So I'm trying to get back with blogging. I've had a pretty hectic year trying to adjust to a new life far away from home.For those of you who don't know, I've been in the U.S. for almost a year now.I got accepted to a boarding school in Maine, and have had some difficulties in adjusting to a new life here at the dorms (I was a mama's girl back at home). I still want to get back to blogging and will try to become regular with my posts again so hope you guys will support me!!
WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO:
Touring new york city with friends (DID I MENTION THAT WE WERE ALONE?!!!)Only a brown girl will understand the thrill of travelling alone with friends.We shared a crappy hotel room but it was so worth it! xD (P.S. In case you didn't already know, I'm the brown girl in the waay back) Watching TED talks on FEMINISM (Good golly!God knows what has happened to me!)
Discovered Korean Dramas.(The perks of living with a lot of East Asian people ;) ).Back at home I used to whine about my mother watching hindi serials all day but now I don't blame her.TV series can become super addictive.Also, just to throw it out there, I'm a REGULAR Game Of Thrones viewer now.Let the celebrations begin!!
BTW the only reason why I watch Korean Dramas is because the guys are often times extremely hot.Sometimes I don't even get half of the plot in the drama and am too lazy to read subtitles but I keep on staring at the screen anyway.And when I go for an eye checkup in Bangladesh this summer and my optician asks me why my eyesight has again deteriorated I'll just shrug and act clueless.
In case you guys didn't know what korean drama was, It's THIS
and THIS
Now stop everything and GOOGLE it!!!
That's it from me!! Hopefully you'll hear more from me soon!
xx
Nobonita
What have you guys been up to?Or what do you want to see more in this blog?Leave a me a message in the comments to let me know!
P.S. MORE MAJOR NEWS!! I am hopefully going on a week long trip to Eastern Europe in April next year.I'm still struggling with funding so I'd be grateful if any of you guys were willing to help out.Any amount of donation is appreciated because I feel that this is a wonderful opportunity,and anything that gets me one step closer is a blessing.So thank you guys for considering!Hope to hear from you soon!
So I haven't blogged in a long time but despite that I still keep getting book mails from publishers (though they're not as frequent).Obviously with my O'levels right around the corner I don't have the time to review books as frequently as I did before but I'll try to do recommendation posts like this from time to time to keep you guys up to date with my reads.That way I won't feel as guilty with the publishers sending me books.Now my reading has significantly decreased over the past months,but I still had time to come across some wonderful books.Here are a few:
I came across this book at a Times bookstore outlet in Kotakinabalu,Malaysia when I went there this winter with my family.Typical of me,being indulged in books even during family vacations. 😑
But nevertheless,I absolutely loved this book.Everything about the main character,her thoughts,passion,are so much like my very own,that it's as if the author took out fragments of my thoughts from my mind and molded them into her book.I know,sounds crazy right?
So this is one of those books you would call a hidden gem; sassy and funky on the outside,passionate and mind blowing on the inside.A definite must read!
Now this book isn't exactly a novel,it's a collection of short stories by Melissa Marr,who's apparently really famous for her Wicked Lovely series.However,this is the first of her work that I've read so I wouldn't know. 😒
A lot of the stories in the book is from the world of the Wicked Lovely series so some of them were really difficult to understand without reading the series.I skipped those ones though.But the reason why I'm recommending this book is because it also has a number of original stories in there which I absolutely loved and felt like they were worth sharing.Just so you don't have to face the difficulties I did,I'll list down the stories for you:
*Winter's Kiss
*Love Struck
*The Sleeping Girl And The Summer King
*Where Nightmares Walk
*Merely Mortal
Winter's Kiss is recommended very highly.Reminded me a bit of The Golden Compass.
