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Friday 28 September 2012

Cover Reveal: WHISPER FALLS

Whisper Falls (Whisper Falls #1) by Elizabeth Langston
 
 
While training for a mountain bike race, high-school senior Mark Lewis spots a mysterious girl dressed in odd clothing, standing behind a waterfall in the woods near his North Carolina home. When she comments on the strange machine that he rides, he suspects something isn't right. When Susanna claims to be an indentured servant from 1796, he wonders if she's crazy. Yet he feels compelled to find out more.

Mark enters a 'long-distance' relationship with Susanna through the shimmering--and temperamental--barrier of Whisper Falls. Curious about her world, Mark combs through history to learn about the brutal life she's trapped in. But knowledge can be dangerous. Soon he must choose between the risk of changing history or dooming the girl he can't stop thinking about to a lifetime of misery.
 
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Whisper Falls is set to be published by Spencer Hill Press on the 19th of November 2013, in paperback and ebook formats.
 
I love the contrast in the cover, how there is a kind of veil between the boy and the girl, and the bright colours on his side of it. The description sounds unbelievaby good and really mysterious. Whisper Falls is definitely going on my To-Read list, I can't wait for next year!
 
What do you think of the cover? What about the descripton?
Let me know what you think :)

Thursday 27 September 2012

New Arrivals! (#18)

I absolutely LOVE what I got this week!
 
My pre-order of the Iron Fey Boxset arrived, and with it came a signed Iron Fey poster!
 
 
The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
#1 The Iron King
#2 The Iron Daughter
#3 The Iron Queen
#4 The Iron Knight
 
 
And my order from Foumtain Books arrived from the US
Both of these gorgeous books are signed!
 
 
(Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
(The Raven Cycle #1) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
 
 
I was ecstatic about what I received this week :)

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (#5)

 

This is a weekly meme 'Waiting on Wednesday' that I take part in, it is hosted by Breaking the Spine
It is a meme where you post about a yet-to-be-released book that you are looking forward to reading. Here is a book I have been highly anticipating:
 
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Expected publication date: January 22nd, 2013
Number of Pages: 400

Description (from Goodreads)

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.
 
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Ok, so I am a huge fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I've read pretty much all of her books, and Nobody sounds amazing! I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on this book, the description is SO intriguing! Plus, how awesome is the cover?!
What do you think of it?
Would you pick Nobody up?

Monday 24 September 2012

BLOG TOUR: Review - AMAROK by Angela J. Townsend

Publication date: November 20th, 2012
Number of Pages: 224
Date read: August 24th, 2012
Source: ARC from Spencer Hill Press
Format: paperback


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(Description source: Back of book cover)

Life has been hell for seventeen-year-old Emma since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Rejected by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother's death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her escape only leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining. 

Dragged across the tundra by a crazed mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she finds that her gentle touch and kind heart earn her the wolf's friendship, and she names him Amarok, not knowing he was once a young man. 

When a vicious madman--trapped in bear form by an ancient Shaman--attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to confront her fears and free the wolf she's come to love. But there's a catch--she must face down the evil shaman, a powerful Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her.

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Emma is running, back to sun-soaked Calfornia, the place she lived before entering hell. Moving to Alaska was Emma's own personal hell, especially after her mother's death, which Emma blames herself for. Emma hasn't gotten far before her car crashes off the road, and she's dragged across the terrain by a cruel, crazy man who lives in the mountains.
Everything would be bleak for Emma if it wasn't for the mountain man's wolf companion. He and Emma form a special bond and she names him Amarok. Amarok is not all that he seems, he was a human teenager, but that was before an evil ice-age Shaman transformed him. She learns the truth when she is attacked by a bruin -another victim of the Shaman, this one turned into a bear- and Amarok is gravely injured while saving her.
Now Emma must trek to cursed land to find the totem that that will save Amarok's life, but the Shaman isn't going to give up his control easily.
Such a turbulent, fascinating read, Amarok surprised me in its prose and in how much of an emotional struggle the characters went through. The myths and descriptions of the landscape are amazing, I found this story really easy to visualise. Though the plot did drag along for most of the first half of the book, the second half improved a lot.
It did take me a while to really immerse myself in the story, to begin with, Emma was difficult to get into as a character but the further I got into the story, the more she grew and developed into someone stronger. I fully started enjoying the story near the halfway mark, from then on Amarok had my undivided attention.
The dual perspective really added to the story, letting you know some information before one of the other characters knows, or leaving you in the dark until you read that charcters perspective again.
I loved reading Amarok's view point.
The ending was fairly abrupt, but it still worked well. Though Amarok was left mostly open ended, the intentions expressed were sweet and I enjoyed it.

