Sunday Brunch #5

Hi all!

First of all, Happy New Year! And my very best wishes for 2011! I haven't been around much around Christmas time but I am back!! 

Sunday Brunch is a feature where I talk about books without it being a review (where I only talk about one book and its themes) or a meme (because it doesn't leave much place to debate sometimes).

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Blog:

So 2010 came and went... as did my Blogoversary! So I will be preparing a little something in January to thank you all for having made blogging an absolutely amazing experience!

Reading challenges: 

In 2010 I had only signed up to the LGBT challenge where I aimed to read 12 books in the year. Sadly, I have read around 12 books but didn't come around to review them so i will sign up again to the Challenge and this time I will all review them!

In 2011, I have signed up to quite a few challenges: the LGBT Challenge, the British Books Challenge hosted by the lovely Becky @ The Bookette, the Haruki Murakami reading challenge and maybe the Japanese literature reading challenge since I am really interested in reading more Japanese novels!

I am also hosting here the Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge so hop onto the link if you want to sign up!!

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Books:

I am having a panic attack at the idea of listing all the books I received/bought during those three weeks so I will only be sharing those I read!

I finally got around to finishing Matched by Ally Condie and I ended up really loving it despite my previous doubts... There really is something scary and repelling as being in the head of someone without free will... Thanks to Lauren @ I Was A Teenage Book Geek for telling me to continue reading it ;)

I have read You Against Me by Jenny Downham and thought it was a fascinating book. I enjoyed reading and had an interesting conversation with Aly @ Fantasy 4 Eva about it since she had doubts about the story and its characters (her review here).

I read and adored Wereworld by Curtis Jobling, watch me getting all fangirly in my review here.

I have read and adored Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder - review to come soon with an interview!

I also read The Iron Witch by my buddy Karen Mahoney (out later this month!) and I can't wait for all of you to read it and share the enthusiasm :D

I attempted to read Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes for my women fiction book group at work. Emphasis on "attempted" since 286 pages in, I still don't like anything about this book. The writing is good enough to have made me continue to read but the book and I have since then parted ways.

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Stuff I came across and want to share:

First of all UK people: WORLD BOOK NIGHT

Two days after World Book Day, one million books will be given away by an army of passionate readers to members of the public across the UK. World Book Night represents the most ambitious and far-reaching celebration of adult books and reading ever attempted in the UK and Ireland. 

Anyone can be a "giver" and the deadline has been extended to 24th January to sign up (info here). You will choose a book from a list of 50 titles to donate.

I have signed up and chosen Fingersmith by Sarah Waters which I will send to Public Libraries across the UK.

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I saw a tweet about a screening at the Curzon Mayfair of Never Let Me Go (film with Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan) with a Q and A session with writer Kazuo Ishiguro. The film is based on his book. I bought a ticket immediately (it's on Feb 11th!) and thought some people might want to join! (info here)

Summary of Never Let Me Go from Amazon: In one of the most acclaimed and strange novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishiguro imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewered version of contemporary England. Narrated by Kathy, now 31, Never Let Me Go hauntingly dramatises her attempts to come to terms with her childhood at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School, and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world. A story of love, friendship and memory, Never Let Me Go is charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of life. 

Doesn't it sound very Dystopia-y to you? Because it does to me :)

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There was quite an uproar in the bookish world when NewSouth Books decided to publish a new edition of Mark Twain's classics Adventures of Hucklberry Finn and Adventures of Tom Sawyer replacing the "N-" word by "slave". Whereas there were several reactions from zillions of media outlets and writers, I loved this article from Flavorwire about books in need of an image makeover which made me laugh out loud! 

In a blog post, author of Paranormalcy Kierten White asks us what is wrong with being blond and liking the colour pink. The girl has a point. Plus pink is the best colour EVER!

The amazing Candy Gourlay, author of Tall Story (my review here), wrote an amazing post aimed at writers about building your own website and identifying your audience on Notes From The Slushpile blog.

The blog Fantasy Fiction compiled a Top 10 Fantasy Books Due in 2011!

Jaclyn Dolamore wrote a fascinating post about How to write a period voice in historical fiction!

CNN wants you to know the difference between Nerd and geek.

Scott Westerfeld, Maggie Stiefvater and other writer discuss on the New York Times website the dark side of young Adult fiction and what is behind the dystopian trend in YA and it is FASCINATING!

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And I believe that is all for today (pheww!)

Have a lovely week!

x Caroline