I live in the UK and am an avid reader of YA, New Adult and occasionally adult fiction. I set up this website to give honest reviews about books I read and I also post reviews at Wastepaperprose. If you are an author, publisher or publicist and would like me to review a book, please e mail me here.
Welcome to day eight of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
Today it's Kate's turn and her contest is for her Twitter and Facebook followers. She is giving away two books of your choosing (one for each social site) up to $15 in value. This giveaway is international since the Book Depository ships for free (please make sure your country is listed on the website before entering) and the deadline is 11th February.
Further instructions on how to enter are here. Go enter and good luck! If this if the first time you've seen The Big Blogoversary Celebration, it's not too late to enter the other giveaways. Click here to access the master list of giveaways! I'll be back with more tomorrow!
Welcome to day seven of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month (mine is officially today!!) and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
Today it's my turn again and I'm giving away signed UK paperback copies of Fallen and Torment by Lauren Kate. I was fortunate enough to meet Lauren last year who managed to survive a good grilling from me as I had some burning questions I needed answering. She couldn't give me ALL the answers but reassured me that they would be answered in PASSION which comes out later this year :) To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment and include your e mail address so I can contact you if you win. You DO NOT have to be a follower. Because things are a little tight at the moment I'm going to have to make this UK only HOWEVER if you are international and you have a UK mailing address OR you're willing to pay for postage, then you can enter. The deadline is 11th February. Good luck everyone.
If this if the first time you've seen The Big Blogoversary Celebration, it's not too late to enter the other giveaways. Click here to access the master list of giveaways! I'll be back with more tomorrow!
Welcome to day six of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month (mine is officially today!!) and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
If you're wondering what happened to day five, I accidentally forgot to post yesterday for that contest (which is epic as you win TOR books including one of my favourites, Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers) but you can still enter that one on Kate's blog (see above for link).
Today it's my turn again and I'm giving away a signed UK paperback copy of The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney. Trust me when I tell you that Karen (or Kaz as she is more affectionately known) is AWESOME with a capital A and the book is gooooooood. Having just read it, I can vouch for that and my review is going up imminently.
To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment and include your e mail address so I can contact you if you win. You DO NOT have to be a follower. Because things are a little tight at the moment I'm going to have to make this UK only HOWEVER if you are international and you have a UK mailing address OR you're willing to pay for postage, then you can enter. The deadline is 11th February. Good luck everyone.
If this if the first time you've seen The Big Blogoversary Celebration, it's not too late to enter the other giveaways. Click here to access the master list of giveaways! I'll be back with more tomorrow!
Welcome to day four of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
Today it's my turn again and I'm giving away a pair of signed UK paperback copies of The Devil's Kiss and Dark Goddess. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarwat last year in London and let me tell you that not only is he funny but he's also one smart cookie :)
To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment and include your e mail address so I can contact you if you win. You DO NOT have to be a follower. Because things are a little tight at the moment I'm going to have to make this UK only HOWEVER if you are international and you have a UK mailing address OR you're willing to pay for postage, then you can enter. The deadline is 11th February. Good luck everyone.
Welcome to day three of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
Today it's Kate's turn and she is giving away a copy of Wereling by Steve Feasey (also known as Changeling in the UK). This one is US/Canada only but don't worry as there will be more international and UK only giveaways to come. Contest ends 11th February. To enter, just click here. Kate also has a master list of all the giveaways listed so far so you can enter as many as you like! Good luck!
"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young. Here is the Goodreads description:
"Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
There have been others before who’ve felt the Need, but they’re gone—erased from the memories of everyone whose lives they had touched. It's as though they never existed. This is the fate that awaits Charlotte. But the last thing Charlotte wants to do is disappear, to be Forgotten. She wants to stay with her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend’s arms forever. She wishes she could just ignore the Need, but she can’t. And as everyone important in her life begins to slowly forget her, she has to decide if she’ll fight the Need in order to remain herself—no matter how dark the consequences."
So firstly, it's an angel book and we all know I'm an angel girl :) What I like is that it's something a little bit different. I like the idea of forgotten angels and one that wants to fight against her true nature. The cover is really pretty and I'm definitely looking forward to reading this one. A Need So Beautiful is published on 21st June, 2011.
Welcome to day two of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
Today it's my turn and I am giving away signed UK paperback copies of Shiver and Linger by one of my favourite authors, Maggie Stiefvater.
To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment and include your e mail address so I can contact you if you win. Because things are a little tight at the moment I'm going to have to make this UK only HOWEVER if you are international and you have a UK mailing address OR you're willing to pay for postage, then you can enter. The deadline is 11th February. Good luck everyone.
