27 November 2011

In My Mailbox (15)

Welcome to this weeks in my mailbox where we discuss all the new books we acquired through the week. This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren.

This week I got some exciting books, so without further hesitation -

Bought

Elixir (Elixir #1) - Hilary Duff
Only The Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls #4) - Ally Carter
Divergent (Divergent #1) - Veronica Roth (Kindle Edition)
Wither (Chemical Garden #1) - Lauren DeStefano (Kindle Edition)

For Review

Dancergirl (WiHi #1) - Carol M. Tanzman (Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley)
Saving June - Hannah Harrington (Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley)


So what did you get in your mailbox this week?

26 November 2011

Review: Dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman

Title: Dancergirl
Author: Carol M. Tanzman
Published: 15th November 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Series: (WiHi #1)
Source: eARC, thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley

A friend posted a video of me dancing online and now I'm now longer Alicia Ruffino. I'm dancergirl—and suddenly it's like me against the world—everyone's got opinions.

My admirers want more, the haters hate, my best friend Jacy—even he's acting weird. And some stranger isn't content to just watch anymore.

Ali, dancergirl. Whatever you know me as, however you've seen me online, I've trained my whole life to be the best dancer I can be. But if someone watching has their way, I could lose more than just my love of dancing.

I could lose my life. - From Goodreads
I started reading this book with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. All I knew was the basics, it was a thriller where the main character is a dancer who starts to get stalked after some of her dances appears online. To me this felt like a new topic and was one I did not pick up very frequently, but I was looking forward to getting stuck in.

Alicia is a teenage girl whose life revolves around dancing. It feel from the beginning of the book that Alicia has a fear of being spied on or watched. One of Alicia's friends, Charlie, offers to boost both of their careers, her dancing and his film making, but filing her dancing in social setting and posting the videos online for all to see. Quite quickly the attention Alicia is getting turns negative when videos of her, not filmed by Charlie, turn up online too. That's when the real stalking began.

I thought that Alicia was an interesting character and it was clear that dancing ruled her life and was her passion. Not only does she dance at her local studio she also works there. Seeing as the most I know about dancing is how to shake my thing at a club (and I'm not even sure you can call that dancing) I struggled a little when Alicia spoke about dancing. It felt a little like I was being left out of a conversation.

I thought the real star of this book was Jacy, Alicia's best friend. For my money his story and personal issues were the most interesting of the whole book. I liked some of the other characters but some of them felt quickly dismissed and never mentioned again once their specific role in the story had finished.

I thought there were some very exciting sections to this story, but at times the action did not move as fast as I thought it would. I though the action towards the end moved well and I actually overshot my lunch hour by 10 minutes finishing it off. I am not sure how I can see this novel working into a series as to me it very much felt like a stand alone book. I will be interested to see what the story of WiHi #2 will be.

25 November 2011

Follow Friday (3)




Welcome to my first Follow My Book Blog Friday. Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This week's question is: It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for – blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

I want to start by saying happy holidays to all of the US bloggers out there in the blogoverse! I am thankful for everyone who reads and comments on my blog. Every time I see that I have a new follower or a new comment I am surprised that people actually want to hear what I have to say, so thank you everyone!

I have mentioned this before, but the book I give the most thanks for in terms of blogging is Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers. This was the book that I needed to talk about as soon as I finished and I decided a blog was the best place for that.

24 November 2011

Review: The Witches of the East by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: The Wiches of the East
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 21st June 2011
Series: The Beauchamp Family #1
Source: Copy Borrowed from AB

Freya, Ingrid and Joanna Beauchamp love their sleepy life in the East Hamptons. A new engagement, promotion at work, a happy home - its all going perfectly. And, to top it off, no one's come close to discovering the secret of what they can really do in hundreds of years. But throw a few accidental love potions in the mix the Beauchamp girls are going to need more than a broomstick to clean up this mess... - From Goodreads


When I saw that this was in a pile of books one of my friends was lending me I was excited because I had not read any books by Melissa de la Cruz and this would be my first. It took a little looking on Goodreads for me to find out that this is actually the UK title for Witches of the East End which had been on my TBR list for ages, then started my happy dance!

