that, at the end, began one.
But this is very Kathy Reichs. She holds you with the mystery and then she gives you the science. I know that there are a few people who will say that all the science and NASCAR talk is a tad confusing and I suffered that a bit at the end but I was reading quite fast so it might have been me. But yes, I can understand that point.
I have also read one or two reviews, saying Kathy's later books don't have the same impact as her earlier novels. Now, seeing as it has been afew years since I read her debut novel and its sequel, Deja Dead and Death Du Jour, I can't possible say. But I am have got a copy of a 2-in-1 volume of Deadly Decisions and Fatale Voyage and I have been thinking of reading one of them in the future. Not sure when but seeing as this is fresh in my mind, I can compare and come back to you guys on that one.
But, Kathy is still my fave crime writer and she knows how to tell a good, twisty tale that holds my attention and kept me guessing, and I can only speak for myself. And, because of this, her YA novel, Virals (which I've had for quite a while but never seem to find the time to read) has gone up in my To Be Read pile and, seeing as I might read an early Tempe mystery, it looks like I might got on a reading binge in the near future…
PS - for those of you who are hoping that Tempe and Andrew Ryan to get their act together and get back together again, I think that ship has sailed. We don't see Ryan at all in this story! We hear him on the phone once or twice and have an email from him once or two…
Monday, 29 August 2011
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Bubbly's In The Fridge
Yes, I know this is a Sunday and I shouldn't do a "Smile" blog but as I can't stop myself from watching this and bursting to laughter, I thought I would share this with you.
I've stopped watching Eastenders as it's gone too dark for my tastes, but I do think Zoe Lucker is a really good actress. And, without meaning to, this scene is possible one of the funniest Eastenders has done recently! And it's all because of the words "Bubbly's In The Fridge"...
And now, for a remixed version...
Happy Sunday Everyone!!!
I've stopped watching Eastenders as it's gone too dark for my tastes, but I do think Zoe Lucker is a really good actress. And, without meaning to, this scene is possible one of the funniest Eastenders has done recently! And it's all because of the words "Bubbly's In The Fridge"...
And now, for a remixed version...
Happy Sunday Everyone!!!
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Meet The Blogger - Fluttering Butterflies
The last Meet The Blogger for the month of August, this is. This week, we are chatting to Clover from Fluttering Butterflies. Her blog is http://www.flutteringbutterflies.com/, so check it out. Now, onto the Q&A!
*
When did you start blogging?
I started my blog, Fluttering Butterflies in January of 2006! Back then, though, despite reading quite a lot and mentioning books every now and again, mine was not a book blog! I wrote about movies and music and TV programmes. I wrote about my childhood memories and my relationship with my mother. I'd write about daily occurrences and random thoughts that came to me out of nowhere.
What made you start blogging?
During November of the previous year, I'd both given up my job as a manager in (the now sadly closed down) Books Etc and gave birth to my first child. I was without a job and my son slept for quite a lot of the day. I wanted something to do during the days in order to keep me busy as well as to maintain some aspect of my identity so that motherhood didn't swallow me whole. I wanted to be able to talk about other 'normal' things besides babies and nappies and so despite how much of my life surrounded my child (and later my children) I found that I didn't write very much to begin with about my journey as a new mother.
What was the first book you reviewed for your blog and what was your reaction to it?
I actually don't remember the first review I wrote. I'm afraid now to go and look it up for fear (or confirmation, really!) that it was terribly written. I have an inkling that it was possibly a dystopian book for a reading challenge that I'd signed up for. So, possibly Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. Reading challenges are really how I got my foot into the door of book blogging. First with this Dystopic Reading Challenge a friend of mine set up and then through the 1% Well-Read Challenge. It sounds silly now, but I never really considered writing a book blog of my own until I saw others doing it both well and successfully.
When was the first time you realised you were a Book Blogger?
If you can believe it, this realisation of being a book blogger only happened in the last couple of years. Though I have been blogging for over 5 years now, it's been a slow and steady progression from a personal blog, briefly into a mommy blog and finally finding my feet as a book blogger. As I said in the question above, it was really in the growing awareness of other book bloggers that I began to see my own blog as heading in that direction. It really did start of slowly though. Sharing a list of books I'd picked up from the library, the occasional review of a book for a reading challenge into a more regular book blogging schedule. I do still try to maintain a high level of personal blogging though. I find it very difficult to connect with other book bloggers who only talk books and of whom I know nothing about them as people.
How much of your time a week do you spend blogging?
This is a hard question to answer. If really pushed, I would probably say in the area of 15-20 hours a week. If that sounds like a high number (and I can't really say if it is or not? It could be a low number?) then I will say that I include a lot of time that I spend jotting ideas down in my idea notebook as blogging, as well as the time I spend reading, answering emails, reading other blogs and updating my pages. I think blogging and perhaps especially book blogging takes up so much time, energy and effort. It's a constant battle to keep producing interesting and thought-provoking content that at times it seems to take over my entire brain. Which is difficult, as I am also a full-time mother and part-time university student as well as a book blogger!