Today marks the first day of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
Today it's Kate's turn and she is giving away a signed copy of Angel Star (graciously donated by Jennifer Murgia) and some swag. With the sequel LEMNISCATE coming out in March this is the perfect opportunity to read Angel Star.
Just click here to enter the contest. It's international and ends on 11th February so get your entry in now! Good luck!
So I want to tell you how I came across Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz. I was on my way to meet Jennifer Lynn Barnes in London at her book launch and my friend Sarah and I had some time to kill so of course, we went book shopping. We went to Waterstones in Piccadilly which I found out is the biggest book store in Europe (WOOT!). Besides the already huge amount of YA books, I was incredibly impressed to see a small collection of books that had been imported from America (it’s quality over quantity, right?!). I saw some fabulous books from the likes of Simone Elkeles and Jennifer Echols and I came across this little book called Deadly Little Lies. I read the back cover (as I always do) and thought “oooh, this sounds interesting” even though I’d never heard of the author before. I had however heard of her other books as I found out later.
Anyway, so I hadn’t meant to start a new book so soon (especially as I was already in the middle of reading another one) but I had nothing to read on the train so I pulled this one and began to read. It’s quite a quick read at 252 pages or at least it seemed like it was and so I was finished in no time. And no I didn’t finish it during the train journey, in case you’re wondering ;)
Deadly Little Secret centres around sixteen year old Camelia’s seemingly ordinary life which is rocked to its core when mysterious new guy Ben arrives at her high school. A rumour is going around school that Ben killed his ex girlfriend and he is immediately cast out of all social circles and ignored/avoided by others. All except Camelia that is. She is inexplicably drawn to him and something weird happens when they touch. Camelia doesn’t believe the rumours, much to the dismay of her friends but then she starts receiving threatening phone calls and mysterious packages with weird little notes. Ben insists that he can protect her but from whom? Is Ben really all he seems to be? What is he hiding?
I really enjoyed this book, especially the fact that the book was actually quite contemporary although there is a supernatural aspect to it. I particularly enjoyed the connection between Ben and Camelia and how she didn’t judge him when others already had. I liked the way Ben handled the constant criticisms and how Camelia defended him and became his advocate on many occasions.
One thing in the book that I thought was really clever was the handwritten notes that are interspersed between chapters. At first, the notes are really sweet and suggestive of Ben writing some kind of diary about Camelia. And then the notes start sounding increasingly sinister which leads you to the most obvious question... Who’s writing the notes? There are a lot of potential culprits though and the book reminded me a bit of a “whodunit” novel although no one had done anything yet and Ben was furiously trying to protect Camelia although he was also a suspect himself.
I have to admit to hating the ending which I found very “emo” and let’s just say that it reminded me of a certain film in the twilight saga. Thankfully though, I’m pleased to say that, that’s not the end of the story and there are more books in the “touch” series. I really enjoyed this book actually, so much so that when I’d finished, I immediately got online and ordered the second book “Deadly Little Lies”. I understand the third book “Deadly Little Games” has also just been released but I’ll have to wait a little longer for that one as I need the paperback to match the rest of the collection. THEY HAVE TO MATCH! That’s the rules!
Deadly Little Secret is an excitingly good read that acts like a “whodunit” at times which only serves to heighten the mystery and add to the entertainment value. This book should come with a warning though, it WILL leave you wanting more.
Deadly Little Secret was published in 2008 with the paperback being released in 2009. The second and third books in the series, Deadly Little Lies and Deadly Little Games were published in 2010. To find out more about Laurie Faria Stolarz and her books, visit her website here.
I read a lot of YA and this is my favourite genre, that’s a given. But, I’m also a HUGE fan of romance and it may surprise you to know that I still enjoy an adult book every now and then. Whilst combing through the blogosphere, I came across a giveaway for a book called Nocturne by Syrie James. I’ve never heard of the author or the book before but I was immediately captivated with both the beautiful cover and the mesmerising storyline. I didn’t want to wait for the giveaway to end (and hope that I won) so I immediately downloaded a legitimate copy onto my Kindle. I’m going to cheat with the synopsis for this one and post the Goodreads description:
When Nicole Whitcomb’s car runs off a Colorado mountain road during a blinding snowstorm, she is saved from death by a handsome, fascinating, and enigmatic stranger. Snowbound with him for days in his beautiful home high in the Rockies, she finds herself powerfully attracted to him and soon comes to realize that the feeling is mutual. But there are things about him that mystify her, filling her with apprehension—and Nicole can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t want her there.
Who is Michael Tyler? Why does he live alone in such a secluded spot and guard his private life so carefully? What secret—or secrets—is he hiding? Nicole has secrets of her own and a past she is running from—but Michael understands her better than anyone she has ever known. Soon, she is falling as deeply in love with him as he is with her. But as the sexual tension between them builds, the clues mount up. When Nicole learns the terrifying truth—that her host is an ages-old vampire who is torn between his love for her and his desire for her blood—there’s nowhere for her to run but into the blizzard raging outside, and he’s the only one who can save her life.
Nocturne is a character driven novel and one that features only two characters in the entire book – Nicole and Michael. I wasn’t sure whether this would work but you know what? It does. The story carries you forward at a steady pace as more and more is revealed both to Nicole and to the reader. The best thing about this book is how believable everything is. Everything from the accident to the setting and how Michael came to live such a secluded existence. Initially, I was worried about how Nicole was finally going to realise that she was snowbound with a vampire but thankfully, I needn’t have. It was a realistic reaction and completely believable.
I have to say that this is the first book I have read on my Kindle and I really enjoyed it. I found myself reading at every opportunity just to find out what happened next. Syrie painted the picture so vividly for me that I could practically feel the snowflakes falling on me. The ending may not sit right with everyone but I can see why Syrie chose to end the book like she did. The kindle version of the book actually included an interview with Syrie which I would recommend reading if you can.
I wish I could remember the name of the blog that introduced me to the world of Nocturne and Syrie James’ writing so I could thank them for the very pleasurable reading experience I’ve had over the last couple of days. If you’re a romance fan, DEFINITELY pick this one up.
Syrie James is both an author and a screenwriter. To find out more about her and her books, visit her website here.
You'll never guess what? I've only been blogging for a WHOLE YEAR now and at the end of this month, it's my blogoversary! I can't believe everything that's happened in just a year...
I've read and reviewed some FANTASTIC books and I want you to know that I'm always grateful to receive ARC's - I never take it for granted that I'm lucky enough to read something in advance.
I set up UK Book Tours so that I could share ARC's and books with other UK bloggers.
I've met some fabulous bloggers, both UK based and international who have become friends.
I've met some AMAZING authors such as Maggie Stievater, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, L.A. Weatherly and Maria V. Snyder.
Took part in blog tours for Finding Sky by Joss Stirling, Half Moon by Jordan Deen, Hexbound by Chloe Neill, Angel by L.A. Weatherly, The Chainsaw Gang (UK based writers).
I named Lauren Oliver's next book after Delirium, entitled PANDEMONIUM.
I've learnt so much about publishing and have established professional relationships with a lot of publishing companies.
Not to mention the fact that I managed to win a contest for an ARC of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater which pretty much made my year! I've also been lucky enough to win a few other contests (thank you Random.org I heart you).
So what's happening this year I hear you ask? OK, maybe that's just the voices in my head! Well, the biggest thing is going to BEA (Book Expo America) in NYC!!! I'm going to be staying in a huge house with tons of other bloggers and I'm so excited about the whole experience. I'm going to get to meet some of my most loved authors and pick up books to bring back and review as well as put on the tour site (I'm all about sharing the book love). Don't worry, I will of course be blogging about my experience :)
Anyway, back to the celebrations. I am co-hosting The Big Blogoversary Celebration with Kate from I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read and between us we have some AMAZING giveaways for you! This is a big one folks as we're giving away TONS of books, some of which may be signed. Just sayin'. The giveaways will start next week (Jan 24th) and go through two amazing weeks (ends Feb 4th). I hope you'll come back and join in the fun. Thank you to all my followers and a special thank you to the people that make an effort to comment on my posts. I love you all and this giveaway is for YOU. Stay tuned.
"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Trial By Fire by the amazingly talented Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Published on June 14th in the US, there isn't even a Goodreads description for this book yet but everyone knows this is the sequel to Raised by Wolves which I enjoyed immensely. Unfortunately though, I never finished writing and posting my review due to some blogger FAIL last year. I'm hoping to rectify that very soon. Suffice to say that I thought it was one of the funniest YA books I'd ever read - full of intelligent humour that had me literally laughing out loud. Saying that though, there was a nice balance between humour and the serious parts of the book which I appreciated. So, if you haven't checked out Raised by Wolves yet, it comes highly recommended. And the covers are gorgeous, no?
Rules of Attraction is the long awaited sequel to the best selling and ever popular Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. I’ll admit that I came to the Perfect Chemistry party a little late but when I read it, I absolutely loved it. It was steaming hot and I loved the tension between the two main characters, Alex and Brittany. When I heard there was a sequel on the horizon, I was ridiculously excited but I also wondered how Simone could make it different enough to keep the audience still interested in the story but at the same time, give us everything we loved about the first book.
