I was talking on Twitter to
a bunch of awesome bloggers – only one of whom was a boy. We were talking about
how few male bloggers there are. And so I thought: Why not create a feature
specifically designed to get boys into blogging – and reading? And so Book
Addicted Boys was born!
Today we have the amazing SF Said here today, author of the brilliant Phoenix and more. He's here to talk about space, space stories and beyond!! :D Enjoy...
I've
always loved space. As a child growing
up in the 1970s, I was addicted to TV shows like Star Trek and Space 1999, and
films like Star Wars. My favourite books
were the Star Trek novelizations, but I remember feeling frustrated that there
weren't enough children's books about space out there.
I
also remember camping in the desert with my dad when I was about ten, and
realising for the first time just how many stars there were. It wasn't a handful, like I was used to
seeing in London. The whole sky was
alive with burning points of light!
The
idea that each of these stars was a sun, around which were planets like ours…
and that there were hundreds of billions of stars in each galaxy, and hundreds
of billions of galaxies… it was absolutely mind-blowing to me, and still is. So perhaps it was inevitable that I'd end up
writing a space story of my own one day.
The
stars pose the biggest questions imaginable, making us consider our place in
the universe, and what it means to be alive in it. It's fascinating to me that so many early mythologies
begin with the stars; it seems there's always some kind of connection between
gods and stars. Themes like that, I
think, offer the potential for fiction with all the richness and resonance of
ancient myth.
Of
course, just being about space doesn't necessarily make a book
interesting! There's certainly been
plenty of bad space fiction, like any other genre. But I don't know anyone who's not interested
in stories with memorable characters facing huge choices; gripping stories
about love and friendship, life and death; stories full of big ideas and
beautiful landscapes... And I don't know
anyone who doesn't want to feel a shiver of wonder when they read a book.
And
space stories allow you to do all that in an entertaining way. Writers like Iain M Banks have shown that
it's possible to write space fiction that is intelligent, compassionate and
meaningful, while offering a brilliant rollercoaster ride at the same
time. I love stories that have all those
elements. And in Phoenix, I hope I've
brought them all together in a way that book-addicted boys and girls alike can
enjoy – even those who don't think they're interested in science fiction!
---
Thank you so much! This was an awesome post - I really enjoyed it! Guys, check out Phoenix on Goodreads. Also go find S.F.'s Site and Goodreads Page! :D Oh and enjoy this awesome Phoenix video!! :D
---
---
SF Said is an award-winning author. He was born in Lebanon in 1967, but has lived in London since he was 2 years old. He wrote his first novel, Varjak Paw (2003), while working as a speechwriter for the Crown Prince of Jordan, and then as an arts journalist and film programmer.
Varjak Paw won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for Children's Literature, as well as regional book of the year awards in Gateshead, Stockton and West Sussex. It has since been adapted as a stage play and an opera, and a film version is in development. It has been translated into 12 languages, and UK sales are now over 275,000.
The sequel, The Outlaw Varjak Paw (2005), won the BBC's Blue Peter Book Of The Year, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and won the Leicester Teenage Book Of The Year. Varjak Paw is currently featured on the CLPE's recommended reading list for primary schools, and both books are being taught in classrooms around the UK.
SF's third novel, PHOENIX (2013), is an epic space adventure for readers of 9 and up. It is nominated for both the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal. Like the Varjak Paw books, it is illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by David Fickling Books.
SF Said is also active in the wider world of literature. He has judged the Whitbread Book Awards (now the Costa Book Awards), and writes widely about children's and young adult fiction. His work has been published in both the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph.
I adored Sally Gardner and have since I was really young - she is amazing! And I'm sooo excited to have her here today, reading us an extract from Tinder! Yay! I love this book so much! So... Enjoy!! :D
Now, I hope you enjoyed the awesome extract! And that you all go and find a copy of Tinder - you won't regret it, seriously!
If this extract hasn't convinced you, though, here's a bit more information...
A young soldier, a captive princess, witches, wolves and Death walk hand in hand in COSTA AWARD winner Sally Gardner's exquisitely written new novel inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, THE TINDERBOX, illustrated by David Roberts.
