I live in the UK and am an avid reader of YA, New Adult and occasionally adult fiction. I set up this website to give honest reviews about books I read and I also post reviews at Wastepaperprose. If you are an author, publisher or publicist and would like me to review a book, please e mail me here.
This Halloween meet 16 YA Paranormal Authors at THE CROSSROADS! 16 Authors, 16 bloggers, 16 days
From October 16-31st, bloggers and authors will meet at a virtual crossroads, sharing their love of the paranormal and things that go bump in the night with readers. Not only will these authors be answering a hell of a lot of questions but there will be lots of contests people and you can win tons of books and swag. Here is a small selection of swag that all the blogs (including Narratively Speaking) will be giving away during the tour...
And on the very last day (31st October, A.K.A. Halloween) we will all be giving away a book. My book will be a copy of the gorgeous looking and highly original Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White...
NOT ONLY THAT, but each day of The Crossroads Tour,a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page (http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/), and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween to win the grand prize. To find out more about The Crossroads Tour, you can read the official press release here and also get ALL the information about the tour and how it works by clicking here.
So, I will be interviewing an author a day for the next 16 days and they have to answer my questions about their books and their writing as well as a few spooky questions thrown in for good measure. I hope you'll join me each day and I'll pick a random winner from the comments made on all 16 interviews for the swag pack and then there will be a separate post to win the book. I should mention that the contests are international and winners will be chosen at the end of the tour.
"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 pic is a very, very special book entitled "The Near Witch" by Victoria Schwab.
"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. There are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget."
I've been following Victoria on her blog and on Twitter for what seems like a really long time now. She is part of The YA Rebels and posts regular Vlogs on YouTube. If you're interested, you can access The YA Rebels channel here. I highly recommend them. This is the latest Vlog in which Victoria has just received her ARC's and is mildly excited ;)
You can also listen to the opening of The Near Witch, read by Victoria's very British mother, by clicking on the video below...
And the best news of all is....you can PREORDER it right NOW at Amazon by clicking here. I can't wait to read the book as anyone who can make wind sound THAT interesting deserves to have their book read!
I'm so honoured to be taking part in the ANGEL UK blog tour and it's 7th October which means it's my turn!! If you haven't heard of Angel by L.A. Weatherly, you really need to look it up NOW. Yes, I mean NOW. Stop what you're doing and click here to read the GoodReads blurb and then watch the trailer below.
I have to say that I'm about halfway through the book and I'm absolutely loving it! I had planned to finish it and have my review posted but I gave my copy away to Maggie Stiefvater whom I met last Saturday (I know, I still can't believe it and btw the blog post about it is imminent) and so I've had to wait to get another copy. Angel released on 1st October and I hear that US rights have been sold although there is no US release date as of yet as far as I know. I'm pretty excited though as that means it will be in hardback and as you know, hardbacks rock my world! Having said that though, the UK paperback of Angel is GORGEOUS, don't you agree?
So, on with my special feature. Lee has kindly provided me with her take on the angels in ANGEL...
The common perception of angels is of benevolent winged beings who care about humans, and look out for our best interests. They might protect you from danger, bring you a message of hope when you’re in despair, or just look out for you in your day to day life. Though the angels in Angel are still viewed that way by most people, sadly, it’s all a lie. Angels are actually amoral creatures from a different dimension, who are in our world to feed off human energy. Their touch causes a rush of euphoria known as angel burn, where the victim perceives the angel as good and kind even as it’s damaging their life force with its touch, and causing fatal illness or mental disease. Because of the angels, the world is currently gripped by a mania of angel fever – and at the same time, hospitals are overflowing, homeless people are on the rise, and human suffering is increasing beyond measure. The angels in Angel are not nice, to put it mildly.
So if you see an angel coming … think twice before saying hello to it. ;-)
Oooooh, but that's not all I have for you. I'm very excited to give you the opening paragraph of ANGELFIRE, which is the sequel to Angel, set to release in May, 2011. I haven't even finished ANGEL yet and I'm already anticipating the sequel! So here it is...
"Mom?"
My mother didn't respond. She was sitting in her favourite chair, staring into space with a gentle smile tugging at her lips. All around her was the usual chaos of Aunt Jo's house - teetering piles of magazines and mail-order boxes; the ironing board set up in the corner with the iron still on it and a pile of junk mail perched on one end; a half-empty mug of coffee on the table that might have been there for days, judging by the starburst pattern of cream at the coffee's centre. Hugging myself, I looked around. Everything was so quiet, as if Mom and I were the only two people in the world. Distantly, I wondered whether Aunt Jo was at work, and where the carer was in that case. But somehow, it didn't seem to matter.
It may sound pretty tame, but I bet the rest of the book is anything but! I highly recommend you get yourself a copy of ANGEL which will challenge every belief you've ever had about angels. Tomorrow is the final stop on the blog tour where Love Reading X will be revealing the cover for ANGELFIRE!!!! I can't wait to see it!!!!
