Blogger of the Month-August

I can not believe it's already August. Seriously, where did the time go? 

It's time for our August Blogger of the Month:

Hayley from Booking It With Hayley G

 1.When and why did you start blogging?

I wanted to work in the Publishing Industry with an emphasis in Marketing, and I was told by a colleague in PR at Penguin Canada, that a blog is a great way to make connections. Once I started my blog I realized how much I enjoyed reviewing books, especially Young Adult and I didn't want to work with just one Publisher but all of them! And it was from there that I decided to go back to school for my Master of Library Science. 

2. What's your favourite genre/style of book?

YOUNG ADULT ALL THE WAY! haha, I really love a good Urban Fantasy read as well. So long as there's a good romance story in the plot (I'm constantly teased for this :)).

3.What has been a blogging challenge for you?

Consistency. I tap my hat to those bloggers who are able to blog 6-7 days a week. I do my best to blog 3-4 times a week but it's hard sometimes when you're working full-time. I always feel guilty that I'm not contributing enough time and then I'll worry my reviews aren't up to par.

4. Are there favourite memes or features that you participate in/ favourite blogs you check out on a regular basis?

I love In My Mailbox or Stacking the Shelves by The Story Siren and Tynga's Reviews. I love to see what titles other book bloggers are reading and then grow green with envy at all the amazing titles and ARCs they receive.

5.How do you organize your bookshelves?

I don't. It's awful, I actually have thousands of books and have had to store (or hide them from my Dad) them in various boxes throughout the house, because they unfortunately don't fit all on my shelves. As it is right now, I have books stored in front of other books on my shelves which is awful because than I always end up buying doubles because I didn't realize I had that title. As I write out this answer I'm starting to think I may have a hoarding problem haha. My dream though is to have a library with wall-to-wall shelves, stacked with books- So I guess you could say I'm looking towards the future :).

7.Favourite review you've written (include a link)

I'd say my favourite review was the one I wrote on Kate Ellison's The Butterfly Clues. It was such a beautiful book and I really enjoyed typing out my thoughts on it.

http://bookingitwithhayleyg.blogspot.ca/2012/01/arc-review-butterfly-clues-by-kate.html

8. What is your biggest book blogger related dream (goal)?

My dreams and goals keep changing, but my current one, making it to BEA! Haha I swear I plan to go every year but circumstances always arise, beyond my control and I'm forced to cancel. So I'm always stuck saying, "Next year," but I mean it this time, next year I'm going! haha.

Happy reading fellow book lovers!!!

Thanks Hayley!!!!!!

Blogger of the Month -Book Review

As part of our Blogger of the Month feature, we ask the featured blogger to 

post a review during their month. 

Our blogger this month is Ciara from Lost at Midnight Reviews. 

Title: Paper Covers Rock

Author: Jenny Hubbard

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: June 14th, 2011

Source: Won (from author Daisy Whitney)

My Rating: 4/5

(Novel Summary from Goodreads)

     At the beginning of his junior year at a boys' boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there's more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex's writing for class. She also sees poetic talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them.

  I wasn't really sure what to expect when I received a copy of Paper Covers Rock from author Daisy Whitney last year. I hadn't heard anything about it, not a single peep in the book world, and was curious to see if this was a gem everyone was overlooking. Well, I can tell you one thing about this book, its subtly stunning.

  I will admit, it took me a couple tries to get into Paper Covers Rock. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, but I couldn't seem to commit to reading it either. The writing style, both how it was written and the format in which it was written, was much different and, at times, confusing which had me both intrigued and frazzled. The story, which takes place at a boarding school during the 1980s, follows sixteen-year-old Alex as he copes with the death of his best friend Thomas, and the secret he is told to keep hidden about the accident. It meshes the honor code and the truth through one broken boy's perspective. The novel is done in different sections, and doesn't always follow a linear timeline. It's written as a diary and, in true format of a diary, bounces back and forth and expresses more emotion than story. I felt caught up in Alex's confused and distressed feelings and the sort of numbness that comes with a great loss. Alex sometimes reminded me of Holden Caulfield (although when Alex mentally makes that comparison he expresses his great distaste of the famous character). He is a lost, young boy, pushed and prodded into a box he feels he can't escape. He's unhappy with the world he sees, and finds solace in poetry. And in his feelings towards his English teacher, Miss Dovecott. The story unfolds slowly, and I found myself really wondering what had truly happened that day at the rock. And when the entire events are laid out, I felt almost confused. Until one single line changed my perspective on the novel.