Has your taste in book genres changed since starting the blog?
Yes it has! I'd be surprised if anyone says 'no' to this question. Before I started properly book blogging, I used to read a fair bit and I'd read more widely in other genres than I do now. Mostly literary fiction, classic fiction and other adult books. But all of that changed as I began to review more YA books and be sent more YA books for review. Now I find that my brain isn't able to adapt to reading across the YA/adult genre line and it's just easier and (in a lot of cases) more enjoyable to stick with YA. Especially as there's just a wonderful mix of YA types of books. I also think that book blogging has made me more open to different genres within YA - reading horror or middle grade books that I might not have picked up without the blogging community.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I am very lucky to be reading Far From Home, a new book out this summer from Na'ima B. Robert. I'd reviewed two of her previous books last year and really enjoyed them, so Na'ima contacted me recently and asked if I'd be willing to *the first* to read her new book and to give her my thoughts on it. It is very different to her other books, following the lives of two very different girls growing up in Zimbabwe, but I'm really enjoying and I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be the first.
What book has got you very excited or made you cry?
Ah! Looking at just the books I've read recently and I can say that Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson really has me excited. It isn't out until August, but it is such a thrilling and wonderful book full of mystery and romance, very cool abilities (telekinesis!) and actiony sequences. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and really rushed my way through it. Fab book.
As for making me cry, I'm kind of a big baby and will cry at almost anything. The book that made me cry the most recently? Without a doubt, that would be A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Beautifully written together with gorgeous illustrations, the story of a young boy dealing with his mother's cancer made me weep.
Have you read any book that you disliked so much you threw it across the room?
I .. probably have FELT like throwing books but I don't think I've ever done it. There are a lot of aspects of certain books that I didn't particularly like, such as the 'romance' element of Hush, Hush for example. But if something is really bothering me about a book, I would probably just stop and pick up another book to read instead. I don't think that I'm very agressive in my book-disliking!
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part or what to set up a book blog?
Oh I could write pages and pages of advice. I'm always toying with the idea of writing a book blog advice post, but I'm not sure that I'm established enough to be a reliable source. I've also always wanted to start up a mentoring system, so that experienced book bloggers are teamed up with new book bloggers in order to give advice and encouragement. I think that would be fantastic. I'm always on the look out to help newly started book bloggers: sending them my read books, leaving lots of comments and emails or asking them to take part in some of my features in order to be a little bit more noticed. I think it's quite easy to be lost amongst the thousands of book bloggers out there and that's a shame really. My advice?
-Know how much time and effort that it does take to write a book blog before you start and plan accordingly
-Provide lots of quality content and try not to go down the route of too many memes that have very little substance. Spends lots of time thinking about what you want to achieve with your blog and writing down ideas of how to go about that.
-Connect with your readers as well as with other bloggers who write similarly to you. Respond to your commenters in some way and leave lots of comments for other bloggers.
-Read books that you're passionate about so that you can write passionately about them as well as any other topics you write about! That enthusiasm will come across in your writing.
-So much more. Email me or leave me a comment and I will do my best to be your book blogging mentor, if you'd like!
Now, to ask five fun quick-fire questions. What song are you listening to right now?
Geek Love by Nerina Pallot
MySpace, Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter, without a doubt.
Hardback, paperbacks or eBooks?
Paperbacks
Letters, phone, texting or emailing?
Emailing!
Zombies or unicorns?
Unicorns
*
When did you start blogging?
I started my blog, Fluttering Butterflies in January of 2006! Back then, though, despite reading quite a lot and mentioning books every now and again, mine was not a book blog! I wrote about movies and music and TV programmes. I wrote about my childhood memories and my relationship with my mother. I'd write about daily occurrences and random thoughts that came to me out of nowhere.
What made you start blogging?
During November of the previous year, I'd both given up my job as a manager in (the now sadly closed down) Books Etc and gave birth to my first child. I was without a job and my son slept for quite a lot of the day. I wanted something to do during the days in order to keep me busy as well as to maintain some aspect of my identity so that motherhood didn't swallow me whole. I wanted to be able to talk about other 'normal' things besides babies and nappies and so despite how much of my life surrounded my child (and later my children) I found that I didn't write very much to begin with about my journey as a new mother.
What was the first book you reviewed for your blog and what was your reaction to it?I actually don't remember the first review I wrote. I'm afraid now to go and look it up for fear (or confirmation, really!) that it was terribly written. I have an inkling that it was possibly a dystopian book for a reading challenge that I'd signed up for. So, possibly Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. Reading challenges are really how I got my foot into the door of book blogging. First with this Dystopic Reading Challenge a friend of mine set up and then through the 1% Well-Read Challenge. It sounds silly now, but I never really considered writing a book blog of my own until I saw others doing it both well and successfully.
