Book Chick City: December 2009

December in Review & Year in Review '09

Thursday, December 31, 2009 | Posted by Book Chick City |

Wow, I can't believe it's the end of 2009... It really feels as though it should still be summer, but Christmas and New Year has come and gone and I'm welcoming in 2010. This year should be good. I have seen the future and the future looks bright... for books that is (as mentioned in my Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads & YA Reads 2010).

December was a good month. I received some great books to review and interviewed some seriously lovely authors. I also had my Christmas Week event which was fun (more about that below).

December was also the month of 'Reading Challenges'. I have again signed up for far too many, even though I failed to complete most I joined in 2009... Oops, but I just can't resist the new shiny buttons! I am also hosting four of my own in 2010: Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010, The Typically British Challenge 2010, The Anita Blake Challenge (with the chance to win the entire series) and Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010. Hopefully I will do better this year than I did in 2009! If you would like to see my progress on all my challenges either hit the Challenges button on the navi bar or go here.

I also went to see one of the most anticipated movies of the year: Avatar. What can I say... BRILLIANT! It's a film that blends amazing, jaw dropping, seamless graphics with a moving storyline. The music is pretty good too. I'm sure you all remember Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg), which was released in 1993. This was one of the first films to use a high proportion of CGI and I can honestly say that seeing those dinosaurs looking so alive brought a tear to my eye. The graphics in Avatar, although far superior, did not affect me in this way, but they are awesome all the same. Especially the animation of people (well Avatars). The body movement and facial expressions are just getting better and better. If you haven't seen this movie yet I recommend you do, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Okay, onto BCC news:

• December 19th was the beginning of my first 'Christmas Week' event. It was really fun and I had some lovely guests. I will be doing the same next year but a few things will probably change including the title. Christmas Week is a little boring don't you think? ;) I had the pleasure of welcoming the following guests - please click the link to read their posts:

• Pat from Peace Love & Pat wrote a post about her Christmas memories

• Author Penny Watson shared her Christmas tradition of making gingerbread houses

• Heather from Book Obsessed wrote a heart-felt post about the gift of friendship

A special thanks to KMont who designed the button for Christmas Week. She has kindly agreed to design my All Hallow's Eve event poster/button for 2010 as well, can't wait! :)

• New Blogs on the Block, a feature I introduced in November, has had a lot of interest, much more than I anticipated. Everyone who has emailed me will be featured, but it's on a 'first come first served' basis so you may not be up for a while. December's featured blogs were:

• Elie from EllzReadz

• Jackie from Book Whisperer

• BCC received a few blog awards during December too from the lovely blogs below. Thanks so much for thinking of me, it really is nice of you :)

• Ya_RockStarlette for the Kick-Ass Blog Award

• Miss Cindy from Simple Life & Reading & Jamie from Confessions of a Book Junkie for the Lovely Blog Award

• Cheeky Reads and TheKams for the Honest Scrap Award

• Charlotte from The Book on the Hill for the I Adore Your Blog Award

• Helen's Book Blog for the Over the Top Award

Click HERE to see all awards.

Books Reviewed:

• I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas by Adam Roberts

• Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson

• Fallen by Lauren Kate

• Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

• Red Claw by Philip Palmer

• Can't Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards (Guest Review @ Smexy Books)

Authors Interviewed/Guest Posts:

• Lauren Kate

• Mary Naylus

• Cynthia Vespia: A Note On Characterisation

• At the end of November I ran a survey, which was really interesting. If you would like to see the results of the survey, which I posted at the beginning of December, then you can do so HERE.

I began blogging at the beginning of July and It's been an amazing six months. So I thought I would mention a few of the things that I am particularly proud of:

July:

• Launch of Book Chick City

• First author interview: Jane Davis

• Received first book for review from publisher: Angels of Destruction by Keith Donohue (Jonathan Cape)

• Book Signing: Meeting Conrad Williams (horror writer)

August:

• BBAW Best New Blog nomination: I didn't get shortlisted but I was amazed that after just two months of blogging I was actually nominated. A big highlight.

Sept:

• Book Bloggers Appreciation Week (BBAW) - Read my end of BBAW post

Oct:

• Launch of new blog design for Book Chick City

• My first All Hallow's Eve event, which was so much fun!

Nov:

• Introduction of On My Wishlist

• Introduction of New Blogs on the Block

Dec:

• Being voted 6th in Best Blogs 2009 hosted by Natalie from Mindful Musings

• My first Christmas Week event

• Hosting my own 'Reading Challenges'

Random Stats

• I have over 500 blog followers, nearly 1200 twitter followers and have had over 44,000 visitors from 100 different countries (top 10 being, 1. USA, 2. UK, 3. Canada, 4. Australia, 5. Germany, 6. Netherlands, 7. Philippines, 8. Spain, 9. France, 10. New Zealand) since July 2009.

• I've written 288 posts and had 3884 comments.

• I've posted 43 reviews and conducted 25 author interviews

• I've held 26 contests (17 being worldwide). Top three most popular: 1. Christmas Giveaway '09 with 174 entries, 2. Fallen by Lauren Kate with 147 entries and 3. BBAW Giveaway - The Hunger Games & Catching Fire with 144 entries .

• My most popular posts: Freeloaders? I Don't Think So! and To eRead or not to eRead?

Fav Bloggers:

I have come across some really amazing bloggers - I twitter with them and visit their blogs regularly. Here are five of my favourites.

• Smexy Books - for her funny outgoing manner, who I envy terribly. Mandi is so relaxed in the way she writes it's a pleasure to read. If you haven't stopped by her blog then make a new years resolution to do so.

• Nextread - Gav has a lot of interesting things to say on his blog and I've found many books when stopping by his blog. I twitter with him regularly and he seems such a cool guy.

• Speculative Horizons - I've only just found James's blog but I love it already. It's my place to go for Sci-Fi reads and I just love his reviews. He has a wicked sense of humour that just has me chuckling to myself.

• Wondrous Reads - What's not to like about Jenny's blog... I stop by on a daily basis to get my YA fix. She's a really sweet girl and I love how she runs her blog. And she's also a fellow Brit chick ;)

• J Kaye's Book Blog - I'm sure you all know J Kaye but I wanted to mention her because basically I think she's great. She has a top notch blog and she is just so friendly. Whenever I emailed her with a problem when I was starting out she always emailed me back with the answers to my questions. Such a super chick :)

There are so many other blogs I have found this year, which I visit on a regular basis, (you just have to look at my blogroll), that I can't possibly list them all here, but they are all brill :)

New Year Resolutions:

I always make new year resolutions. I don't always keep them, but I always make them and spend my year trying to achieve them. For 2010 I am now adding blogging resolutions to the list, and they are: to read more, review more, comment more and write more discussion posts, but I'm crap at finding topics, so I will do my best :)

I would really love to read at least 3-4 books per week and have the same amount of reviews, at the moment I am two books/reviews per week. I also want to try and comment on other blogs a bit more. As my blog has grown it has become increasingly more difficult to comment on every blog regularly, but I will always try...

And finally - I have had such an amazing time blogging and I've 'met' some really wonderful people. Thanks so much to all of you who come by to read my blog, join in with comments, sign up for my challenges and enter the contests, you are all truly super duper! Here's to 2010 and another great blogging year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

17 comments |

BCC's Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads 2010

Thursday, December 31, 2009 | Posted by Book Chick City |

Edit Post

So, I have posted my Top Ten Reads '09, Top Ten Covers '09 and Top Ten Most Anticipated YA Reads '10. Now for my Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads 2010. There are many... I was going to post my top twenty but then I thought that was too many and to keep in with the theme I narrowed it down to ten. It was very difficult. I thought 2009 was a great book year, but it looks as though 2010 is going to be even better.

So, without further ado, here is my top ten most anticipated reads of 2010:

1. Mr Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: Jan 2010

Summary:

It is the time of the Great Depression. The dustbowl has turned the western skies red and thousands leave their homes seeking a better life. Marcus Connelly seeks not a new life, but a death - a death for the mysterious scarred man who murdered his daughter. And soon he learns that he is not alone. Countless others have lost someone to the scarred man. They band together to track him, but as they get closer, Connelly begins to suspect that the man they are hunting is more than human. As the pursuit becomes increasingly desperate, Connelly must decide just how much he is willing to sacrifice to get his revenge.

2. Feed: The Newsflesh Trilogy (Bk 1) by Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: May 2010

Summary:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

3. Dead Streets by Tim Waggoner

Publisher: Angry Robot Books

Release Date: March 2010

Summary:

Meet Matt Richter. Private Eye. Zombie. His mean streets are the city of the dead, the shadowy realm known as Nekropolis. Book two of the Nekropolis series sends Matt Richter out on another deathly adventure. More pulp than Pulp Fiction, more butt-kicking than Buffy, Dead Streets is the second in this deathly new series.

4. The Orphaned Worlds by Michael Cobley

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: April 2010

Summary:

Darien is no longer a lost outpost of humanity, but the prize in an intergalactic power struggle. Hegemony forces have a stranglehold over the planet and Earth watches, immobilised by galactic politics. But its Darien ambassador will become a player in a greater conflict. An ancient Uvovo temple hides access to a hyperspace prison, housing the greatest threat sentient life has known. Millennia ago, malignant intelligences were caged there following a great war. And their escape is near. However, Darien’s guardians have gathered resistance on the planet’s forest moon. The galaxy depends on the Uvovo reclaiming their past – and humanity must safeguard its future. For a new war is coming.

5. Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Publisher: New American Library

Release Date: 6 July 2010

Summary:

Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission. Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.

6. Horns by Joe Hill

Publisher: Gollancz

Release Date: Feb 2010

Summary:

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with one hell of a hangover, a raging headache... and a pair of horns growing from his temples. Once, Ig lived the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned American musician, and the younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, Ig had security and wealth and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more - he had the love of Merrin Williams, a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic. Then beautiful, vivacious Merrin was gone - raped and murdered, under inexplicable circumstances - with Ig the only suspect. He was never tried for the crime, but in the court of public opinion, Ig was and always would be guilty. Now Ig is possessed with a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look, and he means to use it to find the man who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge; it's time the devil had his due.

7. Ghosts of Manhatten by George Mann

Publisher: Pyr

Release Date: April 2010

Summary:

1926. New York. The Roaring Twenties. Jazz. Flappers. Prohibition. Coal-powered cars. A cold war with a British Empire that still covers half of the globe. Yet things have developed differently to established history. America is in the midst of a cold war with a British Empire that has only just buried Queen Victoria, her life artificially preserved to the age of 107. Coal-powered cars roar along roads thick with pedestrians, biplanes take off from standing with primitive rocket boosters, and monsters lurk behind closed doors and around every corner. This is a time in need of heroes. It is a time for The Ghost. A series of targeted murders are occurring all over the city, the victims found with ancient Roman coins placed on their eyelids after death. The trail appears to lead to a group of Italian American gangsters and their boss, who the mobsters have dubbed "The Roman." However, as The Ghost soon discovers, there is more to The Roman than at first appears, and more bizarre happenings that he soon links to the man, including moss-golems posing as mobsters and a plot to bring an ancient pagan god into the physical world in a cavern beneath the city. As The Ghost draws nearer to The Roman and the center of his dangerous web, he must battle with foes both physical and supernatural and call on help from the most unexpected of quarters if he is to stop The Roman and halt the imminent destruction of the city.

8. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Release Date: May 2010

Summary:

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many false claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch, freewheeling Debunker, and ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for nailing human liars and banishing the wicked dead. But she’s keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that’s landed her in hot and dangerous water. Chess owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

9. Black and White by Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kitteridge

Publisher: Piatkus

Release Date: Jan 2010

Summary:

Jet, the darling good girl of the city, uses her shadow-power to battle the forces of evil. Iridium is her former best friend; able to wield the power of light, she trained as a hero only to become one of the most infamous villains in the city – for what she feels are truly heroic reasons. Alternating between the present-day threat and their past exploits as friends – and later rivals – at the Superhero Academy, the novel brings these two women to vivid life, portraying the complexities of being a true hero in a world determined to categorise you in a neat box of good or evil – black or white.

10. A License to Steal by Samantha Graves

Publisher: Piatkus

Release Date: May 2010

Summary:

Can an art thief earn an honest living? Raven Callahan does, with the help of a rare psychic power that lets her read the emotions locked inside ancient objects. But when her partner is kidnapped, Raven is forced to steal a priceless masterpiece to save him. Ex-cop Dax Maddox made just one mistake on the job, but it took a young rookie’s life and cost Dax his ability to see colour. Now stalking a killer brings Raven into his life – and floods his grey world with vivid and conflicting emotions: anger and lust, suspicion and awe. Are the criminals they seek one and the same?

What are your most anticipated reads of 2010?