Book Chick City: August 2010

'Books We Love' with TJ from Dreams and Speculation

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

Books We Love is a regular fortnightly feature here at Book Chick City. It's where we discuss our favourite books; the books we absolutely adore, would recommend over and over again, and will keep forever on our bookshelves. I hope you enjoy and find some new-to-you authors and books to read. You can view the full schedule HERE.

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My guest today is TJ, the chick behind the fab blog, Dreams and Speculation. You may also know TJ from her previously named blog Book Love Affair, but recently she had a name and design make-over and I think they both sound and look fab!

I enjoy TJ's blog as she reads the kinds of books I don't - High Fantasy is a genre I would love to get into, but the complex world-building and, more often than not when dealing with HF, the 600+ pages, always makes me put these books on the back burner. And if I decide not to read them at least I can read the very well thought out and in-depth reviews by TJ to let me know if the book is worth the time or not.

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Thank you, Carolyn, for giving me the chance to put some of my favorite books out there to your readers! But I have to say, there is nothing quite as hard as choosing just a few books to recommend. I want to make huge lists with genre-specific notes: "If you like literary fiction, you must read Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. Or do you prefer awesome science fiction? Then you must go to Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness! Urban fantasy? Easy! Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue or Stacia Kane's Unholy Ghosts are both gritty and made of awesome..."

Well, after a lot of consideration, I decided to narrow it down to three books.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler is considered a "classic" science fiction writer for a reason. If you read her Kindred then you can see why. She's incredibly sensitive to the issues she wants to write about (in this case, the treatment of women and the effects of slavery) and makes it so easy to access that even a person who hates science fiction would probably enjoy the story. It's a rollercoaster of a ride from beginning to end, but the most thoughtful and beautiful rollercoaster you can imagine.

Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi

I suspect almost every fan of science fiction has heard the incredible buzz that has followed Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl. However, his short story collection has gone a little under the radar. It's titled Pump Six and Other Stories and is just incredible. It's sort of like Ray Bradbury if he were incredibly depressed and on crack. In other words: amazing. Now, the hardcover copies have gone out of print, but in December the book will be re-released in paperback. Until then, I advise getting a taste of the awesomeness of Bacigalupi's short fiction by heading to his website and sampling the stories he has up for free. I especially recommend "The People of Sand and Slag" and "The Fluted Girl," because both are utterly creepy and powerful. The rest of the book is just as good, too!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I was a little torn about whether I should put Cashore's Fire or Graceling up as my recommendation. They're both fantastic, but I decided to go with Graceling because I think that it's better to read it first, before Fire. Anyway, what Cashore has going for her is that she creates female protagonists with unconventional views of marriage and family. Not only that, but each protagonist is incredibly consistent in her beliefs and just wonderfully developed. Cashore is one of the reasons that I could never give up reading young adult books.

I hope that I've intrigued a few of you with these excellent authors and titles!

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Thanks TJ!

Visit TJ's BLOG, chat to her on TWITTER & FACEBOOK or check out her bookshelves on GOODREADS

Labels: Books We Love |

8 comments |

BOOK REVIEW: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Monday, August 30, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic #6)

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Bantam Press

Publication Date: Sept 2010

ARC: 392 pages

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit

Source: Review Copy

Reviewed by: Carolyn

RATING: 7/10 - very good, would definitely recommend

PRESS RELEASE:

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true - a shopping friend for life! But two-year-old Minnie has quite a different approach to shopping. Cue havoc in the toy department at Harrods and a spectacular performance at her own christening, a near disaster when Minnie starts bidding on eBay and the discovery that her penchant for Balenciaga handbags might be just as bad as her mother's.

On top of this, Becky and her husband, Luke, are still living with her mum and dad, there's a financial crisis so everyone's having to cut back, including all her personal shopping clients, and Luke is feeling low after the dead of his beloved stepmother. So Becky hatches a plan to surprise him and that's when things get really complicated. Becky tries to keep her plan to herself but soon she's told so many fibs even she can't keep track of them.

