tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75703809440328261222024-02-07T11:46:33.667-06:00Books Are A Girl's Best FriendYou know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. ~Paul SweeneyStephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.comBlogger293125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-26335118354320646912012-01-12T14:58:00.000-06:002012-01-12T14:58:40.841-06:00UK Giveaway: Chocolate S.O.S by Sue Limb<div style="text-align: center;"><b>As part of the blog tour for the recently released Chocolate S.O.S by Sue Limb, Bloomsbury UK have kindly offered two copies of the book for giveaway. It gave me a good giggle with Sue Limb's hilarious writing and I especially recommend it for teenage girls- see my review <a href="http://bestfriends-books.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-chocolate-sos-by-sue-limb.html" target="_blank">here.</a></b><br />
<br />
You can find today's post in the blog tour on Why Comedy Is Good For You <a href="http://www.themilelongbookshelf.blogspot.com/2012/01/chocolate-sos-by-sue-limb-blog-tour-why.html" target="_blank">here</a>- it certainly made me feel like I should read more comedy books!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W0hCLtDy-ZaP6SmHxpCoKyQI5Sz6S3KtKkGJIQBf3R2X3HUqLjUcyAqoHEFI532SsOQbdiACDofj1Of7Bmjo5vvD5Xo4T2bVDi1agCzd24X_vlwBPDSQCL0VE1UlYPe2FWDQNwzlchM/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: purple;">About Chocolate S.O.S (from Bloomsbury):</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Jess has broken up with Fred, though really she is waiting for him to come to her door and beg to get back together again. But is that the sort of thing Fred would do? He has said himself that he has no backbone . . . Meanwhile, a gorgeous boy has moved in next door and, to Jess’s mingled horror and delight, is making it very, very obvious that he would like to be a lot closer than next door . . . Surely, now, Fred will be driven, in a fit of jealousy, to sweep Jess back off her feet? Won’t he?</i></span></span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; font-family: serif; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: serif;"><u><span style="line-height: 19px;">Giveaway Information and Guidelines (please read before entering):</span></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><u><br />
</u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Entrants <b>must </b>have a UK postal address</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Entrants do <b>not</b> have to be a 'folllower' of this blog</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">There are no extra entries for spreading the word but it would great if you did!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Information on the giveaway form will not be kept</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Two winners will be selected by Random.org and notified by an email to which they must reply to within 3 days or another winner will be picked</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Giveaway closes on 30th January</span></span></li>
</ul><div><span style="color: blue; font-family: serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>ENTRY FORM</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: blue; font-family: serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dDJRMWpfcnpXSnNPNUZ0enhWZjY3NGc6MQ" width="500">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe><br />
<br />
<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Good luck to everyone who enters!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-10988454297654421862012-01-10T15:18:00.000-06:002012-01-10T15:18:03.974-06:00Video: Sue Limb talks about Jess Jordan<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;">This week, Bloomsbury are celebrating the release of Chocolate SOS by Sue Limb (the latest book in the hilarious Jess Jordan series) with a week long blog tour. Yesterday, I hosted a guest post from Sue Limb on Creating Jess Jordan so if you enjoyed reading that, you can find out more about Jess Jordan in this video:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pv8k7UiiL4A" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W0hCLtDy-ZaP6SmHxpCoKyQI5Sz6S3KtKkGJIQBf3R2X3HUqLjUcyAqoHEFI532SsOQbdiACDofj1Of7Bmjo5vvD5Xo4T2bVDi1agCzd24X_vlwBPDSQCL0VE1UlYPe2FWDQNwzlchM/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W0hCLtDy-ZaP6SmHxpCoKyQI5Sz6S3KtKkGJIQBf3R2X3HUqLjUcyAqoHEFI532SsOQbdiACDofj1Of7Bmjo5vvD5Xo4T2bVDi1agCzd24X_vlwBPDSQCL0VE1UlYPe2FWDQNwzlchM/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">About Chocolate S.O.S (from Bloomsbury):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Jess has broken up with Fred, though really she is waiting for him to come to her door and beg to get back together again. But is that the sort of thing Fred would do? He has said himself that he has no backbone . . . Meanwhile, a gorgeous boy has moved in next door and, to Jess’s mingled horror and delight, is making it very, very obvious that he would like to be a lot closer than next door . . . Surely, now, Fred will be driven, in a fit of jealousy, to sweep Jess back off her feet? Won’t he?</i></span></span> </span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #c0a154; font-family: serif; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Check back tomorrow for a U.K giveaway of 2 copies of Chocolate SOS and stop by <a href="http://www.wondrousreads.co.uk/">Wondrous Reads </a>for today's stop in the blog tour ON Sue Limb's fantasy dinner party!</b></span></span></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-67655969744976837992012-01-09T01:30:00.002-06:002012-01-10T15:07:17.161-06:00Chocolate SOS Blog Tour: Author guest post on Creating Jess Jordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W0hCLtDy-ZaP6SmHxpCoKyQI5Sz6S3KtKkGJIQBf3R2X3HUqLjUcyAqoHEFI532SsOQbdiACDofj1Of7Bmjo5vvD5Xo4T2bVDi1agCzd24X_vlwBPDSQCL0VE1UlYPe2FWDQNwzlchM/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W0hCLtDy-ZaP6SmHxpCoKyQI5Sz6S3KtKkGJIQBf3R2X3HUqLjUcyAqoHEFI532SsOQbdiACDofj1Of7Bmjo5vvD5Xo4T2bVDi1agCzd24X_vlwBPDSQCL0VE1UlYPe2FWDQNwzlchM/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Today I am very happy to be introducing Sue Limb, the author of the hilarious Jess Jordan series to the blog today as part of the Chocolate SOS blog tour in celebration of its publication! I hope you enjoy reading her guest post on creating the main character Jess Jordan as much as </span></b><b><span style="color: purple;">I did. Welcome Sue:</span></b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.bloomsbury.com/images/Authors/Small/1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bloomsbury.com/images/Authors/Small/1689.jpg" /></a><span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">People ask, ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ and ‘Is your teen heroine Jess Jordan based on a real person?’ Sometimes a writer does build a character</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> painstakingly, thinking, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">I need somebody who’s scared of life… maybe a hypochondriac… someone a bit like Auntie Mabel, only without the martial arts fixation… </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> But with Jess it wasn’t like that.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was more as if a girl was stalking me. I wasn’t sure exactly what she looked like: whenever I tried to catch sight of her she seemed to dodge away behind a pillar. She wasn’t a real flesh-and-blood girl: I knew she was a character and she’d somehow stumbled into my head, so I tuned in to her and started writing . I suppose you could say she was Another Self. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anybody who’s been a teenager vividly remembers the heart-stopping trauma, the skin-crawling embarrassment, the hot floods of terror that happen on a daily basis. So of course, in a way I’m remembering my own teenage years when I write a Jess book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But I was a very different sort of teenager. I was a solitary, poem-writing nerd: a kind of Adriana Mole. Jess was herself, right from the start: feisty, sociable, wise-cracking, compassionate. Perhaps she’s the teenager I wish I could have been. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> And her soulmate Fred is probably the guy I wish I could have met when I was at school. Their double act, with its effortless mutual understanding and mock-aggressive banter, is the place where Jess feels most at home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> ‘I’d rather be marooned in the Gobi Desert and be groomed to death by meercats than marry you,’ says Jess. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> ‘I’d rather be deep-fried in egg and breadcrumbs than be married to you for a split second,’ replies Fred.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Sometimes writing is impossible. You get writer’s block and find yourself scrubbing at the kitchen floor with a toothbrush – the most meaningless chore is an escape from the blankness of the page. Occasionally you set out to write something, plan it, and just steadily put the hours in. But once in a blue moon, a character or two comes out of left field and takes you by surprise – you pick it up and run with it. That’s how it was with my adorable Jess and Fred.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span><img height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tu2430epnTxLJD1G99pw6GERsa5XNreR4spf1O3LvImSc-9rAYT0t0ka23CWlWQQ8PLrWz720g59zThC894Oh1V0ni5hwgSwBRa3MpVqam0433TDJgpJkIloAV3z7PCCDEFvNHt6CSc/s320/Chocolate+SOS+Cupcakes+1.jpg" style="line-height: 150%;" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue;"><b>Thanks for the interesting insight into the character of Jess! You can read the next part of the blog tour tomorrow at <a href="http://www.wondrousreads.co.uk/">Wondrous Reads</a> and the rest of the schedule for the week is shown in the banner below.</b></span></div></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgye6E-Hf40En3BhDprn39K611U4YiYZ3Vxrn0ySr3pnPTT7z_dM6D0yNBzfCLYBuYbus8m733qgZxDpPYOlwZ39GRF65g5ulP9udpzfMOtxjFyu05YRcNfxKm7oqEy2Lnz14psNTppEeY/s1600/Sue+Limb+Blogtour+button.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgye6E-Hf40En3BhDprn39K611U4YiYZ3Vxrn0ySr3pnPTT7z_dM6D0yNBzfCLYBuYbus8m733qgZxDpPYOlwZ39GRF65g5ulP9udpzfMOtxjFyu05YRcNfxKm7oqEy2Lnz14psNTppEeY/s400/Sue+Limb+Blogtour+button.gif" width="183" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><b><u>Description for Chocolate SOS (from Bloomsbury):</u></b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Jess has broken up with Fred, though really she is waiting for him to come to her door and beg to get back together again. But is that the sort of thing Fred would do? He has said himself that he has no backbone . . . Meanwhile, a gorgeous boy has moved in next door and, to Jess’s mingled horror and delight, is making it very, very obvious that he would like to be a lot closer than next door . . . Surely, now, Fred will be driven, in a fit of jealousy, to sweep Jess back off her feet? Won’t he?</i></span></span> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><u><br />
</u></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue;"><b><u>Links to find out more about the Jess Jordan series or Sue Limb:</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jessjordan.co.uk/" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><b>www.JessJordan.co.uk</b></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">www.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">suelimb</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">.com/</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Video interview with Sue Limb: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8k7UiiL4A" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8k7UiiL4A</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></div></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-83526476812558463412012-01-08T10:11:00.000-06:002012-01-08T10:11:56.887-06:00Chocolate SOS by Sue Limb Blog Tour Annoucement!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUQ64rj-_XFG_BJgIihgHpinNb7RSCuGaZlNi0j0bbZMHBdDzuvMC3dfluuU7d6pW3tKiVisdr84NxDeGU96RNul_ywZIzpBgzTQDXRJLzTuFN8XTylT30ky7roSM_MT9JyuyetUFa6g/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRWbwmM0rGPwbekgQ7J4xO23AIJe66BN4wFQJsEsC9Ex9GtnmDgQjmcWydxL5gZaB5P0kLiXwZlg6TsRTulg5cS5r1PNMGtioYBgTVVNgXNFAeXnkw62vzFzS6Lm-ObjKvxnYyJAdUkk/s1600/Sue+Limb+Blogtour+button.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRWbwmM0rGPwbekgQ7J4xO23AIJe66BN4wFQJsEsC9Ex9GtnmDgQjmcWydxL5gZaB5P0kLiXwZlg6TsRTulg5cS5r1PNMGtioYBgTVVNgXNFAeXnkw62vzFzS6Lm-ObjKvxnYyJAdUkk/s400/Sue+Limb+Blogtour+button.gif" width="182" /></a><img src="file:///C:/Users/Stephanie/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows%20Live%20Mail/WLMDSS.tmp/WLMD188.tmp/Sue%20Limb%20Blogtour%20button.gif" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Stephanie/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows%20Live%20Mail/WLMDSS.tmp/WLMD188.tmp/Sue%20Limb%20Blogtour%20button.gif" /></div><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The blog tour to celebrate the publication of Chocolate SOS by Sue Limb (the latest in the hilarious Jess Jordan series) is starting tomorrow with a guest post here from Sue Limb on <i>Creating Jess Jordan </i>with more posts throughout the week! There will also be a UK give-away of 2 copies of Chocolate SOS kindly provided by Bloomsbury hosted here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="file:///C:/Users/Stephanie/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows%20Live%20Mail/WLMDSS.tmp/WLMD188.tmp/Sue%20Limb%20Blogtour%20button.gif" /></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUQ64rj-_XFG_BJgIihgHpinNb7RSCuGaZlNi0j0bbZMHBdDzuvMC3dfluuU7d6pW3tKiVisdr84NxDeGU96RNul_ywZIzpBgzTQDXRJLzTuFN8XTylT30ky7roSM_MT9JyuyetUFa6g/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUQ64rj-_XFG_BJgIihgHpinNb7RSCuGaZlNi0j0bbZMHBdDzuvMC3dfluuU7d6pW3tKiVisdr84NxDeGU96RNul_ywZIzpBgzTQDXRJLzTuFN8XTylT30ky7roSM_MT9JyuyetUFa6g/s1600/Chocolate+SOS+cover+image.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So far I've enjoyed reading 2 Jess Jordan books, both of which have been a good giggle and capture the ups and downs of a teenage girl's life really well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>Links to find out more about Chocolate SOS, the Jess Jordan series or Sue Limb books:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jessjordan.co.uk/"><span style="color: black;">www.JessJordan.co.uk</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">www.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">suelimb</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">.com/</span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video interview with Sue Limb: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8k7UiiL4A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8k7UiiL4A</a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-74127569234859289602012-01-08T06:44:00.002-06:002012-01-10T15:20:53.727-06:00Book Review: Chocolate SOS by Sue Limb<b><u><span style="color: purple;">Amazon description</span></u></b><br />
