Happy Australia Day! (+Giveaway) – DRAWN

26 Jan 2019 4 Comments

by Amy in Giveaway Tags: , , , ,

It is so hot in Australia right now and this Australia Day long weekend is no exception. With temperatures going to be 36 degrees (97F) all weekend at my place I have grand plans to do nothing except sit under a fan and read because anything besides that sounds like a lot of effort.  I hope however you chose to spend today it is somewhere cool and enjoyable. We’ve got the new lamb ad to enjoy, but I actually haven’t bought a single lamington which in itself is a small disaster, but I am not going to make any or go out and buy some because obvious combustion will occur is I go outside. Instead, I will stick with my reading plan and maybe try to incorporate a Vegemite sandwich into my lunch.

Alongside this plan, I am also going to giveaway an awesome Aussie book which is much more interesting! The joy of having a blogiversary so close to Australia Day means that I will have two giveaways running so if you want some more variety, have a sticky beak over at my blogiversary post where I am running an international giveaway and maybe one of those will tickle your fancy.

Today though, in order to celebrate Australia Day and Aussie authors, I am giving away a copy of Jessica Townsend’s new book Wundersmith, the second book in her Nevermoor series.

Wunder is gathering in Nevermoor …

Morrigan Crow may have defeated her deadly curse, passed the dangerous trials and joined the mystical Wundrous Society, but her journey into Nevermoor and all its secrets has only just begun. And she is fast learning that not all magic is used for good.

Morrigan Crow has been invited to join the prestigious Wundrous Society, a place that promised her friendship, protection and belonging for life. She’s hoping for an education full of wunder, imagination and discovery – but all the Society want to teach her is how evil Wundersmiths are. And someone is blackmailing Morrigan’s unit, turning her last few loyal friends against her. Has Morrigan escaped from being the cursed child of Wintersea only to become the most hated figure in Nevermoor? 

Worst of all, people have started to go missing. The fantastical city of Nevermoor, once a place of magic and safety, is now riddled with fear and suspicion… 

To enter: Leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite thing to do on Australia Day, or maybe a favourite thing you used to do as a kid that had great memories for you.

Entries close on 11:59pm 2nd February and due to shipping costs it is for Australian residents only.

Good Luck!

Jasper & Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle by Kevin Rudd and Rhys Muldoon

25 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , , , ,

Published: 1st October 2010Goodreads badge
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Illustrator: Carla Zapel
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

It was a special day at the Lodge. There was going to be a party. A big party. Abby the dog was there. Jasper the cat was there. But so was a scruffy little dog. The Prime Minister receives many letters and emails from children asking about Jasper and Abby, and he often tells his friends, colleagues, and staff stories of the antics of his family pets.

With Australia Day tomorrow I thought I would review a fun picture book all about our national day. This book was written by one of our Prime Minsters many years ago and it is inspired by the PM’s own cat and dog who lived in the Lodge with him. The book is co-authored by Rhys Muldoon and together they have created an enjoyable adventure about an important party and a slight kerfuffle.

With the premise of an Australia Day party at the PM’s house, the story manages to celebrate some wonderful things about our nation without going full Australian in our face either. There is a wonderful celebration of the resources of our nation and in a style that reminded me briefly of Possum Magic, they are listed with alliteration and short sentences that show off our produce, not to mention the wonderful regions around our country. All of this works within the story and the narrative is not pushed aside to just start listing great things about Australia nor is it overly simplified.

Jasper and Abby are the definite heroes of the story, and there are a few liberties taken in their understanding and capabilities. But they are still animals, talking to one another but not talking to the people.

Zapel’s illustrations are realistic and you can even see real pictures of Jasper and Abby at the fron of the book and see the resemblance. There is a lot of great detail in the fine line drawings, and I really loved how active all of the people appear to be. Kids aren’t standing straight, they are hanging off parents, and animals are mid scratch on chairs. It’s the small details like that which made me really focus on the pictures because it brought everything alive.

With short sentences often for each action or person there is a chance at a matching illustration so the mix of full page, double page and multiple small illustrations suit this story incredibly well because not only does it suit the action, but it allows a lot more to be visually explored than simply selecting a single scene.

I quite liked this story, I had forgotten that Rudd had even written it until I came across it at work. I’m glad I have read it now. This is a fun story filled with drama and chaos, and honestly a bit of suspense and tension too as you wonder will the culprit be caught before anything else goes wrong.

You can purchase Jasper & Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle via the following

Amazon | Amazon Aust

The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex by Gabrielle Williams

24 Jan 2019 1 Comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 1st April 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher:  Allen & Unwin
Pages: 247
Format: Book 
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

A rock chick.

An artist with attitude.

A girl with a past.

A party animal.

Four lives collide when one of the world’s most famous paintings is stolen. It’s a mystery that has the nation talking, but while Picasso’s Weeping Woman might be absent from the walls of the National Gallery, in other parts of Melbourne the controversial painting’s presence is being felt by Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny for four very different reasons.

Life, love, art and one giant party intersect in this offbeat comedy about good intentions, unexpected consequences and the irresistible force of true love. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this story. It was a great story already and Williams tells it in a way that engages you and intrigues you, especially with so many characters and their agendas to work around. It was a different story than the kind I had been reading and it definitely stood out.

Set in the 80s and based on true events, there is a great history woven into this narrative. It brings the story and characters to life as Williams puts us inside her character’s minds. I’m not sure whether it was because I knew this was based off true events, or whether Williams created such unique and fleshed out characters, but each of them felt real. We’re inside their heads, we see so many different points of view we get to know them all individually, not through the eyes of one character. I could picture them so easily, I was there with them, I understood their motives and I loved it. Different voices also contribute to the different points of view, Williams making them each stand out and distinctive.

I could not put this down once I had started, I was engaged and invested in these characters and even though it was history it felt like it could have been fictional. One thing I found clever was how Williams has overlapped events, the same moment through the eyes of different characters. It adds another layer of style and creativity, plus form a storytelling aspect gives you another point of view to the same moment.

The fact that you don’t know what is happening is good, and the fact you are trying to piece it all together is great, especially as you are unaware if there even is anything to understand.

The theft takes place in the 80s, but Williams has thankfully not shoved the 80s into our faces. Enough to set a place and a time but not overloaded so nostalgia and a need to remind people of the era takes away from the story.

I was impressed by the ending and I think Williams has wrapped up this story allowing the real events to play out, but also round out each of the characters we have come to know.

You can purchase The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and the Ex via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Angus and Robinson | Dymocks | Wordery

Fishpond | Amazon Aust | Amazon

6th Blogiversary Celebrations + Giveaway (INT) (DRAWN)

23 Jan 2019 21 Comments

by Amy in Giveaway Tags: ,

Lost in a Good Book is turning 6! Where does the time go? I feel so in charge of this blog finally. It’s been a long and hard road but I am glad I’ve found a system that works for me. I have stopped trying to make my blog run like others. After reading so many advice posts over the years on how to blog, after trying to mimic other blogs and tying myself into knots over scheduling and features and stressing myself out I have found my own path.

On top of feeling impressed with myself, I’m also feeling reflective and bureaucratic this blogiversary so I’ve taking up the challenge to see how my stats are fairing. I used to look at these religiously but the past few years I have only given them a cursory glance.

I’ve poured through 6 years of statistics to find the best, the most, the detailed numbers surrounding my blog. I’ve looked at the genre breakdown and the star ratings, I’ve looked at my most popular posts and the countries who come to visit. What I would have loved to do is compare the Australian authors to international that I’ve reviewed, but that will need a lot more planning because my tags aren’t nearly as organised in those early years regarding Aussie authors (they aren’t the best now if I’m honest). and there was no way I was sorting through that mess right now. Maybe next year.

It was quite a fascinating trip in all honestly. I was amazed at the numbers and at how many of each genre I had read, not to mention my generosity of stars. It also made me realise just how far I have come in 6 years. As I enter my 7th I am looking at my followers grow all the time and the visitors to my blog increase. I had more people visit my blog in the first 11 days of January this year than I had in the entirety of 2013 which is unfathomable. I can’t help but feel a little proud.

Let’s break it down. I’ve created a handy infograph because who doesn’t love a good infograph?

All of these stats are amazing, and surprising in their own way. For someone who didn’t think she liked fantasy I have reviewed it A LOT. But no doubt I’ve missed some reviews, and certainly if I’ve messed up some genre tagging the numbers may be a smidge off but honestly, they mean so little; community engagement and just having people read and like what I review and ramble about is so wonderful. I remember loving the one person who would read every single post I posted back in 2013. They were often the only stat on my blog. I loved this one person and I loved that they took the time to read the words I’d carefully thought about.

In the past 6 years I have seen so many changes. I have tried and failed many blog features. Let’s salute the forgotten such as Weekly Wrap Up, From the Shelf, Birthday Book Bonanza, not to mention Library Loot! Gosh, can you imagine if I kept that up it would be a daily post about all the things I bring home from work? It would publicise the very real problem I have. But it’s not all forgotten features, I’ve also introduced The Picture Book Corner which I adore, have Bookish Bites to help me write those quick reviews, plus started participating in Long Lost Reviews, who knows what else I will create or even bring back!

Looking back I have also halved my review lengths, which I think we’re all thankful for. I know I can go on a lot now but in the beginning, I used to go on A LOT. My reviewing has improved which I can tell just by reading some older posts. It’s amazing to see how I ran the blog back in the early years. Every year I did things a little bit differently and I have finally found my groove and I am happy to settle into this rhythm and power on.

Today is not all about my blog statistics, it is also a chance to share some of the amazing books I have read this past year. I have chosen my Top Five of 2018 plus a few other amazing books to include in my giveaway this year. As per usual, the giveaway is open internationally.

 

 

The Selection

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Soulless by Gail Garriger

Loving Lakyn by Charlotte Reagan

To enter: For a chance to win one of the pictured books simply enter here and complete the Rafflecopter form.

 Please note: This giveaway is international on the basis the Book Depository ships to your country. To see if you are eligible you can check their website.

Thank you for helping me celebrate six wonderful years of blogging and if you enter the draw I wish you the best of luck!

Giveaway runs until midnight AEDT on 23rd February 2019

The Dilemma of the Signed Book

22 Jan 2019 10 Comments

by Amy in Rambles Tags: ,

Recently over the chrissy break I made an effort to clean out my bookshelves. I had been doing it gradually as I came home with another pile of books in my hand but in all honesty they were just piled up on shelves until I had time to Organise. This chance came with the couple of weeks I had off from work and while I have made a lot more room on my shelf (immediately filled by new books), I found myself in a small crisis. What do I do with a signed book I no longer want?

I recently read a few books that I had on audio and didn’t enjoy them at all. I thought there is no point in keeping this book I will never read again and don’t want to lend to people. The only issue is I’ve met the author at an event and now have my name and a lovely greeting scrawled in the front pages.

What do you do? Must I keep this book as some obligation because my own guilt at throwing it out has already made me put it back on the shelf once? I know there are at least two maybe three books there that have my name inside and a lovely message that are attached to a story I disliked. Do I hunt down someone with my namesake and gift it to them? Ideally yes, the book is brand new and why no let someone else enjoy it? If it was just a signature I’d have no problem discarding them, but that personalisation is holding me back.

Meeting an author and handing over your book to be signed is wonderful. I obviously didn’t know I wouldn’t like their book when I gave it to them, and there has been a vast majority more I got signed by authors that I do like. I know they appreciate people lining up to get their book signed and to have then gone on to dislike the story feels a bit mean, it feels like I have wasted their time. And even though there is no way in the world they would ever know, I still think they’ll find out if I get rid of it. I know this is a silly thought to have, but that is how I was feeling as I replaced these books on my shelf, unable to throw them out.

Does anybody have any suggestions or comforting words? Tell me I’m not alone feeling this way? I know I could commemorate the meeting by scanning the signed pages, but those other 300 pages taking up space, what’s a girl to do? A box cutter and a careful page removal might be the best solution at this point.

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries