Booking Through Thursday ♥1

This is my first attempt at this weekly bookish meme. Luckily anyone can join in at any time. Simply tune into Booking Through Thursday and leave your views  the weekly topic/question. 

Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)

Well I do generally try to read books straight through but that often depends on the book. Some can become hard work...proper! So I tend to have a break now and then. I also put books aside for a while if one of my fave shows is on the telly. I am a quick reader but have the tendency to get bored easily so breaks are often a need...or my brain may explode.

Waiting on Wednesday : My Single Friend

Yep it's the middle of the week again...time is seriously speedy these days!
This is the weekly meme dedicated to the upcoming book releases that 'float your boat' and is hosted by Breaking The Spine.
Why would anyone be waiting on  the release of a new book? If you don't know the answer you are no book lover, mate...tsk tsk!

This week I'm waiting on My Single Friend by Jane Costello.
Release Date: 15 April, 2010.
I've been eyeing this book up for a while; never bothering to read the synopsis or check it out further....until today, well yesterday. I've been intrigued by it since I'm the perpetual single friend. So today I checked it out and am SOOO GETTING INTO THAT!

                                                                            From Goodreads:

At 28, Lucy is doing well for herself. She's got a great job in PR, her boss loves her, and her best girlfriends Dominique and Erin think she's great. More important than anyone's opinion is that of her flatmate, and oldest friend in the world, Henry. For twenty years they've been inseparable: beauty and the geek. Henry thinks the world of Lucy. So why does she feel the need to lie outrageously on dates? From rock-climbing to Chekov: when it comes to prospective boyfriends, Lucy is compelled to embellish her C.V. with unlikely porkies that always backfire - with hilarious results. Henry can't understand it. Lucy is so loveable: why can't she just be herself? But when Lucy turns the spotlight on Henry, he wishes he'd never brought it up. With a penchant for jumpers and NHS-style specs, Lucy decides that Henry is in need of a makeover - big time. Enlisting the help of Dom and Erin, it's not long before the girls have Henry out of the flat, and into the Topman changing rooms. A new haircut, contact lenses, a flirting master-class from Dom ...poor Henry doesn't know what's hit him. But nothing can prepare them for the surprise results! Before long, Lucy realises that their lives will never be the same again.
What intrigues me is the single 'best' friend is a guy. I thought it would have been a girl. I like that! What I'd have some qualms about is the whole changing Henry's looks and Lucy seeing him differently.I DO NOT BELIEVE LOOKS ARE EVERYTHING! However I am interested to read it to see how it all pans out as well as the way it's written.
So that's it...Im still a bit ill so haven't been lit hunting much lately. I am very keen on seeing everyone else's WoW delights :)

Mail on Sunday ♥ 2

This is a weekly posted hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren and cover the delicious lit we buy, borrow and hopefully never steal during the week.


Well my poorly flu fest of a week meant my week wasn't the best lit week I've had. It was beginning to look pretty glim when my mommy got me some books I wanted but didn't know I did at the time.
When I was younger she bought me a book called The Chalet School by Elinor M.Brent-Dyer. It's a really,really, REALLY good book! The problem was there're about 59 books in the series and I only had the first one. I soon forgot about it as other books caught my eye. Little did I know that years later, the unsuspecting ...me of course would get 4 of these forgotten books courtesy of mother dearest.

In the picture I've included the first book I had and the four others:
Jo of the Chalet School
The Princess of the Chalet School
The Head Girl of the Chalet School
Rivals of the Chalet School
'They are the longest surviving girls' school series ever known'. I now want to get them all!


Moms are awesome aren't they!

Sorry about my Inactivity!

Just to quickly say there's been a lack of activity on my part as I am ill atm. I've got a bit of a flu thing going on...luckily not of the Swine variety. I'll get things back on track as soon as I start feeling better. I'm not even well enough to expand further...off to bed :(

Waiting on Wednesday : The Six Rules of Maybe

This is the weekly meme dedicated to the upcoming releases that 'tickle our fancies' and is hosted by Breaking The Spine.
Tickling my fancy this week is The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti. 
Release Date: 16th March, 2010.
It's a YA book that I stumbled upon while cruising through Amazon for books to add to my collection.


