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BBAW: Treasures #3-4

I had massive brain fail yesterday and totally forgot to post #3, so I’m combining them today.

Day #3 — Today’s Topic: Book bloggers can be some of the most influential people around! Today we invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?

I’m not particularly recalling any certain book, per se, but more of a couple genres. WriteMeg was a fairly big component in me giving Chick Lit and Contemporary Fiction (sans my beloved fantasy and paranormal) another go, and I’ve had some pleasant surprises in those genres (but they are still far from my favorite).

Another genre which I will be trying soon, thanks to a few, is steampunk. Now I’ve read novels with steampunk elements (e.g., And Falling, Fly by Skyler White), but never a full-on steampunk novel. I’m looking forward to it. A couple I have lined up are: Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters, The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, and New Blood by Gail Dayton, among others.

Day #4 — Today’s Topic: Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction. This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Published in 2003 by Miramax | ISBN13: 9780786818594

Granted, I did read this book in 2003 — way before I was a book blogger, nor knew anything about the book blogger community — but sadly, I haven’t ran into it on any book blog since I’ve been active. Which saddens me.

The Amulet of Samarkand was one of the first books I picked up after I finished Harry Potter (or what was available of Harry Potter at that time) and it was thisclose to being on par with Rowling. I know, amazing right?! But it is an amazing book! It contains urban fantasy, mystery, bits of steampunk, and hilarious snark, and I cannot sing its praises enough. I’ve seen some compare it to The Amber Spyglass and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but I’ve yet to read those (*dodges disappointed glances* … I know).

Here’s the synopsis from Amazon:

Nathaniel is a young magician’s apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who’s boss. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt.

Go forth, and read, I say. You will not be sorry.

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.

BBAW 2010: Treasure #2 – My Shelf of Awesome

I didn’t sign up for a interview swap during Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, so I’m doing a little something different than everyone else today. Forgive me :) But since the theme of BBAW this year is treasure, I thought this fits.

The Shelf of Awesome has been around a few book blogs, but started with Wit and Sin. I, however, saw it on Blkosiner’s Book Blog. I really like the concept behind it:

“The Shelf of Awesome is a shelf of books that, in brief, inspire me. No, you won’t find any “inspirational” books on The Shelf of Awesome. By inspire I mean these books are the ones that always inspire me to write, to read, to imagine, to love, to smile, and to find happiness.”

Therefore, I decided to present you with my list »

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling — if I had to describe this series in one word, it would be engrossing. Rowling’s ability to draw you so wholly and completely into a different world is insanely remarkable.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott — if there is another book in the world which contains the amount of heart as this one, I’ve yet to find to come across it. The relationship between me and my sisters very much resembles that of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy and as such, I cherish this book as much as I do my sisters. (By the way, if you’re curious, I’m the Jo).
Persuasion by Jane Austen — I think Anne Elliot is the most admirable heroine Austen has ever written, and I just adore her. This book really brings out the hopeless romantic in me. Learning that even after being rejected by the love of his life and going off with the military for nine years, that Captain Wentworth is still deeply and irrevocably in love with Anne makes me sigh in longing.
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien — though I love Rowling, Tolkien is the master of world building, imho. He didn’t just create a world, he created a complete universe. If I could even create something an eighth as awe-inspiring with my own writing, I’d be on cloud nine.
Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn — this series made me fall head over heels in love with urban fantasy. Kitty is such a remarkable heroine; strong yet flawed, quick-witted and sarcastic. Seeing her growth over seven books (there are actually eight written, however, I’ve yet to read the latest one … and it’s killing me lol), from the downtrodden and freshly turned lycanthrope to the fearless alpha she is now, has been nothing short of amazing.
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens — while it is on one hand painful to see the selflessness of Amy Dorrit and her unrequited love for Arthur Clennam (and John Chivery’s unrequited love for Amy — ah, angst), it is also admirable to see just how loyal Amy is to those she loves.
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy — this book proves just how valuable friendship is, and reminds me that even though I’ve lost some great friends from my life over the years due to changing, I’m still immensely blessed to have known them to begin with.
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding — not only is this one of the funniest books I’ve come across, it gives me hope that maybe there are people out there who can love us just the way we are.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder — just thinking about this book brings back such amazing memories from my adolescence.

What books would be on your list?

Teresa

BBAW 2010: Treasure #1

Today is the beginning of Book Bloggers Appreciation Week 2010. Today’s topic: For those you new to BBAW, what was the first book blog you discovered?

That would have to be Once Upon a Bookshelf. I’ve known Courtney going on, gosh, nine years now. We became good friends through the Lord of the Rings fandom back in 2001.

I graduated high school in 2001 and because I was forced to read while at school, I kind of rejected it after school as a sort of “I’m free!” rebellion. However, when I was introduced to Harry Potter when Sorcerer’s Stone was released in theaters, I knew I had to read this series. From then on, reading was my addiction … but I digress lol.

Courtney started her blog halfway through 2005 and I really liked the idea of having a blog completely dedicated to books. While our tastes are not identical, we both love historical fiction, fantasy (though I tend to lean more towards urban fantasy over traditional high fantasy) and , most importantly, Jane Austen. Courtney’s blog has also really opened my eyes to some fiction that I would have never thought of trying out before. Her reviews are thorough and most of the time make me laugh because they are so causal it’s like talking to her. And she’s also not afraid to show off her geeky side, which rocks.

I’m getting rather long-winded, but Once Upon a Bookshelf kicks arse and you should all visit. And Court, thanks so much babe for introducing me to this a wonderful community.