So Yeah, NanoFail

As you will have probably noticed for the second half of this month the blog has been rather devoid of Nanowrimo updates. This is because I failed. Just after the half-way point I was hit with the realisation that I was neglecting my university work somewhat and deadlines were starting to creep up on me so I was forced to shelve my novel until I could continue.

I will finish this month with less than 30K but on the whole I am still pretty happy with my effort. Before Nano I had never written anything on a story longer than 5K so to have the first third of a novel written (albeit a very shitty first third) is still quite an achievement for me. Maybe next year I will plan far enough ahead to make sure I don't run out of chapter outlines halfway through the month.

I did find it pretty exhilarating having to just write without going back and self-editing after every paragraph and I really liked my story although I'm sure that as I start to read back through the Nano work I will wince at how awful my writing truly is. Most likely I'll have rewrite the whole damn thing (something feels off about the POV) so maybe next summer once I've outlined and characterised properly I can rewrite what I already have and finish the whole novel.

What was also kind of daft was that almost a week after I'd halted writing on my Nano story a completely new story idea leapt into my head which I'm also quite enamored with so I may work on that for bit before I go back to the NanoFail at some point.

So as there's only 2 days of Nano left how is everyone doing? Have you finished? Nearly there? or like me has real life gotten in the way and your word count is *waaay* behind? Whatever your word count WELL DONE! Y'all are awesome for even signing up! There's always next year to try again!

LadyV

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In My Mailbox #30

Hey folks this week has been mega crazy for me and I've been making some seriously major decisions about the future and whatnot so I apologise for the lack of Dreaming Anastasia review and lack of anything really since Wednesday. In this coming week there may also be some disruption as a whole ruck of changes will be going on in my life so apologies in advance for lack of posting. Anyhow onto business!

In my Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Kristi @The Story Siren and inspired by Alea @Pop Culture Junkie

Ze Vlog


Books Acquired this Week
Cross Stitch (Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon - not shown in vlog
Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen - Thanks you Penguin for sending me a copy for review!


Fairly minimalist week in books, tomorrow's post will also be rather slim as well but over the Christmas holidays I should be charging through books in order to reach my 200 book target for 2010 so hopefully I shall get a load of reviews done as well. I also need to be thinking what reading challenges I'll be doing next year, suggestions people?

That's What was in My Mailbox this week, What's in Yours?
LadyV

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When is an Embargo not an Embargo?

When it's the Last Sacrifice Embargo!

Ok so I want to make this clear that this post is not intended to be a criticism of Penguin UK in any way but this is a rather perplexing issue that I want to talk about. Do tell me if I'm over-thinking these things.

I saw a tweet on Sunday 21st from Cassandra Clare stating that "Embargoed means no advance review copies. No one reads the book before its release. Bookstores can't open the boxes of books before a strict date. Foreign publishers have to sign non disclosure agreements that they will release no information or excerpts from the book. The publisher's employees are basically not allowed to read it. That's an embargo." 

I thought this to be  a very interesting point since the press release I received from Penguin UK states that Last Sacrifice (The 6th book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series) is under Embargo until its release date on December 7th, yet here I am with a *finished copy* of Last Sacrifice that I have already read. I'm not the only UK blogger with a copy of the book either! I can name at least six or seven other people who received it from Penguin in the last week and Penguin Australia (does that count as a foreign publisher since it's presumably Penguin US who hold the original publishing rights?) have been releasing teaser quotes for the last week or two! 


I know that there are restrictions on us UK bloggers in that we are not allowed to post quotes, excerpts, opinions or reviews of the book until its release date as we agreed when we signed the confidentiality agreements before the books were sent out, but when you compare this to what Cassie Clare defined as an embargo, is it really an embargo?


This is not the only book in the past year which has been under Embargo, back in August Mockingjay (the third and final book in the Hunger Games Trilogy) was supposed to be under lock and key until the 24th/25th yet some bloggers including Kristi of The Story Siren had copies nearly a week before that date and a US newspaper actually broke the embargo by posting a review - with spoilers -  the day before general US release. I'm sure that the majority of those lucky folk in the book blogging community didn't break the embargo but when it's such a highly anticipated book and a final book in a series isn't there always the risk that someone may break ranks and post a spoiler-filled review before anyone else has a chance to read it?


I am by no means pooh-poohing the fact that I was one of the incredibly lucky people who got a copy of Last Sacrifice. Heck No! I am *ecstatic* to have been given the opportunity to read the last book in a series I adore earlier than everyone else, but I'm feeling slightly antsy about the fact that thanks to me and a video I did showing my reaction to the arrival of my copy of Last Sacrifice, it has become common knowledge amongst VA fans on *FOUR* continents that I, and several other British Bloggers have copies of Book 6. I feel rather exposed even though I haven't actually said anything about the book itself. It's the fact that I've publicised the existence of it which may prompt other people to search out spoilers before it's officially released. 