"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 Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz. This week's WOW post is a little strange in that I've only just read the first book in the "Touch" series, I mean LITERALLY and I haven't written my review yet. I finished reading it today, immediately ordered the second book (Deadly Little Lies) and found out that Deadly Little Games (the third book in the series) is being released on 28th December, 2010. This is of course in hardback and since I have the paperbacks, I'll be waiting that little bit longer so that all my books match. I'm not going to post the GoodReads blurb because it has spoilers in it which you won't want to find out unless you've read the first two books. If you're interested though, the link is here. My review for Deadly Little Secret (the first book) is coming really soon so watch out for that!
Did you hear about the world's first Wonka store opening inside Toys R Us in Times Square, NYC? I just found about this and I'm giddy with excitement. I'm *hoping* to go to BEA 2011 which will of course be in NYC and alongside The Strand, I've now put the Wonka store on my "must see" list whilst I'm there. I wonder if I'll have any room in my case for chocolate. OF COURSE I WILL! There's always room for chocolate ;)
I can't WAIT to see this movie but I really want to read the book first. I'm definitely moving it up the TBR list! This trailer has just been released and...WOW is pretty much all I can say. Looking forward to the movie release on 18th February, 2011.
"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 very special book by a very special author. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. As you may know by now, Maggie is one of my favourite YA authors and I adore this series so much that I've bought multiple copies of her books. Think I'm joking? I'm really not. I have proof...
I've given away so many copies of Shiver as birthday presents, as well as loaning my own copy to work colleagues. As you can see in the photograph, I'm currently collecting multiple copies of Linger to give to others including my sister who read Shiver after I sent it to her and fell in love with the story so much that she even missed an episode of Eastenders so she could finish the book. This amused me greatly.
OK, so there is no blurb currently for Forever and whilst I really wanted to come up with some witty and entertaining blurb of my own, I didn't want to spoil it for people who haven't read Linger yet and to be honest, I don't know what is going to happen. I mean this is Maggie we're talking about and quite frankly I'm a little scared LOL. I will however hazard a guess at the words I think the blurb might contain, words like: Grace, Sam, love, kill, die, cure, together, forever, Secret, sacrifice, and goodbye. Only time will tell if I'm right and I look forward to reading the real blurb when it becomes available. I can't wait to read Forever and the anticipation is going to kill me because whilst last year I was lucky enough to win an ARC, I'm not sure there will even *BE* ARC's this year and if so, I may not get one. I'm ever the optimist though so here's hoping!
I love these posts and try to save them for a time when there is a lot of cover reveals going on. And this is that time. Of course, there is a very special cover reveal happening on Monday *cough* Maggie Stiefvater *cough* but that will require a special post. For now, this is what I've found this week... First up is Possession by debut author Elana Johnson. This is a Dystopian novel (and boy am I loving Dystopian fiction right now) being published by Simon & Schuster (in the US) next year. Publisher's Marketplace said that "Posession is set in a brainwashed society where those gifted with mind control best join the powers that be, but one rebel girl tries to beat them at their own game." Well, all I can say is that I love the cover, I love the title and I love the premise. So it's WIN WIN WIN. I'm definitely putting this one on the wish list.
Next up we have Blessed which is the third book in the "Tantalize" series. I have both books in this series and am ashamed to say that I have not yet read them. YET being the most important word in that sentence. I hear great things about them though and I really like Cynthia as an author. She's always full of helpful advice (I love her website). I'm definitely adding this one to the wish list on her reputation alone. This will be published on 8th February, 2011.
Fins Are Forever is the sequel to Forgive my Fins by Terra Lynn Childs. The first book had a striking cover and the second book is just as eye catching. I'm ordering Forgive My Fins as we speak as I've always wanted to read this so no doubt I'll be adding the sequel to the wish list. This will be published in the US by Katherine Tegen books in 2011.
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting drew rave reviews and this is the cover to the follow up novel, Desires of the Dead. I'm really ashamed to say that I've had The Body Finder for a long time now and have still not read it. I'm moving it up the TBR pile though. I love this cover as it's so pretty! Desires of the Dead is published in the US by HarperCollins on 1st March, 2011.
I've been waiting for this cover reveal for a while now, Blood Magic is the debut novel from a lovely lady called Tessa Gratton. I think the cover is beautiful and this has been on the wish list for a while now. This is being published both in the US and the UK by Random House Publishing on April 26th, 2011.
Last but not least is Shadowspell by Jenna Black, which is the sequel to GlimmerGlass. I've had GlimmerGlass since May but haven't read it yet. I have to say though that the covers in this series are absolutely gorgeous and I'd buy them for that alone!! Definitely going on the wish list. This will be published in the US by St. Martins Press on 4th January, 2011.
Described by Sugar magazine as “the hottest read of 2010” Crescendo, the long awaited sequel to Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick does not disappoint. Indeed, it proved difficult to get hold of an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) but thanks to my friend Emma from Asamum Booktopia she let me read it before I put it into UK Book Tours.
Crescendo had me hooked from start to finish, I could barely put it down. Case in point, one day I picked up the book “just to read a chapter” before I went out food shopping and three hours later, I was still sat on my bed reading. This book should come with a warning – DO NOT start reading if you have something important to do as it will not get done!