Now on to the last book of the day.Credit for the copy goes to Sarah Woodruff and HarperCollins International.The folks at HC INTL are such nice people that they make me want to wrap them up in a bear hug. 😊 And they've got the fastest delivery service too! 👌
My passion for Egyptian Mythology had started out from fourth grade history but until recently, I hadn't had the opportunity to embrace it to its full extent.I've read The Kane Chronicles but unlike a lot of other people I know,I just haven't been able to enjoy it as much.But The Chaos Of Stars let me quench my thirst for Egyptian Mythology.I was able to build up a clear mental image for the story,imagining the main character with unparalleled and regal beauty like that of Cleopatra.And I believe that a good book is one which allows you to build up a vivid mental image of its atmosphere without putting in any effort at all.And this book had it all.The usual adorable YA romance,along with the strong emphasis on the rich ancient Egyptian culture, a perfect blend for YA fantasy and mythology fans.
Hope my recommendations help you all in finding your next favourite read!Feel free to comment and share your thoughts,after all,you guys are the main reason I blog in the first place..along with the free books! :3 If it weren't for you guys,I'd probably be that wierd kid who sits alone at lunchtime talking to her imaginary friend. 😅
Hi guys,I know it's been awhile since I've last done a blog post,and unfortunately,it's going to continue that way until next May/June,when I'm finally done with my O'levels.But anyway,I'm really excited to be a part of the 2nd Annual Authors Are Rockstars tour.Full schedule of the tour can be found HERE so be sure to check out the other blogs participating as well! And without further ado,I'm glad to present my tour stop with Megan Shepherd,author of The Madman's Daughter!!!
Now on to the big question.Why did I choose her as a rockstar author?!!You see,I got the opportunity to read and review an ARC of her debut The Madman's Daughter right before its release last winter thanks to some awesome folks at HarperCollins.And I absolutely fell in love with it.This book gave me the courage to pick up more YA historical fictions which I seldom did before as they rarely aligned with my tastes.Not only that,reading The Madman's Daughter gave me this huge surge of adrenaline,the kind you get when listening to your favourite or any good rockband for that matter.So she definitely fits into the rockstar criteria. ;)
She even did this post on Great Gothic Classics for today,a bit similar to the premise of her book,which makes her all the more awesome!Check it out below:
One of my favorite parts of being a writer is getting to read other books as legitimate “work.” Since my first series, THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER, are Gothic thrillers, this meant brushing up on one of my favorite genres: Gothic classics. I adore all the dramatic and creepy elements of these novels: tortured romance, secrets in the attic, lightning crashing, windswept moors. Gothic books are such a wonderful blend of beautiful writing, melodramatic plots, tortured characters, and there’s usually a few brilliant twists. Here are some of my favorite iconic Gothic classics.
The works of Edgar Allan Poe
There really are too many too chose a favorite. The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart… Poe was a master of horror, science fiction, and satire. One of the first authors to truly explore death and its various manifestations as literary fiction, his works have been giving readers nightmares for generations.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, Oscar Wilde
I love almost every Oscar Wilde quote I come across, and it’s a shame he only wrote one novel. Luckily, it’s a brilliant one. In the book, a beautiful young man named Dorian Gray sells his soul so that his portrait will age instead of himself, thus giving him eternal youth. This hedonistic freedom leads to a sinful life, which manifests on the portrait. It’s a creepy story of the supernatural as a metaphor for our own split natures and how we can never escape ourselves.
FRANKENSTEIN, by Mary Shelley
Even more than the book itself, I love the story behind how Mary Shelley came up with this idea. One night, she and her husband Percy Shelley, along with Lord Byron, were sitting around an old manor daring each other to tell stories. At the time, galvanism (experimentation on dead flesh) was a flashy new sort of science, and Mary twisted this idea into the story of obsessed Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his tortured monster. There are so many different versions of this story in books and movies, but I highly recommend reading the original.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS, Emily Bronte
Along with her sister Charlotte, who wrote JANE EYRE, the Bronte sisters are known for starting the feminist Gothic genre. WUTHERING HEIGHTS is the story of a doomed love affair between beautiful Catherine and the brooding Heathcliffe, set on the windswept English moors, and should be required reading for anyone who loves tortured romance and family secrets.
