The Oldest Book I Own

When it comes to your bookshelf you gave a vast array of books from different times and places. I thought that I would have a look at my own bookshelf and see what the oldest book I own is.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is that book. I believe that it was my mum’s when she was younger and she always loved it and I was given it to enjoy just the same. I haven’t read this book in a long time and I’m not sure I have even read it the whole way through but even though that is the case I still love it.

You can tell it was loved with the slightly scruffy corners and the evident use through the pages. I personally believe that this adds character to the book and gives me a visual to how it was loved.

The book was first published is 1976 and this copy in 1977

This copy is also fairly unique, as the from and back cover is upside down to the text.


My mum always said that it looked bizarre and as if she was reading the book upside down which I like. I think it adds another quality to the book.

I will one day finally get round to reading the full book and maybe even trick down people with the upside down cover.

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please comment the oldest book that you own)

The Title of a Book

The title of the book is one of the very first things you look at when you pick one up so therefore it is important for it to be a good one!

Here’s a few tips to a great title!

  • It has to fit with the story and give an essence of what the book is about. It has to show the essence of the book so that reader’s will know what they are buying and whether they will want to buy it.
  • It has to attract reader’s. It has to be able to make someone want to pick it up and read it.
  • Concise. It can often help to have a shorter title as they are quick and easy to read/find.
  • Highlight a part of the story. Often you don’t understand the title until you have finished the book.
  • It can also help to have it link with the image and have that on mind when choosing it. What will it look like on the page

Hope this helps!

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please feel free to comment your hint and tips for writing a title)

The importance of viewpoints

There are masses of viewpoints that authors can use especially if they have a lot of characters. This can be vital in making a story engaging and realistic.

If you are looking at a crime novel, viewpoints are important. You can look at the criminals view which can tell you why they are doing what they are doing, the police view to show how they are trying to solve the problem as well as the victims view. Those are just a few and you can look at many different people in the book to shed a new light on the events. A good example of looking at different viewpoints is All The Hidden Truths by Claire Askew. I found this book that shared a different point of view with a lot of the book being focused on the parents of both the victim and the criminal. To show how crime effects those that surround those individuals involved.

It is also important to ensure the correct viewpoint is chosen so that it suits the story. Whether the book is written in first, second or third person it need to be write for the story. Most books are written in third person, past tense but that doesn’t mean your book should be!

You also need to make sure that you stick to these viewpoints. To ensure you are staying in the characters head and the book stays in first, second or third person unless for a specific reason. Continuity is also incredibly important and key for viewpoints especially if you have multiple in one book. You need to ensure that if one character knows something but another doesn’t you need to ensure that these are stuck to.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment your opinion on viewpoints)

Bookish Apps

The majority of people have a smart phone or tablet that has the capacity to download apps and there are many book related and reading apps that would be perfect for the avid reader. They can come in many forms for example, an e-reader or an app that keeps track of the books you read. Here are a few that you may be interested in;

READING APPS:

When it comes to reading apps they are essentially e-readers on your phone/tablet. This is ideal for those who like to read throughout the day and like to keep all thier books on one device without having to buy a seperate e-reader. This can be cheaper as you can get published books at a better price without having to bu a seperate device. There are also loads of apps that share stories and books from individuals that are not published. Examples of reading apps are as follows;

  • Apple/Google Play books
  • Kindle
  • Aldiko
  • Wattpad
  • WordPress
  • FBReader

And much more!

AUDIOBOOK APPS

Audiobooks are a hugely popular way to read on the go. Whether your on your way to school/work or travelling. You can listen to a book and experience it through sound rather than physically having to have that book with you and reading it. You can listen to audiobooks whils you are doing something else such as painting, gardening or anything really! Some example of audio book apps are as follows;

  • Audible
  • Google Play books
  • LibriVox
  • Kobo
  • Kindle
  • Audiobooks.com

OTHER:

There are a huge variety of book apps that can be anywhere from shops, to review sites to blogs. a few examples of some I like are as follows;

  • GoodReads
  • Waterstones (Bookshop)
  • Litsy (Share and discover new books, create an online library to keep track of what you read.)
  • Snaptell
  • Scribd (like Netflix for books)
  • InstantPoetry

These are just a few of the many different apps you can get on your app store so take the time to explore and see what fits best for what you want/need.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment your favourite book apps or if you have anything different to the ones above)

Pop-up Books

Pop-up books are an artistic way to share stories using 3-D illustrations.

