The A to Z of Authors (Part 1/2)

It's Day Two of the BBB! And I haven't given up yet - woo-hoo!

We all have our favourite authors. Some wrote series that we love. Others are so brilliant that you've read every single one of their books, and still more only wrote one of your favourites, but they're still awesome. Here's part one of an A to Z of Authors who I think are amazing - and yes, I have fudged some of the letters a little, but I wanted to name people who actually mattered to me, rather than a bunch of random folk whose names fit. Number two is on its way tomorrow!

Alison Cherry

MAB (Most Amazing Books): Red, For Real, Look Both Ways (due for release soon).
Alison is one of the first authors I read the blog of before I actually read one of her books, and I can't decide which is better. Her books, Red especially, contain some of the most memorable characters ever, and online, she's downright hilarious.

Malorie Blackman

MAB: The Noughts and Crosses series.
Malorie Blackman is one of my favourite dystopian authors, mostly because the stuff she writes is almost scarily realistic. I love how Noughts and Crosses opened my eyes to the inequality of our everyday society, and it blew my mind - have you ever noticed that they only seem to make plasters in Caucasian skin colours?

Ally Carter

MAB: Heist Society series, Gallagher Girls series, All Fall Down.
Ally Carter writes books about extraordinary characters in fascinating situations - there's Kat, the teenage thief, Cammie, the superspy-in-training, and Grace, the grandaughter of a US ambassador. Pretty intriguing, right? Plus, her titles are ridiculously clever. It's a well-known fact that Only the Good Spy Young.

Sarah Dessen

MAB: This Lullaby
Now, I know I've only named one of Sarah Dessen's books here. This isn't because there's a lack of choice (check out the length on this Goodreads list) but because I, like the bad reader I am, haven't actually read any of the others. However, Lullaby is sassy, sweet and not far off perfect; the rest of her books come highly recommended. I'm also hoping to review it soon! ;-)

Enid Blyton

MAB: The Secret Seven series, The Famous Five series, The Faraway Tree
Enid Blyton, just in case you haven't heard of her, was a British writer whose books were massively popular in the whole of the twentieth century. They still are, actually, and even though they're a little dated, the Seven and Five series are some of the most brilliant mystery stories ever. Not to mention there's tons of them - fifteen in the Secret Seven series alone - and they're all just as good as each other. Just thinking about The Faraway Tree is making me tear up a little. . .

Anne Frank

MAB: The Diary of a Young Girl
They say that Anne Frank's Diary - the diary of a Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in WWII - is one of those old classics: the type of book that everyone wants to have read and nobody wants to read. However, I think you really, really should read it. It can be a little hard to get through, especially at the end, but most of it's truly uplifting, and tells me that, had Anne survived the war, she'd probably have become an author. But beyond that, she's an amazing role model who was so much stronger than I ever could be. It's the least we can do to understand her story.

Jessica Day George

MAB: Dragonskin Slippers series
It's no secret how much I love Dragonskin Slippers. I'm literally obsessed with the whole fantasy world, especially since I re-read the first one about a month ago and it hasn't gone back on my bookshelf since. The cover's so beautiful I can't actually convince myself to put it away.

Anthony Horowitz

MAB: Alex Rider series.
The Alex Rider books, put simply, are cut-and-dry thrillseeking adventure novels. I love them so, so much, mostly because they're quite different to the girly contemporary / dystopian / fantasy I normally read. It's the perfect series if you want fast-paced plots without having to think too much.

Michelle HarrIson

MAB: The 13 Treasures, The 13 Curses
This is another author who I love because of her characters: Tanya and Red in particular are confident, smart, and - there's no other word for it - absolutely kick-ass. I also love her interpretation of fairies (they always seemed a little too sugar-sweet for me) and can't wait to finish the series with The 13 Secrets.
Sarah J. Maas

MAB: Throne of Glass
Throne of Glass is a heady mix of cool logic, medieval politics and romance. Which are effectively my three favourite things in the world. If it were up to me, she'd be forever hailed as a warrior-author queen just for that one book.

And then I found out there was a sequel.