<div><b><u><span style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></span></u></b></div><div><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cG1zb5FyL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate SOS: A Jess Jordon Story (Jess Jordan)" border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cG1zb5FyL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">J</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ess has broken up with Fred, though really she is waiting for him to come to her door and beg to get back together again. But is that the sort of thing Fred would do? He has said himself that he has no backbone ...Meanwhile, a gorgeous boy has moved in next door and, to Jess's mingled horror and delight, is making it very, very obvious that he w</span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>ould like to be a lot closer than next door ...Surely, now, Fred will be driven, in a fit of jealousy, to sweep Jess back off her feet? Won't he? Full of Sue Limb's very funny take on early teenage life and</i></span><i style="background-color: white;"> problems, fans of Jess Jordan will be thrilled to have a new Fred and Jess story.</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><b><u>My thoughts</u></b></span></div><div><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the second Sue Limb book that I've read and whilst I found the first rather funny, Chocolate SOS was even more hilarious and I only usually read a few books a year that make me laugh out loud! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this new instalment of the Girl 15 series, we find Jess breaking up with her comedic boyfriend Fred when he lets her down as they organise entertainment for an event. While maddeningly angry at him, she can't help wishing that Fred would make an effort to win her back, especially with her school mate Jodie giving him all the attention. The main character Jess' experiences of teenage life have a real light-hearted but predictable feel that were great for relaxing with in the Christmas holidays. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jess goes through a lot of things that are typical for every teenage girls and there were many times I knew exactly what she was feeling like. Sue Limb definitely deserves her place in my mental list of authors who capture the emotions of teenagers all over the planet no matter whether on make-up, break ups, crushes or even divorce and financial problems. Some of the embarrassments she concocts are a little over-the-top and the side of me that always looks out for how realistic a book is had to learn to realise the craziness of it all is what makes it such an entertaining and escapist read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although they are not incredibly fleshed out, the other characters are fun to read about too with Jess' new flirtatious and forward neighbour Luke and the witty remarks of her grandmother who lives with her. I Like in Girl 15 Flirting For England, I found her best friend Flora nice and well meaning if a little inconsiderate of her friends feelings when she complains, which was rather annoying.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite the fact that this is the latest in a series, it could easily be read as a stand alone because I've only read the prequel and all the characters are easy to get to know quickly and although the story is continuous, it makes sense on its own too. The only drawback to this is that Fred might appear not very worthy of Jess in this book because his comic personality isn't shown as much but I don't think it would affect enjoyment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b><span style="color: purple;">Verdict: </span>Chocolate SOS (I have no idea where that name came from?!) is my favourite of the two Jess Jordan books I've read so far and more Jess's insane confessions and Limb's side-splitting humour had me in fits of giggles throughout. I recommend it for when you're in the mood for something you don't have to think about much but can just enjoy- I'll definitely be picking up another Jess Jordan book soon!</b></span></div><div><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of this book. Chocolate SOS was published on the 5th January in the UK. I am hosting the first of the blog tour tomorrow- more information in a post later today =). </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.bloomsbury.com/images/Authors/Small/1689.jpg" /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can find out more about the Jess Jordan books at <a href="http://www.jessjordan.co.uk/">www.JessJordan.co.uk</a> or by watching an interview with the author Sue Limb at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8k7UiiL4A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8k7UiiL4A</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-83258129925777381032012-01-04T13:33:00.000-06:002012-01-04T13:33:24.409-06:002011 Wrap up (better a little late than never!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.farewellstranger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2011-2012-wave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://www.farewellstranger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2011-2012-wave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas/ New Years breaks! 2011 was an exciting year, both in life and for blogging! I started my GCSEs and my first ever job now, broke my record for the most books read in a year and celebrated my first year blogoverary! The last few months since September I've been very quiet but I've decided to create a short review of my reading and blogging year:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: purple;">Fun statistics:</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Total number of posts: 154</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Total number of books read: 65</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Most viewed post: <a href="http://bestfriends-books.blogspot.com/2011/01/coverlicious-beautiful-cover-dresses-1.html">The Luxe series cover dresses (Coverlicious)</a></li>
<li style="text-align: center;">My favourite post to write: <a href="http://bestfriends-books.blogspot.com/2011/01/coverlicious-beautiful-cover-dresses-1.html">The Luxe series cover dresses (Coverlicious)</a></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="text-align: center;">It's interesting to note that my most viewed post of the year was the one that I found most fun to write. It just goes to show that if I enjoyed writing it, then others will enjoy reading it!</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: purple;">Challenges:</span></u></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have to be honest here and say that I failed at keeping track of my challenges after the first few months so unfortunately I can't give any accurate statistics! One of my goals is definitely to be more organised this year. I participated in:<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKZeYVxEomWsjObsaJYWtQ09P8G3DbKsf95oDbnL_UBdA7EPkW2uPeZPuXSJeYvVLwyAU2HiOqNGz9LTLYF6WNthZUV6XoVdxq2XBf1Jty0mPvw0PMbOzartcbqTGmOQ2L-0yXxJ_b4qs/s200/BBChallengelogocrop.jpg" width="200" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The British Books Challenge was hosted by Becky at <a href="http://www.the-bookette.co.uk/">The Bookette</a>. I read a lot of British books this year and I'm proud of supporting British authors. I'll continue to try and read British books in 2012.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFm9vGB9p3fOyc4gCNIyJKn0NAkeUq_L0qW86PcNw0sFtJ9J0WNOQ3MUnt4eEyxSGfF8nZiEj26SI0vud6zm_HxoqvEaAI38MoxMty68bmyaYJBskUBWhN_7epTUPIj1EtFAFnMCYpcOM/s200/50books2011_bigbanner.jpg" width="186" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As I mentioned in the statistics, I read 65 books this year so I went over my challenge goal- yay! I think I read the most books ever this year and it's all thanks to other lovely book bloggers enthusiasm for reading encouraging me. I did a lot better in the first half of the year up to about August and according to Goodreads I was on track to reaching 100 but then after the summer holidays, I didn't read much at all in comparison.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMf6pD9oa6SlPkhlb-kY17HNUPzWv20PXQSCp9RlzSvtPDpwbFTOWGM8gEOvSYNq5R6vXxztJTi1Ikr4Q_L2TzDVjS9BX0cSR8-9KAxX3ds6Dcist1VCDV9kwVnO0MT17xSSJ1DZQ8zAHk/s200/comfortzone_3.png" width="200" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Read Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge was hosted by Danya at <a href="http://www.atapestryofwords.co.uk/">A Tapestry of Words.</a> I aimed to read 4 books in genres like paranormal. Receiving review books really helped with this challenge because it put books I would never have looked for into my hands so I managed to finish this challenge from the books I can remember. Here are some that I read:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIs6KUEmOWr824_-iVc_UVISQafKcGK7jXdFZzloYYwnhtI3Mulw" width="135" /><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTa-N2QRIqCa7lZpnp3vpqeZvjKAUEVl9DL1nqsxse2Dt7xaYLExg" width="133" /><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRt6VZDubjP99bHP5SUiDaRdJoyb1s9D0H8S0PGHL4X-1pUHFmd" width="130" /><img height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJ4Y0Wzcb1gQjCqUrdW2R-S38b58Hk1crEnJC0pa0A6cwrrN1J" width="132" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I actually surprised myself and found that I really enjoyed the first two Vampire Academy books (as recommended to me by the lovely Jess from <a href="http://www.jessheartsbooks.blogspot.com/">Jess Hearts Books</a>) so I'm hoping to read more in the series this year. Unfortunately Thyme's end wasn't for me but it's always good to try new things!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Thank you to everyone who's read, followed, commented ect. on my blog last year- you're all amazing! Here's to more blogging this year =D</span></b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-72507325376749880042011-12-29T11:49:00.000-06:002011-12-29T11:49:23.358-06:00What books I got for Christmas!<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you guys all had a fantastic Christmas and got some of the books on your wishlist! I certainly did so I thought I'd share them with you:</span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCMYXJnbihC0rY8--ttmuOqMPpMl1FbXvSdiij0YCfQBuBsUsO" /> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed this author's debut novel <a href="http://bestfriends-books.blogspot.com/search?q=the+healer%27s+apprentice">The Healer's Apprentice</a> (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty) so I can't wait to get started on her second book. Although the cover's not quite so pretty as The Healer's Apprentice, it's still very enticing. I'm intrigued to find out who the man in the mirror is!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Before The Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQx61aWhuGDLxAE91ojNV1W1JXLGFnwNCExeppawi7KqyBPef5SQ" /> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjyv4fWd3psbAdXk3tl4a7ohAalF4L7J1D12VlMYbxsE8OUbPM" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjyv4fWd3psbAdXk3tl4a7ohAalF4L7J1D12VlMYbxsE8OUbPM" width="130" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you might know, I love a good regency novel and I stumbled across this inspirational Christian regency. For one thing the cover's lovely but it sounds a bit like my favourite regency romance <a href="http://bestfriends-books.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-review-arabella-by-georgette-heyer.html">Arabella by Georgette Heyer</a> too.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">A Weekend with Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSZoqRtdmCWzDocitd9-1k666NzyMxookIXPm5XZU4_igbrP-KuHA" /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My friend bought this for me knowing I'm a big Pride and Prejudice fan- isn't the illustrated cover gorgeous?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQaOK8Rmhe_itg6pvoGp7WleRXx4-Flt7q3bfQW8rHJnuxBewRV" /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm a bit obsessed with the TV show Donwton Abbey, which is set in Edwardian times and follows the lives of the Grantham family and their servants so I loved curling up on Christmas day with this! In fact, I had a very Donwton Christmas getting the second series box set too and watching the Christmas special in the evening. Does anyone else watch Downton? I know the second series is about to be broadcast in the US so if you're following it, then you're in for a treat.</span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">What books did you get for Christmas?</span></b></div></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-49837179917179444102011-12-24T14:45:00.000-06:002011-12-24T14:45:20.975-06:00Merry Christmas<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;">I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I hope you all enjoy having fun and relaxing with friends and family as well as giving and receiving some great new books =)</span></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGYRUPnqKviY0dC2RNfz9741JvYXSUIDVJoeH8EWEEK2F2C7ZvOA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGYRUPnqKviY0dC2RNfz9741JvYXSUIDVJoeH8EWEEK2F2C7ZvOA" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know I haven't been around the past two months much but now its the school holidays and the rush of Christmas shopping ect. is over, I'm going to make some time next week to get as many posts as I can written for when I'm back at school. Hopefully I'll have a challenge wrap up, best of 2011 and Christmas books post up then.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you so much for all your comments, ideas and encouragement on my 'blogging slump' page- you're all wonderful! I've still been reading all my favourite blogs despite not posting myself and they've been an inspiration to get back in the blogging mood again.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Love Stephanie <3 xxx</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-84781142981171722752011-11-17T15:15:00.007-06:002011-11-25T10:30:52.779-06:00Book Review: Crossed by Allie Condie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1299873958l/9794437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Crossed (Matched, #2)" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1299873958l/9794437.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><u>Goodreads description</u></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><u><i><br />