From Barnes & Noble (Their synopsis was the best IMO):
Scarlett Hughes is overly involved in the lives of everyone around her, especially her neighbors, including: a young goth girl who chalks her very traditional wishes on the sidewalk; a forgetful mailman; and an older couple whose main excitement in their lives are the formal-sounding scam emails from foreign lands promising large sums of money. But when Scarlett's sister, Juliet, returns home from school--pregnant and surprisingly married to a sweet, handsome boy who she seems to have no interest in, but who is hopelessly in love with her--Scarlett is thrust solidly into her own life, and forced to take a look inward for the first time. The Six Rules of Maybe is about the necessity of dreams, as well as the necessity of facing reality and speaking the truth.


I love the title and the serenity of the cover. I am definitely excited about the book because I know what it 's like having to introspect not to mention facing reality.
What do you think?
I'm off to check out the other WoW posts.

Too many eggs and not Enough Baskets!

Reading while blogging and blogging while writing....I thought women were meant to be amazing multi-taskers, right now it's not amounted to much. I want to do them all and I'm determined to make it work...not to mention I'm on a serious job hunt so I can score my graduate self a first time real job.
I've really missed getting tucked into a good book. You'd be surprised how much a law degree keeps you from books other than those of a legal nature not to mention the irrational number of cases one's expected to read. So falling back into lit was very much welcomed by me.
I just really need to sort out my time management. I also need to get back to my novel in the making. The trouble is I've got 3 books in my head and totally not sure which to write first or if anyone's even interested in reading the shizz I write.
I'm also totally into this blog/book reviewing melarchy more than I expected...it's good...I never expected the book reviewing blogosphere to be so extensive...I'm glad! No one wants to be alone and knowing there are those just as litty or into reading as I am is all the better :)


Off to acquire more baskets...


Sa Toya ~♥~

In My Mailbox ♥1

This is my first In My Mailbox post...which will be a weekly post of the booky things in said mailbox. It's hosted by Kristi AKA The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.
I've had a pretty good week...THANK YOU SCANNAPPEAL! I'm helping a worthy cause and stocking up on some major lit.


Bought:
The New You Survival Kit by Daisy Waugh (January 2nd 2002 by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd)
God's Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (June 5th 2008 by Vintage (first published December 10th 2007))
Not That Kind of Girl by Catherine Alliott (July 17th 2006 by Headline Review (first published July 4th 2005))
The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie (November 13th 2008 by Headline Review (first published March 6th 2008))


Up For Review:
No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay.

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan.




Now to get out of my mailbox and on to my bookshelf....


Sa Toya ~♥~

My Wish List ♥1

This list refers to all the things I really want that relates to my blog, reading and writing.


First off is once I could afford it...I'd change up my blog's appearance. It was a battle between some of the designers I've researched but I totally have it down to numero uno Parajunkee. I want her to pimp my hide. So as soon as I've got enough paper...I'll be on her like ants at a picnic. Her designs are AMAZING!!!

Books I really want: Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild . When I was younger I received both books Ballet Shoes and Theatre Shoes both on separate occasions but both were Christmas pressies. The older I got the sooner I forgot that there was a third to the series... Dancing Shoes. I just remembered it, randomly this morning and feel I owe to myself, childhood and Noel to complete the series....which means I need not only this book but all the others that follow.

The Jeremy- Snaps of The Dragon by Jo S. Wun. Published on December 11th 2009; it's still relatively new and I really WANT to READ it! It's a coming of age story...that's totally out of the box.
I'd like to finish the chapter I'm currently writing... yes I know this has very little to do with wishing and I could do it myself...so I'm wishing I could find the time to get it done or be able to make time.....
I'm off to finish read my book.


Sa Toya ~♥~

Sweet Lies by Lauren Conrad

Sweet Little Lies
Release Date: February 2nd 2010
Pages: 304
Publisher: Harper Collins
OVERALL:

It simply picks up there the first one finishes OK this one was a little better than its predecessor.

I'm assuming she went to some classes or got some tips. The problem is it's no serious improvement. To be honest I wasn't going to bother but I wanted to gauge her growth as a writer; again there's potential but for a book on the NY Times Best Sellers List one expects more....ALOT MORE! I also wanted to know what would happen next...guess I'm a sucker for drama. I was disappointed but it is much better than the first.

I also lurve the cover. I think it has a tone sarcasm with all it's lovely sweetheart messages, while the book's called Sweet Lies OR they could all just belies...either way; I enjoy!

It will not change the literary world. It won't light the fires of your reader's libido but it will give you something to do in the hours of boredom or a weekend where you're separating yourself from the world or even better some lit for a day at the beach.
So for a self indulgent no brainer get away...it fits the bill...just!

Sa Toya ~♥~ 

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad former queen of MTV's The Hills, took it upon herself to become a mogul and enter the world of writing. I'm not a fan of the show and have ONLY EVER seen 1 1/2 episodes and Speidi made me so ill I couldn't watch anymore...so I was unbiased reading these books. I didn't even think it was based on the show until some friends of mine were busy trying to match characters to their supposedly reality TV counterparts.
Release Date: June 16, 2009

Pages: 352
Publisher: Harper Collins
OVERALL: 

The L.A. Candy is a coming of age story about two best friends Jane and Scarlett. Jane is in L.A. for an internship and she's brought her bff along for the ride. They are then randomly in the company of a producer who wants them to be part of his 'Sex & The City ' esq reality show. Soon she's sucked in to L.A life style and becoming a star. I've been informed it's very similar to what can be seen in the series. Go Figure!

For me it was a BIG disappointment.  I liked the cover...the solitary red heart candy surrounded by all the white ones was very appealing. In fact the cover is what drew me in. The synopsis sounded good as I do enjoy some reality TV shows. The problem is what happens between the covers... it has potential. It ends setting the scene for the second book which is one of it's good points.

That's about it I mean it's worth the read if you're a Hills/LC fan but if you want a book to really get into it's not one!  Will I recommend it? Not willingly.Her writing style is somewhat immature and it was a struggle! Harper Teens published it so I assumed it was mainly aimed towards them which could explain the immaturity in it. Plot wise; original storyline was a little out of reach...a bit of a fail there but not an EPIC one. It has every Hollywood cliché known to man.... BORING! Unless Hollywood is just one big botoxed cliché.

I may be coming off like a lit snob here but her fashion sense is miles better than her writing. I think people only got it hoping for insider secrets to the show. As an outsider to The Hills franchise I  just didn't get it.

Sa Toya ~♥~

Before I fall :Bookalicious GiveAWAY

So I've entered my first online, bloggy give away contest majiggy and I'm STOKED!
It's a book I really want to get my hands on and a book, the world needs to fall in love and read.

Name- Before I fall. It's Lauren Oliver's debut novel and has been receiving major metaphorical standing O's on the blogging/lit circuit.

It's all about doing things differently if you had the power to redo decisions you've made.The following is the US trailer I prefer that one and here's the link to the contest. Feel free to check out Bookalicious Ramblings.

I'm to get all optimistic about my chances of winning :D

Major Find: Scannappeal

While this may only benefit people living in the UK, for me it's lit gold...lit gold I tell ya!
Near where I live is the Scannappeal book store which I've never really paid attention to because I was at university for the past three years. Being back home, I'm tres ecstatic that I've found this place.

You can get books for 70p each. Mostly paperback books. Yeah they're mostly used but they are all in really good condition. Like seriously amazing condition.
Needless to say I'm about to become a MAJOR regular.

Scannappeal is a registered charity which seeks to raise money for medical equipment. It's brilliant...you get amazing books and you're helping out a charity. total WIN-WIN here mate!

I think it needs to go global.