Sunday 29 January 2012

In My Mailbox #34

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, all links take you to goodreads.

Hiya guys! Welcome to another In My Mailbox!

This week I got two lovely looking books.

The first was from UK Book Tours:

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.

And lastly I bought:

Elena Michaels is a wanted woman. Ten years ago she was transformed into a werewolf by her lover. Her transformation makes her powerful. But in the wrong hands, it also makes her deadly.

And now, just as she's coming to terms with it all, a group of scientists learns of her existence. They're hunting her down, and Elena is about to run straight into their trap. But they haven't reckoned on Elena's adoptive family, her Pack, who will stop at nothing to get her back.

They haven't reckoned on Elena, either. And that's a very big mistake.

Happy reading everyone!


Saturday 28 January 2012

On My Wishlist #45

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 desperately want but 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 for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

Quite a few this week!

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Something wicked this way comes... She thought she'd be safe in the country, but you can't escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she's being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn't believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn't believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you're alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.


And then you're dead.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.
Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.
When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

That's it for my wishlist this week! Can't wait to get some of these though!

Happy reading everyone!


Monday 23 January 2012

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Title: Entangled
Author: Cat Clarke
Publisher: Quercus Books
Publication date: 6th January 2011
Paperback: 372 pages
Book Source: Bought
My rating: 7/10

Summary:

The same questions whirl round and round in my head:
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
AM I GOING TO DIE?

Seventeen-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with a table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there.

As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling in the relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing.

Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here?

My thoughts:

I've been waiting to read this one for quite a while now so it had been sitting on my TBR shelf for a bit collecting dust!

I have to say straight off that this book probably isn't for everyone. It was a pretty heavy read in that the protagonist has a lot of things going on that are hard to deal with. Sometimes she did seem to be a bit harsh and not very loveable so I could tell straight off that some readers will just plain not like her. For me, she was the kind of character where I have to decide in every difficult situation whether to scold her or give her a big hug. She made mistakes and dealt with them in a bad way but in some ways that's what made her more relatable and realistic. I would by lying if I said I've never done something stupid in relation to a bad event and so has everyone else. It happens.

In that respect, Grace was a pretty strong character. In others she wasn't - it sort of makes this read like marmite - you either love it or hate it.

As for the actual plot I really liked it. It was a different take to books dealing with suicide and self-harm - a really different take. I found myself reading it all in no time and enjoying it immensely.

I think what made it so easy to read was the way it was written. The main story is told through Grace's point of view whilst she was writing about the hardships she's been through. So it was sort of similar to diary entries but not at the same time.

What let the book down for me though was the ending. I was so disappointed. I really got excited towards the end because there was so much guess work involved in this book that I was looking forward to finding out the answers. The problem was, there wasn't enough answers. I felt like the story was unresolved because I didn't fully find out what happens to Grace or any of the other characters. Even though some books do have endings like that where you sort of leave it to your imagination - this one felt like it was just too important not to know because it was so character orientated. The whole plot was based on the story of the main characters and their relationships and to not find out what happened about those relationships was disappointing.

Overall though I recommend this read. It deals with difficult issues in a unique way and it's a thoroughly engrossing read.

Cat Clarke:

Goodreads|Website|Twitter|Facebook

Challenges this book counts towards:

  1. 100 Books In A Year
  2. New Author Challenge
  3. 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge


Sunday 22 January 2012

In My Mailbox #33

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, all links take you to goodreads.

Hiya guys! Welcome to another In My Mailbox!

This week I got one book that I won as a best of 2011 read:

Yves' story.

This is about getting you out...I'm stealing you.

Phoenix belongs to the Community - a gang of thieves with paranormal powers. Yves Benedict - an American student visiting London - is her mark. But Yves turns out to be more than just a target. He is her destiny. Her soulmate. But the Community owns Phoenix's past and it wants her future too.

Happy reading everyone!


Friday 20 January 2012

On My Wishlist #44

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 desperately want but 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 for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

Only one book on my wishlist this week:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Happy reading everyone!


Angry Robot Announces Strange Chemistry Launch Titles!

So I just got a fabulous email which made me really excited and certainly made my Friday!

Strange Chemistry - the YA imprint of award-winning indie genre fiction publisher Angry Robot - has announced two deals that will help launch the list into publishing super-stardom.

In a post on Strange Chemistry’s website - http://strangechemistrybooks.com - imprint editor Amanda Rutter has revealed that Strange Chemistry's first two titles will be...

  • Shift by Kim Curran

About The Book:

When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he’s not quite so average after all. He’s a ‘Shifter’. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he’s ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world quickly starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.

