Meet The Blogger - Cheezyfeet Books

This is third true Meet The Blogger post (and the last for this lovely month of June) and I hope you are liking the previous blogs in this "Series" (is that what we call this? A Series?).

This week's Meet The Blogger is Bella from Cheezyfeet Books! Check her blog out at http://www.cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/!

When did you start blogging?
1st July 2010

What made you start blogging?
I was on amazon, looking for a book to read, and I was coming up blank for something good that I hadn’t already read. I then thought that there must be other teens like me who couldn’t find any new books to read, so I made a blog, which was initially just to recommend to people, and then I was googling other blogs, and I discovered the book blogging community, so I thought I’d start reviewing books too :)

What was the first book you reviewed for your blog and what was your reaction to it?
I think my first book I reviewed was Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston. I really enjoyed the book, but as it was my first review and I wasn’t going to be reviewing books seriously at the time, it wasn’t very good, and I ended up deleting it and then reviewing it again later on after I’d reread it!

When was the first time you realised you were a Book Blogger?
When I first properly started blogging, because I’d had my blog for about 2 months, but I didn’t post very regularly, or when I did, I posted loads. It wasn’t until I’d stumbled across some other blogs like The Story Siren, that I realised there was a whole ‘community’ who were doing just the same thing as what I wanted to be doing, which is when I realised that I could call myself a book blogger.

How much of your time a week do you spend blogging?
Too much of it! I tend to spend an hour on each review, and anywhere between 40 minutes and an hour and a half doing other posts, like memes, or features. Sometimes longer, if it’s an interview or guest post. So, I’d say I spend around 8 or 9 hours a week blogging. And then I spend way too much time on Twitter, talking about blogging and books...

Has your taste in book genres changed since starting the blog?
Definitely. When I first started blogging, I was very much a Twilight fan girl. Not that I’m not anymore, I’m just not as obsessed as I used to be. When I started my blog, all I read was anything that was paranormal romance. It didn’t matter whether it was about vampires or werewolves, faeries or something completely different, I would read it. And then I read The Hunger Games, and became obsessed with dystopian. Now though, I will read mostly anything as long as it is classed as YA, and I’m trying to widen my range of genres, to include everything from paranormal to historical to contemporary.

What book are you reading at the moment?
I’m 100 pages into Passion by Lauren Kate, which is the third book in the Fallen series. I didn’t really like the first book, Fallen, all that much, but the second book Torment was a lot better, and Passion is already very good :)

What book has got you very excited or made you cry?
The Hunger Games! The first book was amazing, it got me excited yet nervous about the reaping, and when I found out Prim had been chosen I felt sick, and then when Katniss volunteered herself I was happy but scared for her. Then in training it was all very exciting, but once in the arena it was terrifying. And then the Rue scene! Oh my gosh, I have never cried so much at a book in my life! Apart from maybe at the end of Mockingjay, but still, The Hunger Games series was one of the most intense emotional rollercoasters I have ever experienced :L

Have you read any book that you disliked so much you threw it across the room?
I didn’t physically throw it across the room, because that would bend the spine or tear the pages (and we can’t have that), but I have hated a book that I had to take it back to the library as soon as possible because I didn’t want it on my bookshelf any longer. What book was it? It was The Fledgling Handbook 101 by PC Cast. I have never been so bored reading a book in my entire life. I skipped out a lot of it, and I the bits I did read I had no interest in. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the House of Night series, but that companion novel was one that I really didn’t need to read. I am so glad I got it out of the library and didn’t spend my own money on it.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part or what to set up a book blog?
Don’t blog for the free books. It really shows in both your reviews and your attitude to blogging. You should only blog if you enjoy the reviewing part of the process, and if reading is your passion. If you are just blogging to get the free books, it really shows, and it makes me sad that there are blogs out there who get so many free books, and then don’t take the time to really think about the book and give it a proper review. Your reviews don’t have to be long, they just need to be well thought out and well written, and written from the heart. Cheesy, I know, but it’s true.

Now, to ask five fun quick-fire questions. What song are you listening to right now?
I’m not! But if I was it would probably be something from P!nk’s I’m Not Dead album :D

MySpace, Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter for people I wish I knew personally, and Facebook for my real life friends and CityVille. And I’ve never actually been on MySpace, nor do I ever intend to.

Hardback, paperbacks or eBooks?
I love my Kindle! :D But, I can’t carry it around because I don’t have a case yet (I really need to buy one), so I have to take paperbacks or hardbacks when I go out. So I prefer a paperback because it’s lighter and easier to read, but hardbacks are prettier and are more satisfying to have on my shelf.

