New BookTube Channel!

I started a BookTube channel! 

It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while now but I've always lacked the confidence to talk in front of a camera. I thought this would be the chance to try and get over that fear.

I love watching discussions, wrap ups and TBR lists in media format and I find it a little less tedious than all the formatting that goes with writing these types of posts. 

I have to say I have a new respect for people who post on YouTube regularly. This video is only 1.30 mins long and it took forever to film, edit and upload! It really is a time sucker! For that reason I'll still be writing most if not all of my reviews and leaving the videos for shorter versions of reviews. 

As its my first vid its really akward so please be kind haha! I'm hoping I'll get better with practice. Lilo is already a pro as you can see :D

If you have any comments or suggestions as to how I can improve the vids please do so in the comments.

Also if you have a channel please link me to it in the comments below and ill be more than happy to subscribe to you!

Thanks for reading/watching! Have a good weekend.

Should bloggers have a schedule?

I'm shit at scheduling. 

Well that's not entirely true. I'm great at scheduling but shit at following them.

When I started blogging over a year ago I was so organised. I would post every 2nd day without fail. I didn't really care what the post consisted of. A post is a post right? ...pfffff

When I receive review copies (hard copy or digital) the first thing I do is look for the publication date and make a note of it in my Google calendar. I usually try and get the book read and review up within a week either side of the publication date. Does this always happen? Hell no.

I used to read a lot of blogger tips that suggested that to be a "successful" blogger you need to have a schedule and post at the same times and days every week. I use the word successful very lightly as its relative to each person. 

I found that I was valuing quantity over quality. You can only continue like that for so long before you start to get bored and if you're bored then your readers will probably find what you're writing boring.

There are quite a number of blogs that I follow closely but I probably wouldn't notice if they posted less frequently. Would I unsubscribe? No not as long as the quality remained the same

Take a look at some well known blogs like Hyperbole and a Half or 27/b. Do they stick to a schedule? Nope. They post when they have content that's worth posting. 

Over the past few months I stopped worrying about posting religiously and a funny thing happened. I actually started getting more views. It seems when I post when I feel like it that spontaneity and passion comes through in the writing. Likewise when I'm posing something just because I feel I should it remains, on the whole, ignored.

This experience has led to me wondering what opinions others hold on the subject.

Do you stick to a strict schedule? 

If yes do you ever get bored or tired ?

If no do you feel guilty about not posting regularly?

The Edge Chronicles: The Nameless One

Published: January 2014

Publisher: Doubleday

Page count: 349

Format: Hardback

The Edge Chronicles: The Nameless one was provided by Doubleday in return for an honest review 

I almost crapped my pants when I clicked on the goodreads email that said Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell were working on The Edge Chronicles again. These books are my Harry Potter. I've been reading them since I was a teen and I credit Beyond the Deepwoods for turning me into a regular reader.

When I first opened the book my reaction was: "What the fuck happened to The Edge!!" Que much googling.  I eventually found out that there is an Edge book that I havent read. The Immortals. How this happened is beyond me! 

It turns out that The Nameless one is set hundreds of years into the future. Sanctaphrax is now an ancient ruin! I really need to read that book!!

Moving on....

So In The Nameless One we meet Cade Quarter. Nephew of the infamous decender Nate Quarter. He is about to become a stow away on the Xanth Filatine. The starting few chapters are were really promising. Lots of interesting characters and potentially interesting plot lines. After Cade escapes the sky ship the book rapidly went downhill for me.

Many threads of storylines were picked up and dumped. I know this is the first book in a trilogy but it still needs to be able to stand on its own like Beyond the Deepwoods did. The other characters in previous series all begin exciting journeys and adventures. Cade builds a house. Twig encountered numerous horrors in the twilight woods. Cade gets rained on and rides around on a prowlgrin. 

The books namesake, or nameless-sake in this case only turns up for the last few pages and at that stage it just felt like something tacked on to try to keep the long time fans. It just felt a little irrelevant.

The Nameless One tried hard to capture the original magic of the Deepwoods but it wan't quite as successful.  

