Out of the Blue

Holiday Readathon December 2-5

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Liza at WhoRuBlog is hosting a Holiday Readathon for December 2-5. I'm joining, because... well, because it's fun! I already missed a day, but I read a book yesterday (The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis), so I'm feeling productive all the same. Readathons always make me feel very productive, for some reason, even though sometimes after they're finished I get the opposite effect (i.e, reading indigestion!) and have to take a break from reading for a week or so!

Here's a tentative reading list (I've already finished the first book, Alle sieben Wellen by Daniel Glattauer, the much-anticipated sequel of Gut gegen Nordwind):

Alle sieben Wellen by Daniel Glattauer
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
Delirium by Lauren Olivier (already started)
Runemarks by Joanne Harris
The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro (already started)
Il cimitero di Praga by Umberto Eco

Well, let's say that a good goal for this weekend could be catching up and finishing with all the books I've recently started and not finished ('cause for some weird reason I keep going from one book to the next and then leave them around unfinished, until I feel inspired to pick them up again. Go figure).

Good luck with the readathon, readers, and have fun!

End of the Read-a-thon (not much of a success for me)

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 11:58:00 +0000

So the read-a-thon finished already... needless to say, judging for my lack of updates, it wasn't really a success for me. I slept (less than usual, but still almost a complete night's sleep), even though I woke up in the middle of the night to read a book. After I finished it, I went back to bed :P

So, without further ado...

Total no. of books read: 3.5 (Rotkaeppchen muss weinen, Best Friends Getting Sorted, The Boyfriend Trap, and about 300 pages of The Little Stranger)

Total time spent reading: I guess about 6 hours

Total no. of pages read: 789 (not too bad, but not too good either)

Blogs visited: ahem... let's drop it, shall we? Next read-a-thon, I'm going to sign up to be a cheerleader. That should be fun.

And that's about it, folks... Enjoy your Sunday. I think I should start blogging again and write mini-reviews for the books I read... It would be a good exercise, plus otherwise I'm not even going to remember what I read after a few months. Too many books out there to read, too little time, I'm sure you know it.

24-hour Readathon! A late start

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:46:00 +0000

So, today is the 24-hour read-a-thon. I knew, but I'd forgotten, so I'm starting to read just now (yeah, I know...) Anyway, even if I had remembered, I still would've gone out to the fair in the nearby town, so never mind the fact that I'm starting like 4 hours later. Still a lot of time to read. I've also acquired a new book - the Italian translation of Rotkaeppchen muss weinen by Beate Teresa Hanika, a German photographer/author/former model. The book, which is YA (I think) and deals with the subject of child abuse, was apparently translated into English as Learning to Scream (the original title is something like Little Red Riding Hood must cry, so they changed it quite a bit). It sounds very interesting, plus the cover features a red and yellow butterfly on a darker, swirly background... and I love covers with butterflies. Here's the Italian cover, if you're curious:

Pretty, eh? Wouldn't you pick up a book with such a cover? 16 euros is not exactly cheap, but they don't have this book in any of the libraries I have access to.

Yesterday I also went to the library and had a look at the book-crossing corner. I found two treats: a practically-new Penguin edition of Joyce's Dubliners (yay!) and a heavily commented edition of Jane Eyre. I pocketed them both. I also took a couple of books for younger teens, but I expect I will be taking them back after reading them, so someone else will enjoy them. Dubliners and Jane Eyre are mine! (evil little laugh).

So, here are the questions of .Hour 1..

Where are you reading from today?

My room in north-eastern Italy.

3 facts about me …

27-year-old. Currently (sadly) unemployed, in spite of a hundred or so job interviews. Owner of a black cat names Brutus alias Pato, the Potato Kitty (ahem).

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I haven't actually chosen a few. But I have a huge pile of library books, plus four or five books bought recently which I haven't read yet, so I've got plenty of choices.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

No real goal, also I'm starting late and I don't know if I'll manage to stay up all the time (probably not). My goal is just to have fun, and visit/comment on a fair number of blogs. I've seen there are, like, more than 400 participants (geez!), so plenty of blogs to visit, too.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

I've done it once already... it practically was a reading overdose. It took me two weeks to get back to normal, lol, and I didn't even stay awake all the time! Anyway, don't overdo it. If you feel like sleeping, take a nap. No one will blame you for it, plus you read better when you are rested.

EDIT: It's an hour and a half since I supposedly started this read-a-thon and I still haven't read one page. Too much distractions, what with typing out this long entry, visiting other blogs, commenting, entering contests, blah blah blah. I think I should just turn off the computer and check back in a few hourse. Otherwise it will be just a blog-a-thon without the read-a-thon.

Hour 7

Title of book(s) read since last update: finished Rotkaeppchen muss weinen. Started Best Friends Getting Sorted by Rosie Rushton.
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 195
Running total of pages read since you started: 195
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 2 hours
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2 hours

Create a Wordle!

