Michelle

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I loved this book, and I think every 16 year old should read it. Charlie is absolutely loveable, and goes through so many emotions. I enjoyed the letter format, as for me it made everyone else slightly out of focus, which I think is how Charlie himself feels. Clarity - A very enjoyable YA book - Clarity can sometimes see glimpses of the when she touches an object, and she is asked to use this for a murder investigation. There's just a slight paranormal side to it because of this, and the romance isn't overdone either. I liked the fact that there are threads which will be picked up in the second book, but the story itself is all wrapped up. Ashes - I loved the first part of this book, which was more about survival in a world where an electrical pulse has wiped out all electricity, and caused strange zombie like changes in younger people. In the second half though, it becomes more of a dystopian community story, which didn't feel like anything new. I may pick up book 2, but am in no rush. Slated - This book had me completely grabbed, and I loved the majority of it. However, just as the answers started to come, it finished, leaving everything in the air for the next book. I feel as if I've been cheated out of the ending, and I have to wait for the next book. Which is a shame, as I loved most of it.

I really wish I hadn't read that, just spent a few £s!

You do realise that this a forum about books, rather than a gaming forum?

You could be right there! I generally hate zombie movies, but Shaun of the Dead is very funny!

I'm just wondering if there are many people who were against ebooks when they first came out (in the popular form, on kindles etc) but now really enjoy them? Or do you still not see the attraction? I have to admit, I change my opinion all the time. I go through phases where I really enjoy using my kindle, and can see all the benefits - but then I fall in love with my paper books all over again, and they win the battle for a while!

Does anyone like to watch scary films this time of year, and what would you recommend? Disturbing horrors or creepy ghost stories?

Does anyone try to read anything special this time of the year - do you prefer a creepy ghost story, or a horror story? And do you look for something new, or turn to old favourites?

June, I do wish you luck, but I think many people are in the same boat, with no payrises for a few years. We have it all wrong in this country, and don't reward the people we should.

Amy's school are doing it, which means that people can take part to various levels. Some have grouped together, some have just sent in some items, and some have donated the postage. That seems a nice way to do it, but I don't suppose they'll be tracked.

Any particular reason for asking / looking?

It would appear Jerrose has posted the thing in multiple forums, and hasn't been back to them... so please don't waste your time with any more replies.

I have to say, I prefer the neatness of LibraryThing

My reading has continued to be up and down, and my mojo is flitting around! I can really get into a book for a while, then lose interest for no reason. Its actually rather frustrating and I'm not sure what's behind it. I'm not sure if I'm feeling pressured by all the books I want to read, including those to review. Anyway, two good books reviewed - The Assassin's Curse and Shift. I've also just finished Shadow's on the Moon by Zoe Marriott, and am a bit divided.. I really like her style, but parts of the storyline bugged me. I haven't fared much better with my audiobooks, having quite a few I've enjoyed, but can't quite seem to finish. At present I'm almost done with Ashes by Ilsa J Bick, so hopefully I can get to the end! lol