I rate Amarok  either Three and a Half or Four out of Five! (can't really decide which)



Friday 21 September 2012

Cover Reveal: OPAL

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.


Follow this link to an ~~~ EPIC CONTEST ~~~ Announcement. You will want to bookmark this page!


 USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.

Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog




How absolutely gorgeous and enchanting is that cover?!?!?!?!?!
Jennifer is such an amazing author and I cannot WAIT to get my hands on Opal! The Lux Series is beyond incredible and December can't come soon enough!
Don't you agree?
Let me know what you think of Opal's cover in the comments :)

Thursday 20 September 2012

New Arrivals! (#17)

What I got this week :)



(Oh My Gods #1) Oh My Gods by Tera Lynn Childs
(Women of the Otherworld #3) Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (#4)


  This is a weekly meme 'Waiting on Wednesday' that I take part in, it is hosted by Breaking the Spine
It is a meme where you post about a yet-to-be-released book that you are looking forward to reading. Here is a book I have been highly anticipating:
 
 
Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter 
 
Publication date: February 7th, 2013
Number of Pages: 352

Description (from Goodreads)

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.
 
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I can't wait for Perfect Scroundels; Heist Society was amazing, Uncommon Criminals was brilliant, so I'm betting that book three will be the best yet! The plot sounds SO enticing, one of the key words being 'Hale!'
I really do recommend this series.
 
Have you read any of the Heist Society books?
Is Perfect Scroundrels on your To-Read list?
 

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Teaser Tuesday #1

I have decided to take part in another weekly book meme:
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
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!)

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina!

Page: 45
 Teasers #1:

What a stupid thing to imagine. The doctor was no lion, and Connor was definitely no angel come to save me. And even if he was, I thought dazedly, he couldn't fly me away. He's given up his wings...

Teaser #2:

Ember had told me once that she'd known a girl who wanted to die, until someone had spoken six words to her that made her decide to live instead. I'd asked what the magic words were, and she said it didn't matter, the point was that no one ever knows when something they say will cause a profound change in somebody else.


I hope you enjoyed these teasers, you can let me know what you think in the comments :)

Friday 14 September 2012

Cover Reveal! FIREBLOOD

Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe
To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father's capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.

Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering stone walls of the Camelot-forged realm. Under the watchful eye of the prince's first knight, Sir Devlan Capra, changing her future becomes difficult.

When an unlikely rebel reveals the truth about the deadly secrets that fuel King Hart's twisted world, Zara's path to rescue her father becomes clouded by deception. The Rebels clear her path by forcing Zara's hand with an ultimatum: sway Prince Sebastian to join the Rebels, convincing him of his father's evil nature, or they will take him out.

But Zara is uncertain about a future under the Rebels' command and where the prince's heart truly lies. She must decide who to trust, what to believe, and what she's truly fighting for before the king destroys all of Karm, including her heart
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Fireblood sounds really intriguing and the cover looks pretty awesome, I love the colour scheme. I've added it to my To-Read list.
Fireblood will be published by Spencer Hill Press on  the 8th of October 2013, in both ebook and paperback formats.
Does the description and cover of Fireblood intrigue you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments :)


Thursday 13 September 2012

New Arrivals! (#16)

This week another review book arrived!
 
 
 
Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
 
I received Touch of Death from Spencer Hill Press as well as some swag that came with the ARC :)
 
 
A Touch of Death Compact
2 x Touch of Death Stickers
 
How awesome is that?!
Thank you Spencer Hill Press!!!
 

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #3

 
This is a weekly meme 'Waiting on Wednesday' that I take part in, it is hosted by Breaking the Spine
It is a meme where you post about a yet-to-be-released book that you are looking forward to reading. Here is a book I have been highly anticipating:
 
 
Finale (Hush Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick
 
Publication date: October 23rd, 2012
Number of Pages: 448
 
 
Description (from Goodreads)
Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.
 
