I'M BACK + Some (good) Changes + New Design!!!

So first of all, I’M BACK!!!!  After over a month of exams and study, it feels absolutely AMAZING to be back!  Hope you didn’t miss me too much when I was on my hiatus, lol!  THANK YOU to all of you who have stuck by the blog (and to the followers I gained during my break), I really appreciate it, considering my lack of reviews and posts!  I promise I will fill this blog with lots of interesting things for you to read this summer to make up for my absence – I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! <3

On to the (good) changes I will be making on the blog.  During my break, I’ve had some time to look at the blog and pick out its flaws etc and to ‘review’ my reviews (see what I did there!) and I’ve decided to make some changes on the way I write reviews.  Basically, I’ve been trying to read my reviews from someone else’s point of view.  I haven’t done this before and now that I have, it’s really useful.  The reviews I like to read on other blogs are short (obviously not too short!) but informative, sweet, enthusiastic and most of all FUN!  In contrast my reviews are quite long and slightly serious and to be honest, even I got a little bored of reading them.  I think when I started blogging, I had the misconception that reviews would have to be written in a serious, semi-professional way because the word ‘review’ does get you thinking that things have to be critical and serious so I was probably trying to conform to something that doesn’t even exist!  Then, coincidentally, a wonderful post on Mimi’s blog came up which really inspired me to try and develop my own unique ‘voice’ and style.  Thanks for writing that post at a time when I really needed it, Mimi <3 So here are some changes I plan to make:

-         Cut down on the length of my reviews.  For every review I’ve written, I’ve typed up the blurb from the back of the book and then written my own summary in my review which takes up more time and makes my reviews longer so from now on, I will take summaries from Goodreads instead.

-         Inject more personality.  You’re probably thinking: ‘What?’  But I’d love my readers and followers to be able to get to know me - and I DON’T mean in a creepy, stalker-ish way - so this is probably the first step to developing my own style.

-         Express my enthusiasm (when appropriate).  I’m reading back on my reviews and asking myself how on earth I managed to suppress my enthusiasm for some of the books.  I remember how some of the reviews weren’t really much fun to write at all so I’d like to ‘lighten up’ my reviews so that I can enjoy writing them and you can enjoy reading them (hopefully!) i.e. stop trying to control excited outbursts and just let out how I feel!

I’d love for you to stick by and join me on my ‘journey’ to making this blog better.  Of course, if my reviews don’t seem to be improving in your opinion, PLEASE feel free to let me know: I love feedback and I want to make this blog yours as much as it’s mine!  I couldn’t do this without all my readers!  (I probably won't go back and edit my old reviews)

Another change: comments.  The break has also allowed me to discover more blogs and to comment around more so I hope to continue this!   As a sign of my appreciation, I will also return a comment on one of your blog posts whenever you comment on mine.  A few of my favourite blogs do this and I think it will be a great way for me to interact with my readers and fellow bloggers: I love ‘meeting’ new book-loving friends!  So comment away and I’ll pop round to your blog to comment back! 

And if you haven’t noticed: A Reading Daydreamer has a new design!!!  Thanks so much to Jude at In Between Designs for putting it together for me!  You are amazing, Jude: you've really captured what I was looking for :)  And of course, thank you for putting up with all my fussy requirements and giving me such a prettiful (my new word!) blog!  I was starting to get bored of the old one: it was too white and plain and I wanted something soft and daydreamy and nice to look at and I think that this design is EXACTLY that!  It's not completely finished - I still need to reveal my new rating system and the snazzy social icons *squeals with excitement* What do you guys think of it?  I really hope you like it as much as I do, and feel free to leave your comments too, I'd love to hear what you think!

As you can see my sidebar is all jumbled up but I’ll be sorting that very soon as well as re-writing my pages etc. so bear with me!  I also need to catch up on reading and writing reviews so the blog should be more active this weekend :)


Happy reading,
Beverley x

Excerpt of A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan

The lovely Vanessa Morgan contacted me about a month ago in regards to her new screenplay, A Good Man and today I'm happy to share an excerpt of it with you!  Enjoy!!!

Synopsis:

Liked Dexter and American Psycho? Then you will love A Good Man.

Louis Caron is a good man – vegetarian, he feeds the homeless, takes care of animals and is concerned with the ecological future of the planet. But his altruism has a sinister edge – he's a vampire - and local detective Taglioni is becoming increasingly suspicious. Louis' attempt to escape the police will take him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but also to destroy the lives of those he cares about most.

Excerpt:

EXT – STREET – DAY

Snow-covered streets seen through a floor-to-ceiling
window.

FRED (V.O.)
Would you like to begin, Eric? Your case is
rather peculiar.

