Tempting the Best Man Review

“Madison Daniels has worshiped her brother's best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can't stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother's wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they're forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of "accidents" as the family tries to prove their "spark" can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don't strangle each other first…”

When I found out that one of my favourite YA authors was writing an adult book, I immediately added it to my wish list and started counting down the days.  Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn AKA Jennifer L. Armentrout is her first adult offering but I’d hazard a guess that it’s not the last and quite rightly so!  The story is surprise, surprise centred around a wedding.  Madison has been in love with her older brother Mitch’s best friend Chase since childhood.  They grew up together and whilst Chase has always been protective of Madison, there’s just some lines that shouldn’t be crossed in his eyes.  But when they both show up for the wedding and due to an unfortunate oversight, are forced to share a room together, sparks fly.  Along the way, there are plenty of mishaps and misunderstandings to provide conflict and character growth and even though you can guess the ending, you’ll still be rooting for them. 

I have to say that I kept picturing Chris Hemsworth in the role of Chase and I suspect that this has something to do with having seen Cabin in the Woods at the cinema lately but hey, works for me baby!  For those of you not fortunate enough to know who this is, here he is.  YOU'RE WELCOME.

Obviously, this book has adult content but it’s not full on erotica and although at some point certain parts of their anatomy are referred to as their "sex” (ugh, pet hate I’m afraid) I can live with it because I loved the story.  Just so you know, in true Jennifer style, she makes it hard for you to pick up the book and read ONLY ONE chapter.  I could not stop reading until I had finished the book and I have to say that I enjoyed every single moment.

Tempting the Best Man is a delicious contemporary romance and a fun read that will compel you to keep reading until the final climax *no pun intended* *not really*

Tempting the Best Man was published on 23rd April, 2012 and is available in digital formats. To find out more about Jennifer L. Armentrout and her books, please click here and enjoy the awesomeness.

Daemon Invasion

Over the last couple of weeks, you may have heard a lot of talk about the upcoming #daemoninvasion and we’re so excited to finally share with you what is going on.

Really excited.

The beautiful and uber cool models, Pepe Toth and Sztella Tziotziosz, who grace the Lux covers, will be joining us in the United States!  You heard right.  They are flying here, from Hungary to spend a few days as Daemon and Katy! While they are here, they will be working with Vania, from VLC Productions (the team behind Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Melissa de La Cruz, Kimberly Derting, Moira Young, Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl, Hillary Duff, Lauren Destefano, and many, many more authors’ book trailers), to film book trailers for the Lux Series *insert screams here*

During the filming in Atlanta, they will be accompanying Jennifer on tour! What does that mean? You get to meet them. In the flesh (only if you're in the US though). They will be participating in the signings and events. At those signings, we’ll be giving away signed posters, photos, and other swag. There will also be meet and greet events you can join in on.  At each signing, there will be advanced copies of Onyx given away!

And to top things off (as if this isn’t enough, but Jennifer doesn't do anything small), there’s something very, very exciting in the works! It involves advanced copies of Opal, water, and a little destination known as the Bahamas *insert MORE screams here and they are louder*

I am not kidding.

This will be epic.

Are you excited? As a huge fan, you have no idea how much I am!!!! This tour is going to be so, so much fun, and how cool is it it that Pepe and Sztella are a part of it. We owe them a huge thank you and a giant welcome making the 16 hour flight to meet the readers of the Lux Series.  You!

For those in the US, here is the Daemon Invasion Signing and Event Schedule:

June 8th
FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, GA
3:00pm

June 10th
Barnes and Noble
St Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL
3:00pm

June 13th
Barnes and Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
Orlando, FL
3:00pm

June 14th
Barnes and Noble
The Palladium at City Place
West Palm Beach, FL
4:00pm

There are several #daemoninvasion street teamers out there and if you want to join a team to win exclusive prizes, search down the #daemoninvasion hashtag to join one of the teams!

Don’t forget to visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s blog here to win a signed set of Half-Blood and Pure in celebration of her adult romance release, Tempting the Best Man, under pen name J. Lynn. It's available digitally for less than a couple of quid.