About the Author:

Kim Curran was born in Dublin and moved to London when she was seven. After studying Philosophy and Literature at Sussex University her plan of being paid big bucks to think deep thoughts never quite paid off. She became an advertising copywriter instead, specialising in writing for video games. She lives in SW London with her husband, if they’re not both off travelling. When she’s not writing she fences and plays guitar, both very badly.

Visit Kim online here.

Kim Curran says: “When I saw Angry Robot was launching a YA imprint I literally said I would kill to be published by those guys. So to have signed with Strange Chemistry is everything I could have wished for and then some. To say I’m excited is a massive understatement. I just hope I won’t be expected to actually kill anyone!”

Amanda Rutter says: “We’ve signed debut novelist Kim Curran for two books in a new YA SF thriller series. The first title – Shift – will be published in September of this year, with the second to follow in 2013. The deal, concluded with Sam Copeland, of Rogers, Coleridge and White Ltd, includes world English rights in physical and electronic formats.
“As soon as I read the first page of Shift, I absolutely knew I wanted Kim on board. The novel is fast-paced, exciting and a real page turner. I simply cannot wait to introduce the world of Scott and Aubrey to YA readers!”

  • Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

About the Book:

Julie is an apprentice witch – or so she believes. When a dark power comes stalking out of the past to haunt her and her mother, Julie learns that she is far more than just a witch. With the help of her best friend Marcus and a rather unusual Great Dane, Julie has to race against time to ensure she can defeat the bad guy, save her mother and avoid being grounded – again!

About the Author:

Sean Cummings lives in Saskatoon, Canada. He’s a comic book geek, superhero junkie, zombie fan and a total nerd. His interests include science fiction, the borg, cats with extra toes, east Indian cuisine and quality sci-fi movies/television. Sean has been writing since 1978 (as a means of liberating his “inner nerd”) and his published works for adults include Shade Fright, Funeral Pallor and Unseen World, all published by Snowbooks. Poltergeeks is his first book for Young Adults.

Visit Sean online here.

Amanda Rutter says: “We have signed Sean for two novels in the Poltergeeks universe, the first to be published in October of this year with the second to follow in the summer of 2013. The deal, concluded with Jenny Savill and Ella Kahn of Andrew Nurnberg Associates International Ltd, includes world English rights in physical and electronic formats.

"Sean has written a wonderful book with a title that made the whole AR office sit up and take notice - who wouldn't want to read a novel called Poltergeeks?! As you read further, you just become gripped by this sassy and sarcastic apprentice witch who has to face down the darkest of powers. It's just a tremendous story, and I'm thrilled that Strange Chemistry is bringing it to you."

Sean Cummings says: "I'm a huge fan of Angry Robot Books and when I heard they were starting a Young Adult imprint I just knew they'd be publishing some of the best in YA fiction. I'm thrilled that Poltergeeks has found a home with Strange Chemistry and I look forward to working with Amanda. (Did I mention that Angry Robot has fantastic cover art, too?)"

More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com.


Thursday 19 January 2012

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 29th September 2011
Hardback: 418 pages
Extract|Video
Book source: Bought
My rating: 10/10

Summary:

Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. When Brimstone called, she always came.

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to the Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

My thoughts:

Wow. Where do I start. Well if you haven't noticed the rating already, I absolutely adored this book. I actually had to sit and think for a while before writing the review I was that impressed by it.

First off I have to mention the cover. I bought the UK version of the hardback which I have to say looks absolutely stunning and the back has this metallic sheen to it that I adore.

Now. The book. How can I even describe it's amazingness?!

The imagination that went into this book is breathtaking. There are different characters that are different species (for lack of a better word) to each other. Some of them have wings, some of them have horns and some have hooves for feet. Every time I would read about another character I could imagine what they look like and play what was happening like a film the writing was just that descriptive. The worlds that the book was set in felt like so much thought was put into it, it could actually be real. Reading this book felt like an escape from real life. It was pure brilliance.

Let's talk about characters. Karou. Oh my God she was so cool. Akiva - can anyone say hot stuff? Seriously though,they were contrasting characters that had so much depth to them I really wanted to figure them out from top to bottom. I loved reading their story.

Brimstone. What can I say? At first I was a bit put off by his personality filled with grunting and stern looks but I loved him after a few chapters. I actually couldn't figure out his intentions until they were revealed at the end which was great. Aaaaaand I won't say anymore than that on Brimstone for fear of spoilers!

