Update !

Ok... so maybe I didn't quite realise the task I was taking on.

 

                          There are currently 238 teenage books on the shelf.

               There are currently 344 days left this year.

That means that, on average I would have to read a book every 1.44 days if I was going to read them all.... not to mention the ones on my 'to read' list.

So far, my 'Teenage books read this year list' equals 0. I have been off work poorly for a little while and so have watched more trashy TV than I care to mention rather than snuggling up with a book in front of the fire, which is what would really make a snowy evening complete.

 

Hmmm... well.... where to go from here. I will continue with my quest (which is I'm sure impossible at this stage) and enjoy reading a mixture of teenage novels.

 

I am currently reading ' Rebecca's Rules' by Anna Carey which is actually the sort of light relief I need at the moment!

 

I will attempt to keep you updated with my Library Literature challenge.

 

Til then!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year blog readers!

I can honestly say that this year has been one of my busiest (hence the lack of blog posts). The year began with my final year of uni and I got my first full time job working as a library assistant. I also turned 21, completed my degree, got engaged, moved out of the family home (for the first time) and passed my driving test (after learning to drive for what seems like forever). Despite all these exciting and happy times, something awful happened this year. Over the summer, my grandad passed away. He wasn't an old grandad, he wasn't an ill grandad, shockingly he was diagnosed with cancer and a week later he died. It came as a shock to everyone and it still surprises me in a morning when I remember he's not here anymore.

I know for a fact (and I also know how cliché this sounds) that my grandad would be so proud of everything I have achieved this year. He was so eager for me to pass my driving test and so excited about my graduation and although he didn't get to see either of those things I know that he would be over the moon.

So, this year, one of my resolutions is to appreciate what I have. My mum and my brother were both so supportive during my stressful time at uni and I can only hope that I can support them just as much. My mum is studying with the Open University while holding down a full time job and running the family home and my brother is currently at college and also learning to drive (he is already a better driver than me!).

My wonderful fiancé is well... wonderful (although don't tell him I said that) and we live in a little cottage/library in a little town and he lets me drive his car. We are planning a small scale but ridiculously fabulous wedding for next year so that is REALLY exciting!  I could go on and on about my lovely friends my sometimes lovely job etc but I need to get down to the bit about the books.

While my New Year's resolution involves being cheerful and loving towards those I care about, my New Year's 'Challenge' relates to this blog. I have neglected this blog and those wonderful people who read my ramblings and so I have set myself the following challenge:-

By this time next year I will have:-

Read the pile of books stacked next to my bed.

Read the books currently on my library card (that have been renewed so many times I've lost count)

AND

(here's the bit I think you might find awesomely amazing- or not)

Read the entire collection of teenage stock at my local library!

Now ... Brierfield isn't the biggest library so there aren't thousands and there could be difficulties due to stock rotation, new stock and borrower's... well... borrowing things but I'm determined to give it a go.

I just wondered if anyone else would like to join me in the challenge? I thought it would give me the opportunity to read a variety of new things and also check out any stock gaps (which is sort of part of my job).

So wish me luck on the 2013 Library Literature challenge!

And have a wonderful and exciting New Year filled with wonderful and exciting things!

 

Om Shanti, Babe review

Title: Om Shanti, Babe

 

Author: Helen Limon

Release date: 6^th September 2012

 

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Cassia can't wait for her first visit to India - Bollywood glamour, new friends to admire her uber-cool street-dance moves….

 

But as she steps into real Indian life, NOTHING is as she expected...

Cass is with her mum in Kerala, on a buying trip for their Fair Trade craft shop, and everything seems to be going wrong. There's Mum's new romance with "call-me-V" Mr Chaudury for a start, her own prickly stand-off with pretty, fashion-mad Priyanka, and the devastating news that her mum's business may be on the rocks. But then pop idol Jonny Gold arrives at the beach to promote his new song, Om Shanti Babe, sparking a mystery, new friendships and a race to save the mangrove swamps...

Fizzing with energy, and laugh-out-loud funny, this is a roller-coaster journey of discovery, which also has an exciting environmental twist - all against the backdrop of beautiful Kerala. 

Cass and her mum, Loopy Lu, go to India to get resources for their Fair Trade craft shop. While there they find out something worrying about the beautiful Kerala beach which is under attack from developers. Can Cass and her new found friends do anything to help?

I really enjoyed this book as every sentence is jam-packed full of detail and events. Each chapter reveals something new about one of the characters and develops the plot with exciting twists and turns.

Cassie starts off the novel as a selfish character who has fallen out with her friends back home and hopes to find solace in India. Things there are far from simple as Cass struggles to win over her the girl she is sharing a room with and her mum only has eyes for ‘Call me V’!  

However, as the novel develops, so does Cassia’s character and I think that’s what made this novel so pleasurable – Cassia develops along with the plot. The elaborate descriptions and fabulous friendships that Cass makes allowed me to become engrossed in the novel and gave it a feel-good quality.

The Indian culture and its spirituality is explored in great depth. Cassia asks the Tiger Goddess for help with her problems and even the title of the book suggests a message to the reader. ‘Om is the sound of the universe and Shanti means peace. It can be said as a way of wishing well to someone you care about’ (p.163). It felt like the novel offered moral and ethical messages to the reader throughout but in a really peaceful way rather than a patronising way.

I would definitely recommend this novel as it is so well written. Helen Limon beautifully captures the Indian atmosphere and the novel is quite a moralistic tale, celebrating the different qualities of the characters as well as the amazing natural landscape. Within the pages of the book, Limon interweaved a brilliant plot with inventive characters and meaningful messages about society and the environment. A must read for anyone who wants to enjoy something light and fun.

4.5/5 A really lovely, beautiful tale.

 With special thanks to Frances Lincoln for sending me a copy of the book.

Marco Moonwalker Review

The nights are getting darker, the hot chocolates are made and the comfy slippers are on... so let me share a silly little story with you about a dancing bear.

Title: Marco Moonwalker

Author: Gerry Boland

Release Date: 27^th August 2012

Publisher: O’Brien Press Ltd

 

Marco – an even more

Remarkable Grizzly Bear

After escaping from the zoo and coming to live with Patrick and his mum, Marco proves to have many talents. Now Patrick discovers that Marco is also a musical genius – he can play the trombone, banjo and even dance like Michael Jackson! ‘Let’s start a band’, Patrick says, and Marco becomes a STAR. Then disaster strikes. He is spotted without his mask and brought back to the zoo. How will Patrick and Mum get him out again?

Marco is a musically talented grizzly bear. However, when someone discovers that he is the mystery third member of the 3Ms, Marco is hastily returned to the zoo. Luckily, Patrick’s mum has a great idea to make sure he doesn’t have to stay...

This delightful little tale is perfect to share with someone younger on a cold winter night. It is the perfect length to keep little minds interested with enough humour to entertain any adult.  The illustrations are brilliant and Marco is a captivating character. Filled with scheming and daft ideas, this book will make people of all ages laugh out loud.

 

5/5 A funny tale with fab illustrations.

 

With special thanks to O'Brien for sending me a copy of the book.

THE TRUE TALE OF THE MONSTER Billy DEAN Review

Title: THE TRUE TALE OF THE MONSTER Billy DEAN telt by hisself

Author: David Almond

Release Date: 5^th July 2012

Publisher: Penguin

 

I WOS A SECRIT SHY AND TUNGTIED EMPTY HEDED THING.

 

I WAS TORT TO READ and rite and spell by my Tenda little Muther & by MR McCaufrey the butcha & by MISSUS MALONE AND HER GOSTS. SO I AM NOT CLEVA, SO PLEASE FORGIV MY FOLTS AND MY MISTAYKS.

 

 

I AM THE WON that GLARES INTO YOUR HARTS & THAT PROWLS INSYDE YOR DEEPIST DREMES.

 

WONCE I WAS THE ANJEL CHILDE.

NOW I AM THE MONSTER.

JUST READ AND LISSEN AND TAKE NOTE.

LET the words enter yor BLUD & BOANS.

 

I AM BILLY DEAN.

THIS IS THE TRUTH.

THIS IS MY TALE.

 

The amazing and astounding Billy Dean, brought up in a small room in the town of Blinkbonny by his aggressive father and his meek mother is finally introduced into the world in this unusual account.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and although it didn’t appear something I would enjoy, I thought I would give it a go. How I wish I hadn’t! While I understand the beauty within a novel such as this one and I don’t doubt that many readers will find it profound and intriguing, I did not. Some readers might enjoy reading about the dissection of a dead mouse or the neglect of a small boy but I am not one of those people. Although I prefer a good laugh out loud novel, I appreciate and have been known to enjoy a few thrillers and tear-jerkers but maybe my tiny little brain couldn’t comprehend the enormity of the message within the novel as I just ‘didn’t get it’.  
 

Written from the point of view of Billy, the narrative followed his train of thought and many words were spelt phonetically. I found this surprisingly easy to follow and it definitely created Billy’s character. There are some brilliant characters in the book and my favourite one was Missus Malone who seemed a cross between a pantomime baddie and a pantomime dame, melodramatic and over the top but with a tragic story of her own.

The plot lifted off about a third of the way in but up until that point, the limits of Billy’s surroundings meant that the reader was offered the strange musings in his head rather than much story. When Billy does venture into the outside world, his description of the landscape was poetic and I enjoyed this much more than his troubled thoughts. However, this didn’t lift the mood of the book enough and I felt it was all just a bit slow and strange.

I decided to persevere with the novel as it had been recommended but I must admit, I felt I was wading through mud at times. There isn’t a proper climax at the end of the novel, more of a collection of events that happen. Having read other reviews of this book, there are a variety of responses so I wouldn’t dissuade people from reading this book but it really wasn’t my cup of tea.

