Loving books

Mission Accomplished: Moving House

2013-05-13T14:00:00.000+02:00

This will be the last post on me moving house, I promise! I just wanted to let you guys know that I have officially moved into my new apartment and I've got more reading time than I thought :) I still have two rooms to finish; the study and the library. I'm hoping to finish painting this weekend so I can set up some furniture and clean out the moving boxes.

My current 'library' is in poor condition; books are everywhere -- from moving boxes to my dinner table to my newly put together wardrobe. Even though I love the fact that there are books in every room of my house, my bookish heart is crying because they are all over the place. I cannot wait to order my new bookshelves and get everything set up! I should be able to order my bookshelves next week, so hopefully they'll arrive by next Saturday. I'll keep you posted, of course :)

I also wanted to let you know that I've been writing reviews, I just haven't been able to get them up yet. I don't have internet yet in my new place and I'm guessing it'll take at least two weeks to get that up and running so it'll be a while.. But I'm trying to get my reviews online by borrowing my mum and dad's internet haha.

Anyway now you're in the loop! I know that I've been a terrible blogger lately but hopefully you'll understand :) Thank you for all of your patience -- I know I've tested it!

Review: Reel Life Starring Us by Lisa Greenwald

2013-05-03T09:00:00.000+02:00

Reel Life Starring Us by Lisa Greenwald
Published: September 1st, 2011 (Harry N. Abrams)
Pages: 304
Source: NetGalley
Series: NA
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Rockwood Hills Junior High is known for the close-knit cliques that rule the school. When arty new girl Dina gets the opportunity to do a video project with queen bee Chelsea, she thinks this is her ticket to a great new social life. But Chelsea has bigger problems than Dina can imagine: her father has lost his job, and her family is teetering on the brink. Without knowing it, Dina might just get caught in Chelsea’s free fall.

This is a difficult review for me to write. I read the entire book, but that's all there is to say about that. I was frustrated with the two main characters from the beginning but somehow managed to read on, but I didn't really enjoy it. I don't know what made me continue reading; maybe the idea of finding out if it would get any better towards the end. But alas, that wasn't the case either.

Dina is the new girl at her school and seems to be hyperconscious of herself and everyone around her, especially Chelsea, who is the girl who has it all. However, Chelsea has a 'secret' and is constantly trying to prove herself to her friends.

The main girls are pretty much the same from the beginning; insecure, obsessing over a boy and whining. Oh man, the whining in this book is terrible. It almost had me trying to tear my hair out. Because both Dina and Chelsea are so insecure, their thoughts are filled with everything they are insecure about. It goes on and on and every alternating chapter just switches the person who whines. For me as a reader, it was really annoying to read about. For me, it felt like the project they were working on was only thrown in to make sure the girls would have to interact with each other.

The characters were flat, both the main characters and the main character's friend and I failed to be able to relate to any of them, even a little bit. The so-called secret that Chelsea was trying to keep was obvious from the start and the way everything turned out at the end wasn't exactly a surprise either.

I know that I'm being horribly negative in this review, but I was just so frustrated while reading it and I need to vent. There are a couple of things I really don't like in books and two of them happened to be the centerpieces in this one so I guess I should just say this wasn't for me, at all. I gave this one two stars because I managed to finish it, but I wouldn't recommend reading it.

On My Wishlist (44)

2013-04-18T08:30:00.000+02:00

Back from hiatus! In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: Black Out by Robison Wells.

Black Out by Robison Wells
Expected publication date: October 1st, 2013

Synopsis
Laura and Alec are trained terrorists.

Jack and Aubrey are high school students.

There was no reason for them to ever meet.

But now, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible powers. And these four are about to find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all.

Goodreads page

YES! After the disappointment of discovering there wouldn't be a third Variant book (WHY THE HELL NOT?!) I must admit that I did a little happy dance when I came across this pretty baby that will be coming out later this year. It'll be one hell of a wait, but I'm sure it will be worth it. Robison Wells has the ability to suck you into his story and throw plot twists your way when you least expect it. I've read a lot of books, but both Variant and Feedback managed to surprise me. I love it when authors are able to do that. Black Out sounds like a fantastic story and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

Review: The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

2013-04-16T08:30:00.000+02:00

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
Published: April 29th, 2008 (Feiwel and Friends)
Pages: 248
Source: Bought
Series: The Compound, #1
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy.

For Eli, no amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day.

As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can't help but wonder if he'd rather take his chances outside.

Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—or sorry?

I think I had The Compound on my shelves for nearly 2 years. The synopsis intrigued me, but somehow the book didn’t appeal to me when it was on my shelves. I picked it up on a whim, and to be honest, my initial instinct was right; this book wasn’t all that. At all.

While it’s an easy and quick read (I read it in one sitting), the plot is paper thin at best. I loved the idea for a compound to use for shelter, but when the story continued I couldn’t follow the motives for certain characters anymore. It just didn’t make any sense. I wish I could voice my questions here, but since it would completely spoil the story to even mention something, I will refrain from doing so. Just take my word for it when I tell you the motivation is completely lacking in terms reasons to do things in that compound. It was driving me crazy.

The characters are dull, flat, naive and annoying. I just.. ugh. They just didn't come alive or develop at all during the story. While I can understand that one would be a bit washed out after being in a compound without sun for six years, it wasn't at all interesting for the reader to follow Eli and his family.

