Monday 28 February 2011

Teaser Tuesday #19

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can take part! All you have to do is:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us (2) teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12 (but don't give any spoilers!)
  • Share the title of the book that the teaser is from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

You can find out more here!


My current read: Sanctus by Simon Toyne

Random Page: #341

Teaser:

The Abbot looked up, suddenly aware of the silence. On the laptop a progress bar edged its way to one hundred per cent then vanished. ‘Has it all been wiped away?’

‘Yes,’ the Informer said. ‘It’s gone.’

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Sunday 27 February 2011

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: Paranormal YA

Publication date: 06/01/2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: Paperback – 335 pages

Series: Book #1 in the Paranormalcy series

My Rating: 10/10

Buy the book


Summary:

Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter and she’s the only person who can see through paranormal’s glamour's, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying and Evie’s dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She begins to suspect there is a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths, and even worse, that she is at the centre of a dark prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.


My thoughts:

I fell in love with this book from the first page. Actually I should say I fell in love with the main character from the first page; Evie is such a bubbly, funny, down to earth character that it’s pretty hard not to like her if not impossible.

The two guys in Evie’s life were fantastic! I loved them both for different reasons. Lend was just a cutie-pie and had a great story and personality. While Reth – the slightly insane – faery was kind of a jerk but still endearing.

The plot was brilliant. It had me feeling sympathetic, angry and upset in exactly the right places. It kept me on the edge of my seat, reading and turning the pages as fast as I could, just to find out what happens as soon as possible. It is definitely one of those books that’s hard to put down.

This is definitely a must read; it leaves you breathless with laughter at times, breathless with anticipation and tired from all the hours of sleep lost due to staying up most of the night reading it! Open-mouthed smile


Great quotes:

"Yes, I have a driver's license"
I leaned back against the wall, sighing. "Man, that must be so cool."
"It ranks right up there with lockers. In fact, sometimes I put my license inside my locker, and it's so cool I worry that the whole thing might explode with the sheer coolness of it all."


"Lish tried to swear--which is always funny, because the computer won't translate it. It went something like this: "Bleep stupid bleep bleep faeries and their bleep bleep bleep obsessions. He had better stop bleep bleep bleep the bleep bleep rules or I will bleep bleep bleep the little bleeeeeeeeeeep."


About the author:

Hi! I'm the New York Times best-selling author of Paranormalcy. I also give the most awkward hugs in the world. You should probably opt for one of my books over one of my hugs, but then again, maybe you like awkward hugs.


As for me, I like writing flirting scenes, and fighting scenes, and sometimes I write scenes that fall somewhere in between the two, but only if I can't avoid it.

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Saturday 26 February 2011

In My Mailbox #11

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi with The Story Siren.

So this week I bought:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy reading everyone!

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Friday 25 February 2011

On My Wishlist #17

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I want but haven't haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.


The High Regent has called members of each royal vampire family to council. Katrina Von Dracek wonders what this will mean to her.
Does the council really intend to start a new covern in the Americans or is there something else?


All Katrina's vampire senses tell her evil is a

round them and that she will be the one called upon to save them all.

 

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison’s blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.


Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best—but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option...even if the task is impossible.
Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…


Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs. But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.


Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again.

Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.

Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

This is the Demon's Lexicon. Turn the page.

So that’s what’s on my wishlist this week. What’s on yours?

Thursday 24 February 2011

Early Review: Possession by Elana Johnson

Title: Possession

Author: Elana Johnson

Imprint: Simon Pulse

Publication date: 6/7/2011

My rating: 5/10


Summary:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.


But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.


This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.


My thoughts:

This is a hard one to review mainly because it was one of those books that just don’t agree with me and I find hard to really get into for no distinguishable reason.

I did like quite a lot of aspects of the book. I loved the snarky main character who doesn’t take no for an answer and works for what she wants. I loved the tone she used when presenting the story. It had a sort of sarcastic sense of humour which is what I really love.

So it wasn’t really the characters that I didn’t like. It wasn’t the story line itself either. It was a nice idea; a world with advanced technology that essentially rules everybody’s lives and a life filled with rules that are just made to be broken.

