Guest Post

Hello! Hope you are all well. I'm currently on a break from reading with coffee, biscuits and Gabrielle Aplin playing while it chucks it down outside.

Today, I guest posted at Emma's blog 'EmmaIsWriting'. She is the one of the sweetest, loveliest bloggers around. My guest post is my top 5 favourite books (believe me it was SO hard to narrow it down to just five). Go check it out and have a search around her great blog while you're there!

I'll hopefully be doing some mini-reviews to catch up this week but I have three assignments to do, reading and I'm going home for my best friend's birthday on Thursday so I'm not sure WHEN that will happen.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Guest Post about my bookshelves!

Last month, I volunteered to take part in Kirsty from The overflowing library 's weekly feature, Bookcase Showcase.
It is a feature I read myself, as I am so curious to see what books other people have on their shelves, sad but true. So, I was delighted when she said I could.

Anyway, while I was in Berlin (details will come...) over the weekend it was published and yes, I just realised.

Check it out, it's pretty weird seeing your bookshelves on the internet, that's NOT your blog. Kirsty is a lovely person and I love her books, especially with the amount of British books she features. She's also holding the 2012 British Book Challenge that Becky from The Bookette hosted this year.

So, check it out here and tell me what you think :)

Another Quicky one.

Just a quick post on the way to Microsoft Word for Media again.

I have guest posted on Amy's blog, I Love Smilies and Books, about why I love reading so much. Amy is a great blogging friend of mine, so it would be great if you checked it out.
This is kind of a return favour after she guest posted on here in August on the Summer themed week with her Favourite Summer Reads, which I hoped you all enjoyed.

Check it out here.

I love guest posting you know. One of my favourite things about blogging.
So, a reminder, that if you want a guest poster for your own blog, then letta me know either by Twitter or email :)

Over and Out
*hovers over Word icon*

Day 5: Get Published!

This is sadly the last guest post for this week *Ooohhh* with the lovely Jen from Unedited who writes about everything and anything but mostly her life as a writer and getting published (have a look, a lot of her stuff makes me laugh) which is why she is perfect for this topic!
I know it's the summer holidays/vacation so you have some extra time on your hands, which means you can write more of that story you've been trying to do in in the evenings when you're tired. Or you're sick of staring at the icon in your Documents of that amazing story you wrote last year and want to do something with. Well, here is a guide to getting that story out into the world.
Here's Jen....

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I WANNA BE PUBLISHED!

If only screaming from your canopy style bed “I want to be published” made the publishing gods shine a single light on you and recruit you for duty. Would live be so much easier?

No. It wouldn’t… (Yes that was me crushing your positive bubble).

I’m not here to beat you down. I’m here to give you a swift kick of reality. Don’t worry… staying on your canopy style bed is safer. The fall after all is hopefully on those Egyptian cotton sheets you just HAD to have after finishing your first draft thinking you’d be a best seller. Yeah, you better write your next SEVERAL books there to make up for that bad decision. Don’t forget those Manolo’s on too girl, you better be working with them on since that was your rent money.

Hold the phone. You haven’t finished the first draft?? You mean to tell me you bought those sheets and shoes after telling your parents you wanted to be a writer? Holy heck we’re in trouble.

Let’s cover the basics.

To get to the publishing stage you need…

A completed manuscript – This is not a first draft. This baby must shine (consult with Critique Group – preferably in your genre). Read writing books for assistance.

A synopsis – Or sucknopsis, no, it mustn’t suck. They suck to write… hence the name. For help consult the synopsis gods (oh, right, they don’t exist. For something close visit Query Tracker).

A query letter –Writing a one page letter about how awesome you and your book are without… A) An elevator pitch (since you don’t know what that is), and B) You have no writing credentials isn’t easy. Don’t panic… guidance is available. For query help consult the query gods (found below)

How to get your work out there…

There are several options. Should you wish to be bold and share your novel Figment and Writer’s Digest are great ways to share your novel and writing with others. If you’re looking for query & agent guidance Query to the Call, Query Shark and Query Tracker are great places to be. Curious about publishing deals and agents then Publishers Marketplace is the place to be.

(Rebecca: I've also heard about Wattpad where you can post a chapter and if it's popular you post another one and so on) 

Deciding what works for you…

Whether it’s self-publishing, e-publishing, small publishing or traditional you must write the novel. It must always start at the beginning. So, go on, get started.

For publishing questions feel free to ask below in the comments section!