ERIC (V.O.)
My name is Eric. I've been a vampire since
1973 and I have constant headaches because
of a brain tumor. An eternal headache, if
you get what I mean. I'm also suffering
from depression, but that's curable, they
say – even for a vampire.

INT. PSYCHOLOGIST'S OFFICE - DAY

LOUIS CARON (55 years old) stares out the window,
lost in thought. Behind him, four people participate
in their weekly group therapy session. Amongst them:
a French lady with crutches (MADAME RENAUD, 50's), a
depressive cancer patient (ERIC, 40's) and a black
obese woman with an exuberant personality
(LÉOPOLDINE, 40's). The moderator, FRED (35), has a
gentle voice. Your typical spiritual guru.

MADAME RENAUD
(with a French accent)
That's nothing compared to me. I have a
broken hip, too much cholesterol, chronic
sinusitus --

LÉOPOLDINE
(provocatively)
I was wondering, Madame Renaud... Were you
already a hypochondriac when you were
transformed or did that come later?

MADAME RENAUD
(too busy with herself to hear the
remark)
… Lupus, malaria, lack of vitamine C,
Addison's disease, …

ERIC
What's bizarre is that every time she comes
here, the list gets longer.

FRED
Let's listen to what Louis has to say.
(to Louis)
Do you want to come and join us, Louis?

Louis turns. He was obviously not following the
conversation.

LOUIS
Uhm? What?
(notices that the session has begun)
Oh, hi Fred. I didn't hear you come in.

Louis sits down.

FRED
Go ahead.

Madame Renaud is still enumerating her ailments.

FRED
Madame Renaud!

She stops speaking. Fred gestures that it is Louis'
turn.

LOUIS
My name is Louis. Louis Caron. I've been a
vampire since 1750 and as you can see, I'm
old and ugly. For me, that's the problem
about being a vampire. I was 55 when I was
transformed and I will stay 55 forever. I
will have wrinkles forever. I will have
arthritis forever. Fucking annoying.

FRED
That's your karma taking revenge on your
body. The more good you do around you, the
more you will be able to lead a happy,
healthy life. But because you are all
vampires, your karma is punishing you. It's
as simple as that. Now, what I'd like to
hear from you is what you all do to improve
your karma. What do you do to be a good
person, despite your vampire nature?

Author Bio:

Screenwriter and novelist Vanessa Morgan is known as the 'female version of Stephen King'. Yo

u can find out more about Vanessa Morgan and her work by going to her personal blog. If you like cats, you might also like the web comic about her cat Avalon.

Straight to Heaven Blog Tour: Guest Post and GIVEAWAY!

I would like to introduce Michelle Scott, author of Straight to Hell and Straight to Heaven, to A Reading  Daydreamer!  Today is the last day of the Straight to Heaven blog tour and Michelle has written a guest post about her favourite childhood books for me to share here with you!  I hope you enjoy reading it and don't forget to enter the international giveaway at the end to be in with a chance of winning a 2GB iPod shuffle (wow, right?!) and there's also four e-copies of Straight to Heaven up for grabs!

So without further ado, over to Michelle...

Enter the Book Mobile

I owe my childhood love of reading to an old woman driving a really large caravan across the back roads of Michigan.

When I was growing up, I lived in a small community whose public library was shuffled from one odd location to another.  Every few years, they’d have to pack up their collection and haul it to another site: an old house, a deserted elementary school, or an unused office building...  The librarians were dedicated, but without proper funding, they had enough trouble finding a place to house their library let alone fill their shelves.

Enter the book mobile.

The book mobile was an enormous caravan (what we in Michigan called an RV) that housed a portion of the county’s public library.  Once a month, the book mobile would visit our area, and my mother and I would visit it.

Inside the vehicle, on either side of the narrow aisle, were shelves and shelves of books.  It was very claustrophobic, but I didn’t mind.  In fact, I wanted one of my own.

At the time, I liked fantasy novels – especially fantasy novels about enchanted animals – but for some reason, my mother thought I would do better with gritty, real-life dramas about teenagers who drank and did drugs.  Books like The Outsiders and Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack.  Both of those are very good novels, but since I was only eleven, they scared the you-know-what out of me.  I think my mother thought I’d learn something about ‘real life’ by reading them, but honestly, all I wanted was to be left alone with my enchanted animals.

The librarian who drove the book mobile from tiny town to tiny town was a very chatty lady, and over the years, we got to know her pretty well.  She was the one who recommended what has to be my favorite book of all time: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  To Kill a Mockingbird is a wonderful story that transitioned me from enchanted animals to novels about real life.  The book is funny enough to be gentle, but at the same time it doesn’t mince words when it comes to discussing racial issues in the south.

Now that my own kids are teenagers, I try not to press my tastes on them too much.  My daughters prefer books like Harry Potter and The Ranger’s Apprentice over gritty, realistic novels.  But then again, so do I.  As much as I like realistic fiction, I’ve never outgrown my love of fantasy.