Rules of Attraction features Carlos, Alex’s younger brother who is forced to come over to the US from Mexico. To cut a long story short, he ends up being taken in by a good, wholesome family who want to take care of him without judgement. Carlos is going along with it but not exactly by choice, at least not until he finds a reason to be a better man when he falls for the daughter, Kiara.
If you thought Alex was bad-ass, you haven’t met Carlos yet. He has a tough outer shell that’s difficult to crack and it takes Kiara quite a while to get under his skin. He’s not as flirty as Alex was in Perfect Chemistry but he’s just as sexy. It’s a bad boy thing ;) I like the way the reader is able to see his inner thoughts and we find out that he’s not such a hard nut underneath it all.
I really liked Kiara as a character and I absolutely LOVE the fact that she’s pretty much a bit of a nerd. She’s smart, witty and doesn’t care about fashion or being cool. She’s just a genuinely nice person. The kind of girl you would NEVER put with Carlos but somehow Simone makes it work. Opposites attract after all which is arguably one of the “rules of attraction”. I think Kiara softens Carlos and opens his heart up to love. On the flip side, I think Carlos helps Kiara to live a bit more dangerously, and helps her to open up to new and exciting experiences.
For the diehard Alex and Brittany fans, they still feature quite heavily in Rules of Attraction although they are no longer the focus of the story. They’ve become secondary characters and this is how it should be. It’s actually quite nice to have them in the background so the reader can find out what happens to them and ultimately still carry on with their story.
I read this book on night shifts (during my break) and I found that I couldn’t put it down. I liked Kiara much more than I liked Brittany and the story kept me captivated. It had a lot of the heat the first book gave us but it’s not a “love at first sight” book and it takes both characters a long time to warm up to each other. I guess you could call it a slow burn.
Overall, I really enjoyed Rules of Attraction and I’m really looking forward to the next book, Chain Reaction which features the youngest Fuentes brother, Luis. I’m quite excited to see how Simone is going to portray the youngest Fuentes brother who seems more innocent than the other two and perhaps even protected from the gang culture so predominant in the series.
Chain Reaction is released on 24th May and Rules of Attraction is available now both in the UK and the US. If you need any more reason to read it, check out the fabulous, movie quality trailer for it (below). The funny thing is, Alex, Carlos AND Kiara are just how I would imagine them to be! To find out more about Simone, visit her website here.
So I tried to participate in last year's challenge but to be honest, I didn't really know what I was doing and it all went horribly wrong. So, I've decided to have another crack at the Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren. The aim is to read at least twelve novels from YA debut authors. There's no limit for how many books you can read, you don't have to live in the US (thankfully) and there's still tons of time to sign up.
I am a huge supporter of debut authors and love discovering them and reading their books. I'll have to admit that money is going to be a lot tighter this year than it was last year and so I don't know how well I'm going to do with this but I'm going to give it a shot. And if the divine powers that be would like to send a lottery win my way then I would be eternally grateful! This is a list of just some of the books I'm planning on reading and reviewing.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (already read and reviewed here) Unearthly by Cynthia Hand XVI by Julia Karr Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney Hourglass by Myra McEntire Between Shades of Gray by Rutya sepetys The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (if I can get my hands on a copy) Divergent by Veronica Roth (very excited for this one) Angelfire by Courtney Moulton Wildefire by Karsten Knight Clarity by Kim Harrington Luminous by Dawn Metcalf Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard Timeless by Alexandra Monir Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
and many more (if I can get my hands on the books)
If you're interested in participating yourself or want to find out more information about the challenge, click here to visit The Story Siren's blog. Wish me luck!
"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford. Here is the Goodreads description:
"Eden didn’t expect Az.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.
And that’s only the beginning of the end."
YES, it's another angel book but that's ok because I'm an angel girl and so I have to read it ;) Initially, I was thinking that this was going to be another "Hush Hush" or another "Fallen" but it turns out it's not and here's why. Eden, the main character, DIES early on in the book and is literally thrown into another world. So already it's different! And I love the way she is portrayed as a strong, gutsy girl who isn't going to be pushed around. Also, it comes highly recommended by Victoria Schwab (Author of The Near Witch, 2011) and I trust her judgement. The good news is, there isn't that much longer to wait for this one as it comes out 22nd February. HURRAH. What are you waiting on?
This blog post is more for the UK crowd but I want to introduce you all to UNDERCOVER which is the new YA imprint at Walker Books. For the US crowd, Walker Books has a sister company in America called Candlewick Press.