Obsidian Review

I can't tell you how much I LOVED this book! Oh wait, I can....in my review over on Wastepaperprose.  Click here to take you there and you'd make my day if you left a comment :) 

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton. Here's the synopsis:

"Paranormal romance fans who are looking to up the ante will be drawn to this tale of horror, fantasy, and romance. For Mab Prowd, the practice of blood magic is as natural as breathing. It's all she's ever known. Growing up on an isolated farm in Kansas with other practitioners may have kept her from making friends her own age, but it has also given her a sense of purpose—she's connected to the land and protective of the magic. And she is able to practice it proudly and happily out in the open with only the crows as her companions. Mab will do anything to keep the ancient practice alive and guard its secrets. But one morning while she is working out a particularly tricky spell she encounters Will, a local boy who is trying to exorcise some mundane personal demons. He experiences Mab's magic in a way his mind cannot comprehend and is all too happy to end their chance meeting. But secrets that were kept from Mab by the earlier generations of blood magicians have come home to roost. And she and Will are drawn back together, time again by this dangerous force looking to break free from the earth and reclaim its own dark power."

I enjoyed Tessa's first book Blood Magic and I believe this is a companion book.  I love anything with magic and I'm happy to accept Tessa's unnatural obsession with all things bloody (I'm a nurse, I can deal with it).  I'm hoping she won't kill off a character I love this time though ;)  Looking forward to reading this. The Blood Keeper is published on 28th August, 2012 in the US and 30th August, 2012 in the UK. 

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. Here's the synopsis:

"When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living."

First things first, I love the cover and I'm intrigued by the synopsis (although the premise reminds me of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi). I've never read a book by Alexandra Bracken before but I do know that a lot of other book bloggers rate her writing highly. Even advance reviews for this book are extremely positive with a lot of five stars on Goodreads. I definitely want to read this and am thinking of pre-ordering.

The Darkest Minds is published on 18th December, 2012 with no news as of yet about a UK release.

Starters Review

“In a world ravaged by war and genocide, becoming someone else is now possible. Sixteen-year-old Callie discovers the Body Bank where teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. When her neurochip malfunctions, she wakes up in the mansion of her rich renter and finds she is going out with a senator’s grandson. It’s a fairy-tale new life, until she discovers her renter’s deadly plan.”

I want to start this review by saying that the book cover Gods really smiled on Lissa Price as Starters has to be one of the most startling covers I’ve seen this year. It’s quite simplistic but also incredibly effective. Marketed as “Matched meets The Hunger Games” (incidentally, two of my favourite books), Starters definitely whets my appetite! Starters is a plot driven novel and this is the strongest aspect of the book. Our main protagonist, Callie lives in a terrifying world where most adults are dead apart from the Enders (the old and the very old) and the Starters (the young). In order to survive, Starters can rent their bodies to Enders so they can ‘re-live their youth’ but what they do with your body is up to them, even if there are supposed to be rules.

I want to start with the positive. The plot was fantastic, the world building was really good and I enjoyed the futuristic slang like 'Zing' for text message. I wanted to love this book, I truly did but I felt like something was missing. It’s difficult to explain but the standard of YA fiction is so high these days, that even though a novel is good and you enjoy it, you can sense that it falls short in some way even if you can’t quite put your finger on why. I’ve been thinking hard about it and I think the answer lies with the characters. I felt detached from them, like I never really got to know them. I realise something like this is difficult in a setting where survival trumps everything else but I felt cheated. By the end of the book, I knew nothing about Blake, nothing about Michael, very little about Tyler and nothing really about Callie. Callie’s description is only ever referred to after her “enhancements” at the Body Bank and even then, I don’t know what colour her hair or her eyes are or how tall she is (please, correct me if I’m wrong). In that respect, the only thing I've got to go on is that she's really beautiful. I realise that authors sometimes deliberately withhold a description to help the reader picture themselves in that role but it didn’t work for me. Another very interesting observation is the fact that the cover of the book features a girl (presumable Callie) with Heterochromia Iridium i.e. eyes that are different colours. I presumed that this would be an important fact in the book (and it still might be) but it was never even referred to once which I find somewhat odd considering that was what stood out on the book cover.

One of the other things I didn’t love about the book was Callie’s relationship with Michael. I get that they never really had the chance to explore their relationship what with desperately trying to survive on a daily basis but they had a connection and there’s this big question mark hanging over them for the entire book and what Callie does at the end? Well you make up your own mind about that.

So basically, I’m kinda gutted that I didn’t outright LOVE the novel but I do like it and I will be carrying on with the story as there is a massive did-not-see-coming twist at the end that I just have to know more about! Thankfully, the sequel Enders is released in December of this year. Also, in case you didn’t realise, there is a short story available in digital format entitled “Portrait of a Starter” which is available now. It’s a prequel and told from Michael’s point of view and so maybe reading that will help me get to know him a little better! As always though, read the book and make up your own mind :)

Starters is published on 13th March, 2012 in the US and 29th March in the UK. To find out more about Lissa and her books, please click here to visit her website.