   When I said early that this novel is subtly stunning, I meant it. This book isn't outright. It doesn't lay out the truth, but leaves it muddled and woven deeply within the diary pages. To be entirely honest, I'm not even sure if I'm interpreting it right. It was a novel that left much up to the readers discretion and perception of what Alex was talking about. What I felt the driving force underneath the novel was the element of homophobia. It wasn't said, but implied throughout the novel, leaving the reader to piece together its relevance and importance.

Paper Covers Rock was definitely a great novel, even if it was a bit hard to get into. Although it's set in the past, it's themes and story are very relevant for present day. If you're looking for a new and interesting contemporary novel, I would look towards Paper Covers Rock.

- Ciara who is lost at midnight

Blogger of the Month-July

Each month we are thrilled to feature a Canadian Blogger:

Ciara from Lost at Midnight Reviews

1.When and why did you start blogging?

I actually started blogging very recently! February 19^th to be exact. I have always been a crazy book lover and had been active in the book community for years. I talked about books constantly with anyone who would listen, and found myself reading lots of book blogs. I loved seeing all the interesting opinions, the well thought out reviews, and how much fun these bloggers were having. I thought about starting my own blog, but I was a bit apprehensive. What if no one read it? What if my reviews weren’t well written? What if it was an epic failure? All of these questions ran through my head and I really started doubting myself. But then, a received lots of encouragement and support from my blogger friends, and I thought maybe, just maybe, I could be a blogger too. So, filled with anxiety and excitement, I clicked the “Create Blog” button and Lost At Midnight Reviews became my new home. 

2. What's your favourite genre/style of book?

I pretty much read everything that interests me, be that contemporary, fantasy, adult or YA. My favourite, though, is for sure the teen genre. There’s just so much diversity and amazing stories in the YA world! I can’t get enough of it. Within YA, I’ve been drawn to the dystopian style since its explosion a few years ago. I also love urban fantasy style, with its mix of reality and the fantastical.

3. What has been a blogging challenge for you?

There have definitely been some challenges I’ve faced with blogging. One of them has been just the simple act of reviewing. Sometimes, writing reviews is hard. I want to properly represent both my feelings of the novel and the novel itself, which sometimes leaves me with a bit of writer’s block. I’ll write and re-write until my head spins but I just can’t seem to get it right. This leads into another one of my blogging, and personal problems as well: self-confidence. I always used to worry that my reviews just aren’t very good. I’ve gotten much more secure with my writing over the months but it was definitely a challenge to build up the confidence at first. The other blogging challenge is one that every blogger has: balancing. Trying to work blogging into my everyday life while still keeping my priorities straight has been bumpy. But, now with more time on my hands, I think I’ll be able to find a balance that works for me.

4. Are there favourite memes or features that you participate in/ favourite blogs you check out on a regular basis?

I participate in two memes on my blog: Waiting On Wednesday and Stacking the Shelves. I love getting to hear about all the books people are looking forward to (and share my excitement with fellow bloggers) through Waiting on Wednesday. I also love to see what books people have picked up throughout the week, which is where Stacking the Shelves comes in!

I do have a few favourite blogs, two of which are the reason I started my own blog. The first is Lucy over at Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf who constantly encouraged and helped me navigate the blogging world. I have loved checking out her great reviews and gorgeous blog over the years, as well as having lots of book talk with her! The second happens to be a certain Ontario Blog Squad Member, Liz from Midnight Bloom’s Bookshelf. I absolutely loved reading her thoughtful reviews, and discussing all the different books we love (Team Tod For Afterlife, anyone?). Her blog inspired me to start mine and I have really appreciated the enthusiasm she’s shown for my blog! I also have a couple other blogs I check out such as Emilie’s Book World (another blogger gal I love to chat with!), A Cupcake and a Latte, Lost in the Library, Avery’s Book Nook and Just a ‘Lil Lost among many others!

 5. How do you organize your bookshelves?

My bookshelves are not organized in any specific way. I have too many books and way too limited space to set it up like I would! I try and keep books by the same author together, but otherwise I fit books into every nook and cranny I can. And, if I don’t have any room left (which I never do) I build stacks on every available space in my room. My friend’s call my bedroom “The Library”!

