whnbstihwsoft (ya book blog)

Teaser Tuesday #9

2012-03-06T09:25:00.000Z

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

The Start-Up by Sadie Hayes

T.J. laughed " You little bitch. You're even more of a troublemaker than I gave you credit for."

(Page.61)

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Give me the computer." She grabbed it and read the e-mail and the wikipedia page. "So what? Like I told him, I'm not interested in starting a company."

"But Amelia--"
"No end of discussion."

Revealing Eden: Save The Pearls by Victoria Foyt (Review)

2012-03-05T19:19:00.001Z

Book: Revealing Eden: Save The Pearls
Author: Victoria Foyt

Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: 10 January, 2012
Publisher: Sand Dollar Press Inc

Pages: 307

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: **

Synopsis:

Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she will 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 per cent? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden's colouring 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 may be 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.

Review:

Now it's not often that I don't like the main character and this was one of those times, Eden seemed self-centred and focused on one thing and only one thing finding a mate. There were only a few times I actually felt kind of sorry for her, and in these situations her father was always involved, he never payed her any attention and would rather carry on with an experiment than bond with his daughter. Okay so this is were the weird part starts to kick in, Bramford, a man or well he used to be. After undergoing an experiment he changed into part jaguar with other animals features thrown in, considering I didn't read all of this book all I got from him was a very angry man/beast. There are other characters but there's not much to say on them, but if I'm honest none of the characters really made a connection with me.

Where to start with the story... so first of all I don't feel like the world was explained much and it felt as if I was reading the second book without having known there was a first. It was also a little slow for me and there were no shocking moments either, which was a huge disappointment as this is what I most love about YA!. I was also looking forward to the romance but it seemed more like it was bordering obsession than anything, the only good thing I have to say about this book was that the plot seemed very interesting and also very unique from anything out there today.

Overall this really wasn't for me but this book has received a lot of mixed reviews so I guess it just depends on personal tastes. I'm very disappointed at the fact I wasn't able to finish this, as I have never done that, ever!.

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (Review)

2012-03-03T13:49:00.000Z

Book: Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters

Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Genre: Young adult, Contemporary

Release date: 1 March, 2012
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Pages: 288

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ***.5

Synopsis:

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Review:

The story story follows 14 year old Kelsey as she is about to have her first year at her new high school, I loved her I thought she was hilarious and sometimes just slightly annoying however at her age or even younger I was exactly the same well maybe not that annoying. Then you have her Mum who Kelsey thinks is always setting out to embarrass her, she was very amusing and I loved the fact that she was always trying to be one of the teens. Then there was Em, Jojo and Cass, Em is the quite one of the group, Jojo is the girl with the laid back parents and their rule is no rules, and even though this is the case she is a very level headed girl. Then last but not least we have Em who was also nice however I started to hate her, but this was due to something that happens in the story so I won't go into details. Other characters that are worth mentioning are horrible Julie who is set on making Kelsey's life a misery and also there's "newspaper boy" who is cute and funny.

So there really isn't much to the plot in this book, its just about Kelsey having a fresh start at her first year in high school and about her misfortunes along the way. So that explanation doesn't really do this any justice and the way I've. explained it sound really boring, however it was very realistic and Kelsey reminds me of myself when I was 13 and to be completely honest thinking I was like that about boys makes me cringe. Other than this had me laughing out loud there isn't really much to say, there were tiny surprises in the book and the pace was very well done, and although the story line may sound boring it never was. It also wasn't so much like "back when I was boy" as it touched on subjects like boys, alcohol and sex, I mean we know the world is not perfect and the this is just how society is these days there's just no hiding from it.

Overall this was a funny book that will probably connect with your younger teenager, I can't wait to see what Meredith does next and I would love it if she wrote another book about Kelsey. This was cute, funny and it was a nice quick read.

Slide by Jill Hathaway (Review)

2012-02-18T11:14:00.002Z

Book: Slide

Author: Jill Hathaway

Genre: Young adult, Thriller

Release date: 2 March, 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 256

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ***.5

Synopsis:

She sees through the eyes of a killer…
Vee Bell hates having narcolepsy. But collapsing at school is nowhere near as bad as the truth. When Vee passes out she slides randomly into other’s people’s heads and ends up seeing through their eyes. So when Vee finds herself in the head of a killer, standing over the body of a cheerleader, she’s beyond freaked.
Vee knows that this was no suicide. And when another cheerleader turns up dead, everyone is a suspect. Struggling to understand her terrifying and unwanted ‘gift’, Vee is tangled in a web of secrets, lies and danger…

Review:

I defiantly love books like this, whenever I read something this short and quite good I always feel like I have a new love for books. I don't know if it's just me but sometimes reading 500 page books one after the other, can sometimes feel like a task depending on the book.

This story follows a girl named Vee who lives with her Sister and Father, the big twist is that she has narcolepsy however what happens to her is not in anyway normal. Every time she happens to touch anything that someone has in some way imprinted on, she will automatically see what they see at that present moment in time. I definitely felt like I could feel the burden that Vee has to face with and she wasn't one of these I'm invincible heroine types which was nice for a change. The there was her Sister who was trying to cope not only with life but the death of her friend, there was also their Father who was always trying to avoid bad situations which left Vee to be the Parent in most cases. Rollins is Vee's one and only true friend and I really liked him he had a nice devilish charm to him, but he was also very mysterious which didn't not make him a suspect. Then there was the new boy Zane, who is sweet and definitely the "boy next door" type of guy.

There are also some characters who are suspects in the book including a teacher a jock and a student.

The thing I was most worried about in this book was the plot, although I had my suspicions throughout I still didn't get the real killer right!. There was also a lot of secrets that were revealed by a lot of the characters, and trust me I did not see them coming. There was one question that really did bug me and it still does, however it's probably due to my stupidity that I'm still confused I will never know. I would also say that the pacing was okay it wasn't to quick or to slow if you get my drift. I also loved the ending, this may sound depressing but it wasn't entirely happy in fact it was quite sad but it was a huge change from other stories were everything ends up okay in the end.

Overall I thought this was a short and sweet young adult thriller, if you can say sweet that is. Definitely a one for those who love a good mystery to solve, you never know you might even solve it before the characters do but then again that would be really annoying.

Waiting on Wednesday #12

2012-02-08T17:39:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: City of Lost Souls

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young adult

Release date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd

Pages: 496

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Clary and the Shadowhunters struggle to piece together their shattered world after a betrayal by one of their own leaves them reeling.

Okay so first of all the cover I don't like it well kind of the fact that the model is like 5'6 is what bothers me, I know it sounds petty but Clary is suppose to be small I mean really small. I'm just hoping this is going to be better that CoFA as I really didn't like it Jace was so boring and sooooo not funny, also the big twist that happened at the end how was that not obvious to everyone?. Anyway enough of the rant I can't wait for this! what about you?.

Teaser Tuesday #8

2012-02-07T01:00:00.000Z

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

As I scramble to my feet, I overhear Lexi saying. "Yeah, she's my cousin. I guess I'm taking her place, right?"

Cue adorable giggle.

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!

(Page.38)

"Mom, I really have to go. Thanks for the gift card, and--"

"Ooh, is that Jordan Rothman?" she whispers loudly.

"He's turned into quite the hunk! I wonder if his mom still--"

I turn frantically and see Jordan snickering to his friends.

Oh, God.

(Page.23)

Legend by Marie Lu (Review)

2012-02-05T13:26:00.000Z

Book: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: 2 February, 2012
Publisher: Puffin
Pages: 304

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ***

Synopsis:

He is Day.

The boy who walks in the light.

She is June.
The girl who seeks her brother's killer.

On the run and undercover, they meet by chance. Irresistibly drawn together, neither knows the others past.

But Day murdered June's brother.

And she has sworn to avenge his death.

Review:

When I first noticed American bloggers talking about Legend and how awesome it was, I knew I just had to have it and I really thought it was going to be something as engaging as Divergent. However in my opinion it wasn't, although I'm very sure a lot of people will enjoy it more than I did.

Legend is told for two of the main characters points of view there names being Day and June, the great thing about the both of them is that they both come from complete opposite sides of the Republic, which is what the so called government is named. Day is a modern day Robin Hood and his motives are very much a mystery to everyone, he is a wanted criminal from the Republic however he has never killed someone in his life. As the story develops you find out about him and his past more, as for June she is living with her brother Metias who works for the Republic in as some sort of high ranking military official. She is set to do the same once she leaves university however it happens sooner than she thought. I loved the fact that she was so kick-ass and was always defying the rules despite the consciences. You also have Metias who I didn't really like to start of with but I did end up liking him in the end, then there was Thomas who also works for the Republic and I have just one word for him... CREEPY!. Another big character was Commander Jameson and there was also Day's friend Tess and some of his family.

If I'm completely honest I don't believe this was the best dystopian I have ever read, however it was not the worst Marie managed to create characters and a world the was absolutely terrifying. She easily made me feel the fear of not only citizens from the poor districts but also from the rich. One thing I didn't like was how Day and June became madly in love in one simple second of looking at each other, okay people get crushes but this was like "I think I might be in love" feelings.I did like the fact that it kept me guessing, however after a while it was kind of easy to see who the culprit of the murder was just by how much the character had changed. I also expected some more action and I felt like this fell a little short, even though I always have to read every single book in a series I feel like there are so many questions I have about this book that I just have to keep reading.

Overall this was definitely not one for me however I'm sure there are over people who will love it so don't take my word for it if you really wanted to read it. This was however a new terrifying dystopian world and all I can say is I'm glad I don't live there, and one last thing although I made complaint about the romance it was still sweet.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg (Review)

2012-01-29T17:51:00.000Z

Book: The Catastrophic History of You and Me

Author: Jess Rothenberg

Genre: Young adult, contemporary

Release date: 2 February, 2012
Publisher: RazorBill Penguin

Pages: 400

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

Synopsis:

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.
But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.
With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Review:
I only just finished this last night so it's still fresh in my mind which is a good thing, oh yeah and I'm actually doing this before the release date! have I ever achieved that?.

This story revolves around a girl named Brie or Aubrie is her full name, before she even gets to live as a sixteen year old she dies of heartbreak. Once you've finished this book you can see a huge change in Brie, she starts of this totally psycho girlfriend and ends up this being this old soul in a way. Then there is Patrick a dead guy who starts talking to Brie even though she would rather be left alone, he was charming and sometimes it was easy to see why Brie would want to be left alone, I mean come one the girl was getting called cheese nicknames every time he said something. He was also mysterious as you didn't know much about him, like how he died, where he came from or how old he was. Then you have some living characters like Brie's Dad, Brie's Mum, Bries brother Jack her families dog Hamloaf. There was also Brie's three friends Sadie, Emma and Tess, and last bu not least Jacob Brie's boyfriend or used to be boyfriend anyway. All the characters in this book had a role to play okay maybe some did more than others however it all worked in the end, there are also other characters who I haven't mentioned because I think it's best if you just read about them yourselves.

I thought this was a very well thought out idea, and it takes a new and unique prospective on what happens after death. It was a very eye opening book and be warned you will need a tissue I was left in tears at the end, but not necessarily because it was sad but because it was happy. At one point I was left sitting there thinking "Wait, I don't get it..." but after reading it again I got it, if I could explain this book in one sentence it would be, a more modern version of Ghost with a twist. The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars is because although it was really good it wasn't one of those books I could jump around and say, hey! this is amazing! although if I was you I would definitely add this a box of Kleenex to your wishlist. I loved that you also didn't know what was going to happen next, I mean it felt like I knew what was going on but really in the end it works out that I really had no clue.

Overall a delightful story about love, life, death, family and friendship, it will make cry, laugh and maybe even look at life in another way it's definitely a memorable story.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Review&Interview)

2012-01-18T18:33:00.000Z

Book: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: Young adult, Fairytale retelling

Release date: 5 January, 2012
Publisher: Puffin

Pages: 400

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *****

Synopsis:

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

Review:

It seems every reviewer I’ve seen has managed to grab a copy of this whether for review or they’ve bought it, your probably wondering if it’s as good as everyone makes it out to be, and if I’m honest I do.