***

About the author

Michelle Scott received her MFA from Wayne State University.  Her stories have appeared in such places as Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, All Possible Worlds and Realms.  Her fantasy novel, The Dragons of Hazlett was nominated for a 2009 EPPIE Award.  Michelle’s YA novels include the vampire romance, Blood Sisters, and the fantasy Uncommon Magic.  Her latest fantasy novel, An Anthem for the Battle Lands, was recently released from Mundania Press, LLC.  Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.

Website - Blog - Where to buy

And don't forget to enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you to Michelle for taking time to stop by my blog and to Dani at Pen to Paper for hosting this wonderful tour!  I hope you all enjoyed it too and hopefully you'll be able to walk away with one of the prizes!

Happy reading,
Beverley x

P.S. I will be returning to regular blogging very soon!  I have two more exams and then they're all finished, leaving me a whole summer to catch up on reading and blogging!

Follow Friday #10

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

Q: Activity! Dreamcast your current read.

I'm currently reading The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente.  I'm not very far into it yet so I'll just choose a cast for September, the Green Wind and the 'small and amiable dog'.

Bailee Madison (September):

Isn't she cute?  Personally, I think she would make a very good September; she seems to have the cheekiness and curiosity which the role requires!

Wes Bentley (The Green Wind):

The Green Wind is quite charismatic and charming so far in the book so I'm sure Wes Bentley would fit in the role.

Alfie (the small and amiable dog!):

The 'small, amiable dog' only has a very minor part at the start of the book but I'm sure my dog, Alfie could pull it off.  He's small and he can be amiable (just don't disturb him when he's asleep!).  For those of you who don't know, Alfie is also our resident 'Sniffer Pup', click HERE to find out more :)

Please feel free to leave me your links and thoughts in the comments below and I would love it if you would like to follow, you can do so via GFC or Linky Followers (or both!)

Just thought I'd let you know that I will be back from my hiatus on Wednesday!  My last exam is on Tuesday and then I have a whole week to just chill before going back to school so remember to look out for me!  I'll be trying to blog more regularly and catch up on the reviews that I need to write.

Don't forget to drop by tomorrow: the Straight to Heaven blog tour is stopping here and the author has written a lovely guest post for me to share with you.  And did I mention that there's a giveaway for an iPod as well...

Happy reading,
Beverley x

Follow Friday #9

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers!

Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?

A:  Hmmm... relaxation sounds like bliss, considering the hectic-ness of exams and the fact that I've been ill for the past few days :(  But this summer, I would love to go to Hong Kong.  I have been there about ten or eleven times but still haven't had the chance to explore the sun-kissed beaches so that would be the perfect vacation spot.  I know Hong Kong has the image of being a busy, bustling city but there are some quiet places between the sprawling plazas and noisy streets which would be perfect for reading and relaxing.  There's also a small island just off the coast of Hong Kong which is the most amazing summer location.  It's really peaceful and has the most pleasant environment and you need to take a ferry to get there so unless you get sea-sick, there's plenty opportunity to top up on reading!  But obviously once you get there you NEED to walk around and absorb all the culture and buy souvenirs, before settling down at the beach to read :)

Where would be your perfect vacation spot?  Let me know by commenting and if you'd like to follow (hint, hint!). please do so through GFC or Linky Followers :)

Happy reading,

Beverley x

Follow Friday #8

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers!

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?

A: This is a hard one... but I'm going to have to say My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.  I loved the book and it just portrayed the relationship between a mother and her two daughters so beautifully.  Even though she did seem to neglect her son Jesse, you could tell the immense love she had for Kate, her middle child who was diagnosed with leukaemia.  I did feel sorry for Anna though because she had to continually give blood and organs to her sister, but it was clear that her mum made her do all this out of love for her other child.  

How about you?  Let me know in the comments and please follow me through GFC or Linky Followers if you wish to do so!

And Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, regardless of whether they live in the US or not!

Happy reading,

Beverley x

Alfie the Sniffer Pup #2

Alfie the Sniffer Pup is a monthly feature at A Reading Daydreamer where I get to gush about the wonderful new book releases in the coming month that Alfie, my dog, has kindly 'sniffed' out for me!  Anything related to books and exciting book-ish news will also be included!

I was planning to skip the Alfie the Sniffer Pup for May due to exams and LOTS of revision, but I couldn't resist writing one so here I am typing away at 10pm on a cold Saturday night (Note: it's scheduled for Sunday morning)

So without further ado, here are the books coming out in May in the UK:

[Book covers and synopses taken from Goodreads]

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum 

Kate may have defeated her boyfriend's nemesis, showing off her sword skills in the process, but Vincent is sure that she will be at risk as long as they stay together. What's more, it's becoming clear that their relationship might prevent him from fulfilling his true purpose: saving the lives of others.

