Music and Their Theme Songs - Volume 16

FIRST MUSIC AND THEIR THEME SONGS BLOG POST OF 2013! Are you excited? And if not, why not? I have music to share with you! I do hope you enjoy these songs choices! So, here you go. Enjoy!

NIGHT SCHOOL: LEGACY by C J Daugherty
"Speak Up" by POP ETC & "1957" by Milo Greene



ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll
"You Are Old, Father William" by They Might Be Giants


CALLUM by Malorie Blackman
"Flaws and Ceilings" by Frank Hamilton


FUSE by Julianna Baggott
"Fire In The Water" by Feist, "Machines in Love" by Ben Munson, "Monkeybirds" by Iain Bellamy (Unable to Share This Song, I'm afraid) & "We Are Broken" by Paramore




UNDONE by Cat Clarke
"Autumn Tree" by Milo Greene


PANTOMIME by Laura Lam
"Little Dreams" by Ellie Goulding

GoodRead - Pantomime

I have ACTUALLY no idea how to review this for you guys. Absolutely none! Will explain why in a tick, but let me tell you how I got my copy. I got it from Vivenne from Serendipity Reviews who was my UKYABB Secret Santa. She gave me this (and a hardback of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross) and I actually got excited. I have been drooling over this book since I first heard of it. It just sounded right up my street! Fantasy? In a circus? PERFECT!

So, Pantomime. In Ellada, R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic is the circus. Nestled within the blue Penglass - remnants of a civilisation that has long since vanished - the circus is the place where anything is possible. And the perfect place to hide...

Gene is uncomfortable with her life in corsets and dances. She would rather prefer climbing a tree. Micah Grey is a runaway. He joins the circus to escape the dangers of the street. Both have secrets. Both have a balancing act to perform, and one wrong move could spell the end...

Now, I see you guys reading that and go "and your problem in reviewing this book is...?". Well, Pantomine is a book of secrets. There are so many secrets in here - and there's one that I'm pretty certain will shock/surprise/have you rereading the previous paragraphs going "What? What?! Where did THAT come from?!". And because of this, writing this review with spoilers is going to be a nightmare! I always let something slip when I write reviews so this is gonna be interesting challenge for me.

Anyway, the book. I loved it! I loved how Laura wrote the life of the circus and all the characters within the Big Top. How she made each character have layers that, when you first meet them, you didn't think they had. Laura write circus life as hard word (like any other job) but she adds depth to this gaslight fantasy/steampunk world that she's writing (and the fact there is a sequel makes me very happy!).

Though this is very fantasy, you read about relationships and sexuality, and Laura writes these moments well. There were times I wondered (and still do) if I thought I saw moments of a bisexual love triangle (something which I haven't read in YA ever!) and that's what makes this book so brilliant.

This book is unlike anything I have ever read. It is so different and so unique, I don't think I can do it justice in a review without spoilers. So, am going to stop this review now and just say the following: I want the sequel. I want the sequel now!

James Dawson and Neil Gaiman News!

You never thought I would EVER write a blog post with THAT title, did ya? 

I have news from the world of James Dawson and Neil Gaiman. First, let's tackle James Dawson. Today, James and his UK publishers, Indigo, unveiled the cover to his second novel, Cruel Summer. And here it is...

You like? It's so different from his cover of Hollow Pike. But I love Hollow Pike so am super excited for this book! And here, to wet your appetites, is a short summary of the book:

Ryan is looking forward to spending the summer with his old school friends at Katie’s luxurious Spanish villa. He hasn’t seen the gang since their friend, Janey, committed suicide a year ago. He hopes this summer they’ll be able to put the past behind them and move on – until someone else arrives, claiming to have proof that Janey’s suicide was murder – and it’s only a matter of time until her killer strikes again…

Ryan was hoping for sun, sea and sand. Suddenly, he’s facing a long, hot summer of death, drama and deceit . . .

(The Cover and the summary were taken from the author's website of jamesdawsonbooks.com)

And now, to the world of Neil Gaiman. And he's a busy man, is Mr Gaiman. Not only has he written his second episode for Doctor Who (which is entitled The Last Cyberman), an adult novel coming out in May (The Ocean At The End of the Lane), and he's published a picture book (Chu's Day), but Neil has written a book for younger readers. But why am I telling you this: let's the author tell you himself. 