Otto Hundebiss is tired of war, but when he defies Death he walks a dangerous path. A half beast half man gives him shoes and dice which will lead him deep into a web of dark magic and mystery. He meets the beautiful Safire - pure of heart and spirit, the scheming Mistress Jabber and the terrifying Lady of the Nail. He learns the powers of the tinderbox and the wolves whose master he becomes. But will all the riches in the world bring him the thing he most desires?
Fairy tales are often the cruellest stories of all; in this exquisite novel Sally Gardner writes about great love and great loss.
I was talking on Twitter to
a bunch of awesome bloggers – only one of whom was a boy. We were talking about
how few male bloggers there are. And so I thought: Why not create a feature
specifically designed to get boys into blogging – and reading? And so Book
Addicted Boys was born!
And this week we have the amazing Sean Williams here to celebrate the publication of his new book Twinmaker! Enjoy! :D
Sean Williams' Top 10 Writing Tips
1.Read a lot.
This is the most important one, because
the best way to learn what makes a good book is to read books. That sounds
obvious, doesn’t it? Like, if you want to play football you should watch lots
of football. But reading is something we do every day, and I guess some people
think that ordinary reading is enough
to know how to do it right. It’s not. Books are special. Eat them up.
2.Write a lot.
We’re back to football. If you want to
play, you have to practise. Same with writing. The more you do it, the better
you’ll get. There’s a wonderful Japanese saying: “Even a thief takes ten years
to learn her trade.” Be that thief. Learn to steal our hearts with your words.
3.Write what you love.
Always do that. Why slog away at
something if you don’t like it? Writing is hard work, but it should be fun too.
4.Don’t be afraid to make
mistakes.
Nobody’s perfect first time. Or second
time. Or the third. (Repeat until the page is full.) It’s okay to be imperfect –
in fact it’s good, because who knows
what “perfect” is anyway? You have to miss a thousand goals before you make the
perfect shot in a final. You’ll probably have to get caught a few times before
you make off with the Mona Lisa, too. (Tip: don’t steal.) It’s the same with
writing. Making mistakes proves you’re learning.
5.Don’t be afraid to show it to
other people.
When you’ve worked on something to the point
where it’s the best you can possibly make it, but you know it’s not right yet,
how do you fix it? The best way is to give it to someone else to read. Most
people want to love your work as much as you do, but you’re bound to find
someone who will also tell you how to improve it. If you never show it to
anyone, how are you going to become the next J. K. Rowling?
6.Listen to other people.
Whether you’ve asked them for advice or
not, if they’re telling you what they honestly think of your work it’s probably
a good idea to listen. Even if you disagree with them. Remember it is (or
should be) about the work, not you, so don’t take it personally.
7.Ignore other people.
Sometimes you have to do what you want no
matter what people say. No one reads novels about time-travelling soccer
players from a future where sport is illegal? Who cares! I’m doing it anyway
because it’s what I love.
8.Experiment.
There’s always something to learn.
There’s always something to un-learn.
The better we think we are at something, the easier it is to slip into bad
habits without realising. Every book I write I try to shake things up a little
by attempting something new and weird. It keeps things fun, too.
9.Keep reading!
There are always new books. There are always
old books. There’s way too many books ever to read them all, which means
there’s always something that’s
exactly right for you, right now. I use the books I’m reading to inspire me to
write better. Some people use it as an escape from what they’re writing. Either
way, it keeps reminding us what a book is
and what we’re doing all this typing for. And so . . .
10.Keep writing!
The best way to succeed at anything is
never to give up. Be stubborn. Be persistent. Don’t let anyone stop you,
including/especially yourself!
---
Thank you so much, Sean! I hope this has helped any aspiring writers out there!!
#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--thirty-nine at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is the first in a new YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine.
Hi everyone! Emma and me have been getting into the Halloween spirit lately, reading loads of paranormal books and obsessing over paranormal shows and, of course, paranormal guys. And so we decided to launch our blog The Girls of YA in the biggest and most awesomely Halloween-y way. Everyone, get ready for All Hallows' Halloween!