Undercover have some fantastic YA releases for 2011, I know because I attended a blogger event late last year at Walker Books where we were treated to a presentation of 2011 releases. Every month, Undercover will be highlighting a new YA title on the blog and giving you access to exclusive content such as extracts, music playlists, author interviews and more. Most of the books will have a book trailer and you can see them on the Undercover blog or the Walker youtube channel.
Sound interesting? Check it out by visiting the Undercover website here. Just as an FYI, I'll be reading and reviewing some of the Undercover titles throughout the year.
For Christmas 2010, I took part in the Book Blogger Holiday Swap along with a lot of other international bloggers. We came together to swap gifts as part of a secret santa exchange. I got my parcel before Christmas and I was so excited! Initially I wanted to keep it a surprise so I would have more to open on Christmas Day but alas I couldn't help myself. I justified it by telling myself that I wouldn't want to order a book that was unknowingly sitting before me. So I admit, I peeked. Then I wrapped the corner back up and put it under the tree! LOL
Look how beautiful the package looked:
My secret santa was very good to me and bought me a book from my wish list and it was this:
So I want to say a big thank you to the organisers of the Book Blogger Holiday Swap and also to my Secret Santa. I had a lot of fun with the giving part of this and so I'm looking forward to participating in it again next year :) If you're interested in taking part yourself, bookmark the following site for this coming Christmas http://holidayswap.wordpress.com/.
The first cause of discord is difference The second cause of discord is lack of a strong central leader The third cause of discord is...
When I first heard about Across the Universe by Beth Revis, I was definitely interested to read it; after all it’s YA IN SPACE!!! This had me excited enough already but it wasn’t until I saw the gorgeous cover and read the first chapter that I really began lusting after it. I was HOOKED from the very first chapter which is in my humble opinion *THE* best first chapter I’ve ever read in my life. The way Beth describes the freezing process is both horrific and fascinating at the same time. And to my surprise it didn’t stop there the book just got better and better. To the point that I was sat on the train to London and some noisy children got on and sat opposite me (I am a magnet for children, I have no idea why). Anyway, usually I can’t read with that much noise and distraction but I was literally SUCKED into the world inside the book and just zoned out. Here’s the gist of the story:
The world of Across the Universe is mostly centred around Amy, a 17 year old girl who has to make a decision early on whether or not to follow her parents (who are essential to terraforming new planets) onto Godspeed, a shape ship that will take 350 years to reach its destination. When Amy wakes, things are a little different to what she expected. For one, not only was she reanimated 50 years too early but it was no accident and she must face the realisation that someone tried to kill her. The question is why? As more “frozens” are being left out to thaw, the hunt is on for the killer. Amy teams up with Elder, the future leader of the people aboard Godspeed and together they discover that the ship holds many secrets which will make them question everything they’ve ever known.
Amy is one of our main protagonists and Godspeed (a world in itself) is built on monoethnicity, an idea put into practice to prevent one of the main reasons for discord: differences. And of course, Amy stands out like a sore thumb with her pale skin and flaming red hair. But it is her differences that first capture the attention of Elder, our other main protagonist and by far my favourite character. Elder is second in command of the people (rather than the ship, the ship runs itself) and a future leader in training. I liked his inquisitiveness and the way he wasn’t afraid to question things. And for a 16 year old boy, I really admire his courage and integrity. He certainly has the traits I would like to see in a leader. But he’s frustrated because Eldest (the current leader) appears to be neglecting his duties in preparing Elder for the time when he must lead and that frustration is felt throughout the book. I thought that Beth captured the plight of a teenage girl who realises that she won’t ever see her parents again and is alone in a strange, new world really well. I loved Amy's “spunkiness”, her defiant attitude that kept her going.
Eldest was a very interesting character for many reasons (most of which I can’t mention for fear of spoiling the book) and his steadfast belief that he is right and does what he does for the good of the people even if ethically or morally, it is wrong.
I also had a soft spot for Harley and for a secondary character, I thought he was fantastic. He reminded me a bit of Finnick from The Hunger Games. I loved his artistic sensibilities and the way he took to protecting Amy like a big brother.
Across the Universe is definitely a plot driven novel but I’m happy to report that the characters are also fleshed out well. I’ve realised recently that I need both to be truly satisfied with a story. Having said all that, I think one of the biggest selling points of Across the Universe is the world building. I’m astounded with just how believable everything is. I love the fact that accents have changed and new words have formed which is totally representative of a future society. Everyone looks the same to try and retain a sense of harmony and balance onboard the ship but everyone has a role to fulfil. One of the things I found most disturbing was “the season” which is very animalistic in nature and more about reproduction than loving relationships. I suppose in a way it’s less complicated and an assurance that there will be a new generation but ewww. Again, horrifically fascinating.
