tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87130059682155587462024-03-06T08:42:16.133+00:00Vicky ThinksVictoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-27668660984485705772015-10-20T15:01:00.002+01:002015-10-20T15:01:53.236+01:00Out for Lunch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is just a quick post to say that I'm currently taking a bit of a break from blogging. This is due to a lot of life stuff, including illness but mostly good things and new opportunities! I'm hoping to be back soon, but in the meantime I'm not accepting review requests - I'm still getting emails so I thought I'd put a nice clear message about this here. :-)<br />
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Hope all of you are well and looking forward to the holiday season. Happy reading, and talk to you more soon!</div>
Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-81981909080569210652014-04-01T05:00:00.000+01:002014-04-01T05:00:02.756+01:00Tour of an Exovet Facility - Guest Post by Christian Schoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Ever wanted to visit an exovet facility? Ever wished you could have a space-hound/alien-cat/amorphous-blob for a pet? (I mean, who hasn't?)</i><br />
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Well, you're in luck. As part of the <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/books/under-nameless-stars-by-christian-schoon/" target="_blank">Under Nameless Stars</a> blog tour, I'm welcoming <a href="http://www.christianschoon.com/" target="_blank">Christian Schoon</a> onto the blog today. I loved space-vet-in-training Zenn Scarlett's first adventure, and now she's back again in book two! Over to Christian to tell us more about the weird and wonderful animals that an exovet may come into contact with, with a special tour of the Ciscan Cloister facilities!</i><br />
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(And be sure to enter the <b>GIVEAWAY </b>at the bottom of the post, where <b>you can win both books as well as a Name Your Own Star Gift Package!)</b><br />
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Hey and thanks to Vicky for inviting me to break into your Earther net-stream for this leg of the <i>Under Nameless Stars</i> blog tour extravaganza. Vicky’s stop on the tour is especially noteworthy for both Zenn and I, since the new novel is officially on sale worldwide today!<br />
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So, we’re broadcasting at your now from the com shack here at the ancient Ciscan Cloister Exoveterinarian Training Clinic on the far eastern edge of Valles Marineris, Equatorial Colonial Admin Sector. I’m sure you’ll understand if our signal drops out now and then. You know how tough it’s been to get replacement parts for radios, or pretty much anything else, here on Mars ever since the trade rift with Earth started. Hard to believe that was two decades ago. Anyway, since I’m wearing one of the Cloister’s last functioning screen-sleeve uplink units, we can head outside as we chat. That way you can get a glimpse of the clinic grounds and meet a few of the alien life forms housed here at present.<br />
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As we walk over to the main infirmary building, you’ll notice the impressive rock walls on either side of the valley. The red rock cliffs are roughly 1,500 feet high in this part of the Valles, and if you squint you can see the barometric generators mounted on the canyon walls at regular intervals. The transparent membrane of bound-ions these generators produce stretches a sort of invisible “roof” over the valley, trapping air and water vapor inside. It’s thanks to these bary-gens that the valley floors of Mars are inhabitable, and more important, farmable, for the colonists here.<br />
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As we approach the huge infirmary building, you can tell by the immense sliding doors that this building is constructed to accommodate even the largest alien animals that are cared for at the Cloister. I’ll just poke my head in and… yes… there’s Otha Scarlett, Zenn’s uncle, at work on a whalehound. The hound is a young adult male, about 80 feet long, something like an over-gown otter, but with eight legs and an elongated snout packed with very long teeth. Otha is using the infirmary’s mechanical lift to raise him high enough to bandage what looks like a bite-wound on the ‘hound’s neck. The animal likely got this while rough-housing with his pen mate, a somewhat larger female. The owners of these two magnificent animals are hoping to get a litter of whalehound pups to take back and release on their ocean-covered home planet. And while the two are a prime breeding pair, whalehounds are reluctant breeders in captivity, so their owners are upping their chances of success by bringing them here, where the Cloister exovets have the expertise needed to encourage the ‘hounds to bond and mate. Whalehounds aren’t especially aggressive, but Otha is using the sedation field dish to calm the animal down as he stitches the wound and applies a coating of derma-plast sealant. The young ‘hound should be well enough to return to his pen, and his rambunctious girlfriend, in a few days.<br />
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Leaving the infirmary, we descend a series of stone steps to the area of the grounds where various other aquatic species are housed. Here there is an assortment of pools and holding pens. At the largest pool, we peer into the early morning fog that drifts across the surface and spot Brother Hamish shoveling something into the water from a large wheelbarrow. Hamish is the Cloister’s sexton, or all-round handyman. Or, we should say, handy-bug, since he’s a Sirenian Coleopt, basically an eight-foot-tall sentient beetle. The mist on the water lifts, and a huge, serpentine head emerges, followed by the 200-foot body of a Tanduan Swamp Sloo. The great, plesiosaur-like reptile paddles over to see what Hamish is up to and, once she realizes he’s feeding her, she lowers her tubular nose to the water and begins hovering up the pellets of dried insectoid flakes that he’s dishing out. We wave a greeting to Hamish, who rattles his claws at us in reply, then move along in our tour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPsaBXfwocazQwD9tdufybKqoFODiE9QyrvECk_XZun83BQVvECqtPiIVHQQa5shskSXudW-M3d6HoyLBTrjWtF2AjdSgRAmfoEHJR8Vbn39UmGr_hg40AhPsshfBKNF-zYcMCWGGyC9d/s1600/Zenn+Scarlett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPsaBXfwocazQwD9tdufybKqoFODiE9QyrvECk_XZun83BQVvECqtPiIVHQQa5shskSXudW-M3d6HoyLBTrjWtF2AjdSgRAmfoEHJR8Vbn39UmGr_hg40AhPsshfBKNF-zYcMCWGGyC9d/s1600/Zenn+Scarlett.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a>Setting out across the Cloister gen-soy field, we wade through the fragrant blooms of the waist-high plants and are surprised when we suddenly feel what seems like a pair of small, clawed paws gripping one of our ankles from behind. We spin around. But there’s nothing there! Now, we feel the paws clawing at our pants pocket. A moment after that, the air before us shimmers, turns a hazy violet-and-cream color, and then resolves into the shape of what looks like a cross between an Earther raccoon and a lemur, topped by a foxish head with large, tufted lynx ears. It’s the Cloister’s resident rikkaset, Pyewhakit.<br />
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Like all rikkasets, Pyewhakit’s fur is made of refractive, crystal-impregnated keratin that allows him to bend light and become more or less invisible at will. It’s an especially effective defense mechanism. Unlike Zenn’s companion rikkaset Katie, Pyewhakit never learned to use sign language. Nonetheless, as he sits up on his haunches and trills at us, it’s clear what he wants. Fortunately, we’ve brought along a handful of dried cat food pellets, which is what he smelled in our pocket. We offer him this, and he gives us a polite lick on our hand before he takes the food in his dexterous front paws and delicately consumes the crunchy morsels.<br />
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With Pye trotting along beside us, we reach what Zenn likes to call the Cloister’s “Rogue’s Gallery” of cages, pens and fenced paddocks. Here, a wide variety of alien patients and other long-term “guests” reside. The first large cage seems to be empty, its floor covered by a dense layer of dried leaves, branches and rocks. I rattle the heavy chain-link fencing and stand back, as the cage’s occupant explodes up out its hiding place, throwing a rain of leafy debris and dust into the air. Pyewhakit fluffs his fur and promptly vanishes from sight. He’s wise to do so. The creature we’ve disturbed is a Sirenian bloodcarn – a thirty-foot, predatory centipede with a head section resembling an immense tarantula. It rears up, hissing as it lifts its bright orange body and hundreds of short, undulating feet up toward the roof of its enclosure. The bloodcarn was purchased from an illegal animal poacher at the black market in New Zubrin. Its owner bought it when it was a barely out of the larval stage, a mere three feet long. The misguided owner thought it would make him look cool to possess such a creature. But as it grew, he realized he wasn’t prepared to care for a creature as big and vicious as an adult bloodcarn, so he abandoned the animal in a remote canyon, where naturally it came into conflict with the local settlers. After it was re-captured by the authorities, it was brought to the Cloister, where it will now have to live out its life in captivity. It’s a sad story, but people simply seem unable to learn the lesson that some animals do not make good pets and should be left in the wild where they belong. We don’t linger at the bloodcarn’s cage, but move on. After we’ve gone a safe distance, Pye allows himself to become visible again beside us.<br />
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We stroll on, passing by the enclosure of a pack of Procyoni yotes – buffalo-sized, hyena-like scavengers with massive, bone-crushing jaws – then stop to listen to the nesting song of a pair of Akanthan axebill warblers, as the big, ostrich-like birds serenade each other with intricate harmonies that rise and fall as they bob their heads and shake their enormous, red-and-yellow-striped bills in time to the music.<br />
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Finally, we loop all the way around to the ruins of the old chapel building, the tiles of its collapsed roof littering the site where it once stood, the huge sandstone blocks of its fallen walls lying in disarray like great dominoes strewn by some giant hand. It was here that Zenn had a truly extraordinary encounter with a young sunkiller being treated at the Cloister. For those unfamiliar, the Greater Kiran Sunkiller is a creature that grows to have a 1,500 foot wingspan, drifting on the air currents of its homeworld like a colossal, two-headed pterodactyl. A birth defect in this particular sunkiller’s wings prevented it from regulating its altitude, and it was brought to be operated on at the Cloister. Unfortunately, just as it was about to be… oh… well, that’s actually quite a long story and we seem to be out of time, as the transmission window for this broadcast is closing. Something to do with upper atmospheric disturbances.<br />
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So, it’s time for me to say good-bye. Thanks again to Vicky for letting me give you all this brief tour of the Ciscan facility. And don’t forget to enter the blog tour contest and answer her question about <i>Under Nameless Stars</i>. I mean, really, what Earther wouldn’t want to <b>win free books and a chance to Name Their Own Star?</b> Signing off from Mars, this is Brother Schoon and the other humans, Alien Sentients and animal guests here at the Ciscan Cloister. Cheers!<br />
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Thanks Christian! I still <i>really </i>want my own rikkaset...<br />
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On to the GIVEAWAY!</h3>
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To celebrate the publication of <i>Under Nameless Stars</i>, Strange Chemistry is running an exciting competition with a different question at every stop on the tour! You can find out <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/2014/03/06/under-nameless-stars-blog-tour/" target="_blank">who else is on the tour here</a>.<br />
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And you can find out the answers to all the questions by reading <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/2014/03/06/under-nameless-stars-blog-tour/" target="_blank">this extract of Under Nameless Stars</a>:<br />
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Read an Extract:</h4>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="398" src="//e.issuu.com/embed.html#1844177/6976657" width="525"></iframe>
<a href="http://issuu.com/angryrobot/docs/undernamelessstars_samplechapter?e=1844177/6976657">Read and Share via Issuu.com</a>
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So, here is my question:<br />
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15. In the opening scene, when Zenn comes to, she's sharing the cage-crate with what other animal (besides Katie and Liam...)?<br />a. A bloodcarn<br />b. An indra<br />c. A sandhog<br />d. A skirni</h4>
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Good luck! :-D<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b4f37d0/" id="rc-b4f37d0" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-29066239197710721802014-03-31T11:29:00.000+01:002014-03-31T11:29:04.657+01:00Sword and Laser Arrived!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My contributor copy of the <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4170-the-sword-and-laser" target="_blank">Sword and Laser Anthology</a></i> has arrived! This is the first time I've seen one of my short stories published in print, so I'm pretty excited! Want to take a peek?<br />
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The story is called <i>False Lights</i> and involves pirates lost in the mysterious Rift Space. I had a lot of fun writing it, so I hope people also have a lot of fun reading it. :-)<br />
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I've got another two short stories coming out in anthologies soon, and it's still a race to see which will be my first ever published short story. It's looking likely to be the Sword and Laser story, but there's still a chance one of the others may leap ahead in the final stages!<br />
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I've dipped into a few of the other stories in the<i> Sword and Laser Anthology</i> already and there's some fantastic stuff in there. I'm very proud to be part of it, and I'm looking forward to reading more.<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-12110261249764895152014-03-21T05:00:00.000+00:002014-03-21T05:00:05.534+00:00Gretel and the Dark - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Gretel and the Dark</i><br />
by Eliza Granville<br />
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Published Feb 6th 2014, Penguin Books UK<br />
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Vienna, 1899. Josef Breuer - celebrated psychoanalyst - is about to encounter his strangest case yet. Found by the lunatic asylum, thin, head shaved, she claims to have no name, no feelings - to be, in fact, not even human. Intrigued, Breuer determines to fathom the roots of her disturbance.<br />
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Years later, in Germany, we meet Krysta. Krysta's Papa is busy working in the infirmary with the 'animal people', so little Krysta plays alone, lost in the stories of Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper, and more. And when everything changes and the real world around her becomes as frightening as any fairy tale, Krysta finds that her imagination holds powers beyond what she could have ever guessed... (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18242996-gretel-and-the-dark" target="_blank">Synopsis from Goodreads</a>)<br />
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Part fairytale, part historical fiction, part harrowing story of Nazi concentration camp survivors, and part... something else. It’s quite hard to pin this book down as any one thing, as it weaves many different strands together, and until the end it is often quite hard to say which parts are really happening. I loved this; I was kept constantly surprised and was never quite sure what to expect next. I loved how the different stories and timelines mirrored each other, even the little snippets of fairytales that Greet and Krysta relate. I loved the darkness that crept through from the fairy stories into the other narratives, and vice versa, and the way the stories the characters told each other seemed to have a strange ability to affect reality (something that is emphasised even more by the end of the book).<br />
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This isn’t a fairytale re-writing though. Stories wind their way through the book, sometimes obscuring and sometimes revealing a little more of the real characters and the truth under all the stories. This is very effective, as the main character has obviously been through something so terrible that she has to almost dance around it, dipping in and out, winding magic and stories around it in order to be able to face it. At points it is almost as though the reader must slash through a forest of thorns made up of stories, like a protective layer, in order to get to the heart of the book. The darkness under the surface of most fairytales lends itself well to this, and we’re reminded that real life can be just as horrible, and that monsters really do exist. The ending finally pulls all these strands and themes together.<br />