We're going to kick the event off with:
The Girls' Paranormal Guys!
The Girls’ Favourite Spooky Legends
She Says She Says – Joint Review of The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black
She Says She Says Halloween Edition – Our Favourite Paranormal Movies, Shows and More!
From Girl to Girl Halloween Edition - Our Best Shows recommended to each other.
Well, we’re definitely getting into the mood of the spookiest holiday out there! We hope you’ll all stop by and celebrate All Hallows Halloween with us!! :D
Ok, here is my silly gif post of what Origin, the fourth Lux book, did to me - well, what that ending did to me. Cause yeah. There was yet another evil twist at the end. Jennifer is the master of cliffhangers. Seriously...
This series is still one of my favourites and I've read all the books at least four times each. But Origin... Well. Let me try and get my feels down...
Ok, so I was nearing the end of Origin. And at first I was happy, this this:
And then.... then The Twist came. Then I finished the book. And at first I was like:
and finally I was like:
Because it's just like..
I didn't know what to do. Jennifer had done it again. Totally shocked me. Possibly scarred me.
And now I'm just like:
Because it is so freaking long until Opposition comes out - too too TOO long, ok?!
Warning: This review will be an excited rambling of a
fangirl who is totally in love with a certain boy from this book. You could read it and laugh, or, the
recommended option, you could go and buy the book and then ramble yourself.
No one is like Daemon Black.
When
he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again,
and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well… There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going
on.
But even he can’t protect his family from
the danger of trying to free those they love.
After
everything, I’m not longer the same Katy.
I’m different… And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the
truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing
and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable
of. The death of someone close still
lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends become the
deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back.
Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Together we’re stronger… and they know
it.
Review:
'Now it was do or die time.
All these months had led up to this…'
What
do you do when someone you thought was dead suddenly reappears and comes home?
Only, they aren't the person you lost – not anymore. Not after all
they've gone through...
And
they want to go back. They were forced to leave behind the person they
love more than anything, and not even family will stop them from going to
rescue their love.
But
Katy needs to try – for Daemon. He's struggling to get by, and all the
Luxen are waiting for the Department of Defence to strike back, to take them
all down.
Meanwhile,
they all just need to get by and act normal.
Which
isn't easy when your boyfriend and his family are aliens and you aren't really
human anymore either. And when everyone is trying to deal with the
terrible loss they've been hit by, and all the devastating outcomes. And
when people you hoped were long gone reappear and start causing complete
chaos.
Still,
Katy's boyfriend is Daemon
Black, the hottest person ever to walk the earth.
Yeah.
The situation may be totally unstable and likely to blow up any minute
and they are trying to pull off the biggest prison break since Mission Impossible
was invented, but it has its perks...
But
seriously: "You really shouldn't trust a soul in this game. Not when
everyone has something to gain or lose…" Just a warning, guys…
My
God, just when I was thinking the Lux series could not possibly get better: BAM! It goes and increases the
awesomeness by infinity. And yes, just like all my reviews of this
series, my review of Opal will be the
pure rambling of an obsessed and infatuated fan girl. Sorry, but what
else can a girl do when she's head-over-heels in love? Because that's
what I am: totally in love with the Lux series – and, of course, the pure
hotness-incarnate that is Daemon Black. *swoon*
Alright,
I'm back. Back with my one and only criticism of Opal. And what is that, you may ask? Well, the fact
that Jennifer is now officially THE
QUEEN OF ALL EVIL, HORRIBLE, DREADFUL CLIFFHANGERS!!! I mean, REALLY? HOW CAN YOU LEAVE IT LIKE
THAT?!?! Do you WANT me to go COMPLETELY CRAZY?! Cause if you do:
YOU HAVE BEEN FREAKING SUCCESSFUL!!!! Plus, YOU MADE MY
HEART LITERALLY STOP!!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!?!!!!
Ok.