This book is slightly older than the YA books I have been reading recently, but I loved it anyway. In the small town of East Hampton Freya, Ingrid and Joanna Beauchamp (even their family name is great!!) try to live a normal magic free life. Over the course of the book however the sisters Freya and Ingrid start to use magic more and more. Before we know it the police are looking for a scapegoat to some crimes and the fingers are beginning to point to the sisters.

This book was atmospheric and took a while to describe the town and the people who lived there. We are pulled into this small town and the rich descriptions bathes us in a feeling that we are actually there. This also gave some depth to the characters and allowed us a proper glimpse into how they lived their lives without magic. I really liked Ingrid as a character, even though she is the more sensible of the two characters in life, she is the one who is more willing to break the rules.

What I liked the best about this book was the mythology behind the Beauchamp Family, what happens when one of the sisters dies or is killed, where they came from and why they can't use their magic. I thought this was all well thought through and left me wanting to know much more. I wish this book had looked at this for longer, but it did not really come in until the end of the book, presumably as a build up to the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this book. It took a little while to get into the meat of the story as there was a lot of setting the scene going on at the start. Once I was into it though I found it hugely entertaining and I did not want to put it down. I wanted to know more about the witches and their history, so I will definitely be picking up book 2 (also because the cliff hanger at the end has left me with many more questions!!).

Some Amazing Covers

I have been meaning to post these covers for a while. Here are some beautiful covers for you to enjoy. Let me know what you think below.

The US cover for Starcrossed #2 - Beautiful! I can't wait to see the UK cover

The cover for Hereafter #2 - Stunning

The Ghost and the Goth #3 - Yay , I love seeing them holding hands.

The UK cover for Hallowed, Unearthly #2 - Have I mentioned how excited I am about this?

I absolutely love the colours used in Dreamless and I love that the face is kind of obscured. I also think the cover for Arise is brilliant. I can't wait to get my hands on these!!

What do you think about these covers?

23 November 2011

Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title: Hunting Lila
Author: Sarah Alderson
Published: 4th August 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Series: Hunting Lila #1
Source: Own Copy
17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them... - From Goodreads
I had been so excited to read this book ever since I saw it. The cover is stunning and the synopsis on the back of the book sucked me in. In comparison to some other books I have read recently I think the cover to Hunting Lila sets the tone for this books from the get go. This book is a fun action packed read with a lead character that I can relate to and found to be really fun and quirky!

Super powers? Check! Sweet protective brother? Check! Super hot guy? Check. Action and mystery? Check. This book had everything I wanted. I liked that Lila had this awesome super power to be able to move things with her mind, but she didn't flaunt it and when she uses it in public she freaks out and puts herself on a power ban. For me Lila was the 17 year old I was. She can be quite on the ball and clever at times, but is also a bit lazy when it comes to personal safety and gets distracted thinking about hot boys (or one specific hot boy) every 5 minutes; this is the main reason I didn't get round to finishing much as a teenager!!

The hot boy that Lila is obsessing over is the one she thinks she can never have... the brother's best friend! For me Alex is so worth daydreaming over, and in the story it actually go to the point that I just found it funny. Lila would be in some life threatening situation and would be worrying about dying, until she catches Alex's eye, then it's all about the precise shade and getting lost in them. All this time you are thinking "come on move you are going to die!!" Don't get me wrong I absolutely get it. Alex is described perfectly in a way that makes you swoon and wish he was real. I say day dream away Lila.

The characters in this were just right with the protective brother, the hesitant-because-he-is-older love interest and the super-sweet potential sister-in-law. Not to mention a whole cast of characters introduced towards the end of the book who were fascinating. They all added to the story to make it rich and exciting.

My one issue with this book was that I found it very difficult to put down! The story was exciting and it made me wish that I didn't have to get up for work in the morning, because then I could just keep reading through the night. The ending to this book left me gobsmacked and wishing that I could read the next book right away. I can't wait to get a copy of this one and I will be pre-ordering it as soon as it is available.

