My Bookish Life in WordsJust a girl who wants to share her love of reading.
|
|
Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Today we have yet another amazing interview with the fabulous Lisa Williamson who I am so excited to share on my blog! Lisa is the proud author of The Art of Being Normal and All about Mia. You should really check out these books, she is incredible! Without further ado, let’s get into the questions!
1. Do you try and portray homo/bi/trans phobia in your works? This was certainly the case with TABON. Not all trans people encounter bullying and prejudice but the majority do and I felt I had to explore this. I didn't want to paint an overwhelmingly gloomy picture though. While working as an administrator at the Gender Identity Development Service, I came across so many young people who were surrounded by amazing support networks and I wanted to represent this in TAOBN alongside the instances of bullying and transphobia. 2. Do you have an LGBT+ role model? Lots! Rebecca Root, Juno Dawson, Ellen Page, Kristin Stewart and Jack Monroe to name just a few. 3. Which LGBT literature character do you admire? The entire cast of Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. It's such a powerful, beautiful and heart-wrenching book. 4. From a lot of LGBT+ people in the reading world, there is now a stigma against authors who include white, cis, straight characters in their works. What are your thoughts on this? As an author, I always want my books to represent the world around me and, certainly where I live in London, this world encompasses people of all ethnicities, gender identities, sexual identities and social and economic backgrounds. I don't think there should be a backlash against authors who include white, cis, straight characters and I doubt there's anything to gained for attacking authors and their existing works for this reason. It is far more effective to put our efforts into encouraging own voices writing. Writing should never be a tick box exercise and I strongly believe representation for the point of representation alone usually fails to resonate with readers. It always needs to come from a place of authenticity. This doesn't necessarily mean basing our writing on our personal experiences but it does mean writing about LGBT+ themes from a place of sensitivity and truthfulness. 5. Out of all of your works, which was your favourite to work on and why? All books present their own challenges and the process is generally one of intense highs and lows. TAOBN was special for me because it came from a place of real love. Writing it, I had no idea it would be published one day – I just knew I needed to tell this story, even if only a handful of people read it. The fact it's now been read by thousands of people blows my mind every single day. 6. Do you have an essential LGBT+ literature recommendations? Lots! I'm going to limit it to three though: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan, Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour and I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. 7. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? Hmmmm, I'm not sure I'm all that quirky in my approach of writing. Unlike a lot of writers who need silence to work, I like a bit of a buzz around me. In fact, from next week I'll be renting a desk in a busy shared office. I'm a sociable thing and really feed off other people. 8. What does your work schedule look like when you are writing? On a typical day, to get up around 7.30 and do a quick workout (some weights or yoga, maybe a run if the weather is nice). Then it's breakfast, a shower, then down to work. I always stop at 12 for lunch and a bit of telly before getting back to it around 1pm. I'm not very good at knowing when to stop for the day which is one of the reasons I've decided to rent office space. I'm going to treat it like a proper 9-5 job and avoid writing at home where at all possible, in an attempt to get a better work/life balance going. 9. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? Everywhere! Newspaper articles, snippets of conversation, talking to friends, other books etc. I also sometimes just get ideas popping into my head when I least expect it. Once I've got an idea, I usually turn to the internet to find out more. I like to let ideas percolate for a few months before I start writing, scribbling lots of ideas in notebooks as I go along. 10. Any advice for aspiring authors? Tell the story only you can tell. This doesn't mean it has to be based on things you've experienced firsthand. It just needs to come from a place deep within you. Don't be too hard on yourself or feel you have to make every word poetic and perfect. Just get the story down, and don't get bogged down with style or feeling you have to comply to a trend. Often simplicity can pack the biggest punch of all. Finally, don't rush or force it – it'll be ready when it's ready. I really enjoyed reading her answers for these questions and I hope you did too! Thanks for reading and I will see you tomorrow with a new blog post! Was there an answer which you identified with? What are some of your answers? Leave them below! Much love, Megan x
0 Comments
Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Today we have two extracts from The Art of Being Normal by the fabulous Lisa Williamson! And stay tuned because tomorrow we have an interview with the author herself which I cannot wait to share with you all!