When was the first time you realised you were a Book Blogger?
If you can believe it, this realisation of being a book blogger only happened in the last couple of years. Though I have been blogging for over 5 years now, it's been a slow and steady progression from a personal blog, briefly into a mommy blog and finally finding my feet as a book blogger. As I said in the question above, it was really in the growing awareness of other book bloggers that I began to see my own blog as heading in that direction. It really did start of slowly though. Sharing a list of books I'd picked up from the library, the occasional review of a book for a reading challenge into a more regular book blogging schedule. I do still try to maintain a high level of personal blogging though. I find it very difficult to connect with other book bloggers who only talk books and of whom I know nothing about them as people.
How much of your time a week do you spend blogging?
This is a hard question to answer. If really pushed, I would probably say in the area of 15-20 hours a week. If that sounds like a high number (and I can't really say if it is or not? It could be a low number?) then I will say that I include a lot of time that I spend jotting ideas down in my idea notebook as blogging, as well as the time I spend reading, answering emails, reading other blogs and updating my pages. I think blogging and perhaps especially book blogging takes up so much time, energy and effort. It's a constant battle to keep producing interesting and thought-provoking content that at times it seems to take over my entire brain. Which is difficult, as I am also a full-time mother and part-time university student as well as a book blogger!
Has your taste in book genres changed since starting the blog?
Yes it has! I'd be surprised if anyone says 'no' to this question. Before I started properly book blogging, I used to read a fair bit and I'd read more widely in other genres than I do now. Mostly literary fiction, classic fiction and other adult books. But all of that changed as I began to review more YA books and be sent more YA books for review. Now I find that my brain isn't able to adapt to reading across the YA/adult genre line and it's just easier and (in a lot of cases) more enjoyable to stick with YA. Especially as there's just a wonderful mix of YA types of books. I also think that book blogging has made me more open to different genres within YA - reading horror or middle grade books that I might not have picked up without the blogging community.
What book are you reading at the moment?I am very lucky to be reading Far From Home, a new book out this summer from Na'ima B. Robert. I'd reviewed two of her previous books last year and really enjoyed them, so Na'ima contacted me recently and asked if I'd be willing to *the first* to read her new book and to give her my thoughts on it. It is very different to her other books, following the lives of two very different girls growing up in Zimbabwe, but I'm really enjoying and I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be the first.
What book has got you very excited or made you cry?
Ah! Looking at just the books I've read recently and I can say that Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson really has me excited. It isn't out until August, but it is such a thrilling and wonderful book full of mystery and romance, very cool abilities (telekinesis!) and actiony sequences. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and really rushed my way through it. Fab book.
As for making me cry, I'm kind of a big baby and will cry at almost anything. The book that made me cry the most recently? Without a doubt, that would be A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Beautifully written together with gorgeous illustrations, the story of a young boy dealing with his mother's cancer made me weep.
Have you read any book that you disliked so much you threw it across the room?
I .. probably have FELT like throwing books but I don't think I've ever done it. There are a lot of aspects of certain books that I didn't particularly like, such as the 'romance' element of Hush, Hush for example. But if something is really bothering me about a book, I would probably just stop and pick up another book to read instead. I don't think that I'm very agressive in my book-disliking!
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part or what to set up a book blog?
Oh I could write pages and pages of advice. I'm always toying with the idea of writing a book blog advice post, but I'm not sure that I'm established enough to be a reliable source. I've also always wanted to start up a mentoring system, so that experienced book bloggers are teamed up with new book bloggers in order to give advice and encouragement. I think that would be fantastic. I'm always on the look out to help newly started book bloggers: sending them my read books, leaving lots of comments and emails or asking them to take part in some of my features in order to be a little bit more noticed. I think it's quite easy to be lost amongst the thousands of book bloggers out there and that's a shame really. My advice?
-Know how much time and effort that it does take to write a book blog before you start and plan accordingly
-Provide lots of quality content and try not to go down the route of too many memes that have very little substance. Spends lots of time thinking about what you want to achieve with your blog and writing down ideas of how to go about that.
-Connect with your readers as well as with other bloggers who write similarly to you. Respond to your commenters in some way and leave lots of comments for other bloggers.
-Read books that you're passionate about so that you can write passionately about them as well as any other topics you write about! That enthusiasm will come across in your writing.
-So much more. Email me or leave me a comment and I will do my best to be your book blogging mentor, if you'd like!
Now, to ask five fun quick-fire questions. What song are you listening to right now?
Geek Love by Nerina Pallot
MySpace, Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter, without a doubt.