J. K. Rowling

MAB: Do I really need to tell you?
Three words, people. Harry. Freaking. Potter.
C. S. Lewis

MAB: The Chronicles of Narnia
Narnia. A world of talking lions, evil snow queens and warring armies. It's enchanting in peace, starkly beautiful in wartime, and magical no matter what. I definitely owe these books a re-read, but I'm intrigued as to whether I'll mostly identify with eight-year-old Lucy Pevensie, as I always did, or her older sister Susan, seeing as she's actually quite like me. I'll let you know!

Meg Cabot

MAB: The Princess Diaries, 0-800-Where-R-U series (When Lightning Strikes).
Although I like the Princess Diaries, especially with Princess Mia's super-smart friend Lilly, my own personal favourite of Meg Cabot's is her supernatural series, known as 0-800-Where-R-U. Like the Princess Diaries, I never actually finished it (I have an absolutely terrible track record with series) but I definitely intend to. The main character alone could rule Earth.

***

I was going to do all of this in one go, but it turns out that describing twenty-six authors not only takes ages, but makes for a pretty long blog post. It is officially To Be Continued (tomorrow).

Do you have any additions to make to my A-Z of Authors? And which Sarah Dessen book do you think I should try next - I'm finding the sheer amount of choice a little overwhelming? Share in the comments!

View Post

Words for a Wednesday: Sirius Black

Hi everyone!

This post is the beginning of a project I'm very excited about. Over the Summer holidays, I'm going to blog five days a week, every week, without fail. I know it's going to be hard, but I'm hoping that the Big Blogging Bonanza, as I like to call it, will help me become a bit better at managing my blogging time.

Anyway, as part of the BBB, I'm introducing Words for a Wednesday, which is a series of posts, released - shock and horror - every Wednesday. In them, I talk about some words written by one of my favourite authors, and consider how that quote represents them and their characters. And what better way to start the series but with the words of Queen J.K. herself?

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I absolutely love this, not just because it contains a lot of truth, but also because it's very relevant to Sirius as a character. Here's the rest of the conversation where it appears:

“Yes,” said Hermione in a heated voice, “he sacked her, just because she hadn’t stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled —”“Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!” said Ron.Sirius shook his head and said, “She’s got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron.  If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

For me, this really shows the inconsistencies of Sirius. Here, he's standing up for Winky, but he treats Kreacher, his own elf, like dirt. His words are often much louder than his actions, and, in a way, I think that's what makes him so important to Harry. It shows that he's flawed.

He's the most realistic father figure in the entire series, I think. Because he's not perfect, and because he genuinely puts Harry first. I mean, Dumbledore had his merits, but he always had an ulterior motive, no matter how noble. Lupin truly loved Harry, but he was trying so hard that he wouldn't let himself make a mistake. On the other hand, Sirius made errors, lots of them, and they were his downfall, but they were also what I liked about him. He was willing to take risks if it meant protecting those he loved.

What do you guys think of Words for a Wednesday? And do you agree with me about Sirius?

View Post

Life Without Reading

Today, I was struck by a terrible, terrible thought.

What would the world be like if reading didn't exist? If your favourite authors all hung up their pens simultaneously and wouldn't write another word? If books, all books, suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth, never to return?

I got crazy philosophical for a minute, but then I thought - hey! Seeing as that's probably not going to happen, why don't I have some fun with it!

Fanboys and fangirls, I present to you . . . the END of the BOOK WORLD.

IN GIFs. 

First, we'd all think it was a hoax. I mean, come ON. They can't make all the authors quit at once. Can they?

But then, as public figures began to stand up and explain just why reading would be banned, whispers of outrage begin to spread.

Then, J.K Rowling announces that it's true. And she can't do anything about it.

Widespread panic.

Protests.

The deadline for books to be handed in and destroyed draws closer. We begin to bulk-read and try, in vain, to get to the bottoms of our To-Read lists.

Some contemplate life after books, but they are quickly silenced.

The date of book destruction comes.

Depression sets in.

Not everyone gives up their reading material willingly. Historically, things were hidden in books, but now, we hide books themselves.

The government cracks down on Readers - they are portrayed as selfish traditionalists who are not willing to help the rest of humanity with progress.

Slowly, and surely, they manage to stamp out the widespread rebellion. And life is hard.

Children grow up who've never read a single sentence.

