I know. I know it's a Monday and I know you want a SMILE post. I do. But I wanted to write a small New Year's message to you guys. I doubt you'll read this but... oh well!
This is just a thank you. Thank you! THANK YOU! Thank you to each and every one of you who made this year awesome for me. From the publishers who (foolishly) sent me books to read and review. To authors who wrote wonderful, heartbreak, perfect stories (and who I met, hugged and almost fainted at their feet *cough* JK Rowling *cough*) To fellow book bloggers all over the world (but mainly to my fellow UK YA book bloggers) who have always made blogging and reading exciting and fun! And who have, always, welcomed me (and my weirdness) into the blogsphere! Thank you to my friends who have seen me go hyper over the weirdest of books and other things. Thank you to my family who I love beyond words and who have kept me mildly human and having a life away from books (does that even exist?). Thank you to my other half, who I love more than I thought possible and who bribes me with hugs when I getting into a fit of fury when I'm not enjoying a book (try it. It works). And to you, dear reader. Thank you for reading my blog, even when I doubt if my opinion matters.
Basically, am writing this post in this kinda mood...
2012 was a brilliant year. And here's to 2013, an even better year! I hope you have a wonderful New Year as well.
And yes, I will try and keep my blog as weird as possible. Like Mike said in Friends:
Right, who here is a fan of CJ Daugherty? Who is a fan of her Night School series? Who here is excited for the sequel, Legacy? If you are, come here and we can talk.
Over the coming few days, several blogs (mine as well) have joined forces to do a blog tour to get you ready for Legacy. And, because of this, there's a secret. Well, not for long! Who wants to be an Official Member of Night School? If the answer is yes, then the Night School Challenge is for you. Over the course of 14 blog posts, each will have a Secret Word. Find the Secret Word on EACH blog and YOU, my dear reader, are one step closer to being an Official Member. If you are one the lucky few to be selected, you will win special Night School goodies and a chance to hang out with the author herself, CJ Daughterty, in a Google Hangout!
If you're interested, please read all the rules below and GOOD LUCK!!!
Do you have what it takes to face the Night School challenge?
To celebrate the publication of CJ Daugherty’s new book Legacy, she is offering fans of Night School the chance to join Allie and her friends in becoming members of the secret student group Night School. In order to prove you’ve got what it takes to join the highly competitive Night School you will have to distinguish the 14 skills every Night School member should have which will be hidden across the 14 blogs taking part in the tour.
Everyone who successfully completes the challenge will become a Night School member for life and will receive the Night School membership charter andNight School members’ badge as proof of membership, but, because intelligence and speed are two of the most important Night School skills, we will be rewarding those of you who are able to collect and enter the 14 skills in the fastest time. The first ten entrants to correctly enter the 14 skills will win an exclusive members only goodie bag, including: personalised copies of both Legacy and Night School as well as a Night School members material badge which can be sewn onto a book bag or school blazer and a place on an exclusive Google Hangouts chat with CJ Daugherty herself!
Night School Challenge Rules:
Visit 14 book blogs between 3rd – 10th January
Locate and collect 14 Night School Skill words
Return to the Night School Members page to enter your collected skills by 13th January
The entry form will be live from January 10th and will close at midnight on January 13th
If you successfully complete the challenge you will become a Night School member for life – when this happens you will receive a membership charter and Night School members badge to download
The first ten people to receive Night School membership will be rewarded for their speed with an exclusive Night School goodie bag and a place on a Google hangouts chat with CJ Daugherty!
For more information, visit the members page on CJ Daugherty’s website here
HELLO! Did you all have a lovely Christmas and looking forward to the start of 2013? Yeah, well, before you go enjoy another turkey sandwich and get the fireworks ready for New Year, let's get the last Book and Their Theme Songs for this year up and share the music love. Enjoy!
DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHTby Laini Taylor "Come Away To The Water" by Maroon 5and "In My City" by Ellie Goulding
GOD OF THIEVES by Aimee Carter "Catch My Breath" by Kelly Clarkson
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl "Seven Devils" by Florence & The Machine, "Skyfall" by Adele and "Explosions" by Ellie Goulding
THE IRON DAUGHTER by Julie Kagawa "I Can't Make Me" by Butterfly Boucher
CLOCKWORK ANGEL: MANGA by Cassandra Clare "DNA" by Little Mix
GOBLIN FRUIT by Laini Taylor "Bittersweet" by Ellie Goulding
BROKEN by AE Rought "Secret Smile" by Semisonic and "Bittersweet" by Ellie Goulding
DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan "Collide" by Leona Lewis featuring Avicii
BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl "Seven Devils" and "Never Let Me Go" by Florence and the Machine
Where should I put this review? That is the main question am asking myself while I write this review. I know, that is a stupid thing to think, but I am actually thinking this...
So, while I push that question to one side while I write up my review/reaction to Beautiful Darkness, the second book in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Gracia and Margaret Stohl. I'm not sure if I can keep this spoiler-free so, if you are considering or are reading Beautiful Creatures and you don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING!!! (and if you haven't read Beautiful Creatures, click here if you want to read my review...)
Right, now that's out of the way, Beautiful Darkness. After the events of Beautiful Creatures, Ethan thinks he and Lena, the Caster he's in love with, are safe from the events of Lena's sixteen birthday. She wasn't Claimed, but Lena made a choice. A choice so terrible, it's haunts her daily. A choice so terrible, even Ethan doesn't knows about it. And now, Lena is becoming more distance from Ethan and he is terrified of losing her. Losing her to the Dark, and losing her from his life. Now, her seventeen birthday is coming, and Lena has to make a choice. Whatever she decides will have unspeakable consequences. Can Ethan save her in time? And Lena want to be saved?
Am going to be honest with you. While I liked Beautiful Creatures, I much prefer Beautiful Darkness. I think this is because I put so much pressure on myself to like Beautiful Creatures, seeing as I ADORE the movie trailer (see below!). So, when the book didn't met my expectations, I felt a bit let down. Whereas, with Beautiful Darkness, I don't have that pressure. I'm reading it because I want to read it. I want to know what happens next (and because I have the other two books in the series and I am going to read them whether I like this series or not!). Having no pressure to like this book was very liberating! And it actually helped me like the book!