Fortunately, the Milk will be out in September (so FAR AWAY!!!) but it looks to be as mad as a box of frogs. I can not WAIT to read this, even though I am suppose to be a grown up (when has that ever stopped me?). Also, Neil is introducing and having a story featured in a collection of beastly tales called Unnatural Creatures (it's not about book bloggers, I have been informed...) so, if you are a Neil Gaiman fan, this is your lucky year!

SMILE - They Should Remake The Lord Of The Rings Like This...!

Source: themetapicture.com via Andrew on Pinterest

I have no idea who uploaded this onto Pinterest, but thank you whoever you are!

GoodRead - Undone

As you guys are probably aware, I am a a bit of a Cat Clarke fan. So, if you are expecting a non-bias review... er... you might want to go somewhere else.

Actually, I nearly didn't review Undone. Alice from Quercus tried to send me Undone several times before I got it (third times the charm!). I think either the previous parcel got lost in the post, the postman's a Cat Clarke fan too or my family and other half bribed the postman to "lose" my mail if it looks booky.

Anyway, Undone. Jem has been in love with her best friend, Kai, since she first met him. The fact he's gay makes things kinda difficult, but she's getting over that. And then something unspeakable happens: Kai's outed on the internet. And Kai kills himself.

Jem is beside herself. Her best friend died. She can't see a way forward. Until she decides to find out who posted that video, and make them pay in the cruelest way possible...

I feel like I've been saying this a lot about this book: this is Cat's most powerful book to date. She doesn't flinch away from the subject matter - grief, homophobia, bullying, discrimination, suicide, the damages of lies just to name a few - so if you don't like reading about these, stay away from this book. But Cat seems to get under Jem's skin while writing and, though she does things in her act of revenge I can't forgive for (not gonna spoil), you kinda understood what drove Jem to do the things she did in the extreme ways she did.

Jem's grief speaks volumes and when you get to read Kai's letters to Jem... I know book bloggers who have read this book and have sobbed while reading Kai's letters. I got kinda choked up over Kai's March and July. So, yeah... unless you have a heart made of stone or sold your emotions on eBay, you will probably cry or feel on the verge of crying. You have been warned.

There is something that might bother some of you guys (apart from the possible crying) is the language. While swear words don't bother me (and I think Cat gets wayward teens better than anyone - maybe Hollyoaks should hire her as head scriptwriter...), I sense it might bother some of you. So, if you have issues on swearing and underage sex (amongs other things), you might want to avoid.

While I guessed one twist early on, Cat nails it with the twists that follow at a stupid pace.

Unflinching, uncomfortable at times yet unputdownable. This is Cat Clarke's best novel to date.




PS - I don't normally do this, but as this book deals with issues that I think need addressing, I feel have to write this. So, if any of the issues in this book affect you, please contact one of the following as I think these are very helpful:

The Samaritians (UK) - http://www.samaritans.org/
Childline (UK) - http://www.childline.org.uk/
Stonewall (UK) - http://www.stonewall.org.uk/
The Trevor Project (US) - http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

GoodRead - Beautiful Creatures Movie Companion

You must think I'm a little weird, seeing as I've recently enjoy reading movie-related books. It's only been in the last few years that I've got into the "How is a movie made" (here are my reviews of Harry Potter: Page to Screen & The Art of the Avengers) and I have two more lurking in my stacks that I am SUPER excited to read as I ADORE THE MOVIES (am going to keep them secret but I have tweeted them so if you follow me on Twitter, you should know...)

Anyway, Beautiful Creatures: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is basically what it says on the tin. This is the illustrated book, talking about how the movie (based on the novel by Kami Gracia and Margaret Stohl - and yes, I have read that and its sequel. Will be reading the third and fourth book in the series sometime this year!) was made. From design, make-up, editing and special effects. With quotes from both the authors, the director, the actors, and other people behind the screens.

And it was interesting. I am a geek to this side of movies so to read about how the authors felt when they walked onto site the first day and hearing from make-up and SFX team made the famous "Dining Room" and Casters Ball was interesting and fascinating.