I just think that the story didn’t flow very well and it sort of stopped and started again like an old car trying to start. It started very well to the point of me thinking that this could potentially turn out to be an amazing story, but then it just ran out of steam. It was really disappointing when everything started to become predictable and clichéd at points.

Also, in parts of the story a relationship between two of the characters started to develop. That’s fine and all but not when it just comes out of nowhere. I felt that the characters falling in love just happened with no development in between or any sort of beginning to the relationship. It just turned straight into the ‘I love you’ phase….that’s not realistic, not at all, so I was extremely put off. The story just didn’t develop enough for me. It’s a shame really.


About the author:

 (I just have to mention how much I looooove Elana’s hair!!)

My debut novel, POSSESSION, will be published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster) on 6/7/11.

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Wednesday 23 February 2011

Review: Debugging Tori Redding by Jason Ancona

Title: Debugging Tori Redding

Author: Jason Ancona

Publication date: 20/12/2010

Rating: 6/10

Buy the book


Summary:

Fed up with her peers and their loose morals, Tori starts a new school program, the Not So Fast club, a group dedicated to keeping teens from doing everything they want to do--drink, have sex, and rush to grow up.
A severe toothache interrupts her plan, sending her to the dentist, where she's given an emergency root canal. During the surgery, she's electrocuted and ends up blacking out. When she awakes, her brain has the ability to function like a computer.
Tori uses her new skills and aggressive personality to charge up the club.


Hated by the entire school, she discovers that NSF now stands for: Narcs Suck Farts. Game on. Tori memorizes every school rule, issuing tickets for every little infraction.


After a serious crime occurs, Tori must use her talents to save a life, all while trying to free herself from her mind.


My thoughts:

Tori is one tough character. Full of attitude, she doesn’t care what others think of her and starts her own club with a great message. She represents every teenager trying to get along in school. Why should we be forced to grow up just because everybody else is doing the same thing? We should be free to make our own pace and not be criticised for it.

Tori is such a relatable character even if she can be seen to be pretty cattish to put it nicely. She reminds me a lot of me actually. Someone who bites back at criticism that can’t be taken lightly. I do have the tendency to be pretty nasty when I get defensive. But that’s just it, it’s a defence mechanism – we all do it, it’s just that some do it more than others.

I did think that the story could have flowed a little better and could have been brought to a close a bit less abruptly.


About the author:

Freakishly nerdy in high school, Jason became a certifiable weakling when he lost an arm-wrestling match to a female cheerleader in class.


Never a participant in school activities, he fantasized about being someone else -- an athlete, a secret agent, or whatever character he created in the latest role-playing game.


His imaginary worlds didn't help in the dating department, but they sure were fun to explore.

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Tuesday 22 February 2011

Review: The Limit by Kristen Landon

Title: The Limit

Author: Kristen Landon

Publication date: 07/09/2010

Rating: 5/10

Buy the book


Summary:

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . . With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.


My thoughts:

I loved the truth behind the story of this book.

The main character, Matt, and his family have to be careful in how much money they spend a month in case they go over their monthly limit of debt.

Nowadays, all lot of people, especially the younger generations, have the attitude of needing instant gratification. The attitude that if we want something, we get it straight away instead of waiting for it, even if it’s something we can most definitely afford. We are all guilty of it I think, one way or another.

Doesn’t it feel better though, to wait for a little while? So that when we do get what we want, it feels like a bigger deal because we have been patient and saved that bit more money. Like me waiting for a month to buy any books. I save that bit more money, it feels great when I do buy some books like it’s a sort of reward for being patient and I get to catch up on my reading pile in the meantime!

This book gets that message across perfectly. If Matt doesn’t save money in the smallest – or not so small – of ways to get his family back under ‘The Limit’ then he doesn’t get to see his family again. Getting back to his family is the ultimate reward.

However, I couldn’t really get into the book as much as I wished to. I appreciated some of the humour in it and the message and all but at times the book just…dragged. Nothing really exciting happened, or nothing that had any real consequence at least. The story ran out of steam after a while until the ending came.

The ending was….okay. It could have been a whole lot better. But it wasn’t, because nothing happened. Again. It was just the same problem, over and over.

Overall though, it was okay and the message behind the story was great.