6. Favourite review you've written (include a link)

 My favourite review that I’ve written is for This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers. It was my favourite book so far this year and it took me a very long time to get this review just right. Finally (after having my original draft unexpectedly deleted by Blogger), I had a review that, I hope, does justice to this fantastic novel!

http://www.lostatmidnightreviews.blogspot.ca/2012/06/review-this-is-not-test-by-courtney.html

7. What is your biggest book blogger related dream (goal)?

I just want to connect with as many people as I can. I love talking to new bookish people, and it makes me so happy when I see that people have read, and have an opinion about my blog. Every time a get a comment on my blog it puts a smile on my face. I want to make my blog the best it can be, and hope everyone feels the same. I’m also an aspiring writer, and use my blog to practice writing, so another goal would be to try and get my stories published.

Thanks so much Ciara!!! We love your blog!!!

Blogger of the Month - April 2012

Each month we highlight a Canadian Blogger

Our April Blogger is:

Kara from the Bookosaur

          1. When and why did you start blogging?

           I'm actually very new to the book blogging world, as I only started my blog in January 2012. In the past five years I've moved a grand total of six times, so it's been hard meeting people who share the same interests as me. My line of thinking was really just to start a blog so I can meet people and talk about books. I've always loved reading, so it seemed the logical thing to do.

          2. What's your favourite genre/style of book?

That's a tough question. I don't really have a favourite. If I take a look at my bookshelf right now there is a smorgasbord of different book genres, from YA to adult fiction, and I've recently started collecting children's books. I read whatever I'm in the mood for!

          3. What has been a blogging challenge for you?

Honestly, the hardest part, especially for newer blogs, is generating enough traffic to make it feel worthwhile. A lot of people say that they blog for themselves, and to some extent I agree, but I think blogging is so much more than that. If you were just blogging for yourself, why post it on the Internet? Why not just keep a journal? For me, the whole point of blogging is to communicate and connect with other like-minded individuals and to do that you need traffic. 

I think every blogger experiences that "what's the point?" moment, when they realize that their latest blog post - a post that they may be particularly proud of and was likely the product of countless hours - has only been read by two people. At this point, you have two choices: (1) you can pack it up, pack it in; or (2) you can call up your parents, thank them for reading your blog, and move on to the next post. Each time you publish a post, you're putting a little piece of yourself out there, so it's hard not to take it personally if you don't elicit the type of reaction you were hoping for. I've realized that blogging involves a lot of hard work and it takes both time and effort to develop and maintain a solid readership.

      4. Are there favourite memes or features that you participate in/ favourite blogs you check out on a regular  basis?

I'm not sure of any memes, but I'm fairly active on Twitter (@bookosaur), where I have met some incredible bloggers. Some of the blogs that I visit frequently are Bella's Bookshelves, Lit Laugh Love, and A Bibliotaphe's Closet.

          5. How do you organize your bookshelves?

My organizational style is haphazard at best. I kind of group my hard covers together - I have an ever-growing collection of Leatherbound Classics from Barnes and Noble - and I do the same with my paperbacks. Of course, my favourite books, like a really cool edition of The Hobbit that I picked up in a used bookstore in San Francisco, and my signed copies of The Night Circus, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, and R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, are on display front and centre.

          6. Favourite review you've written (include a link)

I would have to say the review I wrote for I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourites. It was a fun book to read, but I had an even better time writing its review!

7. What is your biggest book blogger related dream (goal)?

I don't really have an endgame for Bookosaur. Right now, I'm just enjoying reading, reviewing, and meeting other book bloggers. 

Be sure to check out Kara's fabulous blog! And check back later this month for her review. 

If you would like to be Blogger of the Month you can email me - Jen -  librarygal (at) hotmail.ca 

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Here by Denise Grover Swank -Review by Avery

From Goodreads: "Sixteen year old Julia
Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in
a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new
talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies
and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no
one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the
scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.
Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the
accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her
and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession
started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a
pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from."  