Thanks for the lovely post,Megan!And now,on to the giveaway.Now I'm going to make this a super long one as I won't be active in the blogging world for a while.Also,this one will be an international giveaway,with two winners.One will get an ARC and the other will get a finished international edition paperback of The Madman's Daughter.Before that,here's a bit on The Madman's Daughter itself and you'll find a rafflecopter widget for the giveaway at the end of the blurb.
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Publication date: January 29th 2013
by Balzer + Bray
Blurb: In the darkest places, even love is deadly.
Sixteen-year-old
Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid,
attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal
that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her
father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and
continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to
find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's
handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway,
Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island,
only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has
experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as
humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is
killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific
curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments
and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island
falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and
madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The
Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless
Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the
truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.
Duet review is a feature where I
review a book along with my friend,Maliha.For more info. on this
feature,check out my very first Duet Review post HERE.
Here's the book that we are going to review today.
Reboot by Amy Tintera
Publication date: May 7th 2013
by HarperTeen
Blurb: Five years ago, Wren
Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came
back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional.
The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return.
Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen
years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and
Repopulation Corporation).
Wren’s favorite part of the job is
training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever
seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too
slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is
freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When
Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get
him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed
before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has
also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders.
MY REVIEW:
Rating:3.5 of 5 Stars
**A copy of this book was provided by HarperCollins for review purposes.** Reboot,for me,was a fun and thrilling dystopian read.I've been on a reading slump lately thanks to my finals and all the coachings I currently have to bear with my O'levels coming up,so reading this book helped a lot in easing up the pressure a bit.It's not like it's one of the best dystopians I've ever read( Hunger Games and Delirium are still on top of that list) but it did make my reading time a whole lot more fun!It had the promising amount of fast paced action and a limited amount of sweet romantic scenes which I think went well with the storyline.
The general idea of the resurrected dead being used by the government as soldiers because they don't know what else to do with them really got my mind wandering.If this idea was used in some sci-fi TV series or movie it would've been one heck of a show!Among the characters,the main character,Wren Connolly,was an absolute winner(I do love me some bad ass heroines!) and reminded me of another favourite protagonist of mine;Calaena Sardothien from Throne Of Glass.Though the different books have completely different time settings,their mindsets are so similar,it's like they could be sisters!
So anyway,moving on,while I did like Wren a lot,I couldn't say the same for Callum.He started out as an interesting character,but towards the end of the book,he lost his charm.The same goes for the plot.Everything was going so well until the last few chapters came out to be a bit less polished than the others.But overall the entire book was great and would sum up for a nice spare time read.Another thing about the book is that I found it really easy to proceed with.I frequently get bored of books halfway and put it on hold for a few days before I feel like reading it again.Reboot did not have any such outcome on me.I was able to finish Reboot in one sitting and gosh did that feel good!If you're a dystopia fan,particularly of The Hunger Games,this book just may be your perfect cup of tea!
Reboot
was a short and fun read. It's like one of those post-apocalyptic books
where humans die and "reboot" to become zombies. Only instead of being
mindless hungry freaks, they are trained to become soldiers and used for
the benefit of humans. Yes, the bad guys here are human.
When
I read the blurb and it said the heroine had been dead for 178 minutes -
longer than the average time, before she rebooted, and therefore had
the least of emotions, I expected to read about a disconnected character
who regains her humanity with a cure or something. Well, you can rest
assured that the heroine is not like this, but just one snarky girl.
She's insecure about her death but otherwise, a respected leader. No,
this isn't one of those forbidden romance stories between a human and an
undead, but both the hero and heroine are Reboots. Isn't that a nice
change of concept?
Callum,
oh Callum, with his sweet and funny and determined nature, became one
of the most loyal and admirable heroes I've read. I felt so sorry for
him when he faced his family.
One thing that irked me was the whole resistance thing - humans
and Reboots working together to overthrow the evil human government.