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Library Loot (July 21-27)

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:55:00 +0000

The new button for Library Loot is so pretty that I just *have* to participate again. And yes, I'm currently reading a lot of library books. The library in the summer has this incredible appeal to me... it's like an irresistible pull. No idea why, lol.

Library books I have at home right now:

The complete works of Elsa Morante, book 1
Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett (Italian translation)
Tithe by Holly Black (Italian translation)
In the Land of Lost Things by Paul Auster (Italian translation)
In the Woods by Lyn Gardner (Italian translation)
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forrester (Italian translation)
Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye (Italian translation)
Etoile errante (Wandering Star) by J. M. G. Le Clezio (Italian translation)
Deutschstunde by Sigfried Lenz (Italian translation)
Splitter by Sebastian Fitzek (Italian translation)

I've been waiting to receive through inter-library loan:

Alice nel Paese della Vaporità (steampunk re-telling of Alice in Wonderland)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Italian translation)
Melacotones helados by Espido Freire (Italian translation)

I've been making full use of the new possibilities offered by inter-library loans. They come in handy.

It's My Birthday! Giveaway winners :D

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:18:00 +0000

So, thanks to Random.org (which I'd definitely recommend for quick, virtually painless choosing of giveaway winners), here are the winners of my birthday giveaway:

no. 75, Spav from Spain who chose The Poison Diaries

no. 2, Cass from Australia who chose The Poison Diaries

no. 51, Thifa from the Netherlands who chose... The Poison Diaries again (can you see a pattern here? Lol)

So, it would seem, it's three copies of The Poison Diaries, which was a very popular choice in this giveaway!

Three winners, because I got 74 entrants (and some 35 additional followers, who don't hurt at all) and that's a good result for me. Plus, I really want to spread the book love!

It's also quite funny, because I just won a giveaway from Cass's blog a couple of days ago. Good book karma :D

I'm emailing winners for their mailing addresses soon, but if you won and see this post first, you're very welcome to email me directly! Also, of course, if you didn't win and would like a 10% discount voucher from BookDepository (valid until August 31), don't be shy, just tell me and I'll send you one! Easy peasy.

Once Upon a Read-a-thon Wrap-up Post

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:41:00 +0000

So, the readathon is over... I didn't manage to read much, what with my birthday and going out for shopping and so on. However, I did finish:

The Sonnets by Warwick Collins
The Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

I'm also about half-way through The Amulet of Samarcanda by Jonathan Stroud, which has a great sense of humour. It's very entertaining :)

So, what did you manage to read?

It's My Birthday! Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:06:00 +0000

Picture by OneEyedJax on Flickr

Contest is closed. Thanks for entering!

So, today it's my birthday, and I'm giving away the presents! I've decided to share with my readers a few of the books I've enjoyed the most so far. Here's what you can choose from:

The Sonnets by Warwick Castle
The Land of the Green Plums by Herta Mueller
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

All these are excellent books; the first two are more suitable to adults, while the others are geared towards an YA readership. The Sonnets is a historical novel dealing with the genesis and composition of Shakespeare's famous sonnet collection during 1592-94, under the patronage of the Earl of Southampton. The writing is very lyrical, and incorporates about 30 sonnets in their complete form. I'd recommend this book to Shakespeare fans, poetry addicts, and in general to lovers of English literature

The Land of Green Plums (original title: Herztier, "the beast of the heart") by 2009 Nobel prize winner Herta Mueller, is the partly autobiographical retelling of the author's resistance to the Ceausescu regime in Ucraine. The main character, a young woman, makes friends with four other young men at university. They're all part of the German-speaking minority, and have moved from the poor countryside to the main city in order to study and get a better job. Their silent resistance to the dictatorship is soon characterized by intimidations, searchings and police questionings, and betrayal from friends. It is not an easy book, as it is full with sadness and regret, but the writing is so beautiful and poetic.

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles is a sweet, passionate YA romance that tugged at my heart. Two teenage outcasts get to know and learn to trust each other, in spite of previous events, prejudice, and misconceptions. Please beware, though - the ending is very open and the sequel won't be out till late 2010.

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood is a historical YA romance set in 1600 England. Jessamine Luxton is the 16-year-old daughter of a widowed apothecary who lives with her father in an isolated cottage in Northern England, with very little company except for the plants in her father's garden. As she knows very well, even the most innocent-looking herb can cure or kill, depending on the doses. When a mysterious, silent boy arrives at the cottage and is taken up by the apothecary as an apprentice, Jessamine begins to discover the power of love.

Please do NOT leave your entry in a comment (but you are welcome to comment on this post after filling in the form, so that you know you've entered already and don't fill in the form twice).

