The Eternal Ones Review

Do you long for a place you’ve never been?
Do you often experience the sensation of déjà vu?
Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?
Do you possess skills or talents that defy explanation?
Are you haunted by fears or anxieties that make little sense?
Do you feel unusually close to certain people in your life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have experienced a previous life.

I have to say that I’m incredibly impressed with the quality of books that Penguin are publishing this year. They’re all on my wish list and The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller is of no exception. I’m fascinated by the idea of reincarnation and so I knew that there was an extremely good chance I would like this book. I found it to be a real page turner and I actually made myself late one day because I just HAD to finish the book.

The Eternal ones is written in the third person and centres around Haven, a 16 year old girl from Snope City, a little town in Tennessee. She’s been talking about a boy called Ethan since she was eight years old and feels a pull towards New York City, a place she already knows like the back of her hand although she’s never been there. Haven’s visions of another life have become stronger lately and the religious community (which includes her strict grandmother) think that she is possessed by a demon. Whilst watching TV one day, Haven catches a glimpse of movie star Iain Morrow, who incidentally has recently been accused of murder, and can’t shake the sense of familiarity she feels towards him. He just so happens to be in the one place she has to go and so helped by her best friend Beau, she escapes to New York to find out once and for all, not only who she was but also who she is now and find answers to some very important questions – is Iain Morrow the boy she used to know as Ethan? Were they meant to be together again? Did he really commit murder?

I really enjoyed this story and my first impressions of the book were that it contained a lot of mystery and intrigue. I love the fact that Haven has been talking about Ethan her whole life and I also liked the religious aspect as an extremely good and very relevant conflict in the story. All the way through the book, I didn’t know whether to trust Ian Morrow or not. My immediate thought was that he WAS Ethan but then I had a strong feeling that he was an imposter and it must be a past rival who is trying to keep her away from Ethan. I won’t tell you what the real story is as I don’t want to spoil it for you so you’ll just have to read the book and find out for yourself!

As a character, I did think that Iain was a little bit controlling and demanding sometimes which annoyed me but then it annoyed Haven too so that’s good! She was a little too trusting at times though but her belief in Ethan was so strong that I guess she felt she didn’t have a choice. Speaking of Haven, I’d heard from a fellow blogger that she thought Haven was boring but I totally disagree with this. On the contrary, I thought Haven was really interesting with her dressmaking and drawing skills. Her home situation was full of conflict and mystery as her dad died and her mother had coping issues, leaving her under the care of a strict, religious grandmother. I particularly liked the way that Haven sometimes called her mother and grandmother by their first names. I went through a phase of this when I was a teenager although it had no implications to it for me. I felt that in The Eternal Ones, it showed a lack of closeness/intimacy.

Beau is Haven’s best friend-come-comedic-sidekick who counsels Haven through several phone calls when she is alone in New York. Beau is a good looking gay guy who is proud of who he is and isn’t afraid to stand up for himself against the backlash he receives from the religious crowd. Beau didn’t come across as effeminate in any way and I liked that he wasn’t stereotyped. He looked like a regular, good looking guy and all the ladies swooned after him regardless of his sexual orientation.

Moving on to the plot, it reminded me of a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces are there but you haven’t quite put it together right yet. I was trying to second guess what was happening and I TOTALLY didn’t see the ending coming at all. I loved the setting of New York City but I also particularly loved the addition of Rome where some scenes took place. I have always had a thing about Rome. I’ve never been there but I’ve always held a longing to go there. Perhaps I'm remembering one of my past lives? ;)

I have a few comments about the book itself. Firstly, I loved the simplicity of the cover design and red is my favourite colour. Chapter one was essentially a prologue and so I was confused as to why it didn’t just call itself what it was. Is it because prologues are seen as unfashionable these days? I was also shocked at the number of chapters in the book, 66 in total. HOLY MOLY! Or maybe I said something a little more unrepeatable. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has so many chapters (although I haven’t attempted The Passage by Justin Cronin yet so...LOL). I think the chapters could have been longer to condense the number down.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and whilst I never expected the religious aspect to come into it, I think it’s very fitting to the story. And having read the book now, suddenly the symbol on the cover makes sense. I’m pleased to tell you all that there will indeed be a sequel but unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait until August, 2011 for it! Seems like such a long time :(

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy to read and review. If you have any doubts about how much I liked the book, put it this way, I liked it so much that I’ve just ordered my very own hardback copy. As a special treat, here are some samplers to wet your appetite...


Sampler #1 -

The Eternal Ones - Sampler #1


Sampler #2 -

The Eternal Ones - Sampler #2


Sampler #3 -

The Eternal Ones - Sampler #3


If you are a UK book blogger, have been reviewing for approximately three months and want to read this, please click here as I will be putting this in a tour over on my other site UK BOOK TOURS.



Kirsten Miller is also the author of Kiki Strike. You can access the official website for The Eternal Ones here and there is also another site here. I can’t find a blog for Kirsten although it looks like she may write on the Kiki Strike website. There is a facebook page for The Eternal Ones but I don’t believe Kirsten is on Twitter. You can find her on GoodReads however.

