Amazing News - Cunninghamfan Coming to America!

As you may have noticed, my blog has been on another hiatus lately... However, for the first time ever, the reason for this hiatus is not something bad - illness or death in family, as it was earlier on.

I have been super busy studying and dealing with the paperwork because I won a scholarship for one school year in America! That's right, I will be studying at Humbold State University, California, for a year - starting this August.

I am super excited to do this, not only because of the obvious reason, but also getting a chance to maybe even attend an amazing book signing or two,  or meet some of you. So any of you guys in California somewhere? I am pretty sure I will go to San Francisco, Sacramento and LA during my stay, so if there is someone to show me around town or maybe point me in a direction of a book shop, I would be  most grateful! Let me know!

I am now getting down to business writing reviews I haven't yet written, wrapping up the ancient giveaways I still haven't wrapped up, and all in all, getting this blog into order.

What have you been up to?

'I Am Number Four' Book + Movie Combo!

I was thrilled to be asked to spread the word about the FABULOUS deal on Bookperk.com that concerns the long-awaited release of the I Am Number Four movie. The Pittacus Lore novel has amazed readers everywhere and now you can get the movie tie-in edition in hardcover (featuring Alex Pettyfer on the cover, the hunk de jour who seems to be everywhere nowadays) for $17.99 and get a free movie ticket with it (for any movie!), only on Bookperk! It's not a competition - everyone gets the ticket. Bear in mind that the offer expires on the 18th, so you have about a week left to kill two birds with one stone. Click here to read more.

And obviously, come back and let me know if the movie is worth seeing. I'd greatly appreciate it!

Interview + Giveaway: Tom Dolby

Today, we welcome author Tom Dolby to Nikola's Book Blog! Tom's YA novel The Trust has just recently been published and it is the second in his very successful and popular Secret Society series. This is why I am so excited that Tom is here today to answer some questions and, wait for it, do a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Trust! Welcome, Tom!


First of all, congratulations on The Trust being published last week! There must be much excitement in your camp!

Thanks! I'm excited to continue the Secret Society journey for my characters. I'm very fond of Nick, Phoebe, Lauren, Patch and Thad.

Why should people go and buy the Secret Society books right now?

Secret Society is the type of book that I like to curl up with on a snowy winter day - and now that its followup, The Trust, is out, the story has completed its arc. The Trust picks up right where Secret Society left off, so there's no more waiting around to see how those cliffhangers will turn out.


Your earlier novels, The Trouble Boy and Sixth Form, both have gay protagonists and could be dubbed coming-of-age novels. Do you think YA fiction is a good field for writing gay fiction?

I love good adult fiction with gay characters. I haven't written many fiction with gay main character that is "YA" per se, but The Trouble Boy and Sixth Form do have a lot of teenage fans, as they are about teenagers and twentysomethings. I think the teenage years are ripe for exploration, and doing it through young adult fiction is a great way to speak to young people while they are going through these formative years.

Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, an anthology of essays including your own, has just been adapted for the small screen. Would you like to see your Secret Society novels adapted for the screen as well?

Of course! It was thrilling to see Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys become a reality show on the Sundance Channel! Like any author, I would love to see my novels as films!

What is the biggest challenge you face as an author? Also, what's next for Tom Dolby?

I am working on a screenplay now, as well as starting work on a new novel. I think my biggest challenge is simply balancing work with new fatherhood (my husband and I had twin girls several months ago) - it's very rewarding as well as often exhausting!

Congratulations on your new family member as well, Tom!

Tom is offering one SIGNED hardcover copy (how cool is that?!) to one lucky winner. The contest is open to US (48 states) and Canada only! Contest ends February 22nd! To enter, leave a comment with a way to contact you in the comments. The winner will be randomly selected.

BONUS ENTRIES (not mandatory):

+2 for following my blog

+2 for tweeting about the contest (leave the link!)

+2 for linking to the contest somewhere

+4 for blogging about the contest

+4 for visiting Tom's website and coming back with a title you'd read other than the Secret Society books and the reason why!

Book to Movie Review: Never Let Me Go

One of my favorite 2010 reads was Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (click here for the review). It is a strange, wonderful story of a world which does not care for its inhabitants and how the power or love and friendship may or may not win in the end.

The movie adaptation of the novel stars three of the most perspective young actors - Carey Mulligan (Oscar-nominated for An Education), Keira Knightley (Oscar-nominated for Pride & Prejudice) and Andrew Garfield. They play Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, respectively. The three have grown up in a boarding school named Hailsham and, having recently graduated, are thrown in the outside world to fend for themselves. I do not want to give too much away - but Hailsham, as well as the world in the story, may not be at all as it seems and once the three reach this conclusion, they only have each other for support.

Much of my excitement prior to seeing this movie was the cast - namely, Keira Knightley. One of my favorite actresses, she is given the most colorful role in the movie. A part of a love triangle, she embodies the conflicting feelings of competitiveness and vulnerability perfectly, and particularly shines in a scene where she is finally confronted with the reality of her situation. Mulligan and Garfield are just as competent and have remarkable chemistry, which helps the movie immensely. Throw in competent direction and beautiful cinematography and you cannot go wrong with this one.