To be honest, the more I think about it, the more frustrated I get with this book. It holds so much promise when you read the back of the book and when you start reading it. But when you are really reading it, you start to think the author had a great idea, started working with it and then something happened that made the whole story collapse like a house of cards. It just feels to me that certain things weren't thought out while writing them and that just angered me. Why? I really don't understand.. And now I found out it's getting a sequel. Again, why? This first book was more than enough in my opinion.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

Gearing up..

2013-04-10T15:00:00.000+02:00

Gearing up towards a normal blogging schedule! I've been making lists again, which, for me, is a sign that I'm getting back into the swing of things. I've started writing reviews for the books that I read in the past couple of months so those should be going up somewhere in the next couple of weeks. Just a warning though: they might be crappy. Correction; I know they will be crappy, at least slightly, because I read those books so long ago. But I have notes and I will conquer! Huzzah!

Small home-y update; they replaced the window in the library so I'm starting the work on the library today! I'll be prepping the woodworks for painting, which I will hopefully be doing in the weekend, so I can start painting the walls next weekend. I'm expecting a little delay in that though, because it's so much work, but it should be done around May 1st and then it's only two more weeks until my shelves arrive! Sweet! Exclamation points!

For those of you interested in it, this will be the color on at least two of the three walls (one wall is almost entirely windows):

I'm still thinking on the color for the third wall.. That'll be the wall where the low shelves will be, possibly with images/paintings/something like that on the wall. I love this color, but it might be a bit much for all the walls. Any thoughts? :)

Oh and before I forget, because I know some of you want to know, these will be my new bookshelves:

Two walls lined with these and one wall with lower ones. I can't wait to have real shelves!

Anyhoo, I'm looking forward to getting back into things! I've started reading blogs again as well, so I'm a bit more up to date with the books coming out. Man, I feel rusty... xD

I'm also on Instagram!

2013-03-23T13:00:00.000+01:00

Since a little while I'm using my Instagram account on a regular basis. I post bookish pictures on there, as well as the occasional bracelet and food pictures. If you want to follow me, here's my Instagram; lvngbooks.

Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

2013-03-22T09:00:00.000+01:00

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Published: April 6th, 2006 (Speak)
Pages: 383
Source: bought
Challenge: none
Series: none
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★☆

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.

This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

I’m running out of Sarah Dessen books to read! After reading five of her other novels, I thought it might get predictable, or boring.. but Just Listen was neither of those things. It was, once again, everything I could have wanted from a contemporary. Believable characters with personality, witty dialogue and heartfelt moments made for a great read.

Annabel has issues. Her sister has an eating disorder which causes havoc in her family and her best friend dumped her. From a once popular model, she tumbles down the social ladder and becomes somewhat of an outcast. Until she starts talking to Owen. He has a reputation that precedes him, and his burly physique doesn’t help him. However, when Annabel gets to know him, she learns that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Not everything is as it seems, which is something Annabel found out the hard way.

While reading, Annabel has flashbacks and we unravel the night her best friend Sophie dumped her, bit by bit. Getting a new piece of the puzzle every time, you get to figure out what happened along the way. Even though the reason for their separation was a little predictable, I really liked how Dessen has intertwined the different storylines and Annabel’s past into this story. There were several moments that were so heartfelt, so intense, that I found my cheeks to be wet from tears. In between some heavy subjects, Dessen has put lighthearted and quirky dialogue and yes, some romance (would it be a Sarah Dessen book otherwise?). I loved how she incorporated music in this one. I prefer This Lullaby over Just Listen, but both have their charm and I loved reading both of them.

How To Get Me To Pick Up Your Book

2013-03-17T12:00:00.000+01:00

Ever since I was asked for the "Luck 'O the Irish" Pitch-Fest, I've been wondering about what makes me pick up a book. Of course, there's the cover part, but that's something for a different pot because I could go on and on about the importance of a good cover, and this is not the place.

We're assuming there is no cover for the book, or I can't see it, or whatever; I go by what I read on the back (or front). What makes me want to pick up a book and read it?

Just a note; I realise I'm a picky reader. I read a lot of books and I often go out to look for a certain kind of book without having a title or author in my head and I realise that I might not be an average reader when it comes to this. I usually try to find something

1. A Good and Perhaps Intriguing Title
It may not be the most important thing for me, but it is something I take notice of. If the title is funny, or witty, I might take it to the next level to see if it's something I'd like. Examples for funny or witty titles are Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison, The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy and Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski. I realise that these are also fairly on the long side, but they spike my interest and I would definitely read the synopsis/blurb on the back.

Other books that capture my attention are The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and Torn by Cat Clarke. These make me wonder about the story; games about hunger? Torn about what? I have to find out, so I read the synopsis. Mission accomplished!

2. A Clear and Understandable Blurb/Synopsis
So this is where it gets tricky. This is where the author should try and lure me in by hooking me (or at least interesting me) by the synopsis. There are a couple of things I want to be discover when I'm reading the synopsis;
- The genre of the book (or at least an indication);
- If there is one main character or maybe more and who he/she is;
- The general story of the book.

It seems that all these things are hard to come by in a synopsis. It may be obvious when you read it in a neat little list, but sometimes I pick up a book and it ends up being a completely different genre than I thought it would be. Which usually isn't a bad thing, except when I'm specifically looking for a certain genre. If I'm looking for a contemporary novel and I realise while reading that it's actually a dystopian novel or fantasy, that can tick me off. I should be able to tell what direction the book is going in terms of genre from the back of the book. Historical fiction and steampunk novels tend to do this nicely: "In 1897 England..." gives me a clear vision of what I should be expecting.