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I have to admit that the ending at first came as a bit of a blow to me. When I began to see what was really happening I was disappointed; the book was strange, and seemed to be pulling towards something very unique and dramatic. This sudden change in direction, though not unexpected, was not what I was personally hoping for. It’s hard to explain without giving away spoilers, but it’s the kind of revelation that could perhaps spoil the book for certain readers. However, by the end of the book I came to really appreciate the ending for it was doing. The author is saying something about the power of stories and fairytales, and about memory and the truth we construct for ourselves.<br />
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I do wish that this could have been achieved without dropping one storyline so suddenly; some of the mysteries and developments in it felt a little pointless because of this, and could have been woven in better. The ending also unfortunately made a lot of the tension of this part of the story irrelevant, which was slightly frustrating when looking back. If you fear for a character and then find out that they were never in any real danger, or not the kind you thought they were in, it can sometimes cheapen the whole thing. Thankfully, this is not the major criticism that it sounds like it might be, as all the stories and characters tangled together in this book are connected in a way that allows for a satisfying end. There is a lot going on here that is very clever, and it is a captivating read from beginning to end.<br />
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As well as an intricate and interesting structure, the book is overflowing with absolutely beautiful writing, creating a strange, magical and disturbing atmosphere that fits the plot so perfectly. The author’s characters are larger than life, like fairytale characters, but they are also believable and flawed and fascinating. There is plenty of humour running through the book too, which is important in a story that doesn’t shy away from themes such as prejudice and selfish obsession, and the terrible realities of atrocities in Nazi camps. The beauty and the magic of the book contrast startlingly with its brutality, just as in many fairytales. This is a very well written and constructed book.<br />
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So, perhaps not quite what I expected and perhaps not quite the ending I was hoping for, but in spite of that, probably the <i>right</i> ending for this book. A fascinating and beautiful read and definitely recommended, especially for those readers like me who love fairytales and really believe in the power of stories.<br />
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I won a copy of this book on Goodreads, but was not required to write a positive review. Thanks to Penguin for sending a copy. :-)</div>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-70274690852699986342014-03-02T08:00:00.000+00:002014-03-02T08:00:02.041+00:00I'm Back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, it’s been an interesting (and very busy) time for me. Over Christmas and January I was doing an internship at Angry Robot, and since then I’ve been catching up with stuff and exploring some new opportunities. It’s been fun!<br />
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And of course, I’ve been reading some great books too! In addition to being piled with Angry Robot, Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A books (SO many amazing looking books!), I’ve finally started reading a series that I’ve been dying to try: Mary Robinette Kowal’s <i>Glamourist </i>series. I’ve also been reading some great book club picks, including <i>The Lions of Al-Rassan</i> by Guy Gavriel Kay and <i>The God of Small Things</i> by Arundhati Roy. And I’m currently LOVING <i>The Copper Promise</i> by Jennifer Williams. For Valentine’s Day I finally got to see Disney’s <i>Frozen </i>(adored it!), and I’m super excited that we’ve just got Netflix! I won’t tell you how far into <i>The Vampire Diaries</i> I am already, because that would just be embarrassing...<br />
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And so now, after a bit of a hiatus, I’m going to be kick-starting the blog again, getting back to posts and reviews. :-)<br />
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Here’s a sneak peek at some of the things coming up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v-FLYNfCg6GTk__5MzBmGoGLbI8_PLDwD8_LrJlg4UYnIzF7MCDBIyWSRWJeNE2381IVr71XZCMq9x_OHLlM-jGfTg7UkzsdfQEEzDrscqq9GkdAMtveS1aEpcLmztsWaXEVE8qdkUD4/s1600/books+coming+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v-FLYNfCg6GTk__5MzBmGoGLbI8_PLDwD8_LrJlg4UYnIzF7MCDBIyWSRWJeNE2381IVr71XZCMq9x_OHLlM-jGfTg7UkzsdfQEEzDrscqq9GkdAMtveS1aEpcLmztsWaXEVE8qdkUD4/s1600/books+coming+2.jpg" height="145" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7295501-shades-of-milk-and-honey" target="_blank">Shades of Milk and Honey</a> by Mary Robinette Kowal</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9777.The_God_of_Small_Things" target="_blank">The God of Small Things</a> by Arundhati Roy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18667112-the-copper-promise?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Copper Promise</a> by Jennifer Williams</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18599576-assembly-code" target="_blank">Assembly Code</a> by Colin F Barnes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104101.The_Lions_of_al_Rassan" target="_blank">The Lions of Al-Rassan</a> by Guy Gavriel Kay</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13393665-some-kind-of-fairy-tale" target="_blank">Some Kind of Fairy Tale</a> by Graham Joyce</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18242996-gretel-and-the-dark" target="_blank">Gretel and the Dark</a> by Eliza Granville</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/" target="_blank">Frozen</a></div>
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<div>
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</div>
Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-87137262240468415612013-12-31T15:42:00.001+00:002013-12-31T15:42:07.551+00:002013 Wrap Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow, 2013 has been an intense year for me, and a great year in terms of both reading and writing! So, here is my 2013 in review...<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Books Read</h3>
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I read 72 books in 2013 and reviewed 51. I thought it might be fun to look at some stats, so here are some interesting break downs of what I read in 2013:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
38 books by female authors (including anthology editors)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
34 books by male authors (including anthology editors)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 unknown (K.J. Parker)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
32 British authors and anthology editors</div>
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22 US authors and anthology editors</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5 non-British or US authors and anthology editors (wow, I need to try to read more next year!)</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
29 review copies</div>
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6 audiobooks</div>
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12 book club reads</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
62 SFF or with SFF elements</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5 contemporary</div>
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5 historical (non fantasy)</div>
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2 crime/mystery</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
25 YA or children’s</div>
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<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
My Favourite Books of 2013</h3>
<br />
Yesterday I listed my favourite books of 2013. <a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/my-favourite-books-of-2013.html" target="_blank">You can find the post here</a>, and since then I've finished another book that I would have included on the list: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13393665-some-kind-of-fairy-tale" target="_blank">Some Kind of Fairy Tale</a></i> by Graham Joyce.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_KRlCgGEKFpc755AegX6lCwrziBI7zrRQoIQ3OnmtOcL25_ffkC9U-wnzgO1EZd9pW-2i-19h1EpOi1ILOrnWcNSQNHFIx3Cs5AlNSaxSQzehH0lQEq_dElhp1ID5t-2yDWezu90FD0e/s1600/Some+Kind+of+Fairy+Tale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_KRlCgGEKFpc755AegX6lCwrziBI7zrRQoIQ3OnmtOcL25_ffkC9U-wnzgO1EZd9pW-2i-19h1EpOi1ILOrnWcNSQNHFIx3Cs5AlNSaxSQzehH0lQEq_dElhp1ID5t-2yDWezu90FD0e/s200/Some+Kind+of+Fairy+Tale.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Challenges</h3>
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<b>Goodreads Challenge</b> - I managed to complete this with half a day to go! I set my challenge as 70 books, and I actually read 72 books this year, but two of them were not listed on the site.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIysnB-7mSVg4n6ClIJ6QbyQdeQAItQH_bzEbAAWO3WqR-_VznLjeQTnrb0gYRZqAY0n6WSiLKgWSxCIiUdgeObmD-6z7ra3eeGiOeR19h5Zfhx_JNWWXUNwfWVzWbI2livBvn6X_u0nt/s1600/2013+reading+challenge+goodreads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIysnB-7mSVg4n6ClIJ6QbyQdeQAItQH_bzEbAAWO3WqR-_VznLjeQTnrb0gYRZqAY0n6WSiLKgWSxCIiUdgeObmD-6z7ra3eeGiOeR19h5Zfhx_JNWWXUNwfWVzWbI2livBvn6X_u0nt/s1600/2013+reading+challenge+goodreads.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.feelingfictional.com/2012/12/british-books-challenge-2013-sign-up.html" target="_blank">British Books Challenge</a></b> - I completed this with 18 books read and reviewed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztDjPmBFAycnu_BPTiiEZusQORzpHz88ZnA56Z52yqDMksIsyHVN02Tq3JzKmU2jcjHgf0gvxxOvXCPyJeoD5JTolv843Vk74kq3IxRjdRF2jax5_rHD6XBTO7Q7NwsvSvkA0q5dlDPlN/s1600/BBchallenge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztDjPmBFAycnu_BPTiiEZusQORzpHz88ZnA56Z52yqDMksIsyHVN02Tq3JzKmU2jcjHgf0gvxxOvXCPyJeoD5JTolv843Vk74kq3IxRjdRF2jax5_rHD6XBTO7Q7NwsvSvkA0q5dlDPlN/s200/BBchallenge.JPG" width="138" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://megantalksbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/2013-tour-of-paranormal-reading.html" target="_blank">Paranormal Challenge</a></b> - I completed this with 26 books read and reviewed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCKWvGrHaAk3Oq4Oasw7ra4GBqRSixAZ9_nGkNQtF7uL2z2SGrnvs2X6g6fRs5f2O4BhnjlGKtcDGlfi5M2wAYiM5-3OSnjBfJcsV931mbPU8rkmE9sID3yCM2L1rUWom_Qvax-Y7TXy0/s1600/2013paranormalchallenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCKWvGrHaAk3Oq4Oasw7ra4GBqRSixAZ9_nGkNQtF7uL2z2SGrnvs2X6g6fRs5f2O4BhnjlGKtcDGlfi5M2wAYiM5-3OSnjBfJcsV931mbPU8rkmE9sID3yCM2L1rUWom_Qvax-Y7TXy0/s200/2013paranormalchallenge.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://melissaseclecticbookshelf.com/2013-witches-witchcraft-sign-up-post/" target="_blank">Witches and Witchcraft Challenge</a></b> - I completed this with 8 read and 3 reviewed. I'd have liked to read and review more for this one, and was surprised how few books about witches I actually had. Plenty with magic, but not many with witches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a94dcHU7Kui8_xvqCkOrKJLlzpLttmbiJdsAqq0NJl60X01_8Op0pphAcdsW86aHCVQ8rVSraEHQHgY5z7Ko7gGvmxjUIWbKP-9ZAMzGaheAwAY5iUW0PEZtI5ZniOPdNk5MoALfGH5L/s1600/2013witcheschallenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a94dcHU7Kui8_xvqCkOrKJLlzpLttmbiJdsAqq0NJl60X01_8Op0pphAcdsW86aHCVQ8rVSraEHQHgY5z7Ko7gGvmxjUIWbKP-9ZAMzGaheAwAY5iUW0PEZtI5ZniOPdNk5MoALfGH5L/s200/2013witcheschallenge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/posts/richard-and-judy-book-club-reading-challenge-summer-2013/" target="_blank">Richard and Judy Challenge</a></b> - I completed this with 5 read and 3 reviewed. This was a fun challenge, forcing me out of my reading comfort zone, and it was great to try new things that I otherwise might not have picked up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAefogpdbCKe9Dvo4FvlqMoOeoDUAsxn1siCFIr2P1pLt1mKKTrCcFGqF0sEGtW2BIOmiW619fbRzPGU7Qlj1Fq9zd61obgdG5YYEJ8gPgV0sdNjOntnYo8k8H3kdqJWVA_FzCuKBVp6j/s1600/2013richandjudychallenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAefogpdbCKe9Dvo4FvlqMoOeoDUAsxn1siCFIr2P1pLt1mKKTrCcFGqF0sEGtW2BIOmiW619fbRzPGU7Qlj1Fq9zd61obgdG5YYEJ8gPgV0sdNjOntnYo8k8H3kdqJWVA_FzCuKBVp6j/s200/2013richandjudychallenge.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://daydreamersthoughts.co.uk/2013-genre-variety-reading-challenge-2/#comment-4797" target="_blank">Genre Variety Challenge</a></b> - I completed this with 16 read and reviewed. My genres ranged from fantasy and science fiction to contemporary, crime and even a zombie western!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddrAKTSD6Dx1hYTzKBwpmLA8shvMUmbpyisZUO3pEUdAfvJ2HZEiQnjLQtJeWQkVwdtK3OsjYMQamFD3KUxp9dOfLX-Qhg9Yj_AsRRpDO97C-lDcj6c-JsOxaMZlEBdXYA-5G68yeI-6S/s1600/2013genrechallenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddrAKTSD6Dx1hYTzKBwpmLA8shvMUmbpyisZUO3pEUdAfvJ2HZEiQnjLQtJeWQkVwdtK3OsjYMQamFD3KUxp9dOfLX-Qhg9Yj_AsRRpDO97C-lDcj6c-JsOxaMZlEBdXYA-5G68yeI-6S/s200/2013genrechallenge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://evie-bookish.blogspot.co.uk/p/welcome-to-2012-tbr-pile-reading.html" target="_blank">TBR Challenge</a></b> - I completed this with 11 read and 9 reviewed. I definitely want to get more of my TBR pile finished in 2014!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhjUafZVEOMfOQQqM4qxVjXU-M9FNEbzlm9s8B6B0s38tfKOEoZPzICHfBzDzR4vHPa9NAzMH0OJAj4AjirFWzEd3KtNUJcI5MlVJLSAB9iuO8TFDg8kBCzuu8zKvz9MuXcw1f7CCgPhw/s1600/2013TBRchallenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhjUafZVEOMfOQQqM4qxVjXU-M9FNEbzlm9s8B6B0s38tfKOEoZPzICHfBzDzR4vHPa9NAzMH0OJAj4AjirFWzEd3KtNUJcI5MlVJLSAB9iuO8TFDg8kBCzuu8zKvz9MuXcw1f7CCgPhw/s200/2013TBRchallenge.png" width="194" /></a></div>
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Success in all challenges! :-D<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
My Writing – Short Stories</h3>
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I finally felt ready to start sending out short stories, and have had some successes! Next year I’ll have stories appearing in three anthologies – The Sword and Laser Anthology, Women Writing the Weird 2, and Missing Monarchs. I’m so pleased with this, and can’t wait to get writing and sending off some more!<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
My Writing – Novel</h3>
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I’ve planned, plotted and begun writing a novel. It’s still in early stages yet, but I’m feeling pleased with the progress and hopeful about finishing it next year!<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Internship</h3>
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I’ve started an internship at Angry Robot, a science fiction and fantasy publisher in Nottingham. I’ve been learning and experiencing so much so far, and I’m really enjoying it. :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3H9WRxh48FMA541Q5tU1G_gIk2W56-z4XFdcS2wdvSX9AF_sdQrf3gYyBBPxNsd6rasF_yvqvPxzL1nxHqPtjkj2O4Ahle6JlK4mTioMit44Ns4fbA3fchHtxdz__VIH6rsQ_u4XwSQTB/s1600/Angry+Robot+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3H9WRxh48FMA541Q5tU1G_gIk2W56-z4XFdcS2wdvSX9AF_sdQrf3gYyBBPxNsd6rasF_yvqvPxzL1nxHqPtjkj2O4Ahle6JlK4mTioMit44Ns4fbA3fchHtxdz__VIH6rsQ_u4XwSQTB/s200/Angry+Robot+logo.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Conventions</h3>
<br />
I attended three conventions this year – Edge Lit in Derby, Eastercon in Bradford, and World Fantasy Con in Brighton – as well as one book fair in Leicester. I enjoyed all of them, but I think Edge Lit was my personal favourite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGfi9p90V-5Cs0DM5yz4ULCnzaJ_0n7O-ZPTGkXIgKjTHPGkEMqoXdwCKqErvIZiYpMuKGYrnvIOk3A1tDpXVYahrGxaC5pj8tOLpKo0Q-Rx3GXTkPkMXQYPNODZxKsE1S8nk_vPYZhyC/s1600/Edge+Lit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGfi9p90V-5Cs0DM5yz4ULCnzaJ_0n7O-ZPTGkXIgKjTHPGkEMqoXdwCKqErvIZiYpMuKGYrnvIOk3A1tDpXVYahrGxaC5pj8tOLpKo0Q-Rx3GXTkPkMXQYPNODZxKsE1S8nk_vPYZhyC/s200/Edge+Lit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Readathons</h3>
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I took part in 5 readathons this year – three Bout of Books, the Wicked Valentine Readathon and the WWReadathon. I love readathons, but haven’t had as much time to join in with them this year. I’m hoping I can be involved in more in 2014!<br />
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So that was my 2013. Did you have a good year? :-)</div>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-3163187325157449522013-12-30T11:23:00.000+00:002013-12-30T11:23:50.442+00:00My Favourite Books of 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2013’s coming to an end, so it’s time for the inevitable favourites of the year post! I’m not limiting this to books that were released this year, as this is a personal faves list. So this includes everything that I’ve read in 2013, no matter how old. Here were my favourites:<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Favourite Books Read This Year</h3>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus" target="_blank">The Night Circus</a> by Erin Morgenstern</b><br />
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A beautifully written story about a magical duel played out in a Victorian circus. A gorgeous book.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8265801-the-folding-knife" target="_blank">The Folding Knife</a> by K.J. Parker</b><br />
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This is a clever story with a lot of layers. Low fantasy with no magic, revolving around banking and politics in a Romanesque setting.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333324-ancillary-justice?from_search=true" target="_blank">Ancillary Justice</a> by Ann Leckie</b><br />