</i></u></b></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">My review</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b><br />
Crossed is the sequel to Matched, which was the first dystopian book I ever read and really got me interested in the genre! It's strange and unfamiliar world where the Society ruled everything in your life captured my imagination and I was rooting for the main character Cassia to step free of this. After enjoying Matched this time last year, I've been eagerly anticipating Crossed to read about the next step on Cassia's journey since then!<br />
<br />
Beginning where Matched is left off, we find Ky in the Outer Provinces at a work camp pretending to be farmers to trick a group of people who the Society call the Invaders. Meanwhile Cassia is determined to do anything she can to find him even though it means leaving her family, friends, everything she has ever known and even risking reclassification to chase after him; the boy she loves. The thing that interested me from the start was the dual narrative with alternating chapters told from the point of view and Ky and Cassia that wasn't found in Matched, which I loved because it bought new life to the series and meant I could get to know and identify more with Ky's character. Although sometimes, it was a little hard to tell the difference between the two voices because they weren't as individual as they could have been.<br />
<br />
<br />
Before I started reading, I had been expecting Crossed to pick up with more action after the scene setting and character building of Matched and was initially a little disappointed with the slow pace where not much seemed to be happening. However, I soon began to realise that a fast paced story wouldn't have done the characters justice or allowed for the beautiful prose full of description, and poems written by the characters that are found instead and make Condie's writing so special and captivating. Example of description:<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">'In the night, it feels like we’re running fast over the back of some kind of enormous animal, sprinting over its spines and through patches of tall, thin, gold grass that now glimmers like silver fur in the moonlight.” </span></i></span><br />
<br />
It gave a sense of intimacy with the characters who are not only on a long journey through the canyons on the edge of the Society but are also on their own emotional and developmental journey. Also, it allowed time to give an impression of the world outside of the Society in the danger and splendour of the majestic canyons, contrasting with the safe but restricted Society setting found in Matched.<br />
<br />
I particularly enjoyed seeing Cassia experiencing the freedom, danger and horror of being outside of the Society and truly beginning to see the world the way Ky does instead of walking around with blinkers. Unlike some YA characters in sequels, she stayed authentic and with the same vulnerability and nativity that makes her so appealing and endearing yet developed so much as she faced the danger and uncertainty of the consequences of her rebellious actions. Her relationship with Ky takes on a new dimension where the lingering glances and suspense of whether they can ever be together turns into the longing to be reunited and barriers like differences in what they want to do in the future being placed between them to test their love for each other. It will be interesting to see how the love triangle with Xander plays out in the last book of the trilogy.<br />
<br />
The secondary characters of Indie and Eli were introduced too, adding something new to the mix and making up for the loss of characters like Cassia's brother Bram left back in the Society. I wasn't quite sure what to make of Indie, who accompanied Cassia on her quest to find Ky, because she came across as having a sly, secretive side that made my question her trustworthiness. As for Eli, he's adorable just like Bram in Matched with his cute courage and I hope we'll be seeing more of him in book three!<br />
<br />
Matched left me with a lot of questions about the Society and I was really hoping that they would be answered but I turned the last page with most of them still unanswered and new ones formed. For example, the concepts of the Enemy and the Rising is introduced but it is not fully described who they are or what they really do or stand for. There were no huge cliff hangers at the end but no conclusion either, leaving the story perfectly set up for moving ahead with the plot. If Allie Condie intended this to keep readers intrigued to to read the last book in the series, then it certainly worked!<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Verdict: </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Crossed is a wonderfully written sequel woven with the same imaginative and enchanting prose descriptions that characterised Matched with determination, bravery, danger and love at all costs at its heart. Although, it didn't quite live up to my high expectations and acts as a stepping stone middle book because the plot isn't driven forward much. Despite this, I enjoyed it overall and look forward to reading the resolution for the characters in the final book- fans of Matched should definitely read it!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rating:</span> 3 stars</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><i> Crossed is released in the UK on the 24th October. Thanks to Penguin UK for providing me a review copy of Crossed.</i></span></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-87033675626862706022011-10-11T15:29:00.001-05:002011-10-11T15:30:59.499-05:00The dreaded blogging slump....Since September, you may have noticed I've only posted a few times and that's because I've been experiencing a dose of the dreaded blogging slump! Over the past year I've seen other bloggers fall victim to it but as I was sat there happily tweaking my layout and writing a new review, I never imagined it would happen to me...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTll6ZHjRcKu25JYRqFHHcn3OXHd_rDEZ_-d38Vn7J17ekTcqiu" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTll6ZHjRcKu25JYRqFHHcn3OXHd_rDEZ_-d38Vn7J17ekTcqiu" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>From the beginning of the school year, where I was planning to write up some new post ideas I'd had over the summer, I found myself busy with adjusting to more work for my GCSE years and instead of heading to write new posts, read other blogs or read I just wanted to relax in front of the TV and chill out. It sounds crazy for someone who loves reading and blogging so much, right?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Slowly I began to realise that despite the fact that I <b>love</b> blogging and all the other lovely bloggers, I sometimes felt that I *had* to read a book by a certain time to get a review up or that I had to update even though that might not be something I wanted to do. Other times I'll struggle to even write a review or I'll just feel like reading for the sake of reading instead of knowing that I'll probably be writing a review for it at the end. That's definitely not what I want my blogging experience to be like because then it becomes work when it should be fun. So that's why I decided to stay away from posting for a while until I fell in love with it again.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Don't get me wrong- I have missed it! I was lucky enough to the Bloomsbury launch of Velvet by Mary Hooper in London and met some UK bloggers whose blogs I really enjoy reading, one of whom was Becky from<a href="http://www.thebookette.co.uk/"> The Bookette</a> and that reminded me of how much I missed ave missed the wonderful bookish community and particularly getting and giving comments and recommendations.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQRW4YNje8s0KwJMkFK-rocYD03857z7UwMQyLIL1Y3FaUCZGaWA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQRW4YNje8s0KwJMkFK-rocYD03857z7UwMQyLIL1Y3FaUCZGaWA" width="132" /></a>Whilst I haven't posted in a few weeks, I have still been reading, most particularly The Hunger Games series, which got me out of a mini reading slump too. I've been meaning to read them for absolutely AGES but all the praise they get made me just want to put off reading them incase they didn't live up to expectations and I'd have something to look forward to. Now I'm so glad I've finally read them because yes, I'm now another fan who thinks they're AMAZING! Thank you to everyone who's recommended them to me =)</div><div><br />
</div><div>I think that a brief slump happens to every blogger at some point but hopefully I'll gradually begin posting more frequently again soon and come back with refreshed creativity. Thanks for sticking with me!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Have you ever experience a blogging slump/burnout? How did you find inspiration and get out of the rut?</span></b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-12503805875920564982011-09-17T15:56:00.003-05:002011-09-17T16:08:02.592-05:00Book Review: Daughter of Xandu by Dori Jones Yang<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvFu-24SQ_H8wobe_Ml0AzREhC7rwsNN-8Pz5ytESaOblZ0K63MxI0pk4lZkOa8xGtiqEDKUuJ2vyVnoSpiiSuXu8kGYzey-RCDAmItpDk3DydkO6swhvZnJUv4TC4DsMFW9dmGZNAXx6/s1600/daughter+of+xanadu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvFu-24SQ_H8wobe_Ml0AzREhC7rwsNN-8Pz5ytESaOblZ0K63MxI0pk4lZkOa8xGtiqEDKUuJ2vyVnoSpiiSuXu8kGYzey-RCDAmItpDk3DydkO6swhvZnJUv4TC4DsMFW9dmGZNAXx6/s320/daughter+of+xanadu.JPG" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Goodreads</span></u></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #181818; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;">Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield. The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the "manly arts" of the Mong</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;">ols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling. Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting 'dragons' and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier.</span></i></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"> </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><u>My thoughts</u></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The reason that made me want to pick Daughter of Xandu up is although I'm an avid YA historical fiction reader- as many of you will know- I've never read something set in the Mongolian empire before because of the typical setting being the Tudor or Victorian eras</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">. So something different and fresh sounded a lot of fun! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The narrator is the beautiful and headstrong Princess Emmajin who is determined to be just like her boy cousins and dreams of doing the impossible: serving her country in the Mongol army when no women has ever done so before. All through her childhood, she has heard stories of glory on the battlefield that her ancestors experienced that have been told from age to age. It is a life like this that she craves instead of the seemingly dull and pointless frivolities and pampering of court life or the duties that come from marriage and children.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I loved the character of Emmajin and really connected with her character early on her book because although she has seemingly impossible aspirations, she is not afraid to pursue them but keeps herself grounded, with the realisation that she may have to accept the life she has been born into lo. On one hand she is strong and fierce when practising horse riding and archery but she is also shy around some people, making her realistically flawed. She endures tough times to try and achieve her dreams but throughout the book she really develops as a young women and she begins to see the world through different eyes as she gets to know the initially distrusted strange foreigner Marco Paolo.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Emmajin's relationship with Marco Paolo- the foreigner from far away Venice in Christendom (Europe) she was asked to spy on by the Great Khan- was something that I really enjoyed seeing develop, grow and change during the course of the book. Their initial distrust of each other slowly changes and Emmajin is fascinated by his tales of Europe and his beloved Venice and he loyalty to her country is tested. It was lovely how they were from completely different backgrounds but they found so much in common and could really understood each other. The end to their story might not be all that realistic but for what was was described of the time before but it left me happy and that's what matters most. Before reading this book, I didn't know the first thing about Paolo apart from the fact he was a famous historical person so I'm happy to say I now know a lot more and it was really interesting to find out about his story! Oh, and did I mention he's handsome too?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The other characters in the story felt very real too and were well written even though there was quite a wide array. I really wish there could be a sequel to this book so I could read more about them!