Waiting On Wednesday (16) - Incarnate

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows
Published: 31st January 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Series: Newsoul #1

NEWSOUL Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
NOSOUL Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
HEART Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. - From Goodreads


I think this not only looks amazing but sounds awesome too. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

What are you waiting on this Wed?

22 November 2011

Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Title: Saving June
Author: Hannah Harrington
Published: 22nd November 2011
Publisher:Harlequin Teen
Source: eARC thanks to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley

Everyone's sorry. But no one can explain why.
Harper Scott's older sister, June, took her own life a week before high school graduation, leaving Harper devastated. So when her divorcing parents decide to split up June's ashes, Harper steals the urn and takes off cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going—California.
Enter Jake Tolan, a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession…and an unknown connection to June. When he insists on joining them, Harper's just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what Harper needs. Except…Jake's keeping a secret that has the power to turn her life upside down—again. - From Goodreads

I started reading this book with the expectations that is would be a mournful book about Harper's struggle to come to terms with her sister's suicide. Oh, how I love it when a book surprises me! I am not exactly sure how I would describe this book, at times I was laughing and (I admit it but shhh... don't tell anyone) at other times I cried like a baby. This was an emotional rollercoaster with a genuine and flawed character who drags you along on her journey to understand a profound loss.

Harper! What can I say? She was a wonderful kind of awkward, who puts her foot in her mouth on many occasions, but incredibly selfish. What made me relate to her was that she never apologised for the things she did. She had a reason to do or say whatever it was at the time and she was sticking to it! She also never felt overly sorry for herself or spent too much time dwelling on how she can't cope with the loss of her sister. I have very limited experience of loss on this scale, but when Harper talked about missing June and her pain, it felt genuine and often made me shed a tear in her place. Finally on Harper, I love her name. It was always one of my top names as I am a Harper Lee fan. I understand why Victoria Beckham named her daughter Harper.

The other shining light in this story was Jake Tolan and his fabulous and varied music taste. Jake is the misunderstood "bad boy", although he has put many of his, less desirable, habits behind him. Jake is the handsome scruffy boy with the beautiful green eyes. He was well written and interacted really well with Harper's best friend Laney. Ah Laney, so much fun, I want to know you in real life!

For me the music and the references link the book together. The best thing for me was that most of the music were songs I used to listen to in the car with my dad (I am also STILL a bit of a Stones fan girl). Music lit up the book for me and finding the track-list for the various soundtracks mentioned in the book at the end made me clap my hands with glee and wonder just how much music Hannah Harrington has. I am so putting some of these soundtracks together for myself.

The one thing that really was the thorn in my side for this story was just how selfish the main premise of the story is. It really irritated me that there was no thought towards her parents when Harper decides that she will take her sister's ashes away from them. Not only does she take the ashes she then takes it upon herself to decide how and where they are to be disposed. For me there was not enough dwelling on the selfishness of her actions and if I had been a member of her family and the decision had been taken from me, I'm not sure it's something I could get over. It was a great story, but this one point stuck with me for the whole book.

19 November 2011

Review - Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Inc
Published: 1st August 2009
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Hall #1
Source: Own Copy

Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance. - From Goodreads

I fell in love with the covers for this series. They are so beautiful that I bought the whole series as actual books (I am so sorry kindle!). I had read a few glowing reviews about these books, I worried that Shiver would not live up to the hype. I should not have spent any time worrying!!

I was sucked right into the story and pulled into the lives of Sam and Grace. When I realised that the story was told from the point of view of two narrators I was put off slightly as I often find that this loses the impact of the story. In this case I found it to be rather helpful. In the first place while Sam is a wolf we are able to experience what he is feeling. At other times we are seeing the story from the point of view from the person we need to understand the motives.

I really enjoyed the story and thought it was charming. The other characters around Sam and Grace were also well written, from Grace's distant parents to the mean girl you love to hate! I have to say that Isobel Culpeper lifted this book for me. I pictured her as the Regina George of the story! I also really liked the character of Beck, Sam's father figure of sorts.