Fade Review

Having just read Wake by Lisa McMann, I couldn’t wait to get started on the sequel Fade as I had to know where the story was going to go next. Again, another quick read at 248 pages I devoured it in one sitting. If you haven’t read Wake yet, then please do not read this review until you have as I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Fade starts right in the middle of the action. There is something disturbing happening at Fieldridge High School and through a fellow student’s nightmare, Janie learns that a sexual predator is on the loose. With her unique ability, Janie seeks to reveal the culprit and save any other girls from getting hurt only she will have to become the bait and Cable isn’t really liking the idea. As well as the crime fighting, Janie is learning more and more about her ability from an unexpected source in the form of Mrs. Stubin’s journals. Janie takes longer and longer to recover from the physical symptoms of dream walking and finds out that the future is bleak. She has no choice but to accept it and share the knowledge of her fate with Cabel.

This time around, the scene is already set and the characters are already established so we can jump straight into the action. There’s still a few reveals however as we learn more about Janie’s ability and more about Cabel’s past and present secrets. Janie and Cabel’s relationship is still going strong and they do eventually end up in bed together. I’m not normally one for spoilers but I had to bring this up because a) c’mon you KNEW it was going to happen eventually and b) I felt that the sex scene was rushed. We’d built up to that moment with Janie and Cable becoming closer to each other emotionally speaking and then BANG it was over. You could argue that this was art imitating life as usually the first time isn’t often a prolonged experience but I still felt cheated.

Again, this book wraps up quite nicely at the end as graduation takes place. And I’m still wondering where the story is going to go next as I don’t remember picking up any hints. What’s frustrating for me at the moment is that whilst GONE has already been published, it’s only available in hardback and all my other copies are paperbacks so now I have to wait until November for the paperback to be released! Oh well, at least it’s something to look forward to.

Another enjoyable read, I’m definitely invested in the story and I’m looking forward to the third and final instalment GONE when I can get my hands on the paperback copy. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Fade to read and review.

Lisa McMann is the author of Wake, Fade and Gone as well as her newest book Cryer's Cross which is due to be published in February, 2011. You can access Lisa's website by clicking here. Lisa is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Wake Review

So I’d heard about Wake by Lisa McMann, first published in December, 2008 and I always thought it sounded interesting but never got round to reading it. Today I read it in one sitting. It’s a quick read at 280 pages and whilst it took a little while to get used to reading in the present tense and the date/time format used, I really enjoyed it. The concept of Wake was really refreshing and I have not read anything quite like this before.

Wake centres around Janie, a teenage girl with a less than favourable background who’s been falling into other people’s dreams since she was eight years old. It doesn’t matter who the other person is, if they are asleep and in close proximity to Janie, then she will enter their dream. Each person’s dream is different and most of the time she is just an observer but more and more frequently, the dreamer turns to Janie and asks her to help them but Janie doesn’t know how. Through her part time job at the local nursing home, Janie learns that she is not the only dream walker (my term for her skill) and starts discovering more about her talent and the implications it has for her. With only one girlfriend (who knows nothing about Janie’s secret), she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Cabel, a guy who has plenty of secrets of his own. Can they learn to trust each other? Can they help each other?

Janie was a fantastic character and I loved the fact that she is not the hot, blonde, all-American girl. She doesn’t have a perfect life; she’s poor and her mother is an alcoholic. Her father is never mentioned and she has no siblings to speak of. But she does have one loyal friend who keeps her sane. Janie is by all accounts a regular girl apart from this extraordinary talent of being able to slip into other people’s dreams. I loved this concept and from the outset it sounded like a gift but then I quickly realised that for Janie, it’s more of a curse. She cannot control who, how or when she is going to dream walk and sometimes there are things that you just don’t want to see!

I also really liked Cable who is shaping up to be one of my favourite love interests. Firstly, he has a really unique and memorable name and I LOVED how he transformed from geek chic to ‘WOW where did YOU come from?!’ I liked the typical teenage boy attitude; he wasn’t trying to be wise beyond his years. Cable lives with a lot of secrets and I was trying to second guess what they were with the snippets of information given to us but I never got it right. I’m really glad actually as I’m usually far too good at guessing the plot and twists in the tale. I’m pleased I was taken along for the ride this time.

One of the major issues running through the book is trust. Janie can’t trust her mother to take care of her or show interest in her but she can trust her to be drunk at all hours. Janie doesn’t always trust Cabel as she sees some disturbing images in his dreams and hears some particularly bad rumours about him which threaten their relationship. Both Janie and Cabel have to learn to trust each other with their secrets.

Overall, I found Wake to be an enjoyable and refreshing read. I loved both the plot and the characters. There is some swearing in the book which for me is acceptable and serves to make the story more realistic.

Wake was nicely wrapped up at the end, so much so that this could be a standalone book. In a lot of ways it’s nice not to end on a cliff-hanger as so many YA books do nowadays. Having said all that though, I’m still looking forward to reading the sequel FADE as I’m curious as to what direction the story will take us in. Look out for my review of FADE very soon. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Wake to read and review.



Lisa McMann is the author of Wake, Fade and Gone as well as her newest book Cryer's Cross which is due to be published in February, 2011. You can access Lisa's website by clicking here. Lisa is also active on Facebook and Twitter. It was recently announced that Wake is going to be made into a movie (starring Miley Cyrus). I prefer to read a book before it is adapted into a movie so I'm glad I read this now before the movie comes out.