I have another insightful interview from the world of publishing, from Amanda, editor at Strange Chemistry, an exciting new imprint. Q. Hi Amanda, can you start by telling us your official job title, and a little about what that entails? A. I am the editor for Strange Chemistry – within that, my job is meant to entail acquiring books, editing books, helping with the cover art briefs, and working with authors to promote their books. In actuality, I end up doing a vast amount of other ad hoc tasks, such as operating the Strange Chemistry social networks; going to conventions and other places to discuss the books, meeting with agents to see what they have coming up, wandering around bookstores to investigate trends in covers or subject matter, working with bloggers to generate extra content around our authors and their books. There is a lot to do, but it is tremendous fun and can never be accused of being a dull job! Q. How did you achieve that role, what career path have you followed? A. I’ve followed a rather unusual route into publishing, considering that, up until last November, I was a qualified accountant and had been for ten years! Rather, my “career path” into the role was what I had been doing outside of conventional work i.e. my blogging with Floor to Ceiling Books, my work with the websites Fantasy Literature and Tor.com, my freelance editorial work, my reading of the Angry Robot Open Door submissions from 2011, and other jobs like that. I ended up taking on whatever I could in an effort to build up my editorial CV – all of it unpaid and around my 9-5 job – so that I might start considering applying to publishing jobs. Q. Did you always want to work within publishing, or did you consider other careers? A. Do you know something? Even while at school and reading pretty much every book I could get my hands on, I didn't think about a role in publishing. I didn't even know anything about publishing (which seems naïve – I mean, how did I think that books came to be around?!) I did love English and I did love writing my own stories – for a long time, I thought I would become an English teacher and write in my spare time. Rather than that, though, I took a very sensible route and went into accounting, which is an area where jobs are never in short supply and where the money is very good. I didn’t enjoy it much, but I thought I was being sensible. It’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve loved my job (now that I’ve moved to Strange Chemistry) and I actually feel like I’m doing something I’m good at and passionate about. Q. You’ve recently been involved in launching a new YA imprint, Strange Chemistry. What does it actually mean when a larger publishing company produces an imprint? A. It usually means that the company wishes to target a different readership with the books that they’re looking to publish. I mean, if Angry Robot had started to put out YA books without introducing Strange Chemistry as the imprint to do it, then it would likely have confused the existing adult SF/F readers and it is possible that YA readers wouldn’t have realised that the books being brought out were for them. So Strange Chemistry was born. In terms of the work involved… Well, it is pretty extensive! Not only creating the name and the brand, but making sure that everyone knows you now exist – and, when I say everyone, I mean booksellers, distributors, agents, prospective writers as well as bloggers, traditional reviewers, book buyers. This is why I’ve been so delighted by the blogging community’s reaction to Strange Chemistry, and the work you’ve done to publicise us, because it helps IMMENSELY in getting the word out. Q. What was it like to be involved from the beginning, and what has been the best aspect? A. It has been amazing being there from the beginning and watching it grow, and being proud of what I’ve achieved in the first year. I think the best aspect has been building the family feel, both amongst my authors and amongst those who have been staunch supporters during the first few months. It does genuinely feel as though we’re all working together to create something fantastic. Q. What would you advise anyone interested in publishing as a career? A. I think that if you are looking to start a career in publishing and you’re still at a point where you’re deciding courses at college and university, then I don’t think doing English or English Literature would harm your chances. It gives you a real appreciation for all types of literature, for how English is constructed, the history of the language, things like that. Also, look out for internships or work experience within publishing companies – this can often lead to work at a later date. If you’re currently in a job that isn’t connected to publishing, but want to make the move, then the best thing to do is make connections. Use Twitter and other social networks to get to know editors and publicists and those already in publishing. Don’t just use Twitter to pick their brains or be pushy – just use it to start a conversation with them and get to know who they are and what they do in their company. That way, you’ll hear more about job openings and opportunities and ways to get more involved in the publishing world. Q. YA appears to be a rapidly growing genre at the moment. Being involved in it, why do you think that is? A. I think that the style of the writing is one of the attractions of YA – the fact that the books are slighter, and have a strong immediacy. Most of them are written from a first person perspective, which really allows you to see into the mind of the protagonist and relate to them, and I think this invites the loyalty that a lot of YA books/series experience. I also believe that YA books are pushing the boundaries in terms of the types of stories they’re telling – they’re being braver about subject matter. Q. Many YA readers are passionate about the genre, including bloggers and tweeters – how do you manage to tap into this, and do you think it’s important? A. I think the only way that you can tap into the passion and enthusiasm is by joining the conversation yourself, and making sure that people know you are just as passionate and enthusiastic! The idea of just projecting information about books you’re trying to sell is ludicrous, frankly. I think if bloggers and tweeters know that you are a genuine YA reader, who reads in the category for pleasure, then they will respond to you and feel more inclined to give your books attention. Bloggers and those who read and review the books are massively important. They help spread the word if they love a book – and, indeed, if you hate a book. The former is like gold dust. You can’t force it to happen but, when it does, it is the greatest feeling in the world – people passing on the love for your books to other people. Q. Tell us a little more about you as a reader – do you find time to read for pleasure, and if so, what are your favourite genres and authors? A. I definitely find time to read for pleasure! I have a half hour commute by bus to and from work and that is my dedicated reading-for-pleasure time. I read across a number of different genres and enjoy them all equally. Some of my favourite authors are Sharon Kay Penman, Diana Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, Jacqueline Carey, Sharon Shinn and Charles de Lint. From the YA world, I particularly love Laini Taylor, Ally Carter and Maggie Stiefvater. Q. Finally, what do you like to do away from the world of books? A. I don’t have much time that is completely away from books, but I do love knitting – it’s a very therapeutic way to relax. I’m afraid to say that I am a big fan of shows such as X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, and the Great British Bake Off (maybe I shouldn’t admit that in public!) And, recently, I have become the proud part loaner of a chestnut gelding called Solomon and I love riding him and spending time working in the stable yard.