I read this book super fast and never felt there were any dry or slow parts I had to push myself through, but for a paranormal book I thought there was little conflict past the whole human in love with a werewolf who potentially will never shift again. Lots of threads from the story line were left up in the air, which I expected from a trilogy, I just hope it means we will have a bit of action in the next book!! Also I still can't quite get my head around the age thing. Grace was attacked as a child, Sam is one year older than her, he carried her out of the woods after the attack. Does this not mean that he was also a child? Hmmm... I guess it does not really matter!

Looking forward, I can't wait to read the next books in this series and I hope they are just as beautiful!

17 November 2011

Follow Me Friday (2)





Welcome to my first Follow My Book Blog Friday. Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This week's question is: Letter to Santa. Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas!

There are so many books I want for Christmas I almost don't know where to start... almost

Dear Santa,
This year I would mainly like you to help me out with some series that I have not tried before. I hear so many people talk about them it sounds like I am missing out on some fantastic stories.

1. The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine - If you have not read Jen's ABC of why you should read this series, check it out here. I am a total convert!

2. House of Night Series by P. C. and Kristin Cast - I am not sure why I have never read these books. I remember reading and loving a P.C. Cast book a few years ago where a woman is transported to another world. It was gooooood!

3. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz - I recently read Witches of The East (UK title) and I loved it. I am hoping that the same care is worked into the Blue Bloods books.

4. The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa - I have seen so much around about these I guess I should probably read them so that I can join in the conversations!

I could go on and on, but I am sure that the reading time involved with my picks above means I won't have time for anything else for January and February!!


Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Published: 29th September 2011
Publisher: Dutton
Source: Own Kindle Copy

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. - From Goodreads

Oh Stephanie Perkins, won't you be my best friend? I will make us cookies and we can hang out in my flat drinking wine, eating cookies and you can tell me stories forever. Kind of like a cool, fun and in no way scary version of Misery! No? Well that's cool, if you could point me in the direction of whoever you based Cricket on then? Thanks!!

So I loved this book! I may have enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss more, but I think it was just because it was new and exciting. This book was filled with everything I needed and made me feel all happy and warm inside! Lola has the spirit of Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls (I love the scene where she is rocking out on her own in Rory's room and Rory and an Lorelai just watch her) and the creativity of... well.... Lola. I can't think of anyone else who wears different wigs teamed with anything from a tea dress, to Chinese print pyjama bottoms or a 1950's gingham dress she made herself. She is so adorkable!

The relationship between Lola and her two dads was wonderfully written and I thought it worked really well. It also made me smile when I saw how they acted towards Lola's rock-band boyfriend Max - can I also just say that I love that Max has a tattoo of Max, from Where The Wild Things Are, on his arm - compared to how they acted with Cricket. Cricket, the tall, gangly, geeky, handsome and sweet boy who reminded me of a slightly more suave Seth Cohen, from the OC. The perfect boy next door.

Oh and the appearance of Anna from Anna and the French Kiss made me laugh out loud and clap my hands with glee!! Fantastic. Stephanie Perkins, please never stop writing books. Your stories are like watching my favorite romantic comedy while I am wrapped up in a blanket with cookies, wine and my girlfriends! They make me so happy, I can't wait until the next one .


16 November 2011

HUNGER GAMES!! I'M EXCITED!!

OMG! I saw this on another blog while I was at work and I managed to wait until I got home to watch it. It was worth the wait! I am jumping up and down with excitement and I can't wait until March 2012!

Have a look for yourself...


What do you think?

Review: The Initiation by LJ Smith

Title: The Initiation
Author: LJ Smith
Publisher: HarperPrism
Published: 15th September 1992
Series: The Secret Circle #1
Source: Own Kindle Copy

The author of the bestselling The Vampire Diaries presents a suspenseful new trilogy. Seduced by the Secret Circle, Cassie is initiated into the mysterious "in-crowd, " a coven of young witches whose power has controlled New Salem for 300 years--and risks falling prey to the dark powers in order to have the coven leader's boyfriend. - From Goodreads

So, I admit it... I read this book because I thought the new TV series on the CW was great. Being the impatient woman I am, I decided that I would just figure out what was going on by reading the book! Well you would have thought I had learned my lesson with The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game - the book is nothing like the TV show! That's not to say that this book was not entertaining!

