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

• Waiting on Wednesday: The Empress - this is the sequel to The Diabolic (perfect for fans of These Broken Stars or Illuminae)
• Books about Books Part 1: Living, Breathing, Reading - the first installment of my new mini-discussion series! Look out for Part 2 coming soon.
• #LoveOzYABloggers - Favourite Covers - books that make an impact both inside and out.
• Review: Force of Nature by Jane Harper - The Dry was a gripping crime novel and Harper's second novel is just as impressive. 

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:

We got to show everyone at #dabYA17 but now we can share with you!
How gorgeous is the cover of THE BEAST'S HEART?
We can just imagine pushing our way through those gates 🥀😍 pic.twitter.com/JUAczWhUOS

— Date a Book 🌈 (@DateaBook) November 20, 2017

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. 

A post shared by Eugenia (Genie in a Book) (@genie_inabook) on Nov 19, 2017 at 12:29am PST

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?

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

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?

Genie's Weekly News (52)

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*

*Previous Posts*

• Review: Breathing Under Water by Sophie Hardcastle
• Review: The Diary of William Shakespeare, Gentleman by Jackie French

*Recommendation of the Week*

ALL THE FEELS.  That is all.
Well, full review to come as well...

*From The Interwebs*

• Jen @ YA Romantics shared her review of 'Three Truths and a Lie'
• Aentee @ Read at Midnight designed more Throne of Glass Wallpapers
• Cait @ Paper Fury shared tips for TV shows to match some of her favourite books
• Mel @ The Daily Prophecy did a a-z getting to know her
• Emily @ Loony Literate offered advice on how to tackle an overwhelming TBR
• Jeann @Happy Indulgence discussed When "diversity" isn't actually diverse

*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!

Genie's Weekly News (46)

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*

Basically - loving it so far!

*Recommendation of the Week*




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

*From The Interwebs*

• Joy @ Thoughts by J wrote a recap post for BTCYA
• Aimee @ Deadly Darlings wrote a really helpful post on book and blogging slumps
• Cait @ Paper Fury shared 25 bookish facts about herself
• Jeann @ Happy Indulgence did a video review of Mockingjay Part 2
• Dymocks are doing a 2015 Christmas Appeal

*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?

Tiwi Girls Book Launch Recap!

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".

We are so pleased to have published 'Nginingawila Ngirramini' by Tiwi College Senior Girls today! pic.twitter.com/rR4SSe2o0g

— Hachette Aus Books (@HachetteAus) November 6, 2015

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 great to be at the launch for the book these girls from Tiwi College and @HachetteAus produed in one week! pic.twitter.com/gPJD3G4Fd1

— Eugenia (@Genie_inabook) November 6, 2015

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!

Bloggers and #Tiwi girls united by their love of Harry Potter. @IndigenousLF @HachetteAus pic.twitter.com/6ofkpTYCy8

— Louise Sherwin-Stark (@LSherwinStark) November 6, 2015

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.