As you may remember at the end of Hush Hush, Patch was changed from a fallen angel into Nora’s guardian angel. This new role, together with Patch’s secretive and seemingly inexplicable behaviour brings its own set of challenges to their relationship. Add in the fact that the Archangels aren’t particularly keen on Patch and Nora’s blossoming relationship and you’re in for a whole heap of trouble.
Crescendo is certainly what I would describe an emotional rollercoaster of a read and I found the story bittersweet. Whilst I enjoyed the book, I didn’t like what I was reading because I didn’t want what was happening to be happening. Becca Fitzpatrick damn near broke my angst ridden heart for the majority of the book!
In terms of plot development, besides the romantic element, Crescendo delves deeper into the history behind the relationship between the nephilim and the fallen angels as well as allowing the reader to learn more about Nora’s past including her father’s mysterious death. I must say I did get a little confused with the mythology and it makes me want to go back and read Hush Hush again from the beginning. I think I would probably recommend that, especially if it’s been a long time since you read the first book.
Thankfully in Crescendo, all the old characters are still present. Nora is still feuding with Marcie Miller (only this time, Patch is involved) and it’s nice to see that Vee is all hooked up with a guy of her own who just happens to be Patch’s best friend Rixon. I call Vee “the incredible best friend” as she seems to come running to Nora’s aid at the drop of a hat, especially now Nora is car-less. There is also the introduction of a new character from Nora’s past who re-enters the scene with his own secretive agenda. And of course there’s Patch and we FINALLY get to find out his real name! I’ve been thinking about male literary characters that I love recently and Patch is definitely in the top ten. I love bad boys but if there is something I love even more than a bad boy, it’s a bad-boy-turned-good. That makes me weak at the knees.
If I had one criticism about the character development, it would be about Nora. She is supposed to be smart, an A grade student but it seems that in Crescendo, she lies, breaks the law on more than one occasion and ends up acting a little bratty at times. This is arguably out of character but I’m going to put it down to all the incredible, emotional turmoil she is going through and the fact that most of the time, she can’t believe what’s coming out of her own mouth or believe her own actions. And you can’t say that she has been influenced by bad-boy-turned-good Patch either as she is responsible for her own actions. I guess you could say that love makes you do crazy things ;)
Despite the fact that Nora was a little annoying at times, I still really enjoyed the book. Crescendo certainly lives up to its name and builds up to a MASSIVE climax with one major twist that I have to admit I did see coming but I certainly didn’t see what happened in the final pages. You’ll no doubt be pleased to hear that Crescendo ends on a cliffhanger – well sort of – the kind where you just HAVE to know what happens next! ARGH! If you enjoyed Hush, Hush then you are sure to enjoy Crescendo which will leave you even hungrier for more. Bring on the third book "Tempest", which reportedly may or may not be the last book in the series, although nothing is definite at the moment. Crescendo is published on 19th October by Simon & Schuster. If you are a UK book blogger and would like to read Crescendo, visit UK Book Tours and sign up to be on the tour.
You can visit Becca at her website here. She is also active on facebook and Twitter. Also, visit the official fan site FallenArchangel.
I’ve been reading a lot of YA books about werewolves and angels recently (not together I hasten to add, although what an interesting combination that would be and as far as I know, has not yet been tried). As an honorary wolf girl AND Angel girl, this is fine but to be quite honest, I needed a break from these two themes and I found it in Finding Sky, a debut book by British author Joss Stirling.
I have to admit that at first I was nervous about picking this book up. Why I hear you ask. Well, the cover is beautiful so it wasn’t that. And the premise sounded fantastic so it wasn’t that either. It was for the simple reason that the author is British and I don’t have a great track record with British authors. I realise this makes me sound like a complete traitor and I don’t mean to be. There are of course exceptions to the rule - I really enjoyed By Midnight by Mia James and obviously classic novels such as Tom’s Midnight Garden, The Secret Garden and pretty much anything by Roald Dahl. Most British teenagers are fed on a diet of American TV shows like Gossip Girl, Glee and The Vampire Diaries. For me, it was more like My So Called Life, Dawson’s Creek and Roswell High. As a teenager, I was obsessed with moving to America and having an authentic “high school” experience. This is one of the things that intrigued me about the book because Finding Sky is about a teenage girl called Sky Bright (yes, she’s heard all the teasing remarks before) who moves from London, England to Colorado in the United States with her adoptive parents due to a job offer they couldn’t refuse. Of course it’s about much more than a British girl experiencing culture shock in another country; it’s about dealing with the past, finding out who you really are and accepting your fate.
