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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Sunday is a new meme that I am planning to feature on the blog every week. It is based on the Sunday Post  which is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, which was in turn inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. Basically, it allows me to let you know what went on the blog this week and anything interesting that is going on. It will also allow me to showcase any books I receive like the Showcase Sunday which is hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea.

The last couple of weeks have been okay. I really enjoyed watching Dolly Parton at Glastonbury on the TV, I think she put on a real good show. I also enjoyed watching the start of the Tour de France yesterday, it was nice to see all those people out to watch the race! I’m also really looking forward to being at YALC next weekend – I will only be there on the Saturday though!

On the blog the last couple of weeks:

• 3 star review of EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton
• 3 star review of TIGER’S VOYAGE by Colleen Houck

What else is going on?

• An amusing comic for Philip Pullman fans here.
• Boingboing has an article in which ‘C. S. Lewis explains why you should be proud to read children’s books’ which you can find here.
• The New York Times has an article about the American Academy of Paediatrics new recommendation that children should be read aloud to from birth here.
• Entertainment Weekly reimagines some literary classics as YA books here.
• J. K. Rowling’s latest novel as Robert Galbraith THE SILKWORM sells 21k in its first week! You can find out more here.
• The Guardian reports here that the filming of FANTASTIC BEASTS is to be shot in the UK.
• The Boston Globe has a really hard Children’s book and YA lit quiz which you can have a go at here.

Not a lot of links this week, especially when you consider that the above is two weeks worth of links that have caught my attention. Saw the Philip Pullman strip, and I just had to share especially after reading the comments. I also thought that C. S. Lewis made some interesting points in the section quoted on Boingboing. I was also somewhat bemused by The New York Times article, but that was probably because my parents always read to me as a child and encouraged a love of reading – and I know not everyone does this, but I still think it’s weird. There are some really amazing re-imagined covers and I was happy to see that Rowling still did well sales wise despite the Amazon/Hachette dispute. The Boston Globe‘s book quiz was…interesting. There were quite a few books I hadn’t heard of and/or not read, but I still enjoyed trying to guess. I didn’t do particularly well, but then I didn’t expect to either once I saw the questions.

No books for me this week, but hopefully I’ll have a couple (or so) to show next week.

I would love to hear what you’ve been up to this week and what books, if any, you’ve got so please leave me a link in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by

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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Sunday is a new meme that I am planning to feature on the blog every week. It is based on the Sunday Post  which is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, which was in turn inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. Basically, it allows me to let you know what went on the blog this week and anything interesting that is going on. It will also allow me to showcase any books I receive like the Showcase Sunday which is hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea.

This week has been quite a quiet one irl, but on the plus side I do seem to have my reading groove back! It’s been interesting seeing people’s BEA wrap-up posts and hauls over the last week or so, it looks like there are going to be some really awesome books to look forward to later this summer/autumn. I am finally nearing the end of my tbr pile, so there might be some book buying from me soon. Maybe.

On the blog the last couple of weeks:

• 4 star review of A SHIVER OF LIGHT by Laurell K. Hamilton

What else is going on?

• Whispers of a Barefoot Medical Student talks about ‘Books as a Mirror for Attitudes towards Mental Health’ here. It’s a very interesting look at how books could be used as a medium to help lessen the stigma associated with Mental Health.
• Leigh Bardugo author of the GRISHA series has released her UK tour dates and spots, which you can find here.
• The Bookseller reports that the Foyles outlet at St Pancras International Station is to close on July 31^st when the lease expires. You can find out more information here.
• The Guardian reports than ‘Ebooks [are] on course to outsell printed editions in UK by 2018’ here.
• Nick Ripatrazone posted a list of ’55 Thoughts for English Teachers’ here which is quite an interesting read if you like your literature.
• Penguin Random House reveals what their new logo looks like here.
• Helen Musselwhite is the overall winner of the V&A Illustration Awards. You can find the winning illustration here or read more about it here.
• In response to a tweet by Richard Dawkins The Guardian asks ‘Are fairytales damaging to children?’ here. And this is my response kinda – it’s something I wrote re fairytales a while ago. Would love to hear your thoughts though.
• Shelf Awareness has an interesting article about Amazon vs. Hachette with comments from Stephen Colbert, J. K. Rowling and many more. If you’re interested in reading their comments you can find it here.
• C J Daugherty talks on The Book Seller about the stigma of writing YA and how she thinks UK booksellers could help change that here.
• Dianna Anderson wrote an article titled ‘Why Criticizing Young Adult Fiction is Sexist’ in which she responds to Ruth Graham’s article in Slate, and puts forward the suggestion that YA literature is just as important as adult literature and just as diverse. You can read her article for yourself here.
• The Guardian asked some authors to pick what books they would choose for their GCSE set texts, which resulted in some interesting choices. Hilary Mantel’s response in particular is an interesting one. You can find the authors and their picks here.
• Alexandra Petri also responds to the criticism of YA in the article ‘Ashamed of reading YA? The fault lies not in our stars but in our stores’ which you can read here.
• On a slightly lighter note, BuzzFeed has a brilliant post about people’s reactions to watching THE FAULT IN OUR STARS film titled ‘Everybody Who Saw “The Fault In Our Stars” Really Hates John Green Now’ which you can find here.
• The Guardian has a timelapse video that shows the relocation of Foyles’ flagship bookshop (and you get a sneak peek inside the new store). You can find the video here.
• Orli Vogt-Vincent asks if ‘LGBT relationships [are] the last taboo for teen fiction?’ You can read what she has to say and (if you want) respond here.