Cassie and her mother move back into the family home in New Salem after Cassie has a mysterious encounter with a handsome boy on a beach a few towns away. Being the new girl at school is difficult in New Salem, especially when you stand up to the head mean girl, Faye! Faye who hangs voodoo dolls in lockers, makes your bag look like it is moving and steals your poetry!

There are a lot more witches in their coven also and there seemed to be quite a bit of unrest within the group with us getting the impression that the coven was split into good magic and bad magic! I also have to remind myself while reading books by L. J. Smith, that these books were written pre mobile phones. When ever a character gets in a jam I find myself wondering "why not just phone for help?"

I enjoyed this book, it was filled with forbidden love, magic, a crystal skull, mean girls and a likeable main character, but I felt that it was over just as the story began. I think, like the vampire diaries, instead of being a trilogy it feels more like one book split across three. I will be picking up the other two because they are super fast reads!

Waiting On Wednesday (15) - Bewitching

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Title: Bewitching
Author: Alex Flinn
Published: Harper Teen
Publisher: 14th March 2012
Series: Kendra Chronicles #1

Kendra Hilferty, the witch who curses Kyle Kingsbury in Beastly, tells about her immortal existence-how she discovered she was a witch and the various ways she has used her powers to help people throughout the centuries. (Unfortunately her attempts have often backfired.) As it turns out, Kendra has actually had a hand in "Hansel and Gretel," "The Princess and the Pea," and "The Little Mermaid"-but these are not the fairy tales you think you know! Kendra's reminiscences are wrapped around a real-time version of "Cinderella," except the "ugly" stepsister is the good guy. With dark twists, hilarious turns, and unexpected endings, Bewitching is a contemporary read for fairy-tale lovers, fantasy fans, and anyone looking for more Alex Flinn. - From Goodreads

This is the story of Kendra (the witch from Beastly) and how she had a hand in a lot of the fairytales we know today. If you remember from Beastly though Kendra was not the best of witches and made a lot of mistakes, so I think this book will bee looking at how stories like Cinderella resulted from one of her mistakes.

It sounds exactly like the kind of thing I enjoy!!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

15 November 2011

Review: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (VA4)

Title: Blood Promise
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: 25th August 2009
Series: Vampire Academy #4
Source: Own Kindle Copy

Warning - Synopsis and Review Contain Spoilers!

Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same.

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love? - From Goodreads

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I practically threw my kindle across the room when I read the end of the third book. Dimitri can't be Strigoi! This was a major shock and I swear I actually cried when it happened. I did not see this coming, how could you do this Richelle?

Well, after the attack on the school by the Strigoi everything was left turned upside down. During the attack in the last book Christian and Rose teamed up to be a badass killing machine, with his elemental use of fire and her awesomeness they worked together to kill loads of Strigoi. Unfortunately they took some victims with them when they retreated. When a team is put together to rescue the captured, there are more casualties with one in particular - Dimitri.

I thought this book had a much different feel from the previous ones. For one Rose and Lissa spend the majority of the books apart from each other. This does not prevent us from knowing what is happening with Lissa as Rose can still go into Rose's head no matter how far apart they are. To me this felt like the beginning of the end concerning my relationship with Lissa. I know she is a princess and i know there were other influences, but come on!! She treats Christian like crap and does not give a second thought to Rose off on her journey. Boo Lissa!! Hiss! I am sure I am not the only one who feels like a break from Lissa is a good thing for Rose!?!

This book is Rose's journey to find Dimitri and follow through on a promise made to each other. We meet a few new characters on this journey, including Sydney. Now unlike Lissa I think Sydney, the alchemist with the cool tattoo, is awesome! Oh and how can I forget Dimitri's family? It made me wish I was a member of the Belikov family, well kind of... except for the whole blood wh*** thing (lets at least pretend to keep it clean here folks!).