Must all dystopian books share this one idea? Whether it was original or
not, I wish the couple had escaped for, you know, just because they
wanted to. Just because they wanted to be together without killing
anyone and following wrong orders. Not because they have to act in a
rebellion. For just once, I wish to read about heroes and heroines who
started a rebellion, not just participated and suddenly starred in it.
But
the best part about this book was how the Reboots are. They're not
dirty, boring half-dead creatures. Oh no, they've actually taken to the
nature of vampires - no not the blood sucking or immortality part
but just the becoming prettier and stronger part. This is a very amusing
and original idea, that the undead are better than the humans!
So while it may not be an irresistible book, it's definitely worth giving a try. I'm looking forward to the sequel eagerly!!
GIVEAWAY!!!
If you buy Reboot(though it is not mandatory),you can enter to win a paperback of another Harper title,Towering by Alex Flinn(see my review HERE). This giveaway is international and please see the Terms And Conditions on the rafflecopter widget.Good Luck!!
Book Being Given Away:
Towering by Alex Flinn
At first, I merely
saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he
swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until,
one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw.
He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been
one of my own tying.
Rachel is trapped in a tower, held
hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing
rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs
from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. Wyatt
needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his
best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks
in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either
that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.
Dani
disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a
journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until
now.
Publication Date: 2 May 2013 by Definitions,part of Random House U.K (Originally published in 2012 by Amulet Books)
Blurb: Karl, aged seventeen, is
hopelessly in love. But the object of his affections, Firella, demands
proof, and poses him a series of questions regarding his attitude to the
many sides of love. But Karl is dyslexic, and convinced that if Firella
finds out, she will think he is stupid, and unworthy of her, and leave
him.
So Karl asks a local writer to help him construct his
replies - and an unlikely, but extremely touching, friendship develops
between the two men. They both come to learn a great deal about about
life from a very different perspective, and when an act of violence
shatters their calm, they find their respective appraisal of life
shifting in profound ways.
**I received a copy of this book from Random House U.K in exchange for an honest review.**
As a book reviewer and a book blogger,my favourite part of the hobby is getting the opportunity to discover books and authors that I haven't heard of before.I came across Dying To Know You while browsing the Random House U.K website and the cover caught my attention.It's not like the usual YA covers with cool graphics or girls in dresses which does a good job in catching the attention of the age group the books are targeted at.The simplicity and the serene look of the cover got me really intrigued.And the blurb of course ( the one on the back of my copy is a different one),though it doesn't let on much of the story.
If you've read the blurb,you'll see that Karl gets in touch with Fiorella's favourite author to help him with answering the questions Fiorella sets for him.But the blurb does not give away anything on the fact that the entire story was told from that author's point of view,and instead of focusing much on Karl and Fiorella's relationship,the story shows the blooming of Karl's friendship with the author with time,and how this chance meeting helps them to become each other's most trusted confidantes.Through their friendship,the real author,Aidan Chambers,gives a wonderful insight of the pain of losing someone close, but then eventually letting go and moving forward with your life.And of course,discovering new loved ones to fill in the gap for the ones you have lost. This book is one of the most unique contemporaries I've ever read,one that made me feel happy and sad at the same time.It is one of those books which,without reading, would leave your life incomplete.If you're a consistent book lover then you'll definitely know what I'm talking about as you're bound to come across a book which made you feel this way.So don't even think about missing out on this book if you're a contemporary fan or better yet,even if you're not one.
Though since there is a bit of suicidal and sexual reference in the book I'd recommend it for older readers.
Blurb: At first, I merely
saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he
swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on. Until,
one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw.
He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been
one of my own tying.
Rachel is trapped in a tower, held
hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing
rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs
from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.
Wyatt
needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his
best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks
in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either
that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.
Dani
disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a
journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until
now.