This was my first ever fairytale retelling so I didn’t really know what to expect, I mean so people love them some people hate them. Cinder was what you probably would expect Cinderella to be if she wasn’t so sugar coated, she was sassy and funny and unlike all the other girls in New Beijing she is not falling for the handsome prince type neither is she one to take life for granted. Of course you have the evil stepmother named Adri and her two stepsisters Pearl and Peony, Adri was absolutely horrible A+ to Marissa for achieving that and Pearl was also just as horrid, however I think secretly both characters could be nice and Pearl defiantly seemed like the type just to follow her mothers orders. Peony however was lovely and I’m guessing if Garan was alive which as you can guess is Cinder’s stepfather, Peony would probably be so much more like him. She always so understood and it’s such a shame you didn’t get to see much of her. Now on to another big character Prince Kai, the person every girl has a crush on I loved him he was always himself when it came to Cinder but any other girl and he would probably run a mile, he was sweet and throughout the whole of it you just wanted him to at least come clean about what he felt. One thing I loved about him was that he wasn’t okay with the whole royal thing, and sometimes it seemed as though he just wanted to escape and be a normal teenage boy.

So there was a lot more to this story than I thought there would be, bearing in mind I had never read a retelling so I thought there would only be a few changes but there was a lot so I would suggest not reading this if you prefer to stick to the old rather than trying the new. But I liked this about Cinder it added a new twist to things and there was always some reference to Cinderella. I know it’s probably early to mention the one thing I really didn’t like but I might as well get it out of the way, so I had a problem with the ending or at the time I did anyway in my head I was thinking (OMG! It can’t end like that nooo!!!) It’s also the sense of not understanding how the series is going to come together. Now that I think of it however this is going to be a series made up of four books, featuring Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and of course Cinderella. I’ve come to the conclusion that we will experience maybe the same plot but at different places (does that even make sense?). Oh that’s another thing that bothered me, at one point the answer of one of the huge twists was just screaming at me. Unfortunately people in books don’t actually exist and even if you did scream at a book you would look like a weirdo, now I don’t know if this was intentional but after a while I became bored and the twist was only revealed right at the end. I loved the setting however as even though it was set in Beijing, Marissa got to start all over again as there was a Fourth World War that left Beijing in rubble that then was turned into New Beijing. It was also what everyone expects the stereotypical future to be like with robots, cyborgs, hover cars and nearly every piece of nonexistent technology you can think of.

Overall once I got into this book there was no stopping myself, it was a heart racing page turner and now I can’t help but wait anxiously for Marissa’s next book. Even if the thought of a fairytale retelling repulses you I would definitely give it a go, because this series is going to be like nothing you have ever read it is totally unique and definitely one for the 2012 TBR Pile!.

Interview:

1. Why did you decide to write a fairy tale retelling?

I've loved fairy tales since I was a kid - from Grimm's tales to Disney. I took a children's lit class in college in which we did a whole segment on retold fairy tales and I think I've had my heart set on writing one ever since. It took six years for the ultimate inspiration to strike (fairy tales set in the far future, with cyborgs and androids and spaceships!), but I don't think anyone who knows me was surprised to hear that my first novel is based on Cinderella.

2. Have you got any favourite young adult books?

Oh, tons! It's so hard to choose favourites, but Harry Potter and The Hunger Games are definitely at the top, along with anything by Scott Westerfeld. I also adore Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore (SO excited for Bitterblue!), and I almost all fairy tale retellings. My most recent favorite was Entwined by Heather Dixon.

3. What sparked your interest into becoming an author?

I can't remember ever NOT wanting to be a writer! I was always reading when I was a kid, and when I realised that books were created by people (as opposed to magically appearing on library shelves), I thought that must be the greatest calling: to create worlds and stories that people could lose themselves in.

4. What was your favourite part to write in Cinder?

Probably the ball. It's such an iconic part of the Cinderella tale, and it was a fun challenge for me to combine the whimsical aspects with my futuristic world. My heroine isn't at all comfortable in a fancy dress, and my ball scene is in many ways very different from most Cinderella galas out there.

5. What kind of research did you do when writing Cinder?

There were lots of elements of the story that required research. By far the most time-consuming was all the technology. I read a lot about cyborgs, artificial intelligence, robots, prosthetics, magnetic levitation, space travel, and on and on. (On that note, physicist Michio Kaku is my hero!) I also wanted to capture a lot of the Asian and Chinese culture in my setting, so spent lots of time researching Chinese flora and fauna, weather patterns, architecture, symbolism, traditions, and languages (although much of it was altered later to fit my imagined future).

(Thanks to Penguin for sending me a copy and thanks to Marissa for answering my questions!)

Teaser Tuesday #7

2012-01-17T09:24:00.000Z

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"I'll comm you. You can call me Cinder?" she mimiked, then bit down on her lip. "Don't mind the babbling girl."

(Page.120)

"Oh now you want to talk," she said, inching towards him.

"I was under the impression you didn't care too much about the opinions of your guinea pigs."

(Page.89)

UK Blog Tour: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (review & interview)

2012-01-15T08:16:00.000Z

Hi everyone!, so first and foremost welcome to my blog and also to day 7 I believe of the Touch of Power UK blog tour. Not only do I have a review but also I had some questions for Maria and she was nice enough to answer them, right at the bottom of the page are the deatils you need for the chance of wining an IPad! so enjoy :).

Book: Touch of Power

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Genre: Young adult, Fantasy

Release date: 6 January, 2012
Publisher: Mira

Pages: 400

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

Synopsis:

What s the cost of a deal with the devil when you have the powers of a god? When Avry was growing up, Kazan was a prosperous land, rich in resources and served by a respected tribe of healers. Until the plague came. Developed by the poor territories to the north and west, the terrifying disease ravaged the people of Kazan and drove Avry s family away. Four years later, imprisoned for using her powers, Avry s beginning to lose hope, when a band of strange men break into her cell and steal her away. They need her special magic to save their prince. The Prince who ordered the plague s first release. Avry s freedom now rests on using her healing touch to save the very man who took away everything she loved...

Review:

When I saw this book offered to me in an email I wasn’t too sure if I would enjoy it, however when I noticed it was written by Maria V. Snyder I thought it has to be good right?. Trust me it was good!.

Avry is the main protagonist in this book, she is 20 and on the run from people who would rather have her dead. Unlike most books she was very self efficient which is not the case in young adult books, she is a healer which before the plague which killed almost everyone in The Fifteen Realms, she was respected and was training to become a full healer. I loved her even though she was 20 which is something I’m not used to, she was strong and venerable at the same time but refused to show her weaknesses in front of people. She was also very careful of who she trusted which was another one of her great traits, as she was never stupid apart from a few slip ups but hey we can’t all be perfect. We also have Kerrick, Belen, Quain, Flea and Loren they’re all pretty unique in their own ways and I especially fell in love with Belen, he acted like the father figure for everyone in the group. These men were also the ones responsible for the kidnapping of Avry from her prison cell, at first she was very wary and angry with the men and refused to cooperate which made the leader of the group Kerrick have constant mood swings. Flea is only sixteen and as the story goes on you love him more, he’s one of those characters who you could see doing no wrong, if you haven’t gathered I absolutely loved him!. Kerrick is very wary of everyone and he doesn’t let any of his emotions show, he’s very stubborn and as the story progresses you learn more about his past. We also have a woman named Estrid who is just 1 of 3 people trying to take leadership over the realms into their own hands she seemed like someone who wanted more of a cult and I don’t really know if I trusted her. The 2^nd was Tohon who I absolutely hated the guts out of but that was the whole point, so really Maria did her job well, and the third was Ryne, he was probably the only person in this book most trustworthy of having leadership, however at times it was hard to know who to trust as there were many rumours that you found out but these get resolved towards the middle.

So at first I wasn’t fully immersed into the story, but when it reached just before the halfway point I loved it. There were so many twists and turns and during the end of one chapter my mouth was hanging open (no lie), okay so it wasn’t as fast pace as something like Divergent but the chapter endings were epic!. Just when you thought you could close the book, the last part you read plays on your mind until you start reading again. I have to bow down to Maria though as if I’m being honest I usually hate (and I mean hate) the fantasy genre I don’t know what it is but I do, but after reading this I think I’m willing to give it another chance. I’ve heard that this was very similar to one of Maria’s other books, but I wouldn’t know much about that as this is the first book I’ve read of hers. I love the use of the plague!, call me a freak but I find stuff like that interesting and she executed it very well, as you got a real feeling for the lose that the characters felt. The only downfalls to this book were the pace and the fact that the real romance only came towards the end, also it wasn’t a book I could cry at it someone died however I was tearing up a little at one point.

Overall I thought the idea of this was totally unique and I plead anyone who hasn’t tried any of Maria V. Snyder’s books to give this a go. I’m sure that any Maria V. Snyder fan will love her new trilogy, I’m not so sure you’ll be happy with the fact that you have to wait till 2013 for the next one (sorry!). I’m also very sure this will be in my top ten books of 2012 at the end of the year though.

Interview:

1. What was your favourite part about writing Touch of Power?

I really liked writing the scenes with all the guys. When they’re travelling and over-nighting in caves – it was fun to write them bantering and teasing each other like a big family.

2. Do you like to read young adult books? if so what are some of your favourites?.

Yes, I read them all the time. My recent favourites are the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, the Morganville Vampire Series, by Rachel Caine, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, and Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.

3. How did you come up with the idea for Touch of Power?

I had this vague idea about a healer or an apprentice healer during an epidemic. She was either going to be sought after for her powers – like everyone wanting her, or be hunted. I wasn’t sure. Then one night my daughter couldn’t sleep and she wanted me to tell her a story. She knew all my other books, so I started telling her about this healer. And every night, she’d ask, “What’s next?” That’s why Touch of Power is dedicated to my daughter.

4. Who is your favourite character? and why?.

Belen. He's the protective Poppa Bear – concerned for his cubs and he can tear someone's arms off when protecting them. Plus he’s an all around good guy.

5. If you could have any power what would it be?

The power to heal is very appealing to me. As a mother, I hate to see my children sick or injured and always wish I could make it all go away. I also have seen what illness and chronic pain does to a person’s quality of life—as in there is none. All the money in the world cannot compare to good health.

Create a video review of A Touch of Power and be in with a chance of winning an iPad!

Maria V. Snyder has teamed up with top teen mag Mizz to give you the chance to win an iPad and be the official book review for MizzMag TV to boot! All you need to do to enter is make a video review of A Touch of Power. MIRA Ink is giving away free review copies to the first 50 people who get in touch, so visit facebook/MIRAInk for more details on how to get involved! Also, check out Mizz Mag TV at www.youtube.com/user/MizzMagTV for an exclusive video of Maria talking about her new Healer series!

(Thanks to Mira for sending me a copy and thanks to Maria for answering my questions!)

Waiting on Wednesday #11

2012-01-11T10:38:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Genre: Young adult

Release date: March 29, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Pages: 336

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

A tragic tale about falling in love on the world’s most infamous ill-fated sea voyage as heroine, Tess, discovers darker secrets that lie beneath the doomed crossing… and a hidden brotherhood that threaten to tear her lover from her forever.

The RMS Titanic is the most luxurious ship ever built, but for eighteen-year-old Tess Davies it’s a prison. Travelling as a maid for the family she has served for years, Tess is trapped in their employ amid painful memories and family secrets.

When she meets Alec, a handsome upper class passenger, Tess falls helplessly in love. But Alec has secrets of his own… and soon Tess is entangled in a dangerous game. A sinister brotherhood that will do anything to induct Alec into their mystical order has followed him on board. And Tess is now their most powerful pawn.

