Browsing Category

Uncategorized

UKYA Uncategorized

UKYA Extravaganza

IMG_0897

 

Today I attended the first ever UKYA Extravaganza event, put together by Emma Pass and Kerry Drewery and hosted by Waterstones Birmingham Hight Street.

As you may know, I’ve been a huge advocate for UKYA in the past few years so I love to attend events whenever I can. I really hope there are lots more UKYA Extravaganza events in the future because I loved today an awful lot!

IMG_0887

Scattered throughout the event were author panels and the event offered a great chance to catch up with friends – both new and old. I also came away with a lot more books than I took!

Events such as this one are a perfect example of the importance of community cohesion. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and I think today was a credit to our lovely community. It was so nice to see people getting along so well and sharing their love for books.

No matter your age, gender or how you look, you’ll be welcomed with open arms and we really did show that today.

Here’s to many more UKYA Extravaganza’s in the future!

Uncategorized

Book Pigs

IMG_0784

At the start of the month, I created a new blog on Tumblr called Book Pigs. I’ve always wanted to incorporate my guinea pigs into my blog and using Tumblr means I can make it as fun as possible, but still keep it very relaxed.

Today I thought I’d share some of the pictures featured so far, in a little wrap up!

IMG_0619

This is Ruby, who loved posing by Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series. She’s so friendly and extremely adorable! I’m so in love with her.

IMG_0715

I know it’s wrong to have favourites, but sometimes it really can’t be helped. Hazel is the loveliest guinea pig you could wish to meet, and she’s Ruby’s mum!

IMG_0806

Look how cute Bluebell’s face is! She would have sat for hours – she loved her picture being taken, and she’s so photogenic! She looks so fluffy!!

IMG_0748

And for the final picture we have two INCREDIBLY ADORABLE CUTE babies who I could stare at all day. THE CUTENESS!

I’m so excited for all of the things to come on Book Pigs in the future! You can take a look here at all of the other pictures.

Which guinea pig is your favourite?

Lucy Recommends... Uncategorized

Lucy Recommends… [5] – YA Dystopia

IMG_0456

Whilst I don’t always fall madly and deeply in love with dystopia, when I find an amazing book I love it passionately. These are just a few of the fantastic dystopia books that I’ve loved!

The Elites by Natasha Ngan – Incredibly diverse and engaging, The Elites is about a race of people who can’t bleed and when an Elite, Silver, is witness to, and fails to stop, the assassination of the president of Neo-Babel, a chain of events causes her to flee the city with her best friend, Butterfly, and find out what’s on the outside. I really enjoyed it!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – This trilogy mixes the modern with the primeval in an adventurous, thrilling story of a girl searching for her mother in unfamiliar territory. Along the way she meets Perry, a swoony member of a tribe in the world Aria knows nothing about. It’s one of my all-time favourite dystopian novels!

Blood Red Road by Moira Young – Blood Red Road is such a stand-out book because when you read it it’s impossible to put down. It was glued to my hands the whole time. It’s also written in such a unique and interesting style!

ACID by Emma Pass – Wow! I LOVED this book! It’s set in a futuristic Britain, about the only female prisoner in a prison for killing her parents. IT IS AMAZING!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – THIS. BOOK. IS. MY. FAVOURITE! Tahereh Mafi is an author Goddess and I’ve written an entire Lucy Recommends… on this trilogy, so you can check that out, if you’d like to! 

What are your favourite YA dystopian novels?

Uncategorized

Books and Influence

IMG_0495

If I were to have a long list of every single book I’ve ever read, I’d like to think that each one has changed me in some way. Personally, I see reading as an experience. I want to be shaped by the books I’ve read and when I’ve finished I want to feel as if I’ve changed in some way.

Perhaps the books that have shaped me the most are the Stonewylde series by Kit Berry, which I return to again and again. I first read them when I was eleven years old and, unlike many of you, I never had Harry Potter to read growing up (I read them much later on!), so these books were my own version. Stonewylde is my safe haven, the place I go when I want to escape.

The first YA books I ever read were the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot and, alongside Carmen Reid’s St. Judes books, they taught me what it was like to grow up as a teenage girl. I learnt so much from them, and I love revisiting them once in a while to rediscover just why I fell in love.

Other notable mentions are the Ashbury-Brookfield books by Jaclyn Moriarty, which taught me a lot about Australian culture and also gave me hours worth of laughs. I love these books!

I think books are a bit like horcruxes. Opposite horcruxes, though. With each one I read, a tiny part of the book’s soul joins with my soul, and I honestly believe that each part changes me. I’m a better person for reading, for experiencing life through the eyes of so many others. This is why I love reading. I wouldn’t be who I am today without books.

Blog Tour Guest Post UKYA Uncategorized

Keren David on UKYA Extravaganza | Guest Post

Blog Tour Button Picture

First it was a conversation on Twitter about why American YA books were higher profile than British ones. A hashtag was born – #UKYA. A website followed, and then the magnificent bloggers got on board.  #UKYAchat (thank you Lucy!) trended on Twitter.

There were new blogs, count downs, special projects. Last year there was YALC, which wasn’t strictly UKYA, but featured many British authors. The Bookseller has set up a new prize to celebrate UK (and Irish) YA and I am completely over-excited to be on the shortlist.  There’s a YA event for schools in Scotland, organised by author Kirkland Ciccone.