About the author:

Kristen Landon always thought it would be nice to live in a place where winter never gets too cold. Besides one lovely winter in California, she has spent her life bouncing back and forth between Michigan and Utah – both great places in the spring, summer, and fall. She now lives with her husband and four children in a home with fabulous views of Utah’s beautiful mountains out every window.

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Teaser Tuesday #18

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can take part! All you have to do is:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us (2) teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12 (but don't give any spoilers!)
  • Share the title of the book that the teaser is from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

You can find out more here!


My current read: Possession by Elana Johnson

Random page: #149

Teaser:

‘You’re wrong. You go in there, you won’t come out.’

He smiled, the way a parent does when their child says they’ve seen a ten- foot monster covered with brown fur.

‘I gotta have my phone. I’m dying without it. We need supplies for the trip to Seaside. I’ll be right back. Promise.’

He wrenched his hand out of mine and stepped through the door.

That’s pretty bad. You should never go into the light. Especially tech-induced light.

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Sunday 20 February 2011

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: Book #1 in the Nightshade series

Publisher: Atom Books

Publication date: 28/12/2010

My Rating: 8/10

Buy the book


Summary:

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?


My Thoughts:

I have read this book twice so far and I still finished it just as amazed as I did the first time.

Nightshade is an amazing read. It has everything! Great characters, mystery, gripping action, romance, a brilliant storyline and even a bit of humour thrown into the mix here and there!

I loved the characters in this book more than anything. They were all so different and had their own little story, their own unique personalities and above all they were all relatable in different ways. It makes them so much more realistic and makes the story that much better.

This is definitely one of those books that you keep reading and putting off doing anything else until you’ve finished. It’s utterly engrossing. I couldn’t put it down. It’s so fast paced at parts and has a really nice flow to it. Also, the story really keeps you guessing and not all of the questions raised have been answered yet. Here’s hoping the release of Wolfsbane comes round quickly enough!

The only problem I had – if I can even call it a problem – was that I thought the ending was a little bit rushed. It felt like I had skipped a few pages at points, however, it was hardly anything to complain about!

All in all, Nightshade is definitely a recommended read. It’s a fast-paced, engaging book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. A glorious book!


Great quotes:

"I didn't realize I needed to point out that if we are attacked by a fire-breathing bitch, you can change forms."

"Where are you from?” I started with what I thought was an easy question.
“Everywhere,” he grumbled.
“Everywhere?” I stared into the blackness of the espresso. “I don’t think I’ve been there."


About the author:

Andrea Cremer spent her childhood daydreaming and roaming the forests and lakeshores of Northern Wisconsin. She now lives in Minnesota, but she thinks of her homeland as the “Canadian Shield” rather than the Midwest.
Andrea has always loved writing and has never stopped writing, but she only recently plunged into the deep end of the pool that is professional writing. When she’s not writing, Andrea teaches history at a very nice liberal arts college in St. Paul.

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Saturday 19 February 2011

In My Mailbox #10

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi with The Story Siren.

So this was an amazing week for books, I won:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signed copies of Hush Hush and Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick thanks to Narratively Speaking!

 

I also received Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting for review!

And I bought:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and Matched by Ally Condie.

Happy reading everybody!

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Amazing Giveaway: Rabid Reads

 

If your into books about werewolves then you definitely need to check this amazing giveaway out.

You could win:

  1. Werewolf In Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson
  2. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley – Cartwright
  3. The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase
  4. Secrets and Shadows by Shannon Delaney

Go and enter HERE!

Friday 18 February 2011

On My Wishlist #16

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I want but haven't haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.


The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.


It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.


17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a night time trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.


When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.
Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.


 

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.


 

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shape shifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.


This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended.Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer,one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack and the man she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.


So that’s what’s on my wishlist this week; what’s on yours?

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Thursday 17 February 2011

Review: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Title: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Brontë

Publication date: 13/01/2007 (first published 1847)

Rating: 10/10

Buy the book


Summary:

Perhaps the most haunting and tragic love story ever written, Wuthering Heights is the tale of Heathcliff, a brooding, troubled orphan, and his doomed love for Catherine Earnshaw. His desire for her leads him to madness, however, when Catherine is made to marry a wealthy lord, sending Heathcliff on a life-long quest to avenge himself upon those who stole his only love and his life.