Rules:

Open to everywhere BookDepository ships to. If you're not sure about this, please check if your country is on the list.

Contest ends on July 21 at 11:59 CET (Central Europe Time).

Winners will be chosen at random.

Please enter only if you're 16 or older. If you're younger, ask a parent/guardian to enter for you.

There will be two winners. Each will win one book of their choice. If there is a high number of entrants (and if I'm feeling particularly generous), I might choose to have a third winner.

Each winner can choose the book they prefer. Since I will be ordering new copies, two winners can choose the same book.

You don't have to be a follower to enter, but I'd appreciate it if you'd consider becoming one anyway :)

No extra entries because it's a pain for me to count them (I'm afraid I've become a bit challenged on the math front), but I'd be very, very grateful if you could spread the word through twitter, blog posts/sidebar, etc.

The books will be paid for by me and shipped directly through BookDepository. I will not be responsible for prizes lost in the mail.

Your email address and/or personal data will be handled only in relation to this contest, and will not be stored or shared with anyone after the end of the contest. If you enter the giveaway, you agree with this.

(Please note that the Herta Mueller book is the English translation, not the original in German. If you win and choose that book, you can choose the Italian translation if you're Italian and living in Italy - I can order it directly from the Italian publisher and have it shipped to you.)

Of course, I'd like to be able to give books to everyone, but alas, I'm afraid I can't. I'd be happy to send you a 10% discount voucher from BookDepository, though, if you'd like one. Just comment on this post with your email address, or write so in the giveaway entry form, and I'll email one to you.

Once Upon A Read-A-Thon: Day 1 Mini Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:26:00 +0000

So, today the Once Upon A Read-A-Thon has started! I'm pretty excited :) I had started reading Menzogna e sortilegio by Elsa Morante (translated into English as House of Liars - a 1947 novel from one of the most important Italian women writers in the XX century), but then stopped at lunch time because the mail arrived and I got The Sonnets by Warwck Collins for review (historical novel about Shakespeare and the composition of his famous sonnet collection), which I've started reading straight away. It's good, very good.

Anyway, to spice things up, I'm doing the mini-challenges for today.

1. From Book Crazy:

We all have a favorite book, right?
We all have a favorite character, right?

What I want you to do, since I am a lover of all things music and photo related is to pick one - or both - and put them together!!

Does that make sense? HMM, lets see if I can explain better, basically pick your favorite book and/or character and pair it with a song and/or photo that reminds you of the person or setting in the book!

I'm choosing my very first book crush - Fred Garland from Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series, and more specifically The Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow in the North. I was 13, and very much into blondes at the time ;) Anyway, here's the picture I chose for him:

Photo source: IStockPhoto - no infringement intended

Not really a time-appropriate haircut, and also the model's a bit too good-looking, but hey. At least he has a sort of big nose (Fred Garland has a crooked nose that got broken a few times, after he found himself involved in a couple of fist fights.)

Just for the record, here's a screencap from the 2007 adaptation of The Shadow in the North for UK television:

Photo source: JJ-Feild.com - no infringement intended

2. The Eager Readers ask us to post about our favourite fictional couple, and/or a crossover couple which we'd like to see.

I have several favourite fictional couples... maybe I can list a few? (in no particular order)

Elizabeth and Mr Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Anne and Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion
Ron and Hermione from JKR's Harry Potter series
Sally Lockhart and Frederick Garland from Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series
Lyra and Will from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy
Beatrice and Benedick from Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing

I could go on, but you get my meaning.

As for crossover couples, I don't really wonder about this kind of things very often, so this is kind of hard for me. So, I'd like to try... Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series and Alexia Tarabotti from Gail Carriger's Soulless. I think they could make a nice couple.

Cool blog events in July

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:54:00 +0000

1) Body Image and Self Perception Month, hosted by Once Upon a Bookcase and a handful of other blogs. Covers YA books/authors dealing with "self-esteem and self-confidence, eating disorders, obesity, physical disabilities and disfigurement, to name just a few". It's looking great so far.

2) Paris in July, hosted by BookBath and Thyme For Tea for the whole month to celebrate our love of all things French and Parisian". "The aim of the month is to celebrate our French experiences through reading, watching, listening to, observing, cooking and eating all things French!" Includes weekly prizes.

3) SteamBoyz, hosted by vvb32 reads for the week between July 9-17. After the oh-so-successful SteamPink, Velvet does it again: "Travel by airship and learn about other worlds from a steampunk boy's point of view..." Trust me, you don't want to miss this one. Plus, it starts tomorrow.

4) Book Extravaganza, hosted by The Neverending Shelf and Bookworming in the 21st Century for July 16-18. A whole weekend of bookish contests and giveaways. Sounds like fun!