I am so sorry about that. I just can't get over that ending - check out my gif post and you'll understand. I am
officially in total and utter shock – think of the worst cliffhanger ever (the
end of Shadow Kissed, The Golden Lily, all the Supernatural season finales, plus the Buffy Season Five finale all rolled into
one) and then multiply it. By like a squillion. Add in a major
heart attack, hyperventilating and an almost comatose state of shock.
Cause, you know, I'm pretty sure
that cliffhanger is meant to give you a heart attack and then break it into a
squillion pieces all at once. Cause that's where my heart's at: seizing
and broken beyond repair. Imagine all of this and then you'll be where I
am right now. Good luck getting over it. God knows I can't...
Like, ever. I'm pretty sure – no, I am certain – that I have now been scarred for life. Jeez,
my heart hurts...
Onto
better and brighter things though. Namely: Daemon Black. My newest,
bested, favouritest book boyfriend. Sure, he's prickly and obsessively
protective and a bit macho-patriarchal-boy like, but man do I love him.
He's so sweet and cheeky and charming and gorgeous and loving and caring.
And all he has on his shoulders – all I wanted to do was wrap him up and
take him home and never, ever let him leave. That sounded really creepy,
but that's not how I meant it. I wanted to protect him like he protects
everyone else, because everything he had to deal with... I just wanted to give
him a break, y'know? Keep him safe for a little while. Plus, he
really is perfect. And amazing. And I love him. Something Katy says
about him amuses me:
"Who
needed a flashlight when you had Daemon?"
My
reaction amuses me more: Who needed freaking anything if they have Daemon?!
As
for Kat, may I say I love the new her. She's strong and kickass and
brave. She had these moments where she was the strongest ever and willing
to do absolutely anything to keep the people she cared about safe – these
scared her, but I thought it just proved how much she loved Daemon. Plus,
again gotta mention her love of books: I love it when she goes squee-ey over
books!
Dee
– god, poor Dee! She wasn't in it much, which I don't blame her for, and
we saw this whole new, kinda scary side of her. But in the end, she's Dee
and I'll always love her, strange, hyper alien she is.
And,
'cause I don't wanna give anything away, we'll just say that someone we thought
was dead is really alive – and back. We will call said someone X, for no
real reason other than to be all mysterious. And X was so, so damaged – I
wanted to protect them too, bless X. Sure, X was kinda weird and damaged
and a little scary at times, but I loved X none the less. Plus the
conversation X had with Kat about zombies and surviving the zombie apocalypse
was freaking hilarious!
As
for Blake... I just can't make up my mind about that guy. One minute, I'm
feeling sorry for him. The next minute? Well, he's creepin' the
heck outta me. I seriously don't know what to do with the guy...
Have
I mentioned yet that I adore all of these characters? Like, seriously and
totally love them all to pieces? I have? Oops. Well, I'll
tell y'all again. I love them THIS MUCH!!! By the way, I
just held my arms out as wide as I can. It's not enough. I think I
need to multiply it by a zillion to show how much I love Daemon – I mean, them:
all of them... Maybe a million zillion squillion...
But
most of all, I love the relationship between Katy and Daemon. FINALLY
they are together – which leads to many yummy kissing sessions. HOT yummy
kissing sessions. And their love is so sweet and real and emotional and
hot. They are my new favourite book couple in the history of ever.
Opal was
shaping out to be my fave yet. I mean, we – I mean, Katy – was kissing
Daemon more, there was more of everything I love about this series. And
then... well, it ended. Horribly. As my afore-mentioned yelling revealed.
I had this feeling like halfway through that it wasn't going to end well.
That coupled with the fact that the next in the series doesn't come out
til way too long meant I slowed right down in my reading, savouring every word
and rereading my favourite passages over and over. But this going slow
did not work for long. Oh no, Jennifer's writing is far too magic and
funny and her plotlines are way too exciting and addictive and freaking awesome
for that. So I raced for the end... And, well, you know how that went
down...
Still,
this is my favourite in the series which is now, I think, my favourite series ever.
It has more action, more romance, more suspense, more humour and more
Daemon than ever before and it has left me absolutely, deliriously,
desperately desperate for
more. Like, right now. I am going to literally go crazy waiting for
the fourth – Origin. *sniffles and goes to have a mental breakdown*
But
seriously guys: if you haven't read the Lux series, you just have to.
