Tuesday 31 May 2011

Teaser Tuesday #22

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: Strange Neighbours by Ashlyn Chase

Random Page: #168

Teaser:

‘Wait a minute, are you telling me that because you couldn’t hail a cab you had yourself turned into a vampire?’

Happy reading!

 

 

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Monday 30 May 2011

Review: Die For Me


Title: Die For Me
Author: Amy Plum
Series: Revenants #1
Publisher: Atom (UK)
Publication date: May 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance (YA)
Book source: Atomics
My rating: 6/10
Buy the book

Summary:
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.
When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.
Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.
In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.


My thoughts:
The characters in Die for Me were great. There were quite a few but each were relatable in a different way, had their own distinctive personalities and traits and each were lovable for different reasons.
The description of Paris in this book was really great. I loved how every time I read about the cafes and streets of Paris I could imagine everything. Especially towards the end of the book. It’s kind of magical.
What I didn’t like about this book was how little action was in it. When there was a bit of action, however, it wasn’t dispersed throughout the story very well so when it did happen it was unrealistic and unsurprising.
Of course, I have to mention the idea of the book being about ‘Revenants’. Revenants were pretty cool and original which kept me reading to the end of the book.
Overall though I would recommend this read and it’s a quick easy book to pass the time.

About the author:



After signing with HarperCollins for the DIE FOR ME series, Amy left her job as an English professor at Tours University to write full-time. She juggles between managing restoration on their old French farmhouse, writing fun stories in her hundreds-of-years-old office (a stone house on the other side of her garden), and playing with her two extremely energetic pre-school age children.




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Friday 27 May 2011

On My Wishlist #25

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.


EM WATTS IS GONE.
Emerson Watts didn't even want to go to the new SoHo Stark Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister, Frida, whose crush, British heartthrob Gabriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there-along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.
How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her-and life as she'd known it-forever? One bizarre accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.
Now getting her best friend, Christopher, to notice that she's actually a girl is the least of Em's problems.
But what Em's pretty sure she'll never be able to accept might just turn out to be the one thing that's going to make her dream come true . . . .
NIKKI HOWARD IS HERE TO STAY.


Anna is dreading another tourist-filled summer on Dune Island that follows the same routine: beach, ice cream, friends, repeat. That is, until she locks eyes with Will, the gorgeous and sweet guy visiting from New York. Soon, her summer is filled with flirtatious fun as Anna falls head over heels in love.

But with every perfect afternoon, sweet kiss, and walk on the beach, Anna can’t ignore that the days are quickly growing shorter, and Will has to leave at the end of August. Anna’s never felt anything like this before, but when forever isn’t even a possibility, one summer doesn’t feel worth the promise of her heart breaking….


Ally Ryan, come on down to the Jersey Shore and forget your troubles!

Have you recently been humiliated in front of your friends and family at your former best friend's birthday party? Was your almost boyfriend partly responsible for that humiliation by withholding some vital information about where your estranged father is? Did you come home to find said estranged father sitting on your stoop?

If so, then it sounds like you could use a vacation! The Jersey Shore is the place to be. Your mother may be living with her boyfriend of only a few months, but at least the stunt Shannen pulled has put some of your friends back in your court. Even so, you're still angry and what better way to get over Jake than to blow off some steam with local guy, Cooper? People will hardly recognize your new attitude, but the old one wasn't getting you anywhere, so who cares!

Jake Graydon, an exciting opportunity is waiting for you in the service industry!

Are your grades so low your parents have grounded you for the summer? Did you the girl you really like unceremoniously leave you behind? Would you rather eat dirt than see your friends again? Then a job at the local coffee shop is just the ticket! Surprisingly, Ally's father is the new manager so you get to be reminded of her nearly every day. Maybe it's time to start flirting with your best friend's ex or even taking school a bit more seriously. Especially when you finally see Ally and she's hanging around with some loser and it's couldn't be more clear that she is over you.

Have a great summer!


Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention
Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...


That’s it for on my wishlist this week. Happy reading everyone!

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Wednesday 25 May 2011

Winner!

And the winner is……

gconoy

Congratulations!

The ecopy will be sent by the author so you can expect an email with the ebook attached soon!

Look for more giveaways coming soon and happy reading!

 

 

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Sunday 22 May 2011

In My Mailbox #19

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @The Story Siren


So this week I won:

  A cool tote bag and Gallagher Girls #4 from Wondrousreads!