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him.
Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?
 
 
The Hush Hush saga is one that I absolutely love and enjoy. I was so happy when I heard that there was going to be a fourth book. This series is so funny and full of romance and action, I will be buying Finale as soon as it hits the shelves.

Friday 7 September 2012

Cover Reveal! STALKED BY DEATH

Stalked By Death (Touch of Death #2) by Kelly Hashway



Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.


When the only Ophi Jodi can convince to come to the school and train with her is a gorgeous guy named Chase, it spells more than trouble for Jodi and Alex. Her mixed emotions for both guys send her powers surging out of control, and she begins raising the dead without even meaning to. Jodi doesn't want to lose Alex, but Chase is offering her something Alex can't. His very touch enhances her powers, making her stronger than any Ophi ever has been--maybe even powerful enough to stop Hades from threatening them all. But Chase's offering comes with a huge price. One that may cost Jodi everything she has.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.
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Book One: Touch of Death

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
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Touch of Death comes out in January 2013, while the sequel Stalked by Death will be released on July 23rd, 2013 in paperback and ebook formats. This series is being published by Spencer Hill Press.
 
Both coverss look incredible, kind of slightly haunting and the description sounds amazing... I've only read the description for Touch of Death, since I'm hoping to read it... don't want to ruin the sequel for myself  :)
 
How do you like the sound of this series? Are you going to put Touch of Death and Stalked by Death on your To-Read List?

Thursday 6 September 2012

New Arrivals! (#15)

This week I bought a book that I've really been looking forward to reading!
 

 
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Cursed by Jennifer L Armentrout
 
I've heard great things about both novels and I really ejoyed reading Pushing the Limits! Cursed only just arriced today, so I can't wait to dive into it! Have you read Pushing the Limits or Cursed? Please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of them :)

 

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #2


This is a weekly meme 'Waiting on Wednesday'  that I take part in, it is hosted by Breaking the Spine
It is a meme where you post about a yet-to-be-released book that you are looking forward to reading. Here is a book I have been highly anticipating:
 
Malice (Conspiracy 365 #14) by Gabrielle Lord
 
Publication date: October 1st, 2012
Number of Pages: 192
 
Description (from BooksDirect)
 
Callum, Boges and Winter lived through the 365 days it took to solve the Ormond Singularity then barely escaped from a lunatic bent on revenge. Now a deadly secret from Winter's mysterious past has come to haunt them. The countdown begins again.
 
 
 
I have been looking forward to reading Malice since it was first announced. I absolutely love the Conspiracy 365 series, and I have high expectations for Malice.
The only issue I have with this book is the cover, I was really disappointed  when I saw it. The actors are on the front of it instead of the original cover model. The cover model is awesome and fits the description of the main character so well, and since there is also a different cover to match the T.V. series ones I think it's ridiculous to have the actors on this version of the cover.
Anyway, rant about the cover over, I really am looking forward to reading Malice, especially since Gabrielle Lord's next writing project will be announced in the back of the book!
 


Tuesday 4 September 2012

HOW TO RUIN A SUMMER VACATION by Simone Elkeles


Book One in the Ruined Trilogy
Publication date: October 6th, 2006
Date read: March, 2012
Number of Pages: 234


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(Description source: Goodreads)
Moshav? What’s a moshav? Is it “shopping mall” in Hebrew? I mean, from what Jessica was telling me, Israeli stores have the latest fashions from Europe. That black dress Jessica has is really awesome. I know I’d be selling out if I go with the Sperm Donor to a mall, but I keep thinking about all the great stuff I could bring back home. 
Unfortunately for 16-year-old Amy Nelson, “moshav” is not Hebrew for “shopping mall.” Not even close.

 Think goats, not Gucci.

Going to Israel with her estranged Israeli father is the last thing Amy wants to do this summer. She’s got a serious grudge against her dad, a.k.a. “Sperm Donor,” for showing up so rarely in her life. Now he’s dragging her to a war zone to meet a family she’s never known, where she’ll probably be drafted into the army. At the very least, she’ll be stuck in a house with no AC and only one bathroom for seven people all summer—no best friend, no boyfriend, no shopping, no cell phone…

Goodbye pride—hello Israel.
 