A Touch Mortal Review

“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.”

I remember devouring A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford when HarperTeen posted multiple preview chapters online many eons ago now. Based on what I read, I bought the book as I was desperate to know what happened next but the publication date was so far away that when the book did eventually arrive on my doorstep, it ended up getting lost in the TBR pile. And dude, when I say pile, what I really mean is a couple of huge bookcases. Anyway, I’ve been craving an angel book recently and so I picked up A Touch Mortal and read from the beginning. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. A Touch Mortal smacks you over the head with its originality and edgy subject matter which I took pleasure in devouring all over again.

I have to say at this point that A Touch Mortal is aimed at older readers as it deals with mature themes and there are touches of hardcore swearing scattered throughout the book. Personally, I don’t like the idea of YA books being virginal/Snow White like when characters don’t swear or have sex or drink alcohol as to me it doesn’t necessarily feel real. I’m not saying that all teenagers do this but some do and so I really enjoyed the harsh language (does that sound weird?) because it made it more realistic. I’m sure I’d drop a few F-bombs too if I found out the guy I’d been seeing was an angel, know what I mean? On that note, I have to say that Eden’s reaction to that was SPOT ON. It was so natural and believable. In fact, the dialogue was REALLY strong in this book and that has to be commended as it makes all the difference.

A Touch Mortal was so different from all the other angel books I’ve read (and I’ve read A LOT). I really enjoyed the fact that it was darker, edgier and deals with suicide which is often perceived as a taboo subject. A story involving suicide is never going to be an easy ride but Leah Clifford makes it all sound quite plausible and interesting in her book as the “Siders” don’t really die as such. With that in mind, let’s talk about the characters. Eden is a troubled soul from the start and carries a lot of pain and loneliness inside her. Then she meets Az who seems to bring her back from the brink, if only for a little while before the inevitability train comes hurtling towards her and she commits suicide. Only, she’s not really dead. Now she’s a “Sider” and whilst their purpose is not really clear, it’s the only reality she’s gonna get so she might as well get with the program. Eden is forced to learn how to use her newfound ability as a Sider called “the touch” and embrace her new reality which includes an eccentric, off the wall woman called Kristen who lives in the creepy house of horrors. She’s got a harsh yet witty tongue, obviously an intelligent lady and I think decadent is the right word to describe her. She has a history with Az, the rough and ready angel that falls in love with Eden and I loved Az for his sheer will not to give up on Eden, to protect her always and fight against “the fall”.

However, my favourite character in this book was somewhat surprisingly Az’s best friend Gabe. I say “surprisingly” because I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book where my favourite character isn’t one of the main characters caught up in a romance although he was sort of caught up in a BROmance with Az ;) Gabe reminded me so much of Elijah from The Vampire Diaries and although he might be a little older than the intended character, that’s who I pictured at the time of reading. Gabe carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, figuratively speaking. He’s sensible, responsible, protective, and fiercely loyal. Throw in the fact that Gabe is part of “the bound” and cannot tell a lie, you know this is going to get interesting.

A Touch Mortal is quite mysterious at times and you often find yourself wondering what the hell is going on but that drives you forward and ultimately makes the book unputdownable. Leah Clifford is a hugely imaginative and talented writer that I will be keeping my eye on in the future and I can’t wait to read the sequel A Touch Morbid which is out now. No waiting for me then, YAY.

A Touch Mortal was published in the US on 22nd February, 2011. There is no UK publisher but you can buy the book from all good online sellers. To find out more about Leah and her books, please click here.

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Crewel by Gennifer Albin. Here's the synopsis:

"Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back."

Doesn't this book sounds super interesting? I love books about time but weaving time and matter together? YES PLEASE. I like the cover which is colourful and spinny and did you know that this was a NANOWRIMO book? Oh yes. Pitched as Mad Men meets The Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games, Crewel sounds more and more interesting by the minute. With a dash of science fiction, a sprinkle of adventure and a spoonful of romance, it ticks all the right boxes for me and I can't wait to read it!

Crewel is the first book in a planned trilogy and is published on 4th October 2012 in the UK and 16th October, 2012 in the US.

Kindle Sale!

I love real books as much as the next person and I have 6 1/2 bookshelves to prove it but I'm also falling in love with my kindle a little bit. I do enjoy having tons of books on a lightweight, portable device and I have no trouble reading on it. You know what I really love though? Books are generally cheaper on the kindle, especially when they have a SALE like now. The Amazon UK Spring Sale is happening RIGHT NOW but you need to be quick as it ends on 12th April. These are the kind of books that are on sale:

Anew by Chelsea Fine - 77p (OMG BUY THIS NOW AS IT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!)
Mockingbird by Kathyrn Erskine - 99p
Code name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - 99p
The Declaration by Gemma Malley - 99p
The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan - 99p
Uglies by Scott Westerfield - £1.99
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - 99p
Fifteen days without a head by Dave Cousins - 99p
The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos – Free
The sky is everywhere by Jandy Nelson - £1.49
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini - £1
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - £2.09
Poison Study by Maria V Snyder - 99p
The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott - £1.09
Corsets and Clockworks Anthology - 99p
The 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison - £1.99
Stray by Rachel Vincent - 99p
The ask and the answer by Patrick Ness - £1.99
Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison - 99p
Unwind by Neal Shusterman - £1.99
The passage by Justin Cronin - £1.99
Long Reach by Peter Cocks - £1.09
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr - £1.99

Happy buying!

Starcrossed Review

“Helen Hamilton has always tried to hide how different she is—no easy feat on an island as small as Nantucket, and only getting harder as she finds herself haunted by hallucinations and vivid nightmares.

It’s not until she crosses paths with Lucas Delos at school that Helen’s true heritage is finally revealed. Yet even as Lucas helps her awaken to her startling powers, they can never be together—not unless they can break free from the tragic destiny the Three Fates have in store.”

So, the lesson for today is that when your book blogger friends tell you that a book is OMGFANTASTICYOUNEEDTOREADITLIKENOW, you really should listen. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is full of Greek tragedy and forbidden love and as such, this book had my name written all over it from the start. I knew I’d love it but I’d put off reading it for silly yet totally tangible reasons like “if it really is THAT good, I’ll have to wait FOREVER for the sequel” and that kind of nonsense because y’know, I’m not patient when it comes to books I love. Thankfully, having waited this long and totally fallen in love with the series, I only have until July now to wait for Dreamless and I cannot wait!

I’m going to start by talking about the book cover. I have to say that whilst I really like the UK cover, as a major hardback fan I’ve got to go with the beautiful US cover that reminds me very much of the setting in the book. I loved the coastal vibe and sleepy seaside town images that I got from the book. But aside from the setting, it was the exciting plot and the amazing characters that had me hooked. I’m deliberately trying not to say much about the plot as I feel like anything I could say would be a potential spoiler however, I will say that Helen doesn’t know who she is and neither does anyone else really until the Delos family waltz into town and awakens something inside her. It’s all systems go from there on in.

Helen is essentially at the centre of the story and my favourite thing about her is that she is a really decent person and that comes across in the book. This fact alone endeared her to me although I did like the bond she shares with her best friend Claire AKA Giggles. Speaking of Claire, I did so enjoy the tension between her and Jason and I also have high hopes for Matt and Ariadne. Matchmaking is such fun ;)

Ok, let’s talk about Lucas. HELLO. I’m totally adding him to my list of literary boyfriends as he is just lovely. My favourite scenes in the book were between Lucas and Helen – specifically when they crashed into each other and the bed scene (it’s totally innocent, I swear). I also loved it when Lucas insisted on staying on the roof but then came down when he changed his mind. I have to put this out there and say that I would die to see that scene from Lucas’s point of view, maybe as an extra *sends magical vibes out to Josephine*. One of the things that makes this book different from other YA novels is that rather than love at first sight, it’s definitely hate at first sight for Helen and Lucas and that makes for a very interesting and entertaining dynamic. Now, I can’t talk about guys and not admit to having a soft spot for Hector too and I could not help but picture Kellan Lutz (Emmett from Twilight) in the role. With those muscles? There’s nothing wrong with that folks!

Besides the awesome characters, another favourite thing about the book was the family element which is something I enjoyed in books like Finding Sky by Joss Stirling. I don’t come from a huge family and so when I see strong family bonds, brothers and sisters having each other’s backs, I love it.

Starcrossed was a fantastic read and is an example of how Greek mythology SHOULD be taught in schools. None of this stuffy textbook crap but amazing and highly entertaining YA novels that rock your Grecian socks off. And, even though the book is over 400 pages, I can honestly say that I didn’t even notice and even further, I never wanted it to end. That’s writing skill right there, my friends. I really do feel like Josephine Angelini has cast a spell over me and seriously, I’m not sure what I wouldn’t do to get hold of a copy of the sequel right now.