Following on from the last book, there were a number of points where I cried throughout Rose's journey (I should have just read the books with a box of tissues within reaching distance). I don't know what it is about the Vampire Academy books, but I am completely sucked into Rose's emotional state. When she is feeling confused and woozy or when she is upset, so am I. The ending of this book left me on the edge of my seat desperate to know what's going to happen next.

13 November 2011

Shatter Me Book Trailer

To celebrate the release of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi I thought I would share the beautiful trailer with you all.






Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published: 15th November 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel. - From Goodreads


Amazing, I can't wait!!

In My Mailbox (14)

Welcome to this weeks in my mailbox where we discuss all the new books we acquired through the week. This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren.

This week I only got one book and a box of beauty goodies.

Bought



Private (Private #1) - Kate Brian

Other





Monthly glossy box filled with beauty teats to try. So pretty I had to share with you. Check out the Glossy Box website for details.

So what did you get in your mailbox this week?

12 November 2011

Mount TBR Challenge



Bev at My Readers Block will be hosting the Mount TBR Reader Challenge. This challenge is to help those of us with ever growing TBR piles to try and tackle them. As one of these people (you can see my TBR list on the tab above) I am looking forward to making a dent in this list.

The varying levels are as follows -

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 25 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 40 books from your TBR piles/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 50 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Everest: Read 100+ books from your TBR pile/s


The Rules can be found here. As these books can count towards other challenges I think I will probably reach Mt. Kilimanjaro, but I know how I can be with buying new books, so I am going to aim for Mt Ararat.

How many of your TBR books are you going to try to tackle this year?

Debut Author Challenge 2012



I have seen a few posts popping with the different challenges for next year. I had so much fun with the challenges last year, and they totally kept me on track with reading, that I will be signing up for a few again next year. Over the next few days I will be posting the various challenges I have seen so that you can see whats out there and maybe you will choose to participate in one yourself.

So first up we have the 2012 Debut Author Challenge. last year this challenge introduced me to some books I may have missed so I will definitely be signing up for this one. The challenge is hosted by The Story Siren and sign up and the details for the challenge can be found here.

So far the UK debut books I am looking froward to reading in 2012 are:

1. Cinder by MelissaMeyer
2. Tempest by Julie Cross
3. Born Wicked by Jessica Spottiswood
4. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
5. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
6. Slide by Jill Hathaway
7. The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
8. Love & Leftovers by Sata Tregay
9. Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
10. A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
11. Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
12. Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

This list will most likely change and grow over the course of 2012. I will be keeping a list of the books I have read for this challenge and the books I want to read on my challenge tab above.

11 November 2011

Follow Me Friday






Welcome to my first Follow My Book Blog Friday. Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This week's question is: In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran’s Day tell us about your favorite solider and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.
My favourite soldier has to be my grandfather. He served in the RAF in WW2. He was the engineer on his plane and did some heroic things which resulted in him getting a medal. Unfortunately he is no longer with us, but he will always be my favourite.

10 November 2011

Show Gratitude for Books and Win 19 Signed YA Books





The amazing, and generous, Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe and A Million Suns, has put together the mother of all giveaways. Beth has managed to get 19 signed books plus swag together for a giveaway and to enter all you have to do is blog about the book you want to give thanks to, click on the button above, or here, for more details.

So, without further hesitation, the book I am most thankful for is Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers.


I had read a number of YA books before this one, and there are probably a number I could credit for encouraging the reader in me, but I can't ever think of a time in the past when I haven't loved reading.

Cracked Up To Be was the book that made me fall in love with book blogging. I am not a person who keeps their opinion to themselves (just ask anyone who sits anywhere near me at work!!) and I had been blogging for a couple of months. Mostly it was about the YA books I read but and I was not really feeling it. Then along came this book...

I think this was the first contemporary YA book I had read since I was actually a young adult and I loved it!! I loved it so much, that as soon as I read the last word I felt like I was going to burst if I did not share my thoughts. I have a few other friends that are avid readers, but their go to books are usually about politics or classics, so the only real outlet I had to share my love was my blog. Something just clicked for me when I was excitedly trying to get all my thoughts down in a way that people would enjoy and understand!