REVIEW:

I don't usually read books in this genre any more, but I will always make an exception for Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. I adore Becky Bloomwood. She's a character I find hard not to like with her scatty personality and her inability to walk by a designer store without making a purchase. It was this aspect to Becky's character that made me pick up the first book in this series, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, as I could identify well (a bit too well!) with Becky and her retail therapy issues. It also cemented Becky as one of my favourite characters.

"Mini Shopaholic" is basically in the same format as the other books in the series: Becky using every excuse in the book to keep shopping and up to her elbows in secrets, and fighting to keep those secrets from coming out, but of course everything goes horribly wrong.

In this instalment we see Becky as a mother, raising her two year old daughter, Minnie, who is slightly wayward and becoming too fond of materialistic items like her mummy, with her husband, Luke. Becky is still the same fun, vivid character but motherhood has not helped her become more economical. In fact, she now has excuses to shop more by buying items for Minnie. Some of the scenarios are just so funny they had me giggling out loud. Minnie is cute as a button and Luke is as patient as always.

Becky is also trying to plan a surprise birthday party for Luke, without spending any money...which of course leads to complete fiasco and a book which reads like a screwball comedy. There are many more humourous situations and a strew of events that had me shaking my head with affectionate disbelief at what Becky was saying and doing. There's also the usual great dialogue and prose, which is incredibly smooth making "Mini Shopaholic" a very easy, fast read.

VERDICT:

"Mini Shopaholic" is a wonderful escape from real life and a total roller coaster ride - this book is never dull, and although it occasionally borders on the ridiculous, I just can't help but love it!

There is nothing new here - we have seen it all before in previous books - but I didn't mind, it was like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers and it felt great. I love Becky Bloomwood with all her manic, self-destructive quirks. Sophie Kinsella is still at the top of her game and for me still the best in the genre.

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Labels: 7/10 Rating, Authors I-L, Book Reviews, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Sophie Kinsella |

10 comments |

This week on BCC...

Sunday, August 29, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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I'm Baaack!!! Thank you again for all the get well wishes - it's been a difficult few weeks but I'm now on the mend and able to get back to some sense of normality. So, I will be blogging and tweeting again to nearly full capacity. I've missed it all so much and look forward to getting on with things again. So, I will now get on with...

This week on Book Chick City...

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On Monday, I will be reviewing Mini Shopaholic, the new book in the 'Shopaholic' series by Sophie Kinsella. I don't usually read within this genre any more, but I can't resist Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood)!!

On Tuesday, TJ from Dreams and Speculation will be stopping by to talk about her favourite books in my fortnightly feature, 'Books We Love'.

On Wednesday, I will be officially announcing the very exciting Crescendo UK Blog Tour, with yours truly kicking things off on the 29th Sept, so make sure you stop by to see all the info!

On Thursday, my guest for my weekly feature 'Where Stories Are Made' is the lovely paranormal romance author, Anya Bast - *loving* this cover!

Friday, Laura will be reviewing
Warrior (The Blades of the Rose #1)
by Zoe Archer. (Another fab cover!)

Saturday's 'On My Wishlist' will be posted as usual - you are welcome to join in, just stop by and add your direct url to Mr Linky. Click here for more info.

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So, that's all folks! Hope you all have a fantastic week! xoxo

Labels: This week on BCC |

7 comments |

'The Blogger's Bookshelf' featuring Lori from Escape Between the Pages

Sunday, August 29, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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The Blogger's Bookshelf is a regular fortnightly feature here at Book Chick City. It's where we get to tour each others bookshelves... and drool a little ;) I can't help but love these kind of posts, being kinda nosy an' all, however it always ends up with me being completely green with envy! There are some great posts coming up, so I hope you enjoy. You can view the full schedule HERE.

Today I welcome Lori from Escape Between the Pages...

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Howdy all,

I would like to thank Book Chick City for inviting me to guest post for The Blogger's Bookshelf. My name is Lori, I am also known as Lady Rogue throughout the web. New Years Day 2010, was my very first post as a blogger, so I am relatively new to the whole blogverse. I began blogging, when I had no one, to talk books with. My husband works most of the day, and when he comes home, he doesn't want to read. My son goes off and does his own thing, and I do not think, it is appropriate to discuss the books I read, with my 14 year old daughter. Not to mention the fact, that I live in a small town in the middle of BFE, smack dab in the bible belt. So, my books and the internet has become a necessity for my sanity.