Right now. It is the most amazing series you'll ever read – there
is literally nothing I can complain about, cliffhanger aside. It's just
so much fun, but is also more than just fun at the same time. It's just
more than I ever thought it would be when I bought Obsidian and more than I ever could have hoped for. And I am
now so in love I don't think I'll ever get over it, not that I want to.
So
yes. Please. Read it. Love it. Ramble about it.
Scream at Opal's cliffhanger.
Just enjoy the ride – love every moment. Series like this don't
come along often and you should all be a part of this one. And even with all
this rambling, I still haven't done it justice.
P.S. Oh, and Obsidian, the first in this series, has been optioned for a film!! A freaking FILM, people!! FINALLY!!! I am sooooo excited!!
Hey, maybe I should do a new gif post about it... Ok, I'm off to look for excited Supernatural gifs now... ;)
Star Rating:
5 Out of 5
It loses a star for the cliffhanger, and yet it's still on
five whole stars - well, really it's about 5 billion. That shows the
amazingness, people.
Warning: This review will be an excited rambling of a
fangirl.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
Every night in her dreams Gaby Winters
kills demons.
It’s
been almost a year since Gaby was in the car crash that killed her twin
brother, Jude. Her body has healed, but
her grief is still raw and constant.
Across
a crowded bar Gaby sees the man of her dreams, literally. Rafa not only looks exactly like the guy
who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams, he claims a history with her brother
that makes no sense.
Now
Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her
life is only a shadow of the truth – and that the truth is more likely to be
found in the shadows of her nightmares.
Combining the sexy supernatural appeal of
Lauren Kate’s Fallen series, the kick-ass action of Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and the edgy cool of True
Blood.
This
is angels and demons as you’ve never seen them before.
Review:
"You're supposed to be dead...”
Gaby's
life fell apart when her twin brother Jude died. That was a year ago.
She's moved away, to Pandanus Beach, started over. But she still
hasn't healed. Not really, not inside.
It
doesn't help that she keeps on dreaming the most disturbing things. Each
night in her dreams, Gaby kills demons in a bar. By her side, a guy with
green eyes who smells like sandalwood.
And
then one day, her dream guy walks into the bar. She's never met Rafa
before and yet he claims to have been best friends with her brother, even
though that makes no sense to her. In fact, nothing Rafa says makes any sense.
But
with more and more people like Rafa coming, claiming she should be dead – maybe
even should have stayed dead
– Gaby is forced to face the facts.
Her
life – everything she thought she knew and was – is a lie.
With
no idea what she is, what the entire world
is anymore, what's real and what's not, who can Gaby trust? And can she
stay alive in this world that makes no sense…?
I
picked Shadows up, just wanting to
have a quick flick through it to see what it was about. And I couldn't
stop reading. I don't know what it is about this book, but it’s freaking
addictive. Before I even realised what I was doing, I was a hundred pages
in and absolutely hooked. I'm not sure what it was that made Shadows really stand out. Maybe
it's the angel mythology. Maybe it's the action. Maybe it's Gaby's
voice – so real, so rich, so sad. Maybe it's that this is my first New Adult
experience. Maybe it's the gorgeous and utterly irresistible Rafa.
Who knows! Who cares! All that matters is that Shadows is a breath-taking book – an
amazing, amazing book, that I'm sure will be one of my favourites of 2013.
Hell, it's my favourite angel book of all time, ever. Period.
I
really loved Gaby – she was such a strong character, so broken and loveable and
strong. I could feel her pain – feel how
much it was destroying her, tearing her to pieces, making her empty. And
you not only felt for her,
you felt her. I loved watching
her grow and discover herself, watching her fight back and come into her own.
She was just a brilliant lead, damaged but tough as nails. My fave
kind of protagonist: strong but with a hidden vulnerability to make them
accessible and loveable.