If I'm expecting a story about a goldfish, I don't want to be reading about robots and space ships. The synopsis should give a general idea of what the reader can expect from the book and it should represent the story. The same goes for the main character; while it usually isn't a deal breaker if it isn't clear from the back, I like to know what kind of person we're following around.

3. Separating 'Similar Authors' From the Blurb
I know a lot of books have a reference to another author on the back, like 'for fans of Sarah Dessen'. Whatever you do, do not put this in the synopsis. It has nothing to do with the story. If the book would be a good fit for fans of a certain author, it should say so in a separate tag line or something. I really dislike the whole "In this story that will appeal to fans of *insert author*, character X has to find a way to make live and love work"-thing. I think it's just me, but hey, I'm just being honest here :)

4. Keep It Short
Keep it short! While it should give the reader a general idea of what the book is about, there's no need for a long summary on the back. I like a to-the-point synopsis (what's the plural of this?) which still holds all the information I want. An introduction to the character, his/her world if applicable and the problem he/she is facing and the consequences of that problem. Maybe a little something to up the tension, but not much more than that is fine.

Bonus: How To Scare Me Off From Reading Your Book
Okay, so a lot of things I like to see in a synopsis and stuff, but there are also things that I like to avoid like the plague when I see them on the back of a book - or on the book summary page of an online store.

1. Too many names. Whether those are character names, creatures, places, whatever; I don't like to get confused. And I certainly don't want to feel stupid while reading the synopsis because I have no clue what it's telling me. Too many names is confusing, so keep it simple.

2. Throw in the cliché stuff right from the start. Mention a lovetriangle, a fight on life or death, a boy/girl the main character can't stay away from or 'he/she must chose between what's easy and what's right' in the blurb and you usually lose me. There are so many books out there with this as their main focus that I usually put them back. What I like to see is a little originality, whether that is in different wording or in terms of a completely different storyline and thus an original synopsis. Yes, I realise I'm not easy to please.

3. Compare it to another series/book. I know it's supposed to attract people who love a certain kind of book, but it is a deal breaker for me. I want to find something unique, even though it might be similar to other books out there. Those "If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love this!" stickers on the cover are reason enough to leave it on the shelf if it isn't recommended to me by bookish friends.

Not easy to please, am I? I know I'm not really the targeted audience for those little blurbs on the back of the books, but hey, I'm a reader nonetheless and I'm sure there are readers out there who are like me in some way.

----------------------

What makes you want to pick up a book? Am I just a picky reader, or do you have similar things you like to see in a synopsis?

So where am I?

2013-03-12T17:00:00.000+01:00

So.. I haven't posted a lot in the past couple of weeks (months), purely because I don't have the time to sit down and write posts. If I'm not working at my house, I'm doing boring stuff with insurance and really not in the right place to blog.

But I miss it so forking much! I've been squeezing in reading time every now and then, just to take my mind off of things, but writing those reviews feels like homework when I barely have time to get a good night's sleep. Yup, I'm that busy.

But we're almost done!

I've always had in my mind to be moved on April 1st (no, this is not a joke. Yes, this is the real date I have in mind) so hopefully in a week or 2/3 I will have settled in and things slow down a bit. The library won't be done until late May, but I'm starting preperations for the room anyway. Oh, and remember when I said I was painting it blue? Yeah. Change of plans, it's now getting a greenish bluish color. But it's still happening!

When my desk is in, I should have some space to write blog posts, so that should be up and going late April. Yay, only a month away!

Anyhoo, I wanted to ask you something as well. I have a room that will be my study, but except for a desk, a chair and a file cabinet of some sort, it will be mostly empty. And the walls will be white. So I need something to put on my wall! I've been thinking about a map of London that I saw at the National Gallery while I was there, but even if I put that up, the walls will be quite empty. I was thinking something book-ish, like some illustrations of well-known books, or maybe some typography. Does anyone have some suggestions? Let me know!

Home-y update

2013-02-14T18:48:00.000+01:00

Slowly but surely, things are starting to come together. The living room is starting to actually look like a living room and furniture will be delivered this week, so that's awesome.

The window in the library is leaking though so that'll have to be replaced before we can start painting everything. I have no idea when they'll be able to fix it so I'm guessing the library won't be finished as soon as I'd like. I've decided to paint the walls blue though so that is a step in the right direction, at least!

In terms of reading and reviewing, I'm finding it hard to find the energy to write the reviews for the books I read. I'm still reading of course (how could I not be?) but everything is a bit slow on the blog now because of that. I'm still aiming for April 1st to be done and move in, so hopefully everything will be back to normal by then.

Until then, I'll have two libraries; a half empty one here, and one that's packed up in boxes there.. But at least I've got enough to read ;-)

Review: Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

2013-02-04T09:00:00.000+01:00

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
Published: December 23rd, 2008 (St. Martin's Griffin)
Pages: 214
Source: bought
Challenge: none
Series: none
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★☆

When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?

Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her conselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.

Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.

Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

After reading This Is Not A Test and not really enjoying it (review), I was weary to start another one of Courtney Summer’s novels, even though I had two on my shelves. On a whim, I picked up Cracked Up To Be and I’m glad I did, because this book was loads better than my first Summers book.

Cracked Up To Be tells the gritty story of Parker Fadley, once the most popular girl at school. She has fallen from grace – or rather, she jumped. She didn’t want all that anymore. Nobody knows why she suddenly stopped being a cheerleader and why she started drinking in school. As a reader, you are both in and outside Parker’s head. Inside, because you see things from her point of view, but also outside, because you don’t know what’s going on either. And it turns out that Parker has plenty enough reason to close herself off.