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Science fiction with an intriguing society and a very unique feeling created through its approach to gender, and through the main character’s position as an ancillary unit of a larger shipmind who is now severed from the ship.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17877447-the-shining-girls" target="_blank">The Shining Girls</a> by Lauren Beukes</b><br />
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A time travelling serial killer loose in Chicago. I love time travel stories, and this one is excellently written, the time travel logic works well, and the characters are brilliant.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16181383-the-other-half-of-the-sky?ac=1" target="_blank">The Other Half of the Sky</a> edited by Athena Andreadis</b><br />
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An anthology of science fiction stories about women, but also exploring non-western cultures and characters, and exploring tropes and ideas from new perspectives. Intelligent, fantastic stories.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2315892.Best_Served_Cold?ac=1" target="_blank">Best Served Cold</a> by Joe Abercrombie</b><br />
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A story of revenge with a lot of depth. Gritty fantasy in which a mercenary seeks revenge on the seven men who tried to kill her and murdered her brother. A great main character and some wonderful side characters.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9591398-the-girl-who-circumnavigated-fairyland-in-a-ship-of-her-own-making?ac=1" target="_blank">The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</a> by Catherynne M. Valente</b><br />
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The story of a girl who visits fairyland. One of the best examples of the girl-taken-by-fairies stories that I’ve read. Wonderful writing and brilliant characters.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17162377-any-other-name?ac=1" target="_blank">Any Other Name</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17190382-all-is-fair?from_search=true" target="_blank">All Is Fair</a> by Emma Newman</b><br />
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I read <i>Between Two Thorns</i> in 2012, and followed with the last two books in the Split Worlds series this year. A fantasy series set in modern day Britain with sorcerers, magic, evil fae, feuds and investigations, and people just trying to drink their tea in peace.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7619057-warm-bodies?ac=1" target="_blank">Warm Bodies</a> by Isaac Marion</b><br />
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Told from a zombie’s point of view, this is a love story with a difference. The wonderful writing and black humour took me by surprise. A great book!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/285943.Holes" target="_blank">Holes</a> by Louis Sachar</b><br />
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The story of a young boy who is wrongfully accused of stealing and sent to a juvenile correction camp, but this is so much more than that. With strong themes dealing with race, fate and family, and the way in which echoes of past actions can be felt in the future, this story amazed me with its complex weaving together of seemingly separate storylines.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6285903-retribution-falls?from_search=true" target="_blank">Retribution Falls</a> by Chris Wooding</b><br />
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Airship pirates in a fantasy setting! This is a fun, exciting adventure story with some memorable characters.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15797050-pantomime?ac=1" target="_blank">Pantomime</a> by Laura Lam</b><br />
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It’s hard to talk about this one without giving away what others might perceive as a spoiler, so I will just say that the main character in this one is wonderful, the world is rich and interesting, and I’m hooked on this series now!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581990-the-eternity-cure?ac=1" target="_blank">The Eternity Cure</a> by Julie Kagawa</b><br />
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I enjoyed <i>The Immortal Rules</i>, and its sequel is even better! The story of a vampire girl in an apocalyptic world – it’s part vampire novel, part zombie novel, with echoes of Fallout, great characters and a can’t-put-it-down story.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11918.Bitten?ac=1" target="_blank">Bitten</a> by Kelley Armstrong</b><br />
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I have to admit that I didn’t expect to like this one so much. Werewolves in modern America, a story about rivalry, feuds, murder, and romance. A very quick and exciting read, with characters I really cared about.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13621089-geek-girl?ac=1" target="_blank">Geek Girl</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18065780-model-misfit?ac=1" target="_blank">Model Misfit</a> by Holly Smale</b><br />
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These stories charmed me so much. A geeky girl called Harriet is suddenly thrown into the fashion world when she is spotted at the Clothes Show on a school trip. I adore Harriet and she is probably my favourite narrator ever. The author writes her voice so perfectly, and her observations about the world are brilliant. Incredibly funny, warm and intelligent books.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18242996-gretel-and-the-dark?ac=1" target="_blank">Gretel and the Dark</a> by Eliza Granville</b><br />
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I finished this one in December and haven’t even had a chance to review it yet, but I had to add it to the list. An extremely dark and disturbing story in which fairytales are expertly woven with real events in 19th century Vienna and at a Nazi concentration camp in the final stages of the war. Impressive writing and a story that will stay with me for a very long time.<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-73984192349483611582013-12-29T16:26:00.002+00:002013-12-29T16:26:43.899+00:00Showcase Sunday #39 - The Christmas Edition!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Inspired by Celine from </span><a href="http://www.nyxbookreviews.com/" style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #53359f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Nyx Book Reviews</a><span style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, I've decided to combine several weekly wrap-up memes into one post. Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky at </span><a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #53359f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Books, Biscuits and Tea</a><span style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">. Stacking the Shelves is hosted at </span><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #53359f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a><span style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, and Sunday Post is hosted at </span><a href="http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/p/the-sunday-post-meme.html" style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #53359f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a><span style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">. Letterbox Love is a special British book-haul meme hosted by Lindsey at </span><a href="http://www.narrativelyspeaking.com/" style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #53359f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Narratively Speaking</a><span style="background-color: #dadaf0; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">.</span><br />
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<b>This Week:</b><br />
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I had a great Christmas! I spent it with my husband at our flat in Nottingham and we had a lovely day. Then we went to see friends, and now we're visiting my parents for the New Year. :-)<br />
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<b>Recent Posts:</b><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/exciting-news-angry-robot-internship.html" target="_blank">Exciting News! Angry Robot Internship!</a><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/ancillary-justice-book-review.html" target="_blank">Book Review - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie</a><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-luminaries-book-review.html" target="_blank">Book Review - The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton</a><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/four-quick-movie-reviews-percy-jackson.html" target="_blank">Four Quick Movie Reviews - Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, Gravity, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</a><br />
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<b>My Christmas Goodies:</b><br />
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This is a very dramatic list, mainly thanks to my internship at Angry Robot. I've brought back so many books from the office, and we wrapped them all up and put them under the tree!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16120126-the-woken-gods?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Woken Gods</a> by Gwenda Bond</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15767908-when-the-world-was-flat?ac=1" target="_blank">When the World Was Flat and We Were in Love</a> by Ingrid Jonach</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12837634-strangeness-and-charm?ac=1" target="_blank">Strangeness and Charm</a> by Mike Shevdon</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7709810-the-road-to-bedlam?ac=1" target="_blank">The Road to Bedlam</a> by Mike Shevdon</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884104-the-view-from-the-tower?from_search=true" target="_blank">The View From the Tower</a> by Charles Lambert</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17397481-the-almost-girl?ac=1" target="_blank">The Almost Girl</a> by Amalie Howard</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17288745-the-prince-of-lies?ac=1" target="_blank">The Prince of Lies</a> by Anne Lyle</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17694650-shadowplay?ac=1" target="_blank">Shadowplay</a> by Laura Lam</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15799390-the-age-atomic?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Age Atomic</a> by Adam Christopher</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10795257-empire-state?ac=1" target="_blank">Empire State</a> by Adam Christopher</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9280056-embedded?ac=1" target="_blank">Embedded</a> by Dan Abnett</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17162150-three?ac=1" target="_blank">Three </a>by Jay Posey</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13642710-nexus?ac=1" target="_blank">Nexus</a> by Ramez Naam</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15997527-crux?ac=1" target="_blank">Crux </a>by Ramez Naam</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3491640-moxyland?ac=1" target="_blank">Moxyland </a>by Lauren Beukes</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12328193-seven-wonders?ac=1" target="_blank">Seven Wonders</a> by Adam Christopher</div>
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(Phew! Thanks so much Angry Robot! :-) )</div>
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I also received two fantastic looking books and some goodies from my Secret Santa. Thanks Secret Santa, I can't wait to read these! :-)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park?ac=1" target="_blank">Eleanor & Park</a> by Rainbow Rowell</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches?from_search=true" target="_blank">A Discovery of Witches</a> by Deborah Harkness</div>
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My husband gave me some great movies, including Miracle on 34th Street - he was amazed this year when he found out that I'd never seen it, so he bought me it for Christmas! He also gave me three Harvest Moon games for the Wii because I was just a little bit obsessed with the last one we had. I don't know what it is about them, just love them!<br />
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Did you get any books/movies/games for Christmas? Hope you're enjoying the holidays! :-D<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-81087084183380913342013-12-28T14:00:00.000+00:002013-12-28T14:00:00.751+00:00The Luminaries - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>The Luminaries</i><br />
by Eleanor Catton<br />
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Winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize and Canada's Governor General's Literary Award, a breathtaking feat of storytelling where everything is connected, but nothing is as it seems....<br />
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It is 1866, and young Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On the stormy night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men who have men in secret to discuss a series of unexplained events: A wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely ornate as the night sky. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333230-the-luminaries?from_search=true" target="_blank">Synopsis from Goodreads</a>)<br />
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This is an intimidating book. Weighty in terms of themes, the prestigious prizes it has won, and the clever structuring and style that reflects the planets and the phases of the moon, it is also literally an extremely large book. It’s also a book that seems to have divided opinions considerably, so I was very interested to see what I would make of it.<br />
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The story begins with the arrival of Walter Moody in Hokitika, New Zealand, in 1866. He walks in on a meeting of twelve men at the Crown Hotel, and is soon pulled into their discussion of a series of events, and of the sinister man who seems to be behind it all somehow: Francis Carver.<br />
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This section of the novel immediately drew me in; mysterious events, a group of such different characters all driven together by fate, a historical setting and a fascinating look into a New Zealand Gold Rush town – all great elements! The events themselves are related in a slightly odd way; each person describes what they experienced to Moody. This isn’t related in direct speech from the person telling their tale, but described in third person as a summary of the events they have just told to Moody. Within these stories, other characters might tell their own story, sometimes also related in third person rather than direct speech. This can become quite confusing, particularly if listening to the audiobook, as it is harder to flick back to find out whose point of view we are seeing events from, and because events are often told in the narrator’s voice rather than a recognisable character’s voice. This isn’t a fault with the audiobook, but is a result of the slightly odd way that the story is related in the beginning section. There are also moments where the reader appears to have been given more information than Moody has been told – for example, would a man describing to another man something that happened to him really break off mid story to deeply analyse another person’s character?<br />
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After the meeting of the men at the Crown Hotel, the story continues and slowly little things begin to be revealed as the chain of events is unravelled. It becomes clear that every detail mentioned in the story is significant, that everything ties in to the greater story that’s being told. This is extremely well planned and executed, and I really enjoyed seeing all the different threads pulling together. This doesn’t happen all at once, at the end of the book, but steadily and surely throughout the story. It’s carefully and brilliantly done.<br />
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The sheer amount of characters in this book is a little confusing to begin with. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, something that is a bigger problem in the audiobook because you can’t flip to the front for the cast of characters. Thankfully, the narrator is very skilled at giving each character a distinct voice, so though I couldn’t always remember at first what a specific person’s background and profession was, I always knew exactly who was speaking. The large cast of characters becomes a strength later on in the story once the reader has wrapped their head around who is who, much like in something like <i>Game of Thrones</i>, where the interactions and connections between different people, the little co-incidences, and being able to see a situation from all sides, really brings the whole thing to life. Unfortunately, some characters were more rounded out than others, and some who were explored deeply at the beginning were almost forgotten later. In the end, perhaps there simply were too many people for one book to deal with.<br />
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The main characters are each connected to a celestial body, astrology being an important theme running through the novel. This was clever, but I do wish the author had let the reader assess each character for themselves through the characters’ actions, rather than suddenly breaking the story each time a new person was introduced in order to describe their disposition, hopes and dreams and character traits in extensive detail.<br />