Anyway, Beautiful Darkness. It's darker than Beautiful Creatures (always a good thing, in my humble opinion as this shows depth in the world) and there's not so much world building andexplaining was done to the reader/Ethan. All of that is explained in Beautiful Creatures, so you sink into the story, while the authors add layers to the world of the Casters. New layers, new things to discover, new characters (well, only two, but we get very little on one of them so, technically, one character). And while we're on characters, how I love reading about Amma, Link and Ridley. They, to me, are perfect for the book. Amma and Link seem to ground the book into reality, even though they are in the supernatural world, while Ridley seems to be the book's light relief (as is Link) and gives the book a spunky edge. And with the new character of Liv... what I seem to be saying is that while the book is supernatural, it's very much character-driven.
Also, both Kami and Margaret are clever as they answer some questions most of us asked in book one, while asking new questions that hint towards answers in the next few books, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption.
Now, I do have one or two faults. One of which, I'm not sure if it's a bad thing or something VERY clever from the authors. So, first fault. In the last quatre of the book, there were times when times happened that felt a tiny bit convenient. People would pop up with the right thing or the right information at time when Ethan most needed it... and that felt false at times. Though both Margaret and Kami explained this, I wish that it was more hinted at during the book so it would, to me, feel more real than me going "Huh?"
The second fault is Lena. Again. I know I talked about her in my review of Beautiful Creatures, and I sense from the spoiler-free reviews of Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption that she is going to bother me a bit. But in this book... oh, how ANGRY I got with. I know she is the main female lead and I know that she's only sixteen, but OH MY GOODESS! The number of times I wanted to shake her and the number of times I was cursing her very bad words was ridiculous! I spread a fair amount of time while reading this book HATING Lena! That's right, HATING! With capital letters!
But (now this is where I get a little unstuck with this fault), I think both Margaret and Kami did this on purpose. Now, stick with me on this. For the first quarter of the book, I sympathised with her. I felt Lena's pain and grief over what happened to her in the last book. And then, that vanished with Lena went nuts. Mostly during the Galtin Country Fair chapters, but there was a build up. But it was mostly here with her behaviour and the way she treated people. Because of this, I HATED her. But then, by the end of the book, though I still disliked her for what she did, I kinda understood why Lena behaved the way she did. Maybe even sympathised with her again. So, to have a reader react so physically to a character and their behaviour is one of the main things for an author to do and when a reader does react like this, you know that the character is well written!
While I still don't like Lena Duchannes, I am really surprised on how much I liked this book. And the fact I liked it more than Beautiful Creatures is an added bonus. Now, I wanted to read this before the movie came out (and oh, look. I have!) so, in the next few months, I will reading Beautiful Chaos, the third book in the series. And from what I've heard, this is darker than Beautiful Darkness. And I can not wait!
Tis the season to be jolly! (if we all survived the Mayan Doomsday yesterday).
Anyway, the reason am writing this. I took part in UKYABB Secret Santa this year! Now, I know the giftee is going to open their gifts on Christmas Day (if you're reading this, I do hope you like them!). I, on the other hand, have no will power! So, before I go into this, I want to thank Lynsey for organising UKYABB and to my Secret Santa, Vivienne from Serendipity Reviews.
So... what did I received from my Secret Santa? Well, I got...
A HARDBACK copy of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross and an ARC of Pantomime by Laura Lam!
I am VERY excited over Pantomime! I have been annoying people (the author, editor, bloggers) who have read this for reviews so to get my hands on this - FINALLY - makes me VERY happy! And as for The Girl in the Steel Corset... I know very little about this. I know it's steampunk but that's it. Nothing else. The cover is very eye-catching. All the red and the finger! Have you seen the girl's index finger?!
But this EXACTLY why I signed up to this. I wanted to discover new books. Books I have never heard of or know very little of! If this is happening next year, am so up for it! And I shall be reading both of these in the coming months...
Next week's CHRISTMAS! So, to get you guys in the mood, let's review another Christmas-feel of a book!
While stalking the shelves at his fave bookshop, Dash finds a red moleskin notebook, filled with dares. Curious to see what happens next, he does the dares... Lily doesn't expect anyone to fall for her brother's "lucky-in-love" plan. So when she gets a call, saying someone did her dares and returned to moleskin, Lily is thrilled and surprised.
Slowly, the two use to the book to dare each other all over New York and, while doing so, fall slowly in love with each other. Expect they haven't met. So, will they take the biggest dare and meet face-to-face and will they on-page chemistry exist in real life...
Last year, I read Let It Snow and guest reviewed it for Mountains of Instead. I was sent the copy from my lovely pal in the USA, Sasha. I loved it as it felt like a cup of hot chocolate, perfect for this time of year. And with Jo from Once Upon a Bookcaseletting me read her copy of Boy Meets Boyby David Levithan earlier this year (and making me go "OMG! I LOVE THIS BOOK!"), so when Mira Ink asked if I wanted to read this, I said yes without thinking. I wanted to read more David Levithan and I had high hopes that this will be like more reading Let It Snow...
And I loved this. This is a perfect Christmas read. It was light, fluffy, sugary read and had me smiling while I was reading this, whether I was in bed or on the way to work on the Park and Ride bus. It's a very chick-flick book and with rumours on Twitter that the movie rights to this book have been sold, I am very happy!
This is a Christmas read, which made me lust for snow and want me to return for New York, so I doubt you guys want to read this in, say, the middle of Summer (unless you are a TOTAL Christmas fanatic like Lily), but this is a lovely Xmas read!
I'm sorry this is short review. And I'm sorry that the book's Theme Song is more a Summer song than a winter song, but you know... Sometimes, short things are quite sweet. Plus, aren't you all meant to be doing last minute Christmas shopping? No... just me, then... Of course, I've got all my presents. Of course I have... *rushes off with his credit card* HELP ME!
