My 2011 Reading and Blogging Resolutions

It's almost the end of 2010! I've been blogging for five fantastic months now and whilst I've got the ropes now, there are many things that I need to improve on so here are my 2011 goals to help me along :

Blogging and reading resolutions

 

• To post my Coverlicious feature more regularly

I haven't done one of these for a while and I really enjoy featuring covers so it is something I want to do more often next year

• To try and comment on as many posts I read as possible and generally be more outgoing in the blogging world

Recently I have been a bit of a lurker as I read a lot of posts in the short time I have left before leaving for school in the mornings so I haven't been commenting much. I know I smile when I recieve comments so I want to spread the commenting love! I always try my best to reply to comments on my blog on the commenter's blog but when I don't have a lot of time, I will always try to reply in the comment section.

• To start up another feature/hold an event

I want to start another feature unique to my blog. At the moment, I have one or two ideas I'm thinking of and will be investigating more early next year. I can tell you that it is has something to do with authors so it depends if they would like to participate for one post.

• To write some interactive discussion posts

As I mentioned earlier in my Friday Hop question answer, one of my favourite type of blog posts are discussions because they get people talking and make me think. I'd like to try and post some myself. What do you think about this?

• To read more in my spare time

I've noticed a lot over the past weeks that I am spending more and more time blogging and reading posts but not as much time reading. I hope to read 50 books in 2011 and although this might not sound like a lot as I know that many of you read 100+ but for me it's a challenge. This year I don't know exactly how many books I've read since I didn't keep track of them until I started blogging in the summer but I am guessing about 40 at the most. I'm also aiming to make sure I post one review a week.

• Read unread books that have been sitting on my shelf for a long time

Since starting my blog, my TBR list has grown incredibly as I know has happened with so many other bloggers too but I have come to realise that since I can't buy new books all the time as they are released, that I should try to concentrate on reading the books I already have on my shelf and the ones at my school library that have caught my eye. Of course, I will still be reading newer books but not all the time.

These are the books I need to read:

 

The Keeper's Daughter by Gill Arbuthnott-( library)

Witch Child by Celia Rees- (library)

Sovay by Celia Rees

Frederica by Georgette Heyer

Mermaid's Singing by Dilly Court

Deep Secret by Berlie Doherty

The Red Queen's Daughter by Jaqueline Kosolov

 I also want to read at least 5 books from The Chalet School series by Elinor M Brent Dyer as I have about 40 of them on my shelves and have been neglecting them because I can't review them as what I think of them is nearly the same for each book.

• Have FUN!

I stress about a lot of stuff so I want to relax more! This applies to life in general and blogging. I'm going to try not to worry if I don't get a review posted one week or something like that- blogging is supposed to be fun (which it is!)

What are your New Year Resolutions?
Do you share any of mine? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Happy New Year-goodybe 2010!

What I Got For Christmas!

This is a bit late but I wanted to share what books I got for Christmas to wrap up the All I Want For Christmas meme hosted by Danya @ A Tapestry Of Words that I participated. If you would like to see the books I feature in my posts that were on my wish list you can find them here (1) and here (2)

I was a very lucky girl this Christmas to find that I received nearly all of the books on my wish list . I certainly didn't expect this so thank you so much to my family!

My family were sitting around opening presents to exclamations of 'not another book!' whilst I looked at the pretty covers excitedly. What book lover doesn't love getting books for Christmas?!? After all, as the famous quote says, 'A book is a present you can open again and again.'

Here's what I got:

All of these covers are gorgeous, I couldn't decide a favourite!

I loved some of the surprise books- I've read two of the books in the Royal Diaries series by Carolyn Meyer and I'm very happy to be able to read the next two now. I'm also a fan of the My Story Diaries, written by various different authors as they introduced me to historical fiction. They've recently redesigned the covers and I have to admit that they are a lot more appealing although the old ones have more of a historical feel. I'm very intrigued as to reading Queen Victoria's fictional diary as (as some of you might know!) a favourite of mine since I was very little.

The surprise books :)

I also got 2 Jane Austen DVDs. I have only read Pride and Prejudice so far (I didn't do very well in the Austen challenge I joined a few months ago!) but I'm planning to read the other Austen's in 2011. Until then, I can enjoy the adaptations :D

I'm really looking forward to reading these new books- they should take me a while to get through!

What books did you get for Christmas?

Waiting on Wednesday:Sigrun's Secret by Marie-Louise Jensen



The beautiful cover!