My Review:
**I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.**
Alex Flinn is the author of two of my all time favourite fairy tale re-tellings,A Kiss In Time and Bewitching.While I didn't like Beastly much even though it was the book which made her popular among YA lovers,the two aforementioned titles managed to impress me, enough for me to put her in my "top modern re-telling authors of all time" list.(Yes,I actually have a list like that conjured up somewhere in my mind)
So after Bewitching, it was quite natural that I'd have high hopes for Towering right?Even though I saw a few negative feedbacks from some of my most trusted bloggers,I didn't let that waver my enthusiasm.After all,I know quite a few people who didn't like A Kiss In Time at all but that didn't stop me from loving every minute of it!But sadly,that was not the case with this one.For me,it was one of those books which I was trying too hard to like but then,after remembering the real reason why I actually read books,stopped trying and just let myself go with the flow.The idea of the story itself was great,but I just felt that it wasn't utilized enough to make the story enjoyable as a whole.
The characters,on the other hand,were a bit better portrayed in comparison to the storytelling.But again,just like I mentioned before,they were still not utilized enough.It's a bit like when you make a dish with your own recipe but forget to put in the secret key ingredient which gives the dish its spark.So it just turns out to be plain and a bit bland as well. THAT,is exactly how I felt when reading Towering,like I was biting onto a steak which had all its juice leaked out.You get what I mean right?
There isn't much more to say about Towering seeing that I didn't like the book and since I try to avoid snark in most of my reviews,I prefer to keep them short and simple when they're negative.However,if you would really like to get your hands on a good Rapunzel re-telling,I'd suggest that you try Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett.Even though it was a relatively shorter read and comes from a smaller publisher,it is an absolutely adorable and a wonderfully refreshing story.
However,if you're still willing to give Towering a shot,I'll be having a giveaway soon.It will probably be a giveaway with one of my upcoming reviews of another Harper title where you will have to order that title to enter as your main entry but I'm not sure yet.But check back on the blog from time to time if you're interested.
Blurb: For Cricket Thompson, a
summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on
Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable
Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay
Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.
Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.
When
Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls
apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever
really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her
caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to
support herself in paradise for the summer.
But it’s the things
Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who
should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an
exhilarating, bittersweet reality.
A beautiful future is within
her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does,
her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.
My Review:
**I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from Disney Hyperion in exchange for anhonest review.** A bittersweet( and maybe a bit scandalous) contemporary about a girl's summer in Nantucket which doesn't turn out exactly the way she wanted it to,Nantucket Blue might be a goodread to pack with you while going on vacation. What I liked the most about this book is that the love triangle wasn't all that deep.Deep love triangles just frustrate me a lot.Sure,this might sound like your typical boy likes girl,girl likes boy back but boy is completely off-limits sort of story,but it doesn't stop there.Nantucket Blue also shows that even when you messup pretty badly and hope for your life to be over,you eventually get over it and move on.
It took me a while to actually accept the story from Cricket's P.O.V,as at first she just seemed like someone who only cared about herself and her perfect summer in Nantucket.But after I read through the entire book,only then did I realise that she may have had her flaws,but at least she had the courage to admit them.In this case though,I found Zack to be a lot more admirable character than Cricket herself.Though it was a bit hard trying to ship them together at the beginning.Her best friendJules,on the other hand,was a tough character to deal with.One of my favourite characters throughout the story was George.I feel that he played an important role in keeping Cricket's mind off things,at the same time giving her a good experience to take with her to college.
Even though the story did waver a bit in the middle,it had a promising conclusion.Fans of Meg Cabot,Judy Blume and Jenny Han would probably enjoy this debut more than others.I'm saying this by analysissince a friend of mine who is a huge contemporary fan borrowed this book from me earlier in May and seemed to like it a lot more.
**P.S this post was supposed to go up on Saturday but blogger failed me yet again with its poor abilities in putting up scheduled posts on time so here it is, a day later. :( ** Hi guys!I am so excited to be a part of the Chantress blog tour,hosted by Shane@ItchingForBooks.
For my stop I've got an awesome guest post from the author on worldbuilding and of course,a giveaway as well.You can check out the rest of the tour stops here.
