As a huge bookworm, I’ve wanted to buy myself a Kindle for years, but haven’t really gotten round to saving up enough (buying real books instead of saving, lol).

But thanks to Tesco I received the new Kindle 4, free, in the post a couple of weeks ago. First thoughts were how good the packaging was. It had no unnecessary plastic, just enough to protect the kindle, a little pouch for instructions and a built in compartment for the charger. I was also very happy that the packaging could be recycled, although I will be keeping it because it looks pretty good too.

There are few things that I really like about this kindle. The first thing you notice is how light it is.  The weight of a very thin paperback, you almost don’t notice holding it  and this allows you to become fully imersed in the book.  This Kindle is even lighter than my iPod Touch.  Although it’s virtually weightless, it’s still a quality bit of kit, nothing cheap about how it feels or performs.

Another thing I like is that the buttons are so easy to press. It would draw attention away from the book if you had to really press the buttons to turn the page. The buttons are placed at either sides so there isn’t any awkward swiping across the text or reaching on top.

The Kindle can also connect to the internet, which means that once you have finished a book you can Tweet or write a Facebook status with a quote from the book – pretty cool!  Additionally it also has a browser, but it is very fiddley to type using the keyboard because it’s all on screen (not touch screen) and you have to use the little arrows to go to one letter, then enter, find another letter, then enter and so it takes ages to type anything. I also found it difficult to find the browser in the first place, but after a while of searching I found it under Experimental > Launch Browser. Not very straight foward…

Buying books off Amazon is easy and really cheap. Connecting the kindle using the supplied USB cable (which also charges it) is simple and you’ll soon have tons of books all stored safely in the Kindle. It can apparently store an amazing 1 million books, newspapers and magazines so if you were going on holiday you could easily fit your entire home library in just a small corner of your suitcase.  The amazon site says it fits in your pocket, and yes it does, but I wouldn’t advise you to keep your kindle in there.

Lets talk a little about the screen. It is amazing! Almost like a real book (but smoother of course).  My dad says it’s like a very, very complex etch-a-scetch, which yes, it is. However, there is a down side to this otherwise fantastic screen, and it seems to be a problem for everyone who has a Kindle 4 – no backlight. Unlike the iPod Touch/iPad/iPhone, this version of the Kindle can’t be used in dimly lit or dark rooms, which I found very annoying because I like to read at night and my bedside light isn’t bright enough to see the words. Thankfully the new Kindle Fire has a backlight AND has a touch screen AND is in colour. But hey, people have been reading for years without light at night so what’s the problem!

But if it still is a problem and you don’t want to get the new kindle, you can purchase cases for the Kindle 4 with built-in lights, pretty awesome. On the upside, you can be reading in very bright light and still be able to see the words on the Kindle 4 – which is pretty difficult with an iPod Touch.

So all in all 8/10 for the Kindle. Fantastically cheap for a good quality e-reader and a lovely reading experience. Definitely recommended as a BRILLIANT Christmas present.

To see the full range of kindles available from Tesco’s, click here: http://direct.tesco.com/content/specials/kindle.aspx

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This is me with my new Kindle, seconds after taking it out of its box.

I’m busy figuring out how it works, but as soon as I do I’ll be posting up a review.

I am so very chuffed!

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Mum and me manage the Children’s Marquee at The Wigtown Book Festival and, while my Mum’s tidying up between events, I sneak off and interview the authors.

This is the first batch, which includes: Debi Gliori, Shoo Rayner, Maria Cairnie and Sarah McIntyre.

My first interview was with a Festival regular, the fabulous fiddler Debi Gliori:

The marvelous Shoo Rayner:

The amazingly energetic Maria Cairnie:

And Princess Pirate Sarah MacIntyre:

Enjoy!

I am ever so lucky.

The town where I live, Wigtown, is quite small. It’s cute, but small. It’s got one main road with a general store (the Co-Op), a post office, a bank, a library, a couple of pubs and a few more little shops but, what starts to make this town special is the number of bookshops.

There are about twenty bookshops in and around Wigtown. Wow!

And, what makes it even more special is that Wigtown is known as Scotland’s Book Town and we hold a book festival every year. Every year dozens of authors come to give talks about their books. We’ve hosted some great people, you should check it out.

And it gets that little bit better…

There’s a marquee just for the children’s authors and I get to work there every year. This year I’ve been given the job of interviewing the authors after their event. I’m videoing them and I’m going to put them up here for you to see.

