My Book Wishlist

For those that follow me on goodreads, you may have noticed that I have an entire shelf/list on there called 'wishlist'. On here I occasionally update books that I want, or remove books that I obtain or decide I no longer want.
I know a lot of book bloggers and vloggers tend to do this wishlist system via Amazon - a good system as people can buy them books off the wishlist and send them directly (particularly since many of the booktubers I follow live in America!). However, due to the current issues between Hachette and Amazon, and Amazon's apparent poor conduct (and also their absolutely horrifying shipping...), I don't really use Amazon aside from buying the occasional ebook from them.
So I thought I'd show you a few of the books I'm lusting after, and maybe you can add a new 'to-be-read' to your list! :)

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

This book, and the other two following it, have been recommended (if not to me, but everyone who watches) by Misty the BookRat's videos (and Misty herself) multiple times. She seems to adore disappearing into this world and reading about the characters, and she makes it sound absolutely amazing.

It sounds awesome, anyway, and I recently won a book by Gabrielle Zevin that I read in a day (The Storied life of A. J. Fikry) that made me adore her writing style. So All These Things I've Done just continues to look as good as the chocolate that it has made illegal.

(Read the blurb on Goodreads.)

Tin Star by Cecil Castelluci

Another book recommended by Misty on her channel, this one just looks fascinating and strange. I mean... space ships, aliens, possible romance, a main character that has to rise up and move past a horrific thing that happens? I'm pretty much on board (the spaceship).

(Read the blurb on Goodreads.)

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

Huh... are all the books on my wishlist recommended by Misty? I think that says an awful lot for her ability to squee over books so much that you then want them for yourself....

Anyway, this is a fairy-tale retelling of Pinocchio, but I have heard multiple times that while it has an air of Pinocchio about it, Ursu writes it in her own unique way. I really want to read this....and just look at that cover. Gorgeous.

(Read the blurb on Goodreads.)

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Those who follow me on Goodreads (or just generally listen when I talk) will know that I have actually already read this - and LOVED it. It doesn't come out officially until September 23rd of this year, but I already want one of the beautiful hardback copies of this book. It follows Darcy, a girl who has written a book that is getting published (envious) and alternates between following her story of rewrites, moving to New York, and other things that happen, with chapters from the book that she has written. The writing parts of the book made me excited about writing, which was awesome, and the actual novel parts of the book were absolutely fascinating. Plus, again, look at that cover. Wow.

(Read the blurb on Goodreads.)

Other authors that I want to start reading...: Brandon Sanderson (I have borrowed book one of his Mistborn trilogy from the library... it is monstrous), and Robin Hobb (when my friend heard I hadn't read any Robin Hobb yet she flipped out a little and immediately bought me Hobb's first book in ebook format... thank you again~).

So, what do you think of my (excerpt of my) wishlist? Did anything catch your eye? What books are you lusting after right now?

Love to all who read!

Leave a Comment books, i am excite, Wishlist

small moments

In the last couple of weeks, my days have been punctuated by small, mindful moments. Like now, when I sit at my desk in my newly cleaned and organised study, looking out the window at the rain pouring down over the encroaching greenery. Admiring the small flowers that peak out at me - trumpet flowers and bougainvillea - as the water drips down. Feeling the warmth that surrounds me and permeates my skin. Gently smelling the scent of the cherry blossom moisturiser I just put on my hands (a gift from a dear friend) and the green tea with yuzu in my giant mug (also a gift from two dear friends). Looking down at my new ring (I hardly ever wear rings, aside from my engagement ring) that I bought for myself, and admiring the way the light falls on it.Wearing one of Xin's jumpers because it's so comfy and it reminds me of him, and also of shopping in Margaret River.

Earlier in the week I looked over to see my dog completely asleep, but sleeping in such a childlike way - curled up on her side, with her head on a pillow. I watched her for awhile, not just feeling the warmth of the fire in the room, but the warmth of such a precious moment.

My last week has also been dominated by some pain and discomfort due to an infection and a virus hitting my body at the same time. On Wednesday I nearly lost myself to it - it frightened me with its severity, and I ended up frightening Xin with how shockingly I coped with it. All thoughts of breathing through the pain and discomfort fled, and I just wanted to be a child again - wishing someone else would take the pain away so I didn't have to deal with it any more. We considered going to the hospital more than once, but I ended up gathering the pieces of myself back together and heading home, to ease myself through the process. Many mugs of tea, warmth, kindness from Xin, and familiar YouTube videos helped, and I was able to cope and head to see a doctor - one I had never seen before, as it was a last minute appointment - who was one of the kindest and most sympathetic doctors I had come across in years. Little rays of hope and comfort can come in times when you wanted to just stop coping.