About Chantress :
Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful — and most hunted — girl in England.
“Sing,
and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted
fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a
lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most
important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy
is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on
the wind. She can’t help but sing — and she is swept into darkness.
When
she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses —
women who can sing magic into the world. They are
hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible
College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord
Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall
is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.
Lucy
struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord
Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible
College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only
add to her confusion…
Time
is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this
entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and
romantic.
Amy Butler Greenfield was a
grad student in history when she gave into temptation and became a writer. Since then, she has become an award-winning author. Born
in Philadelphia, Amy grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and later
studied history at Williams College, the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, and Oxford. She now lives with her family in England,
where she writes, bakes double-dark-chocolate cake, and plots mischief.
Chantress
is the story of a girl who sings magic in a world that forbids it—and
finds herself in the middle of a life-and-death struggle for the future
of her country. Its setting is an unusual one, based on a time and
place that stole my heart long ago: London in the 1600s.
The
London part is easily understood. After all, I’m far from the first to
fall for that ancient and endlessly fascinating city. But why the
1600s? Compared with the popular Tudor and Victorian periods, the
seventeenth century languishes, almost a forgotten era in fiction.
And yet it’s one of the most gloriously intriguing centuries ever.
Mind
you, I didn’t always see it that way. For a long time, the 1600s just
meant Pilgrims and Puritans to me—worthy but not hugely engaging. But
the century came alive for me when I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond,
set in Connecticut in the 1680s How could I not be interested in a
time and place that had witch hunts and seafaring and spirited,
rule-breaking girls?
It
was only when I came to study history in England, however, that I
really fell in love with the 1600s. What an extraordinary—and
dangerous—time to be alive! Terrorists almost blew up Parliament and
the King. Civil War raged. The first coffeehouses were springing up,
and chocolate and tea were brand new. Alchemists abounded. Scientists
were working out the mysteries of the universe. And the women—oh, the
women! They were spies and playwrights and actresses and artists and
travelers. They had nerves of steel. They were women of wit and
laughter and fire.
Chantress’s
London is based on this world. It’s a London of twisty streets and
half-timbered houses and secret passageways beneath great mansions.
Just like the real 1660s London, it has clockmakers, apothecaries,
engravers, street criers, alley brats, and dapper aristocrats.
Some of the great landmarks of London are there, too, including the River Thames and the Tower of London and its ravens.
But there is one truly vital distinction between this London and the real one: In Chantress, there is magic.
In Chantress’s
world, the King and his Court really are blown up—and a cruel Protector
uses magic to seize control of England. Using terrifying creatures
called the Shadowgrims, he holds the kingdom hostage. He destroys all
magic-workers who might have a chance of defeating him, except one—a
girl who’s been hidden out of his reach. A girl who doesn’t even know
she’s a Chantress… until she sings.
If you read Chantress,
it’s my wish that you’ll slip as easily into this world as I did. I’d
love to have you experience the danger and romance and mystery of its
streets—to shiver when the fog rolls in, to feel a surge of fear when a
Shadowgrim draws close. And when the book ends, I’m hoping a small
piece of seventeenth-century London might just have a hold on your
heart, too.
GiVeaWaY!!
Every tour stop on the Chantress blog tour comes with a giveaway!!!And mine's no different.Use the rafflecopter below to enter.
Hey guys! As you might have noticed I have been a bit behind on the blog posts.The reason is that I have my O'Levels coming up next year and so between schoolwork and coaching I've rarely had enough time to sit down and type out blog posts frequently.And with my finals coming up next week,things are even more hectic so I'm going to take a blogging break for this month.But don't worry,I'll be back on track again on June and will have even more features coming up.Authors who are interested in participating in An Insight Of The Characters' World signups will again be open after this month but if you're a debut author it might be likely that I'll contact you myself.Also,I'm planning on applying for a scholarship at UWC (United World Colleges) this January (have you heard of them?) and will finish grades 11 and 12 in one of their colleges (if I get in) so wish me luck!! -Nobonita
This is a feature where I ask authors to do a guest post discussing about the world building of their books and share their experiences in creating the world for their characters.For more information on this feature,click HERE.