One afternoon, when I was eight years old, my class was told to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. Miss Box went round the class, asking each one of us to stand up and share what we had written. Zachary Olsen wanted to play in the Premier League. Lexi Taylor wanted to be an actress. Harry Beaumont planned on being Prime Minister. Simon Allen wanted to be Harry Potter, so badly that the previous term he had scratched a lightning bolt on to his forehead with a pair of craft scissors. But I didn’t want to be any of these things. This is what I wrote: I want to be a girl. (from chapter one) I can’t help but get a shock every time I look at him. Not that he looks bad, because he doesn’t, but it’s hard to get my head round him being here, dressed like, well, like that. But the weirdest thing is that it’s not actually that weird, because the clothes he’s wearing suit him, way better than anything else I’ve seen him wear. He seems less awkward in them, less self-conscious about what his body is doing. I even start to feel a bit guilty about continuing to think of him as a ‘he’ at all. (from chapter thirty-six) I really hope these two extracts encouraged you to pick this book up as much as I did as I have yet to read it but I have heard nothing but amazing reviews for these novel! Have you read this book? What are some of your non spoiler thoughts? I would love to know down below! Much love, Megan. x Hey guys and welcome back to my blog Today we have an interview with the one and only Claire Hennessy! She is the brilliant author behind the novels Nothing Tastes as Good and Like Other Girls. I absolutely love Claire, I love her energy. Please be encouraged to pick up her books, they are on very topical and relevant things and need to be heard. Lets get onto the awesome answers given by Claire! 1. As a writer, what would you choose as your spirit animal? I am pretty sure someone will yell at me for cultural appropriation if I answer this… 2. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? Put the writing first and worry less about exams. You’re a writer, not an academic. Stop thinking that exams will validate you as a person. No really, stop. 3. What was harder to write - Nothing Tastes As Good or Like Other Girls? They were both tricky in different ways but neither were soul-destroying. I’m not a big fan of the ‘tortured artist’ idea – there are much harder jobs out there. 4. Are you friends with any other authors? If so, how do they help you to become a better writer? I am indeed. I think it’s more about moral support than anything technical or craft-wise – justifying the time that you’re taking to work on a book, especially if it’s not your full-time job (which it isn’t for most people). 5. Have you ever gotten reader's block? Oh, this is a really good question. Yes, totally – because I have always studied or worked at things that involve a lot of reading, there are definitely periods of burnout where you just need to watch TV and not pick up a book. But I love TV, so it’s not exactly a hardship. 6. What is a book that's made you cry? I get misty-eyed a fair bit when reading (which is super-awkward on public transport) but I sobbed my way through John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars the first time I read it. Like, proper hysterical crying. 7. Have you any advice for aspiring writers? Be less precious about what you put on the page (or the screen). Be comfortable with making messes or writing something even if it’s not a complete story or poem. It might be someday, but in the meantime just write. A lot of the ordering of stuff happens when you’re editing, not when you’re first putting words down, but we’re trained in school and work not to think of it that way. (Like, think about exams – it’s all first-draft stuff!) 8. Who are some of your favourite LGBTQ book characters? There are several queer characters in Moira Fowley-Doyle’s recent The Spellbook of the Lost and Found and I love them all. Joel, the best friend in Deirdre Sullivan’s Primrose Leary trilogy. A long-time favourite is Nic from Sara Ryan’s Empress of the World, which is about a bisexual teenage girl who falls in love at a summer camp for gifted kids (i.e. the best plotline ever, if you live in my brain). Emma Donoghue’s Hood is not YA but has the best falling-in-love-in-an-Irish-convent-school story ever and a relatable, authentic narrator in Pen who details her frustrations with and yearnings for the more dramatic Cara; I also love Landing and the two very different women who fall in love across the Atlantic. I’m very fond of Brent Hartinger’s Geography Club series, which has several gay and bisexual characters in it. Also not YA, but Cyril Avery in John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies captured my heart, as did Flannery in Sylvia Brownrigg’s Pages For You (to which a sequel is coming, hurray!) and Tammy in Tom Perrotta’s Election. 9. Since the recent publication of Like Other Girls, have you got anything planned for further down the line? I’m working on something new but it’s at very early stages yet! 10. And most importantly, just WHO is your favourite character from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? Kimmy herself, definitely. I love her optimism and determination and general weirdness. Plus she learns life lessons from The Babysitters Club. I also have a soft spot for Andrea, her disastrous therapist, because, well, Tina Fey. I've had the pleasure of meeting Claire Hennessy a couple of times and she is such a lovely human. I hope you enjoyed reading these as I did. It was an absolute pleasure to feature her on my blog! Thank you so much for reading! Do you get readers' block? What is a book that made you cry? I love a book that makeI'd really like to hear so leave a comment below! Much love, Megan. x Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! How are you finding our LGBTQ+ month so far? Today we have our first author interview with the wonderful Non Pratt. She is the amazing author of Unboxed, Trouble, Remix and her latest novel Truth or Dare just came out on the 1st of June which I am so excited to pick up. She is a highly praised and acclaimed author and I encourage more people to pick up her books! Let’s get on with the questions!
