Books for July 2013

There are a lot of book reviews for July 2013 which have been uploaded to get you reading.


Tampa by Alissa Nutting. Recommended as a controversial novel about a controversial topic and I can't highlight enough that this book will get everyone talking.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich. Recommended as a look at how far would you go for your friends and family. This book will also open your eyes at the judicial system in relation to native Americans.

Entwined with You by Sylvia Day. This is recommended to make you appreciate your won relationships.

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski. This is recommended as a step above most of the books in this genre - an interesting and funny book that will make you want to grab the moment.

A Trick I Learned from Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge. Recommended as a quirky read about funeral care and family breakdown.

The Expats by Chris Pavone. Recommended for a look at how dreary expat life can be, but just not living up to the promise of suspense.

Upcoming Movies - The Book Thief and Catching Fire

The release date for the film adaptation of Zusak's 2006 The Book Thief has been pushed forward to 15 November 2013! Originally scheduled for release January 2013, it was moved forward to compete in the 2013 award season. Narrated by death himself, the novel is set in Nazi Germany during 1939. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will become busier still. Liesel, a 9 year old girl is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story from the time she stole her first book "The Gravediggers Handbook" and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. This has an all-star cast with Geoffrey Rush (Hans Hubermann), Emily Watson, Sophie Nelissa (Liesel Meminger) and filmed in Germany. Click here to view the movie trailer.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. One of the few Young Adult books that has been made into a great movie.
Catching Fire is an upcoming American science-fiction adventure film based on Suzanne Collins' novel, Catching Fire, the second installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. Due for release on 20 November 2013, check out the trailer here.

Love2Read

Love2Read are counting down the days to The Reading Hour which kicks off on Saturday 24 August, with fun events being added to the site and lots of exciting activities being planned at libraries, schools and businesses all over the country. There are now only 30 days until celebrations commence on how easy it is to give the gift of reading! Easy you say? Yes. It takes just 10 minutes a day, an hour a week, to give your child - or yourself! - the life-long benefits that stem from an enjoyment of reading. So join in the celebration at your local library or school, tell your friends, plan an event at home, or have a an event for staff in your office – the ways to celebrate The Reading Hour and sharing books together are endless! Check out the Love2Read website.

The season of book awards

Well the season of book awards is in full steam with a constant flow of awards being awarded - check out OurBookClub for a full list of popular prizes. What I find strange is that the same books seem to be nominated for each award. I am not naïve enough to think that every judge reads all the books that have been awarded without having their attention drawn to certain books/authors without the assistance of publishers. It is a bit sad, but realistic, as there are so many books and so many books that don't met their promise. One of my biggest pet hates at the moment is the proliferation of books that have or are being published with so many editing errors. Sometimes this may be cause by the obvious publishing differences between print and online books, but it is a small thing to control. This is even worse is some self published books where the editing is woeful, I am sure that even Microsoft Word spell checker hasn't been utilised. So after my gripe, it doesn't stop me reading, reading and reading some more. As usual the piles of too read books are even bigger than the piles that have been read pile. I have even put a stop on book purchases until I start to make a dent. Hmm may need to give up my day job for that to happen. Happy reading Tracy