5) Once Upon A Readathon, jointly hosted by Pure Imagination, Candace's Book Blog, and Reading Angel for July 12-14. It's a read-a-thon organized during the week, perfect for those "who work or are just busy on the weekends". Read as much (or as little) as you want, and whatever book you want. There will be also activities and giveaways (although I'm afraid the latter will be limited to North Americans).

5) Last but not least, Mes de Lavyrle (=Lavyrle Spencer Month) at Book Eater. For the whole of July, Beleth is going to highlight some of her favourite novels by Lavyrle Spencer. I had never heard of this author, but maybe I can check out something by her. I've had a look at her book list, but unfortunately the most interesting-sounding of her romances were published in Italy in the late '70s or early '80s, and in mass market paperbacks to boot. This means that they are much harder to find (out of print, and also eliminated by public libraries - old and battered copies are given away or just destroyed, and not replaced with new ones.)

It looks like book bloggers have been amazingly active - not really going on holiday, lol. Lots of stuff to keep us occupied, while waiting for Lenore's Dystopian August...

Video Sunday (2): The Dark Divine book trailer (and contest)

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 07:06:00 +0000

First of all, happy 4th July to all our American friends!

This week's video is the brand-new video trailer for Bree Despain's paranormal YA novel The Dark Divine. Click click and watch it:

Pretty, eh? There's also a big (international) contest linked to it on the author's blog: she's giving away a bag full of books to a fan who spread the word about the new trailer. Not that I'm actually hoping to win, considering everyone and their second cousin once removed will be entering, but I guess it can't hurt to try. Plus, someone has to win, and it might be you! As for the trailer, I actually kind of preferred the previous (fan-made?) one, but only because of the soundtrack.

On another note, BookDepository is celebrating their 6th birthday and giving their affiliates the chance to give away 10% discount coupons to friends. So, want to get one from me? Just leave me your email address, either in a comment or email (you can find my address in my profile). Only one voucher may be redeemed per purchase, per person. Offer expires August 31st 2010.

The (selfish and potentially evil) reason I'm promoting this, other than the kindness of my own heart of course, is that if you use the voucher you got through me, I receive a 10% discount for myself, which I thought I could use to partially fund the giveaway I'd like to organize for my upcoming birthday. *nudge nudge, wink wink*

Reading is tiring

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:14:00 +0000

There are just so many amazing book blogs out there... how can you keep up with all of them?! I keep finding new ones.

I know I should study and/or exercise, but it's too hot and I just feel like sleeping. Zzzzz...

Video Sunday: Writers' Blok by Jackson Pearce

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:00:00 +0000

I can't stop looking at this video. Seriously, it's hypnotizing. Jackson Pearce. is. my. hero.

ETA: I also can't stop listening to Zoe Marriott's voice. Her accent is mesmerizing. She has her "one-week blogiversary giveaway" open right now, and don't you want to enter after watching this?

The Huge TBR Readathon wrap-up post

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:51:00 +0000

I think I've done fairly well in this readathon. Of course, as it usually happens, I've been blog-hopping and web-surfing a lot more than reading, thus discovering many new blogs, and many, many new books I'd like to read! Geez.

Finished reading:

Deenie by Judy Blume
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (Italian translation)
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau (e-ARC)
Bianca come il latte, rossa come il sangue by Alessandro D'Avenia

Almost finished reading:

Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire (Italian translation)

Started reading against my better judgement, because I couldn't help myself:

French Literature - A Very Short Introduction by John D. Lyons
Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood (blame HarperCollins Sneak-Peek Complete Access)
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (blame Netgalley)

Not too shabby, I guess ;-)

The Huge TBR Readathon

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:35:00 +0000

I've just found out about the Huge TBR Readathon, hosted by Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century for the week of June 14-20, and decided to join. I won't be setting myself too ambitious goals (otherwise, I'd just end up with a reading indigestion), and try to finish at least a few of the books I've started in the last few weeks:

~~The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux~~
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
~~One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau~~
Deenie by Judy Blume
Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire
Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
~~Bianca come il latte, rossa come il sangue by Alessandro D'Avenia~~

Have fun reading, people!

Reading Themes

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 06:30:00 +0000

There are a few book topoi that grab my attention and draw me inexorably towards a book. I've just had the idea to organize a reading list divided in book themes.

*The Holocaust and the persecution of Jews*

Reunion by Fred Uhlman
Se questo è un uomo by Primo Levi
Il silenzio dei vivi di Elisa Springer
La variante di Luneburg by Paolo Maurensig
The Zookeeper's Wife by
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Diary of a Young Girl by Anna Frank
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
Il giardino dei Finzi Contini by Giorgio Bassani
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
The Night by Elie Wiesel
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louisa
Clara’s War: One Girl’s Story of Survival by Clara Kramer
If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Stelle di cannella by Helga Schneider

Blogsplash: Thaw by Fiona Robyn

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth's first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow at http://read-thaw.blogspot.com.

