Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts

Genie's Weekly News (59) - Shakespeare, shiny new books I need in my life, and shortening my TBR

Sunday, 19 November 2017


After taking a short hiatus after exams, I'm finally back and blogging! Of course, the irony of having a heap of studying to do meant that I wanted to find any excuse to read, and during that time I picked up a few amazing gems which have become some of my favourites of the year. Fast forward to this week which was an exciting one, with bookish events and seeing The Merchant of Venice at the theatre.

Currently Reading


I've seen mixed reviews on The Grip of It, and at around 100 pages in I think I'm still deciding which side of the fence I'm on. It's described as a 'literary horror', about young couple who have just moved into a house whose hidden corners begin to alter their reality. It's the kind of book which I don't think the reader is meant to completely understand what's going on, so maybe that's the charm. I'm hoping there'll be a twist in there somewhere to surprise me...

Previous Posts


Recommendation of the Week


I already gushed about how amazing The Gulf is in my review, but it is honestly the best book I've read this year. I'm always excited to find new reads by Australian authors so if you have any recommendations let me know!


Nevermoor definitely lived up to the hype. I first heard about it at the Hachette Roadshow earlier in the year, and with comparisons made to Harry Potter the stakes were definitely high. Well, while it's near impossible to beat a series that has been going strong for over twenty years, Australian author Jessica Townsend's debut is charming and enchanting in its own right. This is a middle-grade novel which can be enjoyed by people of any age, and it's the type of fun read which has enough adventure and magic to convince even the most reluctant reader to step boldly into this world.

Date a Book Blogger Night Recap

It's been a few years since the last Date a Book event so it was brilliant to see the team organise another one for YA bloggers and readers to come together and hear about all the exciting new releases. The snack table alone was instagram-worthy (as was the fairy floss), but even better was hearing authors Victoria Carless (The Dream Walker), Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor) and international guest Kass Morgan (The 100) discuss their writing journeys and what it's like to find out your book is going to be published. 

There were a few memorable books to look out for in 2018, like A Thousand Perfect Notes by our very own blogger and writer extraordinaire Cait @ Paper Fury! Another mention has to go to The Beast's Heart - my pic of the screen couldn't do the cover justice, so here it is:



The Merchant of Venice

I've been fortunate to see a few Shakespearean productions in recent years - Romeo and Juliet in an ultra-modern, and then a classic production, Hamlet which was minimalist and striking, Othello which captured the striking storyline and A Midsummer Night's Dream which was...abstract (and more than a little disturbing). The Merchant of Venice is the first one I hadn't actually read before watching, but being there to witness it play out on stage with a brilliant cast meant the story all made sense. It was interesting to hear some of the well-known adages of 'all that glitters is not gold' and 'love is blind' in context. The set may have been simple, but the shimmering backdrop and unique staging helped bring the plot to life in a modern style. 


Over to you! Are there any 5-star reads you've read recently that everyone should know about? Also, what's your favourite play by Shakespeare?
No comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: ,

Genie's Weekly News (58) - May Events Recap ft. Sarah Crossan, Jennifer Niven and Roxane Gay

Tuesday, 30 May 2017


1) Bloomsbury Institute Event


Wednesday saw the first of Australia's 'Bloomsbury Institute' events; small sessions with authors designed so that readers really get a sense of meeting some of their favourite writers. In conversation with Mia Freedman, Sarah Crossan provided such inspiring insight into her process and how it differs when writing in verse as opposed to prose. It was interesting to hear how she collaborated with Brian Conaghan on their latest work We Come Apart - which featured lots of conversations over Whatsapp and many frenzied emails. 

Following your passion and using the inherent creativity within us were other ideas which she spoke about, as well as tackling real issues in her books that can be appreciated at different levels by both adults and those on the cusp of being teens. What I love about her books that I've read so far (One and Apple and Rain) is that they prove books in YA don't have to have a romance to be meaningful or compelling. Friendship comes through as a strong theme, which form some of the strongest relationships of all. I'm definitely looking forward to her latest book Moonrise coming in September, and seeing who Bloomsbury will feature next!