Is it that time of year again? Yes, my blogger reading chums, Christmas is next week! NEXT WEEK! Am I the only one a little bit scared about this fact? No? Just me... ok. Well, to get you guys in the mood, I am going to read this Free (at the time of writing this review) eNovella, The Christmas Bake Off.
The only reason I discovered this was because another book blogger - Stacey from Pretty Books (Blog & Tumblr) - tweeted that she downloaded this book and my instant thought was The Great British Bake Off and knew I had to download it.
In the small town of Skipley village, Christmas is round the corner. And this means one thing: the Christmas Bake Off! And the whole village is involved... Kate enters the Bake Off as she dreams of baking stardom. Rachel enters to prove that she's more than a stay-at-home mum. John enters to impress the woman he loves. Bea enters just because she enters cooking.
So, when sabotage is discovered, everyone wonders who would go that far?
This is a really fast Christmas read. I read this within half an hour, but it was a fun (and free) Christmas read. And it made me hungry for biscuits, which was good as there was two biscuits recipes so I sense I will be baking in the coming few days... Anyway, I think this will get you ready for the Christmas build up. If not that, then for the food...!
I'm not sure I want to explain the whole "Why is this in The Goddess Legacy in the USA while in the UK, it's released as a separate eNovella?". I tried to explain this on my review for God of Thieves, another eNovella from Aimee Carter, but not sure if I explained it well...
So, The Lovestruck Goddess follows Aphrodite, who finds herself falling for one god but might be forced to marry another by her Daddy, Zeus. So, Aphrodite runs away with the man she loves with a fiery passion, but when he leaves to fulfil his duties, where does this leave Aphrodite...? And, being the goddess of love, how much about love does she really know...?
Like with God of Thieves, I read this very quickly. And it was interesting to read Ava (as she's known in the Goddess Test [and I still haven't read Goddess Interrupted]) point of view so I sense this is more touched upon in Goddess Interrupted and The Goddess Inheritance. And she was one character I did want to know more about while I was reading The Goddess Test so this helped a bit in understanding her.
I have two problems. First, the love story. One of them happens very quickly and I wonder, now am writing this, if Aphrodite is actually in love or lust. Maybe this is me overthinking the story. My second problem is eNovella price but that isn't the author's fault so I will let this slide. This is, again, a fan read (and as I am a fan of the series, this is a good thing for me) so if you love the series and want more, this is perfect for you! If you're new to the series, then I would say read this at your peril as this want hint to the main story (which is a good thing for spoilers) but if you read The Goddess Test after this, you might be a little bit confused over how this is connected to the trilogy.
I "kinda" mentioned this earlier in the week (well, I stole a This Week in YA video... [click here to have a look]). Well, yesterday, Kaleb Nation reveal the cover to his new novel, Harken.
So, my dear readers, reactions. Do you guys like? I'm intrigued over the scales and as I'm trying hard not to read any info about this book... I know, am weird!
I have to admit something. I don't like classic retellings. I'm sorry, but I don't. I usually hear those words and run for the hills, screaming. If it's a retelling from a different character's point of view or a sequel/prequel, then I can take it. But a retelling... no. Sorry, but no.
After reading Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley for my book blogger pal, Emma from Book Angel Booktopia (not read the review? Are you sure you want to read it? ... fine, here's the link), I decided to stay away from all retellings for a while. And I have a few of these in my To Read pile. So, when Amanda from Strange Chemistry emailed and asked if I would be interested in reading an ARC of Broken, I was unsure, but replied saying I was intrigued.
And so, I got the book and when my other half (aka PIW) said I should read this out of the 3 ARCs I have to read before January, I risked it.
After the shocking death of her boyfriend, Emma isn't coping. Six months has passed and she's just as broken now, as she was when Daniel died in her arms. She can't seem to move on. She walked the local cemetery, knowing full well that his body isn't there. When she tries to move on, she meets newcomer Alex Franks. She's intrigued over their instant connection, as if she's known him all her life. He's strangely familiar, from the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks to the way his eyes looks so much like Daniel. And Emma's beginning to live again. Live and fall in love again. But, all the while, a small voice in her head is telling Emma that there is something very, very wrong with Alex Franks...
Now, as I say, this is a classic retelling. Of Frankenstein. But this didn't feel like a retelling. With most retellings, it feels like you had to read the original before the retelling to "get" the story, but with Broken, that feeling didn't come... It was relief. I think we all know the outline of Frankenstein, but it was great not to feel like "You MUST read Mary Shelley before you read this!".
I really liked this book. Yes, I have some teething problems. Ok, let's get them out of the way first. Chapter 1. Yes, the first chapter. I read it and, after finishing it, I went "Huh?" and reread the last page to make sense of it. Was Emma having some kind of mental breakdown in this chapter? My brain couldn't understand it. It took several chapters before I went "Oh! Now I get it now...!". My second issue isn't the author's fault, it's the publisher. I've said this once before (with Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey, if I remember correctly) but here we go again: publishers, DON'T REVEAL TOO MUCH ON YOUR BLURBS! There's info and clues on the blurb which aren't talked/discovered till the last quarter of the book.
Rant over. Now the positive.
This book is slow. I know some of you guys will go "No! No, don't like slow reads" but here, the book's slow pace works. We get this gothic feeling because of it. We get the feeling of foreboding that something's not right with Alex, but we don't know whether to trust this as Emma is still grieving over Daniel. And because of the pace, you take your time to know the characters. Some are more instant than others (for example, Alex's father and Josh...) but it feels rare to have a YA book recently that takes its time with the story and with the answers to questions you ask in the early chapters (though I know some of you will go "The ending felt rushed"... I disagree on this).
Also, the book is very clever. At the start of the book, some of you will go "Oh. They have a connection and they only just met. Twilight, anyone?" but when you get to the end of the book, you go "Oh! OH! That's why! How did I not see that?!" And it has moments of genuine creepiness. Both of these (and oh, Alex and Emma...) will make you turn the pages, speeding forwards towards... now that would be telling.