Here a few other gentle moments that I have loved: sitting next to the fire with Bronte curled up next to me, reading a book on my iPad; playing Child of Light with Xin; multiple mugs of tea in a soup mug that I unearthed during the Great Clearing Out of 2014; small gifts from wonderful friends who know me so well; conversations and planning of adventures with my reading friend (she knows who she is).

And, finally, hearing the call of kookaburras almost every day. For some reason I smile every single time and feel connected again.

Love to all who read.

Leave a Comment gratitude

Book Review: I am Juliet by Jackie French

I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...

image source

goodreads

Title: I am Juliet
Author: Jackie French
Series: The first book in a series, with Ophelia, Queen of Denmark due out in 2015, and Third Witch due out in 2016.
Publication Date: Due out July 1st 2014

Synopsis: "Everyone knows the story of Juliet Capulet and her love for Romeo. The star-crossed lovers from the warring Capulet and Montague families of Verona whose love was doomed. But who was this girl Juliet?
Who am I? Only a daughter? A Capulet, wed to my father's choice? No! I am the girl who chose her destiny, whose love outlasts the sun.
I am Juliet."

My thoughts: This book is short, but haunting. I never studied Romeo and Juliet in high school, but I am quite familiar with it because of multiple movie adaptations and written versions that I have consumed during my life. I feel like many people are familiar with the play for that very reason.
I was excited by the prospect of having another Jackie French book in my hands, and fascinated that she had chosen to take on such a well-known character when I first got my hands on this. And Jackie French did not disappoint.
The book may be short, but it really gives life to Juliet's thoughts and version of things and, while it is still rather difficult to believe in the speed of Romeo and Juliet's relationship (from love, to marriage, to death), French gives Juliet the voice of someone desperately wanting to choose her own fate, rather than bowing to the will of her father's choice - as was traditional at the time.
I really loved how Shakespeare's words were woven into the book, whilst also remaining accessible to those that may not be overly familiar with Shakespearean expression. Every now and then you would get a touch of Shakespeare's romantic language, only to be pushed up and supported by French's own way with words - the way she writes is really quite beautiful and complements the use of lines from the play very well.
I have to admit that I did find this a bit dull at times. But I think that's the risk that French runs with tackling such an old and well-known play and trying to make it readable for younger individuals studying it in school - sometimes the intent of the character's just didn't translate well and was a bit difficult to understand with a modern-day mindset. I think this may be a reflection of my love for fiery female characters, though, and it took a little while for Juliet to discover her inner fire and make her choice.

The book opens with a young man studying the play to prepare for his role as Juliet - the first time the play is going to be put on. He is lamenting the fact that he has been cast as a 13-year-old girl again, and imagining being booed off the stage - or worse, running away from sharp oyster shells being thrown at him. To start with I was a bit confused as to why French had put this in, but it actually brings the story together really very well - it links the play with Juliet herself (who may or may not have existed originally) and keeps the narrative flowing into the future. (I think you'll understand what I mean there if you read the book.)

The story itself is actually only about 170 pages long, with the last 30 pages or so dedicated to French's thoughts on the story, and also some history surrounding the time Shakespeare's play was actually written. I found this really fascinating and wonderful to read - I love getting background to old stories, but that may just be the English Literature student in me (she hardly ever gets a chance to play). I think this book would make an excellent companion novel to the play for those still studying it in school - it gives more scope for relating to the characters and seeing their drive. While I love that French has given Juliet a voice and given us some insight into her character, I would also love to see something like this done for Romeo, too.



I received a copy of this book for review from HarperCollins.

You would like this book if: You like Romeo and Juliet and would love to see the tale from a different perspective.

Rating:  8/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

Leave a Comment book review, books

Book Review: as stars fall by Christie Nieman

I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...

goodreads

Title: as stars fall
Author: Christie Nieman
Publication Date: Due out July 1st 2014

Synopsis: "The fire was fast and hot ... only days after it went through, there were absolutely no birds left. I should have seen it as an omen, the birds all leaving like that.
Robin is a self-confessed bird-nerd from the country, living in the city.
On the first day at her new school, she meets Delia. Delia is freaky and definitely not good for Robin's image.
Seth, Delia's brother, has given up school to prowl the city streets. He is angry at everything, especially the fire that killed his mother.
When a rare and endangered bird turns up in the city parklands, the lives of Robin, Seth and Delia become fatefully and dangerously intertwined..."

