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Saturday, 5 January 2013

Stargazer by Claudia Gray



Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
Book Two in the Evernight Series
Published: Mar 24th 2009
Number of Pages: 329
Date Read: June 18th 2012 (Reread)



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The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning....



                                                                   (Description source: Backcover of book)
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Evernight Academy is a dark, mysterious, vampire boarding school, used to reeducate vampires in ways so that they can more easily make the transition into modern day society. 


Bianca is a half vampire, born in an unconventional and rare way  to two vampire parents. Bianca suddenly  is wrenched away from her newly found love when his identity as a vampire hunter is revealed. They refuse to let go of each other by arranging secret meetings behind everyone elses' back. 

When Balthazar catches Bianca returning from a secret rendezvous, Bianca makes a deal with him to help him to find his sister in return for him keeping quiet about her seeing the rebellious and dangerous vampire hunter, Lucas. As school resumes, eerie events begin to take place that seem to connect to Bianca and the mystery of humans being allowed to attend Evernight and Bianca. Along with her loyal friend Balthazar they begin to uncover the mysteries that Evernight holds dear. 


Stargazer was a wonderful extension further into the enchanting world of the mysterious Evernight Academy. It is powerful, enticing and nail biting as it pulls you further into Bianca's world. Biance becomes more of a multidimensional character and although she can be stupid and over the top at times I love the way her character develops over the course of Stargazer and how relationships with other characters form and blossom. Even the minor characters grow in themselves and as they develop an attachment forms to some of them even though they may not hold a crucial role.

The plotline was creative which gave the book a different feel to it and made it a fun read. It wasn't overbearingly descriptive or slow and kept flowing well with plenty of twists, turns and excitement. It wasn't too long and ended at the right point, leaving some suspense and questions to keep you wanting the next book. I cannot wait to get my hands on Hourglass and see what happens in the next chapter of Evernight!

“He’d protect me and shelter me forever. But I was beginning to realize that being sheltered came at a price.”
― Claudia Gray, Stargazer


I rate Stargazer four out of five stars!!

Thursday, 3 January 2013

New Arrivals! (#32)

This weeks' new books help me complete my collection of some incredible series:

Parvana's Promise (Parvana #4) by Deborah Ellis
Skeleton Key (Alex Rider #3) by Anthony Horowitz 
Talon of the Silver Hawk by Raymond E. Feist

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

BLOG TOUR: Interview with Touch of Death Author Kelly Hashway!



I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway for review, needless to say, it was amazing! And even luckier am I that I got to interview Kelly; here are my questions and her answers:


1. What aspect of Touch of Death did you come up with first?
It all started with a lesser-known myth about Medusa and the 13th sign of the zodiac. Jodi's character developed from there, and the story almost wrote itself.

2. Was the whole story line planned out from the beginning, or did you come up with it as you were writing it?
I had 24 pages of planning before I started drafting, but once I began writing, I really didn't use my planning. My characters took the wheel, and I just went along for the ride.

3. Has anything that you have written ever surprised you?
Yes, the climax in Touch of Death was really unexpected. I literally stopped typing and said, "Wow, I didn't see that coming!" I love when that happens.

4. What are your favourite kinds of scenes to write?
It's a tie between intense/kind of creepy action scenes and swoon-worthy kiss scenes.

5. Is there any specific place you need to be or thing you need to do before you write?
No, I can write just about anywhere. (Sometimes even in the shower!)

6. Who was your favourite character to write in Touch of Death?
Jodi, but Alex was a close second. I got to know them both so well, I felt like they were real people.

7. Who/what inspired you to write that character the way that you did?
Jodi sort of came to me on her own, although she and I do share a lot of traits. We're both very accident-prone, have the same birthday, and love our tea and showers scalding hot.

8. What characteristics do you feel are most important to clearly define in your characters?
They have to be real, and to me that means they need to be flawed. No one is perfect, and flaws give everyone character.

9. Are there any aspects of the story line or the character(s) that you would change if you re-wrote Touch of Death?
Not really. My editor, Trisha Wooldridge, had some great suggestions to make the story better, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

10. What can be expected from the sequel (Stalked by Death)?
I don't want to give any spoilers, but I'll just say Jodi hasn't seen anything yet. Things are about to get crazy.

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, and congratulations on Touch of Death :)

Thank you so much for having me!