Kim's debut book Shift has just been released, and you can read my review here. I've chatted to her on Twitter and met her at a signing, and she's kindly answered a few of my questions. Q. Let’s start with your book, which has just been published, what’s it about? A. My book is called, Shift, and it’s about a 16-year old boy called Scott Tyler who realises he has the power to undo any decision he’s ever made. At first he thinks that’s going to be pretty awesome. But as his undone decisions start to unravel his world he realises that it might just get him killed. It’s got action, secret government divisions, brain-eating nut jobs, exploding trains, exploding brains!, a touch of romance and, I hope, a lot of fun! Q. It’s a fascinating idea - where did the inspiration for shifting come from? A. Thank you! I can track the exact moment when the idea came to me. I was on a bus on my way home from work, looking at everyone scurrying around, and thinking about all the decisions we make and where they lead us. At the same time, I was thinking about a book I’d just read about quantum physics, in particular something called the double slit experiment. And BAM! The idea hit me. What if we could undo our decisions the way light changes from wave to particle? Everything else came out of that one thought. Q. Did you always intend to write it as a YA book, or did it just evolve that way? A. When I first started to write I hadn’t heard the term YA. But I did always want to write for, or rather about, teens. For me, those teenage years, where you’re caught between two worlds, is rich with possibility. And so that’s why I was drawn to it. Q. Shift is your debut book, what was your road to publication like? A. Mine was a pretty standard journey, in that it was a crazy rollercoaster! I had written one book, also for teens, which got a fair amount of attention but was never loved quite enough to get me a publishing deal. Dealing with rejections with that book was both crushing and toughening. After I finally decided to put that aside, I wrote Shift in about 5 months, it was picked up by the first agent who read it, and it was out within 8 months of me getting the book deal. So it went from lots of slow noes, to lots of very, very fast YESSES! Q. Have you always enjoyed writing? A. I have. And equally, I’ve always enjoyed telling stories. I loved nothing more as a kid that holding the attention of my family with a puppet show or the like. As I got older, the writing became more private, and in my teens I mostly wrote terrible poetry about heartbreak! I’ve been a copywriter for 15 years and I love that sort of writing too. I’m really faddy and I have a new favourite interest each month. But writing is the one thing that hasn’t lost its shine for me. I’m going to quote Gloria Steinem on this: “Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” Q. How does it feel now it’s actually sitting on the shelves? A. I don’t actually know how to express it. Amazing, weird, wonderful, terrifying. It’s sort of everything at once. But I’ll say this much, I know now that I don’t want to do anything else with my life! Early review copies are quite common now, how did it feel to start getting reviews in before the book was officially published? That was tough, actually. Not so much the reviews as my terror of them. Especially as I was in the middle of writing the sequel as they started to come through. The idea that my baby was out there being picked over by reviewers who really knew what they were talking about… well, it gave me a few sleepless nights! Q. You’ve said you’re going to avoid looking for reviews because you worry about the bad ones.. are you sticking to that, or giving in to curiosity? A. I’m still sticking to that. I just haven’t developed a thick enough skin yet to let the bad ones wash over me! The deal is that my editor sends me the good ones. Which is sneaky, I know, but I really just have to focus on the writing for the moment. Perhaps when book two is out I’ll look back over the comments for book one! Q. What lies ahead for you, is there going to be more books about shifting and/or are you working on something else? A. Yes, as I’ve hinted above, I’ve already written Shift 2, which is called Control. And hopefully, there will also be Shift 3, which – if things go to plan – will be called Delete. I am also just about to finish writing another YA book, currently called The Network, which is sort of about our desire to belong and the insidious powers of social networks. It’s still action-packed though. Q. Finally, tell us a little bit about you as a reader, what do you like, and what are you reading at the moment? A. I’m a very varied reader. I leap from genre to genre and even from medium to medium, as I love comic books as much as books. I love gripping stories with exciting characters, and I also love books that make me think and gasp at the beauty of the language. Sci-fi, fantasy, history, crime, thrillers, romantic comedy: I don’t care what it is, as long as it’s good! In fact, the only thing I won’t read is misery memoirs, as it just doesn’t do it for me.

I looked at the US site, and it does seem to be one book a month. However, I already use Prime, as we order lots of bits from it, and it gives us free next day delivery, so it would just be a nice added bonus for me.

Yep, I saw that too - it looks like we're finally catching up with the US! lol

Thank you! I'd like to get a look at that one, it looks as if it would suit me better.

Welcome. Can I please ask you to check the posting guidelines, especially the following: Thank you

Could you please use this thread.. http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/8236-has-anyone-read/ Thank you

This appears to be a recently published kindle book, and appears promotional.. are you connected to the book in any way?

Zinc seems to be backed by research, but not enough to know exact doses etc.. http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/05may/Pages/Zinc-shortens-common-cold.aspx And some general info here: http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/coldsandflu/pages/preventionandcure.aspx I think drinking fluids is just to keep generally hydrated, especially if you have a fever and are sweaty!

I take high doses of Zinc and Vit C if I feel a cold starting.. I believe there's even some research to say Zinc can help. I like the Sudafed Blocked Nose spray - probably similar to the Vicks one.

It's more like a potato than anything else. Am I that obvious?! LOL Your turn!