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 Ripple by Mandy Hubbard. Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

"Eighteen year old Lexi Wentworth is cursed. For as long as she can remember, she’s spent every night swimming. If she doesn’t, she’ll regret it—simply walking will be agony, as if she’s stepping on shattered glass. Her body craves the water, demands the water, until she can’t say no.

But it's not the swimming that troubles Lexi. It’s the singing that goes with it.When she turned sixteen, her siren song killed the only boy she's ever loved. Now, she avoids the popular shores of the Pacific in favor of a long forgotten lake up in the mountains, where she can swim and sing in peace, far from the population of her oceanside home.

Until, that is, Troy Mills discovers her lake. He’s new to Lincoln City High, and he doesn’t know about Lexi’s reputation as an ice queen—a reputation she’s carefully cultivated to keep everyone around her safe. He pushes her, talks to her, forces her to dream of what life could be like if she weren’t a siren.

Lexi can’t stop herself from warming to him, from falling for him. Soon, he’s demanding answers, following her to the lake, unknowingly risking his life. How can she keep him safe when the one thing she wants most--to hold him close-- will endanger his life?"

Oooooh, sounds good right? Shame it's not due to be released until August, 2011 so we're in for a bit of a wait. In the meantime though, I'm quite interested to check Mandy's new book You Wish which was recently released. What do you think guys? I love the cover :)

Cover Reveals

So I've come across a few cover reveals this week and wanted to share them with you and see what you thought...

First up is Delirium by Lauren Oliver. The ARC had a very different cover (which I also liked) but the final cover is quite striking. I especially like how the face is embedded behind the text and I think it will sit really nicely on bookstore shelves. I've been chomping at the bit to read this since I first heard about it, which seems like a really long time now and I can't wait until February, 2011 *sob* when it is released.

Next up is Entangled by Cat Clarke. I also think this is quite striking (it's the red hair that does it, I only wish I could pull off a look like that) and I love the henna like tattoo image in the bottom right hand corner. For some reason, I also like the fact that the font is all in lower case. I'm really excited to read this and although the release date is not until January, 2011 I'm actually going to get to read this NOW as I'm organising a UK tour for it over on my other website UK BOOK TOURS. If you live in the UK and have been book blogging for at least 3 months, you can sign up to any of the tours on the site.

The Sapphire Talisman is the follow up novel to The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos. I've just purchased a copy of The Emerald Talisman so look out for my review in the near future. I love the background image which looks like it could be on one of those zen like posters you put on your living room wall. The sapphire Talisman is released in December of this year.

Proving that blue books continue to be awesome, this is the US cover for My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent. I think it's VERY striking and I love the addition of a hot boy on the cover! It's not released until January, 2011. As you may be aware, the UK covers look very different and I find it hard to choose between the two. However, my Rachel Vincent books are US copies so I'll be buying this one to fit in with the rest of the collection. Should probably start reading them then LOL.

And finally we have The Dark and Hollow Places which is the next book in the zombie series by Carrie Ryan. This is the UK cover and I have to say that I have always preferred the UK covers for this series and this one is no exception. It does however remind me of "Forbidden" by Tabitha Suzuma as the same barbed wire image of a heart is used on that book. Anyway, I still love it. The Dark and Hollow Places is released in March, 2011.

Just out of interest, this is the US cover. Which one do you prefer?

So Shannon Delany posts her new cover on Twitter about ten minutes after I write this post LOL so I've added her on to the end here. Secrets and Shadows is of course the sequel to 13 To Life which I LOVED. I think this cover is beautiful and I love the way it still looks a bit like the 13 To Life cover with the eye and the motif on the left hand side of the book. I also love the yellow-orange colours and I'm assuming it's Jess and Pietr on the cover. If they're heading off into the sunset could this be a hint at a happy ending? I sure hope so!

So, what do you think about the rest of the covers?

Waiting on Wednesday

I have to admit, that I only heard about Clarity by Kim Harrington yesterday but WOW at the cover and WOOT! for the synopsis. Sounds like my kind of book and I'm excited to add it to the wishlist. Here is the GoodReads description:

"Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?"

Oh how I love a bit of psychometry and the beach setting is just perfect; I've always wanted to go to Cape Cod. Clarity is being published by Scholastic and won't be released until March, 2011.

Torment ARC WINNER

Thank you to everyone who entered my contest to win an ARC of Torment by Lauren Kate. I was overwhelmed with entries and it kills me that I can only pick one winner. However, the good news is I found an extra copy so I'm going to choose TWO, yes TWO winners. Thanks to Random.org those two lucky people are...

*drumroll*

Lora1967

and

Nicole

Congratulations ladies, I've e mailed you both. Thank you to Random House Children's Books for providing the copies. Hope you enjoy Torment as it's a fantastic read! Stay tuned everyone as I'll be having more contests in the near future.

Sisters Red WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who entered my Sister's Red contest, I wish I could send you all a copy but unfortunately there can be only one winner and thanks to Random.org that person is....

*drumroll*




Jessica Secret
http://shutupimreading.blogspot.com

Congratulations to Jessica whom I have just e mailed. Hope you enjoy Sister's Red! Stay tuned everyone as I'll be having more contests in the near future.