Post with the video’s will be up soon, so WATCH THIS SPACE!

Zoë x

I’m extremely happy to say that Cathy Cassidy’s Marshmallow Skye has now been launched.

It’s the second in the Cathy’s Chocolate Box Girls series and if it’s anything like Cherry Crush then I can’t wait to read it.

I’ll be reading it very soon and putting a review up here, but if you’ve read it before me tell me what you think in the comments.

And if you’ve not got your copy yet then what are you waiting for? Get along to your local bookstore or go to Amazon now and get it!

Oh, and by the way, you can catch Cathy in person at The Wigtown Book Festival on Sunday 2nd October

As well as my love of books my other main passion is music. I love listening to music, such as Snow Patrol, Coldplay and well, loadsa different stuff, but I also like writing and singing my own songs too.

With a little help from my Dad I’ve got a new blog just for my own music and if you go visit it you can see some videos of me performing live.

I’d love to hear what you think so please check it out and maybe even subscribe to it too.

My Music Blog

Thanks.

BREAKING NEWS!

Cathy Cassidy’s new book cover for the next in ‘the Chocolate Box’ series is here:

The latest version (on the right)  is the final version of the cover.

Marshmallow Skye is out on the 1st of September, but you can be super organised and pre-order it now by clicking here!

So what do you guys think of this absolutely scrumptious cover? Tell me in comments

Ever finish a book and then can’t decided on what to read next? I certainly do, even when there is a huge pile of books sitting next to me, I don’t seem to be in the mood for any of them…

Well, I have your solution.

Whenever I need a fresh book to start on, I check out the other book blogs. This really helps me get some sort of idea of what I want to read next, even the exact book. So, to help you I have put together a post full of books my book blogging friends recommend to you.

Remember, if you ever need a new book to read, just check here and you might just find the book you are looking for!

Clover from Fluttering Butterflies recommends:

Wood Angel by Erin Bow.

Plain Kate lives in a time afraid of magic. She has a gift for carving ‘lucky’ wooden-charms. Known as Witch-Blade, her unusual gift attracts dangerous attention in a place where witches are burned. When her village falls on bad times, suspicion falls on Kate. Scared for her life, she seeks the help of a mysterious stranger. In exchange for her shadow, the stranger will assist her, but Kate becomes part of a terrifying plan, darker than she ever dreamed.

Read Clover’s review by clicking here.

Buy the Book by clicking here.

Kirsty from The Overflowing Library highly recommends:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepety.

One night fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother and young brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia. An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun. Lina doesn’t know if she’ll ever see her father or her friends again. But she refuses to give up hope. Lina hopes for her family. For her country. For her future. For love – first love, with the boy she barely knows but knows she does not want to lose . . .

Will hope keep Lina alive?

Set in 1941, Between Shades of Gray is an extraordinary and haunting story based on first-hand family accounts and memories from survivors.

Check out Kirsty’s blog by clicking here.

If you want to pre-order the book, click here.

Emma from ASAMUM BOOKTOPIA recommends:

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

(The eagerly-awaited sequel to Gayle Forman’s international best seller, ‘If I stay’)

If you had a second chance at first love . . . would you take it?

It’s been three years since Adam’s love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it . . . and three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Read Emma’s review on here blog by clicking here.

Sound interesting? Buy the book here.

Amber from The Mile Long Bookshelf recommends her fave book:

Sequins Stars and Spotlights by Sophia Bennett

Four girls have four dreams. Crow is on the way to becoming an international fashion designer. Jenny’s been discovered by a Broadway composer. Edie still wants to go to Harvard. Nonie … isn’t really sure, but knows it’s something fashion-related and wonderful. They’re growing up and on the brink of glittering careers. So why are their lives so complicated? Why does success demand sacrifices, and which ones are they willing to make? In this, the final book of the Threads trilogy, Nonie discovers that life is just beginning. The girls have choices to make. Who will wait for fame? Who will emerge an outright star? Who will fall in love? And who will turn her back on all her dreams? This time the answers are in New York. It’s a long way for Nonie to travel, especially with only one teeny-weeny wheelie bag. But for the sake of her friendships, Nonie will do whatever it takes.

Click here to read Amber’s blog.

If you’re interested buy the book here.

Kelsey from The Book Scout is loving:

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it’s nothing compared to living without her.

She’s got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn’t always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could…

Check out Kelsey’s blog here.

To pre-order the book click here. (Out may)

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There you have it, Five brill books recommended by Five brill Book Bloggers. Thanks guys!

