College Event: James Dawson Visit with Say Her Name reading!! [With VIDEOS]



So for part of my college celebration of YA books/Arts Award project, I organized James Dawson to come in for a talk. 

I was nervous as hell, being super worried that my posters, emails and general word of mouth wasn't enough, but that was all out of my control. I couldn't even focus on my double maths period I had in the morning..haha...

I don't know how much I'm really allowed to say about the talking that happened before the event so I just thought it'd be safer not to say anything in general...other than I can't wait for his future books and a possible shake and change in the genre department. Other than that my lips are sealed...!


James kindly agreed for me to film the talk, as a use of evidence for my Gold Arts Award, but has also let me share it with you guys too!

I have also edited out the extract that he read...just to save those who don't have an hour at hand to listen to the full talk!

So I present to you, an extract from Say Her Name read by the author himself, James Dawson




*Round of applause*


Now, for the full length talk....

There is a cut around half way through because the camera had a little panic attack but I don't think you really miss much either way! It's basically an hour long. I speak in this video...and I sound SUPER posh...I am still coming to terms with how weird I sound..


***Warnings***
- There are some small spoilers in this talk about Say Her Name - it's in the Q&A section, you watch at your own risk (for me, I would count it as a spoiler but it's up to you!) ...It's around 28:37(ish) to 31:02(ish)

- Do I need to warn you guys about swears too? Or are we all cool about those things? What do I say..? Mild use of swearing? *shurgs*









My review will be posted here closer to the time of release! And yes, I finished it in less than 24 hours. 24 hours of paralyzed reading. I have yet to decipher if I was paralyzed from fear or enjoyment!
But in the meantime, check out Hollow Pike and Cruel Summer!

And THANK YOU (again) James for coming in!! :D 

Confessions of a Book Addict #3: Multiple Book Copies

I saw Lucy's post a whole while ago but it really got me thinking about my own collection of books. 


This is an example of my double copy collecting.
It has gone a bit crazy...
 
We read books and once we're done with them we put them on a shelf, display them like you're telling someone: 'yeah, I've read that book, take that!' Occasionally, if a book reaches my 'favourites' shelf, I will reread it. But does that really make me need to have two copies of a book? 

Half the time I never even read the story in the second copy of the book. But yet, I go and buy myself a second copy, just...because. 

I think my first books that I got which were doubles was a boxset of Sarah Dessen books. I already had the UK covers and then for one of my 13th (maybe? Or 14th...15th? Somewhere between there) birthday my sister got me a US boxset of Dessen's books. Those book covers have now been republished but back in the days, I really adored the American covers. I do still really do love the UK covers (before they got republished and they now match the new republished covers in the US). But anyway, those were my first double copies.

I like to think that's where it all started but I'm not 100% sure where it originated from. Some occasions, I have got some of my multiple copies for free (all by chance!) but others and the majority of the time, I do end up buying them. But I always think that maybe it's not so pointless if they are different covers, or if they are US editions of books (which are floppy and oh-so-exciting!!)

I will give you a rough outline of my collection...
(Now having done this and looking back it's almost like a name and shame on what I've spent....! I need to stop...)


Sarah Dessen
Keeping the Moon is actually called Last Chance here in the UK...and I mean, different titles, different cover, how can I not buy another copy of it? 
I am still saving to buy the Sarah Dessen DELUXE boxset. And and, it comes with a key necklace! (Pointless since I don't wear jewellery but yeah...) 

Divergent Series By Veronica Roth
Collection almost complete - but yes, I bought all of these...shipping to the UK from the US is bloody expensive...! The Chinese edition one I bought from Hong Kong.



Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Most recent purchase ....I love the American hardback!


The Maze Runner by James Dashner
One UK edition and the other a Chinese edition that I bought in Hong Kong!


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Again, a UK edition alongside a Chinese edition...that I also bought in Hong Kong.


Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman
Won the pre-signed copy and the other was handed out at the Movellas event that I went to via Spinebreakers!


Angelfall by Susan Ee 
One copy I bought *before* it was published by Hodder and then the other two were hand-outs at the Catching Fire Premiere!!


But the question is, do I really need them? Am I gaining anything? Should I be spending my money on other books I haven't read rather than those that I have? 

And the truth is I don't know. I think that in my mind, I know that it's a huge waste of my money. I mean, an option of a new book or an already read book is not hard to choose from. But some specific books mean more to me than others so I feel the need of wanting them in their different editions and versions! 


So here's my question to you: Do you have multiple copies of certain books? What's your reasoning for getting them? If not, what's your reason for not getting them?


Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

10401868Title: Matched (Matched #1)
Author: Ally Condie
Published: 2nd June 2011 (Penguin) 
Pages: 366

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. [Via Goodreads]

My Thoughts:
GAAAHHHH! This book was so disappointing in so many ways! As well as hearing about this book, the main reason it did stick in my mind was the cover. I absolutely love the cover, the bubble the matching dress and bubble the idea of being trapped...yes! 

So as soon as I started this book it really did intrigue me. I loved the whole idea of how you find out your 'match', seeing them on a screen and then taking home a card which stores all the information about them. That part really got me, just imagining the whole build up to it. But for Cassia, her match doesn't appear of the big screen. It stays black because her best friend, Xander, is her match and he is in the same room! 

But then when she gets home to see Ky flash on Xander's card. Predictably, it is a 'glitch.' However, the question remains in Cassia's mind, since when does the Society make mistakes? Do they ever?

My main issue with this book was the danger. I didn't feel any sort of danger or threat whilst reading, maybe it just wasn't strong enough, but all I know is that Cassia, Ky and even Xander got away with so much without a punishment. The actions that were done to act as punishment were also quite small. From what I took in, I would of loved a bit more description about the Society as a whole, it wasn't really very clear throughout. 