Cover Reveals

There has been a lot of cover reveals this week, 3 of which I'm particularly excited about. First up, is Lemniscate which is the sequel to Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia. In case you missed it, my review of Angel Star is here. Here is the description for Lemniscate:

"For Teagan, these last few months have been heaven on earth - especially now that Garreth, her boyfriend and guardian angel, is earthbound. But perhaps Garreth is becoming a little more "human" than either of them expected. Now, Teagan must realize that her world is once again about to shift, as she questions the faith she held in others against those once considered enemies. In this continuatio of Angel Star, Lemniscate will draw you even deeper into the world of dark and light as Teagan realizes the angel who could possibly save them all is the one angel she feared the most."

Lemniscate is published on 21st March, 2011. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I will be able to organise a UK tour for this before release date. Keep your eyes peeled on UK Book Tours.

Next up is Second Skin, the sequel to Under My Skin by Judith Graves. I have just finished reading Under My Skin and really enjoyed it. Look out for my review soon. Here is the description for Second Skin:

"With FIENDS Like Eryn…

Eryn McCain is alive and kicking paranormal butt back to the netherworld with her newly formed crew of hunters. Flesh and blood, fang and claw, the Redgrave High crew takes on all comers. Eryn’s made a deal with a master vampire, and she can’t let a dead man down. Unless she wants her friends and family to relocate – six feet under.

When Eryn and her crew each face their own demons, loyalties are tested and temptations abound. Eryn struggles to resist the beast clawing at her soul. Darkness settles over her like a second skin. Can she share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec – the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy’s son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?

What happens when you're both the beauty and the beast?"

There's no set publication date as of yet but will definitely be some time in 2011.

Lastly, the UK covers for the Soul Screamers books by Rachel Vincent have been revealed. I can't get them on my blog but see them here and let me know what you think. Do you prefer the UK or the US covers? I happen to think the UK covers are really pretty :)

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 book that keeps popping into my head and that is Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard. I just love the title which is so memorable and I'm interested in the premise. It sounds to me a bit like a YA version of Thelma and Louise (without the attempted rape and murder of said rapist). Anyway, see what you think. Here is the GoodReads description:

"It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin.

When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their badlands town.

Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal."

It's definitely on my wish list, is it on yours too?

The Social Network Movie

I only became aware of this yesterday but there is going to be a movie about FACEBOOK! Sounds idiotic right but it's actually about the college guys who invented facebook and what happens in the aftermath. I think it looks pretty good and I love the geeky guy who is taking the lead role. What are your thoughts?



To find out more, click here to access the official website.

UK Book Tours have started

A little while ago, I posted about my new blog UK Book Tours. See the original post here. Well this is an update to let you know that the tours have been posted and you can now sign up if you live in the UK, have a blog and want to read and review any of the following:

1. Torment by Lauren Kate
2. Fallen by Lauren Kate
3. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony
4. By Midnight by Mia James
5. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
6. Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
7. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
8. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
9. Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Hope you'll check out the site and sign up if you're interested. Thanks!

Have you seen The Lost Saint Cover?

The Lost Saint is the follow up to The Dark Divine by Bree Despain. Isn't the cover beautiful? I also like the fact that it's similar to the first book. I have to admit that I have not yet read The Dark Devine but I've had the hardback for a while now. It's actually just come out in paperback in the UK. I hear great things about it though so I will endeavour to make a concerted effort to read the first book and then I'm sure I'll be clambering for The Lost Saint!

Win a copy of Infinite Days

I am dying to read this book as I've heard so much about it and am interested to see how it is a fresh and unique vampire tale. You can currently win a copy of this book by clicking here but you'll have to hurry as the closing date is the end of today. It's for US and Canadian residents only but if you have a US mailing address or would be willing to pay shipping, then I don't see why you couldn't enter. Good luck to everyone!

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 twofold. First up is Crescendo (the sequel to Hush Hush) by Becca Fitzpatrick. I am dying to read this one as I loved Hush Hush! Incidently, Hush Hush was my first review for the blog. Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

"Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?"

You can read the first chapter of Crescendo here but this really should carry a warning: BEWARE, after reading this you are going to want to read more!

Next up is another book I'm dying to read called I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

"Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next."

WOW, is all I can say. Definitely sounds like my kind of book and I hear that this is going to be made into a movie! Must read the book first though.

WIN an ARC of Torment!!!

Who has read Fallen by Lauren Kate and is DYING to read the upcoming sequel Torment? It isn't officially released until the end of September but I just so happen to have a beautiful ARC of Torment up for grabs RIGHT NOW! Because I hate all this "extra entries" crap, all you have to do is follow my blog and leave me a comment below letting me know you want to enter. Also, please leave your e mail address and the country where you live.

THAT'S IT!!

It won't get you any extra entries but publicising the contest will give you good karma :) The deadline is August 1st and it's international. Good luck everyone!

2010 Debut Author Challenge

I've only just found out about the 2010 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and thought I would participate! The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published in 2010. You have to read at least 12 novels and the challenge will run from January 1st - December 21st, 2010.

I realise I'm a little late with this but I've already read some debut author's novels this year.

1. Hush Hush by Becca fitzpatrick
2.Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
3. The Crescent by Jordan Deen
4. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
5. Rising Shadow by Jacquelyn Wheeler
6. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
7. Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
8. The Moonstone Legacy by Diana de Gunzberg and Tony Wild
9. Matched by Ally Condie
10. 13 To Life by Shannon Delany
11. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony
12. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

And more to come...