Starcrossed was published on 31st May, 2011 in the US and 3rd June, 2011 in the UK. The sequel entitled Dreamless is published on 29th May, 2012 in the US and 5th July, 2012 in the UK. To find out more about Josephine and her books, please click here. If you live in the UK, the last I looked on Amazon you could buy the kindle version for ONE POUND. That is a mega bargain my friend for such a good read and you should buy it immediately if you have the ways and means.

Infinite Days Review

"Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."

Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love.
The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again.
So I could stop the blood lust.

I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode.

But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.

I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected
my past to come back and haunt me...”

For 500 years Lenah Beaudonte has been a vampire. 500 years of seduction, blood and destruction. But she is sickened by her dark powers – and longs to feel the sun on her skin, grass under her bare feet, and share the breath of a human kiss. She wants to be mortal again. But is she really capable of being human, after her long years of darkness? Waking up as a sixteen-year-old girl brings Lenah many things – the life she has missed, taste, touch, love. But a vampire soul is not easily shed. And her coven – the four vampires she led in decadence and thrilling destruction – want their queen back...

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel is a book that has been sitting on my shelves since its publication in 2010. Obviously, I bought the book because I really wanted to read it but sadly it got lost in the TBR pile as a lot of books invariably do. However, that does not mean that it has not called out to me on occasion and recently, I heard its cry again, only this time I listened and picked it up. Who knew that I had such a good book sitting RIGHT THERE all this time?! Just when you thought every book that could be written about vampires is already out there in the world, along comes Infinite Days with its highly original and fresh take on the whole thing. There are tons of stories about humans turning into vampires but Rebecca cleverly thought to flip this idea on its head and write about a vampire turning into a human again after 500 years of existence and quite frankly, that makes me rub my hands together with glee.

Lenah Beaudonte is our protagonist and she is brutally honest about her less than perfect past. She tells us in no uncertain terms that she was one evil BIATCH who led a strong and undefeatable coven. But, 500 years can change a person and Lenah wants to feel/touch/taste again but such a prize requires an equally huge sacrifice.

I love the fact that Lenah is essentially British (rock on UK!) and she is described in the book as “spellbinding” as one would need to be as a vampire I presume but she retains her beauty as a human as guys just fall at her feet. To be honest, I feel sorry for the guys who can’t see past a beautiful face, especially when she was a vampire. The guy I felt sorry for the most though has to be Vicken and I never really saw him as “the bad guy”. He truly loved Lenah and they were bound for eternity because she was his maker. His love for her became his curse even when their bond was broken as far as she was concerned (when she became human). Justin on the other hand is another kettle of fish. He seemed like an ok guy but the way he fell away from his current girlfriend Tracey so fast and even openly flirted with Lenah in front of her was a tad uncomfortable. I will admit that the beginning of this book shocked me as we’re introduced to a character that is very swiftly pushed out of the exit door. But then, his absence became a presence through memories and flashbacks and I enjoyed that.

Don’t get me wrong, whilst Lenah was an evil, power hungry vampire, she is quite different as a human and it would appear that she’s learned a few things in the past 500 years ;) I believe in forgiveness and second chances and this was definitely her second chance at life. The thing is though, you can’t run rampant for centuries and not expect to pay a price and so ultimately, her destruction will be of her own making.

Most of Infinite Days took place at a very old, regal looking boarding school which I quite enjoyed. There is a scene where Lenah locks herself in a listening room in the library and experiences an operatic aria for the first time since becoming human again. I will admit to youtubing the aria and listening to it myself whilst reading so that I could effectively be in the room with her.

Infinite Days reads like a standalone novel and Rebecca could have left it at that; however you will be pleased to know that there is a sequel in the works and whilst I have my own theories on where the story could go, I am super curious as to what is actually going to happen. Ultimately, Infinite Days is a story of sacrifice, repentance and redemption. It’s fresh, it’s original and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Infinite Days was published in the US on 3rd August, 2010 and in the UK on 3rd September, 2010 followed by the paperback in April, 2011. The sequel Stolen Night (or Stolen Nights in the US) will be published in the UK on 5th July, 2012 with no US release as of yet. Sadly, the UK book will not be hardback to match the first :( To find out more about Rebecca and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Kiss Date Love Hate Review

Want to read my review of Kiss Date Love Hate by Luisa Plaja? YOU CAN by clicking here. Enjoy :)