2) Lunch with Jennifer Niven



There's no denying that Jennifer Niven is one of the biggest YA authors right now, especially with her heartbreaking (but amazing) novel All the Bright Places currently being made into a film. Thanks to the team at Penguin Teen Australia I was lucky enough to be invited to a lunch with her and other bloggers Alison and Rebecca from the YA Chronicles, The Bookish Manicurist and Joy Lawn who also writes reviews for the Weekend Australian. As well as talking about how she writes with playlists for each of her characters in her work and what she'd been up to in Australia, Jennifer Niven also shared her experience writing the screenplay for the movie. She is genuinely lovely in person, and I'm so excited to see what other books she'll be hopefully bringing out in future. 

3) Roxane Gay at the Sydney Writer's Festival


Difficult Women is one of my top reads of this year as a brilliantly raw and unflinching portrayal of women in a variety of complex situations. Roxane Gay did not disappoint in her last appearance at the Sydney Writer's Festival, speaking frankly about how she brings feminism into her work, women being perceived as being 'too much', the obsession with 'dead girls' and how she can watch crime series on TV while writing. She definitely kept the conversation real, making the audience laugh with a few jokes on how men can be 'delicate flowers', while retaining an emphasis on gender equality. Since reading this fictional work with stories that are all so different and hard-hitting in their own right, I just know I'm going to have to pick up Bad Feminist to see what her essays are like. 


What bookish events have you been to lately?


2 comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: , ,

Genie's Weekly News (52)

Sunday, 11 September 2016


It's the last day of the uni holidays, and I write this after coming home from a very busy day at work - no surprise since it's 'Harry Potter release day'! It of course doesn't have quite the hype of another book being released, but I'll be happy to see how it compares anyway.

*Reading Right Now*

27803992


*Previous Posts*
*Recommendation of the Week*

25857262

ALL THE FEELS.  That is all.
Well, full review to come as well...
*From The Interwebs*

*Haul/Book Event Recaps*

It's been a very bookish week in general, with not one but two book events...and a TBR that has grown even larger in the meantime!

1. Hachette Christmas Roadshow


These publisher events are a great way to bring together booksellers, authors and those working to bring those stories into stores. It was great to see what new books will be coming up from Hachette for the rest of 2016 and 2017, plus those crime/thrillers in the goodie bag look especially intriguing!:
  • The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney (February 2017) - A psychological thriller with a house that holds secrets from the past.
  • Ragdoll by Daniel Cole (February 2017) - Gory crime, the first in a series.
  • See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt (April 2017) - A retelling of the Lizzie Borden murders.


2. Rachael Craw Skype Event


Although all Aussie fans of the SPARK series would love to meet Rachael in person, this Skype event at Dymocks and hosted by Emily @UncoverAllure  was the next best thing! It was great to hear her thoughts on the series, and us fans got to ask some burning questions about what's happened in the series. She also shared some details about her next book, and I'm hooked already!



2 comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: , , , , ,

Genie's Weekly News (46)

Sunday, 22 November 2015


Well it certainly has been more than a week since my last weekly news update, but I'm finally back with another one. I haven't gotten back into blogging as quickly as I would have liked firstly due to adjusting to my new post-HSC working/life in general schedule and also because my old laptop went kaput. I'm looking for a new replacement, though in the meantime I have to use the shared one which means I can't post as often as I'd like. That aside, I'm looking forward to blog-hopping more again (oh how I miss seeing all your fabulous new posts!) and writing more of my own.

*Reading Right Now*

25806894

Basically - loving it so far!
*Recommendation of the Week*

17234659


What can I say? This sequel was just as awesome as the first book, and full of even more twists!

*From The Interwebs*

*Haul*

Thank you to HarperCollins, Holly and Elspeth for these!
My two most anticipated reads from this haul are definitely arc's of Passenger and Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club! I've loved what Alexandra Bracken has written so far and this new novel of hers has a promising premise! As for the other, I love historical fiction, and this one is by an Australian author as well. Said to be "Buffy x Pride and Prejudice" I can't wait to see how it turns out!

*Recent Events*

Friday night was BTCYA held by the lovely people at HarperCollins Australia! Tim and Amanda did another wonderful job at hosting, and I can definitely say that next year will be filled with some really exciting releases in the YA world! From fantasy to historical, heartbreaking contemporaries and thrilling stories - there will be awesome novels coming from every direction. I'm going to a Sarah J. Maas event this week (!!!) so that is definitely something to look forward to.

*New Facebook Page*

I've just made a facebook page for Genie In A Book where you can catch up on my latest posts and other bookish news from me. You can check it out here!


What's the last amazing book you read?

2 comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: , , , , , ,

Tiwi Girls Book Launch Recap!