This review may seem quite harsh but I would still recommend it to readers looking for a new series to get into. I know Cade will more than likely come into his own in the second book. I also sometimes forget that I'm not 12 years old anymore and these books are not marketed for me! However I will still be waiting for the next one with the impatience of a 5 year old so that sort of balances things out ;)

Rating:

★★★

My Twitter account was hacked. Don't let it happen to you!

Hello everyone. Well this week was a really bad week for me. They say bad things happen in three's well I truly have had my 3

1) My laptop updated and dumped my wireless drive. Haven't been able to fix it yet so I'm using an old comp.

2) My twitter account was hacked 

3) Got badly bitten by a cat  work

*breaaaathe* 

I don't recall clicking on any suspicious links but none the less my account was hacked. It was taken over by a stranger who proceeded to post crap to my followers. 

I sent in tickets to twitter support but had gotten no reply. I googled repeatedly and saw that some people had been waiting months and others never got their accounts back! I was horrified. Reading this you may think "so what its just a social media account". My twitter means a lot to me. It took me a long time to gain the followers I had. I've built many contacts with publishers and other book bloggers on twitter. 

Naturally when people saw this crap being posted people started un-following my account. I was terrified this would go on for months leading me to loose most of my followers. I saw that people only got their accounts back by making a fuss. My awesome Twitter friends got tweeting and retweeting to bug support enough to help me. It worked! A special thanks to:

Trish @ Between my lines and Danielle @ What Danielle did next who helped get the word out.

Karen @ Arcadia books who tweeted the ceo and tech people at twitter.

Don't let this happen to you. I have listed a few basic steps that can prevent you from being hacked:

1) Revoke access to all third part apps that you don't use regularly or don't recognize.

2)Obviously never post your password anywhere online

3) Never click on a link about a password change or account issue in an email. This is often how the hacker gains access. Go direct to twitter. The issue should pop up their if it's genuine.

3) when people follow you check them out. If their account appears spammy block them straight away.

4) Change your password on a MONTHLY basis. Make sure it isn't similar to your handle or easily guessed. Write it in a personal notebook if you have to

If you're reading this please carry out these 4 simple steps. I was lucky enough to get my account back but it may not be the same for others. 

I was too distracted by this all week to even think about reviewing books. Ill hopefully be back to normal next week.

Thanks again to everyone who re-tweeted my problem. I really appreciated it.

Books for fans of True Detective

I started watching True Detective a few weeks ago (no spoilers please I'm only on episode 4!) and I am completely addicted to it. I love the fact that its character driven, that the relationship between Rust and Marty is just as important as the identity as the killer. 

For those who were watching in real time and are pining for more character driven crime stories, look no further! I have put together a must read list for any True Detective or crime fan

Goodreads Links:

Along Came a Spider

The Silence of the Lambs

Primal Fear

The Accident

Psycho

Cop Town

Lucky Day

Birdman

If you have any more recommendations feel free to leave them in the comments section.

Thanks for reading

Quoted on a cover!

A couple of days ago I received an email from Fiona Pearse asking to use a quotation from one of my reviews. Of course I said yes. I think it's great that anyone takes the time to read what I write, never mind putting down in print! A few days later I had a reply from Fiona with a pictured of the quote. I had expected to be one of many quotes on one of the first few pages. I was thrilled to see that it was actually on the cover!

Book bloggers depend on readers and authors valuing our opinion enough to spend money on books we recommend. I'm extremely grateful for the extra exposure this quote may bring

I loved Orla's Code. It was so different to anything I'd read before. You can check out my review by clicking  HERE 

Orla's Code is now available to purchase on Amazon

Again, a huge thank you to Fiona. Make sure to check out her new novel. You wont be disappointed.

About the Author:

"I grew up in Dublin, Ireland and a computer course in school settled the looming question of what career I wanted. I took a writing course as a hobby some years later - at someone else's suggestion - and to my surprise I loved it but writing became just a visiting hobby. Some company-moves and crazy experiences later, I began to realise I was sitting on material for a unique story and as a plot formed in my head, I finally caught the bug.... London is home for now, working in financial IT. When I am not working or writing I am enjoying the city and sometimes escaping it."