My thoughts: This book turned up suddenly on my doorstep while I was finishing my final assignment of semester one. I hadn't requested it, but was happy to see such a beautiful cover and promised myself that I would give it a go as soon as my semester was over. I actually can't recall if I kept my promise, but I will say this - thank you so much to the little angel over at Pan Macmillan that sent this my way.

There is so much that I loved in this book. The way each character spoke to and about themselves was different - how the interacted with each other, and how the interacted with grief. Each voice was really distinct and I loved that, given that I've read my fair share of books where the characters all sound the same.
Robin's character is fiery, but confused. She doesn't know what to do now she's in the city and just wants to find a way - any way - back to her former, comfortable life. 
Both Seth and Delia are trying to avoid their grief and anger over their mother's death - they are each just trying to find a way through, and you feel that desperation within them as you read. The emotions are so raw and real that I felt a lot of what these characters felt as things went along. I felt the pain and the confusion, but I also felt the hope for a better way. This is masterful writing.

Another element I adored was introducing the Australian bird life into the character's lives - showing how one creature can bind so many people together and change the way they think. The introduction of the bird also allowed Nieman to explore a little magical realism, which just seemed to fit so seamlessly into the story line.

To begin with, I worried that this story would be too slow for me - it was dealing with a lot of subject matter and seemed to be trying to cram so much into the one story, which is just over 300 pages: quite a feat of determination on the author's part. But somehow it really worked. Everything binds together in such a beautiful way that I had the experience of wanting to begin the book again as soon as I had finished it - just to see if I had missed anything while reading; just to be back in that world. And, the thing is, Christie Nieman managed to get me interested in Australian birds again, and inspired me to look up recordings of the call of the bird in this book. That's no mean feat and shows how passionate she was about her work on this book.

For some people, I fear that this book may come across as a bit stilted and slow at times, but that's okay. I think this book will really reach people that want and need to read it. I highly recommend it, anyway!
(Just as a side note: I have not read a lot of Australian fiction - that is, fiction set in Australia. I've read plenty of fiction by Australian authors. - I actually have come to feel a bit of fear/resentment towards a lot of Australiana and it often makes me switch off immediately. But this book worked its way through and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try Australian fiction again. It is beautiful.)


I received a copy of this book for review from Pan Macmillan.

You would like this book if: you like beautifully written characters; you haven't read much Australian fiction and would like to give some a go.

Rating: 10/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

Leave a Comment book review, books

Book Review: The Caller by Juliet Marillier

I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...

goodreads

Title: The Caller
Author: Juliet Marillier
Series: Shadowfell Trilogy, Book #3

Synopsis: "Neryn has made a long journey to perfect her skills as a Caller.
She has learned the wisdom of water and of earth; she has travelled to remote isles of the west and the forbidding mountains of the north. Now, she must endure Alban's freezing winter to seek the mysterious White Lady, Guardian of Air.
For only when Neryn has been trained by all four Guardians will she be ready to play her role in toppling the tyrannical King Keldec."

My thoughts: Preliminary notes: This is the third book and thus the final book in a trilogy. I will try not to put any spoilers in, but you may get spoiled a little from the blurb anyway.

Reading this book was really difficult to start with. There was so much tension and sadness from the storyline and from things happening in the previous books, and that made it really hard for me to want to keep reading. I just couldn't be sure that the characters I had come to love were going to be okay, as they were dealing with such an awful and (dare I say it) icky situation.

Once I managed to put those reservations aside, though, I really got back into the story. Neryn is such a wonderful main character. She has her issues, she doubts herself, and yet she keeps going. She always tries to do her best even with so much weighed against her. In some ways she seemed quite flat at times (particularly within the first book, actually, which is why I think so many people had trouble getting into the trilogy in the first place), but I think that's the risk you run when you have to hide all of your emotions and reactions for a greater cause.

I will admit to being a huge Marillier fangirl. I love how she introduces the fae into her stories and looks at pagan traditions and things like herbal healing. I love that Neryn knows how to make simple herbal brews to help people sleep or to settle an upset stomach - these are things that I like researching and learning about, and so it is so lovely seeing them in books. I always feel such connection to Marillier's characters and, while I was initially a little disconnected from the characters in this trilogy, I ended up finding my love for them by the end as always.

For those thinking about reading this book, I definitely recommend reading them in order (Shadowfell is book one, followed by Raven Flight).

I received a copy of this book for review from Pan Macmillan.