Although, it was missing things. It missed how the actor who played Ethan, Alden Ehrenreich, got the role (the original actor couldn't get a visa for filming, if I remember) or how Alice Englert (Lena) actually refused the role a few times before accepting it. Or how the screenwriter decided what was going to be in the movie and what wouldn't. It's the little things, I know, but it would have been interesting to hear how/why this happened.

This is a fan book. If you are a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series or the movie, you are going to love this as this explains how the movie was created, this is gonna be perfect for you. If not, you might read this and find it a bit lacking.

Ok, I can talk about my reactions to the movie now as I saw it a few days ago (with my other half who I dragged and who had to watch me go "This movie!" while having an annoying couple whispering behind us and a couple several seats away eating VERY LOUD food). So, reactions: I am really surprised how much I enjoyed watching the movie. It was fun. It took the book and made a movie out of it. And you didn't have to have read the book before you watch the movie to get it. You could watch the movie without any knowledge and you would get what's going on. Things happened in the movie that didn't happen in the book and things happened in the book that wasn't in the movie, but these are two very different media. There are faults (the accents was one and a few things were a bit predictable), but it was fun and enjoyable. My opinion, but have you seen the movie? Do you agree or not? LET ME KNOW!!! 

SMILE - Was Giving Her A Library Such A Good Idea?

My thanks to the lovely SisterSpooky. Your tumblr rocks! 

Love is Magic...

To those in love, Happy Valentine's Day. To those who are single, Happy Me Day. 

The images are taken from **** Yes, Once Upon A Time tumblr.

Another Nightshade Book Alert!

I haven't even read Rift by Andrea Cremer yet and she goes and reveals that she's written a FOURTH book in the Nightshade series. That's right. A FOURTH! So, she's written a prequel series, this series and is going to write an erotica adult series. And then, just when we thought we were safe, she throws us this curveball (but I shouldn't be surprised. She hinted at this a while ago. I even blogged about it)! 

Anyway, the fourth book will be called Snakeroot and Andrea has revealed the following on Bookish: "Snakeroot focuses on Adne's struggles to adjust to the post-Witches War world of the Searchers. She's plagued by disturbing dreams and visions, all of which draw her to the gardens of Rowan Estate. The cover image perfectly depicts the way in which Adne has become entangled by her own turbulent emotions and an encroaching dark magic."

The cover she is talking about is the US cover, which was revealed at the same time of the news. And here it is for you US peeps out there! 

I'm gonna be honest here: this isn't how I imagined Adne. But then, I don't exactly like the US covers to this series. I much prefer the UK covers (And before you ask, I have just tweeted Atom and, hopefully, shall get a reply soon). 

So, my Nightshade fans! Reactions? Are you exited to go back into the world of Adne and see the aftermath of the Witches War? 

Infinityglass Cover Reveal!

As you guys are aware, I loved Hourglass by Myra McEntire and I am waiting for the PERFECT time to read its sequel, Timepiece. Yes, I am waiting for the perfect time and yes, I know this makes me sound weird. Anyway, on Wednesday, Myra unveiled the cover to the third book in the series, Infinityglass, and... here it is!

Doesn't it look creepy and yet, fit the series perfectly? I think it's her arms and back that creep me out!

No information has been revealed, to my knowledge. Not even who's point of view is telling the story (Emerson told Hourglass and Kaleb told Timepiece). All I know is that the book will be out on 9th July (thanks Emma!) and, as we still don't have a UK publisher for this series, I will be ordering it online in the next few days...

Here is the link to see Myra unveil the cover herself. So, guys, reactions?

GoodRead - The Essential Calvin And Hobbes

You can go and blame Laura (aka SisterSpooky) for my recent attack into the world that is Calvin and Hobbes. But, saying that, I really should be thanking her. Either way, let's chat about this beast.

Calvin and Hobbes are your average six year old and his toy tiger (aka best friend in the WHOLE world). While trying to make sense of life (and enjoying it!), they ask big moral questions such as "Is there life after death?", "How do you know if a girl likes you?", "How do I get out of bathtime?" and "How do I get out of eating vegetables at dinnertime?" (yes, THESE are the big questions in life!).