Now I can't get enough of sharing all things YA books and I owe to a beautiful and raw story about a girl who is lost.


What book are you most thankful for and why?

Fallen Series Cover Reveal and Sneak Peak

Over the last couple of days I have been seeing a lot of blogs posting the new covers for two books being released, by Lauren Kate, in the Fallen Series. I hang my head in shame when I say that Passion is still sitting in my TBR pile, but the excitement may just move it to the top!

So here goes, I wanted to share the love with you. I have posted the cover for a book of Daniel and Luce love stories called Fallen in Love, the cover for the last book in the fallen series, Rapture, and a link to a chapter sneak peak that Lauren posted on her blog!!! So Exciting *clapping hands with joy*!

Fallen In Love (Fallen #3.5)
Author: Lauren Kate
Published: 24th January 2012
Series: Fallen #3.5


Rapture (Fallen #4)
Title: Rapture
Author: Lauren Kate
Published: 12th June 2012
Series: Fallen #4

Finally, as promised, click here to see a link to the "very special sneak peek at Fallen in Love" as posted by Lauren on her blog! Woo Woo!

So how amazing do we think the new covers are? They totally work with the feel for the whole series.

09 November 2011

Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Title: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
Published: 1st May 2011
Series: Dead Beautiful #1
Source: Own Copy

At Gottfried Academy, just one kiss will take your breath away. After Renee discovers her parents dead in what appears to be a strange double murder, she is sent to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious high school dedicated to philosophy, 'crude sciences', and Latin: the Language of the Dead. Here she meets Dante, a dark and elusive student who harbors a deadly secret, but to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. Despite himself, Dante cannot control his attraction to Renee either and their desires gradually deepen into a complex and dangerous romance. But Dante's not the only one with secrets...Gottfried Academy has a few of its own. When Renee begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a former student, she begins to realize just how deadly these secrets are...Dark romance meets haunting murder mystery in this captivating tale of love, death and destiny. - From Goodreads
I think it took me about a month to read the first chapter of this book. I always seemed to pick it up when I was in the wrong mood to read, when I was so tired I could barely finish a page or I would start to read and then get distracted by something else. Once I finally sat down to properly read this book it found it really easy to involved in the story and I managed to finish in a couple of days.

The story begins with Renee finding her parents dead and having to move to the other side of the country to live with her grandfather to promptly sends her to Gottfried Academy. This is a school where no electricity is used, only candles after dark and Latin is the main language studied. Soon after starting the school year she meets Dante. Dante is beautiful, aloof and super cool.

I found the story in this book to be really slow to start. To me it felt like the first half of the book was spent getting to know Renee and her friends; Dante, Eleanor and Nathan, and describing the surroundings. I also felt like the descriptions of Dante only happened a tiny bit at a time. Now I know this was as Renee got to know him, we would get to know him, but to me there were somethings that could have been mentioned earlier.

So once we got into the story and finding out about what is really going on at the school, who is who and what they are doing, I really enjoyed it. I thought the supernatural angle (I'm not going to ruin any surprises) was really interesting, well thought out and has loads going for it. I think if I had to summarise the last half of the book it would take me a while as lots happened. the story had me guessing as I was reading, and trying to predict what would happen, not only in the rest of the book, but the rest of the series.

I can see this being a series I really enjoy as long as the next few books can get right to the action and don't linger too long on reminding us what happened previously. I will defiantly be picking up a copy Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2) as soon as it comes out.

Waiting On Wednesday (14) - Catching Jordan

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we can show the books we are eagerly awaiting released.

Title: Catching Jordan
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Release Date: 1st December 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire


What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate. - From Goodreads


I love the sound of this. It sounds like Friday Night Lights crossed with She's the Man but without the disguises! I love the sound of it. Oh and can we look at the cover... lovely!

So what are you waiting on this Wednesday?


08 November 2011

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Published: 2nd Dec 2010
Source: Own Kindle Copy


Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited? - From Goodreads

Why did no one take me by the shoulders, shake me, then force me to sit down and read this book? It was on my kindle for at least 8 months before I got round to reading it, and now I feel like slapping myself and yelling "WHAT WERE YOU WAITING FOR?!?" How can I describe my love for this book? I think this book rekindled my love of contemporary romance novels - thank you Stephanie Perkins.