There were a lot of themes running through the book and I particularly liked the idea of nature versus nurture. Unfortunately I can’t say much about it as I don’t want to give any spoilers away. The idea of what makes a good leader is brought into the mix and we get to see the differences between a tyrannical leader and the young idealist. I watch A LOT of movies as well as read books and I can usually guess the twists and turns but I did NOT see a lot of the revelations in this book.
I think one of the main messages in the book, or at least one that I got out of it was the idea that you are who you decide to be, regardless of upbringing, environment and any other outside factors. Yes, they can have an influence on you but at the end of the day, YOU CHOOSE to be who you are and I like that.
In conclusion, Across the Universe is an outstanding debut novel that will satisfy your need for a sci-fi adventure and romance that spans across space and time. Across the Universe was everything I thought it was going to be...and then some. I absolutely loved it and am adding it to my top reads of 2011. By the time this has been posted, I will have pre-ordered and hopefully received a finished copy of the book so I can read it and fall in love with it all over again. Please God someone buy the movie rights as that would ROCK MY WORLD!
Thank you to Penguin for sending me an ARC. Across the Universe is out of this frexing* world and I would urge you to give it a read. The US hardback is released on 11th January, 2011 however us Brits have to wait a little longer for the paperback release on 3rd March. The as of yet untitled sequel is due out next year and I can’t wait! My only request is for more kissing please!
You can visit Beth at her beautifully designed website here. She is also part of The League of Extraordinary Writers (debut YA Dystopian writers) and you can access the website here. Beth is active on Twitter and Across the Universe has its own fan page. To read the exciting first chapter, click here. And finally, if you are a UK book blogger and would like to read Across the Universe, sign up at UK Book Tours.
* When you read the book, you’ll understand the reference ;)
I just HAD to write this blog post so I could share the covers for the UK copy of Forever by the magnificent Maggie Stiefvater and Passion by Lauren Kate.
Do you remember what the US hardback cover for Forever looks like? It looks like this....
Did I mention that red is my favourite colour? *grin*. The UK cover has JUST been released and I have to say that I absolutely love it and will be adding both of these to my Maggie collection when they're released. Not seen it yet? Have a gander...
I think that both covers are absolutely beautiful but the UK cover scares me the most as it looks kind of sad. This may be my own personal association of rain with sadness but to me the raindrops look look like teardros and the rose appears to be wilting. I hope this is not an omen, as I'm a big fan of happy endings! I'm really, really excited to see what Maggie is going to come up with for the book trailer and I know she's thinking about it now.
So, not only has Maggie revealed her cover this week but now Lauren Kate has revealed the cover for Passion (the sequel to Fallen and Torment). You remember how beautiful the Fallen and Torment Covers are, right?
Well here's the cover for Passion... So what do you guys think? Whilst I really like the cover for passion, it looks very CGI if that makes sense whereas the first two book covers looked like they featured a real live model. Also, the dress is different and I'm not sure how I feel about this.
I'm very pleased to be part of the Hexbound Blog Tour and today I talk to Chloe Neill and try to get as much information as possible out of her about the book *evil laugh*. Unfortunately I only got the interview answers at 4am UK time and I've been at work all day so this is being posted a little late. Anyway, here's a bit about Hexbound, courtesy of Goodreads:
"Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia’s School for Girls, but she’s already learned that magic can be your best friend…or your worst enemy.
They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out, even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That’s why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big, werewolf-y secret, and fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago’s nastiest nightlife—including the tainted magic users known as Reapers.
Then Lily’s invited to a private meeting with Sebastian. He’s hot, powerful, and offering to help her harness the magic flowing in her veins in a way no one else can. He’s also a Reaper. Lily can’t hide her suspicions. But she’ll soon find out that the line between good and evil isn’t always clear…"
Hexbound is of course the second book in the Dark Elite series, the first of which being Firespell which I reviewed here. I really enjoyed Firespell and I can't wait to read Hexbound which is out now in paperback. If you know me at all, you'll know that I'm waiting for the hardback release which is also this month ;) In the meantime though, please welcome Chloe Neill to the blog. Here is the interview:
1. What can we expect from Hexbound?
A lot more from Lily, Scout and Adept action. In addition to the usual Adept adventure and Reaper shenanigans, there's a lot of interesting magic. I'm really proud of this one :)
2. There was a lot of relationship building in Firespell, can we expect any romance in Hexbound? (hoping you say yes!)
Of course! The relationship between Lily and Jason continues to blossom, but along the way Lily also discovers that Jason isn't the only one interested in her...and boy number two is a Reaper. She's not entirely sure who to trust!