This is a collection of comic strips (well, they were published in newspapers but this treasury is two collections put together: Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed in Drooling) and, like this first collection I bought (It's a Magical World - review's here), I loved it. I FORCED myself to read this over the course of a week (while reading Fuse by Julianna Baggott - my ramblings is here) and everytime I picked it up, within a few minutes, I was either smiling, laughing, snorting into my hand or tweet pics, going "THAT'S ME!". Bill Watterson just "got" what it was like to be a carefree six year old with an overactive imagination where you would daydream about space battles, ask your parents awkward questions such as "Where do babies come from?" and getting an made-up answer but you believe them without a moment's hesitation. All the while, he pokes fun at the world around us.

This is an instant cheer-up book! Perfect for when you're down in the dumps. Even the raccoon strip near the end was sweet! This book was just made me happy when I was reading this!

Oh, Laura, if you are reading this, I might get another edition of Calvin and Hobbes in the coming months. Any suggestions on which one...?

GoodRead - Fuse

Over the break for New Year (where I had no internet or 3G as I was in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!), I read Pure by Julianna Baggott and, while enjoying it, got quite creeped out with it (I still think it's one of the most scary post-apocalyptic novels I have read. Ever!). When I was sent this, the lovely Ben from Headline sent me an ARC of the sequel, Fuse. And, after some time recovering from Pure, I started to read it, though at arm's length (as I feared that if I read it close to my face, a Groupie or one of the Mothers would come out and try to kill me!)

With the world divided into those in the Dome - the Pure - and those outside the Dome when the bombs went off - the wretches, things are dark and morbid. When Partridge - a Pure - escaped from the Dome and met Pressia, a wretch, their worlds get turned upside down and he end is no where in sight. 

And now, the Dome wants Partridge back. At whatever cost. Snatching children wretches and making them "Pure", even though the enhancements are no way suitable for children so young, and all they can say is one message: "We want our son back. This girl is proof hat we can save you all. If you ignore our plea, we will kill our hostages one at a time." To save lives, Partridge has to go back into the Dome and into the clutches of the Dome's ruler, his father. 

Meanwhile, Pressia, Bradwell and El Capitan must decode secrets that could set the wrecthes free from the fusing safely. 

But how far will those fighting Willux go to stop him? Over land? Over sea? Over body? Or mind? 

Now, I'm going to admit this here and now: I am very much torn over this book. I do like it and yet, at the same time, I have issues with it. Well, one issue, mainly. 

Let's start with the pros. The writing is wonderful. It's Julianna's writing that kept me going. It's so lyrical. It just works. And for character development. The characters - all the characters - change so slowly and carefully that, by the time you get to the end of the book, you are surprised that the characters changed so much. You don't see the changes in an instant. The changes are subtle. 

The plot and the ideas Julianna put forward are quite scary. I said earlier in the review and in my review for Pure that this series is one of the scariest post-apocalyptic series I have come across. And, while this book didn't have me as scared as Pure (because I had no idea what Pure was about), Fuse sets up ideas which are frightening and set me on edge while reading as these ideas seem possible. The whole world that Julianna writes is very much in the realm of possible and that's why I see these books as dark and scary. 

Cons. *sighs* I have one huge con and one little con. Let's start some. This book is DARK. And morbid. There will be times where, if you're not in the right frame of mind, where you will go "Why am I reading this?!" You have to be in the right frame of mind. If not, this book/series is going to be a struggle for you. 

My second con is length. Yes, I know that I said the character development is subtle and that is due to the book's length, but there were times over the two week course I read this where I honestly thought "Is this chapter REALLY important to the point?". I honestly thought a good 50 or so pages could have been cut out. I found it hard to keep my bounce on reading this when I would look at what I had left and think "I'm never going to finish this."

But finish this I have. And I still don't know how I feel about this. I think this book will be one of those books I will be thinking about for a while so my instant reaction might be clouded. But I do know I want the third and final book in the trilogy (it's been announced that it will be called Burn) and I am getting excited over movie news to this series. But I'm still on the fence with this at time of writing this. 

SMILE - Be Awesome Instead

I have no idea how I came across this (Facebook?) so I have no idea who to thank. But thank you. 

Now, this is a sign to start watching How I Met Your Mother!

COVERS!!!