It is difficult to write about Never Let Me Go without giving anything away. Yet, I cannot recommend this movie enough. My DVD copy will surely be played a great number of times as this wonderful, warm story is slowly becoming one of my all-time favorites. Ishiguro should be really proud.

RATING: 5/5

BEWARE: The trailer contains spoilers!

Review: A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes

Have you ever read Julian Barnes? One of the greatest living postmodernist authors, he is one of those writers who are able to turn serious matter into hilariously witty - yet real - stories. And check out the title of this one: A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters. First, a history, because there are official, textbook histories, but then again, there are the private, subjective, personal histories. In 10 1/2 chapters (the half-chapter is a short essay) are Julian Barnes' view of history. Here, it is not the people who shape history - it shapes people. At least according to Julian Barnes.

The book is hard to define. It could just be a novel - after all, there are overarching themes, symbols, story lines and leitmotifs. On the other hand, each chapter could be read exclusively. Not only that, but each chapter is written with a different narrator and in a different style. The first one, for example, takes place on Noah's Arc and is related from a mystery animal (I won't give it away). This animal stays as a leitmotif throughout the book, but is never the narrator again. In fact, the abundance of voices, narrators and styles in the book shape and populate Barnes' history. There is not one voice, but many.

Not all of them worked for me, naturally. While I enjoyed reading about the Noah's Arc (The Stowaway), a brave and possibly delusional woman (dystopian The Survivor), a tourist ship hijacked by terrorists (The Visitors), the role of art in forming history (The Shipwreck) and the plights of a religious zealot going on a ridiculous pilgrimage (The Mountain), I've also found certain parts dull and uninteresting. And that's okay - just like any other history, there are periods and events that spark your interest more than others. Not liking certain chapters is not enough for me to knock off any points from this book. After all, it is not hard to admire Barnes' mastery.

This is literary fiction that is bursting at the seams with imagery, symbols and fabulous thoughts. However, it is also easy and fun to read, as well as highly entertaining and witty. Go read this book ASAP. Otherwise, you're really missing out.

RATING: 5/5

Book Blogger Hop #1

I'm excited to be participating in this fabulous Hop for the very first time! This week's question is:

What are you reading now and why?

The book I am reading at the moment is Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games. The fact that I'm reading this book is a testimony to the power of book blogs - I would never pick it out based on its cover, nor would the blurb interest me enough. But people raved about it, so I decided to try it. And I am LOVING IT! I read about 100 pages last night and it kept me up until 3.30AM - after which I think I dreamed something scary from the novel. No, it's not for the faint of heart, but it's one of the best YA books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Make sure you pick it up ASAP!

Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

There is rarely a book that shakes the blogosphere as much as Hush, Hush did. Starting with the gorgeous cover, then followed by the information that the Edward Cullen of Fitzpatrick's universe is a fallen angel (!), it really does not come as a surprise that this book has done so well.

And now, after reading it, I cannot wait to get my hands on Crescendo, the sequel, not because I loved the book. Rather, it felt like a big trailer that helps establish the author's mythology before the story kicks in. And I am sorry to say, the story and the characters in Hush, Hush were paper-thin.

Nora Grey, the protagonist of Hush, Hush was one of the most idiotic characters I've recently read in YA fiction. If Hush, Hush were a horror movie, Nora would be the first one to grab a banana as a weapon and run upstairs instead of get out of the house. I felt like the majority of the book was spent on Nora contemplating how dangerous most of her options seem and then choosing on the most dangerous one. Usually, this would be attributed to the passion and electricity between her and Patch, the bad boy angel. Too bad I never felt this electricity myself. Nora didn't work for me at all and I would rather see Vee, her best friend and a far more intriguing character, as the protagonist.

On the other hand, Patch is one hot tamale. Although his mystery doesn't quite kick in until halfway into the book (the readers, unlike Nora, are aware of the book cover, which is a spoiler in itself), he is a bona fide bad boy. It was really refreshing to have a character like this - teen love is often insecure and scary, so it seemed fitting. I don't know anyone who had a Bella/Edward sort of relationship in their teens, unless they are suffering from the Benjamin Button syndrome. So, when it comes to Patch, I give a big thumbs up to Becca Fitzpatrick.

Finally, the story itself. It was definitely intriguing and creepy at times. It's a book you read in record time, and forget even faster. The whole guy in a ski mask mystery worked fabulously, but I had huge problems with the mythology of Fitzpatrick's universe. The whole angel hoopla was incredibly confusing for me and ultimately, I found that I didn't exactly care how the plot was going to turn out.

So, it's a mixed bag. I guess I am getting a bit too old for YA novels that are written without any other audience in mind. Hush, Hush was a nice diversion, but nothing else. I do believe Crescendo will be better - now that all the necessary introductions are over and done with, there is actually chance for a good plot to emerge. I hope.

RATING: 3/5