Hardback, paperbacks or eBooks?
Paperbacks
Letters, phone, texting or emailing?
Emailing!
Zombies or unicorns?
Unicorns
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
GoodRead - No Rest For The Dead (Unabridged Audiobook)
As you guys know, I am a bit of crime nut. I do love reading or audiobook a good murder mystery so No Rest For The Dead is probably a biggie for all you other crime fans out there. Why, I hear you ask? Because 26 crime and thriller authors - including Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Alexander McCall Smith & R L Stine to name a few, with an introduction from David Baldacci - all helped writing this, each writing a chapter or two each. And with the audiobook version, you had six readers, in which made the story feel more it was told from several people, which I like.
The story starts when Rosemary Thomas was executed in the state of California for the murder of her husband, Christopher Thomas. Chistopher was discovered inside an Iron Maiden, a torture device that was on loan from Germary to the San Francisco's Museum of Fine Art, where both Thomas and Rosemary worked at. All the evidence pointed to Rosemary, even though she claimed she was innocent. Ten years later, a memorial is being held on the ten year anniversay of Rosemary's execuation. But what happens if Rosemary was innocent? What happened if an innocent woman was executed? But if she was, then who killed Christopher Thomas?
Now, should I talk about the story, the authors or the readers? Where should I begin?
The story. The story in itself is fast and will have the reader on the edge of their seats guessing and double-guessing. I never saw the end coming but I suspect that some of you crime die-hards out there might. I think most, if not all of you, will get it at the same time I did (dare I say which author wrote the chapter? No. I better not. I don’t want to ruin the fun!).
But what makes this story so different from the others out there is the fact that you get 26 authors involved in this, each bring their own style to the story. Some chapters are more emotional, others more action, others more technically than the rest of the book, but you can hear the voices of each crime writer. There are a few chapters where the chapter doesn't gel with the story, but you forgive that as each chapter has been written by a different author. And with the audiobook version, you have six readers so with this, you still get the feel that this is the same story, but being told from several people's point of views, which makes the story feel more textured.
Now, I can imagine all you crime die-hards out there rushing out to grab this book/audiobook as it has the crème de la crème (or the crime de la crime) of writers out there - I mean, I got very excited when listening to Tess Gerristen and Kathy Reichs chapters (as they are my fave crime authors). But there will be a few of you going "Huh? What is he/she doing in?". Yeah, I had that, with Alexander McCall Smith and R L Stine. Now, Alexander McCall Smith, I can understand as he does crime (though some of you would call his work "gentle crime") but R L Stine? Bestselling author of the teen series, Goosebumps? What is he doing there? His chapters (only two, actually) are short and very different from the rest of the story - but, when you read/listen to his chapters, it makes perfect sense. But saying that, most of the chapters are told in third person but there are a few chapters told from the characters.
All in all, crime fans will love this. Not entirely certain I like the final two/three chapters (this includes the diary entry - which shouldn't count as a chapter, but I do), but with the list of well-loved and well-respected crime writers help writing this story, this is a must for crime fans!
Monday, 22 August 2011
Friday, 19 August 2011
GoodRead - The Perfect Murder (Unabridged Audiobook)
I saw this on iTunes and it was cheap. No other reason for why I got it. It was only afterwards I realised that this was a Quick Read - part of a range of short stories to promote reading in adults. I have read one or two of them and they are good introducions to authors who you haven't read, or a nice short story to waste two hours over…
I have never read a Peter James story. So, was intrigued over what he's like...
Victor and Joan have been married for almost twenty years. They can't stand the sight of each other. And now, Victor has had enough. To escape his wife and be with the call-girl that he is being to have strong feelings for, Victor is planning to kill her. But, by the looks of it, Joan has her own plans…
Who will get away with the perfect murder?
Right, first thing, this is not a novel. So, if you guys wants details on stuff or a lot of dialogue, you're not going to get it here. So much for that for the first three or four chapters, you get no dialogue whatsoever. And I am huge on dialogue in short stories (reading & writing them) so this was a tad jarring for me.
Another thing is characters. Both Victor and Joan were vile characters. Horrible characters, and this is a very brave thing for any writer to do. To have your main characters horrible. You don't relate to them. I can imagine some of you can related to their situation on some level. The level of being married and, on some days, wishing your partner ill. But this marriage was toxic and a good example on why, if it gets that bad, to LEAVE!
But I wonder if the author did this on purpose so the reader isn't on either Victor or Joan's side. We want them to fail in their schemes of murder or, if they did, to not get away with it. We want justice.
I'm not sure if was because of the story, the characters or the audiobook's reader - Paul Panting - but I didn't exactly click with the story. I didn't gel with it. It was fast read/audiobook but I didn't exactly feel like this story was anything special. Maybe this was the wrong story to introduce myself to this author...
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