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The best historical fiction makes you feel like the period the book is set in so familiar and alive and that's what Daughter of Xandu succeeded in doing- excellently! Knowing nothing about the culture of the Mongol empire, I was fascinated to learn about the different traditions, the harsh life in army, the system of the royal family and the empire. Whilst the story was not loaded with description, the fact that Dori Jones Yang actually went to the places the book is set and hunted down the spot of the ancient site Xandu is clear. One part I especially enjoyed reading was the account of a ferocious battle between the Mongols and the Burmese, where they used elephants and other tactics. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Verdict:</span> Daughter of Xandu is an enthralling and fast paced tale that was special for me because of it's unique setting in Mongolia at the time of the great Kubai Khan featuring Marco Paolo, a strong willed heroine with a big dream, tons of adventure and of course romance. If you like historical fiction or even just a story with heart, then I'd definitely recommend it!</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rating:</span> 5 stars</b></span></span></div></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-33399479017864074262011-09-10T12:31:00.001-05:002011-09-10T12:31:20.887-05:00Book Trailer: Velvet by Mary Hooper<div style="text-align: center;"><b>If my review posted earlier this week of <a href="http://bestfriends-books.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-velvet-by-mary-hooper.html">Velvet by Mary Hooper</a>- which is published this week in the UK- intrigued you, then check out this lovely trailer that captures the dark and creepy feel of the craze for spiritualism in Victorian London.</b></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kz1t_vW6Xv8" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">You can read the remainder of the Velvet blog tour at the sites below!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHZHneEbDFQ57RGJ9xwzlG2yBJOiTuis3PatAPJpxoXLs66A7fAP7VXMwRgjBWmgO_XnJacmlvrcbSc3r8cB8-ePnIb-V2mnPy2NFkS6WfGZK0aCJDW_Df65WnLcBG4huhhKVuR03DeQ/s1600/velvet_tour2-%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHZHneEbDFQ57RGJ9xwzlG2yBJOiTuis3PatAPJpxoXLs66A7fAP7VXMwRgjBWmgO_XnJacmlvrcbSc3r8cB8-ePnIb-V2mnPy2NFkS6WfGZK0aCJDW_Df65WnLcBG4huhhKVuR03DeQ/s400/velvet_tour2-%25282%2529.png" width="176" /></a></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-9556273869629738992011-09-08T01:43:00.000-05:002011-09-08T01:43:38.262-05:00Book Review: Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XGe2qYhcL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beautiful Days" border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XGe2qYhcL.jpg" width="211" /></a><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;">Goodreads description</span></u></b></div><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<div style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and </div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes the second book in an epic series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">My Thoughts</span></u></b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;">Beautiful Days is the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">second in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;"> the Bright Young Things series set in 1920s New York and it follows on soon after the first book Bright Young Things end, continuing the story of Astrid Donal, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur- a flapper, a heiress and an aspiring starlet. Anna Godbersen is the queen of this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">glamorous</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;"> era and she really knows how to bring the sparkling world of speakeasies, bootlegging and jazz to life </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">through</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;"> her descriptive writing.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">We find the girls having spent an summer lounging around the pool together and Letty and Cordelia are not the small town girls they once were but have found their place amongst the numerous New York socialites who live for a night out at a club in a sparkly dress. However Letty soon realises that this empty life is not what she dreamed of and that she can't let her dream of becoming a famous singer slip away; Cordelia settles into the Grey family and embarks on a new plan to open a new club down-town along with her bootlegger brother Charlie and Astrid's tumultuous romantic relationship with Charlie continues on its ups and downs.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">One of my favourite things was seeing each of the three heroines develop and change but like in Bright Young Things, I found myself identifying with and caring about Letty the most because she works hard to chase her dream of seeing her name in bright lights come true even when it looks as there there's no hope. I felt that she was the least spoiled too, not being wealthy like Astrid and Cordelia and her trying to make her own way in the city made for the most interesting story. Each of the girl's stories was interesting in its own way though and what I like most of all about them is that they're depicted as going through the same problems and heartaches that girls experience today as they make their own way in the world.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Fans of romance will be glad to hear that more romantic attachments are formed although they are far from smooth. The attractive bootlegger Charlie and Astrid are still together but their relationship is complicated and though they clearly love each other, there are obstacles that they must get over. I get the vibe that there is something mysterious underlying their relationship that hasn't come to light yet so I'm looking forward to seeing how everything turns out for them in the next instalment in the series Cordelia is reluctant to let a man into her life after the heartbreak she last experiences but one young man manages to worm his way into her heart, creating another unpredictable storyline. Still, like I mentioned in my review of Bright Young Things, I didn't connect with any of the romantic interests very well and they didn't hold much appeal so the romance was too stale for me. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Whilst the characters are developed well, it is the historical setting of the twenties that I love the most about the book with the gorgeous dresses, lavish houses, bright lights and glitz of Manhattan and Long Island as well as the dangers of gangs and the sadness and emptiness of the hedonistic lifestyles of social giants that lie behind the glamour. It just goes to show that there was a lot to the jazz age that comes to mind when we think of it.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Verdict</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">: Anna Godbersen has topped Bright Young Things with its sequel, providing an escape to the roaring twenties with a thrilling plot and well developed main characters coming of age. However there is something missing which I can't quite work out. If you enjoyed Bright Young Things, then you'll love </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Beautiful</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> Days too"</span></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rating:</span> 3.5 stars</b></span></div></span></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-39189657578724462612011-09-06T13:43:00.000-05:002011-09-06T13:43:39.436-05:00I'm Back and Summer Reading!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I looked a bit like this a few weeks ago-<br />
only it was a lot colder and less sunny!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hey everyone! You may have noticed that I hadn't posted for a few weeks until yesterday and that's because I decided to take a bit of a break this summer to spend time with my friend from Italy who stayed for the month and get used to my new job. I had a really fun summer holiday in Cornwall and although I didn't get in nearly as much reading as I hoped, I did read some brilliant books. However I'm glad to say that I'm back now because I definitely missed blogging!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Here's what I read:</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Septys</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" width="200" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Just Listen by Sara Dessen</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFfcX7apKKzMead9XangauiMzSGdVLZcKXUh8N1psFjdgvTyby" width="130" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Daughter of Xandu by Dori Jones Yang</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" width="200" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Velvet by Mary Hooper </b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1daYUPHgQcDWV0Nxi5hQoAOhV6kvw52kWTqBtSbiP2msHJ4cSfcMFWlMRb45ejP5g-VNIa0MEdjBqHCAM2Zp7QFZ8QFPlD8oItvpSDLYO_QXmBMJmdsq3aPNRh3FtE8N0M79Q8fgtOGVL/s200/velvet.jpg" width="124" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" /><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen (review later this week) </b><br />
<br />
<img height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSu24xxDo0OH5JpvD2FT-b80Ah1yAZgSaL9RdIqP88xhKb2ldKB" width="131" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="70" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSuSAHSCSpAW2QVUhRT5uu_Rs8YMSCbYBy4R1W7uCHMFwPIzmZj" width="320" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In other news, I did my first ever guest post over at Rebecca Books as part of her summer themed week last month on the topic of summery covers. Rebecca has a wonderful blog and this week had a great line up of posts so if you're interested, go and check out my post <a href="http://rebecca-books.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-4-summery-covers.html">here.</a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I've got a few reviews planned but posts might not be as regular as usual in the next few weeks as I get used to the extra school work I'll be getting from starting GCSE courses. So, things should be back to usual soon but just bear with me for the moment!</b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-14784440246598871922011-09-05T06:02:00.003-05:002011-09-05T10:25:01.247-05:00Book Review: Velvet by Mary Hooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTs5yRbJzT0jNkwWH9K1kRuPHZMfVdxfuKw-Bx2reXpjrTwBo9Wxw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTs5yRbJzT0jNkwWH9K1kRuPHZMfVdxfuKw-Bx2reXpjrTwBo9Wxw" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Goodreads description</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet's very life is in danger ...A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much-loved historical writer for teens.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">My thoughts</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I first heard about Velvet when Mary Hooper was in the first stages of writing it, about a month before her previous book Fallen Grace was published as she visited my school and I loved the sound of the storyline of a young laundress mixed up in the Victorian spiritualism industry. Hooper is the author that introduced me to historical fiction (for which I’m eternally grateful!) so her books are automatically on my must-read list.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The story is told from the point of view of the heroine Velvet in the first person, an orphan who works as a laundress. I warmed to her character within the first few chapters because despite growing up in a home with an abusive father who regularly came home drunk and spent his wages on gambling, she still had the courage to believe that she could make a better life for herself and remained positive. I admired her strength and determination to live independently and better herself in an era where it was frowned upon for women, particularly in the working class, to have high aspirations. She also had a rather sweet innocence because of her inexperience in the ways of the world that led her to seem gullible sometimes, especially when it came to her encounters with mediums. At times I found this a little annoying but I had to remember Velvet’s background and the setting.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It was really clever how there are passages with Velvet’s employer Madame Savoya- the medium- with her clients that let the reader know the secrets of her work whilst Velvet does not because it gave a completely different viewpoint. Although the down side was that it made some of the plot a little predictable. Madame Savoya herself was an interesting character and she made me wonder how mediums like her could live on the riches conned from her poor clients without feeling guilty.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I was glad to find the historical detail that I love so much in Hooper’s writing because it gave the perfect sense of Victorian London, providing intriguing insights to life in that era without unnecessary details that weigh the narrative down. . The main focus is on the business of mediums and spiritualists who use the popularity of the spirit realm amongst the upper classes during Victorian times and the vulnerability of the bereaved to trick people into giving up their money. I really enjoyed learning about how this industry was conducted and the lavish lifestyles mediums led through it. There was also a harrowing passage that shows the atrocities of baby farms and the historical note at the end gives more information on this for readers who are interested in finding out more. As in her other books, famous Victorian characters appear in the book too such as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle and the baby farmer Amelia Dyer. It is clear that a lot of research has gone into creating this authentic atmosphere and it really pays off.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">For those looking for a bit of romance, there is a smidgen that was enough to keep me satisfied but it’s really a background story that doesn't get developed much in the story and left much to my imagination at the end. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Verdict:</b></span><b> Mary Hooper has again transported me back in time with Velvet’s relatable characters, wonderfully compelling writing style and fascinating insights into the spiritualist world of Victorian London. Despite this, I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that it didn't top Fallen Grace as I was so hoping it would but if you haven't read this or anything else by Mary yet, I recommend you do!<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b><br />
<b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rating:</span> 4 stars</b><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me with a copy for review.</i><br />
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></i><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">If you like the sound of Velvet, check out the first post on it's blog tour to celebrate the UK release this week over at <a href="http://www.wondrousreads.com/2011/09/velvet-blog-tour-mary-hooper-author.html">Wondrous Reads</a> for an interview with Mary.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFj6bVNytuCRCxnSW_KPclgh8qh6OxWtTNCO8BjIG2F_buq1UhmGw_iRo85Zpdorgh9xlR0DuaCisWr9iXct_tvRLj9HboSjL2os0dcbeE8wGx7nOU4zgV5gkzsyLGfq5SiAzrXv12ey4p/s400/mary_swing.jpg" /></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-51609385640424526502011-08-05T06:10:00.000-05:002011-08-05T06:10:21.188-05:00Book Review: Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Goodreads description</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0ytg2AbWT1_0eitNILRSR4j2DXoKLFUDOz_9IxhuEYmHWV7OO" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0ytg2AbWT1_0eitNILRSR4j2DXoKLFUDOz_9IxhuEYmHWV7OO" /></a><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Elise and Frankli</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">n have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight loc</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ked doors on the second floor. </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn...</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Review</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Although I've heard great things about Suzanne LaFleur's debut novel Love Aubrey Eight Keys is the first book of hers that I've read and I was eager to try what sounded like a wonderful story aimed at a young audience of pre and early teens.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The main character, eleven year old Elise, has lived with her aunt and uncle ever since her parents died at a young age and they love her as their own but Elise still has questions about her family. She has also had her best friend Franklin by her side for as long as she can remember and at the beginning of the book she is looking forward to starting at the same middle school as him. However, Elise suddenly finds him babyish but as her twelfth birthday approaches, she has many life lessons and family secrets to discover.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What I love about this book is that because it's told through the eyes of an eleven year old there is a simple quality of beauty to it, and the story is just allowed to unfold naturally without complications or description that would distract from the cast of characters or the issues of friendship, identity, fitting in and growing up that are sensitively explored.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The relationships that Elsie has built up are the most important element of the book and my favourite was the lifelong friendship between her and Franklin. They share the special bond of sharing their childhood together- playing, exploring, laughing, crying- that not many people are lucky enough to have experienced. The change in the way Elsie feels about their friendship is something that I think many teenagers will be able to understand to but I felt very sorry for Franklin about the way he was treated because he showed an unselfish loyalty that rose above the thoughts of others. It was a lovely reminder of the value of true friendship and how we should appreciate it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">All of the rest of the characters from the bully Amanda and Franklin's overprotective mum to Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh were portrayed realistically with differing personalities and authentic scenes and dialogue. For a reasonably short book with just over 200 pages, the core characters were also surprisingly well developed. It was clear that despite losing her parents, Elsie was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her and the story's events showed that family is life's gift to us and so must be treasured.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Moving to middle school is something that every teenager has to go through and everyone can relate to wanting to change yourself to fit in with other people. Elsie's experience of bullying is horrible but it carries with it the message of learning to be yourself and demonstrates the painful situations that can arise from growing up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Using the idea of the eight keys to unlock the mysteries behind Elsie's family was a very creative and inventive way of dealing with the theme of growing up and finding yourself. It also bought an element of mystery into the book and try as I might, I was just as clueless as to what was in the eight rooms that her dad has left behind for her as Elsie was. . This part of the book was done really well and I really liked the originality and unpredictability of it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Verdict:</span> Eight Keys is a brilliantly moving and emotional story that shines in its simplicity and shows the importance of discovering your identity in growing up and loving your friends and family. I would recommend this thought provoking book to other people- particularly pre-teens- and look forward to enjoying more of Suzanne LaFleur's books in the future.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rating: </span>4 stars</b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-43354668996983106402011-08-02T04:34:00.000-05:002011-08-02T04:34:57.591-05:00Coverlicious: Entwined by Heather Dixon (Beautiful Cover Dresses)<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Coverlicious is a semi-regular feature on my blog featuring anything to do with covers from covers I love to covers to lookalike covers! This post is part of a series called Beautiful Cover Dresses.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>This post's feature:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRf6sV1LNWwiCZ9Jg9o-jiJJYnqBLkPCIAmoWBXNg8uETt2TS1A" width="263" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Entwined by Heather Dixon</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">I ADORE this cover! I know I say I love a lot of covers but this ones up there with the very best and it was the cover that first attracted my attention when I saw it last September. Seriously, I would have bought it for the cover alone but thankfully, the story is great too because it's a retelling of the fairytale the Twelve Dancing Princesses. How could anyone resist such a pretty cover?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The ball gown</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">First off, the ball gown the girl (Azalea) screams 'Princess' with it's flowing white netting layers and the cute oversized bow. Though gorgeous, it looks really hard to walk in let alone dance and it has a slight greyish and tattered look, which could represent the financial struggles of the royal family of the story.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Lost and trapped</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">To me, the girl looks lost as she explores the palace gardens and the twelve sisters did get lost because the gardens were so big but I think it also represents how lost Azalea is emotionally. The cover has a sort of eerie element too because it's quite dark and the silver leaves look like they are trapping the girl as they entwine around her. This is really clever because I think it's supposed to represent the silver forest the girls disappear in to dance.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Castle</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Castles and palaces always remind people of fairy tales so I'm glad that there's one on here in the background. It looks grand with the tall spire but also magical, which it is in the book.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Original photo</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was browsing on the photo website We Heart It and I came across the photo below, which is clearly the image that has been used for the Entwined cover.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Princessb_large" src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/5706220/princessb_large.png?1293022198" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I love the way the elements in the photo are laid out and I wish more of the simplicity had been kept because despite it being beautiful, I do think the cover for Entwined is a touch busy with the swirly cover across the middle and all the silver leaves (which are embossed on the actual cover.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Better in real life</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">I got this book as a birthday present and it was the last one I opened as it arrived on the day and it's even better in person. The back cover is also lovely because it features the palace image and even inside, each chapter page is decorated with the silver leaf patter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">What do you think of this cover? Does it make you want to read it? Do you think it's too busy?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-8897784747779472712011-07-29T12:31:00.000-05:002011-07-29T12:31:38.482-05:00Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279037245l/8428195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Entwined" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279037245l/8428195.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Goodreads description:</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But there is a cost.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Keeper likes to <em>keep</em> things.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Review</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I love fairy tale retellings and I've been wanting to read Entwined ever since I first heard of it last September so I was happy to finally sink into it. The tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses is familiar to me and I've read another retelling of it called Princess of the Midnight Ball so I was was hoping that I enjoyed this version of the story just as much.<br />
<div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Azalea and her eleven sisters have been plunged into mourning after the death of their mother when giving birth to her youngest daughter Lily. Forced to sport black dresses and banned from, balls, going into the palace gardens except on royal business, seeing suitors and worst of all, dancing, the girls find life dull. That is until they discover a magic staircase in their room leading to a beautiful underworld pavilion where they can dance all night under the watchful eye of the handsome Keeper and wear their dancing shoes to rags to the bewilderment of their servants. However, the Keeper has more to him than meets the eye and the girls realise too late that they have become entangled in something more than they bargained on and danger is hot on their heels.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Entwined is told in the third person through the eyes of Princess Azalea and through the narrative, a beautiful world is spun and the vivid imaginings of the palace and magic captivated me. Heather Dixon has bought a unique spin to the fairy tale and added a fresh and creative dimension that has really made it her own. I loved her descriptions of the kingdom from the grandeur of the palace gardens to the scary silvery shadows of the magic pavilion where the girls go to dance. Oh- and the dancing! I really can't dance myself but I could picture the graceful and elegant movements of the girls gliding and swirling across the ball room. There was also a good balance of old traditions, formal dancing at balls and modern behaviour without it seeming out of place.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The close bond between the sisters was adorable to see and was a joy to read about when so many YA book families are dysfunctional. They comforted each other after the death of their mother and were always looking out for one another. You might think that with twelve girls to contend with, characteristics wouldn't be a strong point but I'm happy to say that each of the girls had a distinct personality and I knew who each one was even though they didn't get equal page time. There was cheeky and fiery. Bramble who's always cracking a joke, responsible and kind Azalea. However the family were not without their problems and Azalea had many worries to deal with from the burden looking after her sisters to the government choosing a suitable husband for her. The girl's relationship with the King evolved really well throughout the story with him developing a lot as a father and it was lovely to see the family overcome their problems together. One addition I especially loved was that the girl's flower names were arranged in order of their age so Azalea's name was A as she is the eldest and I was referring to the alphabet constantly to see how old one of the girls were. I would have been lost without that...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now a fairytale wouldn't be complete without a smidgen of romance, right? There were several romantic interests in Entwined for the eldest of the sisters and each one romantic in their own sweet way! It took nearly the whole book for the relationships to develop but this was part of the beauty of it because there was no love at first sight and made for some very humorous scenes!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">One thing to note is that the plot is quite slow moving and although this allowed for the excellent character and relationship development, it did affect my enjoyment slightly.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Verdict:</span> Entwined has everything the perfect fairytale needs- a gorgeous setting, endearing characters, an evil villain, cute romance, humour and a happily-ever-after! It was an enchanting and heart warming break from reality that made me lose myself in the world of princesses, dancing, magic and family love. Not only did I love the story but also Heather Dixon's writing and I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next. I'd especially recommend Entwined to fairytale and fantasy lovers and wish it would be made into a movie.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rating</span></b>: 4.5 stars</div><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-42204567215251004672011-07-24T13:14:00.000-05:002011-07-24T13:14:39.783-05:00In My Mailbox 24/7/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><img height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHoGMqCSMjabcm2godEHo75BFHJU5cVvPu_RBt_uNBJSlDAoMSng8DaAayknCRpNlcAVKMGTc1Cqs0EvWqswXBBsrST1xoTJwy2ckZfU8lK4t1L3xLW31WtFuaWkJWwtw5JIh-Nuol0g8/s320/In-My-Mailbox.jpg" width="320" /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where book bloggers share all the new books that have made it into their house this week whether from the bookstore, for review or from the library. I've lost my camera connecting lead so there are no photos this week!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">My New Books</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Eight Keys by Suzanne le Fleur</b> (thank you to Puffin UK for sending this ARC for review)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoyq7YgyhCz72BBBdmA0l1WB1C10YJtr2eL09Qobg4-dbK_ZdDHw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="149" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another blogger's ARC.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjYTxgW6PQwxt0qqnAEQD-um71LrlZjyC5BavOQe0kgoVTo30T" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjYTxgW6PQwxt0qqnAEQD-um71LrlZjyC5BavOQe0kgoVTo30T" width="131" /></a><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSzvML7-yJE3XTkdnu77spG8n4vSj0nsoYdBROrQmpMUvSR5_mpyuDy2BRP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSzvML7-yJE3XTkdnu77spG8n4vSj0nsoYdBROrQmpMUvSR5_mpyuDy2BRP" width="131" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I haven't read this author's debut Love Aubrey but I've heard nothing but praise for it so I'm looking forward to reading my first book of hers. This is also the first ARC I've been sent for review (I've won one before), which is very exciting!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Shadows of the Moon by Zoe Marriott </b> (bought for Kindle)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTgi14CGjQGquMMB3xTt5kkgbszVQ-XHikeuSe5BMrf9NyNbGMz0w" width="150" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This one's a loose retelling of Cinderella and I love fairytales and have seen such positive reviews of it that I just couldn't resist buying it in the Kindle Summer Sale for the bargain price of £2.50! It's actually the first Kindle book I've bought as the rest of the books on my Kindle have been free or from NetGalley.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">From my school library:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Just Listen by Sarah Dessen</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPdgN1OK5mZ-ONBDYFB0RFHwdynbdjj4oV9Lz-h8eX81_n9tCEZA" width="130" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know so many bloggers who are huge Dessen fans and when I was recommended her by Jess from <a href="http://www.jessheartsbooks.blogspot.com/">Jess Hearts Books </a>when asking for contemporary book recommendations, I finally decided to try her. Thank you to everyone who has recommended Dessen's books to me!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYACwalaxs6mqJ4ck9r2mAdGh72RlCShdjZpSB0bay7UX2i-vv" width="131" /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As many of my long term blog readers will know, I love historical fiction but surprisingly I've never read any of Philippa Gregory's books. This is because I've heard there's some inappropriate content for my age but I've decided to try one now.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Arabella by Georgette Heyer</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSBS9kNTDEhmMEhx5tAP2l73oErV0IKfI075E33a6NQnie3juctjOKann13" /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've read this before and it was my first Heyer so I really want to re-read it this summer. If you're looking to try Heyer's regency romance books, then Arabella would be a great one to start off with.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you read any of these books? What did you get in your mailbox?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I don't have much time to visit other's IMM posts this week because I have a friend staying at the moment but I will try my best to get round to as many people as possible.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-52905499379556351652011-07-22T13:48:00.001-05:002011-07-22T13:56:09.580-05:00The summer holidays and summer reading!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFCwY8r_Cn85T0bOgU7IWSgHg7hmZgvAkNp_80zTg1dNVZd_lv" /><img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS2G_1agoxHu5V2lzP8_YAgK-_GGRb52dDtVRFzesA_8vJJ1DPv" /></div><br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today I finished school for summer- yay! I know in the US schools get a longer summer holidays than the 6 weeks given in the UK so that's why it might seem a bit late. So summer means sun (if I'm lucky!) and lots of reading and I thought I'd share with you the 16 books are on my line up to read this summer:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><br />
<br />
<div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Eight Keys by Suzanne Le Fleur</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjYTxgW6PQwxt0qqnAEQD-um71LrlZjyC5BavOQe0kgoVTo30T" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Daughter of Xandu by Dori Jones Yang </li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSVq8u4sO9lJKWFEwLdoXrNYxpeYJUSYhqvUCcajU_QC3NloXyt" width="132" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Die For Me by Amy Plum</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmxHmIEWPELzOHeQZgfJsHitmNdno7SRXB307uSQcJNvxXBLHV" width="131" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">A Song For Summer by Eva Ibbotson ( I actually thought I'd read this one as it's been on my shelf for a few years but it turns out I haven't!)</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTFwDMQ83fgvzr43yNaxxhy0co6miInDt5CD2HTo_9yalRZO5FJ" width="131" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGwf9vSV2rnC3wKegGwY-A1JyoSTdK59Vc7wMmvT9CUEUid9Ii2w" width="137" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (my first Dessen after I was recommended her books)</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTaylforQ9q673ILjX4J15M1DAdCXU8c86lSy8ajb5UyNZ0BXVK" width="130" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Witch Child by Celia Rees</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrj08GfXuFrYdUtnZn_daA1CablaxelTXTslNFqltn-As3COB9" width="130" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">The Keeper's Daughter by Gill Arbunthnott</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQPJPqXmz_zGraJv5r2JtT2JxFHMV30bTQ6tCW1c_NXClXCaG3FZdrcM" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsX5IM5-SDmdDdwi9olKK5lzRma87FEwV7Oo69FC1D3KDD1lJKsg" width="200" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Troubadour by Mary Hoffman</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYM2Dbme2TxLmIiMFqobNMvp3ybXs3SCZeIl-lNUECY6zohGE4" width="131" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">The Traitor's Smile by Patricia Elliot</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQW9Q19c1ncF1xt25S8i2Q5mZUds1SUWssmD9XRuhJRSZzgeiuycQ" width="128" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">Emma by Jane Austen</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT9tKwGFiq1vIROiwZ5y5jNDle4H6MWhdMMepK0e8EI5ftBNCQ5" width="134" /></div><ul><li style="text-align: center;">River Secrets by Shannon Hale</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (my first Philippa Gregory)</li>
</ul><div><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYACwalaxs6mqJ4ck9r2mAdGh72RlCShdjZpSB0bay7UX2i-vv" width="131" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Shadows On The Moon by Zoe Marriott</li>
</ul></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.funkidslive.com/wp-content/uploads/Shadows-on-the-Moon-227x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.funkidslive.com/wp-content/uploads/Shadows-on-the-Moon-227x300.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I probably won't get through them all but I want to use all the free time I have in the holidays to get through as many of the unread books that I own as possible and I'd like to read at least 10. There are some favourites I'd like to re-read too such as Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Anne Of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery and Party Shoes by Noel Streatfield.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Also, I might not post as regularly or consistently as usual because I have an Italian friend staying with me for a month who I only get to see once a year so I want to spend time with her. There will also be one week where I won't be updating, which is about three weeks from now.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What are you planning to read this summer?</span></b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-53389689908228534212011-07-21T11:11:00.000-05:002011-07-21T11:11:56.013-05:00New favicon feature in blogger and tips on designing a custom favicon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I went onto my design page in Blogger earlier today and saw something unfamiliar... a 'Favicon' (short for favourite icon) edit box at the top left hand corner. For those of you who are unsure of what a Favicon is, it's the small image that accompanies a website name in a tab or the address in the address bar. For example, on most Blogger blogs, you'll see the image below as the favicon: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8rNFtuosEqPRmuS81njlnRQNfHcALnVwUjf-irfy04SO_OGFWHQ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="100" data-width="100" height="100" id="rg_hi" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8rNFtuosEqPRmuS81njlnRQNfHcALnVwUjf-irfy04SO_OGFWHQ" style="height: 100px; width: 100px;" width="100" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">More examples of favicons:</div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dailyblogtips.com/wp-content/uploads/favicon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="favicon.gif" border="0" hspace="8" id="image58" src="http://www.dailyblogtips.com/wp-content/uploads/favicon.gif" style="text-align: right;" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Having a custom favicon for your blog makes it more unique and the blogger logo favicon isn't very pretty or eye catching. At the moment I have an image of a pink crown as my favicon that I installed with a tutorial using html. In fact I didn't realise it has actually worked until I installed Google Chrome a few weeks ago and it showed up. I'm planning on changing to fit more with the design and theme of my blog. Any suggestions for it?</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">However now, you don't need to work with hmtl in order to install your own favion because with Blogger's new feature, you can upload an image of the right size easily just like you would upload any other sidebar image.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Instructions for getting a custom favicon for your blog</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>Decide on an image that you would like as a favicon. This could be anything such as one of your favourite images but it is best if it is an icon that represents and fits in with theme of your blog to create a strong and memorable ' brand' image. You could use programs like Photoshop, Piknic or Paint to help you design or customise an image. </li>
</ul></div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>The size of the image you will need for a favicon is 16x16 square pixels and you can resize the image you want to use using a free online editing program or some of the helpful websites listed at the bottom will do this for you.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Make sure it is saved as a file on your computer.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Once you have completed these steps, go to the 'design' tab on your Blogger dashboard and click 'edit' in the Favicon box at the top left hand side of the page.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3FQXQolyBE8iZCSlycdhe-VOa7Y_gHVxEIUGJBIktiYKJdF9UhLyT6EmIZDe9QSLyM_qGsjpcLQtjfy3vY7bYJ-ZGNafnglN0Iv_JuoPagI765tibNLlwozA0-TNalfX7agvxb4a2WM/s1600/screenshot+real.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3FQXQolyBE8iZCSlycdhe-VOa7Y_gHVxEIUGJBIktiYKJdF9UhLyT6EmIZDe9QSLyM_qGsjpcLQtjfy3vY7bYJ-ZGNafnglN0Iv_JuoPagI765tibNLlwozA0-TNalfX7agvxb4a2WM/s320/screenshot+real.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li>Select the image you resize and upload it.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinI26UP3onKyNWuC_NY19YTHCdqQiobAnldn6Ahss6MoAB8pb-K5yqu5H0j-tvCw481-w98jtVPwVRx_s7-ieY5jECHmY2GguRl12OruZY-0Q7waRFQs82qbukS-Y2wy5Lbv16MUOomAM/s1600/screenshot+real+2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinI26UP3onKyNWuC_NY19YTHCdqQiobAnldn6Ahss6MoAB8pb-K5yqu5H0j-tvCw481-w98jtVPwVRx_s7-ieY5jECHmY2GguRl12OruZY-0Q7waRFQs82qbukS-Y2wy5Lbv16MUOomAM/s320/screenshot+real+2.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div><ul><li>Once you have clicked save, your favicon should be visible on your blog!</li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><u>Helpful websites</u></b></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Here are some websites that can help you to generate a favicon:<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>www.favicon.co.uk</i><br />
<i>www.favicon-generator.org</i><br />
<cite>www.tools.dynamicdrive.com/favicon/</cite><span class="gl"></span><br />
<cite>www.favigen.com</cite><br />
<cite>www.favicongenerator.org</cite><br />
<cite><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></cite><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I hope these instructions and tips help!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-31666766606397040882011-07-20T12:45:00.000-05:002011-07-20T12:45:21.649-05:00Book Review: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Haribson<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Goodreads description:</u></b></span><br />
<div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAdpXqxra2dCTOOrUWVb5Mvq2D9Ynh1HtYFk1CH_gK2gVslr1u" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAdpXqxra2dCTOOrUWVb5Mvq2D9Ynh1HtYFk1CH_gK2gVslr1u" /></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.</span></span></i></div><div><div style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….</span></i></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Book Review</u></b></span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">I’ve been meaning to read more contemporary books for a while and Here Lies Bridget seemed to fit the bill with its bright summery cover and high school setting. I also liked the premise because I’ve never read a ‘girl in limbo’ book before such as Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and I know they are very popular in YA. Also, the concept of a mean girl being the main character sounded really interesting because it’s an angle I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">hadn't</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> come across before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">Bridget Duke is your typical high school Queen Bee, pretty and popular but downright mean. She’s the kind of girl who will advise her friends to wear an unflattering dress so she looks better and doesn’t think about other people’s feelings or spend any quality time with her friends and family. In short, she rules the school with her selfish, catty and spiteful nature.</span></span><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">Characters are one of the most important elements in a book for me and usually I have to like the protagonist to enjoy the book but instead I hated the way Bridget acted for the majority of the book. Despite this I was still rooting for her to change the way she treats people and clean up her act because although she was mean, she wasn’t without a heart but just thoughtless. I pitied her because she has a rough time at home with her father away and a stepmother she always argues with. Deep down in her, I could see the reason the way she behaves the way she does is she has surrounded herself with ‘fans’ to feel loved and wanted even though this is not an excuse. My favourite thing about her is that she's not just your </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">stereotypical</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> mean girl character you'll find in lots of books but Paige Haribson has created her to be more three-dimensional and complex with a detailed background and events that have influenced who she is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another character that deserves a mention is Bridget's ex-boyfriend Liam who she secretly still loves and longs to be with. Despite him breaking up with her, he was waiting for her to return to the girl he once knew and see the error of her ways and this belief in her was adorable, even though Bridget is completely indifferent to him caring about her at all. Their broken relationship was not a big focus of the story at all and it was refreshing to read a contemporary high school book not focused on romance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was the second half of the book that really grabbed me and had me racing through the pages to find out Bridget’s fate. Seeing her develop and see the consequences of her actions and remarks through the eyes of other people when she was in limbo was great and that part of the book I loved the msot because it left me guessing as to what would happen. Some people may find this part repetitive but I found it really interesting although I won’t go into detail why to avoid spoilers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 115%;">Haribson presents a good moral to the story and as she has just left high school, I took notice of the fact that the ‘teen speech’ was spot on and not clichéd or awkward. This added an extra depth of reality to the story combined with what I thought was a realistic portrayal of the stresses and social dynamics of high </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">school. Combined with the easy flowing and smooth </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">narrative</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> and great sense of humour, I think she has promising potential as a young author.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">Verict: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">Here Lies Bridget gives a entertaining insight into the perspectives of a high school mean girl forced to face up to her behaviour and I had a love-hate relationship with it because Bridget's behaviour was maddening but her story of insecurities, second chances, friendship and love was surprisingly compelling. It's a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">contemporary </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">Christmas Carol story mixed with a dash of Mean Girls and I'd especially </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">recommend</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> it to teenage girls and contemporary fans. This is Paige Haribson's debut and she's definitely an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">author</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> I look forward to reading more of!</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Rating:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"> 3.5</span></span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBrDLf9j5MwdE0VffsYItUeUuHpOh0Ec2ENZjZcsL-5wiI6lfNNQ" /></span></span></b></span></div></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-36848472897914348392011-07-19T13:52:00.001-05:002011-07-19T14:06:10.599-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Required Reading Books for Teens (girls?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYj7R-yRJJ5hR2H7RL83T9xU4sFBSWsrvVncsRgTnXPII7ZlgehA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="196" data-width="256" height="196px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYj7R-yRJJ5hR2H7RL83T9xU4sFBSWsrvVncsRgTnXPII7ZlgehA" style="height: 196px; width: 256px;" width="256px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><strong>Top Ten Tuesday is a meme/feature hosted by </strong><a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/"><strong>The Broke And Bookish</strong></a><strong> and is where bloggers compile top ten lists that fit with the topic set each week. This week's theme is:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Books That Should Be Required Reading For Teens</u></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I started writing this list and realised it's probably more of a required reading list geared towards teen girls and not not all of them are for school studies but some are ones I think that every teenage girl should read. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Here's my picks:</em></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><strong>1) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeFO1n0spFnQmyONiXlSmPABOKCTRcu74VuNBqvqBLOhPfjdDt4g" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="287" data-width="176" height="287px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeFO1n0spFnQmyONiXlSmPABOKCTRcu74VuNBqvqBLOhPfjdDt4g" style="height: 287px; width: 176px;" width="176px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">I studied this one in school this year. It deals with so many relevant subjects that would be great discussion starters and is just a beautiful book. I've seen it on quite a few lists this week.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><strong>2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="280" data-width="180" height="280px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKWMM1wFJq2iMBwgCjOeV4V7jmzIZEXhqlDTuIDXoQjsHRAyyeMQ" style="height: 280px; width: 180px;" width="180px" /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Does this need an explanation? This is the only Austen I've read so far and it makes classics fun to read. I loved escaping into the Regency world and I'm sure the romance would appeal to other teenagers whilst at the same time, it's wonderfully written! It's a win-win situation for student and teacher =)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>3) The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFjvCfPUKEJ-v_QREmMAVcQf9pvOI5foVQIyuefdcpblaROnSR" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="287" data-width="176" height="287px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFjvCfPUKEJ-v_QREmMAVcQf9pvOI5foVQIyuefdcpblaROnSR" style="height: 287px; width: 176px;" width="176px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's just so inspirational to see how one teenage girl can make such an impact on many people around the world through her diary. This should definitely be on every school's required reading list. In fact everyone NEEDs to read it if they haven't!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>4) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<img class="rg_hi" data-height="264" data-width="191" height="264px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS7e-a4jMaUggdigpnRaNGvjl2vd5Und7SAO48XPEHZrF8XxjlHHw" style="height: 264px; width: 191px;" width="191px" /><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is a classic that's been enjoyed for generations and the charming family spirit of the March girls, romance and coming of age themes make it a comfort read for me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>5) Delirium by Lauren Oliver</strong><br />
<br />
<img class="rg_hi" data-height="276" data-width="183" height="276px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEvinePjdb3Tpwh9txIJDakUITUZyFVB7O4RyOA-bijnTC13eWlQ" style="height: 276px; width: 183px;" width="183px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I LOVED this one so much! My English teacher read it and she said it's a great, lighter introduction to classic dystopian books like 1984 by George Orwell and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and I agree.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>6) The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<img class="rg_hi" data-height="225" data-width="225" height="225px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTg6OyOQbs0NIWuS9h3jilO5-IAaiRge3AuKuXsCsal1uXuc65b" style="height: 225px; width: 225px;" width="225px" /><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is such a devastating story that really brings the Holocaust to life through the eyes of an innocent young boy and there is so much to be learnt from it. I seem to remember the blurb (at least when it first came out) saying very little apart from the fact it's about a small boy because they felt it would be better for the reader to start without knowing what was to come. That was really effective.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>7) Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian</strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpK3XlpjtQ2EzQsnlwuAk016BcC79CQGpAQZsDxB128fuympf-" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="278" data-width="181" height="278px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpK3XlpjtQ2EzQsnlwuAk016BcC79CQGpAQZsDxB128fuympf-" style="height: 278px; width: 181px;" width="181px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Another poignant WW2 story. A teacher of mine in primary school read this to my class but it has real crossover appeal so you can't really say it's either only for children or teens. I saw this one in theatre too and it was brilliant on stage!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>8) Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="279" data-width="181" height="279px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeXzl9AcLWyDGrgYW1sUFu89I2MtADRBtWqheEXTfYgp3_z3An6A" style="height: 279px; width: 181px;" width="181px" /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I studied this one a few years ago and I found the personal autobiography type style story of a neglected and abused Chinese girl in the days when girl's feet were still bound in China very interesting because I'd never learnt about Chinese culture before.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>9) Anything by Shakespeare</strong><br />
<br />
<img class="rg_hi" data-height="246" data-width="205" height="246px" id="rg_hi" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAzxVQZ0M6DkDja1d8FzcZmQbvt3_esmJ3X9Dzu4RwL1OvqT-W" style="height: 246px; width: 205px;" width="205px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So far I've studied A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night in school and I think his works are important because they bring about an appreciation of language and make you look at language in a different way. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I ran out of ideas! There are so many teen books out there that I love but I don't think all of them should be 'required.' </strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Do you agree with any of the books on my list?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>What books would you add?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-19820316819911878942011-07-18T10:57:00.001-05:002011-07-18T11:28:11.731-05:00Blogoversary Giveaway Winner (and entrants favourite things about book blogging)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://data.whicdn.com/images/12060744/tumblr_ll037gzwyO1qe1bhgo1_400_thumb.jpg?1310850879" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'm a Savage." border="0" src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/12060744/tumblr_ll037gzwyO1qe1bhgo1_400_thumb.jpg?1310850879" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of my 1st blogoversary giveaway! The winner is........</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Rebecca from <a href="http://www.rebecca-books.blogspot.com/">Rebecca-Books</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">She choose Arabella by Georgette Heyer. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Congratulations!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAshcut_fbYlgUP0GxADSozlx6Og46twa-oh7djYuPbSiN0wzswg" width="130" /><img height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYgyDfk5-ZOhd9PlHoiqDnrjnUdeFu1796hlrIsJhOrVIxuq9s6A" width="136" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have sent out an notification email. Rebecca's blog is one my favourites and we have such similar tastes in books so make sure you stop by and check out her blog. She is also looking for guest posters for a themed week at the moment, so if you're interested then I'm sure it would be much appreciated.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Thank you very much to everyone who entered and spread the word- you're awesome! In the form I asked the question,</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"What is your favourite thing about book blogging?"</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> </span>and had some fantastic responses so I've shared my favourite ones below:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I love the fact, like you, that whatever mood you are in - sad, angry, happy - you can go onto Blogger and have this whole different community that makes you feel special and apart of something, like a special family. Even though you may not actually know them personally, it feels like a connection to talk about one of your favourite things: books.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And comments. I love them. They make the blog just feel worthwhile and that someone enjoys your writing and appreciates your views on things.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">- Rebecca-Books</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> 1.) Getting to find people who not only love to read but love the same books that I do.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>2.) Getting to discuss books and bookish themes with like minded people :D</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>3.) Being able to spread word about the books that I love.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Jess- Jess Hearts Books</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Gosh, all of it! I love the community feeling and that I can talk to other people about the books I read instead of getting blank stares. You all know what it's like to pine for a book and how you can get lost and read for hours and hours without a thought for food/water/other annoying necessities. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Oh, and have I mentioned my exploding to-read list? It currently has over 800 books on it...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Daisy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The lovely community! When I first started blogging I couldn't believe how many other book lovers where out there, I didn't know what a Debut Author was, I didn't know anything about HTML, I didn't know half the things I do now! </i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The comments! I love hearing what readers think of Imaginary Reads and the reviews I write. It makes me feel like all the hours I spend blogging are more than worth it. So really, it's all about the warm, fuzzy feelings followers give me.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hilary @ Imaginary Reads</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I love being able to express what I have to say and think with people who actually care what I have to say. It's so nice to meet people who share my love and passion for books---it ignites my own at times!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">~Rachel @ The Rest Is Still Unwritten</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Being a book blogger has led me to discover so many great writers and books. I've read more titles in the last couple of years than I have in my entire life. I've made some new friends and have improved my vocabulary, too!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">I love talking about books with other readers who appreciate them as much as I do! The sense of community is fabulous and it's fun to have other people who understand your passion for books and will get excited about them right along with you :)</div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Danya @ A Tapestry Of Words</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I love the camaraderie between book bloggers. I love having a world of people to share my love of books with...people who know it is absolutely normal to gush over books.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Amber @ The Musings of ALMYBNENR</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Having something to keep me grounded. I love that there's always something to COME HOME TO. You know, other than my family. :P</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">I love all of the sweethearts I've met while book blogging. Seriously, book bloggers are amazing. :)</div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">-Cheyenne</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAp_WVncL6NOdI9MefhxUmr4eDwzkvynTiDhC8VGWKXNMg2RgpyA" /><img height="200" src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" width="200" /></div></div></div></div></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570380944032826122.post-61364828182648452892011-07-17T10:01:00.000-05:002011-07-17T10:01:25.922-05:00In My Mailbox 17/7/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="data:image/jpg;base64,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" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBhISEBIUEhQVFBUUFBUUFRQVEBQUEBQQFRUXFBQQFBIXHCceFxkjGRQUHy8gIycpLCwtFR4xNTAqNSYrLCkBCQoKDgwOGg8PFCkcHBwqLCkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSkpKSksKSksKSkpKSwpKSkpKf/AABEIALYAtgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAABBQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwj/xAA/EAABAwIDBQUFBQYGAwAAAAABAAIRAwQSITEFQVFhcQYTIoGRMkKhsfAHI1JiwWNystHh8RUWM4KiwhRTc//EABkBAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAAEEBf/EACQRAAICAgIBBAMBAAAAAAAAAAABAhEDMRIhIgQTQVFhcYEy/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwArGI7VANRJXDZoJBydRhO1CEOE6ZOrKsbCnhOlChCTU6iTCYPVMJMIpABDiVrbM7OvfBqSxvD3z/IJkE5aCMyns51R0MEn4DqV0Gy+zLKcOfDnf8R5b1sW1oxghogI0LZDCl2yyLWwphqQCm0J5TY7WojWp2NUwFQts5ztpWikxg1qO84ED5uRrC0+7gCcIjyCzu0VTHeMb/62z5+0fm30XS7Kt4ZnqfqFmflP9D+XDGvycbtSzh/X5qm5hAXRbbpAPcOhWU+mFmyumNi7VmU6qUladbBJZbKtmaAnAThOnmMdSaEwU2hQsZPCfCptYqbIJrEiESVFzZSywbgi2dg6oYaJ4n3R1KHc1KVvT764JDfcpt/1Kh4DgOfyXE7c+0K5qgspHuKWgbTydHN+s9IWzD6eWTtjVD5Z6vRp21qMVWpTDuL3taB+6HH4o1DtfZOdhbc0Sdw75k/Er5xuKxcSXEk8SZd6nNVyV1IemSXRTkvo+radVp0IP6qYC+Y9i9qLm1M0KrmgZ4JxUj1pnL0hevdivtWpXJbSuAKVYwAZ+6qHg1x9l35TruJQyxuJN6PQQxSwqVMgohCWKbIUyihqgGqVaoGsc47gT6CUNgM57ZNoKl3XqOEgEgTofFAMf7SuiL4CyeztKKM5y5xMnXLf6yr9RyUulYyflKvo57bZmqeizXFXdp1JqHkAs97lzs8vI16SGKSaUyUCZBCk0JmIoCezMRhOpwnlVZKE1OCmTqiEgERj2tDnvMMYC53QbkAkrK7WXRZatYNar8+bWCY9cPqmYocpJBwXZyfaHbD7mqaj+jW7mM3NH681g1lfuVRqhdzGqGSKT0Io1RCK0IQyKmwqBUqatkjs9i+y77QHOLbW4cXOj7l5MucAJ7px3uAGR3gRuC9YYZAIzB0PEL5Rtqxa5rmktLSHNcNQ4GQ4HiCAV9I9hdvi6tKdTeW5jg+SHtHRwPkQsOVU7GZI9ckdE1qy+0VaLdw/FDfU5/JaD6yxdsOx1KNP82I9B/YrM3aFY492y/YswU2N4NClWcnlCqOVfAxK3Zy15U+8f1VQvRLycTjxcVUaTK5OX/Vmme6LAKScNSSbFmaGKQCKQmLVtYmhglhTwpAoCURDVNrFMNUoUJQzacrmO3Ht27eFN58y4D/qupBXM9t2fe0j+xH8b1s9KvIZBHGXLc1SrBX7jVU6zV1oFzKFQIJCsVQgEJ6EsGU7CkQnAVlII169c+xPaZw16ZPsua8dHtIPxpheRAL0n7FTFe4/cp/xuWfMlxHw7tHr1atDvIqrSOO5e7cxuEdSf6JVqsVGzz9BnKbZDsTC/wDG4nyGQXOW2W40kaBcoPORTkodQ5FWwUjlbl2vU/NZjq0Fa123NZ1a2XLyU5MOeyVO5yToDaKSVSAthHNTAFFlKVrJRE6IYVloTd2FVFUJikkAmJQlVYRgXN9sx98wfsm/Fzit8VM1z/bF4FcH9kz/ALLZ6b/QyKo466Gao1lZvKuaay2XVrg4G5DIuOTcW5s73cl1V4q2DLydIyqqCWrr7TsLXmawFNkwC4klx3hrNfMwEC/2BXbIbQOH8TAXk88t3RX7sbqyninujlsCtUrNpbJcByhW6eyZ94TvDpBB4KLrMAxiB6BW5/TBSKbqA3OB+C9I+xygW1bgmPZpDI/meVwH/jjj8F6N9kNEB1wdf9IHL/6FKySuI2COx23cRUDQc3McBxE7+WS27OlhptHAD5Lm2ND9oubgEtog1HQZ7x7mlgk7g1rsl1MLG13YU30ojPcsvaW0YaWjUn0HFE2hehpI5fFYtQyViz5q8UVpAe8Tl6T2IbmLBtgWLvQkqxpFJFRXII4FOE8pYSFsDClQJSY470UgKiEQU7c0iFEmEJRLCFx3bi4i4I4U6X8JK7JoyTf5CFzcmvWP3cNa2nhmcIjE4ndyWz0zqVkb6OF7KdiXXn3tQ4KIMZe3U4hvAc/RerWmwmNa1uFoYyMFMAQI0cTvP1mi0tg91/pmGAQGhjRA5EDPoU7LpzCG+1ynxDoFqlk5bE21osVLUEQQCOBEjzCy7llKjDKbBjMlrBlTaXZl7tzRv4q9V2jLTgGY1iHEHkJj1VW1t2N8Z8TjnBcHOJPFDxRFka6TM/8AydSrS64aKlR2roiOTY0hZV39ltsfYdUZ/uDx6OE/FdhRvATDmlsmACeW6FcwyFO1plqZ4vtj7P7mk8im11VmUPaGgmQJBZMggyF032X7MfRNwKjHMcXMye0g5Nfx6hdRtfaIa04YOsuPsDll7R5DzKp9k741HVBn4HRmcpcC4gcN2QQ+474s1RVxsvbKtQbi4qbzUjnhYBSb/C8+a2RoSdAqOzLDAHE5uL6hmfddUc9ojkHQo7cucLAwau1/d4JeSahFyYp7Me5r4nE8T8FXLlJyHUbkuKpNu2Rke+zSe9V6bc0SqU3igWwTqqSXdFJXxAsLCsHRQFNPUC1UPGkJEpNYmjNCUEARLWwdUdDR1J0HVClW7O+FB4xnAHNkuguw55AgcdVEkmrJxb0b2ztlMpj8RO8gQDyWmGKpb34IEwQfebMR+6cx8Vca4EZZ9F0o0tGaSa2QeY3KhWYXmAJE5ndHAR9FHr1CTgbqfaPAcArNGgGiAi/YF/RlU9h02y4AtJjMDWN0c079lbwM+gDj5LXhAr3MZNzd8B1/kpVlq2zKbRDXSWzyMg+iM6sHgyYaNW+8ev1Csf8Ahz4nnMDXgOHILJua4EuzABA9nPMwHEDOFH0Fp9GPtxxO7N3sMjwhumIjhwG858lDsHeMe6uGZhjw3Hue4tOIt4gERO9ZHaG6NerUo0+8I8IqVabO8Hiy7gFp8IG8+XFbPYTZ3cio2Q4YmlpGQILNOogrMsb5c5fw3RfhR1z6oaC4nIZ8+i5zaVyXuBO+f7Kzt26l7aY0YZI4uI08h81nX59jos3qn4ULS6sYOlSLFUYTKO2quak0DZE0lHAiF8o9Ok33jmdB8pRplUV8KdW69poWaEcZh3BMj5MlFdRa5MX5IdM5rbYwM4qQ0UXMUakwoURMkwBJVymaNSWveBgLRVk5s8OWfAxAP6oWz82O1mdwknL+6HsnZLDVdWDPEQWBxGeDhEwNNI80XtKSTDgvmzr7VlNzB3bg5oiCHYh6qbqRbJHqD8wsZmym6tmm78TCWnzjVHNa5AI8NUczgqeoEH0T4p/Ma/Qpwfw7L1tXDT4gZOc7lfa8HQz5rHo7UY0AVGVGGMyaZczpiZKuUe6qiWOa4flcD6xvTbYl462qCVbgkw3pPPgP5qVC2AH6qItsO/LnwUW1CBic6ANS4Bo6kouf4I9UgtQzluGp/RcZ2t2k8CKGVQthpjJlM61CN7jGU6a9ei2hdjDhZnPDOTwnhOvosyhsvMufm45nqgrm/wAIbjio9s8/tNm3LTIZSBIg4KZZiaTJDsJz8113ZvvKVIvqNbTa1pDWAgjEBDQI0kE5LcFm0AnSM54Dj81zu0b/ALwhrBDG+yOPF55lDlajo18lJVROlWJJccyTJPM6om0Rm391BtW+GFPaVTxgflCwZ34iZ9Iha1QJlDqPlxTKNPVZW7EBpSqOJb4dSQMOcxOrVNrJT0mQ8KRXZa6LdvdljYcD5hMmqU5SROJdmZ3qKyomFDNWhbgBaWOoQfkhOKkTAVaTiRx0AW6LizMabxOq0LK4YTIMHgciqLRIT4ICuMqYyMuqZvsePrRE75sZEHzXOULuoPeJ65q5a3jnCYY4flqNxccwdDyWrHkctICXBbZtN1UXWzCZLRPGId66rNqX2EiQ5vl/JIbU/MfT+iNzS2Wlemaj6UjMuPVxI+KhTtyJ8RPUNMdMvmFn/wCLD8X/ABT/AOLt3k+ipyg9le20aQpAcz8VFxWRW28wCQHO+HzVF22nvkAYB6kjruQvLFLotY2wvaDamI92z2R7Z/E78PQLIpxAU95CbAsrk5O2NpJUXLN2ZlC2i04/IKVg3NWr2jmTCDIrQnLoo0GSE4oSckQOgJNrZrIxKDssXDNRoxjBcJAOYUxtIgQqwq5yrXHaJZ0NKzou5b8jxzTrHp3kJ1o5R+iiHfAIBrTkrdwykBkc0HZ9Npdmo/o0XYOpRcAHRkhscFdvroDwN0QKdrkoukRKwrHZJyULQKduMSBvsgG6uG02Oe7INEn9B6rnaXaBji4ANIJB9mAXToZ1jNdbd21NzC14DmuEEHQhYr+ydBxBpzTLdPeAygZHhrqtGPIoBeNUy4ys5zWSZyy4AbgjNEBDtLDuWhpdjO8noBAG4ZaI9GnjdEx1SZz5SsDWhFoIQXtlWbrZlTCMOZ4KqwEDPVJnyryRLTKxbmp024Z5qNd0EoIfxK0x6Q5aJucMRz1TPdBBGiydo7SGIAZn4K5s+u58h/hAjSJRN0rYTi9mtY65cVeu7nPDCBZ0mzkT1/MPdhRefG480mWRSXRnnoT7Z0SgFi0WXQd4UG4oYUpwVWhRQNBxjdIJHOOCTWomLf8AUDcna4JcSmINSRCUyOyjHq4iZC1LOk4CQgihgcWe1OitMt6gGmSd/B44ADs9U7rjcFChRxSZSt6GJ8K46JYG6xYZAJCehcRTladxXbSEaz6rKti01SDkJyQ8aeyJhjWkIlOr4Ua8tqbWS0iVm3NSGoZdbJdll9ad6laXOEgxP1qsqjWJEq6wAtHizSrcdEZt09ptc2DkZiBr5JV7dpM/XVYtN5nI5hHr7Tc361To51LqYuq0VNq0Sw8josi5uCGn6zR7m4c+oSdNw3BBfSn63rSq+DTHpdj2dk0gF8cSdDKtXdRpa3uDLSQHGMwd6yq9bFAEgDLqibJuQKuHxZmIAlp58uqHJG40E/s6O0q4WMqA+F7nANaDkG5Ez1B9FZrmS0z7TQeefHmgWlq6WfgYyBnqZJyHmoOqHFnuy/osckZ5B3UIzBVa5ruKsUyXSg1KJBzU7FstWjGluaBUpAOMItF25NcUxORR9UQrkpK0LRJBTJRlPqEPar52y6MMJJJ1sc0U7okMkFTs6xEFOkoiE7t0+Iqix2bjySSQvZRd2bZF+ZK1u5awQRMhJJMSBObvHBtSBkFLvC10dD5JJJU0W9mhsqn3hJdxUNp0odG6JTJK5JcEAtmO53zRXHJOktUTQZFRmBxHVPs67PeQMhMnIZ8vkkki+B/wdnY1CWDPfPPPNCLd5zKdJYshjkPb1oPTPzQru4kp0kL0BIa3qIlJ0uSSU+gYlrHCZJJMDP/Z" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>In My Mailbox is held at The Story Siren and is where book bloggers share what books have made </b><b>it into their house each week:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's my haul for this week (all from my school library.) I don't have photos of the book this week because my cameras out of memory:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Ivy By Julie Hearn</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGDlzgg0yP2gK3a_adHBr4QNENmLcuYxHOglaDZtSVQiPWv7d_" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I actually gave up on this one half way when I tried it before moving onto another book I'd been looking forward to for ages but I thought I'd give it another try this summer. Hopefully I'll enjoy it more this time =)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Ash by Malinda Lo</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSLmvbGKr_FvftQY4HplwCuL_eVmG14csaRM9ottuE0krc1pbYKxg7cCSE" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This one's a retelling of Cinderella and I love fairytale retellings so hopefully this one will be no exception!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><img height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS124sA4SyU4VzcLtWwSuy_v3Ioc3p2RuUIcrIg4cFyhEn7nH2p" width="132" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've been meaning to read this series for AGES, especially after seeing all the buzz for the last book Mockingjay. I'm hoping I won't be disappointed because of the hype.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Falling Leaves by Adelin Yen Mah</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><img height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWTBeSdeZLJKrJc1ixiXsvTbzOxWGJfrtJaQ2INiO96Yn6TzHM" width="125" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I studied Chinese Cinderella a few years ago at school and Adelin Yen Mah's life story really interested me because there's so much to learn about Chinese culture and history so I decided to try this follow up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The Traitor's Smile by Patricia Elliot</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQW9Q19c1ncF1xt25S8i2Q5mZUds1SUWssmD9XRuhJRSZzgeiuycQ" width="128" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the sequel to The Pale Assassin, which I already have out from the library so I'm hoping to finish them both during the summer holidays. I've loved other books I've read about the French Revolution so this series sounds brilliant.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you read any of these books? What did you get in your mailbox this week?</b></div>Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18209205559175407310noreply@blogger.com10