1. Who is your favourite LGBT+ character in literature? If it wasn’t cheating, I’d say Remus Lupin (as far as I’m concerned he’s bisexual), but unless an author takes the time and care to write sexuality into canon, then it doesn’t count as representation. And my other pick is a bit of a plot spoiler (why am I making this so hard?!). SO I’m going for a non-spoilery, totally canonical pick of Mum K – the spikier and more sarcastic of the two mums in Susie Day’s excellent The Secrets of Sam & Sam. It’s a younger book (ha, you didn’t specify YA!) but the reason I love Sam and Sam’s mums is that it shows us that we can all have a ‘traditional’ happy ending, even if was hard to start the journey. And Mum K has excellent sass. 2. Have you come across unfair or offensive LGBT+ representation in literature? *Without naming* I probably have, but wouldn’t necessarily have been aware of it at the time – I used to be a largely uncritical reader and it’s taken time and energy to educate myself as to what constitutes fair representation. I’d say the biggest injustice isn’t specifically bad rep, but the absence of rep. There are fewer bi and ace characters than gay characters and fewer f/f romances placed at the forefront of stories compared to m/m. And that’s not even starting to address characters transitioning, or identifying as non-binary having stories that aren’t dominated by that aspect of their life. 3. Do you actively seek out LGBT+ fiction or if a book includes it, that’s a bonus? I’m a very lazy reader, although occasionally I take a little more agency in my reading habits and try to steer myself towards books I know are more inclusive. Having said that, I’m usually more inclined to read something if I’ve heard good things about it – and the people I listen to care enough about diversity and representation that I get steered in the right direction! I now have a lot less patience for an all-white-straight-cis-able cast. 4. Do you think that the literature today is more open and diverse or have we a long way to go yet? *More* open and diverse, yes. That doesn’t mean we haven’t a way to go. Few stories centre LGBTQ+ characters and sometimes I get a sense that publishing thinks it’s checked the ‘coming out’ box and doesn’t need to produce new material. We should have gay superheroes and ace romances and anything intersectional. There’s always further to go. 5. Out of all of your works, which was your favourite to work on and why? Unboxed. It was by far the easiest to write. Most of my books take about 18 months, Unboxed took one month to draft. It was a dream of a book. Looking back, I think it was because Alix, the narrator, is a character that’s close to me in terms of the way she looks at the world. That and the fact that it’s a novella, so it’s meant to be about a quart the size of the others! 6. Do you have an essential LGBT+ literature recommendations? I love, love, love The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson. Leo is one of my favourite characters in all of literature. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman is also fantastic – Alice writes like no one else and she cares so deeply about her characters and how she represents on the page. No one in her main cast of characters in this book is white/straight. Love it. I’m also a big fan of Juno Dawson. Her non-fiction voice is a joy to read in This Book is Gay so I’m sure I’ll love her latest, The Gender Games when I get my hands on it. 7. What was the most interesting thing you learned while working on your books? While I was researching traumatic brain injuries for my latest book, Truth or Dare, I learned a lot of different things about how the brain works and all the things it controls. I’m not sure interesting is really the right word, though as so much of what I learned has such a profound effect on real people’s lives that reducing it to an anecdote feels wrong. So instead, I’ll say that the most interesting thing I did was visit the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability and talk to the staff and patients there. 8. What do you think makes a good story? The burning desire to inhabit a fictional world, your brain imagining what those characters are up to, long after you’ve put the book down. 9. How long did it take to create your books? As I said before, my novels take about 18 months from first idea to ‘finished’ draft – by which I mean that if someone intercepted the email and published whatever draft I’d sent to my editors, I wouldn’t self-combust in shame. There’s a lot more usually happens after that though! For my novella, Unboxed, it was a dream. I reached the end of the story within a month, spent another month editing myself, then sent it off. If it had been published the next day, I’d have been happy. 10. Any advice for aspiring authors? Always the same advice: if you are young, be patient. It can take time to work out what you want to say and how you want to say it. Writing is not a race. Also, do it for love. If publishing is your goal and not the act of writing, why are you doing it? Writing takes ages, but the reward of publishing is short-lived. If you love it, crack on, keep loving it, never stop. I really enjoyed Non Pratts answers and I hope you did too! What are some of your LGBTQ+ recommendations? I would love to know, leave your comments below and I will see you soon with a new post! Much love, Megan. x Hey guys and welcome back go my blog! I have been looking forward to today since the very first time myself and Ross started thinking about this month. Today is the starting day for our readathon!