But then, over the years, the skill begins to be secretly handed down.

The people become restless.

A rebellion is stirring.

We find our Chosen One, our Mockingjay, called The Bookworm.

The rebels become so common that people understand their Hunger Games and Harry Potter references.

President No-Read is overthrown.

You see, reading will always be there for us. No matter what happens, we shall conquer - as soon as we finish the next chapter.

So, I know this post was a bit different to usual - do you want to see a bit more like it? And what do you think you'd do without reading?

View Post

Six Super Summer Reads!

Wow, have I really not posted in two weeks? Sorry guys! I was in the middle of rehearsing for a pretty hectic school play, and I promise I've been writing this slowly. Oops. . .

Anyway, the solstice has past, and for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere*, Summer is well and truly here. These are days of long sessions on the beach (reading), weeks off school to relax (reading), and even the odd spot of reading! Just in case you ever finish your To Read list - as if - here are a few more books which I liked, at least.

*If you're from the Southern one, then . . . um . . . Wicked Winter reads?

Red by Alison Cherry

Trust me when I say you will love this one - anything be Alison Cherry has to be absolutely brilliant. Also, once you've finished it, you can tell me whether you agree that Ivy, Felicity's best friend, should get her own spin-off. (Are you listening, Alison?)

Scarletville, Iowa, is the world's first and only redhead sanctuary. No-one might admit it, but hair colour is everything there. Felicity St. John might be the most popular girl at school, and the odds-on favourite in the annual Miss Scarlet pageant; that's all down to her red cred. And if anyone knew her secret, it would all disappear.

Because Felicity's an Artie. Her hair, like the rest of her, is a great big fake.

She doesn't really care about the pageant, or her popularity: she only entered because the downright bossy Ginger St. John - her Mom - dreams they might be the first mother and daughter to win. However, the prize money might be Felicity's only chance to go to the art school she's been accepted at.

So her secret must be kept at all costs, even when someone finds out and starts a blackmailing campaign. But how far is Felicity willing to go to protect her red cred?

Model Spy: Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky

Jessica Cole: Schoolgirl. Model. Spy.

In theory, Jessica has an entirely normal life: she goes to school with everyone else, tries to keep up with her homework, and spends most of her days imagining scenarios in which she kisses Jamie, her Potential Future Boyfriend (PFB).

That said, Jessica is different. Not every girl rushes to modelling jobs before school, or spends her weekends planting bugs to help her Dad, an ex-M.I.6 operative who became a Private Investigator after being diagnosed with MS. And not every girl, after receiving a coded distress call from said Dad, would use Haute Couture week as a cover to go looking for him in Paris. . .

This one's good, people. You won't be able to stop reading.

Dragonskin Slippers by Jessica Day George

Now, I'm bracing myself for the yells, but I've never really been a huge fan of medieval fantasy. I love all the dragons and ancient skills, and yet somehow, I always seem to get a little lost among the sword fighting and complicated religious systems - this was the book that proved to me that, as long as you've got a strong plot and characters, medieval fantasy can be awesome.

Dragonskin is about a young orphan girl, Creel, who has her entirely workaday life turned around when her impoverished aunt decides she has to be fed to the town dragon: that way, a young knight can come, rescue her, and use the beast's gold to turn all of their lives around. However, the dragon turns out to have a hoard of shoes, not gold, and Creel has already escaped with a pair towards the capital, hoping to make her way as a seamstress. What she doesn't know is those shoes are Dragonskin Slippers - Slippers that land her in an awful lot of trouble involving a dragon named Shardas, a stroppy Princess named Amalia, and the start of an all-out war...

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This is a great summer read, and you must try it, but be warned: many, many tissues are required. The twitter hashtag #AllTheBrightPlaces is used by survivors once they've got through it.

Violet Markey used to be a blogger - she and her sister Eleanor had one of the most successful websites in the country. But when Eleanor died in a tragic car accident, Violet's words dried up too. And her words should be all she has left. She's a girl derailed by her past, and alone - until Finch shows up.

Finch has wanted to die almost as long as he's been alive - his Mom barely notices him, his Dad uses him to impress his new fiancée, and school has never been enough to keep him awake. He's not well, but he shows no sign of physical illness. Then he meets Violet on the top of a bell tower, and his world changes. She's his Ultraviolet Remarkey-able, and he's taught her how to live. But can she save him from himself?