To please the hopeless romantic in me, there was a love story with a touch of the supernatural (well sort of). Sky crosses paths with Zed Benedict, a boy with a bad attitude. Initially, they don’t seem to like each other but sparks fly after one particularly eventful incident that changes the way Zed looks at Sky. Zed confesses to being a Savant, someone with extra sensory abilities and claims that Sky is his soulfinder. The idea behind soulfinders is romantic to say the least. Although I can see why someone who doesn’t understand the concept might find it stifling. It’s a bit like being on a first date and asking how many kids you think you’ll have together, just slightly off putting for your date. I thought Sky’s reaction to this news was authentic and I loved how Zed’s character developed when Sky came into his life. Zed explains that he is a different person when he is left to his own devices, almost like he depends on Sky, his soul finder to make him whole, no to be a better man. His character shifts and he becomes a bad boy turned good which is just the kind of guy I like ;)
Sky definitely goes on a journey in this book as she unlocks the secrets to her past and learns to deal with the consequences of doing so. I would have liked to have seen her toughen up a bit and I think she does come out of her shell as the book progresses.
The idea behind Savants was interesting and not something that I’ve read about before in a YA paranormal book. They were nicely represented by the Benedict family and each family member had a different extra sensory gift. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of telepathy and how it used in the book. How awesome would it be to speak to someone using only your thoughts, not only speak to them but hear their replies?! I loved this concept in Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I loved it here too.
As in any good book, there has to be conflict and there were many conflicts going on in this book. I initially thought that the main conflict was going to be about Sky coming to terms with her past but there were other conflicts such as the fact that not all Savants are good, power has a tendency to corrupt ;) I can absolutely see how these gifts could be used for both good and evil purposes and I thought this story line added something extra to the book.
I really enjoyed this story but if I had one criticism it is that a couple of things said by American characters sounded very British. For example, Sky’s friend Tina uses the word “mates” which is not really something I think an American would say. Also, towards the end Zed says “good grief” in a sentence directed towards Sky and to me; this seems out of character and not something that would pass his lips. Of course, you could argue it away and say that Sky’s American friends have adopted Sky’s British way of speaking but it still sounded a little false to me. The good thing is, I was happy to overlook these minor nuances as I loved the story so much.
The story was wrapped up nicely but I’m truly hoping it isn’t a standalone book because I think there is so much Joss could do with it. Firstly, we don’t know a lot about the history behind the Savants. How did they get the name? When did it all begin? How do you become a Savant? Also, I think the fact that Zed has six brothers who haven’t found their soulfinders yet leaves A LOT of room for further stories in the series, perhaps with each brother taking the lead as the protagonist.
I really enjoyed this book, perhaps even more than I expected and it definitely lingers. I’ve been thinking about it for days since I read it. Joss Stirling is definitely a name I will be looking out for in future and based on what I’ve read so far, I’d buy her next book without needing to read the synopsis, ESPECIALLY if it was a sequel to Finding Sky.
Thank you to Oxford University Press for sending me a copy to review.
Just in case you’re wondering, I never did get to experience an American high school but I did become an Au Pair for a year after completing my A Levels. It was certainly a unique experience and I don’t regret it. America felt like home to me and maybe this is why I love American books because I was there at an impressionable age (well that’s what my dad says anyway).
Joss has her own website which you can visit here although there's not a lot there at the moment. Finding Sky is available to buy now.
In order to celebrate the imminent release of Angel by L.A. Weatherly (published on 1st October), I'm very pleased to announce The Angel UK blog tour which commences 22nd September - 8th October. I will be hosting a very special, exclusive feature on 7th October so make sure you come back for that! In the meantime, check out the rest of the blog tour as highlighted below.
In case you've somehow missed my WOW post, highlighting Angel (the cover, what it's about etc) then click here to find out about the book. I'll be posting my review soon.
"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 (and author) I only discovered last week and that is Divergent by debut author Veronica Roth. Here is the GoodReads blurb:
"In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her."
I think this sounds like a mash up of Matched by Ally Condie and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (presumably without teens killing teens). This is right up my street and one that I will be lusting after until May 2011 *sob* when it comes out. We've got a long wait folks and unless the UK rights get sold, I'm going to find it difficult to get hold of this one before the release date. I can but try though!
I hadn't really realised until recently just how many books I have in my posession. Due to lack of space, a lot of them had been stored in boxes but when I ran out of boxes, this happened...
And when this happened, guess what else happened? I tripped over the books, almost went through the television and my left hand landed on a mobile phone charger. OUCH! It was so bad that I had to have an x-ray. Thankfully nothing was broken, I had just sprained my wrist. This was when I decided that something needed to be done. I really wanted to organise my books but in order to do that, I was going to have to sort out my office which looked like this...
It was so messy, I couldn't bare to go in there (only when absolutely necessary) and then I'd come out, shut the door and pretend it wasn't happening. So basically, I was disorganised, I didn't know where all my books were and as an aspiring author, I felt like I couldn't write properly until I'd sorted all of this out.
This is where PARANORMALCY** by Kiersten White comes in...
PARANORMALCY is such a kick ass book, that it chose to help me (of course, it knew it was going to get something out of it too but still). We got in the car together...
And we went to...
PARANORMALCY and I had a look around together trying to find some bookcases. It definitely liked the idea of being the only book on the shelves!