"Step Into My Parlor", said the spider to the fly. Actually, it tis' I who would like to welcome you, to my favorite place, my personal library or otherwise known as, the bane of my husbands wallet.

The above bookshelves are along the right wall, of what was once meant to be a dining room. I already have an eat in kitchen, that doesn't even get used. So, having a dining room would have been a complete waste of space. After all, we are a modern, sit in front of TV with tv trays family. Besides, my kids are rarely ever home, so, why not be practical and use the dining room for something that would get some use?

Most of the books in the above shelves are Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I am quite proud of the number of books I've collected in this genre, considering that I live in the bible belt, in the middle of nowhere. You also might have noticed, that my books are bundled together by author and series. I would love to put them in reading order, but damn it, if they are not always the same size within a series, making it hard, to stack them on the shelf and still look neat.

I do have some favorites amoung them, like Laurell K Hamilton. She actually has her own shelf. Lora Leigh and Nalini Singh share a shelf. Terry Spear has her own little corner. Arthur, Moning, Briggs, Vaughn, Ward, Harrison, Showalter, etc... Oh hell, I love them all.

On the left wall, is where most of my Historical Romances are. If you are familiar with the authors, then you know, that I seem to have a preference for regency ,viking ,highland ,pirate , and medieval historical novels. There are a couple authors that seem to have books in couple genres, like Lynsay Sands and Katie MacAlister. I couldn't decide where to put them, so I placed them there. The top right shelf , mostly consist of highlander romances...yummy. The bottom left shelf is double stacked with books, I have yet to go through them. Truth is, I am not sure what is all down there. Looks to be an ecclectic of genres. On the bottom right shelf are high fantasy novels.

If you look on top of the shelves, you will notice a couple of straggler books that didn't fit nicely on the shelves below, but mostly they are Young Adult books. Check out those Harry Potter bookends...pretty cool, huh?

I am sure you didn't miss the big comfy chair. I love to sit comfortable when reading. A soft seat, and a good reading light and I am all set. I realize that I might be a bit anal, when it comes to my books. Perhaps, borderline, OCD. I don't let anyone touch them, they are mine and this is my sanctuary. It's someplace that is comfortable, clean, and quiet. A place where I can relax and unwind and escape between the pages of a good book.

This is were all the blogging magic happens. If you will notice, I also have books on the shelf above my desk. On the very top shelf, is a series I recently bought, The Wheel of Time. My son swears by this series. Perhaps one day, when I am in the mood, I will actually sit down and read them.

The middle shelf are books, that I have duplicates of or books I have recieved as a gift, prize, or came in a bundle I order on ebay. I haven't decided what I am going to do with them, yet. Perhaps, I will give them out as prizes or giveaways. I have been considering trading them for something on my wishlist. Who knows?

The bottom shelf is full of trade books, they are just too big to stack on a regular shelf, they fit perfectly there. So, it is there that they sit.

Overall, I love showing off my books. I might not have the largest library, but it is a respectable one. It grows weekly, especially when the books keep calling out to me. I want to thank you all for taking the time to view my bookshelves and a special thank you to Caroyln for inviting me.

Happy Reading all..

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Thanks Lori - I am seriously green with envy! ;)

You can also find Lori here:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Labels: The Blogger's Bookshelf |

17 comments |

On My Wishlist (#37)

Saturday, August 28, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

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I love everything about this book - the cover, the title and the synopsis - I also like the author and really enjoy the series featuring Temperance Brennan, so I'm very much looking forward to the release of this one!

Virals
Kathy Reichs (Razorbill)
Publication Date: Nov 2010 (US)

Genre: Science Fiction

Young Adult

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.

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Another lovely cover - I've seen mixed reviews about this one, but I always like to read a book and make the decision myself - good or bad.

Halo (Halo #1)
Alexandra Adornetto (Feiwel & Friends)
Publication Date: Aug 2010 (US)

Genre: Paranormal, Angels

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

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So, that's what's on my wishlist this week - what's on yours?

Labels: On My Wishlist |

17 comments |