I have just stumbled upon (funny enough from stumbleupon.com) a great website for people like me who want introducing to new authors.
Whatshouldireadnext.com is a fab little website, where you enter one of your favourite books, and it searches thousands of different titles to find something similar you might like.
I can see myself using this a lot, as I often do get stuck in a rut of serial reading all the books from one author (you only need to look at the number of reviews I have for Kelley Armstrong).
So go have a look, search, and find your new favourite!
Please comment below and let me know what you have discovered and if you enjoyed it.
I have been thinking about venturing into the world of vlogging for a while now. I use YouTube like TV whilst I am at university and have become particularly fond of some of my favourite beauty gurus vlogs of late.
I just didn't really know how this would tie into my love of reading, and this blog until I came across a vlog posted on Girl Who Reads. She was just talking about what she had been doing recently and what books she had been reading, and suddenly it clicked.
So I charged up my camera, and after just a few takes and some editing I had created my first book review vlog. I still have a long way to go in the quality of the filming, sound and content department, but I really hope I can use this as another tool to share my love of authors, books and reading.
Summary courtesy of Goodreads.com: Growing up in the suburbs of post-war Japan, it seemed to Hajime that everyone but him had brothers and sisters. His sole companion was Shimamoto, also an only child. Together they spent long afternoons listening to her father's record collection. But when his family moved away, the two lost touch. Now Hajime is in his thirties. After a decade of drifting he has found happiness with his loving wife and two daughters, and success running a jazz bar. Then Shimamoto reappears. She is beautiful, intense, enveloped in mystery. Hajime is catapulted into the past, putting at risk all he has in the present.
My friend Laura raves about Murakami, her favourite author, and recommended that I took a look at some of his books. He is know for using a pinch of surrealism and fantasy in his novels, which sounds like something I would love to read. She lent me this book, which is the only one she had with her, with the warning it is a bit different to his other works, but still well worth a read.
It is a relatively small book, only 213 pages but is superbly written. The beauty is in the little details. This quote in particular I really liked:
"Her hand, which up till then had laid on the back of the sofa, she now placed on her knee. I stared vacantly at her fingers tracing the plaid pattern of her skirt. There was something mysterious about it, as if invisbly thread emanating from her fingertips spun together an entirely new concept of time." (pg: 15)
If I am honest, this isn't a book I would choose to read, but I am really grateful that I have had an introduction to a fantastic author. There is a lot of buzz about him online, and some of his other books sound a lot more my style.
This is easily my favourite book of the entire series so far.
I make it no secret that I am in love with the character of Eric Northman, and lets just hope he keeps loving our Sookie.
I have a real love-hate relationship with Miss Stackhouse, but I will keep purchasing and devouring these books because of Eric.
Having said all this, I appreciated this book because I knew the character of Eric before he lost his memory, and was all the sweeter for reading it within the series.
For lovers of love, sex, fantasy, supernatural and any fiction.
This collection of short stories from 14 female supernatural authors has rekindled my love of short stories. Since reading the Kindle All Stars: Resistance Front collection I have gone back to novellas and full length novels and forgotten the magic of reading anthologies such as these.
This one is dedicated to "Smart Chicks everywhere" and defiantly appeals to the young adult (YA) female reader, but no reader will feel alienated by this smart collection of stories that give bite size introductions to necromancers, vampires, were wolves, mind readers, clairvoyants and much more.
Summary courtesy of Amazon: A collection of fourteen original teen paranormal short stories from some of today’s best selling YA talent, united with the common theme of road trips, and edited by best selling authors Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.
The theme of road trips I feel is applies lightly to this collection, a theme which I had forgotten until I re-read the introduction of the book before writing this review. Despite this a collection needs a theme and this does work well in a few of the stories.
Stand out favourites include "Gargouille" by Mary E. Pearson, a supernatural themed love story that is beautifully written, and "Bridge" by Keri Smith-Ready a ghost themed poem that I really enjoyed, and don't be put off as its a poem as it was a great read!
The contributions by the authors where also a real treat. Melissa Marr's "Merely Mortal" appealed to my other interest of business and PR & marketing (which is by no means the main focus of the story but something that stood out for me), and Kelley Armstrong's "Facing Facts" which links in at the end of the latest Darkest Powers book with a really interesting twist that I loved.
Overall this is a great collection that I have enjoyed curling up in bed early every night to read. It has introduced me to some young adult authors that I can't wait to read more from.
One of things I miss the most, now I have my Kindle, is covers. They can be photographic genius, hand drawn art or just intriguing. For this reason I wanted to do a really quick run down of some of my favourite covers of late. So in no particular order...
Re-print of Dead Until Dark does not fail to catch anyone's attention. With one glance we know that this books genre, tone, and style. Surpasses the first print cover by far!
This cover brings back serious memories, the start of something I obsessed over in my teen years. I love the hand drawn look, and encapsulates the way I see Harry Potter long before Daniel Radcliffe.
For serious Twilight fans, this limited edition cover is to die for (pun intended)!
I haven't actually read this book yet, but I stumbled on it as a suggestion on Amazon and LOVE the cover.
I really want to recreate this cover - its so beautiful. The only thing I am lacking is skill!
Possibly the book I am most excited about in 2012, this cover gives away very little, but I still love it. This print style of the series is mysterious and... well... beautiful!
Please link your favourite book covers in the comments. I would love to see them.
I will repeat the sentiment which is given on Kelley Armstrong's website with every book description, that it is difficult if not impossible to talk about a book series without giving plot lines away for the previous books.
I like each book to be a surprise when I read it, and aim never to give anything away in my reviews which would change how people approach a book. So because of this I will keep this short and sweet.
Released on 31st December 2011 this book instantly became my favourite book of 2011. Read in just three hours this novella is perfectly formed and easy to read. Focussing on Clay and Elena's Christmas break it is a perfect edition to the Women of the Otherworld series.
No quibbles - 5/5
You can get your hands on this as a limited edition signed leather bound copy (1000 printed) or a cloth bound hard cover (5000 printed) yet these are currently being sold upwards of £70 second hand! Or you could simply download on your Kindle which is currently only £3.96 on Amazon!
Whatshouldireadnext.com is a fab little website, where you enter one of your favourite books, and it searches thousands of different titles to find something similar you might like.