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The structure of the novel was another aspect that reflected the movements of the heavens, in this case the phases of the moon. The early chapters start off very long, becoming shorter and shorter in proportion to the waning of the moon until the final chapters are mere slivers of the beginning sections. This structure is alluded to on the front cover of the book. I really liked this and thought it was a clever touch, but there were some points where the story perhaps suffered a bit from the need to stick to this structure. Most notably this was in the middle, where the story began to drag a bit, for me, and at the very end, where the chapters were so short the introductory sentences at the beginning of each one had to sum up all the events, telling us rather than showing us what happened.<br />
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However, what I did love about this approach was the strong fatalistic feeling that this connection with the heavens gave to the story. There are also many references to the paranormal – ghosts, séances, astrology, visions, weird connections between people. Even the name ‘Crown Hotel’ has associations with Dracula. I loved these aspects, and I particularly liked how many of the stranger happenings were explained logically, but not in a way that entirely convinced, or that wrapped up everything. For example, the strange connection between two characters was still a little mysterious, and I don’t think Moody’s vision at the beginning was ever really explained. This leaves the reader with the feeling that there are still mysteries in the world, and forces that move us beyond our control.<br />
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<i>The Luminaries</i> is an interesting book, different in many ways from things I’ve read before. I appreciated the clever structure reflecting the themes and ideas in the story, as well as the possible supernatural elements and the feeling of fate guiding the characters’ interactions. I do think the book was too long and that the story would have benefited from some cuts, especially in the middle section, and in some places the book was perhaps a little too clever for its own good. But overall this is a fascinating and impressive read in which everything is connected and all events pull together into a satisfying ending. The narrator reads the audiobook extremely well and I really enjoyed listening to it!<br />
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I received a review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-1327517982154574092013-12-25T13:29:00.000+00:002013-12-25T13:29:37.467+00:00Merry Christmas!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Merry Christmas everyone! :-D</div>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-66842573158742441462013-12-21T17:53:00.001+00:002013-12-21T17:53:23.454+00:00Four Quick Movie Reviews – Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, Gravity, Catching Fire, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Winter is movie-going season for me. I don’t tend to go to the cinema any other time of year. Perhaps it’s because sitting in a cinema seems more appealing in the cold weather, or perhaps it’s because films I want to see tend to come out around Christmas. And there seem to have been even more than usual that I wanted to see this year! So... on to some quick flash reviews...<br />
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Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters</h3>
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Ok, so technically this wasn’t a winter film. I saw it on 6th September, my husband’s and my wedding anniversary. He surprised me with a trip to see this, which is especially sweet because this really isn’t the kind of film John tends to like.<br />
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I really enjoyed this. I think they did a good job of translating the book into a film, though perhaps some of Annabeth’s reasoning for mistrusting Tyson wasn’t brought across clearly enough. She just seemed like she was being mean for the sake of it. The action scenes were done well and the monsters and special effects looked really good. I loved how they interpreted Charybdis. I thought some moments were genuinely sweet, and John practically imploded from the cheese factor of some parts (did I mention I <i>love </i>cheese?). All in all, this was a much, much better film than the first one, and I would recommend it to fans of Percy Jackson as well as those who haven’t read the books. Though (of course!) the book is still miles better.<br />
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Gravity</h3>
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Oh my gosh, I enjoyed this one SO MUCH. I was really impressed with the acting, the effects, the music, the direction... everything. I think this is a very good example of a film that plays to the strengths of the medium. I can’t imagine this story told in any other way than as a movie – I was amazed how much I was drawn into it, feeling the main character’s rising panic, yet at the same time a sense of complete awe at her surroundings.<br />
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The acting was brilliant in this. Sandra Bullock should definitely be nominated for awards for her performance, which was subtle and powerful. George Clooney’s character was the sort of character that tends to irritate me in other things, but he was perfect here. I thought the themes and overall storyline of the film were compelling and portrayed well, though there was one certain ‘womb’ scene that was almost laughably unsubtle. A wonderful film, and definitely worth seeing!<br />
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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</h3>
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This is the sequel to The Hunger Games, which I loved. Confession time: I still haven’t actually read Catching Fire yet, so I can’t compare the movie to the book. I really enjoyed the film, and there were parts of it that definitely felt better than the first. Jennifer Lawrence is as amazing as ever, and I thought the new characters were all interesting too, though some were a bit underused.<br />
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There were some elements of the plot that I wasn’t so sure about. The twist at the end, while interesting, seemed both a little unrealistic and also cheapened some of the tension and drama from earlier in the movie. I can certainly understand why Katniss was so annoyed. I loved the effects and the action in the movie, and I enjoyed getting to know the world and characters better. Unfortunately, it did have a very disappointing and exasperating end. I know, I know, this is the ending of the book, but that doesn’t mean it had to be the ending of the film too. They could at least have signposted that we were coming to the end. As it was, it hit very suddenly and felt like they’d cut off the last ten minutes of the film.<br />
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However, overall this was an extremely fun and enjoyable film, and I can’t wait for the next one!<br />
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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</h3>
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After a bit of a baffling start, this film continued the story from the previous one nicely, setting up a good pace and feeling much less episodic than the last one. I enjoyed this film more than the first. I thought it had a better sense of story and adventure, and much less random moments. The atmosphere felt more even too, as if this film knew better what it wanted to be.<br />
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Unfortunately, what it wanted to be was Lord of the Rings 2.0, which I personally think is a bit of a shame. It didn’t feel anything like The Hobbit (the book), not capturing that same sense of magic and delight, the almost fairytale or folklorish feel, instead becoming a larger story with Weighty Significance. In other words, the attempt to make The Hobbit epic is what spoiled it for me. They constantly referenced The Lord of the Rings in every joke and wink to the audience, until I wanted to throw popcorn at the screen in disgust. They drew out a story that should be much shorter, and the padding really doesn’t make it better. The extra scenes are unnecessary – they don’t add anything to the story of The Hobbit, and so are only meaningful in relation to The Lord of the Rings. Why not just let The Hobbit tell its own story? There are also action scenes that are drawn out far too long, which spoils the tension of those scenes. A later sequence involving Smaug chasing the dwarves, and smashing every support pillar in the entire mountain in the process, is a good example.<br />
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And the attempt to make this an epic tale with gravitas and significance beyond its own simple story has also led to other issues that made me grind my teeth a bit. If The Hobbit is The Lord of the Rings 2.0 then Thorin is certainly portrayed whenever possible as another Aragorn. He is the Rightful Heir to the throne, a reluctant leader who must rise to the calling of his Noble Blood, who is Destined to blah blah blah. This film isn’t the story of Bilbo; it’s the story of Thorin Oakenshield, and that, for me, is the biggest shame of all.<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-40360213595487628572013-12-19T13:00:00.000+00:002013-12-19T18:33:14.926+00:00Ancillary Justice - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Ancillary Justice</i><br />
by Ann Leckie<br />
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On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.<br />
Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the <i>Justice of Toren</i>--a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.<br />
An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose--to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.<br />
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From debut author Ann Leckie, <i>Ancillary Justice </i>is a stunning space opera that asks what it means to be human in a universe guided by artificial intelligence.<br />
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(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333324-ancillary-justice?from_search=true" target="_blank">Synopsis from Goodreads</a>)</div>
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This is a book that was quickly gaining a lot of hype and some incredibly good reviews, and so it moved right up my ‘to read’ list even before <i>both </i>online book clubs I’m a member of decided to choose it as their November pick. There was a lot to live up to – practically every review I read mentioned that this was bound to be nominated for all kinds of awards. Was it as good as everyone was saying? Yes!<br />
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<i>Ancillary Justice</i> just clicked with me. I loved the universe that the author created, the planets, the stations and ships, the characters, the plot – everything interested me. This is one of those books that I found impossible to read along with the book club; I couldn’t help reading on and finishing it ahead of time.<br />
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Everyone has been talking about the gender politics in the book, so let’s touch on that first. I thought this was handled really well, and not only provided a fascinating cultural backdrop for the story, but also challenged the reader, inviting us to examine our own relationship with gender. The people of the Radch just aren’t interested in whether a person is male or female, and so the story, told from the POV of a person who has grown up in the culture of the Radch, refers to everyone as ‘she’. How much does it really matter, how much does it affect the story, if we know a character’s gender or not? In this case, it doesn’t matter at all, and yet I would still find myself at certain points trying to assign gender to characters. It was also interesting to see how a culture like this might interact and think about the world.<br />
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This approach to gender added a fascinating and unique element to the book, without being as vital to the plot as the gender politics in something like <i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i> turn out to be. I liked this – sometimes it’s nice to explore something like this without it also being integral to the plot.<br />
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Speaking of <i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i>, I think there were some clear nods to it in this book – the frozen world at the beginning, the two characters thrown together learning to understand and accept each other... and in some ways the relationship between the two main characters mirrors that of Ai and Estraven, but interestingly in terms of class and citizenship rather than gender. The style of writing also reminded me a lot of Ursula le Guin. It is strong, controlled, perhaps a little distant at points, with an almost mythical feel to it that I adore. Again, this kind of writing just clicks with me, and I’m so pleased to have found another author to add to my favourites shelf.<br />
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The Radch, then, don’t discriminate based on gender, but they do find other ways to keep certain members of society down. The class politics are incredibly important in this story, as they are behind the split and changing ethos of the Radch empire. At the centre of this is Anaander Mianaai, the ruler of the Radch and the person that the main character, Breq, is determined to assassinate. I thought the class politics, like the approach to gender, were conveyed so well, and there was a definite Roman feeling going on with the client-patron structure of Radch society – anything to do with Romans is always a bonus for me!<br />
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However, my absolute favourite thing about the book was how the author managed to show Breq as both human and not-quite-human at the same time. It is so hard to write an A.I. that truly feels like an A.I. and yet is also sympathetic and relatable to. Ann Leckie pulls this off perfectly. Breq often feels cold, slightly alien, distant... and yet she is driven, opinionated, and perhaps almost a little romantic about certain things. She is a wonderful character who I really enjoyed reading about. And then there is the fact that Breq both is and is not One Esk, and they are but are not Justice of Toren, the ship and the hive mind in control of all its ancillaries. Again, this is hard to pull off, that sense of individuals within a group mind, but it comes across so well here. Finally, the point of view stretched across several bodies is a brilliant touch in the early chapters. It’s a kind of first person voice of god, not like anything I’ve read before and intriguing without being confusing.<br />
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The plot itself is compelling and exciting, with just the right amount of world building, and flashback chapters that not only add so much to our understanding of the characters, but that turn out to be very important to what is happening later in the book. The pacing was very good, perhaps just drawing things together a little too quickly at the end, however. I liked the resolution of this particular story and look forward to seeing where the characters will go next.<br />
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A fantastic story with wonderfully written characters and several unique elements that make this a truly memorable read. I have to agree with other reviewers – this will surely turn up on award nomination lists next year!<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-70476525986841206292013-12-01T13:19:00.001+00:002013-12-01T13:19:19.938+00:00Exciting News! - Angry Robot Internship<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22xfndFEP6FkTFwuD7xhz2jig4jdsI9C8N8tJom26hBfVpyY0OyF17ICARugLDHPtWIUlVD6UkSi077M78yt9YTU-MuVWuiALuXQ5tPvXVTJRNB2bNMndCMa8jIHH9V3m7T13K8NtSqKl/s1600/Angry+Robot+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22xfndFEP6FkTFwuD7xhz2jig4jdsI9C8N8tJom26hBfVpyY0OyF17ICARugLDHPtWIUlVD6UkSi077M78yt9YTU-MuVWuiALuXQ5tPvXVTJRNB2bNMndCMa8jIHH9V3m7T13K8NtSqKl/s200/Angry+Robot+logo.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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Okay, so I have some news. :-)<br />
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I'm going to do an internship at Angry Robot, a Nottingham based publisher of science fiction and fantasy, young adult (Strange Chemistry) and crime (Exhibit A)! I'm so excited! I love so many of their books, and am looking forward to seeing how things run there. I'll mainly be helping Caroline with the publicity side of things, so you may see my name pop up on posts or emails from them. :-)<br />
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Woo! I'm starting this coming week... time to go polish up on my robot moves ready for our metallic overlords.<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-27485715632479839392013-12-01T12:54:00.000+00:002013-12-01T12:54:11.505+00:00Showcase Sunday #38<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdccaytBejR4LlpQTDOl0QsTMzv5aImKkxHiy8J_qsn2mHv1H2JM7iFgdKkZffARZaWnThejro2wa5UCyl-a-O4lYQGeXQQ9XLDrM3MHHVKHivWFA7racSjfnYsCuFwHDuUUsi4x8KyxP/s1600/Book+Haul+Memes+John+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdccaytBejR4LlpQTDOl0QsTMzv5aImKkxHiy8J_qsn2mHv1H2JM7iFgdKkZffARZaWnThejro2wa5UCyl-a-O4lYQGeXQQ9XLDrM3MHHVKHivWFA7racSjfnYsCuFwHDuUUsi4x8KyxP/s320/Book+Haul+Memes+John+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Inspired by Celine from <a href="http://www.nyxbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Nyx Book Reviews</a>,
I've decided to combine several weekly wrap-up memes into one post.