Day 4: Summery Covers

Welcome to Day 4 of the blog themed week. Today we have Stephanie from Books are a Girl's Best Friend, one of my favourite book blogs around as she has the same taste in books as me. Our reading is very similar, although her reviews are miles better than mine. Check her blog out, it's worth a look for bookish people.

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The word 'summer' brings to mind visions of reading in the sun, ice cream and relaxing in water so when I'm looking for my next summer read, a great summery looking cover puts me in the mood. Especially as the British weather can't always be relied on to produce a sunny summer! Here are some of my favourite summer covers:

That Summer - Sarah Dessen

For me, this cover just sums up the essence of summer: the warm sun shining down on the white sand, the cool blue sea lapping at my feet but most of all having fun- bliss! The girl looks like she's having a great time and this makes it look like the perfect feel good beach read. I also really like the simple look of the cover with the small title font and light blue colour scheme.

Someone Like You - Sarah Dessen

Another Sarah Dessen cover! This one reminds me of the feeling of sand between my feet

and makes me long to be on the beach with romance in the air. I love the cute little heart at the side- it's so adorable.

Forgive My Fins - Tera Lynn Childs

I love mermaid books and they always make me want a trip to the sea to discover my own underwater world full of mermaids and any other mythical creatures lurking down there! They're just right for summer because of their beach and sea settings and hot romances. The pink title of Forgive My Fins makes it look like a really cute read.

The Summer I turned Pretty - Jenny Han 

(Rebecca: Ah, I need to read this one!)

This cover screams 'summer' without a glimpse of sand, sea or swimming costumes not only because it has the word in the title but because of the sun shining on their faces. It totally has the 'fun in the sun' look right with the happy, smiling people and hot looking boys at the side.

Stealing Heaven - Elizabeth Scott

I adore the bright colours of this cover- they're so bold and really giving it a summery vibe. The girl running up the stairs just looks really care-free and relaxed in her summer clothes and flowers remind me strongly of summer too because they're so pretty. All these elements makes the book look like a fluffy read that will put a smile on my face.

Endless Summer - Jennifer Echols 

Endless Summer looks like a sizzling hot summer romance! I like the clean and dreamy blue sky background because it doesn't detract away from the couple but makes me think of wonderful weather that everyone in England hopes will stay for the summer.

Finally,  I want to say a big thank you to Rebecca for having me on her blog and for organising this fantastic summer themed week! I enjoyed writing this post and by the time this post is published, I hope to be sunbathing on the beach in Cornwall with a book in hand =)




Come back tomorrow for the last guest post of the week by Jen at Unedited on how to get published!

Day 3: Summer time settings

Hey, welcome to Day 3 of the themed week. I hope those who have been reading it have been enjoying it.
Today, we have Nessie who I have guest posted for in the past too. She has such a lovely, funny blog all to do with music and her life in Germany. It's definitely worth a look. Anyway, I hand you over in her capable hands!

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Hi everyone! I’m Nessie from Queen Nessie’s Musings of the General Populace, and it’s smashtastic that I get to write a guest post for Rebecca’s awesome Summer of Fun book week. I hope you’ve all read Amy’s entry from yesterday, because I’m building up on it, by introducing you guys to some novels I love that are set in summer.

Because personally I think there’s nothing better than kicking back with a book that perfectly fits what you’re going through right now – the perfect weather, lots of free time, and good excuses to go shopping and later show off the best finds. So here are my novels that could happen in this instant, if you just let your imagination take over.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

(The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, Girls in Pants, Forever in Blue)

A staple on every girl’s bookshelf, in my opinion, Ann Brashares’ The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants actually restricts itself to only take place during summer. The story, catalyzed by a magical pair of pants that fits four so differently shaped but similarly minded girls, is incredibly moving. When I put down Forever in Blue there was emptiness inside of me – I was nearly heartbroken by the fact that this was the last I would ever hear from girls that were so like me, and yet different enough that I wanted them as. I think every girl finds a bit of herself in at least one of the girls, and I will never stop recommending the series. (Note: Ann Brashares wrote a fifth book, but I’m not including it as I haven’t read it yet. I also hear it doesn’t quite strike the same note.)

