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Showing posts from August, 2011

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title:  Daughter of Smoke and Bone Author:  Laini Taylor Series: Pages:  420 Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton Date of Publication:  29th September 2011 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: Featuring necklaces made of wishes; an underground shop dealing in teeth; magical tattoos; a wishbone on a cord, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is a thrilling story about Karou and her secret life as an apprentice to a wishmonger. Karou manages to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she is a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to an inhuman creature who deals in wishes and is the closest thing she has to family. Her life is surrounded by mysteries she is desperate to unveil. My Thoughts: This book has a lot of hype surrounding it, so I went into reading it thinking it was going to be one of the best books of the year. And it was really good, awesome even, but it just didn't quite live up to the hype. Very, very nearly, but just not

Sweet Venom 2 Title Hunt!

Hi everyone! Are you here for the Sweet Venom 2 Title Hunt? Don't know what that is? Tera Lynn Childs is the author of a book called Sweet Venom, and the second book now has a title! But, YOU have to find the letters and unscramble to find out what the title is! Then, once you've figured it out, you can enter to win amazing prizes, which are: 5 signed copies of Sweet Venom and a grand prize of $50 bookstore gift card! So what are you waiting for? Collect my letter and follow the link below to find the others and enter to win! My letter is... So there we go, my work is done. To find the other letters and enter the competition go here to Tera Lynn Childs ' website! 

Book Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Title:  The Name of the Star  Author:  Maureen Johnson Series:  Shades of London #1 Pages:  370 Publisher:  HarperCollins Children's Books Date of Publication:  29th September 2011 Source: Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In th

In My Mailbox #30

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. FOR REVIEW Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (UK Paperback) *SQUEEE* I was SO excited when this arrived, and it was AMAZING! :D I loved it! If you were a little worried that it didn't live up to VA, don't be, because it's awesome... Thanks to Penguin for this one! Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead, Emma Vieceli and Leigh Dragoon (UK Paperback) Again, I was so excited for this one too, as it is a graphic novel of the first VA book, and it was awesome! I read it all in one sitting completely by accident - I was only going to read a few pages but I ended up reading it all! Thanks again to Penguin for this one! GIFTED/WON Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough (UK Proof) Caroline from Portrait of a Woman sent me this; she had a first come first serve giveaway and I managed to get this :) I've heard lots of good things about it, and it looks awesome, (if a little creepy) so I can't wait

Book Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title:  Bloodlines   Author:  Richelle Mead Series:  Bloodlines #1 Pages:  421 Publisher:  Penguin Date of Publication:  25th August 2011 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning. Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood. *SPOILER INFO: This review will NOT contain spoilers from Bloodlines, but it WILL contain spoilers from the Vampire Academy series. If you have not yet read all the Vampire Academy series and do not wish to be spoiled, I'd re

Book Review: Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Title:  Vanish  Author:  Sophie Jordan Series:  Firelight #2 Pages:  304 Publisher:  HarperTeen Date of Publication:  6th September 2011 Source:  netGalley Synopsis from Goodreads: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to

Book Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Title:  Dark Inside  Author:  Jeyn Roberts Series:  N/A Pages:  360 Publisher:  Macmillan Children's Books Date of Publication:  2nd September 2011 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies. Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run f

In My Mailbox #29

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. FOR REVIEW     Dearly Departed by Lia Habel (UK Proof) This is described as steampunk and zombies - I'm not sure about steampunk, but I LOVE zombies :D It sounds awesome, so I can't wait to read this! Thank you to Random House for this one! This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel (UK Proof) This one sounds awesome too! It has something to do with Frankenstein, and it sounds super creepy and I love creepy! :) Thank you again to Random House for this one!  SWAPPED My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey (UK paperback) I got this in my first ever swap (swapped it for Shimmer by Alyson Noel) and it looks awesome! I got it from the library a couple of months ago but I never got around to reading it and had to take it back because realistically at the time there was no way I would be able to read it. But, there’s time now, and it’s mine to keep so I can’t wait to read it! What did you get in your mailboxes?

Impromptu Read-a-thon End Post!

So, I don’t know if you read it, but yesterday I posted about an Impromptu read-a-thon hosted by Amber at Down the Rabbit Hole that I was taking part in. I posted my goals, which were:          To finish the 190 pages I had left of Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts.          To read ALL of Vanish by Sophie Jordan         To make a dent in Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (At least 50 pages) Well, I’m happy to say, I completed all three of my goals! I started reading at 2 yesterday, and read non-stop (when I wasn’t eating or sleeping…) until 2 today. So, here’s what I managed to read:         190 pages of Dark Inside         100% of Vanish (304 pages)         50% of Ashes (225 pages) So, using Goodreads page counts, I’ve totalled that up to 719 pages! And in the 24 hours that I took part, I managed to read for 10 hours, 53 minutes. Which is 653 minutes, so I think I did pretty well, as that’s just over a page a minute :) I’d like to thank Amber for hosting this awes

