TGIF // Ugly YA Cover Art!

TGIF @ Greads // What are some of the worst book covers that hold the best stories inside? Don't be embarrassed show us your cover! TBH, I really struggled to find any novels in my favourites pile with terrible covers. What you're seeing below is a list of average covers that are actually easily dealt with once you peek inside the book. I guess YA really is renowned for it's quality cover art, if not it means I'm subconsciously totally vein and only reading books with beautiful covers.

1. And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky

A particularly plain cover. It does slightly represent the text at hand (love, typewriter) but it doesn't seem to have done very well in capturing the attention of the reader. Something a little bit more fun would be suited to this novel.

2. The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin

TBH, this one looks like it was self-published and the cover art put together by a person with zero design experience. Although it does represent the content in a way (Goth, Prom).

3. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 

This one kept me extremely entertained on a roadtrip awhile back yet I made sure to hide the cover from the general public as it looks heaps childish. 

4. Love Story by Jennifer Echols 

Another cover that looks like it was designed by someone with very little experience. If it weren't for Jennifer Echols name on the cover, I'd assume this was a self-published novel.

5. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

I read this one such a long time ago but I can recall wondering why the cover looks so damn awkward. I expect so much more from an Elizabeth Scott novel!

Q: Which of your favourite books have the worst of covers?

Top Ten // Books I'd Like To See Made Into A Movie

It's time for another edition of Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and The Bookish). This week's topic revolves around those mysterious book to movie adaptations and highlights the books I'm hoping will be transformed ASAP.

1. Perfect Chemisty by Simone Elkeles

It seems like all my picks are romance-related... I guess chick-lit films aren't as successful or challenging to make as a dystopian. Don't get me wrong I love the current craze following in the footsteps of The Hunger Games but when all that dies down, can we please turn PERFECT CHEMISTRY into the irresistible films it deserves to be :D

2. Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty

I hear this one is currently being scripted so lookout for your next dose of Marcus Flutie in the the form of a rather popular actor as shown below. 

3. Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

I'm guessing this rather popular series hasn't been made into a film yet due to it's similarities with Twilight but it's so much more than that. I'm yet to complete the series but hopefully it wraps well and catches the attention of producers.

4. Any Sarah Dessen Novel 

Okay, so that Mandy Moore film based on Someone Like You and That Summer was pretty awful... but think of how much Sarah Dessen's novels have improved since those dark days. It probably won't happen but I'd love to see who would be cast as Owen in Just Listen or Wes in The Truth About Forever. Please Make This Happen, People!

5. Slam by Nick Hornby

I read this one such a long time ago, I'm surprised it's not already a film considering almost all of Nick Hornby's other works have been successfully adapted into film most notably About A Boy. An Education & my personal favourite Fever Pitch.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Just looking at the props as shown below makes me super keen for this movie, we haven't had a good American in Paris flick in such a long time. Who doesn't love the idea of falling in like at boarding school. 

7. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I'm pretty sure the trekky fans would eat us alive for entering their SciFi universe with a Young Adult adventure but it'd be worth the risk to see Amy and Elder on the big screen.

8. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The perfect mixture of misery and longing with a love triangle thrown in for good measure. Plus, it wraps with a wedding, woo for Belly! 

9. Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

With the success of Tomorrow, When the War Began, Hating Alison Ashley & Looking for Alibrandi, it makes perfect sense to follow in the tradition of popular Aussie YA adaptations and flip Jaclyn Moriarty's hilarious teen series into a film starring our fave local actors.

10. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Another perfect romance, I don't know why this one hasn't been picked up yet. It manages to take a cliche of meeting on a plane and falling in love to a whole other level <3

UPCOMING BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS;;

I also stumbled upon a quite a lot of movies already in the works and they just so happen to be a few of my favourites, yay! I can't wait to see each of these films hit the cinema and create waves amongst the blogosphere and beyond! Follow the links to keep track of them on your IMDB watch-list.

2012 // The Lonely Hearts Club, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Shiver.

2013 // 13 Reasons Why, Beautiful Creatures, The Duff, Dash and Lily, Delirium, Forgotten, The Future of Us.

2014 // Heist Society, Here Lies Bridget.

2015: A Great and Terrible Beauty, Divergent, The Scorpio Races.

Q: What books would you like to see made into a movie?

Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers

Tip One // Getting Started

As you're currently reading a post for new bloggers, I'm going to assume you are in the process of building your blog. When I was at this stage, I remember wondering whether I had the chops to participate in a community of so many amazing people. I just to want to get it out there that we're all just regular people with a love for books and you don't really need any special skills although a basic writing ability and a few hours to spare each week will help!

Tip Two // Why YA?