I also didn't like Cassia's narration with her indecisiveness. It really bothered me with all her bouncing around. I can't stand it when feelings and thoughts bounce around so often! Yes, maybe it did show she was constantly thinking but I think there's always a limit. Going past that limit edges onto annoying. 

I was so completely disappointed with this book, I really thought it was going to be so much better, but sadly it didn't reach those high expectations. I don't know if I'll be reading the rest of this series or not yet!

Book Review: Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

Title: Heart-Shaped Bruise
Heart-Shaped BruiseAuthor: Tanya Byrne 
Published: 10th May 2012 (Headline)
Pages: 336

They say I'm evil. The police. The newspapers. The girls from school who shake their heads on the six o’clock news and say they always knew there was something not quite right about me. And everyone believes it. Including you. But you don't know. You don't know who I used to be. 

Who I could have been.

Awaiting trial at Archway Young Offenders Institution, Emily Koll is going to tell her side of the story for the first time. 

Heart-Shaped Bruise is a compulsive and moving novel about infamy, identity and how far a person might go to seek revenge. [Via Goodreads]


My Thoughts:
I read this book after reading Dawson's books and it definitely brought the pacing down in comparison. It was slower paced but that didn't stop me from enjoying it, it definitely added to the eeriness to the book.

The layout of the novel was as if reading from a diary. We read about Emily almost in reverse order, as we know that she has done something, we just need to find out what and the 'deeper' answer to why. I loved reading about her session with her therapists as the story unfolds. She did everything with a purpose but with her reasoning I did find her a little weird. Her mind works in an odd way, which I didn't really see eye to eye with, but then the story really wouldn't of gone anywhere if she did what I would of done. 

What freaked me out at the beginning was the times when Emily, spoke to the audience.*shivers* But at least it didn't happen as often, which disappointed me a little, and yet was grateful there was a stop to it because...it just freaked me out a little, with the already eerie storytelling and... *shivers*

It was a neatly tied ending and I can't complain for that. Nearer the mid-point I did foresee what was going to happen and for me, that's what brought this book down a bit. 

It was a good read and I'd recommend it for those who prefer the easier going crime-type books. It was super easy to get through!

Celebration of UKYA: Problems, Improvements And Actions

So I think I left off at the planning stages of my project in my last post. Planning was pretty easy for me as it only required little time to figure out what I wanted to do. Sadly, now actually trying to get everything done, it's all way above me.

Initially I wanted to only focus on UKYA fiction but now realized that that limits me a lot in trying to encourage people to come to my book club, so I've had to just keep it to YA fiction in general.


So, fortunately, I can say it's not going to be a complete flop. The displays I wanted to do aren't going to be as lavish as I pictured them. However, I spoke to the college librarian and she was totally for the idea of putting a display of YA fiction up. We actually ended up talking about reading in general and how I feel that in schools we are pushed to read certain books, which people don't enjoy and therefore decide that they overall don't like reading. I made these small booklets of recs, 8 pages or so, and she was super nice and said she'd order some of them in!! (Damn, should of put more books that I haven't read on that list!! There are so many!) Haha, but I will be displaying books, hopefully, this week! I will definitely show everyone when I'm done with it ;D

As well as the display, I have also managed to book an author. I initially wanted to get two authors in but soon realized that with the budget given, two is hard to fit as well as the fact that I had to find authors who people will want to turn up to an listen to talk. I'm really gutted about this part the most because I guess you say that I wanted to get authors in so I could meet them... Although in the end I ended up asking people who've I've actually already met! I also wanted to get an author to do a workshop (more because I wanted to sit through an authors' creative writing workshop) but that has also had to be put aside due to what I can o with the amount I have. But I have one author booked and I am totally happy about that!!

My first YA book club is THIS Friday, and I am totally dreading that no one will turn up (I know the poster inserted has the 21st March written on it - I got rid of the 7th date on it so I have premade posters for next week :P)

Trying to complete this running alongside my A2 classes is crazy hard and I am starting to wonder why they didn't get us to do this in the first year rather than the second year!

But anyway, I just thought I'd give you a little update on my plans...It's nice to just be able to write about it even if no one reads it...

- Hope everyone is having a great week!

Sabrina x


February Roundup: Bought More, Read More

I can't believe I'm already writing a January. I really haven't done all that much this month. Reading has been slow and then blogging and reviewing has been so much worse!

Goodreads Challenge: I'm on track! :D

Personal Reading Challenge:
Reading UKYA is great! On the adult and graphic novel side, they still stand at zero.

The books I did get round to reading are as follows:
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Where You Are by Tammara Webber
Tithe by Holly Black (Review to Come)
Hollow Pike by James Dawson
Cruel Summer by James Dawson
Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne (Review to Come)
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (Review to Come)
Matched by Ally Condie (Review to Come)
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (Review to Come)

The books that I bought this month and really shouldn't of:
There are way too many...

You can just check my stacking shelves post here to see what I mean here (keep in mind that I have yet to get through my last haul...)


Personal Life:
February was pretty much packed with university everything. I received all my replies from the five unis and have gone to three applicant days (still have another but in April!). 

Something really uninteresting but I'm going to say anyway, is that I got a maths tutor this month (YES!) - I've been trying to find a really good one for a while because I am just all-round failing maths at the moment.

Fangirling is part of personal life right? So Divergent sure had a lot going on in February and it's AWESOME! Trailers, music videos FEAR LANDSCAPE clip.... *mindblown*

Next Month:
Catching up on my reviews. 
Try come up with some fun posts to read.
Ongoing revision!