You too can sign up for the 2010 Debut Author Challenge, even if you don't have a blog. Click here for more information.

Forget You Review

I was recently in America and kept seeing Jennifer Echols books everywhere. I really wanted to pick up Endless Summer but it’s a big book and I was worried about the weight in my suitcase. You’ll be pleased to know that now I’m back in the UK, I have since ordered my very own copy online. Anyway, I recently heard about Jennifer Echols’ new release called “Forget You” and I thought it sounded interesting. I managed to get on an ARC tour for this (thank you Dwayne) and oh my goodness. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book.

Forget You centres around Zoey who is struggling following her mother’s suicide attempt and her father’s inability to BE a father. Zoey is involved in a car crash and does not remember the events leading up to it. Why is a guy that seems to hate her so much suddenly acting like something happened between them? And what does this mean?

I was totally blown away by this book; it was definitely a compelling read. I loved the fact that it was realistic and the sexual issues made it seem like a grown up YA book and that’s definitely something that is of interest to me. It did get quite hot and steamy at some points (without being too graphic, of course) so I’d recommend keeping a fan at hand to cool yourself off when reading!

The characters were well rounded and realistic. Zoey makes some...let’s say... interesting choices but then she is a teenager so I understand that.

I HIGHLY recommend that you add this to your TBR list IMMEDIATELY as you won’t regret it. I’ve now invested in all of Jennifer Echols’ books and will be reading them accordingly. I’m also looking forward to future novels and would love to see what she comes out with. It’s going to be hard to top this one!

Forget You is published on 20th July, 2010. I would love to see a book trailer for this but there isn’t one available at this time. Jennifer is active on Twitter and Facebook. Visit her website and access her blog by clicking here.

Perfect Chemistry Review

“You know that I love you boy, hot like Mexico enjoys”

(Lady Gaga)

Did Lady Gaga write the lyrics to her new single Alejandro after being inspired by reading Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles? I guess we’ll never know for sure but a part of me hopes that it’s true! I’ve heard so much about this book over the past six months and how everyone seems to love it that I couldn’t resist reading it any longer. I actually found a signed hardback copy in Andersons bookshop, Illinois and snapped it up (this is before I’d even read it). That’s faith people! So now I’ve read it, you’re dying to know what I think, right? Well, it was SIZZLING hot and I loved it!

Perfect Chemistry is about what happens when the ultimate bad boy from the wrong side of town and mixed up in gang warfare is partnered up in Chemistry class with Brittany, a rich, white girl from the right side of town. They HATE each other but is there something bubbling underneath the surface and even if there was, how could they exist as a couple in each other’s worlds?

Perfect Chemistry immediately reminded me of a modern version of West Side Story (based on Romeo and Juliet) which by the way isn’t a bad thing. But if you liked those stories, then you’re going to love this book. The two main characters are Alex (Alejandro) and Brittany and one of the things I enjoyed about the book is that whilst they are seemingly polar opposites on the outside, they were alike in a lot of ways when you peeled back the layers. I also particularly loved the fact that the two main characters are both strong in personality and voice. Sometimes in books, one character is clearly stronger than the other but in this case, I thought Alex and Brittany were equally matched.

A lot of YA fiction doesn’t address sexual issues and some books don’t include swearing. I’m totally ok with that but sometimes; I feel it can be justified. And I think both of these things make this book more realistic. In fact, the only thing that really bothered me is that Alex never says “I love you” but then I realised that he’s already said it through his actions.

Whilst you might think that the plot it somewhat predictable (and yes ok, I admit that you can see what’s going to happen early on) it didn’t take away any of the enjoyment of reading the book for me. Overall, I highly recommend this book and I would even go so far as to say that this book will appeal to boys too. Just make sure you all fan yourself often as it gets HOT HOT HOT. I’d definitely like my own Alex ;)

Perfect Chemistry is available in Hardback and paperback. It was published in January 2008. The sequel entitled Rules of Attraction was published in April, 2010. I believe only the hardback is available at this time.

Simone Elkeles is active on facebook and twitter. Find out more about Simone as well as signing up for her newsletter, joining the discussion zone and watching the book trailers to your heart’s content by visiting her website. Click here to access it. There is also a website for Perfect Chemistry which you can explore by clicking here .

I’m including the book trailer for Perfect Chemistry but please bear in mind that it is “tongue in cheek”.



As a special treat, here is the book trailer for Rules of Attraction (which I LOVE)

WIN a copy of Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

How would you like to win yourself a copy of Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce? Yes? No? This is no ordinary copy people, this is the UK version and you know what that means, right?

IT'S SHINY!!!!!

The picture does not do it justice but the cover is made up of shiny red foil and it's gorgeous!! If you're like me and you LIKE shiny things, you need to enter this contest. All you have to do it be a follower of the blog and leave a comment with your name, e mail address and country of origin. I like to keep things simple, none of this extra entries business. However, if you see the contest on twitter, please RT it for me :)

Good luck everyone! The deadline for entries is 31st July and it's international.

UK BOOK TOURS

Are you a UK book blogger? Are you interested in meeting like minded people? How about sharing your books and ARC's? What about participating in a book or ARC tour? If the answer is YES to all of these questions, then please sign up for UK BOOK TOURS. There are a few rules but even if you haven't been blogging for 3 months, please contact me and I might just bend the rules for you! I just need to see that you have a blog and you've been writing reviews.