3. How many books are planned in this series?
There are currently three under contract. Additional books will depend on sales!
4. How long does it take to write each one?
The Dark Elite books take about three months to write, as they are typically shorter than my Chicagoland Vampires novels.
5. Do you know the big picture from beginning to end for all the books in the series or are you making it up as you go along? LOL
I generally have an idea of where I want the story to go, but the individual mystery plots are a book-by-book determination. I also prepare an outline for my editor before I draft each book.
6. Who is your favourite character or funnest character to write?
Probably Scout. She is so brave and creative!
7. Which character is most like you?
Probably Merit, from my Chicagoland Vampires series. We share a love of chocolate and sarcasm.
8. Why did you decide to set the book in Chicago and are the places real or based on real places?
Most of the places are either real or they're based on real places in Chicago (but, for example, they're placed in a different neighborhood). I like that at least American readers can have some sense of the books' context.
9. Can you give us one snippet of information about what's going to happen? Some clues perhaps to tantalise us?
Maybe. :) I guess the most important message is--when you're walking around beneath Chicago, watch out for vampires.
10. What's next for you?
I'm currently writing DRINK DEEP, the fifth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series.
Thanks for having me today!
Many thanks to Chloe Neill who survived my grilling! Don't forget that the paperback is out now in both the US and the UK. The hardback is being released at the end of the month. If you want to read the first chapter of Hexbound, click here and to find out more about Chloe Neill and her books, visit her website here. Chloe is also active on facebook and Twitter.
"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Wildefire by Karsten Knight. Here is the Goodreads description:
"Ashline Wilde never received an instruction manual on how to be a 16-year-old Polynesian volcano goddess. If she had, it might have contained helpful warnings such as:
• Dreaming about your (thankfully) mortal boyfriend may cause your bed to spontaneously combust • Oven mitts should be worn at all times during heavy make-out sessions
Instead, Ash has to learn these life lessons the hard way as her dormant powers erupt at the most awkward times. In the wake of a hometown tragedy, Ash transfers to Blackwood Academy, a boarding school nestled in California’s redwoods, where a group of fellow gods-on-earth have mysteriously convened. As if sophomore year couldn’t get any worse, her storm goddess older sister, the wild and unpredictable Eve, resurfaces to haunt Ashline. With a war between the gods looming over Blackwood, Ash must master the fire smoldering within her before she clashes with her sister one final time, which leads us to life-lesson #3:
• When warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm".
I think it's pretty obvious why I've chosen this book as my WOW post this week and why I've added it to my wishlist. How the hell do you write a book about a girl who is a Polynesian volcano?!?! I'm DEFINITELY interested to know and I think it sounds like a fresh and original story. I'm also loving the cover by the way! There is no definite release date for this other than Summer 2011 but I'll be on the look out for more information. I've also just found out that Karsten is a GUY and not only that, but he's actually pretty cute* too ;)
* Not a reason to buy the book and I was not bribed or paid for saying this.
I have a confession to make. I’ve had an ARC of Entangled by Cat Clarke for quite a while now and for the longest time, I couldn’t read it. Can you imagine? A beautiful PINK book screaming at me to read it but I couldn’t do it. What was my problem? The story starts on “Day 3” and I had some issues with this. I wanted to know what happened on days 1 and 2, what happened to them? For the longest time I couldn’t get past this and then one day I just got over it. And I’m glad I did otherwise I would never have become “entangled” up in the story. Excuse the pun.
Imagine being abducted and put in a room with only a chair, a table, a pen and a seemingly never ending ream of paper. What would you write about? This is the dilemma facing Grace, our teenage protagonist. With a history of self harm, depression and underage drinking Grace has led a chequered life so far. Then she meets Ethan and everything changes. This is where the story truly begins.
What I liked about the book was the sudden barrage of questions forming in my mind from reading the very first page. Why has Grace been abducted? What does her abductor want? Why is she being treated so well? Why is she being coerced into writing? What will she write about? Why is this happening? I just want to give MAJOR KUDOS to Cat for building a story out of this idea whilst managing to retain the reader’s interest. I’m not sure I could do the same.
What I also liked about the book is that the answers were not all presented simultaneously. You had to carry on reading right until the end to earn access to the keys that unlock “the big reveal”. Speaking of which, me being me, I tried to guess what this would be. I think I came up with some interesting and fairly plausible ideas but I’m happy to say that I didn’t guess it, well not at first. I think I got it when Cat intended me to get it. When she’d dropped enough hints and revealed a few clues. I cannot say any more than this (although I really want to analyse and discuss it) but I also don’t want to ruin the story for you.
