Quote of the Week

Well Hello there...

Hey there everyone!

I recently got a Pinterest page, and have some cool stuff on there. I'm looking forward to building it up, with links to good reviews or articles I find, as well as just some cool pictures for bookworms!

If you want, you can check it out here.

As a little teaser, here are some of the pictures on it!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jessica Shirvington

Virtue you most admire & why?
Forgiveness and loyalty. Both show a persons ability to put another first.

What happened that made you realise that you had made it as a writer?
I signed a publishing contract! But to be honest, I don't know that any writer ever feels that have really made it - we are only ever as good as our last book and you never know if there will be another one. It can be a little daunting.
 
There is so much angel mythology out there, why choose this specific set? Was there something specific about it that made you interested in it?
To start with, when I started writing EMBRACE there was very little angel mythology out there - that was part of the reason I chose it, so it was a little frustrating to see the popularity of the theme when publication came round. At the same time, it also helped, so there were good and bad elements to it. In terms of why it interested me ... I wasn't keen on writing about supernatural beings like werwolves and vampires, but the idea of angels felt really interesting. I love the types of questions they open up and the focus on a greater government, on whether we have freewill or not. It just worked well for me and helped me develop my characters in a way I wanted.

7 of your favourite things at the moment?
My family, my home, writing, reading, Crunchies (yum), coffee, skiing!

Is there anything that you want to say to your readers/ ask them?
I say everything I want to say in my stories. I hope they enjoy them, they are written to be read and meant as an escape. I hope readers get that.

J.K. Rowling and many other authors have admitted to getting frustrated with characters and have considered getting rid of them. J.K. Rowling even said that at one point, she was going to kill Ron. Has that happened to you?
If so, who and why/ why not? Not really. I get very attached to my characters, good and bad. There are some that I feel reach their time and need to go in order for the story to move forwards. But I always feel a little sad. The thing with writing a series is that you do accumulate quite a large number of characters. The Violet Eden Chapters is well over 100 characters now, so every now and then...some have to go!

If not yourself, who would you be?
 I'm not sure. I'm pretty ok with being me. It has taken a long time and I probably spent too many years trying to be more or something else only to realise who I am is who I want to be. I know that sounds boring, and it is, but I'm also ok with that. :)
 
Your heroine(s) in history?
There are many strong women to admire and learn from. Queen Elizabeth I - the lives of the royals are incredibly unique and fascinating, hers in particular. From a literature point of view I'd have to go with Jane Austen who was remarkable in so many ways.
 

Thank you to Jessica Shirvington and Hachette books for this interview. You can read my review of Jessica's first novel EMBRACE here.

Friday Roundup

Here are some cool links to kick start your weekend,  have a good one!
Isme
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If you live in Perth, you can meet Derek Landy, don't worry - it's free!

Rebecca from Reading Wishes is having and AWESOME GIVEAWAY!

I wish I was going to BEA, and this list of the books that will be there doesn't help.

Rookie Mag is getting a book.

Interview with author Marissa Meyer

I received a copy of Throne of Glass, and am looking forward to reading it!

I knew I should have gotten this book out of the library.

James Patterson has a new novel... mmm intrigue.

Ruta Sepetys has a new novel - I know I'm excited! What about you?

Maureen Johnson won the Queen of Teen Prize.

REVIEW: Noah's Law by Randa Abdel-Fattah

My first Randa Abdel-Fattah Book, "Noah makes you feel better about a literary world filled with Edward Cullens"

Sixteen-year-old Noah is a troublemaker.
His father is a hotshot barrister.
This is not a good combination.
When Noah gets caught mucking up at school, his dad sends him to work at his aunt's law firm during the holidays to 'learn responsibility' and 'fix his attitude'. There he meets Jacinta - the cute intern who knows her way around a photocopier, and Casey - the wicked witch of the firm. Noah becomes involved in a case where a woman has been killed during a mugging gone wrong. There's a grieving husband, a guilty employer, and an open and shut case involving lots of money. But right and wrong, and crime and punishment are soon entangled as Noah realises that things are seldom what they seem.

Noah's Law is a great example of a realistic contemporary YA work. It combines the fascinating (to those who are not lawyers) world of courtrooms and stakeouts and has a unique male narrator, a rarity in the Young Adult world. [But more on that later!]

 

The characters were great, unique fun people to read about, each intertwining into the mystery and comedy of the story in their own way. I liked how the mystery of this story worked; it is one of the better of the bunch, probably because I didn't find myself frustrated when clues just fell in front of them, and murderers 'accidentally' confessed into a tape recorder. Noah actually had to do some detective work, and even though some things did come to him, it was somehow still believable. Let me put it this way - there wasn't some random, outlandish ending where they all suddenly became heroes and caught the crook.

Noah's Law is humorous, and I think part of that is due to: a) the witty writing and b) the male point of view (pov). Although I am not a guy (yes, I am sure. last time I checked at least.), I thought that the male narrator was written in a realistic, believable way that was comedic, boyish, and yet managed not to alienate certain reading groups. (namely, females).

I liked Noah's sidekicks, and as for the language, don't be daunted by the law jargon that ensues. If you have ever seen any sort of police/crime/law show that has lawyers (CSI, Law & Order, Drop Dead Diva, even!), you will have no trouble with it. 

I can confidently say that GUYS and GIRLS aged 14-18 will enjoy Noah's Law.