Saturday Snapshot (June 30th)

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home With Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

This week I...

I bought a pretty necklace

I made my sketchbook in fine art

I changed my room, once 

...twice

I defaced some cards

and I've started sketching again

Harry Potter Competition

Celebrating 15 years of Harry Potter magic

The search for UK and Ireland’s biggest HARRY POTTER fan

From an idea born on a train journey, to its creation in a small cafe in Edinburgh Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the book that started a global phenomenon.  Rejected by many publishers and with an initial hardback print run of 500 copies, it has now sold over 90 million copies worldwide. It is the book that put Harry’s destiny in motion and created a whole new generation of readers. It is hard to think now that before 1997 none of us knew about Hogwarts, Quidditch or Voldemort (who was voted as the favourite literary villain in a recent Bloomsbury poll).

To celebrate the 15^th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Bloomsbury is launching a nationwide competition to find the UK’s biggest HARRY POTTER fan.

Bloomsbury is inviting fans to write a letter of no more than 50 words explaining why they love HARRY POTTER. We are looking for the most creative, clever and entertaining reasons and, while the word limit is set to a strict 50 words, entrants are encouraged to draw, doodle and make their letters as elaborate as possible.

HARRY POTTER fans can only enter by visiting a local bookshop or library and posting their letter in the specially designed postboxes. Over 1800 bookshops and libraries have already signed up to take part. The competition will run from Tuesday 26^th June to Tuesday 31^st July 2012 after which we will name the UK and Ireland’s biggest HARRY POTTER fan. The winner and runners up will be announced on Saturday 1^st September.*

The competition is an ideal opportunity for fans to show how much they love HARRY POTTER as well as supporting their local bookshop or library. Details of how to enter and a list of participating bookshops and libraries can be found on the website:www.bloomsbury.com/harrypottercompetition

Press release is attached as well as 15 facts about the first book. Bloomsbury has created an exclusive short video to celebrate this anniversary which will be available from 00:01 on the morning of Tuesday 26^th June. The video can be viewed at www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter and can be requested as a link from 9:00am the same day.    

*The winner will receive a family holiday to experience the magic and excitement of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ only at Universal Orlando^® Resort and a leather-bound, signed, dedicated and numbered 15^th Anniversary Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The limited number 15^th Anniversary Editions are exclusive to the competition and cannot be purchased elsewhere. Fourteen runners-up will also each receive a leather-bound, signed, dedicated and numbered 15^th Anniversary Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

For more information contact IAN LAMB on 020 7631 5726 or email ian.lamb@bloomsbury.com

Notes:

·          Entry to the competition is only available through bookshops and libraries in the UK and Ireland. Terms and conditions apply, and no purchase is necessary. Other international competitions will be running in other territories.

·          Bloomsbury will be unable to return any entries. All entries become the property of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc; by participating in the competition, entrants consent to the use and publication of their names and contributions by Bloomsbury.

·          The Harry Potter novels have now sold approximately 450 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 73 languages. J.K. Rowling has generated huge popular appeal for her books in an unprecedented fashion. She was the first children’s author to be voted the BA Author of the Year, and also win the British Book Awards Author of the Year. J.K. Rowling lives with her family in Edinburgh.

Having a 'moment'

Sunday 24^th June 2012

It’s funny how life always finds a path you didn’t know was there, how small changes in direction occurring within each single day, days you may remember or you may forget, that you don’t notice until you are at a destination and you don’t understand how you got there.  

But when you turn back, you see all the signs that led you here, all the footprints you left as you waltzed your way through life. Did you even notice the roses that bloomed and withered and dried around you?

You can’t live once you get to your destination, life’s ultimate destination is death, you have to live the journey. All the traffic you get held up in, cherish it.

Waiting is dangerous; it steals time from under your nose. Time is not like a book you discard and go back to read, time passes by chapters you can’t go back and re-live, time is infinite but only one way. 

You guys... I finally watched The Hunger Games

So.. well.. wow.


BUT..


No comparison to the book right?


Movies never compare to books though, they can't take away the magic of the tradition book!
(PAPER BOOKS ALL THE WAY NONE OF THAT E-READER STUFF, NO PAPER)


A lot of the detail I really missed in The Hunger Games movie. Mostly because I read the book very recently and when I read, because my active imagination and creative side of me I see the story in a lot of detail like a movie in my head and I guess was kind of comparing the movie to the version I saw when I read it.


A small thing I really wanted to see was the scene where she finds Peeta and he says 'hey don't step on me' and grins so you can only see his teeth because he's covered in mud.. that part in the book really stood out to me for some reason.


Also I missed that they didn't show all the time Katniss spent healing Peeta and washing him and everything and then when Peeta takes care of her when she returns with the medicine, small details like that.. I know the movie would have been really long.. but who would mind right?


It did creep me out a bit that the girl from District 2 (Clove) was the actress from Orphan a horror movie.. so yea she creeped me out a tad. And Hamitch is the gay guy from Friends With Benefits so I had a ergh to love him rather than despise him at the begininning.


Though, I did like that added part about District 11 going nuts, that was a nice touch. Also the actors for Katniss and Peeta... perfect look and attitudes for the part, so all in all, the movie is pretty damn good and the districts like the way they dressed in 12 to the capitol was pretty much spot on to what I expected.


But it had to be, since the book was bloody amazing.

Saturday Snapshot (June 23rd)

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home With Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

I kicked off my photography project this week, I live a five minute walk from the beach and go there a lot to shoot. I was mostly experimenting with double exposures on my film camera (photos have not been developed yet) but I brought my SLR along too. 

My polaroid also arrived this week (very excited to text this out) 

This was a lovely cute surprise I got in the post. I was team Erudite UK!

I dyed my hair (though it's fading already, back to dark soon I think). 

And yesterday my first film arrived for my polaroid, so if there is some sun this weekend I will be testing it out! *yay*

If you like my photography, I finally made a flicker account so you can find me here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazzlouisephotography/

And if you're a flickr member leave your link and I shall check your page out!

Hope everyone had a lovely week, enjoy your weekend. 

Reviews are on their way...

Currently one week into my month A2 before summer break (second year of A-level we start it before summer) but I am gradually reading more (more being since I hardly read at all during exam time) however I have been accumulating books to review for you guys, here is a sneak peak at the books I just received in the post yesterday.. 

I am especially excited to read Rapture as Lauren Kate's Fallen series have been the reason behind myself starting to write, reading more extensively and consequently blogging about books and it has been so long since I read Passion (the third/previous book in this series). I miss Luce and Daniel, even Cam a little. 

Also Seraphina is a genre I do not read so often so I am thrilled to venture into something new and fresh! 

As writing this post the postman came in- I have another book! *opens* it is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, which I have received in a book swap via goodreads, I love the movie of The Lovely Bones so I knew I had to read it too! - cause you know books are usually better :P

For bloggers who are UK, the bookswap shop is here and this is my list if there is anything you would like: my swap list

Thank you for being patient, but soon the blog will be active daily again I'm sure with lots of reviews, guest posts and even giveaways. 

Snapshot Saturday (June 16th)

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home With Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

At the start of the week it was sunny, I went jogging for the first time down the beach on Monday and Tuesday. 

I was also eating healthy again.

The second half of the week was miserable. 

And so I got sad and ate icecream.

Snapshot Saturday (June 9th)

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home With Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.


This is my first Snapshot Saturday, enjoy. 

From sunny Monday - sunbathing on the balcony.

Review: The Hunger Games (#1) by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I love The Hunger Games. It's simply a great dystopian novel that's original, action packed and nail biting. It's one of those books you don't even notice as you fly past the chapters, there's no way you're putting it down once you've started. 

The Hunger Games setting and storyline is so different to other dystopians I have read, the book on a whole has something else compared to most fiction books including the characters personalities. The heroine in most novels are portrayed as weak, feeble, but Katniss is quite the opposite; she is strength even with her flaws and is a inspirational character on a whole. Peeta is weak in comparison throughout this book although he has quite a low profile and it is not until the ending that we see his true character. At first I was suspicious of him, even at the beginning of the games, but during the end I grow to adore him too. The complicated relationship that evolves between them both is sweetly sad, it's real. The other tributes also have their own unique personalities which give twists in the games.

Written from first person perspective, Katniss's experiences and emotions become yours, I felt her connection to Rue, her despise of the 'Careers' and the complex emotions towards Peeta and Gale- Which I foresee will play a big role in the next books, everyone adores a good old love triangle. Gale's character takes a back seat in this book but Katniss's memories and thoughts of him make me want to see more of him in the next books. 

The 'games' that the society in the book devised holds a message 'we have control over you' however the underlying story shows that people can't be controlled, they can be pushed in the right direction but they can not be controlled fully. This is only subtle throughout the book but the ending of the games really shows how society itself can be undermined. 

Mostly throughout the book I felt something between sympathy and pride, mostly for Katniss, but also for Rue, for Peeta. And anger for the Capitol, the other tributes the 'Careers' and the games itself. The events that occur are not little things, no luck for Katniss, which makes it more real, more heart-racing. I like that the story has a brutal side, because the story isn't a love story really, it's more a battle between yourself and society. 

I haven't seen the movie yet and I'm glad I read the book first because that way I interpreted the setting in my own way. I have a special space in my heart for this series now and need to get the second and third soon, I've heard they're just as heartbreakingly brilliant. 

10/10! On a whole, I adored the book, beats vampires any day. 

May the odds be ever in your favour!

Guest Post: James Haw

Hi, please tell us a little about yourself... 

Have you always wanted to write or is there a significant moment you realised, if so what was that moment? 

I’ve always wanted to write and I used to write a lot as a teenager, but then I went to university and got a job and then fell into the trap of being a full-time worker with little time for anything other than my job!  It was about a year ago that I decided that I had to follow my dreams and make time to write and so I did.

What genre do you write and why? 

I write about relationships in contemporary life.  I love to watch how people interact and try to capture that in my writing.

Is there anything you are currently working on?

I have almost completed my first novel, The Capricious Mr Turner, and will be publishing it in spring 2012.  This has been a labour of love for a little over a year and I am very excited about completing it in the very near future.

Do you ever suffer from the famous writers block and if so do you have any tips to get around it? 

Writers block is a killer sometimes!  The best way for me to get round it is to either take myself away from my laptop for a little while or concentrate on another chapter – this usually does the trick (but not always!)

Do you have any other hobbies?

Away from writing there are a few things I enjoy; I love bouldering (rock climbing without ropes) up to about 30 feet.  I also love mountain biking, although I don’t live too close to many mountains, I do get to go up some reasonably steep hills and over some rough terrain so that keeps me happy.  My other hobby is swimming – something that I just don’t get enough time to do, but try when I have a free hour.

Is there a significant person who has inspired you on a whole? 

I take my inspiration from everywhere and I do have my favourite authors, but if there is one person who is an absolute inspiration then I would have to say Brain Haw.  Brian Haw was the peace protestor who camped outside Parliament for 9 years after – he had conviction for his cause that one rarely sees and he has given me the inspiration to never give up on whatever I do.

What do you plan on writing in the future?

I have my second book already fairly well planned out and will start writing it sometime in April/May 2012.  A third will be planned shortly thereafter, the plot is already forming in my head!

Is there anything else you feel we should know about you?

I’ve had a diverse career so far that has included working as a litigator for a big UK law firm and running a nightclub for a brief period before settling into to copywriting.  I have been lucky to travel widely and experience life from many different angles and this definitely helps with my writing.

Where can we find you? 

You can find me at www.jamehaw.co.uk where you can read a little more about me, check out my blog (updated regularly) and read the first few chapters of my new book, The Capricious Mr Turner.  You can also download chapters 1 and 2 from Amazon for Kindle and the links are on the download page on my site.  I hope to see you on there soon and please feel free to leave comments on my work, blog or anything you feel you want to tell me about.

Rapture by Lauren Kate - Trailer

Rapture (#4) by Lauren Kate

Publish date: June 14th 

I'm Back

Hi guys,


I can't believe my first year of college is over, it has gone so fast!


But that means I'm back for blogging, oh how I have missed the world of fiction.
Here are some of the titles I will be reviewing soon:


Wither (#1 Chemical Garden) and Fever (#2 Chemical Garden) by Lauren Destefano
The Hunger Games (#1) Suzanne Collins
Partials by Dan Wells
Blood Moon (#5 Drake Chronicles) by Alyxandra Harvey


And many more, I just can't remember them all.


I'm excited to get my blog active again, I have missed you guys!


Love,


Mazz