I know some of you guys won't like this. I get that. But I like this. A lot. I am now very intrigued over what AE Rought will write next for Strange Chemistry...
I've been meaning to write one of these for the past week but I keep getting sidetrack. So, luckily, my pals at This Week in YA have done the job for me! Thanks guys!
Although, there was a few pieces of news that they did touch (as they are Americans and this is UK book news) so, let's get started.
Simon and Schuster UK revealed that they were going to be publish Kami Garcia's new series, The Legion. The first book will be out in autumn 2013 with the second book in the series out same time the following year. Legion follows Kennedy, who after discovering her mother murdered, discovers that she is part of a Legion who sole aim is to defeat a powerful demon. But demons aren't always easy to spot...
The film rights to this series has been bought by Mark Morgan, producer of The Twilight Saga and Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. (No news on if her author buddy, Maragret Stohl, series Icons have a UK publisher but the film rights to this series has been sold to the same people behind the Beautiful Creatures movie. Now, as someone who is slowly entering the Caster Chronicles, the news about Kami is great. But I wanna read both authors series so publishers, please! Don't let me beg...)
Second news is Maureen Johnson. The Queen of Teen 2012 is moving publishers. Hot Key Books will be publishing the last two books in her Shades of London series (The Madness Underneath is still being published by HarperCollins), her debut novel The Keys to the Firebird and her Scarlett series. These will be published over a course of two years and the Shades of London books are rumoured to be released in the UK at the same time as the US. Great to hear we're going to get more Maureen on bookshelves!
And third (and finally) the BBC. Earlier in the year, BBC Two announced that they were going to make a drama based on the award winning novels by Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall and the sequel Bring Out the Bodies (it is rumoured that BBC Two has also got the rights for the finale which is currently being written) and, last night, BBC One aired its conclusion to James Herbert's The Secret of Crickley Hall. But today, BBC One revealed that in the autumn or winter 2013, a six part adaptation of Suzanne Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell will be aired. This book was describled by its publisher, Bloomsbury, when released as the adult Harry Potter. The book is set in alternative 19th Century England where two magicians fight not only against a Napolean army, but each other as well...
And also, JK Rowling announced that BBC One was going to adapted her first adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, and that will be aired in 2014. No other information has been revealed at early stage.
ADDED ON 5TH DECEMBER 2012
Two more news articles popped up and, rather than do another post for them, I'm added them here. So...
While being interviewed about her upcoming movie adaptation, The Host, Stephenie Meyer revealed that she was working on the sequel to The Host. She admitted she wasn't that far along, but revealed nothing (and after the whole Midnight Sun affair, can you blame her?)
Also, it was revealed that Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush has been optioned for a movie. LD Entertainment has bought the film rights to all four books in the Hush Hush Saga, with Patrick Sean Smith (the creator of the TV show, Greek) writing the screenplay for the first movie. Becca admits that this has been in the works for almost a year and she thinks it should translate onto the big screen very easily.
And that's it. No more! I will give you links to you can read the articles in full below. So, guys, reactions? Are you excited about The Casual Vacancy being turned into the TV drama? Have you heard of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell before today? And what about the Kami Garcia and Maureen Johnson?
BBC One Adapts Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (BBC Media Centre)
BBC One Adapts The Casual Vacancy (BBC News and Mugglenet)
Stephenie Meyer Talks about The Host sequel (The Hollywood Reporter)
Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush HushSaga Movie Rights have been Bought (EW)
I'm pretty sure most of you have read this short story. It's one story inthe short story collection, Lips Touch, by Laini Taylor (author of Daughter of Smoke and Boneand its sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight) which has been out in most countries for ages and yet, we in the UK won't get till next year. But, as a taster, Hodder Books has released Goblin Fruit as an eNovella, just to wet our appetites (pardon the pun) and, also, to get us over the shock of Days of Blood and Starlight.
Kizzy wants it all. To look prettier. To be girlfriend of the hot guy in school. To not be involved in her weird family. She wants it all so badly, half her soul is hanging out of her. And this drives goblins crazy. They feed on souls and they want Kizzy's if she's not careful...
Laini's writing style is different in Goblin Fruit compared to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Yes, I know it's because she wrote Goblin Fruit before she wrote Daughter of Smoke and Bone as I get her writing style has changed. And the fact that this was a short story so Laini had to get to the heart of the story quickly, unlike Daughter of Smoke and Bone where she could take her time, makes a bit of difference.
I'm trying to figure out how I feel about this story. While I am excited over more Laini, this story was ok. Just ok. I feel like I'm saying that alot lately, but this was a fast fun read where I was clicking at my Kindle, needing to know how it ended and where the story was going. Afterwards, though... I feel like it was a bit of a candy floss read. Fun and addicted while reading, but once finished, you realise that there wasn't any substance to it...
Maybe I'm being a bit harse. It wouldn't be the first time. I mean, have you guys not read my review/instant reactions to Daughter of Smoke and Bone? But this does wet my appetite for Lip Touch so I will be waiting for Hodder to reveal more info on this in the new year...
I heard rumours that there will be graphic novels of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments coming out (perfect tie in for the upcoming movie that's coming out next year). But it was only recently that I realised that Cassandra's Infernal Devices series were being turned into manga (I believe it was Mundie Moms who filled me in so thank you). So, imagine my surprise when I got a parcel from Atom & Orbit and the manga Clockwork Angel was in it with other goodies. I grabbed this and read quickly.
It is the same plot as Clockwork Angel (my review of this is here). But, for those who aren't familiar with this series, this is what you should know. In Victorian London, American Tessa Gray comes to visit her brother, Nate. But instead of meeting him, she meets the Dark Sisters. Who then take her hostage. So, when she is rescued by Will, she finds herself in a world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders and then, soon afterwards, she finds herself between two best friends. With her heart torn in two directions, Tessa finds out she's more connected to this new world than she first thought...