These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It's a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we're being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they're stuck to the outside of her hands. They're a colour that's difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I'm giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don't think I'm alone in wondering whether it's all worth it. I've seen the look in people's eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I've heard the weary grief in my dad's voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I'm Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I'm sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat - books you have to take in both hands to lift. I've had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I've still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about - princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad's snoring was.

I've always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I'll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say, 'It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for,' before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It'll all be here. I'm using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I'm striping the paper. I'm near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I'm allowed to make my decision. That's it for today. It's begun.

Continue reading tomorrow at http://read-thaw.blogspot.com.

Blogsplash for "Thaw"

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:13:00 +0000

Hello blogging friends,

I'm posting because I wanted to let you know about a blogging project I'm involved with and I thought you might like to be involved too. Bloggers across the web will be published the first page of the novel Thaw by Fiona Robyn on the 1st of March. The entire novel will be available to read for free online, and this Blogsplash is a way to let as many readers as possible know about it.

I also have an ulterior motive, as if you sign up I'm in for a chance of winning a signed book and a special gift. If you sign up and ask one of your blogging friends to sign up, you'll be in with a chance too! There's more information at http://www.fionarobyn.com/thawblogsplash.htm, and when you do email Fiona, make sure you mention my name.

Apart from giveaways and competitions and chances to win a free book - which we all like because they're fun - please take the time to read the first page of this book, Thaw. Also read the blurb and have a look at the cover art. Does it say anything to you? If so, please consider joining the Blogsplash or twittering or whatever you want.

Just a sidenote: suicide isn't something to be taken lightly. If you feel your life isn't worth living anymore, ask for help. Find someone to talk to. You might think no one is going to miss you - there are very good chances you are wrong. Nothing is irreparable - only death is.

Another blogging break?

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:13:00 +0000

As you might have noticed, I haven't really posted anything big since late December. I don't like this - it makes me sad that apparently I can't find time for any of those things I like doing so much. It's just that something has to give, and it can't be my job, or my family, or trying to get into a healthy lifestyle. I need to do some serious work on my time-management skills.

I hate having to neglect you, my dear blogging friends - but that's the way things are now. Sorry. You know I love you :)

The Unsung Heroes of YA

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:56:00 +0000

I haven't really been able to keep up with the book blogosphere recently - but this is something I want to take part in: The Best YA Books I Haven't Read - a project started by Kelly at YAnnabe together with a few other book bloggers who enjoy reading YA lit. The aim of the Unsung Heroes of YA Blog Blitz is for each blogger to list a few of their favourite YA books, with an emphasis on books who aren't so very well-known but very much deserving of attention from YA readers.

I learned about this project yesterday while going through Nymeth's posts, and was particularly impressed by this statement of hers:

One thing that the books I’m about to highlight have in common is the fact that they all illustrate an often overlooked fact about YA: YA (and children’s lit) is not a dumbed-down, simplified version of adult fiction. It’s also not a genre, but a marketing category. Not only does it cover every genre, but there are books that are published as adult fiction in some markets and as YA in others. If this doesn’t tell you that it’s not the content, tone or level of complexity of a book that determines where it gets placed in the bookshop, I don’t know what will.

As for me, I love books with teenage protagonists: coming-of-age stories, first-love stories, high-school-sucks stories, and so on. I read a lot of them - some really touch my mind and my heart, others I sort of flip through. Some are extremely good, others - well - not so much.

You want to know what's funny? When I actually *was* a teen, I mostly read classics or what was (and still is) labelled as "adult, serious" fiction. Now that I'm an adult, I read as much YA as possible. Of course, this might be because I'm still a seventeen-year-old at heart, but that's not the point. Also, as a teen I had no real access to the Internet or to bookshops selling books in foreign languages (read: English), so I was stuck with the local library.

So, here's a list of some not-so-well-known favourites of mine with young adults as the main characters (in no particular order - they're all great).

The Changeover by Margaret Mahy (1984)

Description: When her little brother seems to become possessed by an evil spirit, fourteen-year-old Laura seeks the help of the strangely compelling older boy at school who she is convinced has supernatural power.

This is a coming of age story which is exhilarating and heart-tugging at the same time. It's set in New Zealand, and the paranormal twist feels so very real. When I first picked it up (from the local library in the Italian translation), I was maybe 14, the same age as Laura, the heroine. In spite of this, I didn't get the book at all - it made me extremely uncomfortable. I picked it up again at 18 and loved it - the romance between Laura and Sorensen felt so very real and tangible to me then. Last year I bought a used copy in the original English, and the story felt different again - the whole metaphor of going through a change-over from teen to adult was finally clear to me.

Very Far Away From Anywhere Else by Ursula K Le Guin (1976?)

Description: Owen is seventeen and smart. He knows what he wants to do with his life. But then he meets Natalie and he realizes he doesn't know anything much at all.