This is a question many of us have asked ourselves especially those who are no longer within the recommended age bracket of the Young Adult genre. It's a complete mystery to me and many others as to why it seems to have blown up in the bookstore and blogosphere. The truth is, no one really knows but let's enjoy the community of like-minded individuals while it lasts unless YA Books aren't really your calling and you're only jumping on the bandwagon to become a successful blogger. In that case, build your blog around your daily life or basically any passion or interest you have as there is likely to be a following out there somewhere!

Tip Three // Socialize
Once you've got the basics of your blog sorted, you may start to wonder how to build interest. Well, it all comes down to socializing. Spend lots of time commenting on other blogs and you may just make some friends along the way, it's also the perfect way to gain inspiration for your next blog post, just remember to always give credit to the original blogger. Don't forget to create a Twitter or Facebook account that links to your blog so we can get to know you a little bit better!

Tip Four // Followers

It may seem like blogging is purely a game of building followers but you'll soon realize that the GFC Widget isn't a very clear representation of readership at all. Most blogs with a large following have either hosted a giveaway or have simply been around for yonks! The best advice I can give you is simply do not pay attention to the little or large number on your sidebar as you'll only to start to hate on it... just make sure it's easy for readers to follow your blog in a variety of ways i.e. email subscription, rss or bloglovin.

Tip Five // ARCs

At first, you may be tempted to request review books but in my opinion, it is best to wait until you have your reviewing format down-pat. It's entirely up to you but my advice would be to start off reviewing your own books or those you can obtain at the library. Once you're comfortable with your skills, you'll be able to build a great relationship with publicists by reviewing each and every book sent out  to you in a timely manner and you'll become much more successful in the end.

Tip Six // Advertising 

We would all love to turn our hobbies into a paid career but unfortunately blog earnings are extremely slim and some advertising will actually turn away readers. For the most part, a small button on your blog sidebar won't bother followers and they are now really easy to install thanks to Google AdSense and many other blog advertising websites.

Tip Seven // Design

You may find it a little time-consuming but the design of your blog is extremely important. For your first layout, a freebie self-install that represents your personality should do the job just look for something that personifies the topics you hope to discuss. Try to avoid overcrowding your sidebar or choosing a font that is hard to read as these are huge pet peeves in the world of blogging.

Tip Eight // Quality vs. Quantity

It may seem like you're already behind the eight-ball but as a newbie blogger you'll have plenty of motivation and ideas for posting on your blog. Try to strike while the creative iron is hot by scheduling a few quality posts in advance while also not becoming too reliant on fluff posts unless that's what you're going for.

Tip Nine // Vlogs
If you have the confidence to blog via video recording then I say give it a go. There is nothing better than popping by a random In My Mailbox post and instantly getting to know the personality behind a blog. It isn't an essential skill but totally worth giving it a go at some point.

Tip Ten // Real Life
It's extremely easy for blogging to take over your life so remember to take a step back every now and again to analyze the amount of time you're devoting to your blog and whether it's having a negative effect on your social life. In the end, you'll be the only one to notice if you've gone on hiatus for a week, month or even a year so don's stress too much about taking regular breaks throughout the year.

Top Ten Tuesday is organized by the lovely people at The Broke and The Bookish. 

Review: The Ivy

Authors: Lauren Kunze, Rina Onur

Released: 31st August 2010

Genre: YA Romance

Rating: **

Challenge: ABC Reading Challenge

Links: Goodreads, Amazon

Summary:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?

Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with

• 
Gregory 
the guy she loves to hate ...
• 
Evan 
the guy she'd love to forget ...
• 
Clint 
the guy she'd love to love ...
• 
and Matt 
the guy she really should love ...
• 
all vying for her attention.

But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams. Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?

My Thoughts:

I had rather high expectations of The Ivy as it's one of the few YA novels to venture into the realm of the college lifestyle. Other than the fact that it was set at Harvard, The Ivy could easily have been transposed to a high school drama involving boys, friendships and partying. It reads much like a love-letter slash guidebook and is worthy of quite a few eye-rolls especially when the protag keeps jumping from love interest to love interest within mere pages of her devotion.

Overall, I feel college is a huge niche and I can see great things for it in the future of YA but for right now, I'll be sure to steer clear of the fluff.

In My Mailbox #85

I'm really excited about Holier Than Thou this week, it isn't often that I find a character who shares my first name. It's even better to find another awesome Aussie YA. I also can't wait to read comedienne Corinne Grant's memoir especially after the amazing Tina Fey won me over with Bossypants. It's been a long time since I've received such a haul in one week, YAY for lots of new books!

 Holier Than Thou by Laura Buzo

 Metro Winds by Isobelle Carmody

Storm (Elemental, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer 

The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke

Lessons in Letting Go by Corinne Grant

Q: What's In Your Mailbox This Week?