I don't really want to talk about the story (as I have reviewed the novel before), but I am very pleased how the novel was adapted to become a manga. And for good reason as it was adapted by the author herself. This helped explained how the book kept loyal to the story and kept the essence. This is very important in adaptations, in any form. If you lose the essence of what made a story great in its adaptation, it feels... wrong. Does that make sense?
The art. Now that I do want to talk about. I liked the art, done by (according to the press release) "the phenomenal manga artist HyeKyung Baek". But... yes, I have buts. First of all, Henry. Why was he done like that? WHY?! That's a small thing, as is the "Do all men in manga look similar?"
The main "But" I have with this is the chemistry. This is meant to be a love story, and while the manga did the supernatural side brilliantly, the chemistry was lacking. If this was stretched over several issues, then this would be done and we would, probably, be sick of it. But, as this was only one volume, it felt a little rushed. Maybe I'm putting too much focus on that as Cassandra tackled this brilliantly in the novel, but... I didn't carry over very well.
I think I may be a little harsh. I really enjoyed it (and it was a fast read. Took a few days to read!) and I am itching to see what the manga version of Clockwork Prince is like! And, this is the perfect "Tie Me Over" till the Infernal Devices finale, Clockwork Princess, comes out. I can NOT wait!
PS - just realised that on the cover, Will is doing the Fearless Rune. Now, am such that Clary created that in City in Ashes. She created and Alec almost told his parents that he was gay. Or am I misremembering? Let me know guys!
Earlier today, the author AE Rought unveiled a book trailer for her new YA novel, Broken.
Do you like? I adore the music! I will be reviewing this next week (Thursday, me thinks), but for those of you wanting more info, here is what the publisher, Strange Chemistry, has to say about it... A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry’s boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetary and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.
When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she’s intrigued despite herself. He’s an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely…familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel’s. The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there’s something very wrong with Alex Franks...
Revealed yesterday on Wondrous Reads, the book trailer for the latest Cat Clarke's, Undone, has been unveiled. And, from the trailer, this is going to be Cat's most powerful work to date.
So, guys, reactions? Do you love it or not? I can't wait for the book myself, so this just adds fuel to the fire. Bring on the end of January 2013!
Last year, I reviewed The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (not read it? Here you go!). I enjoyed reading it as it was a sunny read that I read over the summer holidays. That Christmas, I was given the sequels, The Iron Daughter and The Iron Queen. And now, almost a year after receiving the books, I have FINALLY read The Iron Daughter.
After the events of The Iron King and the eNovella, Winter's Passage (here's my review!), half Summer faery princess and half human, Meghan is held prisoner in the Winter faery's court. No one believes her claims that there are Iron Fey. And the only other person who knows about the Iron Fey - Prince Ash - is missing. And when he does appear, he acts all cold and distant towards her, even though they had feelings towards each other. Was he planning her emotions all along? And how can Meghan prove that the Iron Fey do exist as war begins to loom on the horizon...
Now, I am in two minds over this. I do like most of the plot. And the characters - I love Ironhorse in this book. I was very happy when I met Puck and Grimalkin (even though he still reminds me of the Cheshire Cat, but who's very sarcastic) And I enjoyed the introduction of Leanansidhe, though her saying "Darling", "Pet" and "Dove" took a few pages to get use to.
Now, I have one or two problem with this book. It's Meghan and Ash. Their relationship felt flat with me. I think this is because the first 100 or so pages, we had Ash acting all aloof towards Meghan. It kinda put some distance between the reader wanting the two characters to get together. But maybe it's because Julie wanted us to get excited over Puck and his feelings towards Meghan.
However, the other problem I have is Meghan herself. In the first half of the book, Meghan seemed to be either: crying, on the verge of crying or had just cried. I'm sorry, but did Meghan have a character transplant? In The Iron King, Meghan walked into the world of the fey - the Nevernever - to save her brother. She went into a mystical land, inhabitted with strange creatures and killed an faery king made of Iron to save her brother WITHOUT thinking of herself. Here, however, she was in tears. Where's our fearless heroine that made a deal with Ash to go to the Winter Fey's court if he helped her save her brother (hence why she's there. She made a deal!) and not once did she go "I kept my end of the bargain. I should think about leaving/escaping now..."
Also, she seemed to be mostly upset because of Ash's reaction to her. In The Iron King, they fell in love with each other but, in the Winter Court, Ash is acting cold, distant and even aloof to her. But, Meghan, didn't Ash say in Winter's Passage and then again in the start of The Iron Daughter that the winter fey see emotions as weakness and will use them as weapons? Do you think that maybe, JUST maybe, that he's acting like a total jerk to protect you? No...? Oh no, here come the waterworks...
This kept getting repeated for the first half of the book. Once the action kicked in, Meghan was more like the Meghan we met in Iron King.
I think I'm being a little harsh. I read this straight after reading two excellent reads - Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor and Roar & Liv by Veronica Rossi - and when you come away from stories that you love, anything you read almost immediately afterwards will seem a bit... underwhelming.
It's an OK read. I will read The Iron Queen, but if Meghan starts crying again, I will not be held responsible for my actions...
Right, I know this is revealed last week, but we have another Beautiful Creatures trailer and... well... it kick butt! I love it! I am SO dragging my family and friends to this. Sorry everyone I know and love, but you will (hence my plan to read the whole series next year). So, here's the new trailer... and Emma Thompson is AWESOME! Just saying!
Second of all, fans of Blackwood by Gwenda Bond, get excited. News has been released that MTV is developing a TV show based on it. Kelsey Grammar's (Frasier to you and I) production company, Gramnet Prods, will be producing the show with Lionsgate TV and comic book and TV writer Peter Calloway will be writing the pilot. If MTV like the pilot, then we MIGHT get a full blown series!
Now, for those of you who haven't read this (like me), Blackwood follows Miranda and Phillips, two teens with their own troubles. Miranda is a misfit teen from Roanoke Island's most infamous family and Phillips is an exiled teen criminal who can hear the dead. They are forced together when the Lost Colony legend repeats itself. Hundreds of years ago, 114 people vanished without a trace. And it happened again. And one of the new 114 people missing is Miranda's father...