In terms of characters, Grace is an interesting protagonist in that whilst I liked her voice, which had its own unique sense of snark, at first I wasn’t sure I liked her very much and I’m still not entirely sure I like her now to be honest. But, as I grew to know her, I grew to understand her. In discovering her past, I uncovered secrets about Grace and a sort of explanation for why she is the way she is. For me, liking her wasn’t as important as accepting her.
As you may have noticed, Entangled has a striking cover but what lurks beneath is anything but beautiful. It’s gritty, edgy and REAL. Entangled is a thought provoking book which deals with some pretty sensitive themes and you may love it or not, you may not even know how you feel about it but one thing’s for sure; it WILL stay with you for a long time after reading. Thank you to Quercus for sending me a review copy.
Entangled is the debut novel from Cat Clarke and is published 5th January, 2011. I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to meet Cat and I can tell you that she is an extremely lovely lady and definitely an author to watch. To find out more about Cat, visit her enviously beautiful new website here. She is also active on facebook and Twitter.
Happy New Year to all of you! I'm working night shifts at the moment so I won't get to see the new year in party style but that's OK. I want to say a huge thank you to every one of my followers for taking the time to read my reviews and posts and also comment on them. Each and every comment means a lot to me so thank you :)
I know a lot of people are doing "wrap up" posts or "Top books of 2010". Initially I decided not to do this but I've changed my mind so here's some books I loved in 2010!
Matched by Ally Condie
An AWESOME dystopian novel from Ally Condie which I lusted after from the moment I heard about it (thank you Melissa Marr). Thankfully, it was everything I wanted and more. I absolutely fell in love with this book and had to buy a copy for my sister for Christmas. This book comes highly recommended by me. Check out my review here.
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Another book I lusted after was Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers. I LOVE THIS BOOK. I never thought I would fall for a sexy demon but Lisa bowled me over with her sexy, funny characters. I loved the story and I CANNOT WAIT to read the sequel. I've been a bit late with this review but it's coming!
Absolution by Jennifer Laurens
I love Jennifer Lauren's writing, the Heavenly series in particular. Absolution is the final book in the series and again, beautifully written. Read my review of here.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Lauren Oliver is fast becoming one of my favourite writer's. Before I Fall was a fantastic, thought-provoking debut and I love reading her blog which features lots of writing advice! I've recently read the first chapter of Delirium and I cannot get it out of my head! I'm sure this will be on the Top Books for 2011 list ;) Read my review of Before I Fall here.
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Forget You is the first book by Jennifer Echols that I've read and I absolutely loved it!! I've since bought all her books and am going to work my way through them (who am I kidding, it's not exactly work, it's a PLEASURE). An Awesome book that isn't afraid to show teenagers in a realistic light. Read my review here.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
This is cheating slightly since this book comes out in January 2011 but Across the Universe by Beth Revis is one of my most favourite debut reads EVER. I'm struggling to express just how much this book rocked my socks off. I LOVED IT and I can't wait to share my review with you (coming soon).
As I'm a huge fan of making lists, I want to share some personal highlights from 2010 with you...
1. Starting this blog - I've made so many friends and learnt so much about books and the publishing industry. I love hearing about upcoming movies and being able to say "I've read that, it's a GREAT book". I get so much joy from reading, writing and blogging. Obviously I also appreciate the fact that I get to read books before they are released but I still buy finished copies of the books I love :)
2. Starting and FINISHING Nanowrimo. I always thought I would quit but I didn't and actually completed a 50,000 word first draft of my novel. I've never written that much for one story so I even shocked myself!
3. Starting UK Book Tours and being in touch with publishers so that I can tour ARC's. I love the fact that the UK crowd gets to read books that they may have not had access to otherwise.
4. Meeting publishers and going to blogger events in London. I really appreciate how nice they are to us and thank us for our hard work.
5. Meeting (well sort of) my BFF Jordan Deen, author of The Crescent and upcoming sequel Half Moon. I won a copy of The Crescent and absolutely loved it! I struck up a friendship with Jordan and we've been besties ever since. I <3 her.
Well, I hope you all had a good year and I wish you an even BETTER year in 2011. Here's to GREAT books, GREAT reviews, GREAT friends and GREAT experiences.
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Welcome to day eight of The Big Blogoversary Celebration hosted by the lovely Kate at I Just Want to Sit Here and Read and myself. Our Blogoversaries are this month and we wanted to celebrate with some pretty special giveaways. We'll be taking it in turns to give books and swag away for the next couple of weeks so make sure you check back at both of our blogs.