Well yes I can see how it would like that and those shelves are nice but we need MOOOOOOOOOORE! So we finally agreed on THREE, yes THREE bookcases to take home with us. And I definitely needed help building them which PARANORMALCY* gladly agreed to.
We spent many hours together, with me hammering and nailing and PARANORMALCY barking out instructions and then we finally did it...
And PARANORMALCY takes centre stage as being THE FIRST BOOK on the new bookcases. And check me out, I may not have a pink tazer but I do have a wireless drill! LOOK OUT!
* My boyfriend may have helped too ** I'm not crazy, I just made a fool out of myself to enter a contest but it was the FUNNEST contest I've ever taken part in :)
"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. I did skip out on last week's Waiting on Wednesday (sorry but I didn't have time as I was working too hard) so this week's pick is Unearthly by US author Cynthia Hand. Here is the GoodReads blurb:
"In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?"
Ok, firstly the cover is gorgeous and I love the title! But what I really love is that it involves angels. Everyone knows that I'm part wolf girl and part angel girl so OF COURSE this book appeals to me. I especially like the idea of the main protagonist being part angel which is not really a concept I have come across in other YA books about angels. This has my curiousity piqued!
Unearthly will be published by HarperTeen in the US on 4th January, 2011. The UK rights have not been sold as of yet but that does not deter me! Thanks to online resellers, I will be ordering this one when the time comes and if I can manage to get my hands on an ARC (which will of course go on a tour for UK Book Tours) then that that would be fantastic!! If I love it, I'll buy a finished copy anyway :)
So I've been in London all day and hadn't had a chance to write this post. Roald Dahl Day takes place every year on 13th September, which just so happens to be his birthday. It's a day to celebrate the man who gave us classic stories like: The Witches, The BFG, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Twits, Boy, Going Solo and many more.
The reason I'm writing this post is because Roald Dahl had a HUGE effect on me as a child reader. I ADORED his books and owned and read all of them. I'll bet if I go through the masses of boxes I have in my soon-to-be-sorted-out office, I'd probably find most of them. All apart from George's Marvellous Medicine that I let my cousins borrow when we were kids and they never returned it *glares at Paul and Gareth*. Anyway, the point is that I loved all of Roald Dahl's stories and they really made me fall in love with books and reading. So I just want to say thank you to Roald because I wouldn't be the reader I am today without you. Whilst I know he will never read this (he sadly died in 1990), I hope he knows what an inspiration he was and continues to be today.
I'm really pleased to be taking part in Blogfest 2010 although I admit to being a little late with this post! In my defence, I'm a busy nurse and didn't realise I had to post it until the last day or two! Oops!
So, as part of Blogfest there are over 257 blogs giving away amazing things! Find out all about it and who else is participating by visiting A Journey of Books.
Up for grabs is: "A Writer's Necessity Pack" as donated by the very wonderful Jordan Deen (author of The Crescent and upcoming sequel Half Moon). Visit Jordan here for more information about Jordan and her books. She is also part of Blogfest and has ANOTHER awesome contest going on besides that one!!
So the prize pack consists of:
An RCA Voice Recorder (200 hour, 512 MB)
Writing the BreakOut Novel book
2 Notebooks
1 Journal
1 4x6 notepad
1 pack of pens
1 pack of pencils
Pack of book covers
Under the bed tote/caddy
2 signed Half Moon BookMarks
All you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment below with your e mail address and location. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and there can only be one winner. Good luck everyone, the deadline is 12th September.
When I write reviews, I usually rewrite the synopsis using my own words to show that I've understood the story. That's what I was always taught in school and it requires a little effort. I recently read some comments from fellow bloggers saying that it's the publishers job to write an awesome snyopsis so why bother trying to rewrite it? And so, my question to you is this...
What do you guys think?
Do you prefer bloggers to include the original synopsis or would you prefer them to rewrite it using their own words?
Does it even matter?
Thank you in advance for your comments, I really appreciate them :)
It is with great pleasure that I can reveal to you all, the cover for Half Moon by Jordan Deen. This is of course the sequel to The Crescent which is an amazing book that I reviewed here. Half Moon is officially released on 13th January, 2011 and I've had a sneaky peek! And now you can too as I reveal an exclusive excerpt from Chapter two later on this post. But before all that, how would you like to win all of these fantastic prizes...
Half Moon Swag
$25 B&N Gift Card
Journal
Jewelry Box
USB Camera/Video recorder
That is some prize pack and I bet now you're wondering what you have to do to win. Well, here are the rules:
1) You start and finish at Jordan's website here. She will have a special post with all the bloggers hyperlinked in the order they need to be visited. I am first!!
2) You go to each bloggers website, check out their post and portion of Chapter 2 of Half Moon. Within their section there will be one word that stands out from the others. Collect that word. You must follow each of the blogs and comment on each in order to be officially entered.
3) Once you have all your words, you return to Jordan's blog and post a comment of what you thought about Chapter 2 of 'Half Moon'. Then, send an email to: info@JordanDeen.com with the sentence that the words formed from the thirteen websites.