What myself and Ross have done is picked two books that fit into the LGBTQ+ category and we are choosing one of those to read each and we hope you will join us! For myself, I am reading Simon Vs. The Homosapians Agenda by Becky Albertalli and Ross is reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I have been waiting to read Simon Vs for the longest time. I have heard so many amazing things about it. I read The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli earlier this year and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am very excited to experience more of Becky’s work. I know there is a cameo of a character from Simon Vs in the Upside of Unrequited so I will be curious to see who it was because I had no idea at the time. I hope you will join us for this readathon. Both myself and Ross will have a review for our respective books up on the 8th of July so look out for those! What will you be reading? Much love, Megan. x Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! This is a very exciting post as it is our first interview to start off our LGBTQ+ month! I really like Sarah’s writing on her blog and her posts are always interesting so please take the time to check her out over at writtenwordworlds.com Let’s get into these questions!
1. What inspired you to start blogging and reviewing books? Like all the other book bloggers out there, I’ve always had a passion for reading and writing, but I was never really a part of the online community during middle school. I enjoyed watching booktube, but I didn’t realise there was a whole world of blogging that I hadn’t discovered yet. It’s funny, but I actually started blogging and reviewing books because of a school assignment. In 9th grade, we had to choose a project to work on for the entire year, and I wanted to do something to do with reading or writing, but at that stage, I was way too camera-shy to have a go at booktubing. So I decided to make a blog where I could discuss books. Most of the other kids in my grade stopped working on their project when the year was over, but I wanted to keep reviewing books — it was something I’d fallen in love with. And so I’m still here today, almost four years later, because of that school assignment! 2. Who are some of your favourite LGBTQ characters from books? One of my favourite queer characters would definitely be Delilah from The Flywheel — it was the first book I read with a queer protagonist, and it has a special place in my heart, because it was the first novel that made me feel like my sexuality was valid and the things I was feeling mattered. I also adore Rhy from A Darker Shade of Magic, Aled Last from Radio Silence, and Charlie from Queens of Geek. I just want to hug all those queer munchkins! 3. Who are some of your favourite writers? I could honestly name about 300 authors, but I’ll try to refrain myself. One of my absolute favourite authors is V.E. Schwab. She’s so incredibly talented and I just adore everything she’s written. I’d probably fangirl over the shopping lists she writes, let’s be honest. I’m also a big fan of Adam Silvera — he makes me feel all the feels. Angie Thomas is simply phenomenal and I’ll never not be recommending The Hate U Give to readers of all ages, and I also love Becky Albertalli. I could go on forever! 4. Do you write? If so what are you working on? Yes, I do! I’m currently working on a few things because I have the attention span of a gnat and like to move between projects. I’m editing a science-fiction fantasy novel I started during last year’s NaNoWriMo, which is kind of about queers pondering morality and immortality — it’s nowhere near as philosophical as it sounds though! I’m also writing the script for a podcast that my co-creator and I are launching towards the end of this year, which we’ve dubbed ‘Audible meets Wattpad’. And finally, I’m planning (well, more like creating aesthetics for) a novel that I would like to begin writing next month! 5. If you could only bring three things when you're stranded on a desert island, what would they be and why? Ooh, this is a tricky one! The millennial me immediately says ‘LAPTOP! PHONE!’ but I’m not too sure how well they would work if there was no signal? And I’d probably need a powerpoint, which I won’t find on the island. So the practical me would opt for a notebook and a pen, that way I could still write, and even try and send a message out to sea. For my last item, I would choose a speedboat. Is that against the rules? Look, I’d prefer to escape this island if possible. I already miss wifi. 6. What's more important: characters or plot? While we can all agree both characters and plot are integral, I’d much rather see characters I adored doing boring, mundane tasks than characters I hated leading a really interesting narrative. For me, sometimes the best scenes in a book are the ones where the characters aren’t doing anything dramatic or aren’t busy saving the world — it’s where they’re doing normal things and holding normal conversations, because sometimes it’s these things that allow to you get to know them better. There’s nothing I love more than genuine, three-dimensional characters that I can relate to in one way or another. 7. What are you currently reading? I’m actually just between books at the moment! I finished reading When Dimple Met Rishi earlier today — which I adored — and now I’m trying to decide what to read next. There are so many exciting books waiting to be read on my shelves! Let’s be honest, 90% of my shelves are books I haven’t read yet. I’ll probably either pick up How to Make a Wish or A List of Cages. Too many books, too little time! 8. What authors did you dislike at first but grew into? I think perhaps the most noteworthy author in this category would be Patrick Ness. I first picked up one of his novels when I was in my early teens, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as it had hoped. Something most of his books have is that strange, somewhat sci-fi element, and I think it took me a little while to really understand the depth and meaning of these aspects. And then I read Release a month or so ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be picking up whatever he writes next. 9. What was your first ARC to review? While I don’t think it was my first ARC, maybe my third or fourth, the most memorable ARC I received in my early blogging days was Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick. I was so excited to receive a book by such a well-known author, and I think I screamed a little bit in class when I was offered a copy. 10. Do you believe in writer's block? Absolutely, though I think it happens to people in different ways. For me, I haven’t experienced the typical way it manifests — when you don’t know what to write or how to get out of a plot hole or when you’ve run into a brick wall. Because I’m the type of person who works well under pressure and with a deadline, I know that I have to get the words down. If the storyline is dragging, add in an explosion! If the characters don’t have enough dialogue, give them a new friend! I think the most important thing about writing to me is having fun and enjoying what I’m doing and while writing is something I’m serious about, I need to remember not to take it too seriously. Just have some fun with what you’re writing! Are any of you aspiring writers out there? Who are some of your favourite writers? Please let me know and leave a comment below! I’m a writer myself and love finding new ones! I hope you enjoyed reading Sarah's answers as I did. Much love, Megan. x Hey guys and welcome to the first post for the LGBTQ+ month I am hosting with my friend Ross over at theroyalbookshelf.weebly.com. We are both incredibly excited to have this as our first post because we both consider Cassandra Clare to be our favourite author and we love all of her works. Cassandra Clare created one of my favourite gay couples to ever enter the fictional world and that is Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane from the Mortal Intruments. She has great excerpts which highlight their relationship further, especially in The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and City of Lost Souls.
