Tuesday 25 January 2011

Really Random Tuesday

Really Random Tuesday is a meme created by Suko at Suko's Notebook which is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.

I am really excited about this new YA book that was launched in the UK this week. I had heard so many good things about it,that I rushed out to buy it on Saturday. I had to do a rugby tackle on a teenager in  order to get the last copy off  the shelves ( Don't worry,she wasn't hurt, just stunned as I leaned over her shoulder and grabbed it before she had time to think!) I then sat in my car outside the book shop and wouldn't move until I had read at least ten pages, ignoring the fact that my parents were visiting my house and I had left them at home with my husband. You know what it is like, when you have got to read a book, you have got to read it!
******************************
I also discovered two other books this week, that I can't wait to read.

1) My Sister Lives On The Mantlepiece by Annebel Pitcher. This is her debut novel and it sounds original,amazing and will definitely mark the author's place in the Young Adult genre.It is published by Orion and is released on the 1st of March 2011.

It deals with the after effects of a terrorist attack. The story is told from the point of view of ten year old Jamie who is moving house with his family in order to make a fresh start and help them come to terms with the death of his twin sister, Rose, who was killed by a terrorist bomb. 

2) Virtually Love by Daniel Glattauer. This comes out February 3rd and is published by Quercus. It is an epistolary novel which is told through emails. It is a slow burning love story, that develops through a case of mistaken identity.  It has been sold in over 35 countries and is finally making its way to England. Yay!

So look out for these two books in the not too distant future.


*******************************
Now most of you know I am not the most technically minded book blogger. Buttons and logos have eluded me since I began blogging. Then along comes Bloggiesta and everyone is talking about buttons.  So thanks to Kim I have discovered the joys of Cool Text, where I can make buttons and logos in about 2 minutes. I am having a field day and would highly recommend this site. Now I just need to work out how to add an extra column and how to add pages at the top of my blog. I will succeed!

*******************************
Talking of good websites, I also found this one called Netgallery this week which allows you to download books to your iReader for sixty days. Almost like a library but online. Personally, I haven't got an iReader or a Kindle, so it is of no use to me. However, I know a lot of you have, so go and take a look.  Go to the recent books added and I am sure you will find something good.

*******************************
I hope to start a new post for Saturday if I can just find enough hours in the day to create it. I want to go back to my Scrapping Saturday posts, but now I want to include any cooking I do too. So hopefully this Saturday there will be a post showing all the lovely things (burnt offerings) I have made. I did make keylime pie the other week, but it didn't have a strong lime taste, so hope to make it again this week and take pictures of it too.  I also have a few pages of my Christmas Journal still to show you. Blame Twitter for my lack of creativity in the scrapping and the cooking department!
*******************************
I have won two competitions this week. I won  a book on Iliana's blog Bookgirl's Nightstand. The book is called Keep Sweet  and is by Michele Dominguez Greene. It is a Young Adult book dealing with the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, Can't wait to read it.
I also won the general bibliophile set from Cafe Press over at Eva's blog A Striped Armchair. So when I get my goodies I will show them off to you. Anyone who sees me in the street, be ware, I may be seen stroking my new bibliophile bag!
These are my random ramblings  for today. What random ramblings are filling your brain?


21 comments:

  1. Twitter is such a time eater! i so want to see the rest of your scrapping and look forward to the cooking too :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the cover of that book!

    I plan to get on netgalley one of these days, but not until I read down my TBR to a manageable level. I guess unless I see something really wonderful on there!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm really looking forward to more of your Scrapbook Saturday posts. I enjoy your cookery posts as well but I'm always left feeling guilty as I could never produce something so yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Verity - I am being neglectful aren't I.LOL.