2.5/5 I hated it but you might not.

The Traitors Review

Title: The Traitors

Author: Tom Becker

Release Date: 5^th April 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Dear Adam Wilson,

Agents from the Dial are on their way to collect you. Make your farewells now, as you will not be seeing anyone you care about for a long time. Such are the consequences of treachery.

If you feel you are being unjustly treated, show someone this letter – a family member, perhaps, or a figure of authority. Tell them that you are innocent, and that you deserve their assistance.

But you won’t tell anyone, will you? You’re too guilty and ashamed. We know it and we’re coming for you.

Regards,

Mr Cooper

(CHIEF WARDER, THE DIAL)

Adam hears voices through the radio and receives a strange letter calling him ‘traitor’. But who are they and what exactly are they accusing him of? When they come for him and take him to the mysterious Dial, Adam struggles to believe what is happening. His life on the Dial is challenging and surreal, can he ever escape?

I didn’t know what to expect from this novel as the books in Tom Becker’s Darkside series were brilliant (if you haven’t read them already I definitely suggest giving them a go – they are pure genius!).  While the colourful array of characters with occasional unusual names didn’t disappoint, I felt that the imagination of the Dial was let down by the plot.

The Dial itself is a prison and Becker provides blueprints on the introductory pages which assist in creating the bigger picture of the novel. However, unlike with many novels which offer an illustration of the world which has been created, I found that I didn’t need to keep referring to the map to visualise the Dial, such is the skill of Becker’s description.  

The characters were believable and I really felt for Jessica and Adam, despite the fact that they are traitors. My favourite character had to be the Commandant as I found him really intriguing and he offered something unusual at the end of the tale.  Although I don’t think that this book will ever stop people from betraying one another (I don’t think that Becker intended it to do this either), I did find that it made me think about the consequences of betrayal - not that I’m concerned about being sent to the Dial or anything  :/

Becker’s Dial was an imaginative idea and the characters were multi-dimensional and interesting. I just felt that the narrative didn’t support the world Becker had created for it. Whereas the Darkside series utilised a brilliant world with a fantastic plot and colourful characters, The Traitors didn’t quite bring all the elements together as successfully as I expected from Becker.

3.5/5 Maybe too much imagination for the limits of the novel.

When I was Joe Review

With the release of Another Life on 6^th September I wanted to read When I was Joe which has been on my ‘to read’ list since its release! When I was Joe won the Lancashire Book of the Year award in 2011 and I am pleased to say, it did not disappoint!

Title: When I was Joe

Author: Keren David

Release date: 7^th January 2010

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

It’s one thing watching someone get killed. It’s quite another talking about it.

But Ty does talk about it. He names some ruthless people and a petrol-bomb attack forces him and his mum into hiding under police protection.

Shy loser Ty gets a new name, a new look and a cool new image. Life as Joe is good. But the gangsters will stop at nothing to silence him. And then he meets a girl with a dangerous secret of her own.

Ty has witnessed something awful. When he tells the police, things only becomes more horrific as he and his mum have to go into witness protection after his life is threatened. Becoming Joe is strange and Ty’s mum is struggling to deal with their new life. But Ty finds he quite likes being popular Joe.

However, how long can Ty’s perfect life as Joe last when he can’t control his temper and how long will it be before the gangsters track him down?

I really really enjoyed this book. It offers comedy in the form of Ty’s humour and his mum’s young behaviour (I literally laughed out loud when she texted him with ‘wtf’). However, the book has a very serious back bone and I became emotionally involved with Ty and his ‘friend’ Claire. What Ty and his mum go through is truly awful. Not only are they constantly surrounded by the threat of violence from those Ty has accused but their everyday world is turned upside down too.

 Ty’s mum is studying for a degree with the Open University and doesn’t know if her credits can be transferred now that she has a new name. I know how hard my mum is working for her own Open University degree and something as simple as this revealed a new sense of the day to day difficulties of becoming someone else.  It was these little details that made the story totally believable and immersed me in the narrative.

Ty/Joe is a brilliant character. He attempts to withdraw himself emotionally from what is happening but finds that his emotions vent themselves in other ways. Keren David has created a character with lots of depth and I actually felt like I was delving into the mind of a teenage boy.

The reader is drip fed details of the crime that Ty witnessed and this made me want to continue reading to find out what had happened. Throughout the book I came to different conclusions as to what had happened and all were wrong! David’s withholding of information also offers different dimensions to Ty’s character as it is gradually revealed the extent of Ty’s involvement in the crime.

I’ve ordered a copy of Almost True (the second book in this series) from my local library and the first chapter was included at the back of this book but I didn’t want to get hooked before my copy came! An absolutely fantastic book, suitable for anyone who likes brilliant YA literature.

5/5 Give it a go if you haven’t already!