Letters, phone, texting or emailing?
I like emailing (or tweeting) because it’s free :D But I do like long phone conversations :)

Zombies or unicorns?
Never read a unicorn book, so zombies! And they’re cool, they eat people.

GoodRead - Go The F*** To Sleep (Audiobook)

I have no idea how I came across this. I have a sneaky feeling that I read about this on DigitalSpy, saying that Samuel L Jackson was reading this and, because of this, Audible was giving this away from free for a short period of time (still going on - just checked, but I have no idea when it finishes so, if you want it, go now and get it!)

This short audiobook (just under seven minutes and one of those minutes is Samuel explaining why he wanted to read this audiobook, so that makes it under 6) is told for a parent's point of view of trying to put his baby/toddler to sleep. And they're aren't having it. So, the parent getting more and more desperate…

How do I explain this? It's children's bedtime story - for the parents. Oh yes, it's DEFINTELY for adults! Don't ever read or let your children to this, unless you want that awkward conversation of "Mummy/Daddy, what does **** mean?".

Now, I don't know many people with kids, but as I listened to this, I easily thought "Oh, I'm going to be like this when I have a child" or "My parents must have thought this when I was little". I know one or two people (family and friends) who are going to have a baby soon and I thought "Oh no! They have this to come. Should I warn them?"

Now, Samuel L Jackson. Am going to be honest here, when I first heard this news, I thought "Really?" but after listening to the story, I think he was perfect. The further along you get within the story, the more frantic he became on wanting/begging/pleading with the child to go to sleep and I can imagine nearly every mum and dad having this problem and feeling this desperate.

A funny and real story about bedtime for the parents. Oh, look, is it bedtime already…

Pretty Cover Alert (Again!)

This morning, I put a quick post up on the lovely newly-revealed covers of Lisa McMann and Kimberly Derting's novels, DEAD TO YOU and THE LAST ECHO, respectively.

Not wanting to miss out on the action, Cat Clarke revealed the cover for her second novel, TORN, on her blog. And this is it:



It's very similar to her previous cover, ENTANGLED. But it's very blue washed. It similar and yet different. It's growing on me. I love how both covers have the one eye and the mess of hair.

Oh, for those of you who don't know much about this book, here's the blurb from Cat Clarke's website:

The most popular girl in school is dead. Everyone thinks they know the score, but only Alice and her friends know what really happened to golden girl Tara. But Alice starts to doubt her own version of events when, haunted by visions of Tara, she realizes the truth is much, much darker. And she's the only one who wants to uncover it.

But what do you think of this cover? Do you like or dislike the cover? Reactions, please.

Pretty Cover Alert

As you guys know, I love Lisa McMann and I ADORE Kimberly Derting. And yes, I discovered that both authors revealed the covers (and in Kimberly's case, the title of the third Body Finder novel) for their novels, DEAD TO YOU & THE LAST ECHO!

Now, I am very excited. So, let me show you the lush covers and the blurb for them. Ready?


DEAD TO YOU: Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...
Blurb Taken from Goodreads


THE LAST ECHO: Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye....
Blurb Taken from Kimberly Derting's Website

What do you guys think? I LOVE BOTH OF THEM! I can't wait to get my hands on these! Now, I know that Headline are the UK publishers of Kimberly Derting's novels so they SHOULD publish THE LAST ECHO & her stand-alone novel THE PLEDGE *fingers crossed*. As for DEAD TO YOU, I LOVE this cover so will have to get the US edition.

But what do you think?

GoodRead - Tiger's Quest

I am a bit behind on this, seeing as Tiger's Quest has been out since early June. Sorry - real life kept me from sitting down and reading this! And the publisher sent this to me as well - feel a bit guilty.

And it's taken a good few hours (and a mug or two of coffee!) to figure out how to write this without spoiling the story!

So, Tiger's Quest is the second book in the Tiger's Saga. Kelsey returns home to Oregon after the events that happened in Tiger's Curse, and she tries to continue with her life. Expect she can't stop thinking about Ren. She's giving him space to figure out what he wants - but has she do the right thing? After an ambush occurs, she returns to India to continue the prophecy and break the curse?. But can she get the second item to lift the curse, and if she does, what will this mean for her and her tigers?

As I said in my review of Tiger's Curse, this series is for those who love the Twilight Saga. So, if Tiger's Curse is Twilight, then this is New Moon. We see the other side of the love triangle that Kelsey finds herself in (am saying nothing on what happens to Ren in the book. You have to go and find out for yourself…). Kishan is very different and similar to Ren so it's not hard to like him - he's more impulsive than Ren, who thinks things through. And with some people, this will be much more fun character to read about rather than the carefully Ren who likes to hear Kelsey read Shakespeare.

With me, I like both. Kishan was a fun character, but there were times I thought he was a bit too much. He pushes his luck a bit too much with Kelsey and I know some people will not like that "forwardness" of his. But as we don't see much of Ren in this story, we can only compare to what we read in Tiger's Curse. And because the characters

So, yeah, this book will definitely start the divide of Team Ren and Team Kishan. I think I will need to read book three in the saga, Tiger's Voyage, and see the three of them together and interacting to make up my view, but I think I am leaning a little more to one side than the other. But with the twist that Colleen threw at us at the end of Tiger's Quest, it could go either way! And that makes it more interesting! While reading Twilight, I always suspected that Bella would choose Edward over Jacob, but here, either boys could win Kelsey's heart… Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen!

The story itself. It was such a nice change to go back to America. I think the story had to go back to the USA before it could continue. We need a sense of normality before we're thrown back into the dangers of what Kelsey has to do. And, because this, you rush through the pages and then, once you get your head round it, you read (and sometimes reread pages) to see what happens next…

Am still saying that if you are a TwiHard or a lover of Stephenie Meyer, you need to get into this series! And I will wait on baited breath to see what happens next in the series (Tiger's Voyage is out in November this year - so no long wait…)

A Monday Laugh!

Thanks to the Person I'm With for showing me this video! It's brilliant!

Be warned, there is some adult language. You have been warned. But, as it's a Monday, I will let this use slide. For now...

GoodRead - Kisscut (Audiobook)

I've known about this book and this author, Karen Slaughter, for quite some time. I was fiirst aware of this book one holiday at Center Parcs and I had nothing to read. I was torn between this and Terry Pratchett's Night Watch. Bought Terry Pratchett - and I never finished the book. But I always wondered if I would like this book...

So, on a random impulse, I bought the audiobook and listen to it while I was at work. Maybe not my busy idea seeing as the story tackles some dark subject matter.

Kisscut starts with a shock. A teenager girl pointing a gun at a young man in a skating rink car park. Detective Jeffrey Tolliver has to shoot her to save his life, but when the events that unfold from this event are more terrifying than what he or Sara Linton (the town's medical examiner and paediatrician) could possible imagine.

And while this is, police officer Lena Adams is still trying to come to terms with the events that happened to her in the previous novel, Blindsighted. But can she?

Now, this is an adult crime novel - and I love reading and listening to crime stories. I wouldn't call it my guilty pleasure, but I do like a good crime story to get my teeth in. And this is very adult, not because of the use of language but because of how dark this story got. What started as a teenager with a girl turns into a dark, twisted story of child abuse and areas where I usually start away from when I choose to read books.

Now, I thought this was a really good crime book. Crime novels need to make me feel uncomfortable and squirm in my chair a little bit and Kisscut did. After finishing the audiobook, I was so freaked out by it, I had to listen to a ton of Florence and the Machine to calm my heart-rate down!

And as for the reader, Patricia Kalember, she caught the story perfectly. She got the accent right and not once did I go "She's bored reading this story". I loved her voice while listening to this story and the fact that she doesn't do any other Karin Slaughter audiobooks make me a bit sad. I can't imagine anyone else reading these stories but her.

So, if you like your crime dark and will make you uncomfortable (this book is NOT for the faint-hearted), this book is you, although with Lena Adams story, you will need to read Blindsighted to know what's going on, but you get the idea pretty quick.

PotterMore Is...

Was your theory right? Well, I was wrong.

Just LITERALLY seen the video and am reading articles from the BBC, The Guardian (that has two articles, both very interesting - here and here) My Favourite Books (go there! They have a press release and TONS of details!) and a few other places so, from what I can gathering is this:

1. It's the ONLY place to get eBooks and digital audiobooks of all Harry Potter books.
2. It will give further information that didn't appear in the books (ie the time Professor McGonagall fell in love with a a Muggle as a young woman)
3. It's an Online Game where you go to Hogwarts, get sorted, get a wand and get points for your House. So you "interactive" with events that happen in the series.
4. JK Rowling will pop up every now and then to play and chat.