These are typical for children’s books as they are more immersive and fun for a child to experience. Children often rely on the imagery to keep engaged in the book and making it 3-D just adds another layer to the excitement. It allows the story to be brought alive.

This may then help with improving reading skills as they are interactive and can generate more excitement to see what happens on the next page. They are also combined with the words of a story so children can link the words to the images and gain a better understanding of vocabulary and language. This way for reading provides them with the images that go with the story but as they begin to read books with less images and more words then they can understand about the visualization of the story.

Although pop-up books are predominantly for younger audiences there are some out there for adults to enjoy. These tend to show art and dsplay photos in a more exciting way in order to experience them in a different way. Having a 2-D picture can often lead to people being dinsengaged but if it then made into a 3-D shape within a book it adds excitemetn and allows you to have the ability to look at it from different angles. Many artists also decide to only work or focus on art in 3-D and this is a great way to display this art in a portable way.

Pop-up books have also been good for teaching including science. In order to learn about human anatomy in an effective way pop up books were used to help to understand.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please feel free to comment your opinion on pop-up books)

Monsters by Sharon Dogar

The passion and loss that created Frankenstein.

Monsters follows the story of Mary Shelley and how this young woman who defies tradition and society and her experiences which created the most famous monster of all.

Having just finished this book I have mixed opinions of it. I liked the story it told and the characters being based on real people however it seemed too long and during the book I lost interest. I did regain this interest but I feel as though it could have been condensed ever so slightly.

This may be a completely personal thing and I get that every individual has different thoughts so I would recommend this book but only if you have determination and interest in the people of the book.

However, I did like this book as the characters were so developed throughout. I knew nothing of the people in the book before reading and therefore I learned everything with it. I got to know these characters and what drove. A need to be as revolutionary and determined as her mother. I found Mary to be very inspirational. She defied being the traditional woman of the time who got married off to a man. Claire learning to want to be herself and admiring Mary’s passion is also inspirational. She learned to become herself rather than another version of Mary.

The book shared a lot of Mary’s various experiences and opinions of society which all helped her to create one of the most famous monsters of all. Her determination to be as good and famous as her mother and leaving something more than rumours in her legacy. To create something that she would be remembered for.

I would recommend this book but make sure you have the focus. It is a good book but do be prepared for it too seem long at places.

Many thanks, Caitlin X

(PS please feel free to comment your opinion if the book or anything else !)

Rapid Fire Book Tag

  • Ebook or Physical Book?

I would have to say physical book. There is something much more satisfying about seeing your progress and finishing a physical book.

  • Paperback or hardback?

Paperback. It easier to carry with you and cheaper!

  • Online or in store book shopping?

In store for sure. To physically browse and flick through books is much more enjoyable. To be able to be surrounded by books and the smell of new books is so much better.

  • Trilogies or series?

Either to be honest. If I had to choose I would say a series. More time to develop the characters and the plot.

  • Hero’s or villains?

Hero’s. considering I love to read police procedural and spy books I would have to say heroes. In these books the heroes are not like superman or batman but real people doing their bit for example detectives or doctors.

  • A book you want every one to read

The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby. It’s a very inspirational and powerful read!

  • Recommend an underrated author

Jessi Kirby, Kayla Olsen, Claire Askew, Helen fields, Mick Herron… so many.

  • The last book I finished

All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew

  • Used book: yes or no?

Yes of course. At least I new someone had read and loved it before me. A way to recycle books that are no longer wanted.

  • Borrow or buy?

I tend to buy my books because I like to own them and have them on my bookshelf but I am not adverse to borrowing!

  • Character or plot?

If you have read my blogs before you will know that a vital part of a book for me is characters. If the characters are not well deserved or realistic for the book then I often don’t like it as much.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(Ps please feel free to comment your answers)
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