Robert Muchamore Book Signing

For those of you who don't know already, I am a massive fan of Robert Muchamore's Cherub book series. Today at Foyles in Charing Cross I was lucky enough to meet him at his London book signing as part of his UK three day tour. I woke up at quarter past seven ready and eager to take the trip to Thearteland to see the author. After travelling on a stuffy tube filled with business men and women for an hour and walking up Charing Cross road I finally arrived at Foyles, the bookstore. It's embarrassing for me to say, but at first I couldn't see anyone. I walked into the shop expecting to see a huge queue of teens but instead the bookstore was virtually empty. My initial thought was that I had missed it, but that couldn't be right as I had checked three different sources of time and they all said that it was two minutes past ten. My mum and I were circling the shop and I was about to ask a shop assistant where the the signing was, when I heard a woman ask 'Are you here for the Robert Muchamore book signing?' Although she wasn't in sight we followed the sound of her voice until we discovered a whole other part of Foyles bookstore where a queue teens were. Relived to have finally found the signing, I joined the queue. I was soon approached by a smiley, curly haired woman who explained to me what I needed to do e.g write my name on a post-it-note and stick it in the new book, People's Republic.

While I spoke to the curly haired woman (whose name I never found out) my mum was given the task of picking up a copy of People's Republic. I thought it would be a pretty easy task as I have talked constantly about this signing for weeks. However my mum proved me wrong and returned with a paperback copy of  Shadow Wave, the 12th book in the Cherub series. Now my mum isn't stupid, she frequently carries out DIY projects on our flat and has an IQ higher than average. But somehow she had managed to miss all the A2 posters with the cover of People's Republic on, the display stall packed with hardback copies of the new book AND the forty something people each holding a copy of Peoples Republic. I gave up trying to explain to her the fact that it is a new book will mean that it is only available in hardback as I realised that someone like my mum is more interested in her business than being a crazed Cherub fan like me.

The queue moved very quickly and in no time at all we were only a few people away from being at the front. After seeing a very funny poster of Robert in a wig wearing big, pink sunglasses I was reminded that I needed to teach my mum to use the camera on my phone. This sounds pretty hard but unlike most mums, my mum is pretty good with technology . This was the case up until the point when she had to take the picture of Robert and I. I had spoken with him briefly and he seemed to be a really nice guy, I told him a little bit about my blog and he was happy to sign the extra four books that I had brought along with me from home. He was happy for my mum to take a picture and I gave my mum the phone. She seem pleased with the picture and I left the table picking up a pen, bookmark and badge that they were giving away. When my mum showed me the picture I felt a little disappointed as we weren't even looking at the camera let alone smiling, but I didn't mind as she had made the effort to come all the way into London with me.

Overall the book signing was great and a really enjoyed meeting Robert Muchamore and I can't wait to start reading his new book and of course I will be reveiwing the book and posting it on here.

Here is the slightly dodgy picture my mum took of me and Robert;

The Summer Is Finally Here!

After all those long hours spent in exam halls and then the boring last weeks of term where you just sit in class and watch films, then move on to the next lesson and start another one, I am so glad that summer is finally here . Although yesterday the weather was beautiful and you almost couldn't move in the heat, I woke up this morning and was greeted by miserable black clouds and the familiar sound of rain hitting the windows. I find summer a great time to catch up on any books that you haven't read during the year but have wanted to or even to reread some of those excellent books. I love to use summer as an excuse to go to the park and sit under a tree with a good book and a cool ice-cream. But if like in London its raining and miserable and raining at the moment good books are just the thing to take your mind off the weather. Here are some great reads to try out and get you into the Summery mood!

Lock and Key By Sarah Dessen or any of her other books for that matter...

I have just finished reading Lock and Key, which just like her other books, failed to disappoint me. It follows the story of 17 year old Ruby, who, after her mum abandoned her, moved in with her 27 year old sister, Cora, who she hasn't seen for 10 years. The book is great as it shows the change in Ruby's character from a quiet, reserved girl to a mature individual who has friends who adore her. I highly recommend it for anyone who has ever felt a little bit isolated and small.The books are based in America as Sarah Dessen is American,but that still makes them great reads.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings is the first one in the faerie series by Aprilynne Pike, and a great start. Again it is set in America, like most books these days, and follows the story of Laurel a young girl who has, after years of home schooling, started school for the first time. All seems to be going smoothly when a mysterious lump appears on her back. Laurel and her friend David, a gorgeous science geek who Laurel has a big crush on, experiment on Laurel that Laurel is not an animal but in fact a plant. As the story unfolds we discover that Laurel is a faerie sent into the human world as a young child to inherit land that the fey treasure. The book is filled with trolls, faeries and that all important love triangle. A perfect book to get you into summer.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

If fantasy just isn't your bag then try The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. set in the 50's and 60's is a story about love, relationships and guilt. The book also covers the issue of segregation in America during the 60's particularly in the southern states. 14-year-old Lily was brought up to believe that when she was four she accidentally shot and killed her mother. Stuck on peach farm with her short-tempered father and only one friend Rosaleen her black servant. When Rosaleen is badly beaten, Lily decides to free her and they travel together. Lily meets three bee-keeping sisters who help her unravel the mystery of her mother and her mothers death. This is an amazing book which will make you feel angry and want to cry, but I truly recommend it.

I hope that you enjoy the books above. Happy Reading!

My Favourite Authors

Yesterday my friend and I were talking about books ( as we normally do ) when she asked the common question "What is your favourite book?" I often struggle to find a half decent answer as I don't have a favourite book. That may sound weird a book geek without a favourite book, but it's true. This is mainly because I find it hard to choose, as there are so many great books out there.  Also there are many different styles. I may have a favourite science fiction book or a chick flick that I enjoy the best but these are not my favourite books. To make it easier when asked the question I will just reply with my favourite authors. So in answer to the original question, here is a list of my top five favourite authors. There are many more and I wish I could fit them all in!

• Sophie Mckenzie-I haven't read a book of Sophie Mckenzies' that had a dull ending or predictable climax. Sophie's books are easy to read and packed with science, adventure, romance and danger.

• Robert Muchamore-I have only recently discovered Robert Muchamore's Cherub series and I am loving every book so.  Cherub is a secret government organisation who use children aged 10-17 as undercover agents. Every time I start reading one of the series I find myself stopping and wishing I could be with James, Lauren and Kerry, the three main characters in the books.
• Malorie Blackman- A few years ago I was lucky enough to meet Malorie Blackman and she was one of the most inspiring authors I have ever come across. Her well known Noughts and Crosses series is AMAZING as well as her new book Boys Don't Cry.

• Scott Westerfield- My best friend first introduced me to the Pretties series, a shocking sci-fi about the endless hunt for beauty. The books made you realise some of the major issues related to beauty in the modern world.

• Saci Lloyd- 2015 is a great book about how the impacts of global warming, an issue currently discussed a lot, on a 16 year old girl. It was a great read as it was funny and you could relate to it but at the same time it shocked you into realising what our world could be like in a few years time.

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Hi!

My name, if you don't already know, is Olivia and to put it simply I am a teenage geek. My hobbies include reading, reading and more reading! I read all the time and wherever on the train, under the tables in a boring maths lesson and yes I even read during lunchtime. Luckily I have a strong group of geeky friends so I don't feel quite so self-conscious. I have loved reading ever since I was a small child, but surprisingly I don't like English very much. My favourite subject is Science and when I am older I want to be an actor. The aim of this blog is to share with others similar to me my love of books and their authors. I hope that you find the reviews, lists and other posts interesting and feel free to comment on any post at all as I want to here what other people think.