So yeah, as you can see there was quite a lot going on in the book blog/vlog sphere this week.

I think the furore over whether it’s “right” if adults read ya fiction is a tad disappointing. I haven’t actually read the article (nor linked to it) because I don’t want to give it any hits, and also because I’m of the opinion that it’s a waste of my time – obviously I disagree. However, some of the responses (which I have included) are interesting and raise some interesting questions.

No books for me this week.

I would love to hear what you’ve been up to this week and what books, if any, you’ve got so please leave me a link in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by

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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Sunday is a new meme that I am planning to feature on the blog every week. It is based on the Sunday Post  which is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, which was in turn inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. Basically, it allows me to let you know what went on the blog this week and anything interesting that is going on. It will also allow me to showcase any books I receive like the Showcase Sunday which is hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea.

This week I will probably be late in responding to comments as I’ll be out celebrating my parents’ birthdays. It’s been a while since I’ve managed to get an ICYMI Sunday post up because of bad timing on my part – Mondays keep creeping up on me! – so fingers crossed this post will be out on time.

Hope you’ve all had a good week.

On the blog the last couple of weeks:

• Bout of Books – The End (Day 7 & Wrap-Up)
• 3 star review of RAGS & BONES ed. by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
• 4 star review of ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth

What else is going on?

• LeVar Burton has launched a Kickstarter project to ‘Bring Back Reading Rainbow for Ever Child, Everywhere.’ For more info and how to help click here.
• Paralympian Ellie Simmonds will be signing copies of her new book ELLIE’S MAGIC BAKERY at the Birmingham New Street Waterstones on Saturday 7^th June at 12pm. Click here for more info.
• Don’t forget that the UK’s first ever Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) is being held in conjunction with the London Film and Comic Con on 12^th and 13^th July. You can book tickets and find out more here.
• Hannah Gómez talks about ‘realistic’[1] adoption in Young Adult literature here.
• The branch of Foyles Bookshop at 113-119 Charing Cross Road officially closed for the final time on Saturday at 7pm. It is moving down the road to 107 Charing Cross Road and a new flagship store. To celebrate this they are holding a 3 week Grand Opening Festival from 11^th June to 5^th of July – click here for more info.
• Reading Groups For Everyone is ‘Seeking this year’s Hidden Gems for National Reading Group Day’. You can find out which books and authors have been nominated and vote for your favourite here.
• On Tor.com Greg Ruth discusses ‘Why Horror is Good For You (and Even Better for Your Kids)’ in which he talks about how horror stories can help us understand the world around us. You can read his article here.

[1] I added the ‘realistic’ to the post because in the comments to the piece Gómez talks about how the book titles she focuses on in her piece are what she considers realistic fiction and that there are more books out there if the definition of adoption is broadened.

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I’m sad that the old Foyles bookstore has finally closed, but at the same time I’m looking forward to having a chance to visit their new one. I’m also toying with the idea of going to YALC but I’m not sure which day to go on as there are some wonderful authors on both days!

No books for me this week.

I would love to hear what you’ve been up to this week and what books, if any, you’ve got so please leave me a link in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by

>

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Sunday is a new meme that I am planning to feature on the blog every week. It is based on the Sunday Post  which is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, which was in turn inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. Basically, it allows me to let you know what went on the blog this week and anything interesting that is going on. It will also allow me to showcase any books I receive like the Showcase Sunday which is hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea.

Running late getting this up seems to be becoming a habit on my part. Whoops.

Had a great Bank Holiday Monday this week; more time spent with my wonderful parents. Apart from that this week has been very quite, although I have been lacking in any motivation. Hopefully taking part in Bout of Books 10 next week will change that (more on that later)

On the blog the last couple of weeks:

• 2 star review of SPY GLASS by Maria V. Snyder
• Bout of Books 10 – Sign-Up Post
• Bout of Books 10 – My Goals and Updates

What else is going on?