Why hello! Thank you for popping over on this wet Sunday. Why am I writing this on a Sunday, I hear you ask? Well, COVERS! I've been a bit slow on the Cover front and I thought I would show some new covers that have been revealed and go "OOOH! SHINY!" over them.

First of all, is Zoe Marriott's The Night Itself. This will be the first book in a trilogy entitled The Name of the Blade. The Night Itself is about Mio, who steals her grandfather's priceless katana to make her fancy dress costume. But in doing so unleashes an ancient evil onto the streets of modern day London and only Mio can stop it... Cool, huh? I only got into Zoe with Frostfire so this is gonna be awesome. And here is her cover:

Sticking with Walker Books, the cover of Rob Lloyd Jones's Wild Boy have been revealed a few days ago. This book, set in Victorian London, follows a travelling circus who have a Wild Boy - a boy completely covered in hair. A boy who watches people and spots things no one else does. A boy who who gets accused of murder and must run, not only from the Police, but towards the truth... I can't wait to read this!

Sticking with red coloured covers (just trying to keep the follow going), Strange Chemistry unveiled its May publication, Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon. Zenn is training to be a exoveterinarian (a vet for aliens). Her training on Mars is going really well... until animal escapes start happening, which Zenn finds herself blamed for. And then her father vanishes...

And last, but by no means least, is the second novel from one of my fave authors of last year, Tanya Byrne. Follow Me Down follows Adamma, who is forced to leave her glossy high school in New York to a dusty boarding school in the UK. Things look awful, until she meets Scarlet and the two instantly hit it off. Best friends, until a guy comes between them. The battle lines are drawn. And then Scarlet runs away. But she didn't just run away because she didn't get the guy... right?

What do you think about these covers? You like? You not so sure? My thanks for the covers go here, there and everywhere. Mostly Hannah from Walker Books for the Wild Boy cover and Laura (aka Sisterspooky) for her posts on The Night Itself, Zenn Scarlett and Follow Me Down.

Surprise International Contest!

SURPRISE!!! 

As you are probably aware from the sidebar that I have gone over 100 followers/friends/spammer/whoever you are. I have also got a stupid number of people following me on Twitter and a tiny number of Pinterest and Goodreads (I'm very picky on Goodreads, I've noticed). So, as a small thank you for following me on this weird journey of reading, I thought a thank you was in order. So, here is a international contest to win £13 British Pounds of books from The Book Depository!

Yes, I know £13 is an odd number but as we are in 2013 (and 13 is my lucky number), seems a good number to pick for this contest!

To enter, you must fill in the form below. That's it really. The contest will close at 3pm UK time this Sunday (10th February) and then I will be emailing the winner the news that they have won and asking for what books they want. So, my lovelies. Enter and good luck!

Oh, if you are unsure if The Book Depository ship to your country, PLEASE CHECK BEFORE YOU ENTER.

Good luck everyone!!!

Hot Key Books and Templar Book Blogger Event

On the Saturday just gone, I was at the Hot Keys Book and the Templar Books Book Bloggers Brunch. And after having to handle some small London Underground troubles (the Circle Line wasn't working due to maintence repairs so I walked there. In London. Pass strange street names that made me laugh), I got there and had a wonderful time. It was lovely to catch up with some bloggy pals I have me in previous events (and I scare on Twitter & Facebook), meet some new bloggers (who are just as hyper about books as I am), talk to the lovely people at both Hot Keys and Templar and, after having both publishers chat to all of us about exciting books in their "Spring Line" (that's from now till June/July), chatting to some authors and getting hyper over some books that just sound wonderful.

So, to everyone, from Hot Key and Templar staff, blogging pals old and new and to the authors who made me go "I MUST READ THE PRETTY!", thank you for a great few hours. I got some funny looks on the train home, but it was a blast.

Now, for the main point of the blog, BOOKS! Or, some books that have SERIOUSLY wetted my reading appetite and I think you guys will love! It's a real mix bag so... let's get cracking!