Saturday, 7 November 2015

When I was invited to attend a launch at Hachette Australia for a book produced in one week I was definitely curious and excited to see just what it was all about. The Indigenous Literary Foundation and Hachette have worked with a group of nine girls from the Tiwi Islands to publish the special book which is "Nginingawila Ngirramini: Our Story".


I had a flick through the book itself while at the event, and it is a beautiful portrayal of the experiences of these girls, their cultural background, school life, sacred places and aspirations for the future. From front to back and everything inside, it's amazing to think that all of it has been produced in such a short period of time. With mentors working with them on the project such as renowned authors Anita Heiss and Pamela Freeman and the dedicated Hachette team, it's clear that this project has been a resounding success!



Managing director Louise Sherwin-Stark spoke about her involvement with the girls and how they all can achieve their goals for the future; whether it is to become a police officer, ranger, PE teacher - anything is possible. What was really wonderful to see was the presentation which the girls gave on the day, providing us in the audience with a glimpse into what life is like at Tiwi College, their traditional beliefs and some of the important things they've learnt so far.




It's always fun to meet some fellow bookworms in person at the launch, and this time I met Rebecca and Alison who run The YA Chronicles, and Emily from Emily The Book Addict. It was lovely to have a QnA with some of the girls to find out more about what they like to read, and they got to know a little about us and what we do as bloggers. Plus, finding fellow Harry Potter fans is always a bonus!



In all, I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend this special event, and am sure that this book will be a big hit! 

"Nginingawila Ngirramini: Our Story" will be available in early 2016. 
3 comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: , ,

Hachette YA Blogger Night Recap

Monday, 17 August 2015




Tonight was a very special book event - the annual Hachette YA Blogger Night! I was invited to the first one last year which was fantastic, and this time it was just as amazing, if not even better. Not only was it a great opportunity to meet with other bloggers and YA lovers in person (matching twitter handles to names!), but also a time to meet the lovely Sophie Hardcastle and Holly Black. Ashleigh and Kim were wonderful hosts, and I think I speak for everyone when I say the night was a big success!

First of all, it's at events like this that the bookish community can really come together - and aside from the fangirling and general book conversations which occurred, the #DABNight hashtag actually trended at #1 across the country!




Sophie Hardcastle

After following the smell of popcorn from the elevator to the offices and then getting some snacks/socialising - it was time for one of the special guests of the night, Sophie Hardcastle to speak about her memoir. It was quite moving to hear her story of dealing with bipolar disorder and how she came about writing her book, and I am looking forward to reading it soon. I also got to meet Sophie and get it signed which was lovely too. 


26106807

Running Like China Releases 25th August 2015

What's new and coming up

One of the most exciting things about going to a publisher's is learning of all the books they're excited about, and what there is to look forward to!

1. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver


I personally really loved this book when I first read it (and you can see just how much in my review). The best news? Lauren Oliver will be visiting Australia later in the year! 

2. Thunderwith by Libby Hawthorn


This was first published in 1989 but is making a comeback with a new jacket. I love Australian contemporary YA so this is definitely going on my TBR.

3. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith


This is another one of those books set in a short period of time (12 hours), and I'm interested to see how it pans out since I've heard lots of good things about Jennifer E. Smith's novels. 

4. The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong


Now this sounds like a pretty intense thriller - and I'm up for it!

5. The Dead House by Daen Kurtagich


A psychological thriller that has interview transcripts, medical records and other interesting pieces of information woven in. I love multimodal fiction, and this looks like it's going to be a hit! The 'urban legend' sound of it almost reminds me of Night Film by Marisha Pessl.

6. The Raging Light by Estelle Laure


I can already tell this is going to be an emotional contemporary - definitely one to pull at the heartstrings I'm sure.

7. Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger


As a companion novel to the DUFF, this seems like it has the potential to be just as fun as its predecessor

7. Changers by Drew T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper


When I was hearing about this book tonight it did remind me of Every Day by David Levithan, but I can see where this will also have it's major differences. It's the first book in a four-part series, and I'm really looking forward to it. 

8. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick


I recently read and reviewed Love May Fail by Matthew Quick which was really good, and so this new book of his definitely has now found its way onto my list of books to keep an eye on. Quirky contemporary with unexpected turns definitely is something I'd be interested in reading.

9. Mosquitoland by David Arnold


This roadtrip novel already seems to stand out from the rest just from its description, and so I am eagerly awaiting reading it for myself!