Tess and Alec fight the dark forces threatening to tear them apart, never realising that they will have to face an even greater peril before the journey is over…

This one is already released in the US:(, however I have plenty of books to read before then so I think I can hold on a little longer. One of the things that makes me want to buy this is the fact that it's to do with the Titanic!, anyway feel free to leave a comment below telling me your thoughts on the US and UK covers.

In My Mailbox #15

2012-01-08T12:00:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.htm

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

Unnatural Law by Natasha Larry (review)

2011-12-31T12:17:00.000Z

Book: Unnatural Law
Author: Natasha Larry

Genre: Young adult, Paranormal

Release date: 26 October, 2011
Publisher: Penumbra Publishing

Pages: 284

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ***

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Jaycie Lerner’s psychokinetic power surge is over, and her astounding powers are under control for the time being – sort of. As she struggles to maintain her humanity in the face of the awesome terror and responsibility of her abilities, she also yearns for the chance at a normal life – and a relationship with Matt Carter, the best friend she had to leave behind. But Matt’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’s not about to give up on his feelings for Jaycie.

As Jaycie and her family grapple with the day-to-day routine of trying to keep their world together, Jaycie’s mother figure, Allison Young, endures a personal crisis of her own. The superhuman blonde possesses the physical equivalent of Jaycie’s awesome psychic power. So evolved, at ninety-two she still looks twenty. But what good is extended life when everyone else around her is so fragile? With no one to share her unusual life, she’s a uniquely lonely woman yearning for the romantic love she sees all around her. But in a dream she gets her wish – and it quickly turns to a nightmare for everyone else in her life. The memory of a rose is all she can hold onto in the storm of obsession that nearly sweeps her away.

Things quickly turn deadly for the vampires, but the Dey-Vah Guard fairies refuse to acknowledge there’s an imbalance in the nature they protect. As the danger gets ever closer to Jaycie and her family, the race is on to find answers before a secret plot can destroy them all.

Review:

Okay so I don't think this book was as good as the first but overall I think the series is pretty good.

So besides the characters I talked about in my last review there are a few new faces, first of all you have the Dey-Vah Gaurd who protect Jaycie's family each individual person has their own guard. If I'm honest I didn't like them very much they were too clingy but I think that was the whole point of them in the first place, there is also Alonzo but I won't say much about him because it will kind of ruin part of this story for you. We finally met Clarissa who is either John's wife or his ex, all I know is that I loved her she was so strange and funny at the same time.

So there is a huge difference in this story from the last one, first of all there is more danger. After Jaycie had a "surge" she can literally kill anyone with pure power if she's not careful, there is also danger from an unknown source and the Dey-Vah Gaurd and Jaycie's family have no idea who this new threat is aimed at. I love this because it was as if Jaycie had an alter ego and to experience a new side of her was brilliant, all of a sudden she wasn't this sweet daddy's girl but someone ready to rip someones throat out (that didn't sound disturbing at all). We also learn something new about Matt (I did not see it coming), I won't go into that either incase anyone decides to read this. Now onto the part of the review I hate doing the bad parts, so I thought this book went a little to slow for me but hey that's personal reference so it will probably be different depending on the person. I also thought there was too much build up towards the ending I can't really explain this but I know what I mean.

Overall I still thought this was a pretty fun book, and the ideas that Natasha has put into this story is great. I also thought she ended Unnatural Law on a very good note and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

(Thanks to Penumbra Publishing for sending me a copy!)

Teaser Tuesday #6

2011-12-27T19:52:00.000Z

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

Unnatural Law by Natasha Larry

Then she kicked her shoes off and smiled darkly. "Rub my feet."

Clarissa dropped to her knees and began rubbing Haylee's feet.

"John, I love you. This is so funny."

(Page.27)

Allison narrowed her eyes "Fine, but if anything strange happens if you do kiss her, you need to get away from her. immediately."

(Page.31)

Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry (review)

2011-12-26T21:03:00.000Z

Book: Darwin's Children
Author: Natasha Larry

Genre: Young adult, Paranormal

Release date: 8 June, 2011
Publisher: Penumbra Publishing

Pages: 262

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

Synopsis:

Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening - especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts!

Jaycie Lerner's family isn't the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie's mom's MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in 'trainer,' is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie's godfather John is more than persuasive - he can literally convince anyone to do anything.

As far as the rest of the world's concerned, Jaycie's on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie's pediatrician father, but she doesn't fit in with 'normal' kids, and she doesn't really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there's one thing she can't control - and that's her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of...

Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose!

Review:
When Natasha asked me to review this I read the synopsis and it sounded amazing, and it was :).

Jaycie is a 17 year old girl with telepathic power and this is only part of what makes her a lovable character. She was so easy to like because she was so sarcastic and was always cracking a joke when possible, and as people know I love it when sarcasm is used in books. Jaycie's Father Mason and her Godfather John keep her grounded and I loved them both as well, if I'm honest I loved every character in this book even if they were bad because Natasha made me feel something for each individual. Jaycie also has a trainer named Allison who also acts as Jacie's Mum as her biological Mum left when she was eight, Allison was also amazing and she was probably my favourite out of the lot and I'm excited to see more of her in the second book. Now to introduce the love interest Matt Jacie's best friend, throughout the story you see her try to come to terms with her new feelings for him and although I haven't read a lot about him you can tell he is the protective type. This story revolves around mostly two characters one being Jaycie and the other being a girl named Haylee a quite girl who keeps to herself and is very mysterious, she was the most intriguing and all I wanted to do was find out more about her and her history which you eventually do. Jaycie's family are all so loving that I really wished every family could have the same affection for each other as this one does, However I can only wish.

At times this book was slow for me but all the time I was finding out new things and I was always surprised at what I found out, I think Natasha did well to explain everything like the powers and vampires. Before you think that the vampires she wrote about are the usual we drink blood and turn into a disco ball when it's sunny you can think again, they were totally unique in fact every aspect of this book was totally unique which is why I'm raving about it so much. There are so many questions your left with even at the end of the book, like where did the powers com from? and why? this is one of the may reasons I can't wait to start the next book.

Overall I could explain this book as being Buffy coming into the more modern age, seriously if you're a Buffy freak like me you might just wanna pick this book up and give it go. Even better it's in both Kindle edition and paperback! which gives you no excuse. This book will make you laugh and give you the shivers all in one go it's easy to read and I can't wait to see what happens in Unnatural Law.

(Thanks to Penumbra Publishing for sending me a copy!)

My top 7 books of 2011!

2011-12-25T11:58:00.000Z

Merry Christmas everyone! So this will be my personal top 7 favourite reads of 2011, once you've done reading feel free to drop me comment and tell me some of your favourites. Now I will be putting books that were published before 2011 in here so you have been warned, I would also like to say that I will be doing a IMM sometime next week I think so stay tuned.

7. Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

Synopsis:

When Riley's Dad gets a new girlfriend, life turns upside down for Riley. She doesn't like Norma and Norma doesn't like her. But it is not until Riley finds herself shipped off to 'camp' that she realises just how bad things have become. Determined to continue on her path of bad behaviour and general obnoxiousness, Riley Rose is sure that she can turn this 'spiritual camp' upside down. And when she meets Dylan Luck, recent paraplegic, she thinks she has found a fellow troublemaker. What follows is a very surprising week for Riley. Truths are told and secrets revealed, and sex, cigarettes and booze prove to be a potent cocktail, but in the end Riley has learnt quite a lot about herself, Dylan and exactly why she appeared hell-bent on self-destruction.

My Thoughts:
I read this book straight after reading Clockwork Angel which was around January, I managed to read it all in just a day that's a record for me!. It was such an easy light read and it would have been perfect for summer, I can't describe what kind of a mark this book left on me but it was a very moving book.

6. Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne

Synopsis:

FAR FROM THE WAR is the story of a girl from Orcas Island, Washington serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d’état. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She learns to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war. J. Stephen O’Laughlin, author of forthcoming novel The Squirrel Prophecy, calls FAR FROM THE WAR “Nothing short of brilliant. Fast paced and easy to read.” FAR FROM THE WAR kicks off a trilogy of novels about modern day civil war, a theme that grows more resonant every day as pundits and political leaders begin to talk openly of widespread civil unrest and the possibility of new political violence in America. Despite the broad scope and dark narrative, the story is ultimately about how love and family serve as a refuge when nations and economies crumble.

My Thoughts:

This was the first book I ever received for review and I must tell you it isn't the sort of reading material I'm used to, however this book was very realistic and it made me look at things in a very different way. This book juts had everything it made me laugh and cry you can't ask for more than that.

5. Witches of the East by Melissa De La Cruz

Synopsis:

Freya, Ingrid and Joanna Beauchamp love their sleepy life in the East Hamptons. A new engagement, promotion at work, a happy home - its all going perfectly. And, to top it off, no one's come close to discovering the secret of what they can really do in hundreds of years. But throw a few accidental love potions in the mix the Beauchamp girls are going to need more than a broomstick to clean up this mess. . .

My Thoughts:

I didn't really know what to expect from this as it was melissa's first adult novel and I was so used to her catering for young adults. Although the writing style was different which was to be expected and there was a lot of sex, Melissa didn't fail to impress as this had everything that the Blue Bloods books have and the ENDING!.

4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis:

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them.

Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years suffocated by a lie.There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

My Thoughts:

This was the first ever dystopian I read and I just love movies that give you different ideas as to what the future will look like you know robots and stuff like that, From the very start I knew this book would be a very different and compelling read. The only bad thing I have to mention is why did they have to change the covers completely! :/, oh there's that and the ENDING! (again).

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Synopsis:

Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

My Thoughts:

I cannot tell you how much I fell in love with this book, Stephanie managed to captivate me from beginning to end. Yes it's completely cheesy and trust me I hate books which are just about romance, but this people is an evolution, I doubt anyone can completely hate this book (maybe I shouldn't have said that).

2. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis:

This title is second in the "New York Times" bestselling urban fantasy series set in Victorian London.

My Thoughts:

Yeah I know short synopsis, I did find a longer one but I didn't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read any of the books yet. This is also a little bias as I haven't actually read that whole of Clockwork Prince yet, but what I have read I love love love. If you haven't read this series yet I swear to you, you will not regret it I still can't decide who I like better though Will or Jem hmm....

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis:

She turns to the future in a world that’s falling apart.

For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.

Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead….

A debut novel that will leave you breathless.

My Thoughts:

I couldn't make a top 7 without including Divergent, I've lost count of how many times I've begged my friend to buy this and yet she still has not read it ( I will change that). It was fast paced and the romance and the action it just had everything!, so pretty please if you ever have the chance pick this one up.

So that's everything, don't forget to drop a comment with some of your favourite books this year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

In My Mailbox #14

2011-12-18T16:35:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.htm

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp (review)

2011-12-17T10:30:00.000Z

Book: Feyland: The Dark Realm

Author: Anthea Sharp

Genre: Young adult, Urban fantasy

Release date: 16 December, 2011
Publisher: Independent

Pages: 320

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ***

Synopsis:

WHEN A GAME…

Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and fifteen-year-old Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.

TURNS REAL…

Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her.

WINNING IS EVERYTHING…

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late.

Review:
I was really excited to receive this for review as the initial idea was very good,and in some ways the story did pull me in but I felt as if I was in some sort of haze.

The main characters in this book were Jennet and Tam, In some ways Jennet was strong and it was nice to here about her passed before she ever moved to the new town. You find out how much she has changed but other than that her character didn't really interest me much however, Tam was my favourite of the two as there was always the element of surprise and mystery surrounding his life. Even now having read the first book in the series I don't really know much about him which makes me want to buy the next books. I don't really need to mention this but I felt like the Dark Queen reminded me of Neferet from the House of Night, as she had that very dark aura about her.

The whole concept behind the story was really good and I felt like I was immersed in the story but not fully, other than this I thought it was a nice little read it was also the first book I have read on the kindle and other than no page numbers it's a nice little piece of technology. Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would I see the first books in every series as a kind of introduction of whats to come.