So, earlier today, the trailer of CITY OF BONES was revealed. And everyone got excited. Sadly, I couldn't find the trailer till half an hour ago so my reactions are still kinda raw...
Doesn't this look great? And seeing how filming finished a week ago, this is bloody good. I did have my doubts (I still do on one or two things), but I feel that the movie makers are going to give us everything and from everyone's reactions, all the fans of the books are excited!
Now, to wait till August 2013 (AUGUST?! seriously?)
But guys, what are your reactions? Do you like what you see or left a bit underwhelmed?
I have been aware of Beautiful Creatures since it came out in 2010 (or was it 2009?). I heard the hype and seen the cover (pretty, isn't it?). So why have I not picked it up then? The size. Have you not seen it? It's 563 pages long! And it has TINY writing! It's a scary beast of a book! But I always kinda wanted to read it. So when the trailer for the movie version of Beautiful Creatures was revealed a few months ago (it's at the bottom of this review, FYI), and I thought"This movie looks awesome! I need to get my hands on this series and play catch up!". And when I told people I could find a copy of Beautiful Creatures in my local bookshops, the lovely Sya from Mountains of Instead got me a secondhand copy and sent it to me...
Again, I love being part of the YA book blogging community! Just saying!
So, in the small Southern US town of Gatlin, everyone seems to know everyone's business. They enjoy the reenactments of the American Civil War (or, it's in known in Gatlin, The War Between the States or The War of Northern Aggression). They enjoy going to church every Sunday and have an Us Vs Them to outsiders. And Ethan Wate wants out. Once he's finished school, he's gone. But when a mysterious newcomer, niece of the mysterious Macon Ravenwood, Ethan is instantly attached to Lena Duchannes. He's been seeing her in his dreams for months. But as the pair slowly fall in love, Ethan enters Lena's world. The world of Casters. The world where that sits under the town of Gatlin. The world where, on her sixteenth birthday, Lena's fate is decided. She will go either Light or Dark...
And in the end, there will be grave... The question is whose?
Right, let's get started on how I feel about this. And am going to be honest. I'm not sure. On very much on the fence. I do see the book's pros, but I do see its cons as well.
Ok, let's did with the cons as I think I might rant over these. I think they come down to two points. The length and Lena herself. With the length (563 pages, as I said before), there is so much in this book and yet, there were times the book dragged. I get from most people that this was a problem with them, so I'm not alone, and I completely get other people saying "this is world building" (and I can't fault that! The world building in this book was good and clever). But when the book did drag, I did wonder if these chapters were needed or if the book could have been tightened up a bit...
The second fault I had with Lena "You Don't Understand" Duchannnes. Out of all the female characters in the book, she was kinda weak (though she is fifteen). And if she used the phase (her catchphrase, really) "You don't understand" one more time...
However, this book does have good points! The character development and the world building within this book was really good. And the gothic, Southern feel to the book was wonderful! I loved that! It feel like how I felt a southern town in the United State would feel like. And the writing style - you would never know two people wrote this! Also, the characters. Most of the characters (even Lena up to a point...) were good characters and surprised me. And they have stand-out scene that make me very happy!
One of my fave scenes was when Mrs Lincoln (Ethan's best friend's mother) went toe-to-toe with Lena's uncle, Macon in a Law & Order courtroom-style. That made me so happy as the chapter was built on all the tensions that had affected the book from the very start and hinted dangerously to the end. And then, we have Ridley's scenes... she was always a fun character to read about, as is Link, Ethan's best friend.
I am going to finish the series. Of course I am! I already have Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos and, at the time of writing this, I have preordered Beautiful Redemption. But as the books are so thick (all are around 500 pages), I'm going to take my time over reading them. So, the course of next year and maybe early 2014, you will probably get the rest of the Caster Chronicles. But yeah, I will be very intriguied to see how the movie turns out...
As you guys probably know, Stephenie Meyer has been busy promoting the last Twilight Saga movie, Breaking Dawn: Part Two. But did you know that her adult sci-fi novel, The Host, has been turned into a movie and will be released next year?
Now, I really love this book, so I have high hopes for the movie and the trailer has been released. And it looks more action-driven then love-driven, but I have high hopes. What are your reactions?
Earlier this year, I read (and thorough enjoyed) Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. So when the news came out that a eNovella prequel was going to be released, I was kinda excited. But the UK publisher didn't reveal that they were going to publish this till a few weeks before its UK publication. Hence me going "PREORDER!" then waiting at my kindle...
So, Roar and Liv. This is the story about Roar, who finally finds a home within the tribe of the Tides. His best friend, Perry, is more like a brother to him and Liv, Perry's sister, is the love of Roar's life. But when Liv and Perry's elder brother (and Blood Lord of the Tides), Vale, returns from trading with another tribe and makes a decision that turns Roar and Liv's worlds upside down...
Now, this is very different from Under the Never Sky. There's no Aria in it nor do we see the Perry that we meet in Under the Never Sky. And, also, this didn't feel much like a dystopia novel. This felt more like a love story between Roar and Liv, and see if/how their love will survive after Vale's decision. And the fact that this novella was told from Roar's point of view (and not in third person like Under the Never Sky), made it very different. Instantly, you felt that connection.
If you had read Under the Never Sky, you knew where the relationship goes, but if you haven't, you hope that they will find a way to be together.
The only thing some people will find is that, if you are reading this before Under the Never Sky, that Roar doesn't explain the Aether storms. This is explained in Under the Never Sky (I believe Aria explained it to us...) but it's not explained in Roar and Liv, so I can imagine some people reading this and going "Huh?"
Now, as you guys are probably aware, I do love eNovellas. Not so much a fan of the prices. This was £1.49. While I loved reading this (I had to FORCE myself to read this over several days as I could have so easily read this in one go), I'm not 100% certain most of you guys will buy this on its price. If you're a fan of the series, you would buy it without pausing for thought. If you're new to the series, I would suspect you would pause and think over it before clicking the "Buy" button.