 Fiona's Website  ~  Follow Fiona on Twitter  ~  Orla's Code on Goodreads

Doctors Notes by Rosemary Leonard

Published: April 2014

Publisher: Headline

Format: Paperback

A copy of Doctors Notes was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review

I've been reading a lot of fiction lately so I needed a break. I find fiction can get a little monotonous when reading it over and over. It's nice to change the pace and throw in some non-fiction every now and then. Besides, you just couldn't make this stuff up!!

Dr Leonards works in a busy practice in London. This book contains detailed about some of her more amusing cases. Each chapter is a different story so it's very easy to pick up and put down. I found it to be the perfect bedtime read.

Working as a veterinary nurse I see strange things every other day involving animals of all shapes and sizes so I found I could really relate to Rosemary in her reaction to some of the stories. 

Some of the more interesting cases include 3 women who find out that they are all carrying children who have been fathered by the same man and a couple who do some experimenting with a Cadbury's cream egg! I was surprised by how upfront people were about there problems. I admire how they were able to just come straight out with things. In the same position Id be really embarrassed about bringing up personal issues. It just proves that Rosemary is someone who makes her patients feel comfortable.

I really admired the fact that she made the effort to talk to patients outside clinic hours, even taking time from a dinner party to stitch up a kid in her bathroom! 

Doctors Notes was a light and refreshing read that I'd recommend to anyone interested in taking a glimpse into the GP's world.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Art of Reading: Books Inspired by Art

When I was in Secondary school (High school to people in the US) I read Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring. I had always been a fan of Vermeer but this story sparked an interest in the amazing tales that could exist behind these works of art. I have put together a selection of books that have been inspired some of the words most famous artists and paintings

Goodreads Links:

The Ruby Ring
Leonardo's Swans
I, Mona Lisa
Strapless
Artemisia
The Painted Kiss
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
Signora Da Vinci

I hope you find something interesting among these titles. If you have any other suggestions leave them in the comments!

After the Wedding by Roisin Meaney

Publisher: Hachette Ireland

Published: April 2014

Format: Paperback

After the wedding was provided by Hachette Ireland in return for an honest review.

Please note that this is the follow up to One Summer and may contain spoilers if you haven't read the first book yet. Don't say I didn't warn you!!

I put off writing this review for quite some time. When the review is written, that's it, it's over....no more Roone...and that's depressing :( 

Let's face it. There was no way I wasn't going to love this book. I feel in love with Roone in One summer. I personally think A few fans should get together, buy an Island off the coast and name it Roone. It's just so perfect..

Okay enough swooning.

So here we are, back on Roone. Some familiar faces, some new. Some have come back...and some have not :(. I was saddened to hear that some of the characters would not be heard from in this novel. I can't say any more without spoiling but lets just say it tugged at the heart strings.

Tim is long gone..in Dublin with Katie  and everyone on Roone is trying to get on with life. Nell is preparing for her wedding, Laura has turned Walters house into a b&b and Imelda and Hugh are welcoming a new foster girl.

Life seems idylic until a young child goes missing while her family is visiting the Island. The community is ripped in too. This sort of thing just doesn't happen on Roone. Coming from a small town, I really could really relate to this. When the crime rate is low something like this can really make you question everything you knew about the place you grew up in. Weeks and weeks go by with no sign of the girl. Was it an accident or something more sinister? Could there be a murderer at large on Roone?

I would have loved to have more suspense and more of the novel focusing on the missing child but I understand that it must be hard to fit everything in and still have the novel be of a feasible length. 

Just like One summer, After the wedding is a character driven story. You will care about the inhabitants of this fictional Island. You will worry about them, cry for them and laugh with them. It's an incredibly authentic read.

Roisin's writing reminds me of Heaney's poetry. She can take the ordinary and make it seem extraordinary. She appreciates the beauty of simplicity, making me yearn for simple pleasures like a soft blanket on green grass under a sunny sky or a drink in a country pub with old friends.

A highly recommended read

Rating:

 ★  ★  ★  ★  ★