Overall I loved the combination of games and the young adult genre, I will definitely be getting the next book in the series just so I can read more about Tam. Did I mention I like Tam!, anyway I would definitely give this a go if when you was 10 you used to be a mini gamer and have now converted yourself to reading ( that was not me ) :).

(Thanks to Anthea for sending me a copy!)

Guest post: Richard Due and Carolyn Acrabascio on the making of The Moon Coin illustrations

2011-12-16T08:10:00.000Z

Gibbering Gnome Press Presents a Tale of Epic Fantasy

Or were they?

Now, nine years after it all began, Uncle Ebb is missing.

Lily and Jasper search for clues, but their uncle's mansion is full of distractions. A Tesla generator thrums in the basement. Prismatic electrimals flit around walls resembling underwater reefs. Then a most unexpected friend comes to their aid, leading them to a hidden room where they find a mysterious coin—the moon coin. Before the night is out, Lily is transported to the real Moon Realm. But the moons are in trouble. The Rinn of Barreth are under siege, and the lunamancers of Dain are beset by the very dragons they once loved. Most horrifying of all, the moon Darwyth has fallen to a villain named Wrengfoul, whose creeping evil now threatens to overshadow all the Realm.

Are Lily and Jasper too late to save the Moon Realm, or will they have enough time to write an ending of their own?

Featuring twenty-two stunning full-colour illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the young adult fantasy adventure series The Moon Realm.

From the Prologue: Bedtime Tales.

Richard: Did you make all these sketches in the same location, Carolyn?

Carolyn: Yes, I do all of my work at a drafting table that's situated in a little nook of my apartment in Acton, Massachusetts. There's a bookshelf to my right and a wall of "inspiration" to my left, where I hang prints of other artists' and illustrators' work. On either side of my drafting table are drawers of supplies, and stacks of sketchbooks and old paintings. The drafting table faces a window overlooking a quiet street and the woods beyond it.

From Chapter Two: A Coin of the Realm.

Richard: Do you use models when you're sketching?

Carolyn: I use a combination of models and photo references. If I need to work out the nuances of a character's posture and really understand the perspective of it, I'll ask whatever friend or family member is handy to pose for a sketch. Often, I'll get into the position myself or mimic the facial expression I want to portray in order to get the feel of it. And sometimes, if there's a character being portrayed multiple times across scenes, I'll make a rough model of their head out of clay so I'll have it to refer to.

From Chapter Four: To Barreth.

Richard: When drawing fantastical creatures, do you use bits and pieces of real animals for inspiration, or have you actually seen a wirtle and you're just not telling us? ;)

Carolyn: No wirtles native to Massachusetts, fortunately! When figuring out the look of fantastical creatures, I use photo references of different animals to understand the way the anatomy might work, and then combine features as I see fit and as the story calls for. To understand the wirtle's legs and paws, for example, I referred to a series of photographs of show dogs leaping over hurdles. The severely arched, scruffy back was influenced by photos of hyenas on the prowl. The bone-structure of the face ended up being something of a cross between a cow and a warthog, and I wanted the snout to be bare—kind of gross and raw-looking. Add it all up and, voila! We have a wirtle.

The Moon Coin, by Richard Due, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iBookstore for $2.99

Also if you haven't already check out my review here.

The Moon Coin by Richard Due illustrated by Carolyn Acrabascio (review)

2011-12-15T14:32:00.000Z

Book: The Moon Coin
Author: Richard Due illustrated by Carolyn Arcabascio
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Release date: 25 August, 2011
Publisher: Gibbering Gnome Press

Pages: 297

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *** and a half

Synopsis:

For Lily and Jasper Winter, the Moon Realm began with a single secret bedtime tale. As the children grew older, Uncle Ebb enthralled them with thrilling tales of the Dragondain riding horse-sized, catlike Rinn; mysterious tales of peerin-wielding lunamancers manipulating the magic that lies just beneath the surface of reality; exciting tales of flying dragons, swimming merfolk, stomping giants, and troublesome faeries. But as the magic of their childhood faded, so too did the tales. Eventually, they were just . . . good stories.

Or were they?

Now, nine years after it all began, Uncle Ebb is missing.

Lily and Jasper search for clues, but their uncle's mansion is full of distractions. A Tesla generator thrums in the basement. Prismatic electrimals flit around walls resembling underwater reefs. Then a most unexpected friend comes to their aid, leading them to a hidden room where they find a mysterious coin—the moon coin. Before the night is out, Lily is transported to the real Moon Realm. But the moons are in trouble. The Rinn of Barreth are under siege, and the lunamancers of Dain are beset by the very dragons they once loved. Most horrifying of all, the moon Darwyth has fallen to a villain named Wrengfoul, whose creeping evil now threatens to overshadow all the Realm.

Are Lily and Jasper too late to save the Moon Realm, or will they have enough time to write an ending of their own?

Featuring twenty-two stunning full-colour illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the young adult fantasy adventure series The Moon Realm.

Review:

This is definitely not something I would pick up and read, and if I'm honest I nearly gave up with it altogether but I'm so glad I didn't!.

The story surrounds a girl named Lilly, her Uncle Ebb and her brother Jasper. You don't see much of either Jasper and Uncle Ebb and sometimes I wished I had seen more of Jasper, however in Uncle Ebb's case I'm glad we didn't see much of him as it just added to his mysterious persona. I loved Lilly she was a typical thirteen year old who loves a bit of adventure, this didn't always go as planned though and it always got her into trouble in the end this is something that goes on thought the book and adds to the shocking ending. You also have Lilly and Jasper's parents who you don't see much of either, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding the family and not all questions are answered.

From the very start I loved the illustrations and it sort of reminded me of my childhood, and the world was crazy and exciting all at the same time. There were so many characters and sometimes it was just easier to forget the smaller ones as you had to take in so much, there is one that has stuck on my brain and that's a man named Tavin, he reminded me so much of Gollum from Lord of The Rings as he had a split personality and to be quite honest he was freaky!. One of the main bad points I want to mention about this book is that at the very start it was hard to absorb the story completely and I don't think this book would be every ones cup of tea, I also don't think it should be labelled middle grade / young adult as it seems more suited for the younger age group. I think the best part of the book was probably in the middle and towards the end, be warned it ends on a cliffhanger.

Overall I thought this book would be more suited to the younger age group, but people of an older age can in enjoy it too. I'm so glad I kept reading this though as in the end it was brilliant, so I believe if you have any adventurous younger members of your family who love to read, this is definitely a one for the Christmas list. Check back here tomorrow when Richard will be coming by to do a guest post which will be all about the amazing illustrations!.

(Thanks to Richard for sending me a copy!)

Waiting on Wednesday #10

2011-12-14T17:10:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book:Fracture

Author: Megan Miranda

Genre: Young adult

Release date: January 5, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Pages: 272

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

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?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

I got an email just yesterday from Bloomsbury who gave me an excerpt and links to the trailer, and also a Facebook page dedicated to this book which will be holding competitions throughout January.

Facebook page for Fracture: http://www.facebook.com/FRACTUREBYMEGANMIRANDA

and here is the trailer!.

In My Mailbox #13

2011-12-11T14:27:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Bought:

For Review:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

( Thanks to Penguin for sending me Cinder!)

Waiting on Wednesday #9

2011-12-07T09:51:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: The List

Author: Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Young adult

Release date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Push

Pages: 336

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

After seeing this on someone else's WoW I immediately knew I would like it, enough said be sure to post the links to you WoW!.

Teaser Tuesday #5

2011-12-06T09:41:00.000Z

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

A log fell in the fireplace, sending up a shower of sparks and startling them both and silencing Will; Tessa's heart leaped, and she tore her eyes away from Will.

(Page.73)

"Shall we go in, by betrothed?" Jem said softly in her ear. She could feel the laughter in him, vibrating through his bones, communicating itself to her. She almost smiled.

(Page.103)

This is Not Forgiveness Exclusive!

2011-11-25T18:22:00.000Z

I'm really excited to tell you this, but this morning I received an email from Bloomsbury which included a sneak peak from This is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees!. Below you will find the first chapter and the trailer, so are you excited as much as I am?.

Synopsis:

Everyone says that Caro is bad news, but Jamie can’t help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can’t believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn’t know why, but there’s no way he’s going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro.

As Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is much more to Caro than he first thought. She disappears for days on end, she has small scars on her wrists, she talks about revolutions and taking action, and then there are the rumours he hears about the other men in her life.

Always in the background is Rob, Jamie’s older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect . . . but that isn’t how things work out in real life and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.

Chapter 1:

I can’t decide what to do with your ashes. It’s been nearly a year now. Almost summer again. The urn is sitting in front of me on the desk, brown plastic with a ref. number, the date and your name scribbled on a sticky label:

Robert Julian Maguire

The label has black borders and is beginning to peel at the corners. I smooth the wrinkled paper, trying to stick it back. It has been slapped on crooked by someone who didn’t care a whole lot about the contents. There are all kinds of urns you can have: brass, copper, pewter, ceramic; you can have a wooden casket with engraving on it, but those cost and someone would have to care enough to order one and buy it. I guess yours is the modern equivalent of the pauper’s grave.

To view the rest of chapter 1 you can go here and you can download the pdf, and now for the trailer!.

Waiting on Wednesday #8

2011-11-16T10:14:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: The Iron Knight

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young adult, Fantasy

Release date: January 6, 2012
Publisher: Mira Ink

Pages: 368

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought. Then Meghan Chase a half human, half fey smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive. With the company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and infuriating talking cat Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end a quest to find a way to honour his solemn vow to stand by Meghan's side.

So if you have been looking at my blog lately, you've noticed that I've been posting reviews of the Iron Fey series. If you want to check out all 3 reviews I'll post them bellow, anyway you guys in America already have this and after the ending of The Iron Queen I'm desperate to get my hands on this. Pretty please will January 6th come around quickly!.

In My Mailbox #12

2011-11-13T15:10:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

For review on Kindle

Won

The Moon Coin by Richard Due illustrated by Carolyn Arcabascio (Thanks to Richard Due!)

Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry (Thanks to Penumbra Publishing!)

Unnatural Law by Natasha Larry (Thanks to Penumbra Publishing!)

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (Thanks to Hannah @ RedHannah91)

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (review)

2011-11-13T13:32:00.000Z

Book: The Iron Queen

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young adult, Fantasy

Release date: 21 October, 2011
Publisher: Mira Ink

Pages: 384

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: **** and a half

Synopsis:

In less than twenty four hours, I'll be seventeen. Although, technically, I won't actually be turning seventeen. I've been in the Nevernever too long. When you're in Faery, you don't age. So while a year has passed in the real world, agewise I'm probably only a few days older than when I went in. In real life, I've changed so much I don't even recognize myself. My name is Meghan Chase. I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. This time, there will be no turning back.

Review:

I swear this series gets better and better as it goes along, and I beg of you if you have not read this series you need to!.

So overall this has to be my favourite out of all of them, I do have to say though that most of the exciting stuff in my opinion came towards the end.

I'm very happy to say that I wasn't annoyed with Meghan in this one as her every thought didn't always involve Ash, thank the heavens because for one second I thought she was going to turn into Bella Swan. I saw a very different side to Ash as I found that he could be very over protective, which I could understand but sometimes you just gotta let a girl go, you know what I mean?. There was also a new connection between Puck and Ash even though most of the time they were just bickering with each other, the vibe between them felt more relaxed and if I'm honest I don't think they hate each other.

So in The Iron Queen Meghan and Ash's relationship because more intense, trust me this is both good and bad. I won't tell you about the cute parts but they definitely left me teary eyed, so grab a tissue if you're like me!. Throughout the book I couldn't help but feel as if it reminded me of Lord of the Rings, especially with all the big battles and the fact that Meghan had to save the whole Nevernever. Towards the end the pace certainly did pick up, this also had tears streaming down my face and substances coming out of my nose that I didn't even know existed (sorry for the visual). I loved the fact that right at the end Julie gave us a taste of what we could expect in The Iron Knight, as I thought having the story in Ash's prospective might ruin the story and I also wondered why it was in his prospective.