While I was a bit disappointed with the change of pace in Denise's "Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes" (I felt that the novel was going in one direction and during the last bit I felt that it went in an entirely different direction,) I LOVED that that happened in this book. Don't get me wrong, the first half of the book was great, really sweet and cute, but the second half of the book was so engaging, fast-paced and unique (it literally kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it). Now this might sound a bit strange because these books have little in common, but I think that if "Spellbound" by Cara Lynn Shultz, "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis, Imogen Rose's "Portal" series, and "Delirium" by Lauren Oliver were to have a baby- this book would be the end result.

Why this book is so successful is because of the characters- each and every one of them is so well-developed, complex, and frankly likeable. From Julia, a girl who is able to pull herself out of the darkness surrounding her, becoming stronger and stronger with each passing day, to Evan, the boy not afraid to show his emotions and perhaps one of the most hopeless romantics I have ever had the pleasure of reading about before, to Reece, the "bad-boy" of the two, who we cannot help but be drawn to despite the fact that he throws off "playerish" vibes and despite the fact that we know that he is very capable of being breaking our hearts.

Another reason why this book is successful us because it (dare I say it?) has a successful love triangle (which I can assure you is NOT an oxymoron). In my opinion a successful love triangle is one in which the reader cannot choose which character they would like the main character to end up with (as opposed from an unsuccessful love triangle where there isn't any real competition- it is obvious from the get-go who the lead will choose, ie. Clary choosing Jace over Simon) . Both Evan and Reese have such amazing qualities to them and both make Julia a stronger person in their own way that I literally cannot choose between the two of them.

All in all, I have no complaints about this book. Whatsoever. It completely blew away any expectations that I had by tenfold. Therefore I obviously highly recommend it. In my opinion the traditionally published books I mentioned earlier (ie. "Delirium", "Across the Universe", and "Spellbound") have nothing on this book! In fact, I think that I like it just as much, if not more, than the three of them. Combined.

Rating:10/10

Blogger of the Month- March 2012

Here at Ontario Blog Squad we are excited to introduce:

 "Blogger of the Month" 

Each month we will interview and feature a Canadian Blogger and they will also post a review on this blog during their month. 

Our March Blogger is:

Avery from Avery's Book Nook

1. When and why did you start blogging?

I started my original blog Avery's Book (and Other Fun Stuff) Nook about 4 or 5 years ago-it was literally just a gigantic list of books that I had read (when I say that it was a gigantic list of books I am serious, it didn't have any reviews, Memes, or anything along those lines- NADA). Since high school I have made an effort to record every book that I have read and after loosing multiple pages of those lists I thought that the best course of action for me would be to take my lists online, I'd be less likely to loose them that way (except, you know, if some sort of Apocalypse occurs and we lose all of our technology). ;)

I didn't seriously start book blogging until about a year and a half ago. I had just finished reading the latest book of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series and was on her series discussion board when I saw that one of the moderators had a link in their signature to their book blog, I clicked on it and was amazed- I didn't know that book blogging was a legit dealio! After a few weeks of reading various other blogs I thought, "What the heck? I can do that!".  So yes, that is how Avery's Book Nook came to be. 

2. What's your favourite genre/style of book?

YA paranormal- hands-down. Though, I don't mind YA dystopian/ Apocalyptic (which I seem to have been exclusively reading lately), fantasy, contemporary, etc.

3. What has been a blogging challenge for you?

Time management. When I first started blogging I was admittedly quite obsessed with it (addictive personality? You bet!), I would neglect everything to blog- whether it be school, work, etc. Every free minute I had (or not free) I would be on the computer updating my blog in some way. Over the last couple of months I have taken a step away from blogging. I spend about one day- an entire day- a month day blogging (rather than a few hours a day)- writing reviews and scheduling them for almost 2 months in advance, same with Memes like WoW and OMW, and instead of commenting daily on my frequented blogs, I comment on all of the posts that they have posted in the last week all at once. It's really helped me to have a life outside of blogging and focus my attentions on things (ie. school) that I should be more concerned about.  

4. Are there favourite memes or features that you participate in/ favourite blogs you check out on a regular basis?

I LOVE In My Mailboxes so much! Seriously, Saturdays/ Sundays are hands-down my most favourite day for book blogging because of this Meme. While there admittedly is a bit of jealously involved ;) there is mostly excitement- IMM helps me to discover sooooo many amazing books that I otherwise not know about and it helps me to know what ARCs/ books publishers are starting to distribute (which I can perhaps request or which might just show up in my mailbox).