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The whole reason I picked up this book was because Simone Elkeles wrote it - enough said. I've read her whole Perfect Chemistry trilogy and fell in love with her writing style and her characters, so when I saw that How to Ruin A Summer Vacation was by Simone, I just had to read it.
Amy has plans for her summer and she's happy, at least until her plans are changed for her, and these new plans don't include friends, a boyfriend or even staying in America. Amy's father -the Sperm Donor- has decided it's time for Amy to visit Israel and meet his side of the family.

Visiting Israel sounds terrible to Amy, especially after she meets her cousin who appears to really dislike her. Amy also meets Avi, the hot local boy with a chip on his shoulder, Amy has a lot of things happening this summer but will she like them? Has her summer really been ruined by going to Israel, or is it only going to get better? And will Amy ever  be on good terms with her father?
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation is a nice, funny read with amazing characters and some very heartwarming moments. Amy is a character with a lot going on in her life, she's seeing her father for the first time in a long while, about to meet a family she didn't know she had and leaving her summer plans behind to visit a foreign country, she has a lot of conflicting emotions.
 
Amy is quite snarky (and sometimes not the nicest in her comments) but she is quite hilarious in the things she says and does, she has a lot of flaws and is easy enough to relate to, a pretty likable character.
Avi is handsome and mysterious and completely unapologetic about his action, the tension between Amy and Avi is great, it's amusing and sweet, there are quite a few moments that I would have loved to have read from Avi's point-of-view. Amy's cousin enjoys giving her grief, but Amy slowly begins to settle into her place in her new family.
The plot was funny, sweet, filled with tension and highlights how important relationships are; between friends, cousins, love interests, and family.
If you have the chance to read a book by Simone Elkeles, I really do recommend that you pick it up and give it a chance, who knows, you might love it as much as I do.


“And my piece of advice is... don't flirt with any of the female instructors. They all have access to weapons bigger than yours.”  


I rate How to Ruin a Summer Vacation Three and a Half out of Five!

Saturday 1 September 2012

PROM AND PREJUDICE by Elizabeth Eulberg

Publication date: January 4th, 2011
Number of Pages: 231
Date read: September 1st, 2012



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(Description source: Goodreads)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.

 After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

 Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles's friend, Will Darcy, who's snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk - so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

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Prom and Prejudice was an interesting story, the description drew me straight away... who doesn't love a reluctant romance or a seeming love/hate or love to hate realationship? Ok, so some of these type books do drive me a little insane, but this one was enjoyable, to say the least.

Lizzie has had a hell of a time since she started at the Longbourne Academy, and by 'hell of a time' she is literally comparing most of her classmates to the devil. All except her roomm,ate Jane. Jane is kind and makes life bearable for Lizzie, so in return Lizzie agrees to go to formal events and fancy parties.
 
Lizzie really has to make an effort by going to these parties, since Jane's crush, Charles Bingely, has returned from London and they've started something going. Jane is sure that things will be fine for Lizzie, thinking that Lizzie and Charles's best friend Will Darcy would be great together. But their first meeting doesn't go well, seems Will has something against scholarship kids

From then on Lizzie refuses to get along with Will, after the way he acted when they first met he must be a stuck-up jerk, right? Lizzie won't admit that she might be drawn to him. Things are beyond complicated, will the truth, about several things, ever be untwisted and uncovered?
 
Lizzie was a really stubborn character, she was flawed, funny and capable of sticking up for herself, but like anyone she made mistakes. Will Darcy was a surprising character, I liked him a lot. Jane was the sweet best friend who had Lizzie's back no matter what. All of the characters had their flaws, made mistakes and acted more than a little dumb, but nearly every single one of them was redeamable... though not everyone plays nice...
 
The plot worked well, it was decently paced even if I was itching for somethings to happen or be said or discovered a little quicker. This story said a lot about first impressions, judging others, misjudging people and situations, learning the truth, admitting flaw or mistake and trying to be a better person. There was conflict littered throughout that spiced things up, but it was near the end that one of my favourite scenes/chapters happened.
This novel will surprise you and make you second guess things.
A great book.


“Oh, Darcy!' Fitz grabbed Darcy by the collar. 'You have such a way with the ladies.” 


I rate Prom and Prejudice Four out of Five!