Today,Liesl Shurtliff stops by at Daydreaming Bookworm to discuss about the world building of her MG debut,Rump,which is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.Thanks so much for stopping by,Liesl! :) ABOUT RUMP:
In a magical kingdom
where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of
everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems
to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold.
His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and
she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a
curse.
To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest,
fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish
queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a
cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.
ABOUT LIESL:
Liesl Shurtliffwas
born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the mountains for her playground.
Just like Rump, Liesl was shy about her name, growing up. Not only did it rhyme
with weasel, she could never find it on any of those personalized key chains in
gift shops. But over the years she’s grown to love having an unusual name—and
today she wouldn’t change it for the world! Before she became a writer, Liesl graduated from
Brigham Young University with a degree in music, dance, and theater. She now
lives in Chicago with her husband and three young children, where she still
dreams of the mountains. Rump is her first novel.
RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN
by Liesl Shurtliff
When I started to write a
retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, I decided I wanted to stick pretty closely to all
the major events of the original tale, the unique shift being in the
point-of-view character. My Rumpelstiltskin was going to be a loveable hero, so
how could I explain all the strange and horrible things he does in the original
tale? The world of Rump plays and intricate and vital role in accomplishing
this seemingly impossible task.
Names
From what I recall, my very
first idea for this story was that names would be at the center of Rump’s world. That made total sense to me. In the
original Grimm’s tale of Rumpelstiltskin, it is his name that is the key in the
end, though we don’t know exactly why or how. Some folklorists believe that
Rumpelstiltskin was a demon that wanted the baby to feed upon, and discovering
a demon’s true name gives you power over him. This answer seems logical enough,
but I wanted to defy logic. My Rumpelstiltskin had to be loveable.
So the first thing I
realized about this world was that names were intricately tied to a person’s
destiny. Your name affects your future, how people judge you and treat you. A
name might reveal social status or a particular power or virtue. It might also
reveal weakness or the sorrowing of a parent. Though it’s magnified in the
world of Rump, this is not wholly unfamiliar territory in the real world. Names
have always held great meaning and power in many cultures; I just took it to
another level. With Rump in particular, his name reveals a gap in his identity.
His mother died before she could reveal his entire name, leaving him with a
rather embarrassing portion. This is the starting point for the entire story.
Magic
Names were the easy part to
work with in this world. It was an obvious choice from the beginning, but what
about the magic of this world? As I considered other aspects of the tale, such
as spinning straw into gold, I had to consider a magic system. Who could use
magic? What were the consequences of its use? I felt the more specific and
concrete the answers, the better. For Rump, the magic of spinning straw into
gold is deeply rooted in his family history, as are the consequences of that
magic, which don’t reveal themselves right away. And without giving away too
much, Rump’s magic is also connected to his name.
Magical Creatures
Though I did not want to
create a high fantasy world full of elves, dwarves, centaurs, mermaids,
dragons, etc. I wanted Rump’s world to be magical beyond just the use of magic.
That is, I wanted some magical
creatures. This part was slower for me, probably because it intimidated me. I
like magical worlds, but they also need to have some basis in logic in order
for them to be satisfying, and I don’t like to make things up just to add
flavor and intrigue to the story. Anything that pops up in my story, in the
end, must have a necessity. So the pixies and gnomes and trolls that Rump runs
into along the way are all entertaining in their own way, but they also each
play roles in moving the story along and even bringing about the resolution.
Building the world of Rump was challenging, but so rewarding
as I found those moments of connection between the fantasy and reality. That’s
when a fantasy world really comes to life.
GIVEAWAY!!!
Liesl is giving away a signed copy of RUMP and a bookmark to one lucky INTERNATIONAL winner!Enter using the rafflecopter below and check the Terms And Conditions on the widget for the rules.Good Luck! :)