The Iron Fey series has definitely grown on me, and I have had various people comment on videos saying how they stopped reading or how they just hadn't picked it up. So I urge you people out there who have not read this series or simply give up, not to give up on this series! and buy a copy now. All I have to do now is sit here moaning at every American book bloggger for already having The Iron Knight, In the mean time time what are your thoughts on the series?.

( Thanks to Mira Ink for sending me a copy!)

Root: an interactive story by The Guardian and Random House publishing

2011-11-09T18:52:00.000Z

So I'm guessing there are quite a few people out there who enjoy picking their way through interactive stories, if you do this is definitely for you. This is a new interactive story by The Guardian newspaper and Random House publishing. So here is a little about the story:

Meet Molly Root, geek heroine on the most dangerous of missions.

Her best friend has been murdered, revealing his secret life as a notorious hacker, and suspicion falls on a corporation with shady secrets to hide. Teenage computer expert Molly must recruit a highly-skilled team to help her solve the mystery – before it’s too late…

Do you have the brilliant brain and code-solving cunning to help them?.

This started running on October 24th and it will be running for six weeks, a new chapter will be published everyday so you don't have to wait weeks on end. Here is a little quote I took from their website just to show you how the readers will get involved:

"You can influence the story by solving mysteries, foiling plans and eavesdropping into conversations."

This sounds cool right?, so if you are interested you can head over to here were you can happily delve into chapter 1 :). http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/series/root-an-interactive-story?page=2

In My Mailbox #11

2011-11-05T18:18:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

I was super duper excited to do an IMM this week you will see why :).

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (review)

2011-11-03T19:50:00.000Z

Book: The Iron Daughter
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young adult, Fantasy

Release date: 15 April, 2011
Publisher: Mira Ink

Pages: 368

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

Synopsis:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan s own fey powers have been cut off. She s stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review:

This book only took me 7 days days to read, now that is pretty long considering some books take me 3 but the last book took me 16 days!. So consider yourself lucky I actually enjoyed reading this one.

Seeing as the last book was such a let down I was very hesitant to pick the next one in the series up, however I did find that this book was more compelling than the last although I did have a few issues regarding characters.

In the last book The Iron King I didn't actually mind Meghan as a character, unfortunately I found her annoying in this book and at times I felt like she was becoming more and more like Bella Swan with the whole Ash thing. Another reason I didn't like her is because she failed to see the pain she was conflicting on Puck, and also at times she was just plain stupid. For example Ash told her that he would follow the commands of his queen when they got to the Winter Court, for some reason however she didn't gather why Ash was being so cruel to her even though he had made it perfectly clear that showing he loved her would put them in danger and show weakness. In my last review I specifically said and I quote 'personally I don't get why anyone would want to be team Puck', I now take this back as I loved Puck in this book and I secretly hoped Meghan would fall in love with him and at times I felt sorry for him when Meghan would ignore him and his feelings for her. Ash what is there to say same cool mysterious and deadly prince. There are also sideline characters who I thought I couldn't trust at first, I should also mention that we see the return of 2 characters who are both good and bad.

So apart from the minor issues I had with certain characters I didn't find anything to complain about, apart from the fact that although I enjoyed this book more I still felt a little bit de-tached from the story I'm hoping this will being resolved in The Iron Queen. So comparing this book to the last one I feel like this one had a more heart thumping plot, I must also admit to crying or tearing up on a few of the chapters it was that much better!. There is a huge twist in this book towards the end and there is also another one that I won't mention because I want this review to be spoiler free. But one of these twists I had already figured out as soon as this person said something along the lines of "Don't I know you?" I hope that didn't give anything away, but for anyone who has read it am I the only one that thought this was completely obvious?.

So I'm really sorry if this review was too long in some parts and short in others, but I finished The Iron Daughter yesterday and then started reading The Iron Queen so most of what I read has gone out of my head. This is all thanks to my Mum who thought she could hog the computer, *claps hands*. Overall I thought this book was way better than the last one and I was so surprised to find people didn't enjoy this as much as the first, I have one thing to say what is wrong with you people!. I just think this series is going to be magical and for some reason I'm really excited of The Iron Knight, despite not having read The Iron Queen yet I have a feeling it's because Ash is the main character ;).

In My Mailbox #10

2011-10-29T20:56:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Okay sorry guys I would have 2 more books to show you but I couldn't I'll explain why next week ;).

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (review)

2011-10-26T17:27:00.000+01:00

Book: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young adult, Fantasy

Release date: 21 January, 2011
Publisher: Mira Ink

Pages: 384

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *** and a half

Synopsis:

My name is Meghan Chase. In less than twenty-four hours I'll be sixteen. Countless stories, songs and poems have been written about this wonderful age, when a girl finds true love and the stars shine for her and the handsome prince carries her off into the sunset. I don't think it will be that way for me. Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical fairy king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:

So in total this book took me 16 days to read!, oops. However I did start reading this while at school which didn't help.

So from now on I probably won't tell you about all the goings on of every book I read as the synopsis pretty much sums it up for me. When I picked up this book I was pretty much excited as for one, It had been on my TBR pile for a while and two, everyone was raving about it. Now just because I'm going to bash it a little doesn't mean I completely hated it, however the things that I say were really good I mean were really good!.

Meghan is one of the main characters and overall I didn't mind her, I loved her humour and the fact that she acted like a normal teenager instead of the sugar coated ones you usually get in YA. You also have the main guys Puck, who is Meghan's best friend, and Ash the dark prince. As you can probably guess there is a team Puck and team Ash, personally I don't get why anyone would want to be team Puck, okay he is a nice guy but i like the mysterious type myself. There were also other characters who didn't show up for too long and I didn't mind them apart from Oberon, I absolutely hated him and his attitude but then again I don't think he was created for people to like him. One of my favourite characters had to be Grimalkin who is a talking cat, I loved his wisdom and his witty humour. Plus you have to admit a talking cat is pretty cool.

So seeing as this book had so many rave reviews I had very high expectations, however this book just didn't do it for me. I felt as if the pace was very slow towards the beginning and picked up during the end of part 2. This wasn't the thing I hated most however, for some reason I felt very detached from the characters and generally the whole book. Otherwise I really thought Julie did a good job. Her ability to create a whole new world was absolutely amazing, in some ways it reminded me a little of Alice in Wonderland. Obviously there is romance between Ash and Meghan, there isn't a lot however and you have to go through more than half the book to see their romance blossom. It was still enjoyable and I can't wait to see more in The Iron Daughter.

Overall if I was to describe this book in one word I would have to say it's magical, I can't wait to see how the next book plays out and I really hope I feel more drawn in than I did in this one. If you haven't read this series definitely give it a go despite what I've said.

Teaser Tuesday #4

2011-10-25T17:07:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

"Oh, nice one, prince," Puck called as the zombies launched forward with angry cries.

"Way to piss her off."

(Page.267)

"Then something weird happened.

I hadn't even touched the keys when the computer screen blipped on. When I paused, my fingers hovering over the board, words began to scroll across the blue screen.

Meghan Chase.We see you.We're coming for you."

(Page.22)

In My Mailbox #9

2011-10-24T20:01:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.htm

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

Waiting on Wednesday #7

2011-10-12T08:46:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: The Vampire Stalker

Author: Allison Van Diepen

Genre: Young adult, Paranormal romance

Release date: November 3, 2011
Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 336

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

Well what can I say the whole initial idea of this is awesome, wouldn't we all love for characters to come to life?.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (review)

2011-10-05T18:37:00.000+01:00

Book: Silence
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: Young adult, Paranormal romance

Release date: 4 October, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Pages: 448

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

* If you have not read Hush, Hush or Crescendo do not read this!

Synopsis:
The noise between Patch and Nora has gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for - and their love - forever.

Review:
So I guess this review might be a little bias as I'm a huge fan of this series, however there are a few things that I really didn't like.

Okay so I really didn't know what to expect with this book, and I'm sure like most fans of the series I was wondering what would happen after that extremely big cliff hanger. I mean that cliff hanger nearly killed me!. So Silence follows on 3 months after the last book ended, this means you don't get to see what happened straight away, which you might think is annoying but in the end you have a vague idea as to what happened. The first chapter describes Nora waking up in a cemetery with no recollection as to how she got there, she can't remember anything from 5 months ago and the doctors say she has amnesia. For those who haven't twigged on Nora doesn't know who patch is or who Hank is to her...what!. The story follows Nora as she tries to regain her memories, but with her best friend Vee and her Mum lying to her, the question is who can she trust?.

I feel as if Nora changed a lot in this book, I don't know what it was but she seemed more determined and so sure of why she wanted. All of a sudden she wasn't the damsel in distress, but a kick ass girl who won't be told what to do. Marcie Miller showed up a lot in this book as you can guess, but it was hard to decide whether she was fond of Nora or if she had a complete hatred for her. Patch/Jev was as bad boy hot as ever, enough said. There was also a surprise come back for Dabria, I know I was expecting it but still, It's Dabria!. I was probably the only one in the world that expected that woman to change but obviously not, she was still trying to twist things around and at times I believed what she said. Vee was incredibly annoying in this book which surprised me because I usually don't mind her, however she was starting to show her true colours, which I can tell you now aren't pretty. You also get to see a lot more of Scott although I think I preferred him in Crescendo.

Now I really thought I was going to rate this book a 5 star from the start, but if I'm honest I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last book Crescendo. For one I felt like the pace was a little slow at times and I really didn't like the beginning as Nora couldn't remember a thing. I know it's not her fault but seeing as I already knew I just wanted to scream her the answers. Patch didn't make much of an appearance in this book much like the last one, this didn't bother me much but hey it's Patch what do you expect I can't help wanting more of him in the book. Of course this book had to be a bit more serious than the last two and although I found parts very funny, I fell like it lacked the usual sarcastic humour that it did before. Now for those of you who are worrying about another cliff hanger there isn't one thank God. The ending was just as good though and I won't bother spoiling it for you as that would be cruel. If your worried about finding out what happened after Hank burst in onto Nora and Patch, it happened near page 241 so you will find out. I can't doubt the powers of Becca's writing as she still managed to make me turn the pages very quickly. Although I say I didn't like what happened to Nora the truth is I couldn't help but feel as lost as she did, which was a really nice element because you really did feel as if you were in her shoes. Although some people are really annoyed there is going to be another book, I think it is necessary as If Becca wrote everything in this book it may have been a disaster.

Overall I'm still in love with this series and I now find myself in a state of depression, as once again I have to wait another year for the next one. Oh drat!. But if you haven't managed to read this yet, expect all the sexiness of Patch with the added spoonful of evil from Hank.

In My Mailbox #8

2011-10-02T19:06:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Somehow I always seem to stumble upon books that are accidentally put out early, I;m not complaining though :).

Bought

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Okay so not only did I get this baby before release..shhh don't tell ;), but I also found out that it isn't the last book!. I won't be posting anything about this book till Tuesday as Becca really wants to keep this a secret, even if people like me find a copy. I'm currently on page 196 and I can say it's very very good.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (review)

2011-10-02T18:58:00.000+01:00

Book: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: 7 September, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 480

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *****

Synopsis:

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying...

Review:

Immediately after reading the first book, I found myself racing to my bookshelf to get the next one. Although this one probably won't be my favourite.

The second book in The Hunger games series, follows on 8 months after Peeta and Katniss were crowned victors. The stroy follows Katniss as she finds out what an uproar their trick made in all the districts. The first part of this book is about the victory tour were Katniss and Peeta have to prove to all of Panem that they were so in love they didn't know what they was doing, If they don't the consequences could see them and their families and friends in danger. Every 25 years since the games started there has always been a 'Qauter Quell', these are no ordinary games however, as years ago game makers chose the rules for these future games meaning anything could happen. This results in Peeta and Katniss, plus other previous victors of the games thrown back into the arena. The end this time will result in either ones death.