In this gripping chronicle of the never-ending conflict between the heart and the mind -- and the pain and passion of true romance -- Emily Brontë created an unforgettable classic saga of love, desperation, vengeance, and forgiveness. Published just one year before Brontë’s death in 1848 at the age of thirty, Wuthering Heights endures as one of the world's greatest love stories and a classic of English literature.


My thoughts:

This book is part of my reading for my English Literature class. I love it, love it, LOVE IT! I mean, come on, it’s Wuthering Heights.

I love the relationships between the characters particularly Catherine and Heathcliff. It’s so…unique. I understand that Heathcliff borders on or is completely obsessed but the love described between him and Catherine is amazing. It’s so much more than what love is described to be nowadays.

The story really does break your heart so many times. Tragic deaths, unrealistic love that can never happen and even more tragic deaths. I really don’t think I have ever cried so much after reading a book.

I’m not going to give anything away, but, when a certain character becomes what some people see to be a ‘monster’ and barbaric, I just feel more and more sympathetic.

I also loved how the whole story sort of just leads towards what happens at the end. As if everything else had to happen the way it did so that it could turn out the way it does. Does that even make sense? haha

Anyway, I cannot fault this book at all. It’s a wonderful story; really emotional, thrilling and shocking read. Please pick it up if you haven’t read it already!


Great quotes:

"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger."

"You said I killed you - haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!" (this is where I cried like a baby).


About the author:

Emily Jane Brontë was a British novelist and poet, now best remembered for her only novel Wuthering Heights, a classic of English literature. Emily was the second eldest of the three surviving Brontë sisters, being younger than Charlotte and older than Anne. She published under the masculine pen name Ellis Bell.

 

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Tuesday 15 February 2011

The Life O’Reilly Winner!

And the winner is……

 

KULSUMA!!!!

*You have 48hours to respond to the email I’m about to send you*

Congrats!

Sunday 13 February 2011

Guest-post: Laura Kreitzer

I had an email from Obsidian about a possible guest post on human trafficking. I think it’s definitely an issue that people need to be well aware of so I’d like to present a guest post by the author of the Summer Chronicles!

 

Hello Literary-Folk! My name is Laura Kreitzer, and I’m the author of the Timeless Series and the Summer Chronicles. This week I would like to alert everyone on a colossal crisis that’s gone unnoticed in the world: human trafficking. That’s why I’ve asked hundreds of blogs to be involved with spreading the word on this issue that’s become close to my heart.

As an author, and someone whose life is put in the spotlight, I keep most people at a distance. Only a handful of my friends know the whole me and the events from my past. But this week I’d like to share with you a part of myself that the outside world doesn’t see (and a part of me I don’t like to share). I was emotionally abused for five years by someone I thought loved me, my mind beaten into submission. Though the turmoil I went through doesn’t penetrate as deep as someone forced into slavery on the worldwide market for human trafficking, I can sadly relate in some ways: imprisoned, my life dictated down to what I wore, ate, where I went, whom I spoke to, where I worked, when I slept, bending to his every whim. He did not sway, even when I cried through some of the more traumatic things he had me do. I was a slave in my own home. In my desperation for freedom, I held out a gun and asked him to just end my suffering. I was desperate. I can’t even imagine how many women (and men) in the world are in a similar situation. What’s even worse, I had it mild compared to the children that are sold for labour or sex. Surprisingly, the good ol’ U.S.A. is reported to be the host to two million slaves. Did you know this? Because I certainly did not; not until I was preparing to write my newest novel: Phantom Universe. The main character, Summer Waverly, was stolen as a child and sold as a slave to the captain of a modern-day pirate ship. From a loved child who only knew “time-out” as punishment, to being whipped into silence was something I knew nothing about. So I researched deeply into human trafficking and the psychological effects of torture of various types that one would endure in these circumstances. I felt shaken at my findings and knew I had to tell Summer’s story. (Read a sneak peek here.) A storm began to brew in my mind; transforming, morphing, twisting, and expanding into this massive, black cloud. I had to bring this tragic atrocity to the forefront. My own emotional experiences, mixed with the research I did on human trafficking, made me feel an intense connection with Summer, and to all women who’ve been through this kind of brutality. The cloud ruptured and rained all over my computer one day. It took one month to write Phantom Universe, the first in the Summer Chronicles. I was so consumed by the story that I wrote nearly nonstop, only breaking for necessary tasks like eating, showering, and occasionally—very occasionally—sleeping. Though the book I’ve written would be classified as Science Fiction, or as I’d like to call it, Dystopian, the emotions and psychological aspects are not Science Fiction—they're real. Reviewers have said many amazing things about Summer, this character who is so real in my mind and who I cried along with as the words poured from my soul onto my screen.