The Hunger Games Movie Review

For book bloggers and book lovers everywhere, The Hunger Games is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated movies of 2012. The book is part of a trilogy that has been loved and treasured by many since its inception in 2008 and thanks to the movie, it has now been immortalised up on the big screen. At around 142 minutes, it’s not a short film but the time seems to fly by when you’re watching it and before you know it, the movie is over and you’re on your feet screaming “Nooooooooo!!!!” or something to that effect ;)

I’m going to start by saying that I think Jennifer Lawrence was an excellent choice for Katniss and she shows the right amount of emotion for such a complex character. In fact, I’ll go so far as saying that the entire casting was perfect with one little exception. Whilst I think Jennifer Lawrence makes a good Katniss and Josh Hutcherson makes a good Peeta, I’m still not convinced about the chemistry between the two actors BUT I didn’t let this spoil the movie for me. There’s been a lot of rumblings in the press and on twitter with people complaining that they didn’t think the actors playing the roles of Rue, Cinna and Thresh should be black (WTF?) and I want to go on record as saying what difference does it make if they are? It’s not even something that I thought about other than they were PERFECT choices for the roles and that’s what counts. Suzanne Collins even describes Thresh and Rue as having dark skin in the book so you can’t argue that it “wasn’t supposed to be like that”. I also want to say that whoever hired Lenny Kravitz as Cinna is GENIUS and although his screen time is short, he totally stole the show in my eyes.

This leads me nicely on to the costume design which was outrageously vibrant and deliciously over the top. This fitted in really well with the description of the Capitol although it’s not something I had initially visualised when reading the book. My favourite costumes were Katniss’ outfits as “The Girl on Fire”. I don’t know or care how they created the desired effect but I thought her dresses were breathtaking.

I’m always afraid when well loved books are turned into movies but I can safely say that Gary Ross (the director) has done a great job and the movie is very close to the book. It was definitely smart of him to have Suzanne Collins as an advisor and to be honest; I don’t know why more movies don’t use the writer in this way. It seems obvious to me. One thing I didn’t like about the movie though was the shaky camera work at times, however the director has gone on record as saying that it had a lot to do with the urgency of what is going on and to reflect Katniss’s point of view. I’m also a little bit bitter about 7 seconds being cut from the UK release to secure the rating so I might just be buying the US DVD/Bluray when it’s released. Also, a quick note about the music – I LOVED IT and I’m buying the score as soon as I can which I preferred to the official soundtrack.

Overall, I was really happy with the movie and I’d say a lot of people were too as it made $155 million (£97 million) in its opening weekend and that’s just in the US! I wonder how many of us are going to see it twice...only next time; I want to go wearing a T Shirt with “TEAM PEENISS!” on it ;)

The Hunger Games was released worldwide on 23rd March, 2012. The Sequel Catching Fire is reportedly already in the works.

At a glance:

Pro’s

1. The movie closely follows the book
2. Suzanne Collins was an advisor
3. The costumes and casting are excellent
4. There are two more movies in the works!!!

Con’s

1. SOME shaky camera work
2. SEVEN seconds were cut from the UK release
3. Not sure about Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson’s chemistry
4. On top of the 20 minutes of mandatory adverts you have to watch before the movie starts, the lengthy running time means you have to sit in the cinema for a long time and you will be crossing your legs towards the end of the movie. Unfortunately, I had to pee twice and missed some of the movie :(

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso. Here's the synopsis:

"A compelling and spirited debut from Lisa M. Basso in which sixteen-year-old Rayna Evans has spent the last three years locked away in a mental institution for seeing angels. Intent on remaining free, she ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But when her hallucinations begin showing up at school, can Rayna keep her job, her sanity and keep students from dying at the hand of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Psychiatry, fantasy and real life come together in A Shimmer of Angels, as a young girl struggles with identity, secrets and confronting her greatest fears. A Shimmer of Angels is a wonderful read for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, or perhaps has felt like giving up entirely. It touches on themes of suicide, ostracism and emotional pain. The author, personally exposed to suicide through the death of her beloved family member will donate a percentage of sales of this novel to a local suicide prevention and outreach program in San Francisco, California."

Ok, so y'all know I'm an angel girl so of course I'm interested in reading this book but with the huge influx of angel books over recent times, I always ask the question - what makes this book different? Well, I'm really interested in the inclusion of possible mental illness whether it's real or not. I like the themes involved and I'm wondering if this book will make me cry. I also love the fact that this is a debut author who won a contest on YALITCHAT to get this book published so it's obviously got something. And the cover? GORGEOUS!

A Shimmer of Angels is published on 20th November, 2012.