Apart from being even more kick-ass than the last book there isn't much to say about Katniss or Peeta. Gale Katniss's best friend gets a lot more story time in this book, which I was very happy about as I really don't mind the fact that he likes Katniss. There are also the tributes that are put in the games, I don't really want to say much on these but a few of them really grew on me. I did however find Katniss very annoying as in the last book she seemed so confused about her feelings for Peeta, and the same goes for this book which was a real shame because I was trying really hard not to rip the pages out of this book.

The overall feel of this book felt very different from the first, as it didn't involve as much action. However this book did go into more detail about what was yet to come, especially at the end which I can't talk about too much due to the risk of spoilers. As in the last book the pace was very good and at the end of each chapter there was always a cliff hanger. Even though there were two halves to this book, there were a lot of heart wrenching scenes even though there were no hunger games, once again my lips are sealed. The reason this book felt very different was due to the fact that there were adults in the arena instead of just 12-18 year olds, I have no idea why it felt different maybe it was just me.

Overall this book did not leave me disappointed and left me rushing to pick up the next book. Expect your heart to go into override, oh and get the tissues ready!.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (review)

2011-09-25T17:39:00.000+01:00

Book: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: 5 January, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 464

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *****

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been clse to death before—and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...

Video Review:

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

Book Blogger Hop #2

2011-09-16T18:31:00.000+01:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy For Books.

To participate in the meme click here.

This weeks question:

“As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?”

My awnswer:

For me I like to take a personal approach, I also kept it short and sweet as I don't really think rambling about myself is much fun for both the readers and me. I Think it's good to share over intrests you might have besides books, as I feel it connects you to your readers more. I realise publishers and authors may look at my 'about me section' and think it's not proffesional, but what's life without a little fun :).

To anyone who is new to my blog please make sure you check out my Far From the War giveaway!

Interview with Jeffrey David Payne author of Far From the War + Giveaway!

2011-09-14T19:33:00.000+01:00

I was lucky enough to get some of my questions answered by Jeffrey, which helped me a lot because some of them were really eating at my brain!.

For those of you who are not farmilliar with Jeffrey he is the author of Far From the War, a dystopian young adult novel about a civil war.

The interview:

1. What made you decide to write for teenagers?.

It was kind of an accident. When the idea for Far From The War first occurred to me, one of my big concerns was how to structure the book so it had a unique feel to it. I didn't want it to seem like a Tom Clancy or James Patterson novel. Nothing against those authors -- I just didn't want my own work to be too similar. I was also concerned that the traditional protagonists for a story like this: a spy, military officer, or politician -- might put the reader in a position to take sides. I wanted the war to seem chaotic and confusing. It's not about who wins the war. It's about the effect of the war on ordinary people. The original plan was to alternate POV between the family on Orcas Island and some member of the family caught up in the war. When someone reminded me about the page program, then it seemed logical to place a 17 year old girl in the program and tell the story from her perspective. There's a lot of debate on what characteristics make something YA. I personally think that writing for teenagers means writing about teenagers. So, in short, it was the choice of a teenage protagonist that led me to YA.

2. Did you have to put a lot of research into the politics side of the book?.
I did a lot of research on politics and economics. It was important to establish a plausible rationale for both sides of the conflict and that led me to the fringes of American politics. One of the first things I did was to codify this research into a fake history of the war. I tried to imagine what high school kids a hundred years after the war might read in their textbooks about it. I wrote a hypothetical textbook chapter where all the economic and political causes are laid out, the key personalities, etc. Unfortunately, a lot of this backstory was eventually cut from the final draft. Though in my historical notes the depression is triggered by a government credit downgrade, speculative derivatives trading in sovereign default swaps, switching oil futures trading from dollars to other currencies -- it's hard to put that kind of information in a novel for teenagers. There's a lot of politics in the book as it is, but if I'd persisted in adding an explanation of bond markets and derivatives, that would have been a step too far, I think. It's unfortunate, because all this arcane economics has far more impact on our lives than most things we tend to care deeply about.

3. What inspired you to write about such a serious subject?.
I wouldn't consider myself overly serious, but if I'm going to spend a year with an idea and a set of characters, I want there to be some heft to it. I've had plenty of ideas for novels where I've said to myself "that might be cute or funny, but it's a little silly and I don't know if I want to put 2000 hours into that". I also subscribe somewhat to Cormac McCarthy's philosophy that writing should be about life and death. I don't know if I'm as rigid about it as he is and I think love is every bit as important as life and death, but my favorite books are always the ones that leave me with something to think about. Moreover, I do sit around and worry about the state of the world on a regular basis. Far From The War was a good way to express my own fears about the world, to organize my thoughts, and hopefully share them with others.

4. Have you got any favourite authors? who?.
I mentioned Cormac McCarthy. He's my favorite contemporary author. I also love Patrick O'Brian, George Orwell, Barbara Tuchman, Herman Melville, Roald Dahl, Jane Austen, and Upton Sinclair.

5. Did you put a little bit of yourself into any of the characters?.
Of course. I think most writers base characters on real people and even on aspirational views of themselves. Esther is based largely on the cool girls I remember from the debate team in high school. Ashley is based on my wife Kathryn. Matthew is based on the person I wish I'd had the discipline and self-confidence to be at his age. General Crowder is based on a combination of a Senior Chief I served under in the Navy and my father in law.

6. How different will The Mail Still Runs be from Far From the War?.
I think very different. For openers, the point of view will change from Esther to her sister Charlotte. And whereas Esther's a smart confident overachiever, her sister's a jock and like many siblings of overachievers, Charlotte's sense of her own self worth and capability has been negatively impacted by having an academic superstar for a big sister. She resents Esther and Esther wasn't always shy in mocking Charlotte for her jock interests. There's some tension there. Deep down Charlotte doesn't really care if Esther ever makes it home. It's not that she wants Esther dead; she just doesn't want Esther around.

Another change is that Charlotte isn't quite as verbal as Esther and this will mean that The Mail Still Runs leans a lot less the witty banter sort of dialogue that fills much of Far From The War. Some readers may miss this in the second book, but I think it's also the sort of thing that could become tiresome if I do it too much.

7. Was there ever a point were you thought this book might not get published?.
Roche Harbor Books is an imprint created by me and some of my writer friends. It's hard to agonize over whether or not you're going to get published if you're the one publishing it. That being said, Far From The War is not the first novel I've written and even with all the changes in publishing and the rising legitimacy of indie-publishing, I was a bit worried about the stigma. I thought about going indie with previous novels, but could never work up the nerve to go through with it. A lot of the impetus to take the final leap on this book came from my wife, Kathryn. She felt this story needed to get out there and that the normal 18-24 months it would take for a traditional press to get the book out, assuming one could be interested, was too long. It could be too late by then. Prior to making the decision to indie/self publish, I was in contact with some agents and many had yet to respond on full submissions by the time we made the decision to go it alone. I didn't want to be in the awkward position of telling an agent I couldn't accept an offer because I had plans to publish the book on my own and I thought it would be rude to put an agent through the trouble reading the whole book only to say "no" if I were lucky enough to get a favorable response. So we politely let the agents involved know what we were doing and most were quite supportive about it.

8. What is your favourite scene in the book?.
I don't know if I have a favorite scene, but a scene I find myself thinking about a lot is the scene where Esther and Gwen wait out the first shots of the war sleeping on the floor of the boys bathroom with all the other pages. I think non-combatants would spend most of their time in hiding places trying to imagine what all terrible noises were doing to the world outside. I don't know how it comes across to readers, I remember it as a scary, sobering scene. I think the scene also symbolizes for Esther a point of transition, an affirmation of the fact that all her carefully laid plans for her life, her ambition, will have to be put on hold or scrapped completely.

9. Of course you're probably busy writing the next book in the series, the question is have you got any secret projects planned for after you have finished the series?.
After the trilogy wraps up, I'll be writing a one off novel about a teenage economics prodigy called The End Of Theories. I have another trilogy whose first installment is already written called The Wavy Line. This one starts with a re-examination of the 21 grams phenomenon and then gets into how sudden technology breakthroughs can disrupt whole systems of political and military power, but you'll have to stay tuned for more details.I don't know if I have a favorite scene, but a scene I find myself thinking about a lot is the scene where Esther and Gwen wait out the first shots of the war sleeping on the floor of the boys bathroom with all the other pages. I think non-combatants would spend most of their time in hiding places trying to imagine what all terrible noises were doing to the world outside. I don't know how it comes across to readers, I remember it as a scary, sobering scene. I think the scene also symbolizes for Esther a point of transition, an affirmation of the fact that all her carefully laid plans for her life, her ambition, will have to be put on hold or scrapped completely.

10. Of course seeing as this book is about out a war people are going to die, but did you ever find it hard to kill off characters?.

This is a tough question to answer without spoilers, but I'll do my best. It can make me a little weepy to kill of characters, I'll admit, and this was especially true of the first character to die in Far From The War -- and the aftermath with Esther helping the Army identify the body. But in a book like this one it can't be helped. One of the realities of war is that people you love are going to die. In the case of a war on your home soil, this includes civilians. If you look at the history of war, civilians always die in huge numbers, often approaching or surpassing the number of military deaths. I also wanted the violence depicted in my book to feel tragic -- as opposed to shocking or entertaining -- and for that approach to work, the reader has to like the character and feel the loss. And that means as a writer that I have to love the character and feel the loss myself.

Now on to the fun part the giveaway. This is my first giveaway so I'm super excited, all you have to do is follow the instructions below and you can be in the chance of winning a signed copy of Far From the War courtesy of Roche Harbor Books.

To find out what I thought of the book click here.

The rules:

This contest ends October 14th 12:01 am EST

This contest is international!

You must be a follower on this blog.

For extra entries you can tweet and follow me via Twitter.

I would just like to thank Jeffrey for taking the time to answer the questions, thanks so much Jeffrey!.

Teaser Tuesday #3

2011-09-13T18:43:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"Sorry! she pipes in her silly Capitol accent. You're just so hairy!"

(Page.74)

Sorry that's all I have as I'm only a hundred or so pages in I do apologise.

In My Mailbox #7

2011-09-11T17:28:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Worst IMM ever!. Yes that's right I have 1 book sorry to disappoint guys but I will buy more books eventually don't worry.

Bought

Department 19 by Will Hill

Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne (review)

2011-09-06T20:06:00.000+01:00

Book: Far From the War

Author: Jeffrey David Payne
Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: 17 September, 2011
Publisher: Roche Harbor Books
Pages: 378

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

Synopsis:

Esther Casey is 3000 miles away from home serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home and learns to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.

Review:

Okay so right now I'm trying to write a very serious review, but all I want to do is start running around screaming how much of an amazing book this is.

Far From the War is the first book in a trilogy of books about a modern day United States, that has found itself in the middle of a civil war. It tells the story of a seventeen year old girl named Esther, who gets an internship at the United States House of Representatives serving as a page, in hopes that one day she can become a part of politics. But with corrupt members of the government and military leaders who take over Washington D.C., the president takes matters into his own hands calling for peace or civil war. Esther finds herself in the middle, with nowhere to turn but her newly made friends, she must find her way back home to safety.

Esther as a character was very strong especially at times that seemed dire. Although at times i did feel like Esther wasn't your average seventeen year old, the book was in 3rd person which didn't help with this situation as you didn't really know what Esther was thinking. I found her very funny and sarcastic at times which is something I absolutely love in books, parts had me trying to stifle my laughter in public places which was extremely hard. There are other characters as you can guess there's Rachel who is your average rich girl who has a few secrets, Gwen who is a very gentle character in comparison to Rachel, Chad Esther's childhood friend and a lot more.

Now on to the part were I explain what i didn't like so much. The first 70 pages were mostly about the political side of the book, which was interesting but very confusing at the same time as I'm more attuned to how politics works here in the UK. I have to admit though that Jeffrey put a lot of time and research into this right down to the last detail, even though at times I couldn't full appreciate it. As i said before at times I felt as if Esther was a lot older than she actually was. Other than that i couldn't really fault this book it was so good!.