The first excerpt is from City of Lost Souls, book 5 from the Mortal Instruments series. Alec dropped his witchlight. The light winked out, and he fell to his knees, scrabbling on the ground among the trash and the dirt, grit under his fingernails. At last something lit up before his eyes, and he rose to see Magnus standing before him, the witchlight in his hand. It shone and flickered with a strangely-colored light. “It shouldn’t illuminate like that,” Alec said, automatically. “For anyone but a Shadowhunter.” Magnus held it out. The heart of the witchlight was glowing a dark red, like the coal of a fire. “Is it because of your father?” Alec asked. Magnus didn’t reply, only tipped the runestone into Alec’s palm. As their hands touched, his face changed. “You’re freezing cold.” “I am?” “Alexander . . .” Magnus pulled him to his feet, and the witchlight flickered between them, its color changing rapidly. Alec had never seen a witchlight runestone do that before. He put his head against Magnus’ shoulder and let Magnus hold him. Magnus’ heart didn’t beat like human hearts did: it was slower, but steady. Sometimes Alec thought it was the steadiest thing in his life. “Kiss me,” Alec said, tipping his head up; Magnus eyes were sad and shadowed, and unreadable. Magnus put his hand to the side of Alec’s face and gently, almost absently, ran his thumb along Alec’s cheekbone. When he bent to kiss him he smelled like sandalwood. Alec clutched the sleeve of Magnus’ jacket, and the witchlight, held between their bodies, flared up in colors of rose and blue and green as their lips touched. The second excerpt is from the Bane Chronicles, "What To Buy The Shadowhunter Who Has Everything." It must have been raining a little outside. There were sparkling drops of water in Alec’s messy black hair. He was wearing a hoodie that Magnus thought he might have found in a dumpster, and sloppy jeans, and his whole face was lit up just because he was looking at Magnus. “I think,” said Magnus, pulling Alec in by the strings on his awful gray hoodie, “that I could be persuaded to clear my schedule.” Then Alec was kissing him, and Alec’s kisses were uninhibited and utterly sincere, all of his lanky warrior’s body focused on what it wanted, all of his open heart in it as well. For a long wild euphoric moment Magnus believed that Alec did not want anything more than to be with him, that they would not be parted. Not for a long, long time. “Happy birthday, Alexander,” Magnus murmured. “Thanks for remembering,” Alec whispered back. And finally! The last excerpt is from the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, "Born to Endless Night." Simon fled across the hall and up the stairs, moving at a pace that would have amazed his evil Shadowhunter gym teacher. Scarsbury had never provided him with motivation like this. He knew that Magnus and Alec had put in a fancy suite up in the attics. Apparently there was even a separate kitchen. Simon just kept heading up, knowing he would hit the attics at some point. He reached the attics, heard murmuring and movement behind the door, and flung the door wide open. Then he stood, arrested on his second threshold of the day. There was a sheet over Alec and Magnus, but Simon could see enough. He could see Alec’s white, rune-scarred shoulders and Magnus’s wild black hair spread on the pillow. He could see Alec freeze, then turn his head and give Simon a look of absolute horror. Magnus’s golden cat eyes gleamed from over Alec’s pale shoulder. He sounded almost amused as he asked: “Can we help you?” “Oh my God,” Simon said. “Oh wow. Oh wow, I am really sorry.” “Please leave,” said Alec in a tight, controlled voice. “Right!” said Simon. “Of course!” He paused. “I can’t leave.” “Believe me,” said Alec. “You can.” I absolutely love Cassandra Clare with all of my heart and every time I read these excerpts I get chills. This couple is not just my favourite LGBTQ+ couple, they are one of my favourite couples in a YA novels by far. As Ross pointed out to me earlier, they are such a diverse couple. They are an interracial couple, they are in the LGBTQ+ community where one of them is gay and the other is bisexual, they are interspeciatal (?) is that a real word? A shadowhunter and a warlock! Do you like Malec as a couple? Have you read the Mortal Instruments? They are one of the best YA series and worlds to get lost in, in my own personal opinion and I highly recommend them for fantasy lovers. Thank you for reading and I will see you in my next post! Much love, Megan. x Hey guys and welcome back to my blog!