But I loved this eNovella. I really did. I only wish Roar's story was longer as I could have SO EASILY read more about him and Liv (write another eNovella from Roar's point of view, Veronica Rossi! PLEASE!), and the teaser chapters from Through the Ever Night made me very excited. I can not wait to see where Veronica take us next year!
As you guys probably know, I am a huge fan of the comedienne, Miranda Hart. So, when it was revealed earlier in the year that Hodder were going to publish Miranda's novel, Is It Just Me?, I got excited. I spend a good few days trying to figure out if I should beg Hodder for an ARC or buy myself a copy and, if so, should I get the hardback edition or the kindle edition? I REALLY THOUGHT IT THROUGH!
Does this make me kinda sad? If any of you said "Yes", RUDE!
Anyway, Is It Just Me?. Miranda takes a look at life and the struggles we all face (Christmas, Health, Holidays, Beauty, Technology, etc) and ask why isn't there a manual to cope with situations that befall us (like how to flirting while on a bar stool or asking how to drink a cocktail with an umbrella in)? And how does one cope with those situations? While trying to talk to her eighteen year old self (which has high yet completely unrealistic dreams such as being becoming a model, a lacrosse pro and Prime Minister), Miranda tries to explain life and tries to explain how to get over these small
I know that's not the best way to explain it, but unless I use the Amazon summary (which explains nothing really), this is the best I can do.
I loved this! It was gloriously funny! I related to the situations Miranda pointed out and went "Is it just me?". I laughed as she pointed out that Christmas, while all fun and happy, is COMPLETELY stressful. I went "Oh no!" when we talked about technology. And let's not get started on holidays...
I read this going "I wish I could sit down with my eighteen year old self and go 'You're going to be fine'." And I read this either smiling, exploding with laughter or snorting into my mug of tea or coffee. It was one wonderful read.
Yes, I know some of you will go "She's not my cup of tea, humour wise" and that's fine. If she doesn't tickle your funny bone, don't read this. I know a good few comedians that have written books or do DVD standups. I just loved this book. It made me laugh!
And this will tie me over till BBC One start showing the third series of her sitcom. *AM WAITING BBC*. But yes, this was a gloriously funny read and, yes, a guilty pleasure of mine (though, recently, I never go that term... Guilty pleasure. If it was such a guilty thing, why do we admit to it being our guilty pleasure?)
Let's confuse you guys. If you're a fan of Aimee Carter's Goddess Test series, you're probably awaiting the collection of short stories, The Goddess Legacy, to fill the gap before the final book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance. Well, the UK publishers, Mira Ink, decided to split the five stories up and sell them individually on your eReader.
There are five stories in total to choose from. You have Calliope/Hera, Ava/Aphrodite, Persephone, James/Hermes & Hades/Henry. This is the order you're meant to read them in. But seeing as this is me, I won't do that. I have three on my kindle (Ava/Aphrodite, Persephone and James/Hermes - the other two didn't rock my world when I read the summaries on Amazon) and I decide to read them in a random order and before I read Goddess Interrupted (sorry Mira Ink!).
So, God of Thieves follows James/Hermes (I have no idea what to call him!). Now, he likes to cause a bit of trouble. But after what happened to Persephone, the family is mad at James/Hermes. But when two gods just fade, they turn to James/Hermes to find out what happened. Behind Zeus's back, Hermes/James goes down to earth to find out... But will he like what he finds?
I'm not going to lie, I read this while a space of an hour. I didn't expect to read it so fast but I enjoyed reading from James/Hermes's point of view (sorry for the dual names. BLAME AIMEE CARTER! Though... she does explain in this story why the Gods changed their names...) . I always liked him when I read The Goddess Test so I hope he's in Goddess Interrupted (and because I know Persephone features heavily in this, I will read that story quite close to or after I read Goddess Interrupted so I understand her story).
This is very much a fan's read. If you're the fan of the series, this and the other short stories will thrill you no end. I will review the other two stories on my kindle in the next few weeks (no rush!). If you're trying this out to see if you like the series, you might get a tad confused over what's going on...
(Not 100% certain on this but I think the photographer is the same person who did both covers for Myra McEntire's books, Hourglass and Timepiece! YEAH!!!)
Last year, Hodder went gaga over the first book in a trilogy that people were raving about. That was Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I read it (review here, though my feelings have changed a little bit since when I wrote it) and went to the UK launch party (was so much fun!).And it wasn't just Hodder that got excited. The US publisher, Little Brown, were excited. Universal Pictures won the movie rights to the whole trilogy after a huge bidding war (how on EARTH are they going to make these movies is ANYONE'S guess!). And readers went nuts over the world of Karou...
And now, with some hype (but nothing compared to Daughter of Smoke and Bone's), the sequel will be released in a week's time! So, Days of Blood and Starlight. Shall I review it for you?
After the events of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou is missing. Zuzana, Karou best friend in our world, is frantic with worry. Is she with Akiva? Is she ok? Why hasn't she responded to her emails? And will that scumbag known as Karou's ex go away before Zuzana drops a water balloon that might be filled with bladder tea?
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. Once upon a time, they held a wishbone between them. Once upon a time, the wishbone's snap split the world in two...
Now, I had to be be careful what I wrote there because I know there is a fair few of you that would be screaming "NONONO! TELL ME NOTHING!!!" while at the same, hunger for more details. So, it's hard to get the balance right.
Now, I have read other people's reviews of this book and they're split. Some people say this book suffers a little from Second Book Syndrome. Other people disagree and rave about this book. I think it depends on how you view this book. If you put a lot of hype and pressure on a second book in a series like this, it can go one of two ways: it meets your every expectation or it will disappoint you completely.
But I LOVED this book. I think this is because, while I like Daughter of Smoke of Bone, I didn't love it. I think the hype put me off as did the back story as it slowed the whole book down (but, like I said above, my views on Daughter of Smoke and Bone have changed since I wrote and published my review. It's one of those book you have to finish and take time to think about). But with Days of Blood and Starlight... wow. It was addictive reading. I kept trying to read it when I could find time - and I started a new temp job last week so I had to sneak quick reads in my lunch break, on the Park and Ride bus, in bed at a stupid o'clock...
With Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini laid the world of Karou and Akiva out. A real fantasy that we had to make sense of as it felt like the book had taken drugs. But with Days of Blood and Starlight, we got to the meat of the story. What was hinted at in Daughter was there in full force in Days. This is a book about war where no side is the right side. And we see this from several points of views...
And the last 100 or so pages... oh, Laini, you ripped out my heart and left me gasping for air. I can not WAIT to see what you do in the third and final book in this trilogy! I don't know how you are going to top yourself. It's a good thing Hodder is going to publish Lips Touch next year as I need something to get me ready...!
PS - sorry about the Ellie Goulding video. This was the only one I could find that did the sound right and the video wasn't trying to sell you something...
The last Friday of the month means it's time for another Books and Their Theme Songs! For those in know, with most books reviews I write, I have a song at the bottom of the review so you guys hear music that I link and, maybe, show you a song or an artist you might not have heard before.
I like my music. And I like my books. So the two go hand-in-hand for me. Anyway, here's the music for the past 2 months. Enjoy!
DEFIANCE by CJ Redwine "The Weeping Angels (Doctor Who)" by Sam Cushion
DREAM DARK by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl "Seven Devils" by Florence & The Machine
AFTERMATH by Andrea Cremer "Just Be" by Paloma Faith
BOY MEETS BOY by David Levithan "Wow And Flutter" by Amy Smith and the Great Picture Show, "You Can't Say That" by Honey Ryder & "Back To You" by Greg Laswell (featuring Elizabeth Ziman)
THE LOST HERO by Rick Riordan "Playing God" by Paramore
Wanna hear a short scary story? Of course you do, it's Halloween tomorrow. Well, Neil Gaiman has released an short scary story in audiobook form and IT'S FREE! Well, till the end of tomorrow (so, if you want it, GO GET IT NOW!!!). It's free and, every time it gets downloaded via Audible UK or Audible.com, 50p is going to charity. If you download your copy from the UK/Commonwealth store, the charity BookTrust will get the donation. If you download the story from the US store, the charity DonorsChoose.org. But this will only happen till the end of Halloween itself so GO!
If you have missed this, rumour has it that this story will be released in an upcoming anthology called Impossible Monsters, though I can't find proof of this so take this with a pinch of salt.
I'm not going to reveal much about this (yes, I know this is a review!) as it's only 12 minutes long. 2 of them is Neil talking and, oh, his voice! I love his voice. He makes the story have an extra edge of spooky and it's perfect for this time of year. Very atmospheric and almost gothic, and very clever.
What a short yet deceptive tale this is for when the nights get darker sooner...
Me having The Lost Hero on my Kindle is a weird story. One day, after hearing goodness knows how many people on YouTube and Twitter talk about how AMAZING his books are, investigated and found that the first book in each of his series were full priced and yet, the third or last books were £1.99. After questioning this on Twitter (I forget that people READ my tweets), Amazon changed the price of all the first books in his series to £1.99. ACE! Thank you Puffin! Hence me downloading both the first book in the Percy Jackson series, Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, and the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Lost Hero. Several months passed and I haven't read either (Have you not see my To Read piles?!) and, after treating myself to the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Mark of Athena, for a £5 (that's less than a penny per page! And that includes the glossary!), I was going to read this book. You know, guys, I jump into the middle of a series and work backwards. But no, I decided to go back to the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Lost Hero.
When Jason, Piper and Leo go to the Grand Canyon, they have no idea that, within hours, they will appear in Camp Half-Blood, being told that they are demigods and one of their parents is a Greek Gods. Camp Half-Blood is the safest place for a demigod to be. Expect Camp Half-Blood is missing a hero - Percy Jackson - and a scary prophecy. With the three embarking on a dangerous quest, which has to be completed by the winter solstice (which is happening in 4 days!), the three have problems. Jason has happened his memory wiped and keeps calling the gods by their Roman names, not their Greeks and with both Piper and Leo keeping secrets, can the trio succeed?
Am going to be honest: this was a fun and slightly addictive read. Do you know how rare that is? I found myself enjoying clicking through the pages, trying to figure out what happen what's going to happen next. And with Rick writing every two chapters from either Jason, Piper and Leo's point of view, you read the chapters quickly to keep the story going fast-pace and you want to return to your fave character (I liked all of them, but Leo has a place in my heart as he was the book's light relief). Plus, the idea of Greek mythology and Roman mythology clashing together - BRILLIANT idea!
I know some of you true fans will be shocked as Percy's not in this book - THE OUTRAGE!!! But, trust me, it is explained! I promise. It is explained and you guys will then get mad at Rick...
Now, I have to say something before I go on. After I finished The Lost Hero, and tweeted people to say I read it and was excited to read the next book in the series, The Son of Neptune, I made a tiny mistake. I told people on Twitter that The Lost Hero was my first Rick Riordan's book. Oh, the shock on Twitter about this news! Mainly from my booky pals of @wingedreviews, @JeremyWest, @JeffreyWest, @livin_thru_arts & @CassJayTuck. They were SHOCKED that I read The Lost Hero without reading the Percy Jackson series. Guys, if I knew you Percy Jackson's fans were so dedicated...!
Ok, I wanted to read The Lost Hero. I just fancied reading it. No other reason! It was that or Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (I read both in the end! Am still reading Beautiful Creatures at the time of writing this, although by the time you read this, I should be finished and writing/editing my review). And while I read The Lost Hero, there was references to the Percy Jackson's series, but I thought I was fine reading. It was very much "Yes, this war happened, but you don't need to worry about that. Worry about the war you're in the middle of now!" so I was fine reading it.
I did promise them that, before I continued reading the Heroes of Olympus series, I will read Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. So, that will probably be my next Rick Riordan book or The Red Pyramid (as that's the first book in the series that tackles myths for Ancient Egypt [which I'm a sucker for!]). So... yeah... I might be a new fan to Rick Riordan if he keeps the writing and story telling as addictive as it was in The Lost Hero!
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