The best thing about this book was the fact that although it's a dystopian fiction, Jeffrey wrote this in such a way that it is believable. If you just take a look at the recent events in Libya, it becomes clear that something like this could actualy happen. I love the fact that Jeffrey didn't shy away from the brutalities of war, he just got straight to the point. While reading this book I felt a rush of emotions from sheer joy to absolute devastation, nearly every page just left my heart pounding with tears streaked down my eyes. Of course no young adult book should be left without romance, in this case the romance side gave the characters hope, and it added a very sweet side to this novel.

Overall Far From the War is the most realistic and most memorable story I have read so far in 2011. I think that everyone should give this a go, despite the fact that you may not have heard of Jeffrey David Payne before. If you want to know what I'm really thinking though, at this very moment I want to scream as the next book in the series doesn't come out till July 4th!. So as you can tell I will definitely purchase the next book in the series.

(Thanks to Roche Harbor Books for sending me a copy!)

In My Mailbox #6

2011-09-04T20:23:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Only two books this week, plus my Mum has put me on a book buying ban!.

Bought

For Review

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Far From The War by Jeffrey David Payne

(Thanks to Roche Harbor Books for sending me Far From The War)

Book Blogger Hop #1

2011-09-03T17:58:00.000+01:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy For Books.

To participate in the meme click here.

I think we have all gathered I'm a procrastinator, so behold my late and first Book Blogger Hop :).

This weeks question:

“What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

My answer:

I'm mostly looking forward to a few of the amazing book releases this month, but mostly I'm looking forward to the release of Melissa De La Cruz's Lost in Time, which is the 6th book in the Blue Bloods series. I'm also starting college next week it's exciting and nerve racking all at the same time, but i can't wait to study media!.

Waiting on Wednesday #6

2011-08-31T17:46:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young adult, Fiction, Steam punk

Release date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Walker

Pages: 432

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

Okay so seeing as City of Lost Souls is due out next year, I really need Clockwork Prince out so I can have my fix of insanely hot brooding guys ;). I don't think i need to say anything else, other than the fact I want to know what Will was going to say at the end of Clockwork Angel.

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon (review)

2011-08-30T21:04:00.000+01:00

Book: Dead Beautiful

Author: Yvonne Woon
Genre: Young adult, Paranormal romance

Release date: 1 May, 2011
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

Pages: 512

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ** and a half

Synopsis:

Desire. Danger. Destiny. Little did I know that this is what I would find at Gottfried Academy. Coming from sunny California, the mist-shrouded Academy was a shock, with its strange customs, ancient curriculum and study of Latin - the language of the dead. Then I discovered that the school has more than one dark secret... I also discovered Dante. Intelligent, elusive and devastatingly gorgeous, most people can't decide whether they love, hate or fear him. All I know is that when we're together, I've never felt more alive - or more afraid.

Review:

I can safely say this review is long over due, but I promise you I have reasons for taking so long.

Renée just after turning sixteen has discovered her parents mysteriously dead in a forest. But when Renée's Grandfather sends her to a boarding school, Renée is left alone with no friends and no parents to turn to. Gottfried Academy is no ordinary school, with it's strange curriculum and a curse that runs back through centuries, it seems there may be more behind the school than everyone in is letting on. Dante the mysterious boy may have some information on this and seeing as Renée is drawn to him, it looks like she will find out.

I hate to say it but I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to, at parts it was very enjoyably however the bad parts made up my feelings for the whole part.First of all I thought the pace was too slow for my liking, and although Renée was a very believable character I didn't feel any emotion throughout this book. Parts of this book reminded me a lot of some scenes from Twilight which put me off as it made me feel like the story wasn't totally unique. For some reason however I was turning the pages of this book very quickly, but then again I just felt as if I was going through the motions and reading another book with nothing special to really knock me off my feet. There was a bit of mystery in this book which did make this book interesting for me, I just felt as if it was just going to slow for me to be able to enjoy this aspect to the fullest. Another aspect I liked about this book was the occasional bit of humour and sarcasm it's always my favourite thing about books.

Overall this is one book that I would not recommend myself, however I'm sure many people would in fact enjoy it more than i did. It will definitely be one of those you will either love or loathe. By the end of it I saw it as a typical girl meets mysterious boy stories. I do not blame the author in any way and I will purchase the next book in the series, in hopes I enjoy it more than this one.

Waiting on Wednesday #5

2011-08-24T13:13:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: Silence

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Genre: Young adult, Fiction, Paranormal romance

Release date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Pages: 448
Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:
The noise between Patch and Nora has gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for - and their love - forever.

I'm a huge fan of this series and i can't wait till i have a physical copy in my hand. I also can't wait because Becca is doing another book signing so i can get Silence signed by her as well.

Teaser Tuesday #2

2011-08-23T20:54:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is Teaser Tuesday, enjoy.

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

"I was about to respond when someone knocked on the other side of the wall above Eleanor's bed. A mischievous smile spread across her face."

(Page.96)

"And you are--"

"Renée," I interjected.

"I was going to say 'in my seat', but Renée will do."

(Page.77)

In My Mailbox #5

2011-08-14T16:00:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

There must be something lucky about the number 3, as last week i had 3 books to show you as well.

Bought

Hunger by Michael Grant

We Can Be Heroes by Catherine Bruton

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

9 days of not blogging :(

2011-08-11T16:01:00.000+01:00

Well this video explains everything.

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

Waiting on Wednesday #4

2011-08-10T08:12:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: The Name of the Star

Author: Maureen Johnson

Genre: Young adult, Fiction

Release date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Pages: 352
Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer’s identity.
“Rippermania” grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery…
Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

Well what can i say, i really enjoy the mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper. This book is also set in London which is another reason to love this book.

Teaser Tuesday #1

2011-08-09T17:29:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Site: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

The rules are simple:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So behold the wonder that is my first Teaser Tuesday enjoy.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

"For the first time since I was frozen--I move.

OhGodohGodohGod."
(Page.70)

"I'm going to die.
I'm going to be sucked into space.
Implosion.
Death"
(Page.17)

Divergent by Veronica Roth (review)

2011-08-08T18:04:00.000+01:00

Book: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks

Pages: 400

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *****

Synopsis:

She turns to the future in a world that’s falling apart.

For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.
Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead….
A debut novel that will leave you breathless.

Video Review:

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

In My Mailbox #4

2011-08-07T11:11:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

This week i only have 3 books to show you but at least it's something. Two of the books were on a buy 1 get 1 for £1 so i had to get them, the other is my Mums book.

Bought

Borrowed

Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woods

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

So whats in your mailbox?

Liebster Blog Award!

2011-08-07T10:26:00.000+01:00

My brain just did a flip, someone actually gave me an award. So thanks to Sarah at BookSaur's Reviews for giving it to me, you can check out her blog here. She is a really nice blogger so please check out her blog.

The 'Leibster Blog Award' is an award that is given to new and upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers, it's given in order to put a "spotlight" on these bloggers.

The rules of the award are as follows:1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
Thank you, Sarah!2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
- Janine (me the book nerd)
- Justin (Justin's Book Blog)
- AnnaLeese (AnnaLeese's Book Addiction)
- Kellie ( Book Heaven)
- Kristina (My World of Books)

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all: support each other and have lots of fun!!

"Go BZRK" Michael Grant's new series!

2011-08-05T17:13:00.000+01:00

Michael Grant recently revealed he is releasing a new series this winter named "Go BZRK" , although it seems a while away it's not due to Micheal's exciting plans. Transmedia is something ya blogger's and readers might be hearing more often, now for those of you who don't know what that is a little explanation.

" transmedia story is an interactive narrative told through the written word, video, puzzles, and more. But most importantly, it encourages fans to become part of the action."

If I've left you a little confused here is a little explanation as to what "Go BZRK" is and a little Q&A with Micheal Grant.

The missing son of a U.N. diplomat... the reemergence of a strange organization... a pair of society twins caught in the middle... this is just the beginning of "Go BZRK," a new transmedia experience from author Michael Grant.

If you're ready to take the plunge in an interactive story like you've never experienced before, visit societytwins.com and register with nexushumanus.com to take your first steps in a strange and compelling universe.

A Q&A with author Michael Grant.

What is “Go BZRK”? Is this a book or some kind of interactive story?Both. The book comes out this winter, but the interactive part starts now. One leads up to the other, but they're part of a complete package.

Why “transmedia”?There are different approaches to transmedia. Most people take a single story and reproduce it on various platforms. My philosophy has been to make each element - ARG, app, web, book - a thing unto itself, each revealing some aspect of the world of BZRK. I've been fascinated with this is as a new way to tell stories. The book remains central, but now I can reach beyond the book and create a much more complete world. I can tell stories that enhance the book, and stories that parallel the book, and stories that are offshoots of backstory. I guess the answer to "why" is "because it's fun."

Is this the future of publishing?I began a few years ago reaching out to publishers and saying we collectively needed to understand that the old models were dead or dying. I want publishing to survive, and of course I'd like my own career to thrive. So Egmont Publishing and my partners and I certainly hope this is a part of the future of publishing.

How long is this running? Is this part of a larger picture?We'll be running this in several chunks between now and the book release this winter. Because these things have a hard start/stop point, August is a ramp-up phase. There'll be a lot of content coming out, but the experience really gets underway at the end of the month… just in time to distract the kids from their schoolwork.

What if someone wants to follow the story but doesn’t want to participate?You don't have to do anything. You can do one thing and not another. But the deeper you plunge the wetter you get. I think every part of this is fun, I think people will enjoy the ARG, the app, the site and the books.

App? You've mentioned that a couple times now.Just wait and see.

What can you tell us about the story? What is “BZRK”?It's a battle for the soul and freedom of the human race carried out simultaneously in the world we know, and in a world that you're not going to expect. It's a world where if you make a false move, you're going to lose your mind.

Insanity… is this something you have a personal familiarity with?The line between writer and crazy person is very thin. Both go around holding long, involved conversations with people who aren't there.

What’s this other world thing all about?Do you really want spoilers? I'll tell you this. We'll be going "down in the meat." It's going to be vast, bloody, and beautiful.

Wait… isn’t this supposed to be for kids?Adults like to flatter themselves that kids won't get, won't understand, won't be able to handle, more intense, more complex stories. That's nonsense. It's the adults who are easy to creep out or scare. Say the word "biopsy" in a room full of adults. Or "audit." See? Easy to scare. Kids are a tougher audience because kids think they're immortal.

Hopefully i haven't left you too confused, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this genius of a man comes up with next. So check out Society Twins and sign up to Nexus Humanus i have :).

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (review)

2011-08-05T16:49:00.000+01:00

Book: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young adult, Dystopian

Release date: February 3, 2011
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 393

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *** and a half

Synopsis:

There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable.

Review:

Well where do i start with this book, how about i just get on with the review.

Only 60 years ago love was officially named as a disease by the US government amor deliria nervosa as it's called throughout the book. Lena is 17 years old and in a matter of weeks she will receive her cure not long after turning 18. Lena lives with her Aunt Carol, as when she was very young her mother committed suicide. The last words said by Lena's Mother have haunted her since "I love you. Remember. They cannot take it". Lena cannot wait to receive the cure as people stop recognizing her as the Sympathizers Daughter.Before Lena has her procedure she undergoes an evaluation, this determines her perfect matches ( people she will spend the rest of her life with). As her procedure looms ever closer Lena finds herself falling for a boy named Alex, but little does she know he has some secrets of his own. Alex isn't the only one with secrets as Lena's friend Hana starts to show her true colours.