Book Review: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Title:  Cold Kiss  Author:  Amy Garvey Series:  N/A Pages:  336 Publisher:  HarperTeen Date of Publication:  20th September 2011 Source:  netGalley Synopsis from Goodreads: “It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder. That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.” When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved. Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabr

Impromptu Read-a-thon! :D

Amber from Down the Rabbit Hole is hosting an Impromptu Read-a-thon ! I've never taken part in a read-a-thon before, but I've always wanted to, and as far as I know I have nothing planned for the rest of today and tomorrow, so I thought I'd give it a go! I'll be starting today at 2 (or earlier, it depends) and I'll finish around the same time tomorrow, so it'll probably be around 24 hours... These are the books I hope to get read! Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts - I'm on page 168 and have about 190 pages left, so I hope to finish this! Vanish by Sophie Jordan - 304 pages - this isn't very long so I'd like to finish this! Ashes by Ilsa J Bick - 480 pages - I'd like to make a dent in this one, at least 50 pages :) I doubt I'll finish it though ;)  So these are my goals, do you think I can do it? Wish me luck! Are you taking part? Leave me a link to your post below, or let me know what you want to read! :D 

Book Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Title:  Abandon Author:  Meg Cabot Series:  Abandon Trilogy #1 Pages:  292 Publisher:  Macmillan Children's Books Date of Publication:  1st September 2011 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid. Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away... especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further,

Top Ten Tuesday #2: Dystopians

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish . :) This week was a freebie week, so I could choose anything about literature to do a top ten of. And Top Ten Dystopians was suggested, so I thought, hey, I love dystopians, so let's do that... Not sure how many I've read though! ;) If I haven't read 10 I'll add ones that I like the sound of :D 1. The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Do I really need to say anything about this series? I think most people have read it now, but if you haven't, I'm ordering you to go and buy/borrow/swap a copy, and read it. And don't worry if 24 children killing each other doesn't sound like your thing, because I didn't think it would be mine either... ;) My review is here . 2. Divergent by Veronica Roth - This book was AMAZING. I'm still not sure whether or not I liked this better than The Hunger Games, but it was at least as good as they were... If you

In My Mailbox #28

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren :) FOR REVIEW Sorry for the dark picture... ;)  Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess (UK Proof) I was a little bit worried about what I would think of this as it's not the kind of book I would normally read, and it was for a blog tour... But I'm half way through and it's AMAZING :D So good! Thanks to Penguin for this one! Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (UK Proof) *SQUEE* I am SO EXCITED to have this one, it sounds AMAZING :D Thanks to MacMillan for this one! VIII by H.M. Castor (UK Proof) This is also for a blog tour coming up in October, and I'm really excited for it! It's a fictional account of Henry VIII's life and it sounds really good, and it's had some amazing review, so I'm excited to read this! Thanks to Templar Publishing for this one! Abandon by Meg Cabot (UK Proof) *Squee* Again, another really exciting book! :D And the UK paperback cover is GORGEOUS. I mean, the US hardb

Book Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Title:  Supernaturally Author:  Kiersten White Series: Paranormalcy #2 Pages:  420 Publisher:  HarperTeen Date of Publication:  26th July 2011 Source:  Bought Synopsis from Goodreads: Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees. But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself. So much for normal. My Thoughts: I LOVED Paranormalcy when I read it in December - it's definitely

UK Cover Reveal: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Hey everyone, I have some exciting news to share today! Here is the UK cover of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor! I think it's so pretty, and I've been told that the finished version even has extra foiling to make it super pretty and super shiny :) So, here is the final cover... And here is the final dust jacket :) I think you can click on the images for a larger version, if you want to look closer :) So you all probably saw it yesterday but I already had a post up so I posted it today :) What do you think about it? You like? Let me know in the comments! :D 

Book Review: Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

Title:  Eight Keys Author:  Suzanne LaFleur Series:  N/A Pages:  216 Publisher:  Puffin Date of Publication:  11th August 2011 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn... My Thoughts: This book is one of the cutest books I've ever read. It's adorable! Elise is just starting middle school (I think?) and she's finding it difficult to adjust. She lives with her Aunt and Uncle, because sadly

In My Mailbox #27

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and showcases the books you received in the week, whether it came to you in the mail, or you bought it in a shop :) Bought, borrowed, gifted, one, or for review, they all count! :) Also, I have no actual photos today because my camera's out of battery and I can't be bothered to charge it because I am a lazy person. So all pictures are from Goodreads :) BOUGHT    Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (UK Paperback) I'm so excited to read this - I've only heard good things about it, so yay! I'm going to try and fit it in with my summer reading :) Also, the back is so cool, it's like a postcard... Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done by Sarah Mlynowski (UK Paperback) Lots of people don't like this cover and title, and I agree that the US one is better, but this one isn't hideous... And it was cheaper :) It looks hilarious and it's got really good reviews, so like Amy & Rog