That's all! Once you have commented, followed everyone, and emailed Jordan - you are done. If you want extra entries- you can tweet this contest, add it to your blog roll, or share it on facebook. The contest will go from early morning on 2nd September and conclude at midnight (California time) on 9th September.
So now for Half Moon. Just to let you know, you can already read chapter one by visiting Jordan's website here and clicking on the Half Moon link to the left. Here is my exclusive excerpt of chapter two of Half Moon:
"Grant was gone by first light. Lily too. The sound of feet shuffling back and forth in front of the door pulled me out of bed. Nicole stopped pacing abruptly when I flung open the door to glare at her. She wore a path in front of my door, waiting for me to wake. She’d never done that before, so it flared my suspicions.“You’re up! Good!” Having a stand-in best friend sucked. But Emile and Brandon insisted. They thought it would make me assimilate into the pack, and Brandon said she was just like Jillian, my ex-best friend. They may have had similarities, but only if you looked really deep. Both of them being werewolves didn’t count. At least, Nicole wasn’t trying to kill me like Jillian and her mate, Gavin had.“Yeah. Where’s Lily?” I asked because it’d be easier to put up with her.“She’s out with Matt and Trevor. They are getting ready for another trip.” I pulled on a hoodie and slid on the boots Emile loaned me. “Maybe I should go help them?”
Did you spot the word you need to collect? I sure hope so. The next stop on the scavenger hunt is Jessica over at Confessions of a Bookaholic so hop on over there and read the next part of chapter two as well as collecting the word that stands out to you. Good luck to everyone that enters and remember to add the book to your list on GoodReads :)
"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 Angel by L.A.Weatherly. Here is the GoodReads blurb:
"In a world where angels are beyond redemption, Alex thinks he's found one that might deserve mercy. Alex is a ruthless assassin - of angels. Forget everything you've heard about them before. Angels are not benign celestial creatures, but fierce stalkers whose irresistible force allows them to feed off humans, draining them of their vitality until there is barely anything left. As far as Alex is concerned, the only good angel is a dead angel...until he meets Willow. She may look like a normal teenager but Willow is no ordinary girl. Half-angel, half-human, Willow may hold the key to defeating the evil angels. But as the hunter and the hunted embark on an epic and dangerous journey and Willow learns the dark and terrifying secrets of her past, Alex finds himself drawn to Willow...with devastating consequences. Eoin Colfer reinvented the fairy, Stephenie Meyer reinvented the vampire, L.A. Weatherly reinvents the angel! This is a heart-pounding, knuckle-whitening, paranormal romance action-adventure for fans of the "Twilight" series. This is the first in a devastating new trilogy."
Firstly, it's an angel book so I'm automatically sold but secondly, it sounds like a new spin on angel mythology and that certainly piques my interest. The book releases on 1st October and I'm pre-ordering now. The author, L.A.Weatherly will be touring parts of the UK in October so keep an eye on the facebook page here for more information. I will be at one of them for sure! I'm also hoping to have an ARC of Angel tour the UK over on my other site UK Book Tours so look out for that really soon!
The Crescent by Jordan Deen is an amazing book which I reviewed here. The sequel HALF MOON is coming out in 140 days and I'm so honoured to be part of the Half Moon cover reveal scavenger hunt!
Here are the details:
On 2nd September, 14 bloggers (including myself) will reveal the 'Half Moon' cover art. As an added bonus, we will all be posting an exclusive part of Chapter 2 of 'Half Moon'. You can read Chapter 1 by visiting Jordan's website here and clicking the Half Moon link to the left.
The contest is just like a scavenger hunt and you start and finish at Jordan's website here. Here are the rules:
1) You start and finish at Jordan's website. She will have a special post with all the bloggers hyperlinked in the order they need to be visited. I am first!!
2) You go to each bloggers website, check out their post and their portion of Chapter 2 of Half Moon. Within their section there will be one word that stands out from the others. Collect that word. You must follow each of the blogs and comment on each in order to be officially entered.
3) Once you have all your words, you return to Jordan's blog and post a comment of what you thought about Chapter 2 of 'Half Moon'. Then, send an email to: info@JordanDeen.com with the sentence that the words formed from the thirteen websites.
That's all! Once you have commented, followed everyone, and emailed Jordan - you are done. If you want extra entries- you can tweet this contest, add it to your blog roll, or share it on facebook. The contest will go from early morning on 2nd September and conclude at midnight on 9th September (just in time for Blogfest to begin!)
As for the prizes, one person will win all of the following:
Half Moon Swag
$25 B&N Gift Card
Journal
Jewelry Box
USB Camera/Video recorder
OMG that is a huge prize pack and I would so be entering if I wasn't part of it! So spread the word people! The contest starts on 2nd September and remember to check Jordan's website THAT MORNING to see the 'map'. Let the fun begin!
Have you heard of The Contemps? They are a group of 22 YA authors with contemporary novels releasing over the course of a year. They are passionate about realistic fiction and their mission is simple - to spotlight contemporary fiction for young adults through blog posts, author events, and sharing from their own teen years. The list of authors is impressive and you should definitely check out the site here. They also have a reading challenge going at the moment where you could win fabulous prizes.