THE QUIETNESS by Alison Rattle (OUT NOW-ISH)
Let's start with a surprise one as, when Hot Keys were talking about this book, I was all "oooh!" as it sounds a bit different to my normal reads, but it didn't grip me. Until I heard the term "baby-farming". I'm not going to go into what that term means, but here's the basics of the book: In London 1870, two girls lead very different lives. Queenie longs to escape the slums tat she's grown up in, where life is a struggle, no matter what she does. Ellen, on the other hand, lives a privileged life, but is lonely beyond words. Soon, their worlds crash together and their lives will change in unspeakable ways...

RED INK by Julie Mayhew (OUT NOW)
Another surprise for you, but from all the whispers I've heard from those who have read this, this is a must from the books we were shown/given. Melon is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her mother, who was knocked down and killed by a London bus. Only holding "The Story" - a fairytale, if you will - close to her heart, Melon begins to see the world for what it is. And begins to see sides to her mother that she never saw before and never thought could exist before...

FERRYMAN by Claire McFall (OUT NOW)
It's the cover that got me. It's shiny. And the idea of a train crash. And that the author was just as hyper as us bloggers when we chatted to her. So, yeah, I wanna read it. Anyway, the story: Dylan emerges from a wreckage of a train crash, she believes she's the only person who survived. Expect she isn't, according to the boy on the hill. She's dead, and he has to take her through the wraith-infested wasteland to the Afterlife. But what happens to them on this journey might change all that... [FYI, Claire is writing her second novel which tackles Scottish Independence and terrorism. Yep, am excited for that one as well.)

DEATH AND CO by D.J. McCune (MAY 2013)
All Adam wants is to be normal. Is that so hard? Yep. You see, he's a Luman, one of the members of spirit guides who guide dead souls into the afterlife. And when this job is non-negotiable (thanks parents!), Adam finds it hard to be normal. He can't go on dates in case he has to leave half way through because of a job. He can't hang out with friends if he has to lie to them on why he missed their last meet-up. And homework... the less said, the better. So when Adam discovers he has a rare gift that could undermind everything a Luman stands for, he'll have to make a choice...

THE SAVAGES by Matt Whyman (JUNE 2013)
Some of you guys, I suspect, know who Matt is. He has written several adult novels and is agony uncle for BBC Radio 1's The Surgery. So, you think this will be dealing with tough teens issues, right? Er... not exactly. Chatting to Matt made me laugh my head off and go "This book is so dark and twisted, I HAVE to read this when I can!". The Savage family look like a "typical" family. Expect, they're not. They're hiding a dark secret. So, when Sasha starts dating Jack, a vegan, her family react badly. And when a curious detective begins snooping around, how long will the secret stay secret?

FRIDAY BROWN by Vikki Wakefield (JULY 2013)
If anyone ask if this is linked to Mrs Brown's Boys, I'm not sure how to react. Probably laugh then throw the book at you. No, this should be well known to your Australians as its won a high-profiled award - the Adelaide Festival Award for Literature 2012 - and now, we're getting in the UK. Friday travels the endless roads of the Australians. But when her mother dies, Friday starts running. Running from a family curse that might or might not be real. And trying to running to the current of life that, before she would be swept away, Friday is struggling to stay afloat. But when something terrible threatens, Friday Brown must stop running from her past and she must fight...

THE GHOST BRIDE by Yangsze Choo (AUGUST 2013)
When I saw I was given this, I think I made a noise. A squeal? A gasp? Why, I hear you ask. Well, this sounds scary. Perfect for the summer months! Anyway, when Li Lan is asked to marry the wealthy Lim family, her father agrees. Only, the Lim's son is dead. She will be a ghost bride. As Li Lan tries to come to terms with her ghostly would-be suitor, she finds herself having desires to the Lim's new heir. But it's the nights she should be fearful of. At night, she finds herself drawn into the Chinese afterlife, filled with ghotly cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits. If she's not carefully, she will be trapped there forever...

MAUREEN JOHNSON
If I didn't mention the news of Hot Key publishing Maureen Johnson for the next few years, you would probably have a go at me. So, Hot Key is going to publish Maureen Johnson. And they have a huge back catalogue to publish. They are going to publish Maureen's debut novel, The Key of the Golden Firebird, are going to publish the third and fourth books in the Shades of London series (and they have confirmed that  they will try and keep the cover as similar to the HarperCollins covers), and all the books in the Suite Scarlett series. They might be publishing more over the course of the next few years but these are GOING TO GET PUBLISHED IN THE UK!