Today I have some really exciting news to share! My friend Ross over at The Royal Bookshelf are hosting month long read-along during the month of July for the LGBTQ+ community. I know that pride is in June but there was another readathon was happening and the more rep the better! Along with the readathons, we have chats, fun games, special interviews and exciting giveaways planned for you all! It is always important to create awareness for the LGBTQ+ community and we are so looking forward to celebrating another month of pride! Below is the schedule for the activities throughout the month: 1st of July - An exciting extract about Malec from the world of the wonderful Cassie Clare! 2nd - An interview with the talented blogger Sarah R. Hatch at writtenwordworlds.com! 3rd - Our first readathon! A choice between either Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli or Aristotle & Danté Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Ends of the 8th. More info down below! 5th - Interview with the wonderful Non Pratt! 6th - Interview with the fantastic Claire Hennessy! 7th - #LGBTQChat 8th - Our reviews of the readathon books. 9th - The Art of Being Normal extract! 11th - Interview with the superb Lisa Williamson! 13th - Interview with the incredible Moïra Fowley-Doyle! 14th - An extract from History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera. 15th - LGBTQ Bingo! 16th - Our second readathon! A choice between either Radio Silence by the phenomenal Alice Oseman or The Space Between by the amazing Meg Grehan! This will end on the 22nd! 17th - Interview with the exceptional Alice Oseman! 18th - Interview with the excellent Jessi at bibliojessi.wordpress.com ! 20th - Spotlight on some of our favourite LGBTQ books! 21st - Interview with the marvellous Meg Grehan! 22nd - Our reviews of the readathon books! 24th - #LGBTQChat 25th - Our third and final readathon! A choice between either Spellbook of the Lost & Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle or The Last Beginning by Lauren James! This one ends on the 30th of July! 27th - Extract of Release by the admirable and wise Patrick Ness! 28th - Interview with the splendid Lauren James! 29th - Our favourite LGBTQ book characters! 30th - Our reviews of the readathon books! 31st - We announce the giveaway winner! A bit about the readathons: For all three, there are two options for each. I’ll be choosing one of them and Meg will be choosing the other. It’s up to YOU to decide which one you want to read along with us! We’ll be uploading our reviews on our blogs also! Can’t wait! Information for the giveaway! We are giving away two amazing books which we both love! A signed copy of History is All You Left Me by the amazing Adam Silvera! And an illustrated version of A Monster Calls by the incredible Patrick Ness. Both Ross and I have read these and they are tear-jerking, emotional rollercoasters and both are so incredibly written. More info to come on our twitter accounts so look out for that! I hope you can join us for this month of awareness. We are very excited to be doing this and hopefully, all going well, we can do this again next year! Leave a comment on what you plan to read during this readathon, if you are joining us and which interview you are most looking forward to! Much love x Megan. Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! How are you all doing? Can you believe we are halfway through the year!? That's crazy! So, today I will be doing the Mid Year Freak out book tag. I saw this over on Emmmabooks' Youtube channel where she links the creators of this tag so go check them out. 1. The best book you have read in 2017. I cannot choose any other book but History is All you Left Me by Adam Silver. This book made me laugh and made me cry and it was so beautifully written. I could relate to the main character Griffin so well and I am so excited to read more of what Adam writes. I have a review for this so go check it out and discuss it with me in the comments! history-is-all-you-left-me-adam-silvera-review.html 2. Best sequel you've read of 2017 so far. This has got to go to A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I flew through this book, starting reading it physically and then picking up the audiobook as I had with the first book in this series. It was honestly one of the best sequels I have ever read. It kept me on the edge of my seat and made me laugh at the sentimental bits. And Rhys, need I say anymore? 3. New releases you haven't read yet but want to. Okay, both A Court of Wings and Ruin By Sarah J. Maas and Lord Of Shadows by Cassandra Clare have been out for some time and I haven't finished either of them. I know, it is quite shocking. I got into some bit of a slump in every sense of the word ones exams kicked in and have only started to shake it now. I have used contemporaries to get back into reading so hopefully I will soon get a fantasy kick. Last but not least, When Dimple Met Rishi. I have been waiting for this book for so long. The concept is so interesting to me and something which is so relevant and needs to be talked about. I finally got my hands on it so I will be getting to it very soon. 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of 2017. May was the best month for new releases for 2017 with A Court of Wings and Ruin, Lord of Shadows and When Dimple Met Rishi but They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera is coming out in Septempter and I am so excited to get my hands on it. Curse those at BEA and Bookcon who got Arcs this weekend!! 