It’s Monday, so according to my book-blogging friends, Monday means it’s ‘What Are You Reading’ day.

So, with that in mind, I shall tell you what book is sitting on my bedside table…

‘Della says: OMG’ by Keris Stainton

Dan finally likes Della. How is that possible? It’s like a dream come true. After years of Della hoping and wishing, Dan actually likes her.

But Newton’s third law is always right  – For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Basically what goes up, must come down. The same with Della.

Her Diary is missing!

Normally, if this ever happend to me, I wouldn’t be the slightest bit bothered for I haven’t written the deepest and darkest secrets down in my diary.  Della has. If these secrets were ever revealed to the world, poor Della would probably die…of shame and deepest embarassment.

But when a page of her diary appears on the interent, Della knows someone has taken it and is out there posting to the world. So who has taken Della’s diary, Dan? But he is so sweet why would he ever do that to her. Maddy? Della’s best friend, but she has her own problems to deal with. Or is it Gemima? Dan’s best friend who always seems to be envious of Della.

Whoever it is, Della has to find out quick before the rest of her diary appears and ruins her life.

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Absolutely Fantasic – Maybe because I can imagine this happening is why I like it so much. Or maybe it’s because I desperately want to find out who has taken Della’s diary. I just like the whole book. It’s been a good laugh and I’m only on chapter 14. (and counting)

So, as it says on the back,

WANT <3 AND LOL?

Then read this.

It’ll make you

True.

Wow!

A book within a book: suspense, horror, gripping and the best can’t-put-downer I’ve read in the last year.

Having said that, maybe you shouldn’t read it…

The book within the book is Dancing Jacks; a book so deadly, you should never go near it. Do not even speak of it. Just stay away. If means be, burn it, throw it in a river, anything but do not, whatever you do, open the pages to read it. Written by Austerly Fellows, a mysterious occultist, he will capture your mind and will force you to become a character in his own world of Moon Caster, just by the words on the pages. It may appear a children’s book but once read, you can never get out…

The story tells the tale of a small coastal town, overtaken by a powerful book that hypnotises everyone who reads its words into characters of the kingdom of Moon Caster. Only the last to get captured by such powerful words have the chance to save the town, and better still the world, but will they survive it ‘till the end?

Suspense was too much to handle to be frank; it really left the reader on the edge with massive cliff hangers at the ends of chapters. Once, I think my mum had to pry the book out of my hands so that she could talk to me without me getting too indulged in the book and not listening.

The main feature of the book is that it all has some sort of link to playing cards; every person who enters this abnormal world would be given a playing card. The lower your number, the lower your rank in this royal of worlds. The Hearts and Diamonds seemed to be the good side to the kingdom and the Clubs and Spades were more evil and wicked. But everyone got their role play in the world of Moon Caster depending on the personality they had in real life. It’s fantastically written and I loved how the playing cards had such a big role in the book. It was fascinating.

At the very beginning of the book, I found it challenging to understand. The setting of Moon Caster was in the ‘olden days’ where they have a slightly different way of speaking. Some words were a bit difficult to understand. Therefore at this point asking parents or someone who has more knowledge of the English language is perfectly OK!

Apart from the confusion with a couple of the words this is a brilliant book and I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the modern references, for example; things that have been on TV and the way people speak and jokes made were mostly based on real life modern ways of the world, which, I thought, was amazingly well written into the text. Gave me a chuckle every now at the little details that made is such a brilliant and up-to-date read.

The first couple of chapters although might seem to drag on a tad have some of the key parts for the rest of the story, so it is important to keep reading, otherwise you might not understand and ‘click’ to what is happening later. It soon picks up pace and I found myself unable to put the book down. It was as if a little film was going on in my head and I suddenly found myself experiencing and exploring the words of Robin Jarvis in my head as I were actually there. Fantastic, but scary stuff especially with these sorts of themes.

I’ve never been one for horror, but when I saw this book I desperately wanted to read it. This book has opened my eyes to yet another genre of books, which I’m sure I shall enjoy in the future. However, I must warn you; this is rated 11+. I would maybe rate it a little higher about 12 maybe even 13+ it can get a bit scary at times. Not enough to make you have nightmares but try not to read it last thing before going to sleep…

Although, I appreciate Jarvis is a fantastic writer. I haven’t read anything of his before, but I am sure this will make an everlasting impression.

Brilliant writer, Brilliant book. Go read it now!