As for favourite blogs that I check out on a regular basis? Oh gosh, there are a ton, but here are a few of them (sorry for anyone I leave out!): Fiktshun (Rachel is one of my most favourite book people of all time, not only is everything that she posts high quality, but she is also one of the most generous/ friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of "meeting" before), Supernatural Snark (Jenny is so eloquent in everything she writes- I am jealous), Books and Things (Melissa was one of the very first book bloggers I ever happened across), and A GREAT Read (Jess's blog, like Melissa's, was one of the very first I ever happened across).

Then there are the Canadian Chicks: Rabid Reads (Carmel was the first fellow Canadian book blogger I happened across and she is one of the few blogs that I follow that has a more adult focus, rather than YA), Book Labyrinth (Ashley and I get together every now and again and trade/ talk books), Esther's Ever After (Brenna and I "met" during the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament),  and Lost in the Library (Jen and I met at the Maggie Stiefvater book signing in London, Ontario). 

5. How do you organize your bookshelves? 

Oh gosh, bookshelves (AKA the bane of my existence) ;) . Over Christmas I acquired three 3 feet wide by 6 foot tall bookshelves thinking that there would be enough room for my books- and there was, for about a week or so *facepalm*. Last week I got a fourth and it is almost full already (Seriously, I have no idea where these books are coming from- oh wait, I did find a bunch of good deals at Chapters last week). ;) 

 As of right now my bookshelves aren’t all that organized since I am CONSTANTLY moving everything around- the only shelves that seem to remain constant are my 2 shelves of adult books (ie. which contain such series Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series and Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworldseries), my 3-4 shelves of my favourite childhood book series (ie. the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, and the Artemis Fowl series), and my shelf dedicated solely to Meg Cabot books (there is nothing better than a back-in-the-day Meg Cabot book in my opinion- she was writing YA before it was cool to write YA- her Mediators series anyone? Or her 1-800-Where-R-U? series?). My TBR pile currently occupies 2 shelves and the remainder of my shelves (about 9- which have books/ series like the Mortal Instruments, Vampire Academy, etc.) never seem to sit put. In a perfect world I think I would rank all of my books in order of how much I enjoyed them/ how often I read them. 

6. Favourite review you've written (include a link)

You know, I can't say that this is something I have ever thought of before. I suppose that my favourites (I can't pick just one) would be my review of City of Fallen Angels by Cassie Claire:  (I got this book the release date and read it until I finished it and then posted the review the same day- my goal was to be one of the first bloggers to post a review of it), Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: (which is kinda funny, since it was so difficult to write this review. I stared blankly at my computer screen for hours- I mean, how do you describe perfection? ;) ), and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins: (just because whenever I think of this book I get a smile on my face- I was in a bit of a reading slump when I read this book and it lifted me out of said reading slump like no other book ever has before). 

7. What is your biggest book blogger related dream (goal)?

I'm a soon-to-be university grad with a B.A. in bioarchaeological anthropology and for almost as long as I can remember my plan was to continue on with bioarchaeological anthropology and get my  Masters/ Ph.D. in it. But then, this summer, I had an epiphany of sorts and though to myself, "Am I really passionate about anthropology? Do I want to spend the rest of my life digging in the sand of some foreign country for pot sherds or bone fragments?", and the answer was, "Heck no!".

When I asked myself what I was truly passionate about the first thing that came to mind was books. Could I see myself waking up every morning excited to get to work because I got to work with books? You bet (also, I should make note that I was a student assistant at my local library all throughout high school and it was the greatest job I have ever held)! So, instead of applying to grad school for anthropology, I applied to Western's Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program. I received my acceptance letter about 2 months ago and will be starting my masters in September of this year.

So back to the original question, my biggest book blogger related dream would be to be a librarian- though I would be in no way opposed to working for a publisher (I think that reading query letters would be really awesome- imagine happening across the next "BIG THING" in the world of YA, or heck, even a book that you really enjoyed and wanted to share with the world/ seeing a book come to fruition/ working with a ton of awesome book bloggers) or an author (which would require actually writing a book I suppose ;) ).  

______________________________________

Thanks so much Avery! Be sure to visit her blog Avery's Book Nook and check back this month for her review.

If you would like to be Blogger of the Month you can email me - Jen -  librarygal (at) hotmail.ca 

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