Speaking
of love... I just instantly was drawn to Rafa. I don't know what it is
about him that makes him so darn irresistible. Perhaps it's that bad boy
thing – I have a real weakness for the bad boys. Or maybe 'cause underneath,
he's really, really sweet. He's warm, protective, and sweet, complex, mysterious
and so, so gorgeous. Oh, I just love him.
Daisy
was another favourite, as were Ez and Zak. Rephaim I wasn't so keen on? Daniel, Taya and Melchezedick – sorry, Malachi. I did not like them. Which was ironic,
'cause they were the so-called ‘good guys’...
I
also really loved Gaby's friend Maggie – she was the best friend in the history
of ever. Jason was cool too. Clever, brave, loyal. I liked
him.
And
even though we didn't actually meet him, I adored Jude. He was such an
amazing brother – I loved him to bits and mourned him right along with Gaby.
And I loved their bond. Felt their
bond…
As
for the connection between Rafa and Gaby... Whoa. It wasn't like your
usual teen romance. It was deep. Half the time, they were just
annoying each other. But it was just so hot – so full of chemistry.
I absolutely loved their banter and the way they had one another's back.
Weston's
writing was so amazing – and utterly compelling. The writing style was
insanely addictive and so strong. I felt them all – all the characters
and emotions. Especially Gaby. Her voice was so very real, so
genuine. I could feel every bit of her pain. But there are loads of
damaged narrators out there, aren't they? So what makes Gaby so different?
Well for one, there's the whole no-memories – or at least, no real memories – thing. But
more than that, there was the way she handled her pain. She hurt – so
much I hurt too – but she didn't let herself do that wallowing, selfish,
infuriating thing teen leads are so very good at. No, Gaby handled it all
like the adult she was: she dealt. And I loved that. It added a
whole brilliant layer to the voice: made it so real to me. So addictive
and beautiful.
As
for the plot, man was it awesome! So full of twists and mysteries and so much action! I loved how everything
was revealed so slowly, so teasingly, so addictively. It was just like:
here's one clue. Oh, and another. And another. Just one
little secret at a time. It was freaking addictive! And the action
– don't even get me started on
the action! It was so cool, so exciting. So awesome. Sigh... I will
admit that I saw this one bit coming – it felt kinda obvious to me. But
while I guessed the initial twist, I didn't see the twists that followed that
first twist... If that makes sense. But, God, I just adored this
plot!!
And
ohmigod, I loved all the
mythology! It's so new and cool – so unlike all the other angel books out
there. I just loved the spin Weston put on all the biblical angelic
myths. And what I loved even more than the kickass angel mythology of
this world? That it was set in Australia!
I loved the Aussie feel! It just added to the awesomeness that
already was the kickass angel stuff. So, yes, I adored this setting.
Yum yum, more please?
Ok,
so, angel stories. Loads of them are so samey, y'know? Shadows
was so totally different. For one, these angels weren't afraid to kick
butt. And when I say kick butt, I mean serious, hardcore, butt-kicking
awesomeness. These angels weren't your usual pacifists and they weren't really
religious. It was just so much fun to read an angel book that's so
hardcore and edgy and original. I just loved it. Shadows stands heads, shoulders, chests
and legs above all the other angel books out there.
As
you can all tell from this rambling review, I absolutely adored Shadows. It was one of those books
you're going to want to clear a whole day for, because you aren't going to be
able to put it down. Even if you don't like paranormals or angel books,
read Shadows, because it's special.
It's an angel book, but it has heart. Soul. And, God, it's
just so freaking good! As much as I wanted to read the book in one
sitting (which I did anyway – couldn't help myself!), I also wanted it to last
forever. I'm thanking Paula Weston for making it as long as it was – and
for the fact Haze is out in June,
which while being far enough away to make me crazy, isn't as bad as most sequel
waits. And I'm thanking her also for the ending, which wasn't
infuriatingly cliffhanger-y, but was also enough to leave me desperate for
more, more, more.
So
Shadows. Read it. It's so
much more than an angel book – so much more than a YA paranormal romance.
Just so much more than I could've ever expected and hoped for it to be.
And
I need Haze. I need more of
Rafa. And I take it back: June! Why is it so far away?! *breaks down crying*
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