As for the plot it just exuded brilliance. I've never read anything more original and intriguing. Again I don't want to spoil anything but trust me when I say the plot is by far the best I've ever read in a book so far.

Overall I think you can guess that I would recommend this one to anybody who likes to read. It sure is a great use of time and - despite the number of pages - is a really fast read.


Laini Taylor:
Goodreads|Blog

Great quotes:

“She had been innocent once, a little girl playing with feathers on the floor of a devil's lair. She wasn't innocent now, but she didn't know what to do about it. This was her life: magic and shame and secrets and teeth and a deep, nagging hollow at the center of herself where something was most certainly missing.”


Challenges this book counts towards:

  1. 100 Books In A Year
  2. New Author Challenge 2012
  3. Speculative Romance Challenge 2012
  4. 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
  5. 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge
  6. Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge
Happy reading everyone!


Wednesday 18 January 2012

The Time Will Come #10

Jodie over at Books for Company is hosting a Thursday meme. It's really easy to join in. Here's what you have to do:

  • Pick a book you have been meaning to read
  • Do a post telling us about the book
  • Link the post up in the linky
  • Visit the other blogs!

I've seen quite a few bad reviews for this one so it's making me quite apprehensive about reading it. As always, I still want to read it for myself because it does sound good. I bought it quite a while ago now so I should read it soon!

Happy reading everyone!


Review: Seizure

Title: Seizure
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Random House - Young Arrow
Publication date: 5 Jan 2012
Format: Hardback - 491 pages
Book Source: UK Book Tours
My rating: 9/10

Summary:

A 300-year-old legend

Rumour has it that notorious pirate Anne Bonny hid her treasure somewhere in Charleston in 1720. No-one knows where, but Tory Brennan - great-niece of famous forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan - is certain that the Virals can work out Bonny's cryptic clues.

A deadly path

It isn't long before the Virals are on the right track. But they aren't the only ones searching for the treasure.Someone is following them, and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

Dead bodies litter the trail. Time is running out before the island will be sold.

Will the Virals' special powers be enough to save them?

My thoughts:

I was so excited when this came up as an option for a book tour. I loved the first book in the series so I had quite big expectations when it came to this one. I sure wasn't disappointed!

One thing I loved about the last book was the quirky protagonists. The Viral gang is so funny at times and so cool at others! I still love how different they all are and yet they make the most perfect team.

One thing I would love to read more of now is some kind of development with their personal lives. I feel like a little is missing with their lives other than the special powers that they have. I would love something to happen in the next book where it was more to do with their human side and less to do with the other.

Anyway aside from that little rant. I loved the action filled plot too. When you hear a book is based on finding pirate treasure it sounds almost too cheesy but Kathy Reichs really made it work. It was so fast paced I finished the book in no time. Admittedly it was a tiny bit predictable at times but it didn't take anything away from the enjoyment of reading it.

I really recommend this series to anyone it's such good fun. Great characters, exciting plot and loads of suspense - what more could you ask for?

Books in the series:

  1. Virals
  2. Seizure
Kathy Reichs:

Goodreads|Website|Blog|Facebook|Twitter


Challenges this book counts towards:

  1. 100 Books In A Year


Sunday 15 January 2012

Review: Revealing Eden

Title: Revealing Eden
Author: Victoria Foyt
Publisher: Sand Dollar Press
Publication date: January 10th 2012
Book Source: NetGalley
My rating: 7/10

Summary:

Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she'll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she's cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden's coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she'll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father's secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity's last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her "adopted aunt" Emily Dickinson.

My thoughts:

What I should mention first about this read is that the description of the settings was absolutely lovely. Different parts of the book are in different settings and it was a brilliant contrast between one and the other - complete opposites that got me really feeling like I was there.

I must admit I found it hard to like the protagonist, Eden, at first. She really got on my nerves but I found she grew on me the more she developed throughout the story. As events unfolded she made better decisions so I ended up really liking her towards the end.

Let's talk about Bramford for a minute though. Wow. He's made of hot stuff let me tell you! I really loved his character and how underestimated he was for literally three quarters of the book. I didn't fully understand his intentions until right towards the end of the book and I think that's the way it was meant to be. He was a brilliant character - full of depth and passion.

What let me down though was that the book only seemed to start to get going towards the end. The last quarter was where it started to get really exciting and things were brought to light. I think what kept me reading was little tidbits of interesting clues here and there to make me wonder what was going on. It was worthwhile towards the end though because when everything came together it all made perfect sense even though I was no way near close to guessing what was going to happen!

Overall this is a very quick and easy read full of great characters - some of them more charming than others - and a lot of action. I do recommend it and I'm certainly looking forward to the next book in the series!