This was my first Dystopian read and I'm not surprised i enjoyed it. Although the beginning of this book was a little on the slow side, i found that i had to keep reading to find out what happened next. Towards the end of this book however, it definitely picked up the pace and i found the ending very intense ( i mean i had white knuckles and everything!). I definitely love the mystery that surrounds this book, however you are still left with most or if not more questions than you did before, which I'm hopping will be answered in the next book 'Pandemonium'. The best thing about this book however has to be the ending, it's something i definitely didn't expect.

Overall this is definitely a book you should be checking out for 2011. Just a little advice though, if you find yourself very emotional grab some tissues. For those of you who hate to wait however, be warned that the next installment isn't due until March 6, 2012.

In My Mailbox #3

2011-07-17T20:32:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

This week i have a lot of books 4 of which were bargain buys yay! (happy applause). Ok so it's too late for me to upload everything now, so here is my video instead :).

My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee

Waiting on Wednesday #3

2011-07-13T12:02:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Release date: September 29, 2011

Publisher: Dutton Books

Pages: 384

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit — more sparkly, more fun, more wild — the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket — a gifted inventor — steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

After reading Anna and the French Kiss i could not wait to get my hands on this book, but it turns out i have no choice :(. Immediately when i saw Farrah from ieatwords do a review on it, my excitement grew once again to overload.

You can check out Farrah's review here:

youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7r0cHmM3Sw&feature=feedu

Forgotten (Cat Patrick) review

2011-07-11T16:23:00.000+01:00

Book: Fogotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Genre: Young adult

Release date: June 6, 2011

Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd

Pages: 288

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ***

Synopsis:

Here's the thing about me: I can see the future in flashes, like memories. But my past is a blank. I remember what I'll wear tomorrow, and an argument that won't happen until this afternoon. But I don't know what I ate for dinner last night. I get by with the help of notes, my mom and my best friend Jamie, and the system works ...Until now. Every thing's falling apart. Jamie's going of the rails. My mom is lying to me. And I can't see the boy I adore in my future. But today, I love him. And I never want to forget how much ...Forgotten is the story of a girl for whom yesterday is lost, today is an adventure, and tomorrow is a memory. An unforgettable read.

Review:

I have to admit I'm a total sucker for book covers and this one was no exception. I have to say the plot did draw me in as well.

This story is about a girl called London Lane who lives alone with her mum. Everyday London has to wake up having forgotten what she did the day before, this is due to her having amnesia. To remember important things such as, what she wore the day before, homework and just generally important information, London writes herself notes at the end of each day so that in the morning she can read them to remember. Although London forgets the past she remembers the future, or to put it simply she can see the future. This is not the whole story however as London starts to discover secrets being kept from her and her best friend Jamie starts going of the rails. There is also a love interest in book, he goes by the name of Luke and he is the new boy at school but as London soon discovers he is not what he seems.

I can definitely say that this book is not the worst i have ever read, as the plot is something unique and this makes it a very enjoyable read. I did however find myself getting confused whenever London said she 'remembred' as she meant the future, this took a lot of getting used to. The reason i have given this book a 3 however is not because i hated the story as i previously pointed out, but i didn't feel connected to the characters and the romance wasn't for me. Usually i will jump at the chance for the main character to fall in love, but in this case i didn't bother me. Towards the middle of the book the plot thickens and this is the part i enjoyed most, however i can't and won't say anything about this as i want the review to be spoiler free.

Overall though this book is completely different from anything i have read, it lacked that special something for me. If you want a quick refreshing read or something new check this out as it is readable.

Waiting on Wednesday #2

2011-06-22T18:13:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: Lost in Time

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Genre: YA, supernatural romance
Release date: September 27, 2011

Publisher: Atom

Pages: 336

Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Schuyler's hunt for the Gates is becoming more intense as the vampire world is beginning to show cracks. The New York Coven's ancient lore and the desires of young vampires keep coming into dangerous conflict that could have repercussions worldwide. The course of forbidden love never did run smooth...

Ok so i realise this is yet another Melissa de la Cruz novel, but another teaser was released yesterday for the new Blue Blood book, and it got me excited. Don't worry though i won't be posting Melissa de la Cruz's books every Wednesday. The only bad thing is this doesn't come out till September so i have a while to wait. If you are a Blue Blood fan and you haven't seen the teaser yet, well here you go. I must warn you though if you haven't read any of the books or Bloody Valentine for that matter DO NOT READ THIS!.

Sneak Peak #4

He was hurting to see her demean herself this way. But it was her love that was on the line, and she had no shame or pride anymore. “Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him, Charlie. Please. I’ll go with you. I’ll say the words and we’ll

be bonded. Just. Don’t hurt him. Please.”

In My Mailbox #2

2011-06-19T11:41:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Ok so i only have one book for my imm this week, sorry about that.

Bought

Witches of the East by Melissa de la Cruz

Okay so this book doesn't come out till Tuesday, but i got lucky and my bookstore accidentally put it on the shelf. Good for me bad for them, I've already started reading it and so far so good.

Anna and the French Kiss (Stephanie Perkins) review

2011-06-18T19:42:00.000+01:00

Book: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Young adult, Romance

Release date: December 2, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Books

Pages: 372

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *****

Synopsis:

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

Review:
Whilst I'm still swooning over this book i will try to make this review as spoiler free as possible. I have no idea where to start but here goes.

Anna Oliphant is 17 and has just been told she will be going to study at an American school in Paris. Although she tries in every way possible to persuade her parents it's a bad idea, nothing works. Anna's father is an author, and thinks by sending her off to Paris will somehow show off his wealth. Anna not only has to leave what has been her home for nearly 18 years, but she has to leave just as things get serious with a boy named Toph. When Anna arrives at SoAP ( School of America in Paris) she meets Meredith, Rashmi, Josh and St.Clair. Mostly the book is centered around St.Clair and Anna, however the sideline characters are well represented too.

This book has a lot of twists and turns, and at some points had me cringing behind a pillow. It was very clear from the beginning that this book was going to hold romance and flirting, and although i had my doubts i'm so glad i read this. I loved Stephanie's writing style and the typical teenage humour she used throughout. I was so happy this book was set in Paris, as i have been there before and it's not hard to imagine the settings, Stephanie did it in such a great way that i could imagine being there again.

I'm so excited for Stephanie's next book which is due to come out September 29th of this year, it will be named 'Lola and the boy next door'. For those who want to read more about St.Clair and Anna though, there is a book named 'Isla and the Happily Ever After', which will be about both Anna and Lola. Anna and the French kiss is great for anyone who loves romance, or wants to escape into a book because this one is literally a page turner.

Waiting on Wednesday #1

2011-06-15T07:20:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at breaking the spine.

Site: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/

Book: Witches of the East

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Genre: Adult, Fiction

Release date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: Sphere

Pages: 288
Buy this book: Amazon

Synopsis:

After reading about Freya in Bloody Valentine, i was so excited to find out that she would be in her own book series. I think Melissa de la Cruz is an amazing author and i love her blue blood series, so i can't wait to read this book. I have to say though, i prefer the us cover but then again this is for adults.

Dreamseller (Brandon Novak with Joseph Frantz) review

2011-06-14T19:26:00.000+01:00

Book: Dreamseller

Author(s): Brandon Novak with Joseph Frantz

Genre: Memoir
Release date: October 1, 2008
Publisher: Citadel Press
Pages: 252

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: *****

NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS!

Synopsis:

At only 22, Brandon Novak had accomplished more than most people dream of in a lifetime. By the age of 14 he'd been discovered by legendary skateboarders Tony Hawk and Bucky Lasek and signed to skate professionally. By 18 he had travelled the world, signed autographs for thousands of fans and won big-time sponsorship deals. Yet, as swiftly as his career peaked, it crashed, brought down by a force more powerful than his ambition - heroin. He went from having it all to living rough, and only with the help of friend Bam Margera could he begin to turn his life around.

Review:

This book was given to me by a good friend of mine, who asked me also to review it. I must admit that i usually don't read books about peoples lives, as i believe they're not really that interesting.

This book is about a guy named Brandon Novak, now if you don't know who he is you may want to google him. Anyway he is good friends with Brandon "Bam" Margera, now if you don't know who he is well he stars in jackass and various other productions. This book deals with the struggles of being a drug addict and the pain it can cause family and friends. It explains how Brandon had a successful break in skateboarding, but lost all of it due to his addiction to heroin.

I was surprised to find that from the first line of this book i was hooked, and whilst reading it i felt like this book was purely fiction, not someones life experiences.This book doesn't like to give you the soft option, it just gets straight to the point no matter how harsh the truth may be. Throughout this book i felt many emotions sadness, adrenaline, fear you name it this book had it all, and although it sounds strange i feel like i have been on some sort of journey with him.

Overall i loved this book and i really hope Brandon will bring out the next one soon. It is definitely one of those unforgettable reads, however i must stress that this book isn't for everyone, but if you like the true gritty stuff definitely give this a go.

Gone (Michael Grant) review

2011-06-11T19:21:00.000+01:00

Book: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

Genre: Young adult, Science fiction

Release date: September 3, 2009

Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd

Pages: 576

Buy this book: Amazon

Rating: ****

Synopsis:

Suddenly there are no adults, no answers. What would you do? In the blink of an eye, the world changes. The adults vanish without a trace, and those left must do all they can to survive. But every one's idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power...Even kill. For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives...What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too? It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are. This book offers a chilling portrayal of a world with no rules. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes.

Review:
When i first saw this book and considered buying it i was a bit apprehensive, as it looked like a typical boys book.However I'm annoyed i didn't pick it up sooner, this book held a lot of surprise, but unfortunately I'm desperate for the next book and i can't buy it yet.

The story follows a boy named Sam Temple who lives in a small town in California called 'Perdido Beach'. The town is suddenly cut of from the real world by a big barrier, which the kids soon nickname "The FAYZ", not only this but everyone over the age of 14 disappears without a trace. One good thing about this book is that we follow the story from the beginning, meaning we are not just thrown into this world full of mayhem. The only bad thing is that at times i did feel overwhelmed by characters, so i had to keep referring back to previous pages to find out who they were.

The best thing about this book has to be the twist and constant suspense the book leaves you in. Although i hate to say i love Caine and Sam, i believe it has something to do with Jace and Sebastian's link from 'TMI' being very similar to Sam and Caine's. As the synopsis says some kids start discovering they have some peculiar talents, and animals start to mutate, this is one of the things that makes this book very unique and creative from other books that are already within the ya genre.

Overall i believe this book definitely deserves a place in my top 5. So if you haven't picked up this series already, go out and buy it or borrow it from your local library, but i promise you this book will leave you wanting more.

In My Mailbox #1

2011-06-09T18:37:00.000+01:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Site: http://www.thestorysiren.com

Meme: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

So this is my first 'In My Mailbox' I'm super excited, so lets get started.

Bought

borrowed

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Dreamseller by Brandon Novak with Joseph Frantz

I'm excited to read all of these, as they have been on my wish list for a while. Hopefully i should get the Gone review to you soon and then I'll start one of these books.

*Update

2011-06-07T19:11:00.000+01:00

Okay so I'm sorry but i don't have a review just yet but hang in there. So on Sunday i ordered some books and i have also bought one, which means that very soon you can look forward to a book haul.Are you excited?... i thought so. Currently if you didn't know I'm reading my way through Michael Grants Gone series, I'm nearly half way through so i should have a review up very soon for you please just bear with me.

-Claire

Hello people of blogger :)

2011-06-06T11:07:00.000+01:00

Hi there,
by reading this I'm guessing you have:
1. Clicked on the wrong link.
2. You have no idea what you're doing here.
3. Or you have a love for ya (young adult) books, and decided you would check out my awesome blog.

So is there anyway to how i should say hi one here? I'm guessing not, so hello!. This blog is going to be anything about ya (young adult) books, i will post the latest news, reviews and some things on the side. If you would prefer to watch reviews on 'youtube', well you can find me there also at http://www.youtube.com/user/whnbstihwsoft?feature=mhee
also if you have a twitter you can follow me at
http://twitter.com/#!/whnbstihwsoft
So thanks for reading, and i hope you come back for more :).
-Claire