5. Biggest disappointment. This is a book that is on hold at the moment because there are other books that are more of a priority at the moment but that is Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley. I have read about 50% of this book and I know it isn't fair to judge a book I haven't completed yet but I had very high hopes for this and I really hope it picks up. It had a strong situation of Insta-love and some of the actions and words spoken left me with some serious second hand cringe which I am not a fan of. I have notes of what I have read and will write a review once I finish it. 6. Biggest surprise. This one goes to Hold My Hand by A.C. Oswald. It's not that I didn't think it would be good but it was a book that I have never heard of or of the author but it really surprised me. It was fun to read and made me laugh and cry and it was on a subject that is very hard to think about and discuss. I think the author portrayed it beautifully. I have a review up for this so go check it out here! hold-my-hand-ac-oswald-spoiler-free.html 7. Favourite new author. There are so many new authors I have read so far this year that it is so difficult to pick just the one. And when I have only read 1 book by an author, (regardless of how much I enjoyed it) can I call them a favourite author? Nonetheless, the two I have picked for this question are Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli. Both have only 2 books our and I have only read 1 from each author to completion. I am halfway through Adam's More Happy Than Not and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I have read Adam's History Is All You Left Me and Becky's The Upside of Unrequited earlier this year and both were so beautiful. I have actually reviewed both of these so go check them out! You can check out My Upside of Unrequited review here. the-upside-of-unrequited-becky-albertalli-spoiler-free.html 8. Newest fictional crush. Hmmm. There are a couple of books with swoon worthy guys and gals in the list of books I have read this year and those are Hayden from the Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West, Darien from Geekerella by Ashley Poston and Clark from The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson and although he may not be a new fictional crush but I've got to add him. That is Rhys from A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. That boy... damn. 9. Newest favourite character. This has got to go to my girl Molly from the Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. Her character had so much depth and I really related to her in many ways. I would love to read more on the life of Molly Peskin- Suso! 10. Book that made you cry. Hold my hand by A. C. Oswald. I wish I could relive reading this for the first time. It was heart wrenching in all the right ways and made you laugh through the floods of tears. I need to find a hard copy of this book and add it to my shelf! 11. A book that made you happy. Definitely How to be a Bawse by Lilly Singh. This was an uplifting book like non other. I listened to the audiobook of this narrated by Lilly herself. I have been following her for a couple of years now and I can whole heartedly say I have no doubt she wrote every word of that book herself. Every word she spoke, made me feel more empowered. 12. Favourite book to movie adaptation you have seen in 2017. 2017 hasn't been a great year for adaptations in comparison to other previous years. So far, the only big ones that this year brings is the TV adaptation of 13 reasons why and Everything Everything. I have not gotten past episode 4 on my watch of 13 reasons Why but I do want to continue watching it to see what happens and Everything Everything is not out in my country until the 18th of August but I do have high hopes for that. All in all, I don't have an answer for this yet. 13. Favourite reviews you have wrote in 2017 so far. I have not written many reviews this year but I hope to get into a routine once I start reading more books. I am pretty happy with all my reviews so far but I think it is Hold my Hand by A. C Oswald. 14. Most beautiful book you have bought this year. This is a tough question. A lot of really good book covers have come out this year but I have to go with Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I got it as part of a Fairyloot box and it was the UK hardback edition with the blue sprayed pages and a signed copy and I can't wait to read it, even though it is intimidating. 15. What book do you NEED to read by the end of the year. I promised myself I would read both the complete Sherlock Collection and the Book thief. I have the audiobook and a beautiful physical edition of the complete Sherlock Collection and I have heard nothing but amazing things so I am very excited to dive in. The book thief on the other hand is one that is very well known and well loved. I tried reading it before but did not get to finish it, I'm not quite sure why. I really want to give it another shot and I'm hoping this is the year to do it. Thank you so much for reading this guys, I hope you enjoyed it, I had so much fun writing it and reflecting on the past couple of months. I will be back soon with a new blog post! Leave a comment below and tell your favourite and least favourite books of the year so far! Much love x Megan. Finally! My first tag! Thank you to my friend Ross over at The Royal Bookshelf! and I tag my other good friend Sarah at YA bookaholic Go check both of these out, they are incredible as is their blogs!