Victoria Foyt:

Goodreads|Website|Facebook

Challenges this book counts towards:

  1. 100 Books In A Year
  2. New Author Challenge 2012
  3. 2012 Ebook Challenge


In My Mailbox #32

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, all links take you to goodreads.

Hiya guys! Welcome to another In My Mailbox!

So I got quite a few books this week.

From UK Book Tours I received:

And for review I got:

Big thanks to Alice from Quercus books for this one - I'm really excited to read it!

And I received two books that I pre-ordered last year:

Oh my God can anyone say awesome!!!

And finally:

Happy reading everyone!


Saturday 14 January 2012

On My Wishlist #43

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 desperately want but 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 for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

This week I added a few books to my wishlist from a few different genres too:

The first one I added is:

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . . She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why
she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends.

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.


Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

That's it on my wishlist this week. Don't they sound amazing - I love the covers too!
Happy reading!


Thursday 12 January 2012

The Time Will Come #9

Jodie over at Books for Company is hosting a Thursday meme. It's really easy to join in. Here's what you have to do:

  • Pick a book you have been meaning to read
  • Do a post telling us about the book
  • Link the post up in the linky
  • Visit the other blogs!

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic . . .

One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds. In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy . . .

I swapped this book for another quite a while back now and I still have to read it. I'm quite looking forward to when I do! Has anyone read it?

Happy reading!


Monday 9 January 2012

Review: The Court Painter's Apprentice

Title: The Court Painter's Apprentice
Author: Richard Knight
Publisher: Catnip
Publication date: January 1st 2012
Book Source: UK Book Tours
My rating: 2/10

Summary:

"Paint what you see, Johann, not what you think you see."

So says the court painter to his young apprentice. But Johann possesses more than the power to paint a person's soul.

He can alter it.

My thoughts:

This book had a lot of promise. Initially I was excited to read it since it could have been a really brilliant read but it really disappointed me.

I thought the characters were really underdeveloped for a start. The novel is pretty short so it felt like there wasn't enough time for me to get to know the characters. Also, there were some characters that were introduced and then they never appeared again so it felt as if there was a few unresolved issues between them and the protagonist.

As for the plot, I just think it was really dry. Nothing really of interest happened until the end which was quite anticlimactic. Whilst reading the book I was frustrated more than anything because the writing style is beautiful. It produced this atmosphere where I felt like I was sitting in front of a fire listening to my parents telling me bedtime story. It was frustrating because nothing happened in the book that caught my interest. It was a real shame.

It was a really quick read though and I can't help but think, because of the storytelling feel to the novel, a lot of people will enjoy this read - it just wasn't for me.

Richard Knight:

Goodreads

Challenges this book counts towards:


Sunday 8 January 2012

In My Mailbox #31



In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, all links take you to goodreads.

Hiya guys! Welcome to another In My Mailbox!

This week I bought the first three books in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn:

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station - and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it's Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew?

Talk radio meets supernatural fantasy in Carrie Vaughn's second adventure to feature Kitty Norville, a popular late-night radio host who happens to be a werewolf. In Kitty Goes to Washington, the lovable lycanthrope is subpoenaed to attend upcoming Senate hearings regarding paranormal beings. After Kitty consults with her lawyer, she reluctantly agrees to go to Washington. As a rogue wolf without a pack and no territorial home (see Kitty and the Midnight Hour), her brief stay in D.C. may even be a kind of vacation. Upon her arrival, she is accosted by Alette, the vampiric Mistress of the City, who insists that Kitty stay with her. The matriarchal bloodsucker says that she fears for Kitty's safety and even assigns her bodyguards; but as the renowned radio host sees more of the city and meets a group of peaceable lycanthropes that include a hunky were-jaguar, she begins to realize that the Senate hearings are only the tip of the iceberg of the complex and highly volatile subject of supernatural beings. Are they human? Do they have the same rights as everyone else? Or are they a disease that should be eradicated? While pondering these issues, Kitty becomes a prime target in a dangerous political game that includes a witch-hunting senator, an unethical doctor, and a reporter who will do anything to get an exclusive interview with Kitty.