If you know me at all, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater and own all her books. I just wanted to let you guys know that LAMENT is being released in the UK with a beautiful cover. The release date is January 2011. Although I've read it and own the US version, this is definitely going on my list of new year purchases. I only wish it could have been released sooner so Maggie could have signed it :(
As you may or may not know, Maggie is coming to the UK later in the year and her tour is being finalised this week. I'll be posting details when I know but you can bet I am going to be at one of them!
In other Maggie news, this went public just the other day...
"NYT bestselling author of SHIVER Maggie Stievfater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff's package of stories, as well as conversations about where these stories come from, taken from their popular blog The Merry Sisters of Fate, from flesh-eating faeries and demons in love, to unearthly magicians and alternate histories, to Andrew Karre at Carolrhoda Lab, for publication in Spring 2012, by Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency for Stiefvater and Gratton, and Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency for Yovanoff (World English)."
"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 one that I've had my eye on for a while, only now it has a cover and a beautiful one at that. It's Across the Universe by debut author Beth Revis. Here is the blurb from GoodReads:
"Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming."
YA IN SPACE!!!! I am salivating!!!! Across the Universe is published January 11th, 2011 and I'm *hoping*going to get an ARC for UK Book Tours. If you can't wait that long, you can read the first chapter right here and my goodness, it's good! Horrifyingly good and now I want to read more!!! ARGH!
"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 Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens which is published next year (no exact date as of yet). Here is the blurb:
"Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.
Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.
Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.
Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.
Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.
Anyone that knows me in the blogosphere knows that I am a HUGE fan of Jennifer Lauren’s books and so to say I was eager to read Absolution, the final book in the Heavenly series, is an understatement at best. I feel honoured to have read this before the publication date and guys, believe me when I tell you that you will not be disappointed. Before I go any further, if you have NOT yet read Heavenly and the most awesome sequel ever Penitence then...1. Where have you been? 2. You are SERIOUSLY missing out and 3. Go read them RIGHT. NOW!
I read this book in a day. I started it early afternoon, had to stop so I could go and have a social life (even though all I wanted to do was read the book) and then started again at midnight when I came home! I finished it at 4am. I was only supposed to read until 2am but then I kept making deals with myself – ok 2 30am, 3am and that’s final, oh alright 3 30am then suddenly it was 4am! Jennifer managed to do what Claudia Gray did in Hourglass which was to write something so compelling at the end of each chapter that just MADE me have to read on. When I finished reading the last book, Penitence, I predicted that there were going to be some major tears for this book and...I was right. Tears were STREAMING down my face and unfortunately I was still wearing mascara. NON WATERPROOF. When I caught a look at myself in the mirror I looked a complete mess! But it was sooooo worth it.
Absolution literally picks up where Penitence leaves off. Krissy is having a tough time at home after Brady’s funeral and finds solace in an unlikely hero. Luke is still battling his own demons and Britt is on the brink of destroying herself. Weston doesn’t know whether he can handle everything that’s going on with him and Zoe, especially now he knows her secret. And what will he do when he finds out about Matthias? Matthias is trying to stand back a little but is still there when Zoe is in dire need which is more and more frequent as Albert is intent on tearing Zoe’s family apart so that she will give into his desire for her soul. OH. MY. GOODNESS. people. The final book in the Heavenly series is definitely the darker of the three, there’s a lot of tension coming from all angles and Zoe is bang smack in the middle of everything.
I think I love each and every one of the characters in this series. Zoe has such a mature and distinctive voice, she’s definitely grown over the three books and I’ve enjoyed sharing the journey with her. Like Zoe, I’m IN LOVE with both Weston and Matthias, I mean how can a girl possibly choose between them?!?!? I also hold a special little place in my heart for Luke, possibly because I’ve always wanted a little brother and I want to save him from himself.
I like the fact that in this book, we find out a lot more about Krissy, even if her back story is less than ideal. And Chase remains one of my favourite minor characters. I love the fact that Zoe has never ditched their regular Starbucks outings just because she has a boyfriend, proving that just because you’re in a relationship, it doesn’t mean you have to ditch your friends.
Abria is a little sweetheart and has taught us a lot more about autism and what it’s like to live with a child who has the condition. It can he embarrassing, heartbreaking, tiring but also rewarding and a relationship full of love.
Overall, this was an excellent ending to one of the best series’ I’ve ever read and enjoyed. I was definitely sad for it to end and will miss Matthias more than I thought I would. I would love to see a spin off series or short story involving all the same characters. Ideally of course, another book would be good but I’m not sure that’s going to happen. I may just have to seek out or even write some fan fiction just so I can get my Matthias fix!
Whilst there is a sense of resolve to the story and absolution is definitely a fitting title, it is ever so slightly deceiving because not everything is absolute ;) If you don’t know what I’m going on about, you will understand when you’ve read the book. If I had a rating system, this would get five stars out of five and even more, if possible. Absolution is a compelling read that will take your breath away and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Released 1st October, 2010.