Sorry to my international followers but there are LOTS of ARC tour websites out there for you guys and NONE for UK followers specifically. This way, the postage will be cheaper and the turnaround for sending books on will be faster. Also, we get to send a strong message that the UK book blogger community is big and proud! :) So what do you say? Sign up and tell EVERYONE you think would be interested. Put it on your blog if you will. Thank you!

Personal Demons Cover Revealed

So you all know that a little while ago, Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers was my Waiting on Wednesday Post (see here). It's actually more like my "Waiting Every Day" because I'm so desperate to read it! The cover for the ARC is just beautiful and is one of the reasons I wanted to get hold of an ARC (besides the main reason which is to read it!). I recently saw a cover on AMAZON and asked Lisa if that was the final cover. Apparently it was not BUT we don't have to wait anymore as the final cover has just been revealed...

Here it is...


What do you guys think? I think it's lovely and the boys look HOT!!

The Dark Devine Trailer

Who has read The Dark Devine by Bree Despain? The cover art is BEAUTIFUL and I bought it a long time ago now but confession time, I haven't read it yet. I WILL, I WILL!! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about the teaser trailer which has just been released. If you haven't read it yet or haven't heard of it, hell even if you HAVE read the book, check out the book trailer below and tell me what you think.



Bree has a contest going on at her blog currently and you could be in with a chance of winning some awesome books which includes a signed ARC of The Lost Saint (the sequel to The Dark Divine")!!!!! She might even throw in an IPad for good measure. Click here to visit the site.

Interview with Lauren Kate

After reading Fallen, I immediately jotted down a list of unanswered questions that I'd quite like to have answered by Lauren, given half the chance. Thanks to Random House Publishing, Lauren has answered my questions (sort of) and so I thought I would post my little interview. I will warn you now: if you have NOT read Fallen, read the book first as there may be some spoilery in this blog post. Check out my review here

Here are the answers that Lauren provided:

First of all, I should say that if I had to make a list of the Top Nine Things About the Series NOT to Disclose to Readers Under Any Circumstances, the answers to these questions would make up eight of them.

Oh great. Now you want to know what the ninth thing would be? I can’t tell you!

Anyway, that’s me saying I’m sorry if these answers sound a bit roundabout or vague. Withholding the truth behind these narrative mysteries is the blessing and the curse of writing (and reading!) a series. I plan on making everything worth the wait, but in the meantime, I have to torment you just a little longer….

Todd and Trevor both died in fires. Who started the fires and why? Was it Cam?

These two fires were not instigated by the same character—but some of the same characters were present at both of them. Confused? Just wait. There will be more fires in each of the subsequent books. More fires. Less confusion.

What-happened-to-Trevor is one of the most common questions I get asked. I’d actually written the answer (a whole chapter) into the first draft of Fallen, but my editor and I decided it would be stronger (and more torturous for the reader) if this backstory were left mysterious until later. The scene is written though, and I think will be available online as a stand-alone excerpt later this summer.

If Luce cannot be reincarnated unless she is baptised, can’t she just be baptised as a security measure in case something happens?

Great question, but the safety that baptism has offered Luce in the past has less to do with the actual ritual of the baptism and more to do with the belief system she would have been indoctrinated with in her former lives as a child with religious upbringing. At this point in her life, a literal baptism couldn’t save her. She has to come to terms with what she believes about good and evil, Heaven and Hell, angels and demons before her soul is no longer “up for grabs.” That’s essentially what she’ll be up to in the coming books.

How/why did the angels fall?

The angels fell because they placed something before God. The mistake varies from angel to angel: pride, apathy, love, even lust. The origin of my story centers upon an angel who was cast out of heaven for loving a mortal woman. He chose her over God. You know God, he doesn’t like play second fiddle to anyone. So the angels were cast out. Some were flung down to hell and stayed there. Some (a few that I’ve gotten to know very well) are roaming the earth right now.

How did Daniel fall in love with Luce? When did they first meet?

I can’t even begin to answer this question! But don’t worry, Daniel will try to in the first chapter of Torment. It’s up to you to decide whether or not to believe him…

It is clear that Luce and Daniel’s relationship is part of something bigger – how and why?

What was only glimpsed in Fallen about Daniel and Luce’s long history of love will be vastly expanded on in Torment, and even more so in Passion (the prequel I’m about to start working on). Very soon, readers will be able to see what makes their love so pure and so special, how and it’s grown and changed over time, and why it’s so essential that their love endure.

Is Penn going to come back in another form to help?

I got this question from so many readers that my agent and I actually sat down and talked about it. Could she? What would it mean? What would it take to bring her back? In the end, I’m not sure it makes sense for where the series is going (I’m sorry! I love Penn, too!), but then again, I’d never say never….

Why does Cam want Luce?

Another tricky question. All I can say is that it has to do with something much bigger than a physical attraction.

Will Roland ever come back to the good side?

Roland is one of the most fun and most mysterious characters for me to write. He’s charming and loveable in a way that Cam and Molly and the others on his “side” can never be. As we saw in Fallen, Arriane has faith that he will come back, and Arriane has a way of getting what she wants. But it’s going to take a lot before Roland makes the choice himself.

And the most important question of all….Will all of these questions be answered in subsequent books?!

Hey, finally, something I can answer forthright! YES!