While hidden away in a cabin in the wilds of southern Colorado, Norville is finding it difficult to write her memoirs -- especially when someone keeps painting bloody crosses on her door and leaving mutilated animal sacrifices hanging in the surrounding trees. But her autobiography takes a backseat when werewolf bounty hunter Cormac Bennett shows up on Norville's doorstep with a bloodied O'Farrell in tow. While assisting Bennett on a case in New Mexico involving a rogue werewolf, O'Farrell was brutally attacked and, in less than four days, will experience his first Change. As O'Farrell struggles to come to grips with his new affliction, Norville and Bennett talk to locals in an attempt to uncover who is using arcane blood magic to intimidate Norville into leaving. But when the full moon inevitably rises and Norville and Bennett Change, the radio personality finds the unexpected: companionship, love, acceptance -- and the beginnings of her own pack.

Happy reading everyone!


Saturday 7 January 2012

On My Wishlist #42


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 desperately want but 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 for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.


This week I added two books to my wishlist:

A Friend. A Father. A Kingdom. Which one would you sacrifice? This compelling trilogy of court intrigue, adventure and romance is a winning combination of imagination, powerful storytelling and magnificent characters. Fifteen-year-old Wynter Moorehawke returns home after a five-year sojourn in the bleak Northlands. All has changed in her absence. Wynter is forced to make a terrible choice: stay and bow to the King's will, or abandon her ailing father and join her friend Razi and the mysterious Christopher Garron in their efforts to restore the fragile kingdom to its former stability. But this changed kingdom is a dangerous place, where all resistance is brutally suppressed and the trio constantly risk assassination, torture or imprisonment. Atmospheric and intriguing, it evokes an enchanting and convincing other world - love, treachery, jealousy, tenderness, war, wisdom and court life are all vividly depicted.


And:

A Celtic warrior girl is held captive and enslaved by a rival tribe. When fever takes her only friend, she knows she must escape, but she runs straight into the path of two Roman foot soldiers. Thinking they will kill a warrior instantly, the girl disguises herself as a beggar and asks to share their fire. Using her gift as a seer she discovers that one of the soldiers is not what he seems. Celtic blood courses through his veins too, but there is something else. He is a shapeshifter – a Versipellum. He shares his soul with that of the wolf. The girl needs to reach the leader of her dead friend’s tribe, and the boy must escape the Romans before they discover his true nature. Their only chance of survival is to help each other. But what will happen when their powers are combined?

Happy reading everyone!


Friday 6 January 2012

100 Books In A Year


I was just reading through the blog posts and I realised I never mentioned the 100+ Books In A Year Challenge!

Last year I did pretty well and I read 91 books. I was quite close so this year I'm hoping to do even better!

For this challenge you have to try and read 100 or more books throughout the year. If you're interested you can find the challenge page here.

Happy reading!


Wednesday 4 January 2012

New Challenges 2012

Hi guys!
First off, happy new year to everyone and I sincerely hope 2012 brings you all the peace, love and happiness you so desire.
I wanted to do a post on all the reading challenges I'm participating in this year. Since I'm getting more and more into blogging I thought I'd really go for it and push myself by entering quite a few.
So here's the first:
I love finding new authors so I found this challenge and I had to go for it. It's quite an easy one too; all you have to do is read from an author you've never read from before and then link the review on the challenge page. I've chosen to go for 25 new authors this year - let's see if I can't make it more!

The next one is:
For this challenge you have to read as many Speculative Romance novels as you can and then link up the reviews on challenge review page each month.
I'm hoping to go for the Two Sexy Werewolves level!
And the next:
This is basically self explanatory. I want to do as many challenges as possible so I thought why not?
And again:
I do read quite a lot of ebooks so I thought I'd sign up for this one too. I'm hoping to go for the DVD level.
And another!
Amazon quite frequently offers free ebooks for a limited time and I love finding them so this challenge is perfect. This challenge motivates you to read the free and LEGAL downloads that are piling up.
Yes, there's more:
I think that you can guess what this one is about! For this challenge I'm hoping to go for One Chomp level.
More!
This one is any book with Vampires, Angels and Demons, Fae and Shifters as the main characters. I love it! For this challenge I want to have a go at all of the categories.
Yet another one:
This is the biggest challenge for me. I really want to get stuck in to my TBR pile so hopefully this challenge will help!
Only bloggers can enter this one and only books that were released 2011 and earlier count.
There are 10 hosts to this challenge:

Evie from Bookish - @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea - @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - @mermaidvisions
For this one I'm hoping to achieve the A Sweet Kiss level.
I'm nearly finished I promise!
This is a great idea for a challenge where you read books from the book blogger recommendation list . I'm hoping to read quite a few from this list because it has some really great books on it!
Last one:
I love these two genres and since I didn't complete the challenge last year I want to do even better this year.
I'm hoping to read at lest 24 this year.

So there you have it! Let me know what challenges you're participating in this year.

Happy reading everyone!