Archive | September 2013

Take Part – Books Are My Bag event in England

Mark your calendars ladies and gents of England! September 14th, 2013 is a nationwide bookstore event – BOOKS ARE MY BAG!

Here’s the info:

“Books Are My Bag is the biggest ever campaign for bookshops and it launches with the Big Bookshop Party on Saturday 14th September. That’s when you can go and visit your favourite bookshop, join in their party, buy your books, and bag the coolest tote bag ever – the bright orange Books Are My Bag tote! Show your love of books by visiting your local bookshop, the best place to connect with books, where you can see them, smell and touch them, talk about them with people who care as much as you do… There is nothing quite like a bookshop, and we want to share the love by inviting you to visit your local bookshop, taking a photo of yourself and then telling us WHY it’s your favourite bookshop. You could win your own bespoke bookmark, featuring your comment and photo, to be given out by your favourite shop!”

Oh how jealous I am! How I wish I could take part!

Want to know more? Follow this event:

Twitter @booksaremybag
Facebook www.facebook.com/booksaremybag
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/booksaremybag
Instagram @booksaremybag

Although we don’t have such a cool event here in the US, that shouldn’t stop us or anywhere else in the world from supporting their local bookstore on the 14th!

Happy book hunting!

Ashleyisee

Book Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Sep10

Forced to move to Japan to live with her aunt, there is only so much prep American sixteen-year-old Katie Greene can do.

Learning Japanese, adapting to a new school system culturally and making friends is the least of Katie’s worries. Getting over her mother’s sudden death and wondering about why her father left her only adds to turning her world upside down.

Then there’s Tomohiro. With a bad boy reputation over publicly breaking up with his latest girlfriend, Katie is drawn to this tortured soul. His art is his soul and soon he is Katie’s. Alone no longer the two connect across pages of Ink.

But there lurks a danger in the dark pigments. What Tomohiro can draw is hungry for Katie. As the pair tries to hide Tomo’s talents from exploitation, she wonders if their love can conquer his curse.

I loved the premise of Katie’s adventures in Japan. Can you imagine leaving the country of your birth because the only family you had was abroad? Not only that, but having to learn a completely new language and progress in such a short timeframe made the read fantastic. I love how Sun integrated Japanese words with English ones (she also includes a glossary). Even without the romance the book would have been a hit with me.

Now, the romance bit. It’s a bit clichéd for my liking. Too sudden and not entirely believable. The supernatural elements were enjoyable and have left me questions of wanting to know more about some of the other characters. I just wish the romance parts weren’t so expected.

Other than that, Ink is a refreshingly different YA book. For a debut in a series it has a lot going on and will keep readers wondering what exactly is going on. Plus the illustrations that are littered through the pages bring so much character to the piece. It’s beautiful to own as much as it is to read without being overdone.

Colours

Sep9

Stained glass at The Bellagio. Las Vegas, Nevada 2013.

August Reads

Sep7

So much to read! So little time!

I’m cracking down on getting through my challenges – I’m hitting some unusual titles this month and trying to get through my slowly dwindling library stack:

Vortex by K. J. Kincaid

The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George

Lock and Key by Sarah Dressen

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Stolen by Vande Velde

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Splintered by A. G. Howard – SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE, HAVE BEEN WAITING AGES!

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Take Part – Star Wars Reading Day II!

Sep5

Could my local library be any more awesome?? Sorry to everyone that is Pacific Northwest only.

Here’s all the info:

“Star Wars© Reads Day is officially October 5, but we wanted to celebrate reading and a certain galaxy far, far away longer. Come for special events at our libraries, including an opportunity to have your photo taken with Star Wars© characters, a show with Charlie Williams (The Noiseguy) and Lego© building stations with Bricks 4 Kidz. All events are free! Join costumed members of Alpha Base, a chapter of the Rebel Legion and Garrison Titan of the 501st Legion for photos during the first hour of each event. Please bring your own camera. Lego 4 Kidz will have Lego© stations for building your own creations. During the second hour, Charlie Williams, The Noiseguy, presents a storytelling parody of the Star Wars© movies with special props and toys. See (and hear) reenactments of classic scenes. You will even learn to make some cool sounds to tell your own stories.
Please bring non-perishable food donations for our support of local food banks.
Alpha Base is a chapter of the Rebel Legion and Garrison Titan of the 501st Legion are volunteer members of world-wide Star Wars © costuming clubs and help others through charity work and community service.”

Where they’ll be at:

Bellevue Library
Saturday, September 21
11am–1pm

Snoqualmie Library
Saturday, September 21
2:30–4:30pm
Held at the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 SE Ridge Street, Snoqualmie.

Algona-Pacific Library
Saturday, October 5
11am–1pm
Held at Pacific-Algona Community Center,
305 Milwaukee Avenue, Pacific

Newport Way Library
Saturday, October 5
2:30– 4:30pm
Sammamish Library
Saturday, October 19
11am–1pm

Bothell Library
Saturday, October 19
2:30–4:30pm
Free tickets for the Charlie Williams show at 3:30pm will be distributed at the Information Desk, while supplies last, beginning Saturday, October 12.

What’s your local library up to? You never know what’s awaiting you at the library!

Book Review: Demonic Dora by Claire Chilton

Sep3

Dora is born to heavily religious parents but is unfortunately stuck with quite the personality. Cursed by her love of black and desire to summon a demon from Hell, Dora’s parents attempt to burn her at the stake outside their house.

For once Dora is saved by a successfully summoned Demon Lord. As he whisks her away from her crazy parents and neighbours, Dora has only one choice to follow the demon back where he came from.

But it can be difficult to survive in a world where a fresh soul like Dora’s is the national currency. There’s treachery afoot. Even her demon lord might not be able to save her. Everything comes down to one final battle in the bowels of Hell between whom else? Dora and her demon lord….

The Good: All the interesting bits were about the citizens and structure of Hell. I really loved how Chilton went for the story and took me as a reader on a hilarious ride. Her writing is funny and it’s refreshing to have a book make me laugh out loud. Pooey is definitely my favorite character and I loved how Dora is a strong willed. And she still loves her parents even they try endlessly to kill her!

The Not So Good: For a story that held a lot of promise I’m a bit disappointed with how…rushed everything was. The characters are fun, the personalities of Hell’s occupants are witty, but everything breezes through where I wished the author had lingered. I also wished that the characteristics of Hell had more differences than the modern world. It’s pretty 50/50, and it bugged me that Hell could be so like current day life. There were plenty of other really creative bits, and using something obvious was a bit of a letdown.

I am curious to see where the series goes. It’s different, short and unusual.

I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher Ragz Books and the author Claire Chilton for allowing me to review the book! Best of luck with the series and I look forward to reading the second book.