The site - PotterMore.com - will be open on the 31st July (Harry's & JK's birthdays) so you can register (some lucky people will win the chance to play with site EARLY) before it OFFICIALLY opens in October.

So, reactions! Do you like this or are you feeling a bit deflated? Is this a wonderful idea or was it a case of (as Sya from Mountains of Instead called it) Harry Potter and the AntiClimax?

Meet The Blogger - Thirst4Fiction

Welcome to my second Meet The Blogger blogpost! So glad you can join us. Last week, we had Laura from SisterSpooky. This week, Rhys from Thirst4Fiction is answering my questions! Please check out his blog - http://www.thirstforfiction.com/ and show him some love!

When did you start blogging?
[LONG ANECDOTE ALERT!] I only consider myself to have blogged in the last year or so, even though I've been doing book reviews and running ThirstforFiction in various incarnations before that. The reason is, that back in mid 2009, I had this wonderful idea to create a website where I could post reviews of all the books I'd read as a sort of catalogue or database. This website came to be, under the name of Teen-BookReviews (cruddy name, I know!) and I would update it every time I read a book with a short and badly written review. Then, in late 2009, I decided I wanted to re-brand Teen-BookReviews, make it more appealing and just devote more time to it. Which is what I did- I moved to a self-hosted Joomla site, and Teen-BookReviews came to be ThirstforFiction, which is far more appealing, at least in my opinion. But even then, I still didn't consider myself to be "blogging"- at that point, I didn't even realise that there was a huge YA Book Blogosphere! It was only in early 2010, when Headline Publishing Group contacted me and offered my my very first review copy (the wonderful Lex Trent Vs the Gods if you wanted to know!) that I tightened up and made T4F something regular. So, really, I only really think I've properly blogged for just over a year.

What made you start blogging?
The fact that I read so many books I thought I might as well unleash my opinions unto the world.

What was the first book you reviewed for your blog and what was your reaction to it?
Oooh. Now, this is hard. *checks archives* The reason this is difficult to say is because my very early reviews were so bad I didn't bother moving them in the move from Teen-BookReviews to ThirstforFiction, so they have been lost forever....
But, the what must have been one of my first reviews was of Artemis Fowl. The review you see now is a revamped version of the original two-paragraph review, though it isn't much better; it may be longer but it's still filled with writing constipation! It's a gushy review of a wonderful book, I'm pleased to say.

When was the first time you realised you were a Book Blogger?
Again - I'd say early 2010. Maybe March.

How much of your time a week do you spend blogging?
Too much (though really, there is never really too much time spent blogging!) I'd say about an hour a day, not including reading time.

Has your taste in book genres changed since starting the blog?
I wouldn't consider my tastes to have changed, just that I've discovered the range of my tastes. Back in the early days I was pretty narrow minded, but with publishers offering me books that I may not normally read, my taste of genre has increased quite exponentially. This is one of the biggest benefits of blogging: discovering new (fantastic) books you wouldn't normally come across, let alone read.

What book are you reading at the moment?
Pure, by Julianna Baggott. It's a post-apocalyptic novel based several years after somesort of destructive force (possibly a nuclear disaster), where a select group of people where chosen to be protected and live in the Dome and be "pure" while the rest were exposed to the blast, where their bodies fused with items and other people. The dome concept has been overused in sci-fi, but Pure is a fantastic novel, and the writing is really spectacular and really worth reading. It paints some great pictures.

What book has got you very excited or made you cry?
There are too many to list, but I'll be really cheeky and plug T4F; if you want to see all the books that I consider Must Reads, just click here.
Some of those made me cry (Looking For Alaska, Between Shades of Gray) while others are just pure awesome (Mortal Engines, I Am Not A Serial Killer, The Midnight Charter)

Have you read any book that you disliked so much you threw it across the room?
No; I would never treat a book that badly! xD I normally just wait it out and hope the book improves. I'm not really the angry/violent type...

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part or what to set up a book blog?
Just Do It.
But, most importantly, just be part of the community- I spent so long not knowing there was such a wonderful book blogging community, I don't know how I survived. Chatting to other bloggers and authors over Twitter, as well as just reading other people's reviews is awesome, and well worth doing.

Now, to ask five fun quick-fire questions. What song are you listening to right now?
The Edge of Glory by Lady GaGa...(don't confuse me for one of her "little monsters"- I just particularly like that song!)

MySpace, Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook and Twitter. Facebook for real life stuff, Twitter for blogging.

Hardback, paperbacks or eBooks?
Hardback and Paperback.