Kelly Hashway

http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/

LOVE ALL, Swoon Romance, January 2013

TOUCH OF DEATH, Spencer Hill Press, January 15, 2013: 
Pre-order on Amazon or B&N
STALKED BY DEATH, Spencer Hill Press, July 23, 2013
THE MONSTER WITHIN, Spencer Hill Press, April 2014
THE DARKNESS WITHIN, Spencer Hill Press, TBA
INTO THE FIRE, Month9Books, Spring 2014
CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE, Month9Books, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday! (#11)


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:


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

Expected publication date: July 23rd, 2013
Number of Pages: 


Description source: Goodreads

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.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

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I am looking forward to reading Stalked by Death, I really quite enjoyed reading the first book in the series, Touch of Death. Though it sounds as if there is going to be a love triangle, which I'm seriously not too fond of, I still think that Stalked by Death will be great.

What do you think of Stalked by Death?
Have you read Touch of Death (Book One)?

What are you looking forward to reading?

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

2013 Review List!

This is the post where the links for all reviews posted in 2013 will be archived. This post is linked under the reviews tab. All the reviews are listed in alphabetical order according to the authors first name :) 

A -
Alexandra Bracken - (Darkest Minds #1) Darkest Minds
Ally Carter - (Gallagher #5.5, Heist Society #2.5) Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story
Ally Carter - (Heist Society #1) Heist Society
Ally Carter - (Heist Society #2) Uncommon Criminals
Alyson Noel - Art Geeks and Prom Queens
Alyxandra Harvey - (Drake Chronicles #0.1) Corsets and Crossbows
Alyxandra Harvey - (Drake Chronicles #0.5) Lost Girls
Amanda Hocking - (Trylle #1) Switched
Amy Plum - (Revenants #1) Die For Me
Amy Plum - (Revenants #2) Until I Die
Anonymous - Go Ask Alice

B -
Bethany Lopez - Indelible

C -
Claudia Gray - (Evernight #2) Stargazer

D -
Darby Karchut - (The Adventures of Finn MacCullen #1) Finn Finnegan
Debra Driza - (MILA 2.0 #0.5) Origins: The Fire

E -
Elizabeth Norris - (Unravelling #1) Unravelling
Elizabeth Norris - (Unravelling #1.5) Undone

F -

G -
Gabriella Poole - (Darke Academy #1) Secret Lives
Gabriella Poole - (Darke Academy #2) Blood Ties
Gabriella Poole - (Darke Academy #3) Divided Souls
Gabriella Poole - (Darke Academy #4) Lost Souls
Gabrielle Lord - (Conspiracy 365 #1) January

H -
Harvard Lampoon - Nightlight

I -

J -
Jennifer Allis Provost - (The Copper Legacy #1) Copper Girl
Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Every Other Day
John Marsden - Checkers
John Marsden - Staying Alive in Year 5
John Marsden - (Tomorrow Series #1) Tomorrow, When the War Began
Jus Accardo - (Darker Agency #1) Darker Days

K -
Kelly Hashway - (Touch of Death #1) Touch of Death
Kimberly Ann Miller - Triangles

L -
Lisa Amowitz - Breaking Glass

M -
Marcia Lynn McClure - Midnight Masquerade
Marie Lu - (Legend #0.5) Life Before Legend
Marie Lu - (Legend #1) Legend
Melina Marchetta - (Lumatere Chronicles #1) Finnikin of the Rock
M. Malone - (The Alexanders #0.5) Teasing Trent
M. Malone - (The Alexanders #1) One More Day
M. Malone - (The Alexanders #2) The Things I Do For You
M. Malone - (The Alexanders #3) He's The Man

N -

O -

P -
Paige Harbison - New Girl
Patricia Briggs - (Mercy Thompson #1) Moon Called

Q -

R -
Richelle Mead - (Bloodlines #1) Bloodlines
Rick Riordan - (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Kane Chronicles crossover) The Son of Sobek
Rick Riordan - (Heroes of Olympus #3) The Mark of Athena
Ron Koertge - Margaux With an X

S -
Soman Chainani - (The School for Good and Evil #1) The School for Good and Evil

T -
Timothy Miller - Awoken

U -

V -

W -
Will Kostakis - The First Third

X -

Y -

Z -


New Years Resolutions!

As this new year kicks off, what I have to say is that I have a lot in store for Book Savvy; new challenges, giveaways, blog tours and more!

My personal goals for the blog this year are:

1. Post at least three new reviews per week

2. Write some book-to-movie comparisons

3. Post memes much more regularly

4. Tweet links to all my reviews

5. Regularly update the Book Savvy Facebook Page



Monday, 31 December 2012

December Wrap Up Post!

December Reviews:






My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan

The Great Gatenby by John Marsden

Losing Lila (Lila #2) by Sarah Alderson

Fate (Tattoo #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2012 Review List!


Here are all the books I've reviewed this year. They are listed alphabetically by the authors first name. Click on the title if you wish to see the review :)


Our Reviews

A -
Allison Rushby - (Living Blonde #1) Diamonds are a Teen's Best Friend
Allison Rushby - (Living Blonde #2) The Seven Month Itch
Allison Rushby - (Living Blonde #3) How to Date a Millionaire
Ally Carter - (Gallagher Girls #1) I'd Tell You I Love You. But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Ally Carter - (Gallagher Girls #2) Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
Ally Carter - (Gallagher Girls #3) Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover
Ally Carter - (Gallagher Girls #4) Only the Good Spy Young
Ally Carter - (Gallagher Girls #5) Out of Sight, Out of Time
Alyxandra Harvey - (Drake Chronicle #1) My Love Lies Bleeding
Ambelin Kwaymullina - (The Tribe #1) The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf
Angela J. Townsend - Amarok

B -
Becca Fitzpatrick - (Hush, Hush #1) Hush, Hush
Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement

C -
Claudia Gray - (Evernight #1) Evernight
Claudia Gray - Fateful

D -

E -
Elie Wiesel - Night
Elizabeth Eulberg - Prom and Prejudice

F -

G -
George R.R. Martin - (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) Game of Thrones

H -
Hailey Abbott - The Bridesmaid

I -

J -
Jennifer L. Armentrout - (Covenant #0.5) Daimon
Jennifer L. Armentrout - (Covenant #1) Half Blood
Jennifer L. Armentrout - (Lux #0.5) Shadows
Jennifer L. Armentrout - (Lux #1) Obsidian
Jennifer L. Armentrout - (Lux #1) Obsidian
Jennifer L. Armentrout - (Lux #2) Onyx
J. Lynn - (Gamble Brothers #1) Tempting the Best Man
J. Lynn - (Gamble Brothers #2) Tempting the Player
Jennifer Lynn Barnes - (The Squad #1) Perfect Cover
Jennifer Lynn Barnes - (The Squad #2) Killer Spirit
Jennifer Lynn Barnes - (Tattoo #1) Tattoo
Jennifer Lynn Barnes - (Tattoo #2) Fate
John Marsden - The Great Gatenby

K -
Kady Cross - (Steampunk Chronicles #0.5) The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
Kady Cross - (Steampunk Chronicles #1) The Girl in the Steel Corset
Kate Kaynak - (Ganzfield #1) Minder
Kelley Armstrong - (Darkest Powers #1) The Summoning
Kelley Armstrong - (Darkest Powers #2) The Awakening
Kelley Armstrong - (Darkest Powers #3) The Reckoning
Kim Harrison - (Madison Avery Trilogy #1) Once Dead, Twice Shy
Kim Wilkins - (Gina Champion Mysteries #1) Bloodlace

L -
Lia Habel - (Gone with the Respiration #1) Dearly, Departed

M -
Melina Marchetta - On the Jellicoe Road

N -

O -

P -

Q -

R -
Rachel Caine - (Morganville Vampires #1) Glass Houses
Rachel Caine - (Morganville Vampires #12) Black Dawn
Rebecca Lim - (Mercy #1) Mercy
Rebecca Lim - (Mercy #2) Exile
Rebecca Lim - (Mercy #3) Muse
Rick Riordan - (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan - (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) The Sea of Monsters
Rick Riordan - (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) The Titan's Curse

S -
Sarah Alderson - (Fated #1) Fated
Sarah Alderson - (Lila #1) Hunting Lila
Sarah Alderson - (Lila #1.5) Catching Suki
Sarah Alderson - (Lila #2) Losing Lila
Simone Elkeles - (Perfect Chemistry #1) Perfect Chemistry
Simone Elkeles - (Perfect Chemistry #2) Rules of Attraction
Simone Elkeles - (Ruined Trilogy #1) How to Ruin a Summer Vacation
Stephenie Meyer - (Twilight Saga #3.5 - Eclipse Novella) The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

T -
Tahereh Mafi - (Shatter Me #1) Shatter Me

U -

V -
Veronica Roth - (Divergent #1) Divergent
Veronica Roth - (Divergent #2) Insurgent

W -

X -

Y -

Z -


Thursday, 27 December 2012

My Top Ten Covers of 2012

I decided to do a quick post to highlight some incredible book covers. The covers I have selected here are ones that have either been revealed this year, or the book has been published this year.
Here are my favourite book covers from this year:


 .10. Losing Lila

This cover is really eye-catching and bright, it has a great colour scheme that follows perfectly on from the cover of Hunting Lila, plus it is so accurate to the story: showing Lila running. The thing that I love most about this cover is that the title is over the top of the side-mirror of a motorbike, and if you've read this series, you know who that bike is representative of.... Alex! 


The Selection .9.

This cover is gorgeous, the colours really stand out, especially the pink, and the layout of the cover is perfect.  The dresses  are so pretty and gorgeous and I love how the tiara sits above the title. This cover is just so pretty, it really draws you into really wanting to read it.


.8. Fury  

This cover looks as ethereal as its main character! The colour scheme is really quite stark, with really bright at the same time, and with the way the character is looking forward, it seems really promising for the story. It matches perfectly with the rest of the books in the series (which is a big deal to me).Also, it's not shown here, but the way the back of the girls dress fans out over the back cover is so, so beautiful. Plus, who can get past that title font!


Bitter Blood .7.

This cover is both elegant and sinister and is, as all Morganville Vampires covers are, gorgeous! The girl on the front cover is  styled in a slightly old fashioned way, and definitely a dark way. I love that she has a darkly intense expression and looks deep in thought as Claire often is.



.6. Dearly, Beloved

This cover clearly shows that the cover model has a distinct old fashioned style to her. She is definitely elegant in the way she is looking. The designs around the edge create such an intricate framework for the cover, the set out just simply works perfectly all up, as well as in conjunction with the story.


Darkest Minds .5.

This cover shows a real play on colours, the cover models faces shows a real contrast of light and shadows, with the coloured embellishment positioned well , over the temple, to really back up the "Minds" part of the title.The background colours are another source of contrast put together to frame the face in a kind of relief. The girls' expression really works to draw you in, wanting to read the novel just to decipher that look.


.4. Mind Games

This cover is both simple and complex, the main face is simple in the fact that the expression is obviously daring, while all the background images adding a real complexity that could be seen as being slightly creepy. They are like puzzle pieces being fitted together to make something whole. The colours are beautiful and also incredibly mysterious, with the shading adding a darkness, an eerie feeling.

Opal .3.

This cover is dark, mysterious and utterly gorgeous. The cover model are beautiful and fit the descriptions of the two main characters perfectly. One of the most amazing parts of this cover is the nearly completely translucent figure in the background looking on - the Arum. It's creepy  and incredibly intriguing all at once and really makes this cover amazing. Plus, the colour theme of this cover matches the gemstone that the book is named after.


.2.The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

This cover is dangerous, intense, beautiful, dark and haunting all at once, I absolutely love it!. It's so captivating and is originally what drew me to reading this novel, even before I read the blurb. It is, also, such an appropriate cover for the story and has a real wild aspect to it. It is simply incredible!




Apollyon .1.

This cover is just SO damn gorgeous. It's like the flower has justburst to life out of the darkness, smouldering in spite of the background, the way it stands out is amazing. I love how there are sparks coming off of the ends of some of the petals. 
This cover  works so perfectly with the rest of the cover in the book series and really what else can you expect from a JLA book cover, they are all always simply magnificent!

New Arrivals! (#31)

My Christmas Haul!

Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3) by Kiersten White
The Selection by Kiera Cass
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles #2) by Melina Marchetta
Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere #3) by Melina Marchetta
At the Gates of Darkness by Raymond E. Feist
Awakening (WICCA #5) by Cate Tiernan
Elixir (Covenant #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

And this gorgeous Mockingjay pin from the Hunger Games!


And a new ARC!

Finn Finnegan (The Adventures of Finn MacCullen #1) by Darby Karchut

Thank you Spencer Hill Press for the ARC and this awesome swag!