There's more, but am going to stop now. I want to read and I want to know your reactions. So, what do you guys think? Do any tickle your fancy?

GoodRead - Callum

I know some of you guys are huge Noughts and Crosses fans. So the fact I say I haven’t read any books (barring An Eye for An Eye a few years back) might shock. “And you call yourself a YA book blogger” I hear one or two of you cry (I still find that odd. Being called a book blogger. And yet, I accept it now whereas a few years ago [and at the Hot Key Books/Templar book blogger event a few days ago], I would be very “Oh no! No, I’m faking it! No one’s twigged yet but I’m here for the free cake!”). Well, I do have every intention to read Noughts and Crosses (it’s on my kindle) after someone at my temp job recommended it to me. And I am going to reread An Eye for an Eye when I do so. But, I wanted to read something fast, hence why I read Callum.

Callum is a “What If” story. Told from Callum’s point of view, he tells the story of what if… what if, instead of deciding one important decision in Noughts and Crosses (as I haven’t read, you will have to pardon my lacking of information), he decided something different. Would his fate be the same as in Noughts and Crosses? Or would it be completely different? Now, “What if” is a dangerous thing to ask any storyteller in whatever medium. Hence why there are so many “what if?” books/TV shows/movies out there. It sits in the person’s brain and then, that all they can think about. “What if…?”

Sorry, am rambling. Anyway, as you know I haven't read the series but this is very much a fan read. If you're a fan of the series, you will love it. More Callum and Stephy? I sense you guys want that! As someone who knows very little of the series, I did find certain things the characters mentioned a bit of a "Huh?" moment, but I really enjoyed the story. I read it in over an hour and was a little upset when the story came to an end (HOW COULD IT END THERE?!) And with a teaser of Noughts and Crosses at the back, I devoured that. I'm quite excited to read Noughts and Crosses now. But that will have to wait for a while, sadly. So many books, so little time...

I wish the story was longer, but yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Callum. I will be checking out more of Malorie Blackman in the near future...

GoodRead - It's A Magical World

You may blame Laura (aka SisterSpooky) and my grandparents for me having this. Laura has become a fan of Calvin and Hobbes since last year when someone told her she would love them. And that person was right. I chat to Laura on and off about Calvin and Hobbes for the past few months. And then, for Christmas, I was given a WHSmiths giftcard from my grandparents and I treated myself to a Calvin and Hobbes collection. I always liked the cover to It's A Magical World so I bought it.

So, Calvin and Hobbes. One boy and his toy tiger trying to make sense of the world around. Make sense with moral and ethical questions about life, growing up, friendship and bigger questions such as avoiding bathtime, eating vegetables and turning any game in Calvinball.

This is a collection of comic strips, which was published in newspapers all over the world (with Sunday's edition being in colour) and I LOVED them. I smiled, snorted, laughed and related to my life most of the situations that featured in the book. I just loved how Bill Watterson made Calvin and Hobbes fun and relatable and yet, at the same time, poking fun at the world around them with humour (both child-like and grown-up).

It was only after my first day of my two day DEVOURING session (and laughing myself stupid - that's right, two days!) that I discovered that this is the LAST collection and it contains the last EVER Calvin and Hobbes strip, which is very bittersweet to most fans and yet, is perfect! I want a print of that on my wall somewhere! That last page was one of my faves within this collection. I just adore it!

Laura, if you are reading this, you have made me a fan of Calvin and Hobbes. So much so, I have ordered another collection to devour (I can't take my time over them. I WON'T! TOO GOOD!): The Essential Calvin And Hobbes (A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury), which Laura has read and actually reviewed (click here if you want to read her reactions and click here to read her post, declaring her love for the boy and tiger...). So, yeah, loved it! If you can get your hands on this (or any of the Calvin and Hobbes), do it!

PS - I know this isn't a real Calvin and Hobbes picture, but I saw this on Pinterest (yes, am Pinterest. If you want to follow me...) and I HAD to show you! I love it (am using that word a lot in this review. Normal service will resume next time. Honest!)

Source: themetapicture.com via Andrew on Pinterest

SMILE - It's Monday? Again?

My thanks to Tumblring Melissa!