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that highlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is: Sigrun's Secret by Marie Louise Jensen

'Their garments are black as night. They carry torches in their hands, darkness and anger in their hearts. They are coming.' When a dark family secret is exposed, Sigrun's peaceful life is shattered. Forced to pay for her parents' misdeeds, she finds herself exiled from all she knows - and from the boy she loves - for three long years. Yet more secrets lie ahead; not least the power Sigrun finds awakening in herself, seemingly passed to her from a mysterious amulet. Can she use her new-found gift to save herself and those around her from the dangers they face? And will true love wait until her return?

It is the sequel to Daughter of Fire and Ice, which I loved and was in my top ten books of 2010. It was left on quite a big cliffhanger, some of which the answer is hinted in the description but I am really looking forward to reading Thora's (the main character in the first book) daughter's story.


It is released on the 1st of January so not long to wait!

What are you waiting on this week?

Best of 2010- My top books read this year!

2010 has been a wonderful year for reading for me as I've learnt about so many wonderful authors and books through blogging and been introduced to genres that I might never have tried before. I have chosen a top 5 and then another 5 of my favourites to make it up to 10. Within the two sections the books are in no particular order- it would be far too hard to choose! Almost all of my favourites are books I have read in the second half of the year after starting my blog, which is probably because I have been reading a lot more since then and because of the good recommendations I've had.


Note: Titles link to my reviews.


Top 5

 

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson


A sweet love story that is loosely based on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty set in Medieval Germany . Rose Hathaway is a woodcutter's daughter who has been appointed by the town's healer and when Lord Hamlin, the heir to the kingdom is injured, she must tend to him.  When she falls in love with him, she knows that they can never be together for he is already engaged to a young lady who has been kept in hiding all her life.


This year I've discovered that I love fairy tale retellings and The Healer's Apprentice was such a sweet romance and I really warmed to the characters I also like the fact that it has Christian elements in it too. An amazing debut- all mothers and their daughters should read it!


The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

A YA historical romance that is set in Elizabethan times- right up my street! Ellie lives with her father who is an impoverished alchemist and Will is a young earl who must marry well to save his family's estate and wealth after his father frittered away his money. Will William choose duty over his heart?


This is exactly the kind of book I would describe as being what I love to read- a YA Tudor story of love against all odds. I couldn't put it down and I'm so excited about the sequel, The Queen's Lady which is due to be released in January.


Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 

Andi is a young girl living in New York and struggling to overcome her depression after the death of her younger. When she finds the diary of a young girl living through the French Revolution in an old guitar case on a trip to Paris, their two stories collide.

At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like Revolution but as I read on, I couldn't help but enjoy the intertwined story of Andi and Alex and it has made me want to read more books about the French Revolution.

In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap (review coming soon)

In 1864, sixteen year old Molly is a lowly servant in an upper class London house but she would do anything to change this. When she hears that the famous nurse, Florence Nightingale is looking for nurses to travel with her to the battlefield hospitals of the Crimean war, she takes the opportunity without looking back. Before she knows it, she is falling in love with a handsome doctor and a soldier.


I can't tell you how much I love Molly and her story. I very quickly warmed to her character and she is now on my list of fictional characters I would love to have as best friends. In The Shadow Of The Lamp is released in April next year and would be a wonderful choice for those of you who are participating in the YA Historical Fiction Challenge.

Matched by Ally Condie (review coming soon)

Seventeen year old Cassia lives in The Society; a place where officials decide who people love, where they work and where they die. She has always dreamed of finding out her perfect match but soon after she starts falling in love with another boy and she starts to question the world she lives in.


Matched took me to a new world which I am dying to find out more about and left me wanting to read more books in the dystopian genre.

Up to 10

The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry

A fictionalised story of Joan, the daughter of Elanor of Aquatine and Henry II, the King of England. She loves them both dearly but as she grows up and her parent's feuding continues, Jone begins to feel like a political pawn as she is forced into a loveless marriage to the King of Spain. Can she learn who she can trust before it is too late?


What I love about the Queen's Daughter is that it is very rich in description and detail but it doesn't saturate the story and Jon's emotions really come off the page.

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Grace Parkes has just give birth to an illegitimate child and taking the advice of a midwife, she travels to Brockwood Cemetry to slip her baby into the coffin of a rich lady to save the shame of a pauper's burial. However, she must try and forget all that and do all that she can to help her and her older sister , who is unable to care for herself, scrape enough money together to pay their rent and food. Little does she know that the Unwins, a group of funeral directors she met at Brockwood will have a huge effect on their life. Fallen Grace paints a vivid picture of the harsh realities of Victorian London.