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky at <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Books, Biscuits and Tea</a>. Stacking the Shelves is hosted at <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a>, and Sunday Post is hosted at <a href="http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/p/the-sunday-post-meme.html" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. Letterbox Love is a special British book-haul meme hosted by Lindsey at <a href="http://www.narrativelyspeaking.com/" target="_blank">Narratively Speaking</a>.<br />
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<b>Last Week:</b><br />
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Last week I was hit with the norovirus, so the blog has been a bit quiet this last week. It was horrible (genuinely the most ill I've ever felt!), but thankfully I'm feeling a lot better now. I think I pretty much slept my way through the end of NaNo so I haven't been able to add up my word count for the month, but overall I'm pleased with the month's progress and looking forward to continuing writing in December! :-) <br />
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And... I have some exciting news! :-D But I'm going to leave that for a separate post coming straight after this one...<br />
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<b>New Goodies:</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1118486.The_Thief_s_Gamble" target="_blank">The Thief's Gamble</a>, by Juliet E. McKenna </div>
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A movie from the library:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicf3qWCLd5S3GNIXmkZY2hgmzxRDUxB7TU8h1oqyyvCrIJ6qIkDLGzYwaQLk_bh4Ggzr0o4kNuX6Ifq0ZyL-AHYpVsUzCYllS3ZgNBGO2SOXTjMhYY6WVRnu3Wk5z93fw-XYb9Zy3jUeh0/s1600/Never+Let+Me+Go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicf3qWCLd5S3GNIXmkZY2hgmzxRDUxB7TU8h1oqyyvCrIJ6qIkDLGzYwaQLk_bh4Ggzr0o4kNuX6Ifq0ZyL-AHYpVsUzCYllS3ZgNBGO2SOXTjMhYY6WVRnu3Wk5z93fw-XYb9Zy3jUeh0/s320/Never+Let+Me+Go.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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And the books for my Secret Santa arrived! No pics of these yet though... I don't want to give anything away too soon ;-) <br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-52095344870280931972013-11-24T15:19:00.000+00:002013-11-24T15:19:03.094+00:00Showcase Sunday #37<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdccaytBejR4LlpQTDOl0QsTMzv5aImKkxHiy8J_qsn2mHv1H2JM7iFgdKkZffARZaWnThejro2wa5UCyl-a-O4lYQGeXQQ9XLDrM3MHHVKHivWFA7racSjfnYsCuFwHDuUUsi4x8KyxP/s1600/Book+Haul+Memes+John+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdccaytBejR4LlpQTDOl0QsTMzv5aImKkxHiy8J_qsn2mHv1H2JM7iFgdKkZffARZaWnThejro2wa5UCyl-a-O4lYQGeXQQ9XLDrM3MHHVKHivWFA7racSjfnYsCuFwHDuUUsi4x8KyxP/s320/Book+Haul+Memes+John+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Inspired by Celine from <a href="http://www.nyxbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Nyx Book Reviews</a>,
I've decided to combine several weekly wrap-up memes into one post.
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky at <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Books, Biscuits and Tea</a>. Stacking the Shelves is hosted at <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a>, and Sunday Post is hosted at <a href="http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/p/the-sunday-post-meme.html" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. Letterbox Love is a special British book-haul meme hosted by Lindsey at <a href="http://www.narrativelyspeaking.com/" target="_blank">Narratively Speaking</a>.<br />
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<b>Last Two Weeks:</b><br />
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Wow, November has been a busy month! I've been to World Fantasy Con, been working away at NaNo (at which I'm very much behind in word count but have made A LOT of excellent progress in terms of sorting out problems and questions I had with my novel, and I'm pleased with my progress so far), and have had a lot of freelance work too. Not to mention my quest to try EVERY Christmas drink at the coffee shops around Nottingham... yum! :-)<br />
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I've also been to see <i>Gravity </i>and <i>Catching Fire</i> at the cinema, which were both brilliant, and I'll hopefully be writing some reviews of those soon. <br />
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AND, I've been shopping for my secret santa, which I'm doing with <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/4th-annual-broke-bookish-secret-santa.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a> this year, which is really fun. Want to see a sneak preview of the present? Well, go on then. Extreme close up... what could it be?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONp6Xl39O8CUVg8pXvFHm8BM4UKu6NWAqfkOyq9XGNx3xavfSw0SghuTGbM3BtuUg1vDKL9pCyC9QeLT8KRFRZOYB-RI5Zgu1rUO3ty1N6b2B6_wdaxC-JFnkKuf72dirkJE9P4Pl8xWU/s1600/Secret+Santa+tease+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONp6Xl39O8CUVg8pXvFHm8BM4UKu6NWAqfkOyq9XGNx3xavfSw0SghuTGbM3BtuUg1vDKL9pCyC9QeLT8KRFRZOYB-RI5Zgu1rUO3ty1N6b2B6_wdaxC-JFnkKuf72dirkJE9P4Pl8xWU/s320/Secret+Santa+tease+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes indeed, mysterious Secret Santa present. <i>What is it?</i></div>
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<b>New Goodies:</b><br />
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There have been some great kindle deals recently!<br />
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<b>Ebooks:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IEtrZSyFXne0npKa1DZWrhgYZadh6BiobAu5mhyphenhyphenplP16KqPlWSjeU7etml_q1cIHxYBp-ltoTE5uag0327bZY7vzP7A36OkFvJLx8y2zwQATmT_EhBQ70_UhQxx8l0PubCGlskWaNEF_/s1600/Soldier+Son+trilogy+bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IEtrZSyFXne0npKa1DZWrhgYZadh6BiobAu5mhyphenhyphenplP16KqPlWSjeU7etml_q1cIHxYBp-ltoTE5uag0327bZY7vzP7A36OkFvJLx8y2zwQATmT_EhBQ70_UhQxx8l0PubCGlskWaNEF_/s320/Soldier+Son+trilogy+bundle.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1133685.Shaman_s_Crossing" target="_blank"><i>The Soldier Son</i> Trilogy</a>, by Robin Hobb</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790842-life-after-life?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>Life After Life</i></a>, by Kate Atkinson</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959951-redemption-in-indigo" target="_blank"><i>Redemption in Indigo</i></a>, by Karen Lord</div>
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<b>Goodreads Win:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTx3fIYSAApr3eN_gLb286NNFJTHd-DkKhyphenhyphenCsFnGB14EukvnzoGPnvym7uw9bqHloowQPOVPyIz7rurrC0Y-QeCnX4vB_VxjPd35_3tioOlAVYygVwtVfo2QbFFNVaopwvqiMz0evUAeQ2/s1600/P1040364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTx3fIYSAApr3eN_gLb286NNFJTHd-DkKhyphenhyphenCsFnGB14EukvnzoGPnvym7uw9bqHloowQPOVPyIz7rurrC0Y-QeCnX4vB_VxjPd35_3tioOlAVYygVwtVfo2QbFFNVaopwvqiMz0evUAeQ2/s400/P1040364.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HXEICXI9jXMkeA4WxjLIAzNvuqjFFh6MBPPeH5sduwLxmYD8CIELIwc_JaZujYeEqFbyJYwpCujXiD-lko3TmhljKiKKkVPj58GWyAKQtV_3smH7wDFoom7GUGnjf8Nq4db2JDcSlZga/s1600/Gretel+and+the+Dark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HXEICXI9jXMkeA4WxjLIAzNvuqjFFh6MBPPeH5sduwLxmYD8CIELIwc_JaZujYeEqFbyJYwpCujXiD-lko3TmhljKiKKkVPj58GWyAKQtV_3smH7wDFoom7GUGnjf8Nq4db2JDcSlZga/s320/Gretel+and+the+Dark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18242996-gretel-and-the-dark?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Gretel and the Dark</i></a>, by Eliza Granville</div>
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(the lollipop is cookies and cream flavour) </div>
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What a fantastic package to receive! Thanks so much Penguin UK! :-D</div>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-32758464001821723362013-11-11T01:00:00.000+00:002013-11-11T01:00:00.826+00:00Why Researching Your Historical Novel Totally Involves Going to the Pub, and other NaNoWriMo Updates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u>NaNoWriMo Week One!</u></b><br />
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We’re in week two of NaNo now and should be hitting around the 18k mark, I think. I have... considerably less words than that.<br />
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I’m remaining positive, however!<br />
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For me, the first few days of NaNo were taken up with World Fantasy Con, which was fantastic but very busy, and the day after with work that needed catching up on after the con. I know some people managed to write a little during the con, and they have my full admiration! I’ve still doing the catch up word sprinting. ;-)<br />
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I have discovered that I am terrible at remembering to update my word count, so it will suddenly shoot forwards on certain days. There’s something weirdly exciting about this, like discovering you’ve forgotten to open the last few days on your advent calendar and then gorging on the sudden feast of little chocolate Santa Clauses.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Using Historical Research </u></h3>
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I’ve also been making use of some of my research, and I’m glad I gathered certain things together beforehand so that I’m not too interrupted by having to look things up.<br />
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One of the early scenes is set at Nottingham castle, which I’d visited and taken pictures of, including the paths around it from every angle, so now I can just click, grab the picture, and know straight away which direction the character turns, whether there are steps or slopes, and so on. That probably sounds like too much worrying over picky details, but I live in Nottingham, so it seems like laziness to get <i>that </i>wrong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkiXhzqqvF6vuBtasGds9xtYcTrszj3HmbQLRBfOlTYCy5rVsKYeDa2OYKkbImfaQT0vMd0D1LFjau5P4Ls5wXKFWqsWk2dJatkb-Ca4jdCKtz0BaC7rkJXE5XAF6WHNfkHIuG2gsMJCL/s1600/P1030552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkiXhzqqvF6vuBtasGds9xtYcTrszj3HmbQLRBfOlTYCy5rVsKYeDa2OYKkbImfaQT0vMd0D1LFjau5P4Ls5wXKFWqsWk2dJatkb-Ca4jdCKtz0BaC7rkJXE5XAF6WHNfkHIuG2gsMJCL/s320/P1030552.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because my novel is mainly set in the 30s, with some flashbacks to the city in other periods of history, I need to know other details like what streets actually existed then, and so on. I’ve made a lot of use of photos and maps, and found some other gems in the library too.<br />
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This research has helped in other ways. It’s not just about facts, which arguably can be researched and added in later (though it certainly helps me to know them beforehand). It’s also about finding little things that can be worked into the novel, or that can influence certain plot points or characters. I’ve discovered the history of certain buildings that fit beautifully into my story, and images that inspire whole scenes.<br />
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I even discovered a wonderful book called <i>Voices of Nottingham</i> which is packed full of primary sources about life in Nottingham, some from the affluent members of society, but many from normal members of the public. Getting an insight into everyday lives is extremely useful, and the history student as well as the author in me is so excited to find this.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Finding Historical Images - Pubs and Libraries</u></h3>
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Images are one of the most useful things I’ve found, both for getting facts right and for inspiring a sense of what the place was like at that time. It’s one thing to read about what Market Square looked like in late Victorian times, and another to actually see it. I have photos of old shops, of tram lines being laid, of historical posters and flyers, and many, many pictures of people... people milling about, people shopping, people playing, determined people going about their day, and people enjoying the city.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T9g751mTlSsF68cWInDRGevtOOvWuRP4hX04QOMrLXNYrCaV8g6DprQibXM4Qz9v6EWEaonwHO8p4lOVUVOCVuRj2mnXK5olXcPJBW7x-6b5ot-bi_3N7LAF8pjodrptpfY0Uzq5VgkZ/s1600/Victoria+Station+cropped+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T9g751mTlSsF68cWInDRGevtOOvWuRP4hX04QOMrLXNYrCaV8g6DprQibXM4Qz9v6EWEaonwHO8p4lOVUVOCVuRj2mnXK5olXcPJBW7x-6b5ot-bi_3N7LAF8pjodrptpfY0Uzq5VgkZ/s320/Victoria+Station+cropped+image.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria Station (now Victoria shopping centre)</td></tr>
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And this is where pubs come in. Yes, honestly. Next time you go to a local pub, look for photos on the wall. You’re almost guaranteed to see at least a few. Look for older pubs, and particularly ones that are in interesting locations such as city centres. They will often hang black and white images of the pub itself and the streets around it. Pubs are places that tend to be proud of their heritage, so they’re good places to start. Don’t be afraid to ask either. Pubs often run in families and one establishment might have been passed down for generations.<br />
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Next stop: the library. Well, this one is obvious isn’t it? Look for large city libraries for ordnance survey maps, census records, and general interest books about the city and surrounding area. Look in smaller libraries for information on local areas.<br />
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And once you’ve read a little and found some interesting names of buildings, streets, shops, companies and people... the internet is your friend. It can sometimes be hard to find information without that initial clue to go on, which is why it’s often better to find a book to begin with, but once you have the name, the internet will provide you with pictures, personal anecdotes, and yet more titles of books to go find.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof-edN4-uHr8pGjsaDKRIVAkz-QJSrSnbik5175c55cGLFZUuPUa0yzcCyoCX8Hq16OaUsx5jMsw2lQkQ6e2Jx3HJU3sorao8_6TahTnrnVQrcIa7xcP55YRjCdVbLbdg3pg94WONRPuo/s1600/Market+Square+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof-edN4-uHr8pGjsaDKRIVAkz-QJSrSnbik5175c55cGLFZUuPUa0yzcCyoCX8Hq16OaUsx5jMsw2lQkQ6e2Jx3HJU3sorao8_6TahTnrnVQrcIa7xcP55YRjCdVbLbdg3pg94WONRPuo/s320/Market+Square+cropped.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market Square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oh, and one last tip. Try not to get too distracted with historical research. It’s fun, and so it can easily take over. Remember what your end goal is. By all means go off on a tangent if you think the information could lead to something useful or wonderful, but remember to actually get writing too!<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-40934983170533233682013-11-10T14:18:00.001+00:002013-11-10T14:18:41.472+00:00Showcase Sunday #36 - The World Fantasy Con Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Inspired by Celine from <a href="http://www.nyxbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Nyx Book Reviews</a>,
I've decided to combine several weekly wrap-up memes into one post.
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky at <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Books, Biscuits and Tea</a>. Stacking the Shelves is hosted at <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a>, and Sunday Post is hosted at <a href="http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/p/the-sunday-post-meme.html" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. Letterbox Love is a special British book-haul meme hosted by Lindsey at <a href="http://www.narrativelyspeaking.com/" target="_blank">Narratively Speaking</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdNtkpM3euaFScYBiiOYa4LPa9tsDBt3rxn82EEjLCPqwopTkyBrIKlfsDj55jzoyzu87Okb6umEJxRtHFNIoyzl7fLF8ITuRgCqRm8La6et5Dxvmk9znCCrzypWy9pE2_wM5LxAarAUK/s1600/WFC+Banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdNtkpM3euaFScYBiiOYa4LPa9tsDBt3rxn82EEjLCPqwopTkyBrIKlfsDj55jzoyzu87Okb6umEJxRtHFNIoyzl7fLF8ITuRgCqRm8La6et5Dxvmk9znCCrzypWy9pE2_wM5LxAarAUK/s400/WFC+Banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>WORLD FANTASY CON</b><br />
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Last weekend I went to World Fantasy Con in Brighton. It was a lot of fun, and great to meet new people as well as see old friends again, including meeting Ellie from <a href="http://www.curiositykilledthebookworm.net/" target="_blank">Curiosity Killed the Bookworm</a>! :-) I went to panels and readings, chatted in the bar, braved the wind tunnel that was Brighton sea-front, went to a few publisher parties and book launches, and picked up far far too many books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGliFv9NXFs325DZ1e9QgYN0munL7H85PdRpeSqNyMZCTkEqw5upNv5f7xLlntVXbR6PGHgzQYrrpnDNMomiBznvs4jN5ZEnCEbIjU7yc5oPsq4WTpjX0u4H8BGXELjMbr9wE4LtpXKCBx/s1600/IMG_20131031_220310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGliFv9NXFs325DZ1e9QgYN0munL7H85PdRpeSqNyMZCTkEqw5upNv5f7xLlntVXbR6PGHgzQYrrpnDNMomiBznvs4jN5ZEnCEbIjU7yc5oPsq4WTpjX0u4H8BGXELjMbr9wE4LtpXKCBx/s400/IMG_20131031_220310.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me as a pirate (right) and steampunk 20s Ruth (left) on Halloween at WFC</td></tr>
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Highlights of World Fantasy Con - Some brilliant advice panels, Scott Lynch, Mary Robinette Kowal's reading (and puppet show!), Tales of Eve launch, Terry Pratchett! (another Tiffany Aching book in the works... so excited!), Titan's fun fair party, and all the wonderful people I met and chatted to).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDbvrFsDThk_1cXZGAmeXN9C_1xOOEBVFKegm_wTfAA0-yxSj4gPxcaN0gWZ2ugukM99xvIhrPj8tQ0JWT8PoaJFWXU54FN4rqABVGgmfd_k_H0R6yYBChGFDBqXBIuureLwxFjiD3qHP/s1600/Puppet+Show+Mary+Robinette+Kowal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDbvrFsDThk_1cXZGAmeXN9C_1xOOEBVFKegm_wTfAA0-yxSj4gPxcaN0gWZ2ugukM99xvIhrPj8tQ0JWT8PoaJFWXU54FN4rqABVGgmfd_k_H0R6yYBChGFDBqXBIuureLwxFjiD3qHP/s400/Puppet+Show+Mary+Robinette+Kowal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Robinette Kowal putting on a puppet show for us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KUwly7Ck1eIMmV4zuctnYHgyKdjAfYHuajA_S3cVghyPhSAG1q-4y1_TYcTFZV5-quoM2jH8DhHPQ2TjvC6yQLetjGa5C8owV-436II1jDLg6s1RC9mVQ6bXF4Zlvk-z9WzO-oG3nE71/s1600/Panel+-+from+left+to+right+Trudi+Canavan,+Scott+Lynch,+Joe+Abercrombie,+Tad+Williams,+Adrian+Stone,+Stan+Nicholls+(mod).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KUwly7Ck1eIMmV4zuctnYHgyKdjAfYHuajA_S3cVghyPhSAG1q-4y1_TYcTFZV5-quoM2jH8DhHPQ2TjvC6yQLetjGa5C8owV-436II1jDLg6s1RC9mVQ6bXF4Zlvk-z9WzO-oG3nE71/s400/Panel+-+from+left+to+right+Trudi+Canavan,+Scott+Lynch,+Joe+Abercrombie,+Tad+Williams,+Adrian+Stone,+Stan+Nicholls+(mod).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel - Trudi Canavan, Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, Tad Williams, Adrian Stone, Stan Nicholls</td></tr>
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At the end of the event we had to travel home late on Sunday, and of course the first train was delayed and we missed the connecting train. We trudged onto a later train, sat down next to a guy who looked like a magician, who turned out to actually <i>be </i>a magician, who then gave us a free magic show for an hour on the train home! Bizarre but amazing end to a fantastic weekend! :-)<br />
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<a href="http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/world-fantasy-con-2013-review" target="_blank">Read a longer post about my experience of World Fantasy Con here.</a><br />
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<b>New Goodies:</b><br />
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So... the books. Yes, there are a lot, but in my defence <i>a lot</i> of these were free. You just don't say no to free books, do you? Besides, I'm hoping that Ellie's Sunday post will vastly eclipse mine, and therefore make me look restrained in comparison. :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPftWgCH1IT6XFcVGIJIGK3LwIVAKfMontR53O27qaNjMITaGSJoQ3gUiZiBXSvFiNu4gUpXAbmV_UCzgA9jOu8QwvxS6klgac-d3lXEfI7674Oz9yQh0pbKEYdLfVKg2IRUgTgzOPutf_/s1600/P1040244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPftWgCH1IT6XFcVGIJIGK3LwIVAKfMontR53O27qaNjMITaGSJoQ3gUiZiBXSvFiNu4gUpXAbmV_UCzgA9jOu8QwvxS6klgac-d3lXEfI7674Oz9yQh0pbKEYdLfVKg2IRUgTgzOPutf_/s400/P1040244.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close ups of covers below</td></tr>
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Two fantasy art books - Keith Parkinson and Didier Graffet</div>
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WFC book (contains info about special guests, some stories, and interesting bits and bobs)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11339115-giant-thief?from_search=true" target="_blank">Giant Thief</a>, by David Tallerman</div>
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Passages: A Sampler of French Fantasy from Bragelonne</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17046606-the-garden-of-stones?ac=1" target="_blank">The Garden of Stones</a>, by Mark T. Barnes</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17987501-the-forbidden-library?ac=1" target="_blank">The Forbidden Library</a>, by Django Wexler</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8698731-farlander?ac=1" target="_blank">Farlander</a>, by Col Buchanan</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17415882-the-queen-of-the-tearling?ac=1" target="_blank">The Queen of the Tearling</a>, by Erika Johansen</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910124-the-emperor-s-blades?ac=1" target="_blank">The Emperor's Blades</a>, by Brian Staveley</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9359818-god-s-war?ac=1" target="_blank">God's War</a>, by Kameron Hurley</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6673065-sixty-one-nails?ac=1" target="_blank">Sixty One Nails</a>, by Mike Shevdon</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18665037-the-gospel-of-loki?ac=1" target="_blank">The Gospel of Loki</a>, by Joanne M. Harris</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1829655.The_Demon_s_Lexicon?ac=1" target="_blank">The Demon's Lexicon</a>, by Sarah Rees Brennan</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17617648-banished?ac=1" target="_blank">Banished</a>, by Liz de Jager (Squee! Can't wait to read this one!)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18487578-tales-of-eve?ac=1" target="_blank">Tales of Eve</a>, edited by Mhairi Simpson</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6691684-the-black-heart?ac=1" target="_blank">The Black Heart</a>, by Patrick O'Leary</div>
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The Apology Chapbook, by China Mieville (this was to apologise</div>
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for not being able to come to WFC, as he was supposed to be the</div>
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Master of Ceremonies at the event. The chapbook contains some of</div>
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his unpublished short stories)</div>
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An Xmen mug (won at the Titan fun fair party!) </div>
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A TOR shot glass (from the TOR party)</div>
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Titan rock.</div>
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A Gollancz Geeks pen. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13517758-the-testimony?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Testimony</a>, by James Smythe (ebook)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9X_IXo71VurVLq0hxiXOD2QLzJd9-bxukgvZAy8YqW3SRcoEMzjMke1AQc69_ZSP9rjWYtyJjVijd4Mo912iYODHeQaJLxMv-HOPLss4fiY91XkdDl9ADCEb9UMwIUCKc2rMXhxGGLsxT/s1600/Shadowplay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9X_IXo71VurVLq0hxiXOD2QLzJd9-bxukgvZAy8YqW3SRcoEMzjMke1AQc69_ZSP9rjWYtyJjVijd4Mo912iYODHeQaJLxMv-HOPLss4fiY91XkdDl9ADCEb9UMwIUCKc2rMXhxGGLsxT/s320/Shadowplay.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17797456-shadowplay" target="_blank">Shadowplay</a>, by Laura Lam (for review) (more squees!)</div>
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Phew, that's all of them... I think. I've probably forgotten some. xD Hope you've had a great week too!<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-66026671215432559022013-10-30T16:28:00.000+00:002013-10-30T16:28:08.794+00:00Off To World Fantasy Con<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just a quick post to say that I'm going to World Fantasy Con in Brighton tomorrow until Sunday. I'm really excited about it! If you're going to be there too, let me know in the comments or tweet me, or just say hi if you see me around. :-)<br />
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Now I need to try to make some more room in my suitcase. There isn't nearly enough space in there for books...<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-89441284421133764532013-10-29T15:33:00.002+00:002013-10-29T15:33:06.937+00:00Top Ten Halloween Reads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>) in ages, and this week's theme is a really fun one, so here goes!<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Top Ten Books to Read During Halloween</h3>
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Well, for me, Halloween isn't necessarily about horror. Or rather, it's not just about the scares. It's also fun, colourful, a litte cheesy, a little goofy, funny, and a bit wicked. For me, it's about the supernatural more than serial killer horror; it's about wonder and magic, about the lines between worlds becoming thinner for one night. So with that in mind, here are my top ten Halloween reads...<br />
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<b>1) <i>The Graveyard Book</i>, by Neil Gaiman.</b> This book just sums up Halloween for me. It's the perfect read for this time of year!<br />
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<b>2) <i>Interview with the Vampire</i>, by Anne Rice.</b> The ultimate gothic vampire book. A must-read for vampire fans. The whole series is good, so if you like his one, carry on to later books too!<br />
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<b>3) The Bartimaeus Series, beginning with <i>The Amulet of Samarkand</i>, by Jonathan Stroud.</b> An alternate London run by warlocks, a charismatic demon, and lots of fun. This is a fantastic series and highly recommended.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUzJsfr8tvqkaVECorwwfwNSSB6Wqb4OtfCmr-sx8lO7jcsVs3KMDzzxXXhEHaHNds-kW8KLK87X09zfIa1C8fi47ucYYsaLA_fpb2mt2Ze5LPINPD3rPrrFIqXlFIYPwPoO2TeLm41v2/s1600/The+Amulet+of+Samarkand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUzJsfr8tvqkaVECorwwfwNSSB6Wqb4OtfCmr-sx8lO7jcsVs3KMDzzxXXhEHaHNds-kW8KLK87X09zfIa1C8fi47ucYYsaLA_fpb2mt2Ze5LPINPD3rPrrFIqXlFIYPwPoO2TeLm41v2/s200/The+Amulet+of+Samarkand.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<b>4) <i>The Whitby Witches</i>, by Robin Jarvis.</b> This is a must for a Halloween read. Witches, sea-people, weird goings on as the mist rolls into Whitby. Atmospheric and entertaining!<br />
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<b>5) <i>Strangewood</i>, by Christopher Golden.</b> A very creepy and definitely adult read. This fits in with Halloween's 'line between worlds' idea in an unexpected way. This is a book that's stayed with me a long long time after reading it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCf6glDL-_JyaBTise_ytvNGkE32VemaPFn2i_CB8wbCujWb7aYdpbVYGPXFuOI920IIIy0UgS98GXzO7TbSRLi1La7qsLNFJk00LEgMdYR_rwdeBsVY9BZiaVklOHvtJcNfZnHGf-OARU/s1600/Strangewood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCf6glDL-_JyaBTise_ytvNGkE32VemaPFn2i_CB8wbCujWb7aYdpbVYGPXFuOI920IIIy0UgS98GXzO7TbSRLi1La7qsLNFJk00LEgMdYR_rwdeBsVY9BZiaVklOHvtJcNfZnHGf-OARU/s200/Strangewood.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b>6) <i>Carpe Jugulum</i>, by Terry Pratchett.</b> This is a Discworld book, but you don't need to have read others in the series to enjoy it. Vampires and witches and very funny!<br />
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<b>7) <i>Poison</i>, by Chris Wooding.</b> Oh god the spiders... and they're far from being the creepiest part. This is a brilliantly written book that offers a fun, scary tale, with a fantastic ending.<br />
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<b>8)<i> The Neverending Story</i>, by Michael Ende.</b> It's funny how many of these books have a similar idea running through them, actually. Perhaps books that make me question the reality of my own existence are oddly the scariest kind for me? Anyway, this has plenty of weird beasties in it too. A classic, and always fun.<br />
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<b>9) <i>The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</i>, by Catherynne M. Valente.</b> This is another book like The Graveyard Book that just seems perfectly suited to Halloween. A slightly sinister but charming view of fairyland, which involves a trip to a land of always-Autumn.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>10) <i>Hollow Pike</i>, by James Dawson.</b> Witches, strange dreams, and a killer in a small Yorkshire town.This is a fun, creepy YA story that captures something of the feeling of old R. L. Stine books.<br />
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What are your Halloween reads? This year I'll be at World Fantasy Con, so I'm not entirely sure what I'll be doing on the night. Over the Halloween period I think I might read<i> Anna Dressed in Blood</i> by Kendare Blake, which looks fantastic, and of course I'll be sticking on all the Buffy Halloween episodes. :-)<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-19046334081864941752013-10-28T20:11:00.000+00:002013-10-28T20:33:40.527+00:00Retribution Falls - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Retribution Falls</i><br />
by Chris Wooding<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sky piracy is a bit out of Darian Frey’s league. Fate has not been kind to the captain of the airship Ketty Jay—or his motley crew. They are all running from something. Crake is a daemonist in hiding, traveling with an armored golem and burdened by guilt. Jez is the new navigator, desperate to keep her secret from the rest of the crew. Malvery is a disgraced doctor, drinking himself to death. So when an opportunity arises to steal a chest of gems from a vulnerable airship, Frey can’t pass it up. It’s an easy take—and the payoff will finally make him a rich man.<br />