• Steve Berman has an article on SALON titled ‘The slow, tragic death of the LGBT publishing industry’ which you can read here. In his article he discusses the closure of Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia, which is “the oldest and possibly largest LGBT bookstore” in the US.
• Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker talks about ‘The strange triumph of “The Little Prince”’ here.
• The Guardian has a poll asking ‘How do you organise your home library?’ in response to a survey by Lovereading which found that “39% of British readers organise their shelves completely randomly”. You can find the full article and take part in the poll (there’s just 1 day left) here.
• BuzzFeed has done a list of ’12 Literary Spots in London That Every Book Lover Needs To Visit’ which you can find here. Personally, I think they’ve missed a good one – the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens.
• The Spring edition of the Subterranean Press Magazine is out, and you can find it here. It includes a story by Kelley Armstrong.
• Bout of Books 10 starts on Monday! If you haven’t already, you can still sign-up here OR if you just want more info you can find the official blog here.
• According to The Guardian, ‘Superheroes conquer the literary novel’ – you can read the article here.
• The winners of the 2013 Agatha Awards, as well as a list of nominees can be found here.
• On Cosmopolitan‘s website John Green asks ‘Can You Get Too Old For YA Novels?’ – you can read the article here.
• If you’re not lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of Julie Kagawa’s new novel TALON you can check out the cool inside here.
• Amazon and Hachette’s dispute over retail terms has gone public – you can find out more here.

Some interesting articles this week. Personally, I think the SALON article is a bit premature – I hadn’t actually heard of Giovanni’s Room until I came across the article. The article about how home libraries are organised was an interesting one – I order mine alphabetically by author, so I can find books easily. The literary spots in London list was an interesting one, but I was a little sad to see no Peter Pan statue.

No books for me this week.

I would love to hear what you’ve been up to this week and what books, if any, you’ve got so please leave me a link in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by

>

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Sunday is a new meme that I am planning to feature on the blog every week. It is based on the Sunday Post  which is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, which was in turn inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. Basically, it allows me to let you know what went on the blog this week and anything interesting that is going on. It will also allow me to showcase any books I receive like the Showcase Sunday which is hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea.

First, I’d just like to apologise for not having an ICYMI Sunday post last week and for this week’s post being über late – it’s gone 10pm BST and I’ve only just started writing this. Last week I was on holiday down in Cornwall and all hopes of posting went out the window because I didn’t feel brilliant. I did have a fantastic holiday with my folks though!!

I hope everyone had a great couple of weeks.

On the blog the last couple of weeks:

• 4 star review of AWAKEN by Meg Cabot
• 5 star review of THE UNDEAD POOL by Kim Harrison

What else is going on?

• Jacob L. Wright talks about how the Enhanced E-Book could help scholarly authors reach here.
• You can find out what the Top Ten most challenged books in 2013 were according to the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom here. In 2013 there were 307 reports compared to 2012’s 464.
• The Guardian reports on a UNESCO study whose findings report huge growth in reading books on phones in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. You can find out more about it here.
• J. K. Rowling’s novel THE CASUAL VACANCY is to be made into a BBC mini-series co-produced by HBO – read the full report here.
• If you haven’t had the chance yet you can find the covers for both the US and UK editions of Sarah J. Maas’s THE HEIR OF FIRE here.
• Vicky on Books, Biscuits, and Tea talks about ‘How to Make Your Blog Mobile-Friendly in Five Minutes’ here. I thought it was a very interesting and useful post.
• The Guardian reports that the British Library stages the biggest UK comic exhibition here.
• The winner of the 2014 Arthur C Clark Award is announced here.
• HarperCollins is to buy Harlequin. You can find out more about the deal on The Bookseller here.
• To celebrate the opening of their new flagship store Foyles are running a series of events. You can find out what’s on, as well as more information here.
• The Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards (MYRCA) has announced their 2015 nominations. You can find the list of nominees here.
• BookTube-A-Thon have announced the dates of their second annual booktubeathon here.
• Have you seen the #WeNeedDiverseBooks tag on Twitter this week? YA Interrobang talks about the #WeNeedDiverseBooks tag – including its origins – here.

There were some interesting articles over the past couple of weeks. Love the cover of THE HEIR OF FIRE. I’m not too sure what I think of HarperCollins’s acquisition of Harlequin – the publishing world just keeps on getting smaller. I’m not a booktuber but I am excited to hear that there will be a second booktube-a-thon – I hope everyone planning to take part has a great time.

No books for me this week.

I would love to hear what you’ve been up to this week and what books, if any, you’ve got so please leave me a link in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by