They might have the romance of the century, but will that be enough?

This was released on the 3rd and I must admit I wasn't aware of this series until the release of this book which seemed to create a storm across the blogosphere!  The series sounds really interesting and isn't the cover just gorgeous? I am eager to get my hands on Die for Me, the first book.


 Endure (Need #4) by Carrie Jones
Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .

I've heard many great things about this series so once summer comes round, I'll have to check them out.  Come on, there's pixies, what more can you ask for?

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3) by Jenny Han

One girl.  
Two brothers.
The biggest decision of her life . . .

Just when she thought she had all the answers . . .
Isabel has only ever loved two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.
One broke her heart; the other made her happier than she ever thought she'd be. But each brother is keeping a secret, and this summer Isabel must choose between the Fisher boys, once and for all. Which brother will it be?

OMG, I am so so so so excited to read this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ok, I haven't read It's Not Summer Without You, the second book, yet but I am so sad that it's the end for Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah.  I LOVED the first book and I can't believe the trilogy is finished forever :(  It's Not Summer Without Those Books.  

  New Girl by Paige Harbison

They call me 'New Girl'...  
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.
Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.
Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.
And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

I literally just found out about this book and I'm loving the sound of it.  It's sort of a contemporary read with a mysterious twist, definitely one I should check out!

How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro

The Official Truth about dating the male human species!
Can taming a gorgeous boy really be as easy as walking a dog?
Circe Shaw is on a mission. She must transform into a fabulously sophisticated journalist and discover the amazing scientific truth about boys. Urgently.
But life is beyond complicated. Circe has to deal with a poisonous rival, her mum’s annoying ‘just friends’ men and her own Dark Past.
Can Circe’s daring investigation really teach her the facts of love? 
Will it help her finally get a boyfriend? 
Or will it break her heart…?

I just had to throw this into the post because it sounds like such a fun read!  Imagine if handling boys was just as easy as keeping a pet (like Alfie!)?

And this month I have some exciting book-ish news for you to sink your teeth into:

The shortlist has been announced for this year's Queen of Teen!  Here are the authors who have been kindly nominated:

Cathy Cassidy

Sarah Webb

Joanna Nadin, 

James Dawson

Cathy Hopkins

Samantha Mackintosh

Chris Higgins

Hayley Long

S.C. Ransom 

Maureen Johnson

Who are going to be voting for?  And don't you think it's amazing that a male author has been nominated, maybe they'll have to change the title to 'King of Teen'?  It just proves that teenage girls can enjoy books written by men as much as women!

And since I mentioned Jenny Han up above, I had to let you all know that she is collaborating with Siobhan Vivian, author of The List, on a new trilogy about three girls.

I can't wait to read Burn for Burn which is the first book and it comes out  in September (although that's only in the US, so we'll probably have to wait longer here in the UK :(  But if you're desperate to read it, you could always get it off The Book Depository)

And finally before I wrap up, I'd like to announce that I'm taking part in the Daemon Invasion.  My amazing team leader is Jana at The Book Goddess and I can't wait to get started on all the fun tasks with the team!  Go Team Luxing After Daemon!!!!!  Wish us luck and hopefully we will rock this thing and WIN!!!!!!

Happy reading and hope you all have a wonderful May,

From Alfie and

Feature and Follow Friday #7

This is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers!

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favourite author?

A: I would like to tell Katie Dale how her novel, Someone Else's Life, has really impacted my life.  It made me see how selfish we are sometimes and how we don't appreciate the people around us enough.  Through her writing, she's taught me to make the most of everyday and to take a quiet moment to thank inwardly for being able to spend every day, week and year with family and friends.  The book really put the Latin saying 'Carpe diem' (Seize the day)  into perspective for me and I would like to thank Katie for writing such a powerful novel which made me realise how we all sometimes take things for granted.  I would love to meet her and I would probably ask her incessantly for writing tips because her style of writing is just perrrfect...

So what about you? Feel free to leave your comments and if you would like to follow, do so through GFC or Linky Followers (which still needs more people to fill the box!)

Enjoy your weekend,
Beverley x

100+ Followers Giveaway @ Bookster Reviews

Cliona at Bookster Reviews, one of my FAVOURITE blogs, is holding a giveaway to celebrate reaching 100+ followers!!!!!  I urge you all to go along and follow her blog and enter the fab giveaway, of course!

The prizes are:


Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend by Cora Harrison
Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin


I don't know about you, but all three of the books sound really interesting and I've seen quite a lot of good reviews about them so what are you waiting for?  Hurry up and enter!


Congrats must go to Cliona, you deserve all your followers and I hope you continue blogging for a very long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!