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But when the attack goes horribly wrong, Frey suddenly finds himself the most wanted man in Vardia, trailed by bounty hunters, the elite Century Knights, and the dread queen of the skies, Trinica Dracken. Frey realizes that they’ve been set up to take a fall but doesn’t know the endgame. And the ultimate answer for captain and crew may lie in the legendary hidden pirate town of Retribution Falls. That’s if they can get there without getting blown out of the sky. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6285903-retribution-falls" target="_blank">Synopsis from Goodreads</a>)</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
---</div>
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<i>Retribution Falls</i> is a really fun story. Really fun. Pirates, airships, a steampunkish feel, magic, demons, adventure, conspiracy... it has all the elements that let you know you’re in for a quick, exciting read. It’s an extremely fast paced book, barely pausing at any point for filler or downtime, and yet there are a surprising amount of back stories thrown in, all of them interesting. Chris Wooding is an expert at worldbuilding, slipping in facts and fascinating details that give such a vivid feeling of the world, without ever slowing down the plot or distracting from the story.<br />
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The rag-tag crew of the Ketty Jay will draw inevitable comparisons with the TV series <i>Firefly</i>. The book has a similar kind of roguish-twinkle feel to <i>Firefly</i>; they’re pirates, but they’re not the really <i>bad </i>kind of pirates, and there’s something unavoidably lovable about their underdog position and their attempts to stay ahead of everyone who’s out to get them. The characters in <i>Retribution Falls</i> can be a little one-note – they’re a character type and in general they stick to it – but the back stories here do add a little more depth to certain people. In particular I liked Crake, the daemonist who aids the crew with his daemon-based magic, and Jez, the new navigator and the ship’s only woman. I found these two the most human of the characters, and I really felt for Crake. The more minor characters were less explored but did add some tension and humour. I liked the doctor the best of the side-character bunch and would like to learn more about him in later books.<br />
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The captain, Darian Frey, was a hard character to like, but felt like a very honest portrayal of the kind of man that might end up in his position. He’s always running away, always trying to find someone else to blame for his problems. There were points where I became very frustrated with him, and other points where I honestly hoped Draken would capture him and the rest of the crew would get away. However, though Darian is often unlikeable, his slightly car-crash approach to life <i>is </i>fascinating to read about.<br />
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As the book goes on, most of the crew members begin to reveal a darker side, aspects that make the reader question whether they are really the good guys. This isn’t explored very deeply in this book; we’re still supposed to want them to come out on top, but I’m hoping this may be touched on a bit more later in the series. The book also succeeds in making the reader feel sympathy for Draken, the woman chasing down the Ketty Jay, though it perhaps succeeded a little too well with me. There were points where I honestly wanted her to win, but then, perhaps that was the point. This <i>is </i>a book about pirates, and I like that lines of morality were hard to draw. No-one <i>should </i>feel like they are entirely the good or bad guys here.<br />
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With an interesting storyline involving conspiracy, pirates and murder, memorable characters, action, plenty of humour, adventure, airships, daemon-magic, and a malevolent ship’s cat, <i>Retribution Falls</i> is a quick, fun read. There isn’t really anything surprising in the book, with some elements being quite predictable, but it’s done so well there is a great amount of satisfaction in how the events roll out. There is a lot about this world that I love, and I’m looking forward to exploring more of it with the Ketty Jay’s crew in later books.<br />
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I listened to this as an audiobook, so wanted to quickly mention the narrator, Rupert Degas, who does an absolutely fantastic job and really brings the book to life. Each character felt pitch-perfect to me, and his reading combined with Chris Wooding's excellent writing kept me engrossed throughout. I'll be looking for more of Rupert Degas' work too!<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-79910105026356225062013-10-26T17:41:00.000+01:002013-10-26T17:41:48.738+01:00Preparing for NaNo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
So, it’s late October and NaNoWriMo is once more looming on the horizon. If you’re unfamiliar with NaNo, it’s a challenge in which writers aim to pen 50,000 words in one month. You can connect with other writers, offer encouragement to your buddies, and receive tips and inspiration from the NaNo team. The event is meant to encourage people to just write write write, without worrying about editing or other concerns, so that at the end of the month you have a finished or nearly-finished project, Phase One of writing a novel!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrkwLCkfNSIa6uASaB47hayj6u1YF0n5em6DeZRfdNeiD6up1lRgdzoiWXla0bMd87SMblaz0ibtq0wMIW1d0qbgI5U4809NSGCkkP2IFouoYnFMRCDSbPvNyHQEQQKCES64uESRAhP1j/s1600/P1040233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrkwLCkfNSIa6uASaB47hayj6u1YF0n5em6DeZRfdNeiD6up1lRgdzoiWXla0bMd87SMblaz0ibtq0wMIW1d0qbgI5U4809NSGCkkP2IFouoYnFMRCDSbPvNyHQEQQKCES64uESRAhP1j/s320/P1040233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supplies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I competed for the first time last year with a personal goal of 30k rather than the 50k. I succeeded, just, but there were a lot of things I realised, the main one being that I need to plan A LOT BETTER next time. Part of this was due to me trying to write a mystery book, so clues and groundwork needed to be laid carefully throughout the book, something that I found too difficult to ignore and add in later.<br />
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But partly, I think I learned that I am just the kind of writer that needs a plan. Maybe not a detailed ordnance survey map, but something a little more than basic directions to the end. This will help me stay on track, so that the words can keep flowing.<br />
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So this year, I’m doing the plotting thing. I bought a big sheet of card, and then wrote out scenes on post-it notes, different colours for different kinds of scenes. These weren’t every single one of my scenes, but the important ones, the ones that other bits will need to fit around. Then I began to arrange them, moving some around a bit, leaving gaps where there was obviously something missing, and so on, to see what the framework of my book looked like. <br />
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This is where I realised that I actually have a pretty solid first half, and then only about 3 major scenes in the second half with no flesh to go between them, and a very solid end. Huh. I wonder if this is normal for writers? Is it even a negative thing? Perhaps it’s good to leave myself with a looser second half, so that I have more room to manoeuvre later? I’ll be interested to see how it goes this time around. If anyone has any tips, or any recommendations of books on plotting a novel, please do leave them in the comments.<br />
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Another interesting thing that’s come out of this approach is that I can see certain themes running through the book, and I can more quickly solve certain problems by understanding where I’m going and which stages I need to hit to get there. The best solutions to problems are always the ones that tie in with events earlier, or key character motivations, or themes, and plotting like this helps me to keep track of these elements more easily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKInC0l_DCUfgDzVNnUNsfKWYagU-uO6mkieVPFqRWbr1ypnSt9KaNbX7OFJK8mXKxayTXjBBnHC7-S2pJEtYV8SIo_my9OdvBurEZB5v_BVEjRhQopxjpaNtk-8YhV8KQqrYViUc1W621/s1600/P1040232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKInC0l_DCUfgDzVNnUNsfKWYagU-uO6mkieVPFqRWbr1ypnSt9KaNbX7OFJK8mXKxayTXjBBnHC7-S2pJEtYV8SIo_my9OdvBurEZB5v_BVEjRhQopxjpaNtk-8YhV8KQqrYViUc1W621/s320/P1040232.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, so I do need at least one ordnance survey map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another vital bit of preparation is research. This time around I’m going to be writing in a historical setting, and there are a lot of basic things I need to know before I begin. Small details can be changed and added later, but certain historical facts do affect plot and characterisation, so I need to have quite a good idea of what my city and society look like at this time. Researching is so much fun, I just have to be careful that it doesn’t become full time procrastination, which is another reason why I want to get the bulk of it done before NaNo. I don’t want anything to stop me while the words are flowing! (And let’s hope they <i>do </i>flow!) <br />
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And final preparations? Coffee, tea, chocolate, snack foods, fingerless gloves for typing in, comfy cushions, and beating that video game before November hits...!<br />
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So, are any of you taking part in NaNo this year? What are you doing, if anything, to prepare? Do you have any tips for success?<br />
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Oh, and if you're taking part and would like to add me as a buddy, please do! I'm on there as Jictoria.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vjMqmazlxZeUsGaAwu1KfFCUxNZCSDGN9VC_mFovZPF5SMgfrDaFiRM0269e9h5g4DVoJldOA9w1O2xy_ImRP-ObC2it2Oo8gPe7Q-K5lZVpGxtieAQOxcmL963fyFHN7QMOKBoyA9vk/s1600/P1040234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vjMqmazlxZeUsGaAwu1KfFCUxNZCSDGN9VC_mFovZPF5SMgfrDaFiRM0269e9h5g4DVoJldOA9w1O2xy_ImRP-ObC2it2Oo8gPe7Q-K5lZVpGxtieAQOxcmL963fyFHN7QMOKBoyA9vk/s320/P1040234.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Essential NaNo buddy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-69956330417127497472013-10-25T22:27:00.000+01:002013-10-25T22:27:13.600+01:00The Age of Miracles - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Age of Miracles</i><br />
by Karen Thompson Walker<br />
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On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, 11-year-old Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life--the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.<br />
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With spare, graceful prose and the emotional wisdom of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker has created a singular narrator in Julia, a resilient and insightful young girl, and a moving portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12401556-the-age-of-miracles" target="_blank">Synopsis from Goodreads</a>)</blockquote>
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I read this as part of the Richard and Judy Book Club Challenge. This is one that I was really looking forward to. It’s a character focussed end-of-the-world story with a very unique and slow-moving disaster, and I was excited to see how the author would approach it.<br />
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Okay, so what’s the disaster? Well, at first glance, it doesn’t seem like the most earth-shattering of apocalypses: the world’s rotation is slowing down, and will eventually come to a complete stop. The days and nights are getting longer. What’s so brilliant about this is that the disaster creeps up on both the characters and the reader. It’s hard at first to contemplate how extreme the consequences of this might be, and so it is for the characters, who, after the initial panic, either try to ignore the disaster or simply tell themselves that someone else will fix it.<br />
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And yet, if the world were to slowly stop turning... what would happen? Days and nights would get longer, and we would find ourselves living days, then whole weeks, then longer, in constant darkness followed by constant light. Gravity would be affected – in this book birds begin to have trouble flying, and then fall from the sky. Planes begin to experience similar problems. As nights lengthen into weeks and months of total darkness, crops would die and the world would experience extreme food shortages. The long nights would be dangerously cold. The long days would be dangerously hot. Eventually, conditions would become too extreme for life over most of the Earth. This disaster starts out almost gently, unnoticed by all but a few, and yet develops relentlessly. And unlike some other, seemingly more dramatic, disaster stories, this one really does seem to be leading to the end of human life on Earth.<br />
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I love these kinds of stories, in which what seem like small changes can have devastating or incredible consequences. I also tend to prefer this kind of slow moving disaster/apocalypse story to the flashier, action-packed ones. However, there was something lacking here that meant that I never quite got the ‘wow’ feeling from this book. I thought the author wrote her characters and the human reactions to the crisis very convincingly, but there were points where the protagonist’s point of view was a little frustrating. She is a young girl (a fact that sometimes jars with the writing style), and so sometimes the typical teenage worries of her daily life concern her more than the world around her. I did like this touch, but felt that it became too much the focus of the book. The disaster itself became so background at points that it felt like an interesting setting for a coming of age story, rather than an element that should have been woven more carefully throughout all aspects of the book (for example, how something like <i>Life As We Knew It</i> handles a similar kind of disaster story). Because of this, there were parts where the plot felt quite lacklustre to me, and where the main character was not really interesting enough to hold up the book. Still, that’s very much down to my personal taste, and I think others may prefer that the story’s focus is always on the normal rather than the strange.<br />
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I enjoyed the way that details were introduced a little at a time. This worked very well, because it means that the reader experiences the disaster from the same position as the main character, not knowing enough, but knowing a little too much for comfort. I would have preferred the story to cover a slightly longer period of time, simply because I wanted to see what further slowing would look like in terms of human civilisation, and for similar reasons I wish we could have seen a little more of what was happening elsewhere in the world. This is a ‘what if?’ book, and so I want to actually see that question answered as much as possible. I don’t necessarily want science or explanations, but I want to <i>see </i>the consequences.<br />