Another coming-of-age story, but the narrating voice here is a 17-year-old boy. I discovered this book in the Italian translation at the library when I was 14, and felt... understood. Those feelings I had back then of being an outcast and never able to fit in - of being book smart, and yet incredibly stupid - it was my own experience, all right. Never mind that the book was more than 20 years old already when I discovered it - it spoke to me like no other.

Two years ago I bought myself a used copy of the book in the original English from Amazon. I was surprised, because the book is a lot slimmer in the original, less than 100 pages. Re-reading it as an adult was strange - it felt still powerful, but also sort of detached, almost "prudish", in a way - meant in the best possible way, of course.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (2006).

Description: Shortly after graduating from high school and being dumped for the 19th time by a girl named Catherine, Colin Singleton embarks on a roadtrip with his best friend.

I could squeal and rave about this for a while, but I'll just skip it. How can you not love Colin, Hassan, and Lindsay? So weird, and yet so incredibly endearing. My favourite John Green book.

Genesis by Bernard Beckett (2005)

No description here, because the less you know about this book before you read it, the better it is :) Let's just say it's set "on a remote island, in a post-apocalyptic, plague-ridden world".

I read this book last year, in the Italian translation. Wow. It blew me away. Possibly the best book I read in 2009. Full of questions such as, What is consciousness? What makes us human? If artificial intelligence were developed to a high enough capability, what special status could humanity still claim?

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess (2007)

Description: They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three. Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

This is a very powerful novel on child abuse. While the subject matter is not pleasant, the writing and characters are so beautifully done. I keep this book on my bedside table and re-read it from time to time.

I'm going to stop at five, but I could go on...

Presents from Santa!

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 08:40:00 +0000

A month ago I announced I was finally feeling ready to come back to blogging after a long hiatus - and now it looks like I might have to take my word back. But never mind. I have quite a few long overdue posts to make.

First of all, my gift from the Book Bloggers Holiday Swap exchange! A couple days before Christmas, I got this brown carton packet:

The front was very plain, only with my name and address in black ink and block capitals, but the back had me excited: the Holiday Swap logo! The sender's address was from York, UK - but no name.

I opened the thing straight away, and inside I found:

The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato (historical novel with pretty cover!)

Van Gogh bookmark from the Van Gogh Museum

Slash Bikini CD

Christmas card with Rudolf the reindeer

Such nice, thoughtful gifts. Thank you, Secret Santa! As you might have guessed, blue is my favourite colour, and I love Van Gogh, too. I had not heard of Marina Fiorato or The Glassblower of Murano before, but I visited Murano (and Burano, and Torcello too) on a trip with my parents (back in the summer of 1989, lol - I can tell you about that, if you want) and saw in person how glass is hand blown. I had not heard of the Slash Bikini band either, but they are good :) The card was also very pretty.

Only, Secret Santa, you didn't sign your full name! Who are you, lady book blogger who lives in York, UK and whose first name starts with "A." like mine? Will you please reveal your identity, Santa, so I can visit your blog and thank you properly?

As for my Secret Santee, it was Nymeth. I sent her two books from her wishlist through the Book Depository and although I ordered them on Dec 4, they didn't arrive in time :( I emailed Nymeth earlier this week; she had her friend the postman check for misplaced packages at the post office, and a book turned up to be there. The other didn't - but Nymeth's boyfriend had already given her the same book as a Christmas present, so I guess it's not a big deal even if it never shows up. (Yeah, you know, just my luck. She has 250+ books listed on her wishlist, and I give her a double gift. Oh well. And the double gift gets lost. Too bad, iut it's not really anyone's fault).

I also received another nice package around Christmas. It was a giveaway prize from Kath of [Insert suitably snappy title here...] - a signed copy of Rachel Stolzman's book The Sign for Drowning. She also included a postcard from Taipei, Taiwan where she lives, and a greetings card which is the prettiest thing ever. I had to take a picture:

So thank you Secret Santa, thank you Kath, and thank you, kind blogging friends, if you've sent me a book from a giveaway recently but I forgot to thank you before. 2009 was sort of rough for me - but I'm determined to make 2010 a better year.

2009 Reading Recap & Plans for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Assuming my memory isn't deceiving, I read 121 books on 2009. All are fiction. Many are YA, with the addition of some general fiction and some, let's say, racier stuff which I'm almost too embarrassed to list, only that, you know, a book is a book. Most were written by women.

Top 5 favourite books read this year (in no particular order, not counting re-reads):

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Affinity by Sarah Waters

I also started many books which I liked but didn't finish because I have a very short attention span. I can read them later on, no fuss.

Exciting stuff: I started twittering! I never would've imagined it could be so fun. Keeping up with people's tweets is kind of demanding, though.

I had my first book giveaway in 2009! I plan to have another one for my birthday, which isn't coming too soon since I'm a summer girl. I joined both the BookDepository and Amazon affiliate programs to help pay for my next giveaway. So far I've referred:

0 sales to Amazon (yeah, I know, very encouraging)
25 sales to BookDepository (and I bought 5 books myself for various gifts) for a total of 6.11 GBP in commissions.

Payout at BookDepository is at 25 GBP, so it might be a long time coming, but I'd really like to thank the kind reader/bloggers who purchased those vampire books through clicks on this blog. I really appreciate it :)

Winning Wednesday 16 Dec 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:06:00 +0000

Hi, everyone! First of all, I apologize for not having a Winning Wednesday post the last two weeks. I've been busy... and lazy, even more than usual. In the attempt to post faster and more effectively, I'm going to do this and following Winning Wednesday posts just like Belle of Ms Bookish does... a simple list with book title, book genre, ending date. It's not as pretty, but it conveys the same message, makes me save time, and maybe is even quicker to peruse, who knows? Anyway, let's start.

Regular giveaways (or lists of giveaways)

Monday Book Giveaway at Katrina Stonoff's blog. Up for grabs this week: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, No Time To Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard, and Life Sentences by Laura Lippman. Enter before next Sunday at noon.

Win-It Wednesday at Melissa Walker's blog. Up for grabs this week: (still to be announced while writing this post).

Check out Ms Bookish's compilation of international books giveaways, posted every Sunday as part of The Sunday Salon. Here is her latest link compilation, dated Dec 13.

Alyce's December Bookshelf Cleaning Giveaway at her blog, At Home With Books. Four books up for grabs; open to residents of the US and Canada only. Ends Dec 27 at midnight.

Links to various book giveaways hosted by readers of The Story Siren, posted in the Mr Linky at the end of each YA Connection post. Here's last Saturday's post.

List of 53 Urban Fantasy book giveaways at All Things Urban Fantasy!

Many different giveaways for books and audiobooks at Peeking Between the Pages. Most are US & Canada only, though, because the books come directly from the publisher.

Also check out specific blogs for giveaways: Contests and Freebies and West of Mars - Win a Book.

International giveaways

1 out of 5 copies of Beautiful by Amy Reed (YA). Ends Dec 18.
Buy books up to $20 at BookDepository (3 winners). Ends Dec 18.
At least five prize packs (books, ARCs, a bag) to (at least) five winners. Ends Dec 19.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA). Ends Dec 20 at midnight.
Autographed copy of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (YA). Ends Dec 20.
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (YA). Ends Dec 21.
$75 Visa gift card. Ends Dec 21.
ARC of Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (YA). Ends Dec 25.
2 winners get their choice of books in YA and adult paranormal romance. Ends Dec 30.
Witch and Wizard by James Patterson (thriller?). Ends Dec 31.
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk (general fiction). Ends Dec 31.
Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper (YA, paranormal). Ends Dec 31.
Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham (general fiction). Ends Dec 31.
The Mark by Jen Nadol (YA). Ends Dec 31.
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves (YA). Ends Dec 31.
The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (YA). Ends Dec 31.
Four winners of three books each (mostly YA). Ends Dec 31.
Two winners of 2 paperback novels of their choice. Ends Dec 31.
2 signed copies of Monster Republic by Ben Norton (horror/thriller). Ends Dec 31.
Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison (YA). Ends Jan 1.
Four winners of various book prizes in the Happy Holidays Book Blowout. Ends Jan 5.
Any book under $15 from BookDepository to 1 winner. Ends Jan 15 at 11:59 PST.
6 books (or audiobooks) in December/January Massive Book Giveaway (YA, historical fiction). Ends Jan 31.
2 winners get to choose 1 book out of six (YA, historical fiction, paranormal romance). Ends Jan 31.

North America only giveaways

1 bookcase and various YA titles for two winners. US only. Ends Dec 17.
Let It Snow (YA). US only. Ends Dec 17 at midnight.
Three books from Putnam Juvenile Publications (YA). Open to US and Canada only. Ends Dec 17.
2 winners get to pick 1 out of 6 books (YA). US only. Ends Dec 17 at midnight, Central Time.
Bad Apple by Laura Ruby (YA). US only. Ends Dec 19.
3 prize packs (YA). US and Canada only. Ends Dec 19.
2 winners of a mystery box each, full of ARCs from 2008. US and Canada only. Ends Dec 19.
3 ARCs (Bleeding Violet, Hush, Hush, and The Sky Is Everywhere) (YA) . US and Canada only. Ends Dec 21.
Four books (historical romance). US only Ends Dec 23 at at 11:59 PM EST.
Various prizes for three winners. US and Canada only. Ends Dec 25.
A big box with 12 books/ARCs (YA). US and Canada only. Ends Dec 26.
3 winners get 1 book each (Book of winner's choice, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, and Waves by Sharon Dogar). US only. Ends Dec 27.
Exit Music by Ian Rankin (thriller). US and Canada only. Ends Dec 30.
ARC of Little Black Lies by Trish Cohen. US only. Ends Dec 31.
Various book prizes if you pre-order one of three books from Putnam Juvenile Publications. US only. Ends Jan 5.
3 winners and 25 books to choose from (mostly YA). US only. Ends Jan 15.

No time to chat today, so I'll just rush off. Happy reading and contest entering, people!

Winners announced!

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:24:00 +0000

OK, so I spent practically the whole morning writing names on tiny slips of paper, folding them and putting them away so that I could draw the name of the winner in the old-fashioned way (no one actually warned it would be so time-consuming. I might have to find a faster way of doing it next time I'm holding a contest).

I started putting the pieces of paper in a mug (bought by my parents when they visited Paris a couple of years ago - that's why the mug features the Eiffel Tower). I was writing the name of the 54th entrant when I realized the mug was already full, while I had at least another 20 entrants to put in (and almost everyone had more than one entry).The mug wasn't obviously going to be big enough to contain them all. (I apologize for the horrible pictures in this post, but please note that they were taken with my phone camera and still worse than usual... not sure why).

So I took one of the plastic boxes my mum uses to store leftovers in the fridge, and that turned out to be big enough. I went on and on and on, writing names, cutting pieces of paper, folding the slips, etc, while my mum kept asking why, oh why was I wasting time playing stupid games while I had to change my sheets, tidy my room up, go and buy bus tickets so i can go to Padua this afternoon, make myself presentable for going out, and about a million other things I don't feel like doing but I have to do anyway.

This was the final result: a plastic box full of bits of paper. Not very romantic, but oh well. Lots of entries, see?

So I finally put my hand in, mixed the pieces of paper around a bit, then plunged in and drew out a name. It turned out to be:

That would be Laura from The Calico Critic, who asked for The Maze Runner. Or alternatively, for Leviathan (by Scott Westerman, I assume). Laura was one of the participants with the most entries, so I guess it paid off.

Then, I watched the plastic box still full of paper bits, and I thought: "All this work to draw only one name? Let's splurge. Let's have another winner!" After all, 77 people entered, but almost everyone had more than one entry, and the total was certainly up to 150 entries or even more. So I drew another name:

And that would be Jenny from Dreaming Of Books. She asked for The Forest of Hands and Teeth. So, Jenny and Laura please email me at outofblue1(AT)gmail(DOT)com asap with your mailing addresses. Please also confirm which book you want (if you've changed your mind, that's OK, just tell me). As soon as I receive your email I'll order your books from the BookDepository (which apparently has gone into maintenance mode while I was typing this post), so you can get them in time for Christmas.

And I'm going to actually pay attention to the addresses this time... cause you know, when I ordered the gift for my Secret Santee I accidentally chose the default address for delivery (my own), instead of that of the person who was supposed to receive them. I realized my mistake two minutes later, when I received the order confirmation by email, and I noticed that the billing and the delivery addresses were the same. I panicked BIG TIME, and emailed the Customer Support. They were totally awesome and edited the delivery address for me. Tragedy prevented (it would have been a tragedy because I ordered for my Secret Santee a book which I already own... so I would've ended up with two copies. Two copies with different covers, so not exactly identical, but still two very ugly covers; for inexplicable reasons, sometimes very good book happen to have terrible covers.)

I really wish I could hold a HUGE giveaway like the guys at Teens Read And Write, who had more than 20 winners, or Parajunkee's 300 Followers contest, or even The Story Siren's 1000 Followers Giveaway. But unfortunately, I haven't got the money at the moment (and I'm out of a job, again). I'm going to have another contest for my birthday next year - but considering I was born in July, that's more than 6 months away. Never mind - there are so many contests going on at the moment in the book blogosphere. Must be the season.

I know I skipped Winning Wednesday last week - I almost wanted to post a make-up list yesterday, but then a) I didn't feel like writing it, and b) I thought that I'd still have to come up with different links for Winning Wednesday Dec 9, which might actually be too difficult. So you'll get a very long list next Wednesday, as I've started saving bookmarks for the various contests.

As for the now infamous and much-promised first Memories Monday post... it'll have to wait for next Monday. Sorry. I'm shameless, I know :( But I promise it's going to be up before the end of times.

My contest is now closed

noreply@blogger.com (Alessandra @Out of the Blue) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:05:00 +0000

So, my contest is now closed. 78 people entered, which isn't too shabby, I think. Now I have 94 followers, which is very good. I'm now tallying up entries (it might have been better to start doing this sooner, but who cares, I've been busy after all), and will announce the winner as soon as possible. Hopefully later today. Stay tuned!