Pants on Fire/Tommy Sullivan is a Freak

Known as Pants on Fire in the US and Tommy Sullivan is a Freak in the UK, this is my absolute favorite novel by Meg Cabot (loved it so much I actually took the time to translate it to German just deal with it longer). It’s about Kate Ellison’s summer before senior year at high school, and it’s almost perfect, if it weren’t for a ghost of the past coming back to haunt her. And it’s a pretty hot, living specimen. Kate is pretty sure that Tommy is coming back to ruin her life, as she now has it all: a hot boyfriend, a hot boyfriend on the side, a well-paying job at a restaurant that is sponsoring her run at the local pageant but serves food she cannot for the life of her stand, and an unblemished reputation with everybody else.

Tuck Everlasting

Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting is a classic about one summer in the life of Winifred about a pivotal choice that changes her future and that of the Tucks – a mysterious family living outside of her hometown. It’s an incredibly romantic story, if you think about it (and maybe a little sad, depending on how emotionally susceptible you are. I was totally tearing up, since I’m in touch with my emotions more than enough). I always wonder if I would have made the same choice as Winnie did, and I can’t say I’m sure.

How to be Popular

Yet another Cabot work. I know. Her writings are basically my bible of life. How to be Popular is the name of a book that Steph Landry finds in the attic of her soon-to-be stepgrandmother, and she hopes the transformations encouraged in the manual will make her popular to boot on the first day back at school. But of course things don’t change smoothly when you spent the previous days of your existence as a huge clutz to the school’s population (minus your two best friends who are outcasts like yourself, but absolutely lovable).

(Rebecca: I love Meg Cabot and I REALLY want to read this one!)

Double Exposure

You could call this one more of a “big girls” book, since Double Exposure, or Charmed Circle, as it is known in the US, is about murder. Several actually. A group of people meet in the summer on a beautiful Caribbean island. Acquaintances quickly become friends and they decide to reunite the following summers. But slowly, as the times transition more and more from summer to other seasons, the secrets of the group come out too, and loved ones die under strange circumstances. One of the friends has to be the murderer. Can you guess who?

Rasmus, Pontus och Toker 

This book holds a special place in my heart, because it is my favorite novel I happen to own in German. It doesn’t matter that it’s for a younger demographic – when you read Astrid Lindgren’s Rasmus, Pontus och Toker yourself, you’ll fall for the honorable character of Rasmus and his friend Pontus, the loyalty of Rasmus’ dog Toker, and their never-ending hope and good spirits (even in their grumpy moments they take the time to laugh). Their most exciting summer comes about when the fair comes to town, and Rasmus’ sister Prick falls in love.

Tom's Midnight Garden

Another classic is Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce. Tom is very unhappy about having to spend his summer pretty much locked up at his aunt and uncle’s place, just because his twin brother Peter has caught measles, and Tom could be contagious. However he finds a nightly escape into a garden that does not exist during daytime, and lives as a ghost in the girl Hatty’s world. Or is it the other way around? Or is it all just in fact a dream, that the clock strikes thirteen? I loved this book as a kid, and always begged my Mom to read it. It’s good like that.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Nothing will move me ever like this book has. Harper Lee’s first and only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, tells of a time period that I cannot imagine myself to live in, being a biracial kid. The people Lee creates are so real to me though, from the town drunk with more wisdom than the more esteemed Mr. Ewell, who causes so much trouble in the lives of the principal characters. This is a novel about the summer of three kids who learn so much in this short time span, more than I could at their age. I love this book, and I hope you’ll learn to love it too, this summer!

Now scramble off, check out a book from the library, get your summer mode on, and return for tomorrow’s book blogging dose, provided by the lovely Stephanie from Books are a Girl's Best Friend!

Some News.

I am BACK from Los Angeles which was amazing, I loved every minute, well most of it. Apart from the fact I was ill to start off with and I sprained my ankle (long story) but apart from that it was great and really enjoyable. I shall post some bits up about the trip at some point with some photos I took.
(BEST PART: Seeing Courtney Cox filming & Universal Studios tour - so great).

Anyway, the biggest news, all next week on Rebecca-Books will be a themed week with guest posters from other blogs (both for books and in general), all to do with the theme of Summer to get everyone (if not already) in the mood and choosing those summer reads for your holidays.

So here is the line-up for the week:

Monday: Rebecca from Rebecca-Books on Book Festivals around the world.
Tuesday: Amy from I Love Smiley Faces and Books
Wednesday: Nessie from Queen Nessie's Musings 
Thursday: Stephanie from Books are a Girl's Best Friend
Friday: Jen from Unedited

So come and have a look everyday this week and comment whenever on your favourites for the summer or any other suggestions of your own on the topic.
Have fun and you'll see the first post starting tomorrow! :)