    Amanda - This book is amazing. It took me back to my teenage years and left me there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I must try that making buttons site, cos I truly suck at that...yup I mean it. Thanks for that Vivienne :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can picture you sitting in your car reading while your hubby was entertaining your parents. Congratulations on your wins!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this Tuesday meme because I love reading tidbits of other people's lives...I am nosy like that! So maybe I will give it a go next week---besides, as you can see, I kind of did that same kind of post today anyway.
    Oh and thanks for the shout-out. Now I need to go make some more buttons. It really was a user friendly website.
    Oh, and learn how to put tabs at the top of my blog, and get one of those cool rolling blog lists like you have in your sidebar. I guess I am never happy.

    And that Virtually Love? It is so going on my wish list. You just have to mention epistolary to me and I am all over it. Thanks for the heads up.
    *smiles*

    ReplyDelete
  8. Okay I am now incredibly intrigued by Entangled and have two new websites to check out!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your RRT post kept me very entertained, Vivienne. Here are my random comments:

    I loved your description of how you procured the new YA book and then sat in the car reading it for a while! I think many of us can relate to that. BTW, the RRT "button" I created on CoolText. It's a lot of fun and not too difficult to use. If you have a food post on Saturday, you might want to link to Weekend Cooking, a wonderful meme hosted by Beth Fish Reads (see my Memes page for the link).

    Thanks again for doing this meme, and for doing it in such an artful manner! :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh - your Saturday postings sound like such fun. I can hardly wait :)

    I too have been enamored by buttons, but clueless as to how to create them. Thanks for the Cool Text link -- hopefully I can play around with that some day soon.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Petty Witter - LOL, I never said what I made was edible! It might look pretty but I have been known to make some real disasters. Perhaps my weekly post should be called 'Disaster in the Kitchen'.

    Blodeuedd - Cool Text is so easy to use! So quick!

    Bermudaonion - unfortunately so could my parents and my husband. They knew exactly what I was doing. (Hanging head in shame).

    Kim - thanks for showing us the buttons. You have made my blog very happy. I love this weekly post. Virtual Love does sound brilliant.

    Mommablogsalot - I linked you up on Twitter to find out when it is out in America.

    Suko - I might just do that. I had forgotten about Beth's posts on the weekend.

    Molly - these buttons are just so easy to use.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Twitter can be blamed for lots of things, can't it? Thanks again for the recipe though... will probably wait until next week to try it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I *seriously* love Entangled. I've read it twice through already, and I'm generally not much of a rereader. It's got major reread value. :D

    I really want to read My Sister Lives On the Mantelpiece too. Amazing title, amazing premise. Totally can't wait.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Youre funny! Enjoy Entangled. The other books look very good as well.

    Congrats on winning Keep Sweet, it sounded really interesting.

    Have fun with the button making and blog updating.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Aw Viv this was such a fun post! I think it's hysterical that you read in the parking lot while folks were at home waiting for you. That's totally something I would do.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yep, I can picture you in the car reading "just one more page" before going home :)

    I've been hearing lots about Netgalley too but I don't have an eReader yet. We got an iPad but the glare and the size are keeping me from really trying out ebooks. I think I want an eReader for that.

    Looking forward to your Saturday posts!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm glad you got the book that you wanted! Congrats on your contest wins too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Awesome topic and we all totally take notice with the author with this view here. Its insane, thats what i should write concerning this. Because this should be what the whole internet is about am i right? Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm really not great with the technical side of blogging either. I'd love to do more with layouts and graphics and things and it's all just beyond me.

    With you on the netgalley love though, and how fantastic that you've been on a winning spree :) Jealous of your win from Eva!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love that reading in the car!

    Oh and yes, please do link up any foodie post to Weekend Cooking. You don't have to post over the weekend, but the Mr. Linky goes up on Saturday Mornings (EST). I'd love for you to join in.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm sure we can all relate. LOL! I remembered hanging on to every page in the car, in the dark, while waiting for my family to go shopping. It's crazy.

    Good luck with the button thingy!

    ReplyDelete

Hiya, thanks for stopping by, it is always nice to hear what you have to say, so do leave a comment if you have time.