So the story follows Anna in her last year of school. This is not a normal year as her father has decided it would be best for her to spend the year at an American school in Paris! Some people might think "Paris, how amazing", but Anna is going to Paris without any knowledge of the language and leaving her friends, family, possible boyfriend and job. What a nightmare! Luckily she quickly makes friends and meets Meredith, Josh, Rashmi and St Clair. 

Ah, St Clair... Etienne St Clair. Charming, handsome, British (apparently that makes American girl's toes tingle!) and unfortunately dating Ellie! Boo! 

I love Anna! She is total geek-tastic. A film fanatic, who can happily spend every evening in the cinema on her own enjoying every type of film there is to offer, is someone I could get to know. Even more than that there were some absolute gems that made me laugh, like her complete inability to order food at school. Anna is the friend I think everyone could use in their lives.

This book was a joyful emotional rollercoaster. The ups were fantastic and the downs left you wanting to reach into the book and give Anna a hug. When I finished the book I felt completely satisfied, wanting more and planning a trip to Paris (I mean really I am so close, why have I never been?). Stephanie Perkins I need you writing more books!!

Cover Reveal: Hourglass #2

We all know the beauty that is the cover for Hourglass by Myra McEntire, if you have forgotten, here it is!






I loved this book and I am waiting on the edge of my seat for the next book in the series. I know the ARC cover has been floating around for a little while, but I had to share the joy with all of you. Mind this is just the ARC cover and it may change a little before release, but look... so pretty...


There is currently no book summary for this but already I can't wait.

What do you think?

07 November 2011

Review: Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Title: Shrinking Violet
Author: Danielle Joseph
Publisher: MTV
Published: 5th May 2009
Source: Own Copy

High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class.
But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out - doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T - and to everyone's shock, she's a hit!
Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize - Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare... - From Goodreads

When I was growing up I was a huge fan of the film Pump Up The Volume. If you are not familiar with this Christian Slater masterpiece, he is a shy guy who comes alive on his pirate radio station which causes havoc and rebellion amongst his peers. So when I was perusing the YA US import shelves at the bookstore across the road from my flat and read the back of this one, there was no question I was going to buy it. When I got home, before I had even properly taken my coat off, I was eagerly starting the book.

Teresa, or Tere as everyone knows her, Adams is shy. She is not just nervous in front of people but is scared every day that someone will as her a question as when she has to talk to someone it feels like there is a lump of peanut butter jamming her throat. The only time she is ever relaxed and herself is when she is alone in her room pretending to be a DJ for one of the programmes on her stepfather's radio station.

When one of the DJ's quits leaving an opening at the station, an unpredicted outburst from Tere has her helping out as an intern after school. A series of events culminates in Tere becoming her on air persona, Sweet T, and becoming the prize in a competition, win a prom date with Sweet T.

I loved the character of Tere. I thought she was sweet and funny. I could see that her shyness was not just something she had to get over it was actually a real problem for her. I thought she was a well written character and I actually felt myself being nervous for her at some points. I also really liked Tere's mother and stepfather. I thought they made a good pair even if Tere's mother pushes the mothering too far.

I have to say that I loved this story from beginning to end. My only tiny gripe with it would be that Tere does begin to stand up for herself a little towards the end. I wonder why does she find her voice now? How quickly standing up for herself turns from a crippling fear to something she can do when needed. Either way I felt happy at the end of the book and wonder why I never considered a career as a DJ!

06 November 2011

In My Mailbox (13)

Welcome to this weeks in my mailbox where we discuss all the new books we acquired through the week. This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren.

This is really a combination of the books I have received in the last couple of weeks. I had another swap with the lovely and charming AB which has helped push my TBR pile to astronomical heights!!

Borrowed from AB



Bought


Bought For Kindle





I got so excited about all these books I have finished 2 already and I am partway through another. So folks, what did you get in your mailbox today?