Whilst I’m on a roll, I want to say a special thank you to Jennifer for writing such an amazing series, your loyal readers are so appreciative of your work and your generosity towards book bloggers and readers with frequent contests and offers of help. I can’t wait to read your next book Overprotected and all the other books that come after that. Thanks for being an amazing writer and such a lovely lady.
OMG I love this trailer so much, it always makes me cry...
Jennifer Laurens has also written other novels such as Falling for Romeo, Magic Hands, Nailed and A Season of Eden. She has her own website which you can visit by clicking here and from there you can access the blog for Jennifer's musings and regular contests. Jennifer is also active on Twitter and facebook. As if that wasn't enough for you, Heavenly also has its own website which you can visit by clicking here to get more information about the book and its sequels. Jennifer's next book is called Overprotected and will be released next year.
So I’d heard about Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey and was intrigued enough to join an ARC tour so I could read it. Having read it a little while ago now, I’d describe it as a refreshing debut novel that probably stands out because it is set in New Zealand and thus the language/slang is similar to UK speak than books written by US authors.
So what is it about? Ellie leads a normal teenage life at boarding school where she hangs around with her best friend Kevin. She’s an average teenager with all the same hang ups and insecurities as the rest of us girls. She works for the school newspaper and her other main focus is crushing on the very mysterious Mark Nolan. Having never really spoken to him, one day she literally crashes into him and they strike up a friendship. Only every interaction with him leaves her with gaps in her memory followed by crippling headaches. Coincidence? And what does this have to do with the fact that a serial killer who takes the eyes of his victims is on the loose in New Zealand? Could the murderer be closer to home than everyone realises?
Guardian of the Dead is an original story with sprinklings of urban fantasy and lashings of Maori mythology and legends. I really enjoyed learning about the Maori culture and it’s what gave this book its uniqueness. There are a lot of things that haven’t been touched upon before in other YA books that I’ve read. Firstly the main character is not some skinny, beautiful girl - she’s a little overweight and racked with insecurities. Secondly, her best friend is a guy and he is asexual. Not an issue you see popping up in YA books on a regular basis.
I’m still having trouble deciding how I feel about this book. I definitely enjoyed it and it stayed with me for ages afterwards but towards the end I felt it got a bit fantastical and arguably slightly confusing. I do still feel that it’s worth reading though and I look forward to seeing more from Karen Healey.
Thank you to International Book Tours for letting me read Guardian of The Dead which was published in January, 2010. There is no news of upcoming books as of yet. You can visit Karen Healey’s website by clicking here. She is also on GoodReads and Twitter.
Everyone who reads my blog will know by now that I’m a HUGE fan of Jennifer Lauren’s writing and so of course I’m working my way through her books. One that I was particularly attracted to was Falling for Romeo and I finished it within a couple of hours. At 197 pages, Falling for Romeo is a quick read but it certainly packs a punch! I enjoyed it from start to finish and couldn’t put it down.
Falling for Romeo is essentially about Jennifer and John, two teenagers who have lived next door to each other for forever and basically grown up together. Only their relationship changed a few years back when John became popular and they don’t socialise with each other anymore. Suddenly they find themselves in the lead roles of the latest school play which just happens to be Romeo and Juliet. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO KISS! Can they become friends again? Or maybe more than just friends? Is it purely coincidence that they happened to land the lead roles?
I loved this book, everything from the plot to the main characters. It reminded me of my own school days as I was in a lot of theatre productions and once auditioned for a lead role just because of a boy. Actually, I chickened out of auditioning for the main role and ended up in the chorus but I still got to be near him. Oh dear, how I would do things sooo differently now. Anyhow, I digress. I really enjoyed the relationship between Jennifer and John, having grown up together, how they knew so much about each other which wasn’t always a good thing as they could use that information to hurt each other. There was a lot of witty banter going on between them but also a bit of “I hate you but I don’t know why”. At times I wanted to bang their heads together. I think you know where this is going but even though you may guess the destination, it’s still worth sticking around for the journey!
I’m still thinking about this book now and I loved John’s character – how although he was hot and popular, he wasn’t arrogant or mean. And he was humble at times as reflected in the red cheeks that surfaced every now and then.
Jennifer Laurens has admitted that this book is based on her real life experiences and I would just LOVE to know the real story. I would say this book reminds me of a modern twist on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It certainly shared some similarities and indeed the book is mentioned throughout so it’s not hiding that fact.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it took me right back to my school days. If you want to read a book you won’t be able to put down, this is it.
Jennifer Laurens has also written other novels such as the very wonderful Heavenly series, Magic Hands, Nailed and A Season of Eden. She has her own website which you can visit by clicking here and from there you can access the blog for Jennifer's musings and regular contests. Jennifer is also active on Twitter and facebook.
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This Halloween meet 16 YA Paranormal Authors at THE CROSSROADS!
And on the very last day (31st October, A.K.A. Halloween) we will all be giving away a book. My book will be a copy of the gorgeous looking and highly original Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White...
NOT ONLY THAT, but each day of The Crossroads Tour,a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page (http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/), and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween to win the grand prize. 