But does that mean that publishers shouldn't send out copies of embargoed books before their release date to bloggers and other media people? No, as long as everyone respects the non-disclosure agreements and only post reviews *AFTER* its public release then I believe they should be allowed to read and enjoy those books, plus they get the added thrill of being one of a select few who got a sneak peek before everyone else (as does anyone who sees an advance showing of an awesome film).

However I don't think that the Last Sacrifice or even the Mockingjay embargo can be compared to the insane levels of secrecy surrounding the 2007 release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Regardless of what Anna Hathaway managed in the Devil Wears Prada you either had to be J.K. Rowling or some sort of Omniscient Deity to get a look at even the dedication page of DH before it was published let alone sitting pretty with a finished copy on the 19th of July 2007. Just look at the agreement that bookstores had to sign before they were even supplied with copies of DH - HP Embargo Contract <--- that is what I call an embargo and a half! Although sadly there were several breaches of even this incredibly stringent embargo, but I'm sure they regretted it when hit with the lawsuits that Bloomsbury and Scholastic threw their way.


I think that the definition of an Embargo that Cassie Clare stated is more reminiscent of the Deathly Hallows release than may be needed by other Highly Anticipated YA books even if the genre is now much more publicised than it was pre-HP. Until there's another book or series that reaches the world-wide, generation-spanning furour that Harry Potter did then I don't think that such extreme embargoes are necessary. Early Reviews and ARCs are part of what creates the hype and interest in a particular book in the months leading up to it's release date although if the blogosphere becomes flooded with reviews of one single book in a short space of time then it can have the opposite effect and by the time the book is generally available people are too tired of all the hype to bother picking it up straight away.


What Penguin has done with Last Sacrifice has worked very well I think, a select group of bloggers who get to read it early - BTW I'm really rather glad that it was UK bloggers since no offence to the US bloggers but you get so many awesome books before us it made a nice change :P- and with the embargo on reviews until December 7th there is enough excitement and anticipation especially with the addition of the teaser trailer quotes from Penguin Australia to ensure that release day should be a big success. 


I really can't wait for everyone to be able to read Last Sacrifice because I'm dying here not being able to share my thoughts with you all! Only 13 Days to Go!!


This has been my first proper discussion-style post so I would love to know your thoughts about whether book embargoes should be stricter or not, should bloggers post reviews of highly-anticipated or last-in-series books before or after the release date and with or without spoilers? Let me know if there's any other points about the issue of Embargoes that I haven't mentioned.


Have a great Wednesday Folks
LadyV

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Book Review - The Poison Diaries

I'm beginning to scare myself with how many reviews I've done in the last few days I guess it's only appropriate after posting nothing but Nanowrimo updates for half the month (I'm doing a post on what happened to *that* soonish).

Title: The Poison Diaries
Author: Maryrose Wood
Date: 20/11/2010 AM
Source: Bought
Description: In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . . (Description taken from Goodreads)

My Review

I had seen this book floating around on the blogosphere at some point and thought it sounded rather interesting so when I found a copy I picked it up and gave it a try.


It's quite a short book so didn't take me very long to get through. At first it feels rather similar to the Alchemist's Daughter by Katherine McMahon in that the main character Jessamine is a young girl who's been raised by just her father, isolated from the outside world while he pursues a cure-all medicine made from poisonous plants in the 18th Century  (c.f. Emilie who is only slightly older, raised by her father who studies alchemy in the 18th Century and keeps her tucked away in their estate). But it's there that the similarities end.


Jessamine is a very sweet and caring character although I do sympathise with her feelings of exasperation towards her father who still treats her like a child although at 16 and a very sheltered 16 at that her father is sort of right. She's not completely ignorant since she helps her father tend to the gardens and can manage a house pretty darn well for her age, but she's still very naive about the world and not highly educated (unlike Emilie in A's D). She's given the task at the start of the book to tend to some belladonna berries (*very* poisonous little buggers) so that her father can plant them in his locked garden where he keeps rare and exotic and incredibly deadly plants. 


Not long into the story a rather strange boy is foisted onto Jessamine's father because he is reported to have somehow cured a bunch of mad people by putting something into their tea (the drinking sort btw). Being a botantist he's naturally very interested by this and agrees to look after the boy - Weed. At first he's very shy and stays hidden away in the coal box but Jessamine manages to coax him out and begins to feed him up. After a rather weed-like growth spurt it seems that he's actually close to her own age and not too bad-looking either :P


I found Jessamine and Weed's growth of friendship really quite nice and pleasant. Like any other young girl deprived of contact with children and especially boys of her own age, Jessamine gets rather flustered in her feelings towards Weed which isn't helped at all by his bizarre behaviour sometimes.


Without spoiling too much about the plot I shall just say that about half-way through things start to get a little weird like the story just melts into this vaguely trippy fantastical other dimension and another completely unexpected aspect appears. I'm still not entirely sure how I felt about the new developments but they definitely added a intriguing element to what was previously just a simple historical fiction novel.


Overall I did find the book very enjoyable and I believe that it is to be part of a series so I'd certainly be interested in seeing where things go after the somewhat abrupt ending. I really liked Jessamine and Weed's chemistry and the whole element of poison plants was lovely and spooky (the idea was actually thought of by the Duchess of Buckingham who owns the castle and poison garden mentioned in the book).


So if you want a quick, easy historical novel with a creepy dash of the fae then look no further!


My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


There you go folks! I'm gonna try and get a review up for Dreaming Anastasia in the next couple of days, I will do a Nano-commiserations post :P and I'm also working on a discussion post about book embargoes which I'm hoping to get up before the end of the week (if it makes sense by then). 


Night Y'all
LadyV

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It's Monday What are you Reading (21)

Morning Chaps! After a Highly unproductive weekend I bring you the usual Monday festivities. It's been a cracking week of reading I tell you! Although I did pretty much exhaust myself on Wednesday/Thursday by not going to sleep once I'd finished reading a certain vampire book... *facepalm* I'm such an idiot really.

It's Monday What are you Reading? Is a weekly bookish meme where we get together to share what books we've read in the past week, what books we're currently reading and what new books we're planning on reading in the coming week along with any reviews or interesting posts. It's hosted by Sheila @Book Journey

Books I read Last Week

No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead **REREAD** (not counting towards 75 Book challenge)

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (December 7th for Review)

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood (Review Here)

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (Review coming soon)

Books I'm Planning on Reading this Week

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Thanks Jess for letting me borrow this!)

Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman (Ditto!)

Apart from these two I don't know what else I'll pick up this week since I can be the moodiest of moody readers sometimes. I've got an essay due on Thursday so if I have any sense (Oh wait...) I won't do much reading until it's done but y'all and I both know what'll happen :P

So that's What I'm reading, What are *you* reading this Monday?

LadyV

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In My Mailbox #29 The best one Evah?

Howdy y'all once again it's Sunday and I have really had an *Epic* week in books - no joke. Nothing is gonna top this week for a while at least.

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Kristi @The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie

Vlog time!



Books Acquired this week
For Review
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Thanks *SO* much to Penguin UK for that)


Borrowed
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (From Public Library)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman (Thank you Jess for lending me these)


Bought
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood
The Sisters who would be Queen by Leanda de Lisle
The Frost Fair by Edward Marston


Seriously what a great week I've had! I was a jittery mess on Wednesday when I heard from Jess that her copy of Last Sacrifice had arrived but I couldn't get mine until I came back from my lectures that day. I was stupid enough to re-read Spirit Bound in the evening and then stayed up ridiculously late reading Last Sacrifice unbelievably quickly. I honestly may have to re-read it before I review it on the 7th of December.

What's in Your Mailbox this week?
LadyV

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Book Review - Leaving Paradise

Egads! More reviews! I'm trying to make up for the general lack of decent posts this month by spamming y'all with reviews for this last week and a half :P

Title: Leaving Paradise
Author: Simone Elkeles
Date: 13/11/2010 AM
Source: Gift 
Description: Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled. After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers. (Description taken from GoodReads)

My Review

I got forced to pick this up sooner than I might have done, by my tyrannical sister who wanted me to send it home to her so she could read it. It was birthday book given to me *by* my sister and she was demanding it before I had a chance to read it! (I've created such a monster in her). So I said I'd read it straight away and mail it ASAP.

I loved Simone's other books and this was another brilliant story, Caleb and Maggie are the two people who by all rights should stay far apart from each other since Caleb went to jail for hitting Maggie with his car, leaving her to suffer through a year of torturous physical therapy. But when Caleb is released from jail they find themselves thrown together by unlikely circumstances and they become each other's rock - the only person they can trust to understand what the other is going through.

I officially adore Caleb, he's working the bad-boy-secretly-caring-underneath persona wonderfully and what we find out about his character during the book make him even more awesome in my eyes. Maggie has had a ton of shit to deal with in the last year and I think she's trooper for getting through it but sometimes I agree with Mrs Reynolds (the fab old lady they both end up helping out) - just cos Doctors tell you that you can't do something why should you listen? Maggie tells herself that she's lame and not going to ever get completely better because she thinks it's a fact but Mrs Reynolds makes her realise that only *you* can tell yourself whether you're gonna walk properly again or play tennis etc.

I really loved this book, Simone's writing is as always fantastic and I loved the characters although I reckon that Mrs Reynolds stole the show for me (I wanted to adopt her as my grannie she was that awesome). The ending made me desperate to get my hands on the second book ASAP so I'll get on that soonish methinks.

So if you've read Simone's Perfect Chemistry you are gonna *love* this and even if you haven't then read it anyway cos I still think you'll really enjoy it. Highly Recommended.

Oh and you know what? My sister couldn't wait for me to mail the book and bought the e-book instead and read both this *and* Return to Paradise in a few days. Yea I'm the proud sister of a fledgling book lover :D

My Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Whoa officially fastest review evah! (ok I'll confess I copy-pasted this from my LibraryThing thread :P)

The next book I review will be whatever I finish next (Possibly The Poison Diaries) since I'm not allowed to review Last Sacrifice until the 7th December :(

LadyV

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