Mary Hooper has been one of my very favourite authors for a few years now but I thought Fallen Grace topped her other books.




Drawing With Light by Julia Green

The story of a teenager making sense of the world and finding out more about who she is.Emily and her sister Kat never knew their mother, she left them and her father when they were very young.

They, and Dad's new girlfriend Cassy are staying in a tiny old caravan over the winter while their new house is being renovated. But when Emily finds out Cassy is pregnant, it sets her off thinking about her own mother. Why did she abandon them? Why does she never communicate with them? Did she love them? Whilst she searches for the answers, she finds romance of her own.

I don't read many contemporaries and Drawing With Light was really refreshing and poignant. Julia Green's writing really captures the delicacy of teenage emotions. Some of the descriptions were beautiful too.

 

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Crown Princess Ani has a special gift: she can communicate with horses and birds. However, living up to her mother's expectations and speaking comfortably to people is something she can't master. When she is sent to a nearby kingdom and her servants mutiny against her, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl on the King's estate. Can she find the courage to reclaim her rightful place?

I am so glad that I have discovered Shannon Hale and her lyrical writing!

Daughter of Fire and Ice by Marie Louise Jensen

After an attack on her family, fifteen year old Thora is snatched by a cruel Viking chieftain, Bjorn Svanson to accompany him on a journey to Iceland because she is a valuable healer and midwife. However, when he is killed by a slave who wants to avenge his sister, she and the slave who she  has seen in recurring dreams, they seize the dead man's ship to escape. Thora knows it is her destiny to be with this man and they soon begin to care for each other deeply. However, when things don't go to plan, circumstances mean it is impossible for them to be together.

I love Daughter Of Fire and Ice because of its originality because not many YA historicals are set in Iceland and also because of the impossible romance. The sequel, Sigrun's Secret is coming out in January and I will be rushing to get it!

Best new authors I have discovered  this year

• Anna Godbersen
• Shannon Hale
• Celia Rees
• Melanie Dickerson
• Carrie Jones
• Susan Coventry
• Julia Green
• Eve Edwards

What are your favourite books of 2010?

Edit: sorry for the jumbled up state of the pictures and writing earlier due to technical difficulties. I've now fixed it!

Merry Christmas!

I hope that all of my lovely readers have a wonderful Christmas enjoy spending time with their family and get lots of reading done over the holiday break!

I don't know which day I will be back but I won't be away for long. Before the New Year I will be sharing books I got for Christmas, my Best of 2010 reads, what 2011 releases I am most looking forward to and my New Year Reading and Blogging Resolutions.  I am off to start reading The Chalet School Christmas Story Book to get me in the Christmas mood!

All I Want For Christmas Is... (Part 2)

All I Want For Christmas is a meme/feature held by Danya @ A Tapestry of Words that encourages bloggers to post about the books on their Christmas wishlist! If you haven't heard of it or participated yet, I'm sure it's not too late even though we are only a few days away from Christmas now so head over to A Tapestry Of Words and link up.



I really enjoyed doing part 1 of my All I Want For Christmas posts so here's another....

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.
On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.

Beautifully written and feverishly paced, Everlasting is an unforgettable journey of passion, secrecy, and adventure.
 

Why: It sounds like such a passionate and touching  historical romance and I like the fact it is set in Australia. Also, the cover is so beautiful and romantic!

 

Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap:
 

'Will I never see you again either?' I asked, feeling as though I was about to jump off a high mountain peak and hope to land without hurting myself. That's how impossible everything seemed at that moment, no matter what I did.

'Perhaps we will meet again,' Sasha said, softening his voice. 'But you must see that it does not matter. You have so much ahead of you. It's your choice now. Choose the future! Choose life!'

For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia's last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family's future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?

Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap's new novel is a haunting vision of the life - and love story - of Russia's last princess.



Why:  I loved Susanne Dunlaps new 2011 book In The Shadow Of The Lamp and although I don't really know that much about it, I've always been fascinated by Anastasia's story.



Princess Of The Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

Why: I've recently read a few fairy tale re-tellings and loved them and the Twelve Princesses is one of the less well known Grimm's tales. Isn't the dress gorgeous!?!

After Christmas I will be doing a post telling you which books I did get for Christmas so look out!