You would like this book if: you like Juliet Marillier; you like books with a gentle touch of fantasy mixed with herbal awesomeness.

Rating:  9/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

Leave a Comment book review, books

{2014} May Reading

Books bought:
~ American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
~ Saga vol.1, 2, and 3
~ Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
~ Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Books received:
~ Zita the Spacegirl, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, and The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke (received from First Second Books)
~ Demon Child by Kylie Chan (received from HarperCollins)
~ The Caller by Juliet Marillier (received from Pan Macmillan)

Books read:
~ Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
~ Toyo by Lily Chan
~ Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
~ Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin
~ The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim
~ Saga volume one, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
~ Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
~ Demon Child by Kylie Chan
~ Saga volume two
~ Saga volume three
~ Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
~ Zita the Spacegirl
~ Legends of Zita the Spacegirl
~ The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
~ High School Debut (omnibus edition vol 1-3) by Kazune Kawahara
~ The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
~ Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
~ Sabriel by Garth Nix

Phew! I threw myself into reading this month and made the decision at the start of the month to get through some things that had been sitting on my shelf for some time. To be honest, there were quite a few books that I started this month and then abandoned - all of them from my shelves. I finally got around to reading some stuff that was sitting there, and realised I didn't like them... so they were donated to an op shop so they can head to a new home where they will be loved.

This month seems to have had about three different themes - books on my shelf that needed to be read, graphic novels, and contemporary young adult fiction. Quite a spread, really, and I really enjoyed a lot of it! I know that sometimes people have issues with contemporary YA - it can be quite samey sometimes. But that is exactly what I was craving towards the end of the month. I had heard a few booktubers talking about Sarah Dessen and decided to give her a go, and I was glad I did. Along for the Ride and Just Listen were precisely the gentle but engrossing fiction I needed to balance against all the graphic novels, and the small amount of fantasy that snuck in this month.

I absolutely adore Saga and every chapter surprises me and makes me want more - I've started raving about it to anyone who will listen. I've already gotten Xin to read it and have now lent it to my brother. Honestly, if you like fantasy graphic novels with a little bit of violence and some crazy adult themes, with awesome characters and an amazing plot line, definitely give Saga a go. I can't wait for volume four.

I am still working on the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix - I'm reading them with my friend Katharine so we can be prepared for the fourth book this year. I'm also working on The Caller by Juliet Marillier, so keep an eye out for a review soon! What are you reading?

2 comments book review, books

weekly glimpse #20

delicious noms for breakfast this morning :)

currently reading: Lirael by Garth Nix, The Caller by Juliet Marillier, and The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte. All good reading!

listening to: I bought a few new CDs the other day, so Bernard Fanning and Hugh Laurie predominantly...

watching: The Secret Life of Plants by David Attenborough. Lord, do I love that man.

food: super varied, but I still prefer Japanese food over much else... aside from chocolate. I am eating too much chocolate...

drinking: water, juice, coconut water, df hot chocolate (the Oxfam one is AMAZING), teaaaaa.

writing?: I am taking a bit of a hiatus from writing my own creative work for now. I don't know how long that will last, though I suspect until the end of the next week (last week of semester for me).

general...

the hard

: pain coming back in. a breath for trying to find the strength to pick myself back up and find a new path.

: a few people I am close to going through hardships and loss, and trying to assist but then giving too much of myself and not listening to my body.

: crashing hard with my CFS on Thursday, then ignoring it on Friday and going out again (groceries), then crashing again on Friday evening. Then this weekend hit. A breath for not listening when your body is screaming at you.

the good

: lots of time with Bronte and with Xin. deepening connections and thriving from them.

: reading and being able to sink my teeth into good books again.

: further to point two, planning and scheming with a friend who is as bookish as myself about attending conventions, chatting about the Hugo awards, and even touching on awesome boardgames (slightly separate, but connected). joy.

: despite feeling horrid, I still feel like there's a huge change going on with me. and I am trying not to run towards it, but enjoy the whole process - even if it is really hard at times.

: letting go of many things that I no longer needed, including expectations of myself that turned out not to be my own.

what i want from this week...
~ ease. exploring the breath.
~ relearning how to work/study. exploring the idea of 'work smart, not hard' and not slipping into expecting myself to be working all the time.
~ rediscovering the joy of being myself and announcing my intention rather than confusing myself and those around me.

(update from last week: I wanted 'releasing and allowing', 'complete!', and 'joy in the process'. I feel like many of these things happening, but I'm definitely still learning how to revel in the power of the last one. Onwards!)

mantra? how can I make this more glow-filled?

Leave a Comment thoughts, updates, week end week begin