And NOW there is a new thing. An exciting thing. A thing for all of us. All the inclusiveness and friendliness and, who knows, maybe one day even Patrick Ness (see what I did there) of UKYA is coming to a bookshop near you.

Of course I’m talking about the UKYA Extravaganza. The brainwave of authors Kerry Drewery and Emma Pass (you are superstars) and the wonderful events manager at Waterstones Birmingham High Street it’s an afternoon of readings and signings and much socialising on February 28th. I’m very excited to be taking part, alongside 34 other authors.

The event sold out in just a few hours – wow! –  but don’t worry. I’m pretty certain this is just a beginning. I’m already hearing plans to stage UKYA Extravaganzas all over the UK.

We need events like these, because UKYA still doesn’t get the attention it needs in order to thrive. In the US, YA gets reviewed and read by adults as well as teenagers. Here, all too often, YA is labelled as ‘children’s books’ and hidden away in a dusty corner.  UKYA needs to be visible and mainstream, and appeal beyond a narrow age-banded market. Events like the Extravaganza help to do that.

Best-selling adult author Robert Harris called for more coverage of books on TV, this week, attacking the BBC for its poor coverage of books. A UKYA books programme on a mainstream channel is probably too much to hope for, but I’m already excited about the book bloggers taking to YouTube, and I predict we’ll see more YouTube action this year. Maybe someone could make a film about the UKYA Extravaganza?

Today Birmingham, tomorrow….you tell me!

Will you be attending UKYA Extravaganza in Birmingham?

Blog Tour UKYA Uncategorized

Life Lessons from Suzy P | Suzy P Blog Tour

Hi everyone! I’m Suzy Puttock, and I’m back in the third book in the Suzy P series, Suzy P, Forever Me. And, guess what, I’ve put my foot in it yet again… because I’ve made a promise I can’t keep. Kind of a big promise. To my entire school!

Why, oh why, did I say The Drifting would be performing at the Collinsbrooke fundraiser? As if trying to sort out that mess wasn’t enough, I also need to make sure Dad’s birthday bash isn’t a total disaster – especially as he’s already showing signs of a mid-life crisis…

Even with my best mates helping out, will I be able to pull off TWO parties of a lifetime?

It’s certainly not going to be easy…

Somehow these things just keep happening to me – if you’ve ever read the other Suzy P books you’ll understand. So here, without further ado, are some lessons I’ve learned in my life, which will hopefully stop you embarrassing yourself as much as I do on a daily basis. Cringe.

1. Think before you speak. Always engage brain before mouth. Don’t, for example, promise world famous bands at your school party, when it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to make it happen. That would be a seriously stupid thing to do.

2. Never cartwheel near a canal.

 suzyptips

3. Don’t run in public. Especially near football players – you could fall over, pull someone’s shorts down, and reveal their Bart Simpson pants to the whole school.

4. Avoid camping holidays like the plague.

5. Always make sure you’re fully dressed when a fire alarm goes off.

6. No good can come of a date in a seafood restaurant.

suzytip2

7. A good hair serum is a must if you have out-of-control-wild curly hair. This may take some time to find

8. Never been seen in public in a bridesmaid’s dress.

9. Avoid mean girls with camera phones.

10. Most problems can be helped with hot chocolate with marshmallows. And/or cake.

Suzy P, Forever Me; Suzy P and the Trouble With Three and Me, Suzy P by Karen Saunders are available to buy online and from all good bookshops. If you’d like to find out more about the books or the author, do visit Karen online at www.karensaunders.co.uk, ‘like’ her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/karensaunderswriter or follow Karen on Twitter @writingkaren. Suzy tweets too, @suzyputtock, so don’t forget to follow her, too!

Uncategorized

A Bookish Guide to YouTube

Booktubers are massive right now and there are so many that sometimes it can be hard to find a booktuber you love watching. I watch a variety of different channels, so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you today.

Screen Shot 2014-12-26 at 17.18.11

booksandquills is run by Sanne, a Dutch YouTuber who moved to London and now works as Digital Coordinator at Hot Key Books and Piccadilly Press. I’ve loved Sanne’s videos for ages now and watch every single one without fail.

Screen Shot 2014-12-26 at 17.19.08

readsusieread is a US channel run by Susie, who is a librarian. I particularly love Susie’s feature where she talks about the books she’s checked out from the library – it isn’t something I’ve seen on any other channel!  Continue Reading

Book Review UKYA Uncategorized

REVIEW: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaimain & Chris Riddell

[book-info]

I read The Sleeper and the Spindle one evening near Christmas and I became totally absorbed. For the half an hour or so I spent reading it, all of me was invested in the characters and plot as the story weaved on.

It’s hard to perfectly describe The Sleeper and the Spindle and do it justice at the same time. A darker version of Sleeping Beauty, it’s steeped in mythology and ancient tale.

The illustrations by Riddell are beautiful – black and white with gold highlights. The double page spreads were magnificent and I believe the illustrations added a side to the book that wouldn’t be picked up on otherwise.

P1000348

I loved how dark The Sleeper and the Spindle was! Gaiman has written a modern day Brothers Grimm that targets an older audience than younger fairy tales.

The Sleeper and the Spindle was everything I hoped for and more. A perfect wintery read!