10. Court of Fives by Kate Elliot


Historical fantasy usually gets a big tick from me, so Court of Fives certainly has my attention.

SERIES



Yep, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is getting so much hype at the moment (and no wonder why - it looks amazing). Some people were lucky enough to win ARC's tonight, so hopefully they love it!


Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard, the sequel to Red Queen is a DEFINITE MUST-READ for me once it comes out! (next February). That ending was a killer so we must know what's next in store for Mare!


Hachette will be publishing the third book in the Reckoners trilogy! I haven't gotten around to starting this series yet myself, but now that I know about it - why not?

Author Spotlight: Louise O'Neill


I'm so glad this spotlight was on because it reminded me how  much I really want to read Only Ever Yours and Asking For It as well. Both are shaping up to be very poignant reads from the sounds of things. 

Author Spotlight: Ryan Graudin


This is another author whose work I really need to read! In particular, the new alternate-history novel she has coming out called Wolf by Wolf sounds absolutely fascinating. Definitely one to watch out for! We were shown a video with Ryan talking about it and reading the first lines, and just from that I'm hooked already.

Basically,

 
Keep your eyes out for those page-turners coming soon!

Holly Black


UNFORTUNATELY, my copies of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Coldest Girl In Coldtown didn't arrive in time for the event today (though knowing my luck they're probably what's waiting for me at the PO). Even so, it was so exciting to see Holly Black in person (with her super-cool hair and accent). She shared some really interesting insights into how she researched fairies to use in her novels, and how her creative family background influenced her. 


There were references made to creepy doll searches, and even Robert Pattinson (though not necessarily in the same sentence). Aside from her infectious laugh, she also had some other things to share like the fact that she'll probably never write a contemporary novel, and her views on character relationships. It's always inspiring to hear authors speak about their works, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have seen Holly Black in person! She's so charismatic, lively, and passionate - and those are characteristics which can make for a very talented author which she is.

Book People!

 Bloggers/Booklovers I met in person for the first time:


Bloggers it was lovely to see again:
The Haul

I got some books from Keely and Kat, as well as some goodies in the gift bag!


Overall

Thanks again to the amazing team at Hachette Australia for hosting the event again this year! I had an awesome time and can't wait it to come around again next year :)

24 comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: , , , , ,

#TeenCon2015 Recap!

Sunday, 24 May 2015

 
Today I was fortunate enough to attend the long-awaited YA event so far this year - TeenCon2015! As part of the Sydney Writer's Festival, this really brought to light the wonderful Aussie YA bookish community, and all the publishers which attended made the evening so enjoyable. There was an awesome reviewer panel sharing their experiences, tips on what to read now and what's coming up in YA, an epic book boyfriend battle and of course...GOODIE BAGS (because free books *squee!*). 

Basically, it's no wonder that I'm sure a lot of us there were feeling:



Reviewer Panel: 


These four lovely book lovers/reviewers shared some really honest insights into how they started blogging/vlogging, how the scope has changed as the community has gotten larger and what books they're excited about. The highlight would have to be when there was a conversation going on about insta-love and Kat Kennedy from Cuddlebuggery quite accurately said 'You don't fall in love like you fall in a ditch'. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Basically, the main ideas coming through were to be yourself when blogging, find your niche and keep at it. Everyone will have their own unique style, and that's a good thing - we all have our opinions to give, and finding others with the same is a fantastic cause for bookish excitement!
Publisher Recommendations:

This was another great segment based on what to read now, and what's coming up later on in the year. There are a few books that have caught my eye especially, like Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray,  Risk by Fleur Ferris, Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, book 3 in The Winner's Curse trilogy and Dumplin' by Julie Murphy. 
Book Boyfriend Battle:


This was arguably THE MAIN EVENT, and boy did the crowd get passionate! The finalists were Four, Chaol and Dimitri Belikov...with Dimitri being the overall winner. All the contenders had their good qualities, and as part of #TeamJamie I did my bit and tried to cheer him on, but alas he didn't make it through. Even so, for the underdog he did pretty well and after hearing that excerpt from Stray I can't wait to read it!


Goodie bags!

So perhaps there weren't 11 books in there as was mentioned, but between myself and the two others I came with - we still got some pretty awesome reads!


If you weren't able to make it, don't forget to check out the twitter hashtag #TeenCon2015 
So - if you went to TeenCon did you enjoy it as much as I did? I know I can't wait to see what's in store for next year! 
18 comments :

/

Posted by at Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )