Preview to Summer Book Swap

Monday, 27 May 2013

It's finally time to reveal our book care packages! First, a huge thank you to all of the co-hosts for organizing this awesome swap. It has been great reading everyone's posts for the weekly link-ups and I hope everyone received some great new reads (and made some new friends)!

I was paired up with Kim from The Simplicity and I really enjoyed getting to know her better over these last few weeks. We exchanged some great emails - about books, yes, but also about life in general. She's a great girl and you'll be doing yourself a favour if you go check out her blog.

I was so excited when my book care package arrived in the mail! Kim and I kept everything a surprise, so I had no idea what to expect. She put together a great parcel! Everything was wrapped in a gorgeous silver wrapping paper that isn't pictured here because my Mom - visiting for the week - threw it out before I had a chance to take pictures.

The notecard Kim sent is adorable and she left a great message inside, including her reasoning behind all three of the books she sent me (yes, three)! She spoiled me. Kim chose three completely different books and I haven't read any before, so I have happily added them to my giant to-read pile.

Aside from the books, she also sent a small notebook (you can never have enough notebooks) with an awesome zebra pattern and three of her unique birds nest pendants!

A huge thank you to Kim for being a great swap partner! I truly appreciate the time and care you put into finding the books and putting together the other items for my parcel. I'm going to go read now. ;)

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Preview to Summer Link-Up: Literary Soundtracks

Monday, 20 May 2013

For this week's link-up, I've put together a soundtrack for my most recent read: The Golem & the Jinni by Helene Wecker. I have yet to post a review of this book, but I think the soundtrack below will give you a great sense of the book's atmosphere. It's a beautifully written magical realism novel set in New York City. The story gives a new life to well-known monuments of New York and the two main characters, Ahmad and Chava, captured my heart and mind. This soundtrack doesn't relate to any specific events (I don't want to spoil any plot lines), but it contributes to the overall feeling that the book portrays (a necessary component to any magical realism novel).

Dig Into Waves - Freelance Whales
we're all up top now and language is losing its edge
the seventy two of us speaking in glances and dancing
blur my skin melt my limbs with your scales
blend the fins and the teeth and the tails

London - She & Him
I can't shake the sadness
'cause it's never that small
but we're all sad together
so I'm not alone at all

Mountain Sound - Of Monsters & Men
some had scars and some had scratches
it made me wonder about their past
and as I looked around I began to notice
that we were nothing like the rest

Last Mistake - Hey Ocean!
I was trying to hear you through the crowd of people screaming
for their souls in a word that they would obey you
and I looked the other way, knowing

All Alone - fun.
and I feel so all alone
no one's gonna fix me when I'm broke
how do you cry with inanimate eyes?
you're never gonna smile with the way that you're wired

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Preview to Summer Link-Up: Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

Monday, 13 May 2013

For our fourth Preview to Summer link-up, Nicole from Three 31 has come up with a few questions about book design. I love this topic because I am a designer and book covers have a big influence in my decision to purchase a book. I've chosen three of Nicole's questions to answer below.

DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER?

Yes! The design of a book cover is so important when it comes to the marketing and publicity of a title. The book cover gives potential readers a hint at the content. You can often make assumptions about the genre of a book and its intended readership just by the photography or illustration on the cover.

Other details, such as typography selection and the information included on the cover (advance quotes, author's biography, etc.). also have a role in targeting readers and making the book stand out on a shelf surrounding by hundreds of other books in the same category.

HOW IMPORTANT IS COVER DESIGN FOR YOU?

Extremely important. As a general rule of thumb, I won't purchase a book unless I like the cover design. I'll still read the book if it interests me, but I'll borrow a copy from the library or a friend. Cover design is also important when considering which edition of a book to buy. I'm selective of cover design when purchasing a classic that comes in a variety of covers.

SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK COVER.

I usually like simple designs. There's no need to do everything on a book cover. I think keeping it simple with a unique look is the best combination. Here are a few that I really like:

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Preview to Summer Link-Up: I Love NYC

Monday, 6 May 2013

For our third Preview to Summer link-up, we're discussing books set in New York City (and other big cities). Like many, I have a love affair with New York City. I've never been so I have no idea if the city really lives up to hype in my mind, but I adore books/movies/television shows set in the big city.

Three of my all-time favourite novels are set in New York City: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (which is actually classified as a novella, but I'm going to ignore that), and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I love Gatsby for demystifying the American myth. If you haven't read the book yet, you should - and you still have some time before going to see Baz Luhrmann's adaptation this weekend. Breakfast at Tiffany's glamourizes NYC as an escape, except Holly isn't who you think she is. It's a quick read and written extremely well. Kavalier and Clay really explores the city and some key moments take place in the Empire State Building.

I've discussed all three of these books on the blog before and have posted reviews of two. You can read my review of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay here and my review of The Great Gatsby at this link.

Want to participate in the discussion? Write a post and link up at Spunkyrella.

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Preview to Summer Link-Up: 5 Books Every Woman Should Read

Monday, 29 April 2013

For the second link-up of Preview to Summer: A Blogger Book Swap, I'm linking up with Serena from Spillerena and talking about the five books I think every woman should read. I had trouble choosing these books because I don't like to categorize books as being specifically for women or for men. I actually get pretty upset around Christmas time when there are "men" and "women" tables in the bookstores. I've chosen five books that I think are important for growing up, finding yourself, and trying to figure out life - whether you identify as a woman or a man.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: This book is incredible. Plath explores the main character's breakdown in a way that makes her insanity quite rational. I think everyone can relate to Esther's emotions and it's this connection that scares us. Are we insane too? Are our rational actions not actually all that rational?

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro: A coming-of-age story about a girl growing up in 1940's Ontario. We see the main character's relationships and reactions to the people in her small town and it forces us to consider our own childhoods - what we did and who we knew - and how they have shaped us into who we are now.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin: This book is a cornerstone for feminist literature. The main character struggles with social constraints and how abiding by what is expected holds her back from what she really wants. While the novel focuses on the crisis of gender in the Victorian era, it carries an important sentiment for anyone who feels marginalized, whatever the cause.

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard: Sort of an unconventional choice, Dillard writes down her observations and thoughts while spending time outside in her neighbourhood. The honesty and simplicity of the book makes it clear that nature is a vital part of our lives - even if we often overlook it. It's a necessary read for people who need to get back in touch with the simple things. It reminds us to slow down and enjoy our surroundings.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk: The perfect book for anyone who has ever been angry with the cards they've been dealt. There are pages upon pages of quotations that speak to the heart of anyone who thinks that life isn't fair, who is unhappy with the direction life is going. You can change things, but you have to do it now - I just don't think starting an underground fight club is the solution.

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Preview to Summer Link-Up: Your Top 3 Favourite Books

Sunday, 21 April 2013

This is the first link-up in the Preview to Summer series, designed for participants in the blogger book swap to get to know each other better and to talk about amazing books.

I chose a simple, yet difficult, topic for our first link-up. While everyone has a list of favourites, it's difficult to narrow it down to only three. That's what I want you to do. Think about it for a few moments and share your three favourite books and why you love them so.

• WICKED by Gregory Maguire  If you've read book posts on my blog before, it should come as no surprise that I love this book. Elphaba will always be my favourite fictional character. Maguire's writing style continues to astound me, no matter how many times I read the book. (I read it often.)

• HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX by J.K. Rowling  I love the entire Harry Potter series, but OotP is my favourite of the seven books. I know it's most readers' least favourite, but I really liked all of the backstory in #5. Spoiler alert: With Voldemort returning at the end of GoF, OoTP brought the series to another level. I have tremendous respect for Rowling's imagination.

• WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte  I'm not much of a romance reader, but this book has stolen my heart away on countless occasions. It also helps that there are ghosts and the writing is very gothic.

There are obviously many other books that I love, but these three are ones that have remained favourites for years now. Some recent favourites may eventually take a top spot after some re-reads, but as of right now, these three are the winners.

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