But separating herself from everyone else gets hard when Jake, the New Kid, starts poking his nose in her business. He’s curious about her, and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s curious about the guy who dares to ask questions that make her uncomfortable. What follows is the unraveling of Parker’s last couple of months, and there was no way that anybody would have known.

Starting off with Parker, one of the most unlikable main characters I’ve read about, she is a tough cookie to crack. While she is unlikable, she doesn’t need to be liked – her characterization is perfect as it is and I loved her trying to cope with things by being snappy and short tempered. It fits her. She is a complicated character, which made her realistic and I loved that.

There’s not much I can say about the story itself without spoiling it. I can only say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters and the way Summers writes. It has a raw and harsh edge to it, which I love. Cracked Up To Be was everything I want from a contemporary novel and I’m so glad I decided not to give up on Summers after reading her latest.

Recommended for fans of contemporary and raw, realistic stories about teenagers with issues.

Announcing "Luck 'O the Irish" Pitch-Fest!

2013-01-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

A while ago I was asked if I wanted to participate in an event focused on pitching books. Since I love a good pitch (and this was an excellent one, if I may say so!) I wanted IN. So here I am! The Pitch Fest takes place in March, so there's plenty of time to either submit a pitch or prepare yourself if you want to be joining in as a blogger (like me).

I'm so excited to be part of this! All the info is down below.

We here at WriteOnCon have decided that we sleep too much. To rectify that, we're organizing a mid-winter "Luck 'O the Irish" pitch-fest, where agents, book bloggers, and authors will team up to read and vote for the best pitches of 2013.You read that right! A pitch-fest! At WriteOnCon!

But you won't need a pot 'o gold--or a lucky leprechaun--to participate, because our goal is to make sure you're well prepared. After all, we have bonafide literary agents coming to this thing! Yes, they will be reading the pitches, and yes, they are looking to sign clients. It could be you!

Not a writer? WE STILL NEED YOU! We're recruiting book bloggers and readers to spread the word and to vote for their favorites. Advocate for the books you want to see published--contact us at writeoncon@gmail.com to become an official WOC 2013 Pitch-Fest Blogger. You'll even get a special button. Ooooo. Shiny buttons.

The details
--Pitch-fest runs from March 18-22. Authors, book bloggers, readers, and our fabulous literary agents will be voting on the pitches. The favorites in each category will win prizes, including some great agent feedback or membership in the official WriteOnCon mentorship program!
--There will only be a limited number of pitches accepted. That number is unknown at this time, because it depends on how many agents attend. We're still recruiting agents and will let you know the final numbers as soon as we do! Pitches will be selected randomly, so it doesn’t matter what time zone you live in.
--The agents have selected their top three genres, and pitches will ONLY be accepted in those genres. Again, all genres are unknown at this time as we're still finalizing agents, but don't worry. We will make announcements about genres and numbers as things solidify (sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss a thing!). At this time, we are only focusing on the children's market, so you can know now that this pitch-fest will focus only on middle grade and young adult genres.
--We're announcing this now, before all details are finalized, because we're running a "perfect your pitch" workshop in February. This will take place in the WriteOnCon forums, and will work much the same as the query critique boards do during the annual WOC. You will post your pitch, and your peers will critique it. We will have posts from industry professionals on writing pitches and genre classification. We're doing this for a good reason. We want your pitch to be as perfect as possible once the submission window hits in March. We will only be accepting your entry for the pitch-fest one time. We will not change your genre or edit your pitch after it has been submitted. This workshop during February is the time for you to fine-tune your pitch and get feedback about which genre your novel really belongs in.
--Only one pitch per person. Put forth your best work.
--Pitches should be for polished and query-ready novels only. That means if you haven't finished your novel yet, you shouldn't pitch. Still revising? Don't pitch. The agents attending are looking for material, and when they request, you want to be ready to send out your novel. We're announcing early to give you time to finish!

Dates to know February 18-March 10 - Forum peer pitch critiques (Carolin has the forum boards built! Check them out HERE) March 11-13 - Submission of final pitches (this will be done through a Google form, NOT in the forum--details to come!) March 14-17 - We build the boards in the forum (they will be hidden until March 18) March 18-22 - Voting and commenting by literary agents, mentor authors, and book bloggers

We can't wait to see you at the Luck o' the Irish Pitch-Fest! Watch the WOC newsletter and site for more updates as we get closer to liftoff. Yeah, that was totally a mixed metaphor.

Give me a shout if you're participating!

2012 Wrap Up

2013-01-02T09:30:00.000+01:00

It's 2013 and time to wrap up 2012! I read a decent amount of books in 2012; 95. I barely made that amount, and I may have cheated a bit by reading a novella before dinner on New Year's Eve so I would make it. I admit it.

Anyhoo, here's the Goodreads overview of the books I read.

I'm quite proud of this collection of books, actually. I didn't read as much as I did last year, but in 2012 I had a job to juggle with that took away a lot of my reading time. Books I liked the most did year? Apparently, that would be books with a blue or red cover. For a more specific list, you can check out my Best Books of 2012 list.

Stats (because I love stats!):

Total amount of books read: 95 - total amount of pages read: 33,796

average amount of pages per book read: 355

unfished books (not marked as read on GR): 3

Rating stats:

Five stars: 7

Four stars: 57

Three stars: 23

Two stars: 6

One star: 1

No stars yet: 1

And because I'm such a dork, this is my top 10 most read authors as of December 31st, 2012:

1	Rick Riordan	14
2	Charlaine Harris	12
2	J.K. Rowling	12
4	Suzanne Collins	8
5	Stephenie Meyer	7
5	Sophie Kinsella	7
7	Gena Showalter	6
7	Sarah Dessen	6
7	J.R. Ward	6
7	Larissa Ione	6

Both Stephenie Meyer and Sophie Kinsella will probably tumble down the list by next year, because I don't read anything by them anymore.. So it'll be interesting to see how it's different next year. I'm assuming Rachel Vincent will be on there, and probably Lauren Oliver as well. I'm just speculating here!

I love that I read such a wide variety of books in the last year. Hopefully I can keep that up in 2013!

2013 Goals

2012-12-31T09:00:00.000+01:00

With this being the last day of the year and all, I thought it was about time to come up with some goals for 2013. So here they are! I've tried to make most of them bookish, or at least reading related, but there are some personal goals in there was well.

1. Keep reading a lot

This may seem obvious, but I tend to neglect my reading when things get busy. In the last couple of months of 2012, I haven't read as much as I would've wanted, and I want to change that. Reading is the best way for me to relax, to be able to get away from stressy things, but at the same time it's one of the first things to suffer when I get busy. To make it a goal I can accomplish: I want to read at least 90 books in 2013.

2. Read more sequels

I started a lot of series in 2011 and 2012 and I didn't really keep up with reading their sequels, which means I've got a ton of unfinished series that I'm in the middle of. I need to finish them before I dive into even more series in 2013. My goal is to finish at least 10 series in 2013.

3. Read more standalones

This goal doesn't really work with the last one, at least not on first glance. But I've been reading so many books that are part of a series and while I love those, I sometimes long for a book that is just that; one book. One book to suck me in, grab me, and take me on a roller-coaster. I love those kind of books and I just don't read enough of them. The goal: read 15 standalones in 2013.

4. Read classics

While I love reading, I haven't read a lot of classics. I think I should be able to count the amount of classics that I've read on one hand. Which is pathetic, and I need to change that. There are so many good books out there. Many of the classics are outside my comfort zone, so I'm starting carefully: read 5 classics in 2013.

5. Read books I already own

So I have a bit of a book-buying problem, which results in crammed shelves with tons and tons of books (love!) that haven't been read (not so much love). While I've been making some progress in 2012, I have a long way to go.. Which is why I'm aiming to read at least 20 books that I own as of January 1st, 2013, but haven't read yet.

6. Cook properly and healthy

So I'm moving out of my parents' house in 2013 and I'll be cooking for myself, and I'm aiming to cook some healthy meals for myself. I'm a bit of a lazy person, so I tend to lean towards food that can be made in less than 30 mins, and they are often not the most healthy dishes. But my parents gave me a cookbook for single cooking with delicious looking meals in it, so I'll be using that a lot.

7. Do things that make me happy

If there's one thing that I've learned in the past year, it's that I need to keep myself happy. I was in an unhappy place for a long time, but lovely friends, getting a job, going to London by myself and buying a house have brought me back to that happy place again. I want to stay there, so I'll be doing stuff that make me happy; go to an aquarium, visit a city, go see a film in theatre, things like that. It'll be a learning curve, but I'm going to do it. For me.

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So those are my goals for the new year! What are some of yours? Feel free to link up to your own posts, if you have one :)

Home Update

2012-12-30T12:00:00.000+01:00

Since I haven't posted much since my last post (ahem, one post), I thought I'd write a little update for those of you who are interested :)

As of today, all of the paperwork is filed and I'll be signing the last papers on Friday at the notary's office and when that is finalised, I'll be getting the keys to my very first home! I'm very excited, but at the same time I can't seem to comprehend that it's really happening.

The first couple of weeks will mainly consist of painting the walls and ceilings in several rooms and replacing (parts of) the floor, after that it'll be putting together IKEA furniture for some time (man, I love IKEA) and hopefully everything is set up before April 1st, so I can move in by Easter!

Because my weekends will be mostly taken up by house-stuff until I settle into a steady rhythm, I'll probably be posting sporadically on here, but I'll keep reading. I keep my Goodreads updated at all times, so if you're curious what I'm reading, check out my Goodreads page.

Best Books of 2012

2012-12-28T22:35:00.001+01:00

Since it's almost 2013, I thought it was time to name my top-whatever of Best Books that I read this year. So here they are! They are not all published in 2012, but they are all read in 2012.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Man, this book made me weep like a baby. After liking, but not loving his other books, I read this one and instantly fell in love with it. The way it was written, the emotions and just.. I can't even explain myself. One of my favorite contemporaries. Ever.

Goodreads page

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
One of the first books I read this year and one of my favorite fantasy novels I've read so far. I haven't read the sequel yet, but I absolutely adored this one. Belen was awesome, as was Kerrick. But let's not forget about Tohon, who is in my top 3 favorite villains. Maria has a way with words..

Goodreads page

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
I didn't believe the hype this book was getting when it first came out. Everybody was raving about it, but all I could think of was how I disliked the cover and it sounded 'just okay'. Well, guess again. Second Chance Summer sucked me right into the story. And while the plot was a little thin at times, Matson made up for that and more with her way to take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I mean, my feelings were all over the place, with one particular scene breaking my heart into a million tiny pieces. This is one that I'll definitely be re-reading next year.

Goodreads page

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
If you haven't read the Chaos Walking Trilogy yet, I strongly recommend you do so. The Knife of Never Letting Go was written in such a distinctive way, I couldn't help but want more and more. This one just picked up after the cliffhanger in the first book and MAN it was good! I kinda wish I could read this entire series again for the first time, purely because it was so addictive and original. This series is one of my all time favourites.

Goodreads page

Variant by Robison Wells
It's a book that originally didn't earn the full five stars from me, but it STILL has me thinking - even though I read it all the way back in July. It's one of those WTF-books, messing with your brain and confusing you by throwing plot twists your way when you think you know where the story is going. It's so awesome to find a book that is able to do that! Man, I loved this take on boarding school, combined with sci-fi goodness and a crazy storyline.

Goodreads page

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Another one that I read early on in the year, but it's one that I absolutely adored. I loved the combination of a dystopian society combined with a wasteland, kind of post-apocalyptic story mixed in with some paranormalish elements. I particularly fell in love with Roar, who just swept into the story and stole the limelight. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development and slowly building romance in this one and I cannot wait to get my grabby little hands on the sequel.

Goodreads page

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
Dude. I don't even know how to describe this one, aside from "epic". I didn't even know I liked sci-fi, but this one pretty much rocked my bookish world. I was thrown into something I didn't think possible without sounding unbelievable, yet Kincaid managed to do it. AND HOW. I'm still in awe how she was able to do this. This has the potential to be one of my favorite series ever. Great book!

Goodreads page

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cyborg Cinderella! This was one of the biggest surprises for me. I got this as a galley because everyone was raving about it, and while I wasn't expecting something that would blow my mind, I devoured this book. Everything in this book combined to an unputdownable read, making sure I wanted to read on more than I wanted to eat (believe me, that's serious business). One of the most promising debut authors of 2012.

Goodreads page

Well.. I think I spot a trend in these favourite reads of this year xD Apparently blue and red covers work their magic..

While I didn't read as many books as I did last year, I've read a TON and quite a few were awesome. Some honourable mentions that just barely didn't make this list: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, Five Flavours of Dumb by Antony John, The Duff by Kody Keplinger, Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry and Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent. If you're looking for a good read, I'd definitely recommend checking any of these titles out!

So, these are my personal favourites, but which books made your top-whatever list of 2012? I'm curious!

I'm Getting A Library! AKA The Big "I Bought A House"-post!

2012-12-05T11:00:00.000+01:00

Yes, you're reading that right; I've bought my first home! Which is also the reason you haven't seen me around much lately. I've been buried in certificates, reports, information leaflets for financing, regulations, more certificates.. But I've made my way through it and I'm currently awaiting news from the bank. Yay!

I've wanted a place for myself for years now and when I accidentally bumped into this apartment, I jumped at the chance. It's pretty big (three bedrooms!) so one of the bigger bedrooms will be transformed into my own library. I'm so excited about that, I've already thought out what I want the room to look like and everything.. While I haven't even decided on the necessary important stuff. Whoops!

Anyhoo, this is just a short note that I haven't forgotten about reading, the book community or blogging, I've just been really busy. I've got a couple of posts I want to write in the next week or so, so I will try my best to actually get them up this time.. But I'm sure you'll understand if it all takes a while for me to get some decent stuff up. Bear with me :)

Review: Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green by Helen Phillips

2012-10-30T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green by Helen Phillips
Published: November 13th, 2012 (Delacorte)
Pages: 304
Source: for review
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012
Series: none
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Mad's dad is the Bird Guy. He'll go anywhere to study birds. So when he's offered a bird-tracking job in Central America, his bags are packed and he's jungle bound.

But going bird tracking in the jungle and disappearing completely are very different things, and when the Very Strange and Incredibly Creepy Letter arrives, Mad can't shake the terrible feeling that her father is in trouble.

Roo, Mad's younger sister, is convinced that the letter is a coded message. And their mom is worried, because the letter doesn't sound like Dad at all. But Mad is sure it's a sign of something sinister.

The only way to get to the bottom of it is to go to Lava Bird Volcano and find their dad themselves. Though they never could have imagined what they're about to discover.

The synopsis intrigued me and I was very excited to be able to read it months before the release. Here Where The Sunbeams Are Green is a joyful, lively tale of adventure and discovery. Rich with imagination, it’s sure to enthrall young readers and draw them into the place where the sunbeams are green.

Sisters Mad and Roo get on a plane with their mom to go and visit their father, who is studying a species of nearly extinct birds in the middle of a rain forest. Mad and Roo have a feeling that something more is going on since their father is acting Very Strange, writing Very Strange and Incredibly Creepy Letters and not sounding like himself at all. When they arrive at the island, everything slowly unfolds. The two sisters take on the task of unraveling what is going on and try to bring their family back together. Along the way they make some unexpected friends, see some unexpected creatures and plants and feel a bit bedazzled by the beauty and power of the rain forest. They are quickly drawn into the middle of the plot their father is in and have to find a way out..

This is one of those brilliantly built up tales that didn’t really work for me. While the writing was lovely, the storyline very imaginative and the feeling around the story great, it just didn’t connect with me the way I wanted it to. There were some moments that I absolutely adored, but there were also moments that I would want to skip over to get to the next part. I can’t really put my finger on it what that is exactly, but for me, it wasn’t the amazing tale I was hoping it to be.

Having said that, the whole ambiance in this story is brilliant. I loved the magical feel of the story, the way the Lava Bird Volcano was worked into the story and how everything worked together to create the plot. It’s a story of discovery, both for the girls themselves as for the discovery of what is going on and what is in this strange forest, and I’m sure this story will appeal to both boys and girls.

NaNoWriMo 2012

2012-10-18T10:30:00.000+02:00

It's almost time for NaNo again! Last year was the first year I won NaNo, and hopefully I'll be able to do that again this year :)

In case you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write as much as you possibly can. You can 'win' NaNo by writing 50,000 words or more in the month of November - yes, that many words in one month! It sounds crazy, and it is, just a tiny bit.

This is what NaNo says about its rules:

The rules state that, to be an official NaNoWriMo winner, you must…

Write a 50,000-word (or longer!) novel, between November 1 and November 30.

Start from scratch. None of your own previously written prose can be included in your NaNoWriMo draft (though outlines, character sketches, and research are all fine, as are citations from other people’s works).

Write a novel. We define a novel as a lengthy work of fiction. If you consider the book you’re writing a novel, we consider it a novel too!

Be the sole author of your novel. Apart from those citations mentioned two bullet-points up.

Write more than one word repeated 50,000 times.

Upload your novel for word-count validation to our site between November 25 and November 30.

For me personally, November means writing, writing, eating a ton of M&Ms (preferably crispies), write some more, spend hours on wikipedia, write, procrastinate by watching TV series with hot guys, try to get some sleep, write, celebrate my sister's birthday, try to compensate that lost time by writing until way after midnight and eating all of the chocolate I can find. This year though, I'm trying to juggle my full-time job in between and I'm also running some side projects that require my attention, so I think it's fair to say that November will be a fairly busy month. Just a bit.

I'm not entirely sure if I'll be working on a completely new novel or if I'm going to write the follow-up on last year's NaNo novel, but I still have almost two weeks to figure that out.

Are any of you participating in NaNo this year? If so, what's your goal? Already have a story in mind? TELL ME EVERYTHING.

It's been a while..

2012-10-17T14:00:00.000+02:00

So you may have noticed that my blog has been empty of new posts in the past couple of weeks. It appears there's been a problem with the posts I prepared to go up while I was in London and those posts have disappeared. And silly me, I didn't make a backup of those posts, so I'll have to re-write them :(

I only noticed this this week, so that's why there hasn't been any new content on the blog for several weeks. I'M SO SORRY. I hate to see my blog empty of new posts. It'll stay this way for at least a couple more days because I need time to write them, so please bear with me for a bit. I'm working on it, promise! It's just that I don't have so much free time anymore now that I've got a job and several side projects running.

But I'll be back! And so will the blog posts. I hope you have a little patience left :)

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

2012-09-04T08:00:00.000+02:00

Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Published: October 2nd, 2012 (Greenwillow)
Pages: 400
Source: for review (proof)
Challenge: none
Series: Breathe, #1
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★★

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe..

The world is dead. The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

ALINA has been stealing for a long time. She’s a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she’s never been caught before. If she’s careful, it’ll be easy. If she’s careful.

QUINN should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it’s also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn’t every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

BEA wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they’d planned a trip together, the two of them, and she’d hoped he’d discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

It's been a long time since I read Breathe, but I both feel like I only read it yesterday and that it's been ages at the same time. I absolutely loved this book, and have been eagerly anticipating book two ever since I flipped the last page. You can imagine how impatient I'm starting to get..

Breathe switches between the point of view between three teenagers: Alina, who has lived under the radar for a long time, Quinn, the son of an important man high up in the dystopian society, and Bea, who has had her eye on Quinn for a long time. The alternating POVs give us insight in how all of the major characters are experiencing the story, and I really liked to see how they worked together to pull the storylines together.

While the worldbuilding in this book was excellent, there was a lot of attention for the personal relationships in the story. Of course the story focused on the world and the dystopian society as well, but Crossan has worked a lot on how the characters feel about eachother and how they are experiencing the different events. I really liked how this worked out and am quite curious to see how the story will continue in the sequel!

Because of the attention to the feelings of the characters and the way they experience this journey, I think it will also appeal to a lot of younger readers. Having said that, I really enjoyed reading this book and I definitely recommend picking it up if you like dystopia.

Daph's BBE Giveaway Winners!

2012-09-02T17:00:00.000+02:00

It's time to announce the Birthday Bash Extravaganza giveaway winners! The Vrees Me giveaway is still going on, so if you're a Dutchie and you haven't entered yet, do so here!

First of all, a massive THANK YOU for everyone who entered. The blog has never been busier and I had a blast hosting this event. I hope you had fun, too :)

And now, without further ado, the winners of the BBE giveaways!

Daughter of the Flames by Zoë Marriott

Yiota G.

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Dottie Mayo

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

Bridget Howard

Antoinette H.

Congratulations all! I'll be emailing you later today, please reply to that email in the next 48 hours to claim your prize!

Thanks everyone for participating. No worries if you didn't win, there'll be more giveaways in the future so be sure to check back :)

London, Baby!

2012-08-31T08:00:00.000+02:00

On 12th September I’ll be leaving for 10 days of London-y goodness, and I’m very excited! I’ve been to London a couple of times, but this is the first time I’ll be heading into the city alone, and I’m going to do ALL the stuff – well, maybe not *everything*, but a lot. I’m planning to indulge at Cocomaya, spend part of my day at Hatchard’s near Piccadilly Circus, wander around on the set of Harry Potter and this year, I finally want to take flight in the London Eye.

There’s no need to worry about content on the blog; I’ve planned ahead and scheduled a bunch of posts to go up. The only thing missing will be the In Case You Missed It posts, because, well, if I’m in London, I can’t really write those posts. I’ll be too busy eating scones and taking pictures the Owl-y buildings.

Since a lot of my bookish friendsies live in the UK, or at least have been to London, I was wondering if you guys had some tips on stuff I should really check out while I’m there. I’ve already visited Harrods (and Selfridges right before Christmas – gorgeous!), saw Buckingham Palace along with the Changing of the Guard, wandered around most of the parks and spent a day in the London Zoo. I’ve done a lot of the typical tourist-y stuff, except visit some museums, which I plan to do this year. Yup, it’s going to be a busy holiday!

So far, I’ve got this planned; London Aquarium, Harry Potter Studio tour, Hatchard’s, visit one or more museum(s), Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe, go see a musical (any tips for discount booths?), London Eye, do some shopping, hang around in one of the parks. I don’t want to plan everything yet, because it’s nice to just decide what to do when you had breakfast, but if there’s anything I’ll have to buy tickets for, it’s nice to know beforehand. I’d love to go to a signing while I’m there, so if you know of any, please let me know!

Anyhoo, the bottom line is.. Can you recommend me something to do in London? J

Review: Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

2012-08-29T08:00:00.000+02:00

Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead
Published: July 13th, 2008 (Bantam)
Pages: 480
Age group: adult
Source: bought
Challenge: none
Series: Dark Swan, #2
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★☆

Note: this is not the first book in a series, and can therefore contain (minor) spoilers for the previous book(s) in the series. Reading of this review is at your own risk.

Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire. She's paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld.

But something happened after her last battle. She became queen of the Thorn Land. With her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind, the job's really not all it's cracked up to be.

Now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one seems willing to find out why. Or to put an end to it. Not that Eugenie's fazed by spilling fey blood, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and dangerous -- and nursing a very personal grudge.

Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in a power she can barely control. She may be a reluctant queen, but she's vowed to do her duty, even if it means facing the darkest and deadliest side of her nature.

The second instalment in the Dark Swan series is just as exciting and fast paced as the first volume. Picking up where we left off with Storm Born, we follow Eugenie deeper into the world of fae and her struggle with an old prophecy, the fae themselves and her more complicated love life. And if you ask me, it only gets better.

Where I was firmly on Kiyo’s side in the first book, I’ve now switched sides and am currently rooting for Dorian. Who, by the way, turns out to be smoking hot AND caring. Instead of, you know, controlling and annoying. Oh, and lying. I was really annoyed by Kiyo’s behaviour in this book and that was a really big chance from what I’ve seen from him in the first book.

The story itself gets twistier with every page and I love how Mead has managed to create this world. There’s something about it that makes it realistic while you still realise that it’s completely fantasy and I really like that. The fae are awesome, whether they are good or bad, they are written in a way that makes them walk out of the pages. I really like that I’m feeling these extreme emotions with these characters – I either love them or hate them. With a burning passion.

I’m curious to see where book three takes me, especially after seeing Eugenie’s dad acting so weird. I feel like he’s up to something (either that, or he has something to hide about what he already did) and I want to punch it out of him. And of course after what happened in the end.. What is next for Eugenie is probably war, but I agree with Dorian. I would have done the same thing. Well, maybe not, but I feel the same way he does.

So.. Yeah. That’s my rambly review of Thorn Queen. I don’t know what it is with this book that makes me unable to form some decent thoughts on the book without talking about smoking hot characters and slapping others. Having said that, I think I’ll just go cheat on my book buying ban and get the third instalment to read while I’m in London. Sounds like a plan to me!

Review: Prim Improper by Deirdre Sullivan

2012-08-27T08:30:00.000+02:00

Prim Improper by Deirdre Sullivan
Published: September 10th, 2010 (Little Island)
Pages: 250
Source: for review
Challenge: none
Series: none
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ ½

Primrose Leary has just started secondary school.

Likes: her pet rat, Roderick; her best friend, Joel; being a little bit different (but not in the weird different sense – she wouldn’t like to be the only bald girl in her class or the only girl who always smelled of ham, or anything).

Dislikes: living with Fintan (her moustachioed dad); the boy-school that Joel’s toddled off to without her; not having her mum around any more.

It’s been a while and I’m still unsure about what I should think of this book. Prim Improper started off promising enough, with enough potential to keep me reading, but in the end, it just wasn’t for me.

The entire book is written in semi-diary style, following Prim in her daily life while she tries to deal with living with her father after her mum died in an accident. We see what she does every day, both at home and at school and with therapy in between. Maybe I am missing something, but I felt like the story was clueless. I didn’t feel like the story was going anywhere, and I didn’t feel like it was particularly character or plot driven. It just fell flat because the story and the characters didn’t come alive.

The reason I kept reading was because I was hoping this would be a similar style book to Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, which I loved. But it wasn’t. I felt like maybe the author had tried to make it like Georgia, but failed. Because it wasn’t as funny, and it wasn’t going anywhere.

When I read the reviews that are out there for this book, I feel like I’m missing something trivial. I’ve only seen positive reviews and I fail to understand why this book is awesome. Yeah, I kept reading, because there were funny bits that were very promising, but on the next page we would just hear more about Prim’s ramblings.

No, this definitely wasn’t a book for me. I sincerely hope that I’m indeed missing something, because the world could do with a good humorous series starring a teenage girl.