Question 1: E-Book or Physical book? Nothing can top a physical book in your hands! I am reading more ebooks now thanks to Netgalley and they are alright and I guess convenient but I went through a phase where I hated audiobooks. Got a kindle when they first came our and I never used it. Physical all the way! Question 2: Hardback or paperback? I have a sweet spot in my heart for hardcovers. They are beautiful and sturdy and look good on my shelf and I like how they feel but here in Ireland, they are hard to come by. Paperbacks are convenient for carrying around - and I always have a book with me! Then again, I did carry around Tales from the Shadowhunters Acadamy in Hardcover by Cassandra Clare, to college when I was reading it! Question 3: Online or in store shopping? I love Bookdepository. I use it a lot but I have to go with shopping in store. The atmosphere, the peace, it brings me joy to go to a bookstore, Question 4: Trilogies or series? Most of my favourite books are from series! Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments and so many more but triliogies are amazing also. I think that if I truly fall in love with the world and the characters like I have with the series mentioned then I will not want to part with them and appreciate more books. Given that the author is able to do a good and creative job and not drag out and ruin the original story. Question 5: Heroes or Villains? You got to love a good villain. There is a typical stereotype that travels around of the villain with the tragic backstory and sometimes it can be overused and cliche but no one does it better than Cassndra Clare with Sebastian Morganstern. That boy I got issues. Question 6: A book you want everyone to read? History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera, definitely! Question 7: Recommed an underrated book? Hmmm. This is a tough question. I dont know why, but Othello came to my mind. Which I don't know if it's underrated or not. I don't have a proper answer. Question 8: The last book you finished? I finished The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan (the audiobook) two days ago. I am thirteen minutes away from finishing Scarlet - Marissa Meyer (audiobook) too! Question 9: The last book you bought? I bought A Darker Shade Of Magic yesterday and I am so excited about it. I cant wait to jump into this world Question 10: Weirdest thing you have used as a bookmark? I often use my student card or my rail tickets as my bookmarks but they aren't very strange, pens, my phone, probably my dogs ear at some point! Question 11: Used books, yes or no? Yes! Depending on the condition they are in. I always buy used books. Question 12: Top 3 genres? Fantasy, contemporary, historical fiction! Question 13: Borrow or buy? Buy, buy, buy. There is so much pressure and responsibility that comes along with borrowing books from people!! Question 14: Characters or plot? Character. I love character driven books and I am a firm believer that well written character driven books, the plot will fall into place to a certain extent. Too optimistic?? Maybe? Question 15: Long or short books? As much as long books intimidate me, I have to choose long books. If I love a book so much, then I will not want it to end for a very long time. Short books are nice though, to give yourself a break when you need it. Question 16: Long or short chapters? Short, by far. I feel as though I am powering through a book so much faster, long chapters take me so long to read!! Question 17: The first three books you think of? Scarlet - Marissa Meyer, A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas, Lady Midnight - Cassandra Clare. Question 18: Books that make you laugh or cry? I love a book that makes me laugh and cry. I have to say though, I love a book that gives me a good cry. Question 19: Our worlds or fictional worlds? Fictional worlds. I love being able to escape our world and jump straight into a ficitional world! Question 20: Audiobooks yes or no? Yes, I love audiobooks! Right now, I am swimming in them. I have 4 at the moment that I have to read. I use both audible and borrow box! The latter is free where you get free audiobooks. Like a library, you have them for 3 weeks. (For Ireland only) Question 21: Do you ever judge a book by its cover? Doesn't everyone? I am such a hypocrite when it comes to this. I always tell my friends not to do this if they don't kike a cover of my favourite book that I want them to read but I do not practice what I preach. Question 22: Book to movie or book to TV adaptations? This is a tough one, I'm going to say 50/50. They have to be done really well. Both have potential and it depends on how long the book can be cut down or dragged out and the pacing they are going at. Question 23: A movie or TV adaptation you preferred to the book? This is a another tough question!!! I don't know of movies or TV shows I enjoyed MORE but I can think of a few that were on par (or thereabouts) The Harry Potter movies were fantastic. (Slightly love the books more though), The Hunger games movies were really good. I really liked the Maze runner movies and also, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Question 24: Series or standalones? I have to say series. I love staying in the one world for as long as I can, if I love the world enough. People say Cassandra Clare is milking too many books out of the one world and she should stop, I say that I can't get enough and keep them rolling!! Thanks for reading guys! Don't forget to leave a comment and comment your answers to some of these questions!! I would love to hear your answers. Have a great day. Much love x |
AuthorHi guys! I'm Megan and welcome to my blog! This blog will be all about books mostly with other extra posts now and then. Archives
June 2017
Categories |