I haven’t even started this series yet but I can’t wait to start the first one. And the tote bag is awesome!


I swapped a book for:

 Shadows by Amy Meredith

and:

 Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews.

Both of these are series I haven’t started yet but really want to!

Happy reading guys!

 

 

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Saturday 21 May 2011

On My Wishlist #24

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.


Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvellous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.
Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?
This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.


A wildly funny sequel to the bestselling Girl, 15: Charming But Insane

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Lenzi hears voices. She also sees visions--gravestones, floods, a gorgeous guy with steel grey eyes. She knows she must be going crazy, just like her dad did. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't do anything to help, and the voices just keep getting louder, the visions more intense. But when Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, everything makes sense.
Sort of.
He tells Lenzi that she's a reincarnated Speaker--someone who can talk to lost souls and help them move on--and that he has been her Protector for centuries. But instead of embracing her abilities, Lenzi struggles between her life as the girlfriend of a sexy musician and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. Yet time is running out; a malevolent spirit has been trying to destroy Lenzi for ages, and he will surely kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
Her choices are clear: Destiny or normalcy. Alden or Zak. Life or death.


 

When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.


And that is it for on my wishlist this week!

Happy reading!

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Thursday 19 May 2011

Winners!

And the winner is…..

Ronyka7

You can expect an email from Ashley Girardi with the copy. Please check your junk mail to make sure you get it! Congrats!

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Wednesday 18 May 2011

Author Interview: James Mascia

The author of High School Heroes, James Mascia kindly offered to do an interview to post here on the blog!

So without further ado, here’s what James had to say!

1. What can you tell us about High School Heroes?





High School Heroes is the greatest book you will ever read, period.

No, seriously, High School Heroes is about a group of teenagers who discover they all have amazing abilities. Christine is the main character, and she has the ability to read others’ minds. But even though a large portion of the book deals with the teens and their powers, the main focus of the book is really about their everyday problems and relationships.

High School Heroes has romance, broken hearts, school bullies, losing friends, family problems, and of course some cool action. There’s even some history thrown in there to add to the backstory. So, there is literally something for everyone in this novel.
 





2. What inspired you to come up with the ideas behind High School Heroes?




The idea first came to me after talking to a man at the Baltimore Comic Con. We were talking a few years back about how there were very few, if any, prose fiction about superheroes. So, I decided I was going to write one. The only thing was, I didn’t know what to write. In my experience, as I’m sure it is with most people, the only place I’d ever read about superheroes was in comic books. So, creating a new story, from scratch, in a genre it wasn’t actually designed for, proved to be a challenge.




I entered a contest a month or so after this conversation, in which I had to write about something scary. That was all the contest wanted: something scary. I am never one to think inside the box, so when I first thought about what I should write about, I thought about the scariest place I could think of: a high school cafeteria. Then, I thought about what could possibly make a place like the cafeteria even scarier for someone.




That’s when I came up with the first character, and the main character of High School Heroes, Christine. I decided that the scariest power she could have, scary for her anyway, would be that she can hear the thoughts of anyone in the room with her. It sounds like a cool power, but as I always ask, “What if you can’t turn the power off?” She is afraid of the cafeteria, because with a hundred different minds all crammed in at once, it is impossible for her to think for herself, because her head is constantly being invaded by the thoughts of others.




Anyway, while writing this first short story, I discovered Christine’s second power. When she concentrates on someone long enough, she can see everything in their brain, including their greatest fear. She can then use that fear against them.

After writing this story, which was published in A Thousand Faces, I wrote a few more, all involving a teenage superhero. Eventually, I said to myself, “I have a longer story here.” And so I set to writing the novel. It started off being told from each of the four main characters’ points of view. But after a couple of chapters, I found it wasn’t working and decided to focus just on Christine’s story.




The first draft of High School Heroes took me nearly eight months to complete. Then another five months to edit, so it was worthy of being published. A lot of people don’t realize that you can’t just write a story and be done with it. To make it good and publishable, you need to edit, edit, edit. I can’t tell you how much work it was to edit everything. I must have read the story about six times from beginning to end, to make sure everything was perfect.




3. If you could have any sort of super power what would you most like?




See, now you’re playing with fire. I have never been able to decide on just one super power. After all, how can you trade flying for heat vision, or even super-speed? You just can’t. I can’t say I’d like to shoot ice from my hands and totally forget that fire is cool too. And then there’s always the one where people say they’d like the power to take other people’s powers. But when you think about it, living in the world we live in, where no one has super powers, it would be a pretty useless power to have.


 

However, I believe I have found a loophole which would allow me to have just about all the powers at any given time. I would have the super power to be able to grant my own wishes. Therefore, anything I ever wanted, including the superpowers, I could have instantly.


 

4. Which character would you say is most like you?




I have a little of each of my four main characters in me. And for me, they were all pretty easy to write, because I simply slipped into that part of myself when I wrote them.



Christine—She has my cynicism. She sees absurdity in just about everything around her and isn’t afraid to let people know she sees it. Her fear of crowds also stems from a fear of mine, although hers is magnified quite a bit.



Ethan—He has my fun loving side. He can take just about anything and turn it into a joke. The fact that he, the jock, is also the comic book geek is very reflective of my personality. While I didn’t play football in high school, I was pretty much the fastest runner my school had, which is also kind of like Ethan.



Peter—This is my shy side. Peter has a small, tight knit group of friends, and really won’t socialize with anyone outside of that group. While I am a bit more open than that, Peter is a bit like me in this category.



Savanah—She’s rude, obnoxious, and angry. Let’s just say, that when I get angry, I take no prisoners and tend to get very rude myself. This is pretty much Savanah’s entire personality. However, when you read about her, you’ll understand where the anger comes from. She does loosen up a bit in the sequels.




5. What's next for you?




Well, the sequel to High School Heroes, Camp Hero, is already with my publisher and is slated for release September 2011. The third part to High School Heroes, called Hero Heist, just finished its first draft and will be going to my published by mid-summer the latest and will probably be released sometime in late 2012.

I also have another novel called Urban Jungle in the works. I’ve only written about five chapters of it so far, but it’s getting to be a good story. I am not at liberty to reveal anything about it as of yet, but I can say that it doesn’t involve superheroes at all, but it does have zombies.




I’m also currently working on the graphic novel version of High School Heroes. People can view some of the pages on Wevolt.com.


 

6. Do you have any favourite authors?





Sure. H.G. Wells, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling – man, so many of them have initials instead of first names, what’s with that?




I also have to give a shout out to Kevin. J. Anderson. It is because of reading his books, particularly his Star Wars books, as a kid that made me want to write in the first place. He is probably my favourite author still writing today.




7. Do you have any all time favourite books?




All I’m going to say is take a look at my list of authors and guess what my favourite books are.

If you guessed, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Time Machine, you’d be correct. However, I would be negligent if I didn’t also mention Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girl series (yes guys, you can read books about girls and still enjoy them) and the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series.




I am also a major fan of graphic novels, and one of my favourites of these is called Batman vs. Dracula: Red Rain. If you haven’t read it, do yourself a favour and get yourself a copy. It is awesome.




8. Are you reading anything at the moment?




Of course I’m reading something. I am both an English/Literature teacher and a writer, when am I ever NOT reading something?




Currently, I’m in the middle of the second part of the Kane Chronicle series by Rick Riordan. Speaking of which, we should add him to the list of my favourite authors. In this series, Riordan retells Egyptian myths. These books are awesome!





I’m also reading a graphic novel called Justice League: A Cry for Justice. It’s a pretty good story so far.




Then, on my Kindle, I’m doing the Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith series.


Can you tell I like Star Wars yet? 




9. Who would win in a fight against Spiderman and The Flash?




Well, I can tell you’ve read my book now, because this is a very argument Sam and Ethan have in High School Heroes. I’m not sure I will have a satisfactory answer for you. After all, Flash’s super-speed might very well be counter-balanced by Spidey’s spider-sense. And Flash’s reflexes are quick enough to dodge out of the way of any webbing Spidey flung at him.




However, I will say that if Spider-man and The Flash were ever to fight, the battle would be short. Not because anyone would be a clear winner, but because the they would quickly discover that the Rogues had teamed up with the Sinister Six in a plot to pit Spidey and Flash against each other, while they were able to take control of some super-weapon to take over the world. Once they discovered this, they would team-up to defeat the super-villains, and would only win because the Rogues don’t trust the Six, and therefore try to betray them before they themselves are betrayed, which causes them to fight amongst themselves.




So, the real question should be, “who would win in a fight, The Rogues or the Sinister Six?”




10. Anything else you'd like to add?




You can find me on Facebook by searching High School Heroes, or my name. And my handle on Twitter is @masciajames.




Look for more books coming out from me in the near future. Remember, we have two sequels for High School Heroes and a new novel, which may itself become a series (who knows?) called Urban Jungle. Check out the web comic for High School Heroes on Wevolt.com.




Thank you for having me on your blog. And thank you for the interview. 




 



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Tuesday 17 May 2011

Giveaway!


It’s time for yet another giveaway!
This time it’s for Wild by Naomi Clark.
Giveaway is international
Leave your entry in the comments along with an email address
Giveaway ends 24th May
Good luck!
This is part of another tour hosted by BLB Book Tours. Check out the rest of the tour for some great reviews and giveaways!
6/3   review @ Books For Company
6/10 review @ My Need To Read
6/16 book excerpt @ Sara Is Reading What?
6/20 giveaway @ Novel Addiction
6/20 review @ Book Lover's Hideaway
6/23 review @ It's All About Books
8/10 review @ Aobibliosphere
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Monday 16 May 2011

Review: High School Heroes

Title: High School Heroes

Author: James Mascia

Publisher: L & L Dreamspell

Publication date: August 29th 2010

My rating: 8/10

Buy the book

Links: Goodreads|Website|Blog


Summary:

What if you discovered you had the ability to read minds?


 What would you do with that power? 


On Christine Carpenter's first day of her sophomore year at Thomas Jefferson High School she makes a startling discovery. She can hear peoples' thoughts. After convincing herself she's not going crazy, Chris must learn to control her amazing mind-reading ability. Using her power she quickly realizes her crush, the captain of the football team, is also blessed with a special ability.


 She is soon sucked into a world she never thought possible when two more of her classmates, and a teacher, turn out to have powers as well. 


What are they meant to do with their special gifts that can either help, or harm others? 


Christine soon finds out when a monster, lurking in the depths of her school, threatens to murder the student population. When it becomes apparent that the creature is someone she knows, she must decide whether to try and save him, or destroy the beast. 


If she chooses destruction, can she live with the consequences?





My thoughts:



High School Heroes is definitely a cute, easy read that appeals to the comic-book side to everyone.



There aren’t many super-hero related stories available so this definitely was a new one for me to try out! It was refreshing to read about something different as well as something that still has a great plot and characters.



I loved the characters in High School Heroes. The way they were introduced was different with every one and the way they interacted was great. They each had their own personality, their own faults and their own beliefs that made every one of them relatable in one way or another and very three-dimensional.



The protagonist, Christine, is by far my favourite character in the story. She sort of grounds all of the others in that she has the down to earth opinions and sometimes cynicism in the way she thinks about becoming a super hero. It makes the story more realistic as opposed to ‘I have super powers…I’m off to save the world now!’ sort of thing. It was great.



I loved the backstory of the book it gave it a whole lot of depth but I’m not going to give anything away about that!



Overall this was a great read that had a nice flow to it. It had a few twists and turns that kept me guessing and great, relatable characters. I definitely recommend this one!






About the author:



James Mascia is an English Teacher in Maryland, currently teaching at the high school and

post-secondary levels.


Originally from New York, James got his Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing from SUNY New


Paltz, he then went on to obtain his Masters Degree in Education with a concentration in


Literature and Writing from Dowling College.


Writing is James' passion. He enjoys writing mainly for younger audiences. He has recently had


several short stories published in
A Thousand Faces, a quarterly journal of super-human fiction.

James also has published a middle grade fantasy novel called
The Island of Dren.

James currently resides in Maryland with his beautiful and loving wife, Shelley.





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Wednesday 11 May 2011

Giveaway!

 

Hi guys!

So it’s time for another giveaway and this time it’s for an eBook of Wayward by Ashley Girardi. This was a great read for me and I did review it on the blog. You can find the review here

Born without magic, seventeen-year-old Helena “Hex” Wayward is an embarrassment to her power-hungry relatives.
As the weakest member of the world’s most deadly magical family, Hex learns early how to avoid confrontation. There’s no defending herself against an errant curse or the pit-demon that her cousins like to summon during family reunions.
When the dark magic inside of her -- magic that she never dreamt even existed -- erupts in a violent display, it kills a member of a rival family.
Now, Hex's family hopes to use her magic for their own sinister purposes and their enemies just want her dead. Abandoning her magic will leave Hex defenceless but she's seen how quickly power corrupts even the best intentions.
Caught between the seductive sorcerer who wants her power for his own and the forbidden love of a human boy, Hex has to make a choice:
Save her life or save her soul.

Giveaway is international

Leave your entry in the comments along with an email address

Giveaway ends 18th May

Good luck!

 

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Tuesday 10 May 2011

Review: Kea’s Flight

Title: Kea’s Flight

Author: Erika Hammerschmidt and John C. Ricker

Publication date: May 2011

My Rating: 5/10

Buy the book: Amazon|B&N|Lulu epub|Lulu PDF|Paperback

Links: Goodreads|Website


Summary:

It's the 25th century, and humans have learned how to end unwanted pregnancies by removing and cryogenically freezing the embryos to save for later. But they never planned for how many there would be, or how much control people would want over their offspring's genetic makeup.


Kea was an exile before she was born. Grown from an embryo that was rejected for having autism-spectrum genes, she has been raised on a starship full of Earth's unwanted children. When a sudden discovery threatens their plan to find a home, Kea must join with other rejects to save the ship from its own insane government.


My thoughts:

Kea’s Flight is definitely a very different read. I liked the different characters who were, at times, vulnerable, relatable and enjoyable to read about.

I really liked the idea behind the story and you can really learn a lot from this book, however, for me it was one of those reads that start of great but then loses it’s steam.

I started to feel like there was no basic plot line…not that there wasn’t a plot but that there were so many things happening that led on to another happening that it just became too much. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t enjoy it either…it just wasn’t for me.

I do recommend this book for others though. It was a really clever read at times and it surprised me at points. It was just one of those times when I found myself losing interest…it happens.


About the authors:

erika

 john

Erika Hammerschmidt was born in Minnesota and graduated from Augsburg
College with two language majors and an art minor. She was diagnosed
with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 11, and has written Born on the
Wrong Planet, a memoir about her childhood. Her husband John C. Ricker
was born in Hawaii, received a diagnosis of Asperger's at the age of
24, and studied computer science before working in vacuum technology.
They live in Minnesota with their parrot, Rain Man. Together they have
co-authored the science fiction novel Kea's Flight.





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Monday 9 May 2011

Review: The Damned Busters

Title: The Damned Busters

Author: Matthew Hughes

Publisher: Angry Robot Books

Publication date: May 2011

My Rating: 6/10

Buy the book

Author: Website|Goodreads


Summary:

Chesney Arnstruther: by day, mild mannered insurance man; by night, fearless superhero crime fighter. By his side, his wisecracking demonic sidekick, in a somewhat ill-fitting costume.

Watch out all you freaks, weirdo's, werewolves and assorted furry monsters, the Damned Busters are on your trail!

File Under: Comic Fantasy [ Satanic Unions / Hell on Strike / A Deal with Satan / Crooked Preachers ]


My thoughts:

I was definitely intrigued about this book when I heard about it. Where else can you find a book about  an ordinary man summoning a demon by accident who then becomes a superhero?

Yeah, it was a really fun, creative idea for a story that was refreshing to read. It was a fabulously funny story with great ideas about good and evil and it was brilliantly written at times.

But there was a problem for me. The first quarter or so of the book was great. It made me laugh, it made me think, it was going good. But then I sort of started to not like the protagonist and then I found it hard to continue to stick with the story. It sort of lost it’s steam at some point.

I don’t really know what else to say…it had loads of potential to be a lot better for me but I just lost it at one point. I did finish the book but it didn’t really sit well with me.

It does deserve a lot of credit though for the whacky idea and the writing…it was a whole load of different.


 

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Sunday 8 May 2011

In My Mailbox #18

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @The Story Siren


So this week I got a load of good books!

I won:

  

 I won these from Book Chick City and I’m super excited to read them!

All links take you to Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

 

 


And I bought these:

 

 

 Happy reading everyone!

Saturday 7 May 2011

On My Wishlist #23

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.


In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gas lit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.


 Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing.  Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…


 Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen—with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?


So that is what’s on my wishlist this week!

Happy reading!

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Wednesday 4 May 2011

Review: Wayward

Title: Wayward

Author: Ashley Girardi

Publication date: March 27th 2011

Book source: Book Lovin’ Bitches

My Rating: 9/10

Buy the book

Author: Blog|Twitter|Goodreads


Summary:

Born without magic, seventeen-year-old Helena “Hex” Wayward is an embarrassment to her power-hungry relatives.


As the weakest member of the world’s most deadly magical family, Hex learns early how to avoid confrontation. There’s no defending herself against an errant curse or the pit-demon that her cousins like to summon during family reunions.


When the dark magic inside of her -- magic that she never dreamt even existed -- erupts in a violent display, it kills a member of a rival family.
Now, Hex's family hopes to use her magic for their own sinister purposes and their enemies just want her dead. Abandoning her magic will leave Hex defenceless but she's seen how quickly power corrupts even the best intentions.


Caught between the seductive sorcerer who wants her power for his own and the forbidden love of a human boy, Hex has to make a choice:
Save her life or save her soul.


My thoughts:

I really don’t have that much to say in this review other than I love Wayward!

It was such a great read that I seriously could not put down for the life of me. It’s really not at all what you’d expect it to be. It certainly left me shell-shocked at times with how dramatic it was and how easily I was hooked to the plot.

I loved the main character in this one. She was a real bad girl but at the same time she had her open, vulnerable moments that made her such a great character.

I only have one criticism, if you can call it that, and that was that the main character did seem to be a bit older than she actually is in the story but it did seem to fit at times considering her back-story and what she had to go through.

Wayward was also surprisingly creepy at times. It actually made me shudder at one point especially where Hex’s family is involved. It was definitely a new for me.

What got me though was the fabulous ending! It was so great. I couldn’t read anything else for a while for thinking about this read and what might happen next…it’s a definite must read! Please go and check it out!


This review was part of a book tour hosted by Book Lovin’ Bitches

Check out the rest of the tour stops for more reviews, guest posts and giveaways!

5/1   review @ Read My Mind
5/2   review @ Sara Is Reading What?
5/5   giveaway @ Sara Is Reading What?
5/8   review @ Awesomesauce Bookclub
5/9   interview @ Read My Mind
5/10 giveaway @ Awesomesauce Bookclub
5/11 giveaway @ Books Glorious Books
5/11 review @ Splash Of Our Worlds
5/12 review @ Just Another Book Addict
5/12 review @ It's All About Books
5/13 review @ Spellbound Witch Reviews
5/13 guest post @ Just Another Book Addict
5/14 giveaway @ Splash Of Our Worlds
5/14 giveaway @ It's All About Books

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Monday 2 May 2011

Review: The Book of Lost Souls

Title: The Book of Lost Souls

Author: Michelle Muto

Publication date: March 6th 2011

Book source: Book Lovin’ Bitches

My Rating: 8/10

Buy the book

Author: Blog|Twitter|Goodreads


Summary:

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumour: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.


Making the rumours worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.


My thoughts:

This book was definitely a pleasant surprise. I knew from the start it would be a great, fun read that would be perfect to sit down with in the sun along with a nice cup of tea!

It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. I read it entirely in one sitting it was that entertaining. It sort of appeals to the mischievous, high school girl in me.

I loved all of the characters and the way they interacted as friends or otherwise. They developed perfectly throughout the story and were all relatable and realistic. I loved how each of them had a certain characteristic that was pointed out at sometime in the story, it made them that much more three-dimensional as characters and it added to the story somewhat.

What I enjoyed most about this book though is how much of a laugh it really was. There were some really fun and creative ideas strewn throughout that made me smile and some great conversations that made me laugh. There was it’s fair share of serious events though which balanced it out considerably, like the mystery in the plot and the protagonist’s relationship with her father…and her complicated love life!

Speaking of, the plot was fantastic! Really original and it kept me on the edge of my seat at times. A real page-turner.

There were a few twists and turns too which definitely kept me interested and the ending was brilliant. I can’t wait for more from this author in particular.

All in all this read was a perfect mix of drama and humour and is a fun, entertaining read.


This review was part of a book tour hosted by Book Lovin’ Bitches

Check out the rest of the tour stops for more reviews, guest posts and giveaways!

4/22  guest post @ My Bookish Ways
5/2    guest post @ Awesomesauce Bookclub
5/9    giveaway @ Novel Addiction
5/9    interview @ Immortality and Beyond
5/11  giveaway @ Books For Company
5/15  review @ A Chick Who Reads
5/17  interview @ Spellbound Witch Reviews
5/19  review @ Hooked To Books
5/20  guest post @ Hooked To Books
5/25  review @ Splash Of Our Worlds
5/29  review @ Read My Mind
5/30  giveaway @ Aobibliosphere
6/8   review @ Just Another Book Addict
6/15  guest post @ The Bookish Snob
6/16  guest post @ Sugarbeat's Books
6/21  review @ It's All About Books

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

 

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Sunday 1 May 2011

In My Mailbox #17

Hi guys!

So I only got one book through the post this week and it was from UK Book Tours!

I’m super excited to read this one though!

Happy reading!