“I admired Summer's strength and ability to adapt,” says CiCi’s Theories. “I felt tied to her emotions,” Jennifer Murgia, author or Angel Star admits. And Tahlia Newland, author of Lethal Inheritance, remarks, “Summer is strong and smart in mind [. . .]”

Through her overwhelmingly horrendous past, Summer goes on more than just a physical journey in Phantom Universe, she goes on a psychological one as well; growing beyond her mute state to persevere and survive in a new world beyond the whip she’s so frightened of. Now that the release date is here, I’m excited and terrified to share this story with everyone. I’m emotionally tied in every way to the words I’ve written, because they’re more than words. More than just a story on a page. Beyond the fictional aspects, there’s a real issue that needs to be addressed: human trafficking must be stopped. We shouldn’t sit idly by while this continues to plague us. Our world’s children—our nation’s children—are being affected. It’s time we take action! Earlier this month Phantom Universe hit Barnes and Noble’s top 100 Best Selling list. I’ve decided to donate 10% of my sales from Phantom Universe, until the end of February, to the DNA Foundation.
“DNA hopes to help abolish modern day slavery, deter perpetrators, and free the many innocent and exploited victims. We are committed to forcing sex slavery out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Freedom is a basic human right and slavery is one of the greatest threats to that freedom. No one has the right to enslave another person.” —From DNA Foundation’s Website
I ask that you spread the word to everyone you know. Look around on the DNA Foundation website and find a way to get involved in ending human trafficking. Take action today. Everyone has a voice—you have a voice. Will you have the courage to use it?

Saturday 12 February 2011

In My Mailbox #9

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi with The Story Siren.

So this week I got:

I got The Limit by Kristen Landon in the post from UK Book Tours.

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . . With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.


And I won The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase from one of Rabid Reads many fabulous giveaways.

Desperate for change, public defender Roz Wells decides moving into a new apartment is just what she needs to shake things up. But she'll get more than she bargained for when she starts dating the drop dead gorgeous boy next door, who just happens to be a shape-shifter...and quite possibly a criminal. Security salesman Konrad Wolfensen has made a living staging break-ins to spook people into buying his security system, but when he's accused of a much more serious crime, he'll have to enlist the help of his sexy new neighbour/girlfriend to keep his cute, slightly wild rear end out of jail.

Happy reading guys!

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Friday 11 February 2011

On My Wishlist #15

  

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I want but haven't haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.


On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the on-going police investigation into the identity of her captor.

The truth doesn’t always set you free.


In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.


Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .

I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.

I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.

I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.

Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!

Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!

Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?


Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.


So that’s what’s on my wishlist this week, what’s on yours?

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Tuesday 8 February 2011

Support L. J. Smith

So I’m sure a lot of you are pretty sure of what I’m about to talk about since it’s a well talked-about topic this week.

The Vampire Diaries. A really popular, well-loved show, based on the books written by the favoured author L. J. Smith. Yeah, she’s been fired.

I couldn’t believe it when I heard. I don’t even know what to say. I’m pretty sure you can all judge my reaction to the news that she has been fired from the show.

I mean, L. J. Smith created the Vampire Diaries. They are her characters, her storylines and for someone to just take away something that she no doubt spent so much time and effort creating, shaping and moulding to what she wanted it to be…it’s just wrong.

 

To find out more about what happened, check out this post at ‘I Swim for Oceans’ which explains what happened and why. 

Also, to help support L. J. Smith check out this cool giveaway at Narratively Speaking where you can win a set of her paperback copies of The Vampire Diaries 1-5.

Aaaaaand….to help out there is a petition you can sign right here. Please, please spread the word you guys. Let’s see if we can’t do something about it when we group together!