Thank you to Lauren Kate for attempting to answer my somewhat challenging questions without giving the whole game away! It just makes me that much more excited for Torment and Passion.

Fallen Review

I first became aware of Fallen by Lauren Kate a long time ago now. I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover art and knowing that it had something to do with angels, I didn’t even need to think about buying it. And I’m ashamed to say that it’s been sitting on my shelves for some time. I picked it up for the first time the other day and I could not put it down.

So, ok it has something to do with angels but what is Fallen actually about? A mysterious fire. An unfortunate death. The persistent dark shadows that won’t leave her alone. Luce Price is smack in the middle of mysterious goings on and cannot explain any of it. Shipped off to reform school, there she meets the very alluring Daniel Grigori. He goes out of his way to ignore her but she can’t help feeling drawn to him. Enter Cam, another good looking guy who seems to pay WAY too much attention to Luce. Daniel and Cam don’t like each other but no one knows why. They’re both keeping secrets and Luce is desperate to find out why it all seems so familiar. Fallen is an epic, supernatural romance that will leave you breathless for more.

Fallen is written in the third person and I haven’t read a book written in this style for over a year now. It kind of threw me at first but I soon got used to it and it actually made a refreshing change. I have to say that the big mystery surrounding the plot really captivated me. I was over halfway through the book and I STILL didn’t really know what was going on. The story unfurls teasingly slow as little snippets of information are revealed bit by bit. I like the fact that the first hot guy we’re introduced to in Fallen is not the main love interest. Again, this was refreshing and not what I expected. I also didn’t expect to like Cam but I still find him charming even at the end of the book. Perhaps it’s the bad boy vibes he gives off ;)

Luce’s relationship with Daniel is complicated. I liked the fact that when she first meets him, he completely offends her in one of the worst possible ways. Although this is not a pleasant interaction, it’s definitely memorable! I did think at one point that Daniel is so hot and cold with her, why would she continue to bother with him? And then I considered the pull she feels towards him and the overwhelming sense of familiarity. I don’t think Luce could walk away even if she wanted to and she feels strongly that she needs to unravel all the mystery surrounding Daniel.

I have to say that I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve now bought myself the US hardback (you know I love hardbacks) and pre ordered the hardback of Torment. I do actually have an ARC of Torment which I will be reading soon but I already know it’s going to be great.

And if you’ve read the book and have been thinking about who you’d like to play the characters should it ever become a movie, your dream is one step closer to reality as Fallen has been optioned by Disney for film so it may just become a movie sometime in the future and I for one cannot wait!





Fallen was released in 2009 and the sequel Torment will officially be released in September, 2010. You can actually read a sneak peak of Torment by visiting the US site (see below for details) and clicking on the link. The third and final book in the series will be called Passion and there is no set release date for this yet but I expect it to be late 2011 at a guess.

Lauren Kate has her own website which you can visit by clicking here . She is also active on facebook and twitter. Fallen also has a UK website which you can access by clicking here and a US website which you can access by clicking here .

My BBAW Post

Has everyone heard of Book Blogger Appreciation Week? It's an annual event now in its third year that celebrates the book blogging community. Book Blogger Appreciation Week or BBAW for short (let's face it, it's a lot easier to type out the abbreviation) also has an awards component to it and I've decided to put myself forward for Best Young Adult Book Blog and Best New Book Blog. I realise I'm up against some fantastic bloggers and friends for the awards but it's all in good spirits and you never know unless you try, right?

I'm entering 5 reviews in the award categories and these are:

1. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
2. 13 To Life by Shannon Delany
3. Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
4. Penitence by Jennifer Laurens
5. Matched by Ally Condie

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about nominating myself but I'm going to give it a shot. I look forward to the week in September and discovering new blogs, making friends and finding out about other blogger nominations.

If you want to find out more about BBAW, click here to visit the website. You can also follow on twitter.

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 Infinite Days by debut author Rebecca Maizel. Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

"When Lenah Beaudonte, a 500-year-old vampire queen, wakes up a human teenager at an ultra-cliquey prep school, she must choose between embracing the humanity she’s always craved and saving her new friends from her vicious coven. The first in a sizzling new YA series.

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?"

Now, up until recently I had decided that I was all vampired out. But then I heard Victoria Schwab say that she had read and loved this book and also that it was a refreshing vampire tale. After reading the premise, I'm definitely interested in reading this one and it looks like it is a series. Check out the book trailer below and then tell me you DON'T want to read this, I dare you!



Rebecca is active on facebook and you can actually WIN an ARC of Infinite Days now on her blog (better hurry though as it closes 9th July). You can visit Rebecca here.

Eclipse Review

Last night was the UK preview screening of Eclipse and I just happened to attend the midnight showing. Now let me tell you that Eclipse is my favourite book of the Twilight Saga, mostly due to all the sexual tension coming to a head. I was really frightened when I first heard that David Slade (of 30 days and 30 nights fame) was going to direct this as I thought he couldn’t do the book justice. I’m pleased to report that the movie is really good and easily the best of the three. The acting is better as people have grown into their characters, the effects are good and the storyline is good. I decided to bullet point my thoughts which I wrote last night at 02 30am when I got home!

1. I had heard that Kristen Stewart wore a wig in this movie due to the fact that she cut all her hair off for The Runaways. After seeing the trailer, I was worried and became obsessed with the fact that Bella is wearing a wig! Although to me it’s still obvious that it’s not real, the wig was not as distracting as I originally thought.