The 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

I first read this book ages ago, and there are a lot of people out there who would call it Middle Grade, but I like it anyway.

Trouble has a way of finding Tanya. It might be because she's nosy, observant and far too determined for her own good . . . or it might have something to do with the fact she can see fairies. Not nice fairies either - in this book, they're the kind you might need protection from. Eventually, Tanya's Mum gets fed up of her 'troublemaking' (fairy attacks) and sends her to stay with her Grandmother in the mysterious Elvesden Manor. There, Tanya discovers a fifty-year old mystery - and it turns out she's not the only one with the second sight.

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgewick

I would like to say that this is one of my favourite diverse reads of. All. Time. The characters are so smart, as well as strong, and the disabilities / differences in it are handled beautifully. Bravo, Mr. Sedgewick.

She is Not Invisible is about a girl named Laureth, whose name is as weird as the rest of her life - her writer Dad read it off the back of a shampoo bottle, back when he was remotely reasonable. Now, he's been trying to write his pet project, a novel about the human conscience, for six years, and he's probably on the verge of a breakdown. That's why she panics when the notebook he never lets out of his sight turns up in New York while he's on a research trip to Austria, and impulsively drags her little brother Benjamin to the US. She needs his help, because although she might not be invisible, Laureth Peak is blind.

***

What about you guys? Do you agree with me about these books, or are there any others I need to check out this summer? And where's your favourite place to read in the sun?

View Post

The Adaptation Oscars

I love book-to-film adaptations. Love, love, LOVE - but only when they're done properly. Some are amazing; sitting back and watching one of those great films is like sitting back and watching your own imagination.

In other words, pretty dang awesome.

But sometimes, they're done wrong. I hate it when I start watching a film like that and have to grit my teeth. Cover my eyes in disgust. And I understand that, because books are subjective, a lot of people might love the films I hated, or vice versa, but here I would like to give some awards for films that, in my opinion, excelled at certain things.

Or didn't:

Best Casting: Harry Potter Series

The Harry Potter series is effectively a who's-who of British acting. I mean, seriously - these casting agents discovered Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe. Not forgetting Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, James and Oliver Phelps, Alfie Enoch, Devon Murray...

Sorry, lost myself there. The point is that these actors are the best possible to play these characters. I mean, could you imagine Severus Snape being played by anyone other than Alan Rickman?

Best Costume Design: The Hunger Games
Just look at this picture. Just look.

At a glance, you can tell how impoverished Katniss and the rest of District 12 are, and how Effie is an outsider; it's all from the costumes. You just know how rich Effie is, and how she wants to show everyone. She just has to be the centre of attention, and I can't think of any other film which uses costumes as such an effective metaphor for the plot.

Plus, that make-up. Fabulous.

Sticks best to the Story: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

I'm sure I've said before on this blog how much I adore the Narnia series. One of my earliest book-related memories is being read Narnia bedtime stories - I remember plaiting the bookmark over and over so it looked 'more Narnian' - and I can't remember more than a couple of scenes that didn't make it into the film. True, it's been a while since I read it, and I have nothing against films with a different interpretation of the source material, but this one was just . . . nice. It felt so comforting to see the exact book I'd imagined from brought to life.

Plus, Georgie Henley? Skandar Keynes? Awesome.

Best Set: Divergent
I'm going to do this one in pictures:

*clunk* That was the sound of my jaw dropping.

Absolute Worst Adaptation in the History of the Universe: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Please, please don't throw virtual tomatoes at me! I just used that title to get your attention! There were good things about this film, and quite honestly, I can't pledge for all of it, because I couldn't get through more than the first twenty minutes. However, there were many, many faults going on.

What's going on with Annabeth's hair? She's blonde! And why is Grover a cool guy? Plus, Camp Half Blood does not look how I imagined it. Do you feel the same way?

I'm sure this is an okay film, but in terms of book adaptation, it just didn't work for me.

What about you guys? Do you agree with me about Percy Jackson, or do you have your virtual tomatoes ready? And what other films do you think need a mention?

View Post