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However, I can understand why the author did not do this, and I appreciated the unique approach to a disaster story: this is the age of miracles, not the age of disaster. It is the age when the world is moving from ‘normal’ into something new, when society is still trying to cling to absolutely everything it can from its old life, before having to face the truth. What makes this so different from almost every other story of its type is that it’s not a story about survival, not at all. It’s a story about living with ideas and routines of the past, as the world changes slowly around you; about denial and acceptance. So, although the story was not perhaps exactly what <i>I </i>was hoping for, it was a very interesting and unique one, and I enjoyed reading it.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-1421208154685607112013-10-23T13:29:00.001+01:002013-10-23T13:29:27.588+01:00Showcase Birthday!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've been really busy recently and haven't managed to get a Showcase Sunday up for a while. It was my birthday on Monday, so I thought I'd throw up a post today to share new goodies and latest posts.<br />
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<b>What I've Been Up To:</b><br />
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Well, as I said, it was my birthday on Monday. I had a lovely day - my parents came to visit and we went shopping, then later I went out for dinner with my husband, played a board game, and watched a movie. :-) I also had a trip to Arnold library, which I've heard is very good. It's a fantastic library! Wish it was my local library, and I'll definitely have to visit again.<br />
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I've also been helping to put together my husband's visa application to stay in the UK, which has been a long and complicated process. That's been sent off now, so finally I can relax a little bit and get back to some reading and reviewing!<br />
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It's been very rainy here, though as I look outside right now it's very sunny with an almost black sky! Thunderstorm on its way? I've been enjoying all the autumn colours and bought a pumpkin, and I'm planning my Halloween costume. I'm thinking pirate. ;-)<br />
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<b>New Posts:</b><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/shadows-over-innsmouth-book-review.html" target="_blank">Book Review - Shadows Over Innsmouth, edited by Stephen Jones</a><br />
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<a href="http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/the-world-of-sff-podcasts" target="_blank">Science Fiction and Fantasy Podcasts (Fantasy Faction)</a><br />
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<b>New Goodies:</b><br />
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Some birthday presents, some library books, some ebooks, some review books, and other bits and bobs! There are a lot here, but this <i>is </i>a few weeks' worth :-)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13516846-dodger?ac=1" target="_blank">Dodger</a>, by Terry Pratchett (birthday present)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11487807-throne-of-the-crescent-moon?ac=1" target="_blank">Throne of the Crescent Moon</a>, by Saladin Ahmed</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055592-redshirts?ac=1" target="_blank">Redshirts</a>, by John Scalzi</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24983.Doomsday_Book?ac=1" target="_blank">Doomsday Book</a>, by Connie Willis</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Apprentice-Journals-Michael-Shell-ebook/dp/B00DB3I3HU" target="_blank">The Apprentice Journals</a>, by J. Michael Shell</div>
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Birthday presents! An owl cushion, fox ear muffs,</div>
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and Nightmare Before Christmas mugs for John and me. :-)</div>
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Warm Bodies (DVD)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16058282-star-trek-cross-stitch?ac=1" target="_blank">Star Trek Cross-stitch</a>, by John Lohman</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333324-ancillary-justice?from_search=true" target="_blank">Ancillary Justice</a>, by Ann Leckie (I've heard so much about this one,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and it's the Fantasy Faction November read)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18599576-assembly-code?from_search=true" target="_blank">Assembly Code</a>, by Colin F. Barnes (review copy)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333230-the-luminaries?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Luminaries</a>, by Eleanor Catton (review audiobook)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb0ny_wH20Uu-ZwC9fEcdKn3n8BmxpkFyOlLuSzY6LXP5-BEoSFzUjo-99M9ixDA6sma6XeW4Et2h_Yt4X6pMWDYSIkbeR-S2ZByaZtOy684wWHHrIt03N1NR5Aqaj5UGjcapT9OlbBBa/s1600/Deaths+of+Tao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb0ny_wH20Uu-ZwC9fEcdKn3n8BmxpkFyOlLuSzY6LXP5-BEoSFzUjo-99M9ixDA6sma6XeW4Et2h_Yt4X6pMWDYSIkbeR-S2ZByaZtOy684wWHHrIt03N1NR5Aqaj5UGjcapT9OlbBBa/s200/Deaths+of+Tao.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17726421-the-deaths-of-tao?ac=1" target="_blank">The Deaths of Tao</a>, by Wesley Chu (review book)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18658353-pandemonium?from_search=true" target="_blank">Pandemonium: Ash</a>, edited by Jared Shurin</div>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-92226597880513972013-10-06T20:31:00.000+01:002013-10-06T20:31:54.322+01:00Shadows Over Innsmouth - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/320700.Shadows_over_Innsmouth" target="_blank"><i>Shadows Over Innsmouth</i></a><br />
edited by Stephen Jones<br />
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Innsmouth, that isolated New England fishing village where “the vast huddle of sagging gambrel roofs and peaked gables conveyed with offensive clearness the idea of wormy decay.” A desolate place where the bulging, watery eyes of the residents stared from misshapen skulls, and a musty stench blended hideously with the town’s fishy odour. This is the setting of one of H. P. Lovecraft’s most famous tales, <i>The Shadow Over Innsmouth</i>, where hideous chants echo from Devil Reef and the Hall of Dagon.<br />
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Under the unblinking eye of World Fantasy Award-winning editor Stephen Jones, sixteen of the finest modern authors contribute stories to the canon of Cthulu. (Synopsis from back of book)</blockquote>
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I’ve read so many Lovecraftian stories now, enjoyed Cthulu mythos based books, movies and games, and am very familiar with the ideas and iconic elements of Lovecraft’s creation, but oddly, until this collection, I’d never actually read one of the original Lovecraft stories. This collection begins with <b>The Shadow Over Innsmouth</b>, which was pretty much exactly what I expected. The story is a slow starter, perhaps a little rambling in places, but with a great sense of atmosphere and, of course, a fantastically realised setting.<br />
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The other stories in the collection are all the works of other authors, all within the Cthulu mythos and with a connection to Innsmouth and to the events of the original Lovecraft story. The modern writers here are all men and all British, the former fact a bit disappointing and the latter just odd. Innsmouth itself is in America, and these stories are mostly set in America too, many in the Innsmouth area, and a few in Britain and Ireland (with one very notable exception set in Romania). The stories that break away from Innsmouth add a bit of variety, but it’s a shame that we don’t see the effect of these sinister events on more different places and cultures, and the arms of the cult of Dagon creeping over the world. There are only so many identical sleepy American towns and seaside British villages that a reader can take...<br />
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These stories, on the whole, offer exactly what you might expect from a collection of Lovecraftian stories. This is one of the strengths of the collection, but, unfortunately, I think for me it was also the main problem. I wanted to see a bit more of the unexpected. After a while, the horror and the creepy aspect of the stories begins to wear very thin as you realise that the plots and the tone of the stories mirror each other very strongly. The book continues at the same semi-religiously-paranoid pitch for large chunks, which is perfectly spot-on-Lovecraftian, but to the extent that I began to feel a little sorry for the fish-creatures and found myself taking their side a bit. Probably not the intended reaction, and not the fault of any one story, but the effect of the anthology as a whole. I understand that this collection is supposed to celebrate the original story, but I do think it’s possible to do that without having so many stories that are so similar to it. I wanted to be surprised and amazed. I wanted to see the authors really make the Lovecraftian elements their own.<br />
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This is why certain stories really stood out for me, the ones that take the familiar ideas and play with them, twist them a little, or use the atmosphere of the original story in a very different setting. These stories were <b>Only the End of the World Again</b>, by Neil Gaiman, and <b>A Quarter to Three</b>, by Kim Newman, which use a more playful attitude to give us a fresh look at Innsmouth and the kinds of people involved in the weirdness there, <b>Down to the Boots</b>, by D. F. Lewis, which offers a different perspective from the other stories, and <b>The Homecoming</b>, by Nicholas Royle, which I thought was a fantastic story and very clever in its use of the same paranoid atmosphere of the original, but applied to very different circumstances. Part of the horror for the narrator in A Shadow Over Innsmouth seems to come from a Victorian-like fear of the foreign ‘infiltrating’ society, having something of a similar feel to certain chapters in Dracula. The Homecoming uses this idea in very interesting ways, as we see citizens of a post-dictatorship Romania in constant fear of each other, and of what kinds of people may have infiltrated their world, and of a form of evil that appears to be immortal – one wave of fish-things may be defeated, but paranoia and cruelty never die. This story was so unexpected and yet made so much sense, and it was definitely my favourite of the anthology.<br />
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None of the stories in the collection were bad. <b>To See the Sea</b>, by Michael Marshall Smith, and <b>Daoine Domhain</b>, by Peter Tremayne, were, for me, particularly good examples of that heavy sense of foreboding and lurking evil that are so iconic to the Cthulu mythos. It’s just that I did get a little tired of reading one after another. I’d recommend reading a story every now and then, when you’re in the mood for something Cthulicious, rather than reading it all in one go like I did. There is plenty to enjoy here for the hardcore Lovecraft fans, but, ultimately, a little disappointing for me.<br />
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Thank you to Titan Books for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.<br />
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713005968215558746.post-77632030145202784452013-09-29T12:50:00.000+01:002013-09-29T12:50:31.447+01:00Showcase Sunday #35<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdccaytBejR4LlpQTDOl0QsTMzv5aImKkxHiy8J_qsn2mHv1H2JM7iFgdKkZffARZaWnThejro2wa5UCyl-a-O4lYQGeXQQ9XLDrM3MHHVKHivWFA7racSjfnYsCuFwHDuUUsi4x8KyxP/s1600/Book+Haul+Memes+John+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdccaytBejR4LlpQTDOl0QsTMzv5aImKkxHiy8J_qsn2mHv1H2JM7iFgdKkZffARZaWnThejro2wa5UCyl-a-O4lYQGeXQQ9XLDrM3MHHVKHivWFA7racSjfnYsCuFwHDuUUsi4x8KyxP/s320/Book+Haul+Memes+John+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Inspired by Celine from <a href="http://www.nyxbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Nyx Book Reviews</a>,
I've decided to combine several weekly wrap-up memes into one post.
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky at <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Books, Biscuits and Tea</a>. Stacking the Shelves is hosted at <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a>, and Sunday Post is hosted at <a href="http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/p/the-sunday-post-meme.html" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. Letterbox Love is a special British book-haul meme hosted by Lindsey at <a href="http://www.narrativelyspeaking.com/" target="_blank">Narratively Speaking</a>.<br />
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<b>Last Couple of Weeks:</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elanaspantry/2971439925/" target="_blank">Elana's Pantry</a></td></tr>
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I didn't do a Showcase Sunday last week, so this is for the past two weeks. It's been a busy time, but still managed to get in some fantastic books recently! Autumn is definitely here; there are orange leaves lining the roads, and it's starting to get a bit chilly now. That means it's time to start thinking about colourful scarves and jumpers, pumpkins, the Goose Fair, my husband's birthday, then <i>my </i>birthday eleven days after that, then Halloween ten days after that, and this year I'm going to World Fantasy Con Oct 31st - Nov 3rd, which I'm very excited about, and then after that... Christmas is on its way! I <b>love </b>this time of year. :-D<br />
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<b>Recent Posts:</b><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/all-is-fair-book-review.html" target="_blank">Book Review - All is Fair (Split Worlds #3), by Emma Newman</a><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-lives-of-tao-book-review.html" target="_blank">Book Review - The Lives of Tao, by Wesley Chu</a><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/model-misfit-book-review.html" target="_blank">Book Review - Model Misfit (Geek Girl #2), by Holly Smale</a><br />
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<a href="http://vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/booking-by-numbers.html" target="_blank">Booking By Numbers - Want to come peek at my bookshelves? :-)</a><br />
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<b>New Goodies:</b><br />
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For the Fantasy Faction science fiction book club (October's read):<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/877974.Snow_Crash" target="_blank">Snow Crash</a>, by Neal Stephenson </div>
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From the library, and already watched (brilliant movie!):<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772341/" target="_blank">Wreck it Ralph</a></div>
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Victoria Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00781566476728948415noreply@blogger.com11