2. I totally get what Myra McEntire said about Dakota Fanning’s eyebrows being distracting. Also, as mentioned in Myra’s blog, no sound effects to the glistening of Edward’s skin sparkling in the sunlight and the vampires running looked better and not as blurry. See here for Myra’s VLOG which is hysterically funny. I love her!

3. How come when vampires were killed, it looked like the scene from Terminator 2 when the terminator had been covered in liquid nitrogen and then its arm broke off? Presumably because the vampires are considered the “cold ones” and this was symbolic of them being like ice.

4. Bryce Dallas Howard was an interesting Victoria although I thought she lacked the menace of the previous Victoria, played by actress Rachelle Lefevre. That's not to say that Bryce didn’t do a good job, I just felt she could have been more menacing.

5. Riley – woohoo, another hottie in the twilight mix although we won’t be seeing him again unfortunately.

6. It was good to get a reminder of who Bree Tanner is since I still have to read the new Stephenie Meyer novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

7. There’s a reason why this film is being touted as the best of the three and I’m not sure it has much to do with direction or effects. This is my favourite book because the love triangle comes to a head and there is a lot of action and tension in it. There is plot and there is characterisation.

8. The tent scene remains my favourite scene by far. Thankfully it was done well in the movie and represented the book nicely.

9. How come Jasper just suddenly remembered he had a Southern accent?

10. The Jacob and Bella kiss – when they first kissed, I thought that was THE kiss and I was less than impressed. Then later, came the real kiss. Following the first kiss, Jacob promised not to kiss Bella again until she asked. Later, in the midst of all the romantic tension when Jacob found out that Bella had accepted Edward’s marriage proposal, he was hurt and threatened to go off into battle not caring for his own safety. in order to make things right (?) Bella admitted her feelings for him and asked him to kiss her. Now I don’t know about you but I think that Taylor Lautner should have studied Richard Gere in First Knight when a similar situation occurred with Guinevere. He kissed her, she got offended and he promised not to kiss her again until she asked him to. And when she did? OH BOY, there were sparks and passion flying everywhere. This is what I'm talking about...



This is a round about way of saying that the Jacob Bella kiss was too gentle and lacked passion. Not good enough I'm afraid.

11. Summit films moved some of the locations to Canada and I totally didn't notice anything different in the film.

12. The animation of the wolves seemed better and looked more real.

13. Is it just me or is Charlie just an awesome character? For a parent in YA fiction, I think he is great.

14. I don't think the music has been as good since the first film. Twilight had some awesome songs and theme music. As a film sountrack, it was excellent. New Moon and Eclipse don't compare I'm afraid and I'm sorry that we've lost the themes.

Overall though, I’m glad they kept it pretty close to the book and I think David Slade did a decent job. I'm dying to watch it all over again!!



For more information about The Twilight Saga movies, click here.

Author/Book News

So I decided to write a post about recent author/book news as I've been hearing tidbits on the internet about various things and thought I should share the info...

First up is news from Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder. The Sequel entitled Desires of the Dead has a cover and boy is it pretty! Like The Body Finder cover art, it has a similar design only this time it's pink and I think it's gorgeous! Desires of the Dead is officially released on 15th March, 2011 and it's so on the wishlist already! Look out for a review of The Body Finder some time soon.

Speaking of covers, the sequel to The Dark Divine by Bree Despain is called The Lost Saint and the cover will officially be released on July 20th, presumably on Bree's blog. The Lost Saint is officially released on 28th December, 2010 so make sure you save a bit of your christmas money for that! It's been added to my wishlist.

Sarah Rees Brennan has a THIRD demon book coming out next year (possibly May time) but that's all the details I have on that for the moment. This is on the wishlist too!

Have you read Swoon by Nina Malkin? I have had this book for so long but still haven't read it yet due to the ever growing TBR pile. If you liked it then you'll be pleased to know that a sequel is coming soon but no further details at the moment. Added to wishlist!

How about If I Stay by Gayle Forman? ANOTHER book that's in the TBR pile but I haven't got round to reading yet *sigh*. I've just heard that Gayle has recently finished writing the sequel entitled Where She Went. Wishlist!

Now, a lot of you know that one of my favourite author's is Maggie Stiefvater and Shiver holds a very dear place in my heart. Have you checked out the Shiver micro site that has just been put up by Maggie? Click here to check it out. You can find out about the series and I'm sure that news will be posted there as soon as it becomes available. I'm especially looking forward to seeing what the cover will look like for the third and final book in the series entitled Forever. DEFINITELY on the wishlist.


I also have some very exciting news about the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. The rights have been optioned for film which means we could see a movie in the near future! Am beside myself with excitement over this!! If you want to read the full article about it then click here . I've only read and reviewed the first book although I have more of the books. I really want to start reading them and find out what happens soon!

I absolutely love Fallen by Lauren Kate and am about to post my review of this soon. The UK trailer has officially been released so check it out.



Torment is the sequel to Fallen and comes out in September, 2010. I was lucky to get an ARC of this which I will be reading soon. I won't post my review until September though. If you can't wait until September however and absolutely MUST sneak a peak, then go the Fallen facebook page to read the first 18 pages. Also, check out the trailer below.