Letters, phone, texting or emailing?
All three, though phoning is my least favourite- it just feels weird having meaningful conversations with another person if you can't read their body language. Letters can be romantic, texting is good for sorting stuff out and emailing is just easy...

Zombies or unicorns?
Neither.

GoodRead - The Unremarkable Heart

Before I go any further, I must state this. This is a very clever marketing ploy. For less than a pound (when I got this, it was 40-odd pence but it was retail priced of 80-odd price), you get a exclusive short story (that only seems available in the UK as a eBook, according to Karin Slaughter's website) and you get a taster of Broken (her new paperback) and Fallen (her new hardback).

So, what is The Unremarkable Heart all about?

June is dying. She has lung cancer and today, she knows that she will die. But instead of resting, she can't help thinking about the past and her mistakes. But there's something bothering her… but if the truth is revealed, doesn't she honestly want to hear it before she leaves this life? Sometimes, secrets shouldn't be taken to the grave…

This story takes about 58% of the download, and it was a nice introduction to Karen Slaughter's writing. It's a standalone so you don't need to read any of her books before. And she's brave enough to write a character that, at first, is cold and completely unlikeable but, as the story goes forward, we slowly being to understand why she is the way she is.

And this story has a huge sense of dread and darkness. We know how this story is going to end (we get that from the first sentence), but it's the journey to get to that point that was interesting. And when the twist is revealed, it is a shock and then … it ends. It just ends. And we all know why…

And now, the teasers (aka the first chapter) for Broken and Fallen. Now, I haven't read any of Karin Slaughter's books (though I've always been interested in Kisscut - which will be my next audiobook, funnily enough), so am saying what got me excited. Broken didn't grab my attention. I'm not sure if it's because it wasn't exciting enough to hold my attention or because I was half-watching Home And Away. Fallen, on the other hand, held my attention. And I could easily read this by the pool on a summer holiday. There has an exciting hook about it which makes this an exciting read.

As a taster to introduces you to Karin Slaughter, this is a good way to get into. It's not outstanding, but I suspect it's the tip of the iceberg.

GoodRead - What To Do When Someone Dies (Audiobook)

When Ellie is told that her husband, Greg, has died in a terrible car accident, she can't believe it. Nor can she believe that there was a woman in the car with him when it drove off the road and burst into flames. She wasn't anyone from the office so who was she? And what was she doing in Greg's car? And why was Greg at that part of London in the first place? It makes no sense!

As Ellie slowly grieves for her husband, she starts to hear rumours that Greg was having an affair. Not possible. Ellie would have known… wouldn't she? As she searches for clues on an affair that might have happened, Ellie begins to wonder what if they weren't having an affair. If they weren't having an affair, then why was Milena Livingstone in the same car as her husband…? Is Ellie going mad with grief or is there something more sinister happening?

I downloaded this on a impulse after hearing the teaser for it on iTunes and on Audible.co.uk and thought "A crime story about grief. Should be dark and interesting."

Oh, how wrong I was.

Ok, I hate writing bad reviews and this isn't really a bad review. It's one of those reviews where I can see more bad points than good. And this is my first Nicci French story to investigate - I know there are better out there like Secret Smile or The Safe House, but this was a audiobook and sounded interesting.

It was a slow paced story about a woman slowly coming to terms with the death of her husband and facing the possible that he wasn't completely in love with her. That I liked. The slow wondering of it all. And once the story got its rear in gear (about the last 4 hours of the ten hour audiobook), it seemed to hold my attention more.

But at the start of the story… once we get over the first few chapters, it's seems a bit odd. The main character Ellie is in shock and grieving, I get that, but it just becomes hard work to connect to her and her grief. A character later on in the story said "you don't make it easy for people to help you." and this is true. How are we meant to relate and sympathise with Ellie if she was such hard work?

And there were a few situations which happened to Ellie and I thought "Oh, this isn't going to end well", and in these cases, I shouldn't have thought of that. I should have thought "Don't do it, you stupid woman!" and worried about her safety. But I didn't. I guess in this part of the story, I should have gone "is she going mad?" And I think that's how the story should have been portrayed. Not as a crime thriller, but a thriller on paranoia. And they could have, on so many occasions, made us question Ellie's sanity. If they did, it kinda fell flat.

But the main problem with this, and I'm pretty sure I have stated this in the past, is the reader of the audiobook. You can have one of three readers. One that you instantly click with, the second where his/her voice grows on you as the story slowly unfolds or the reader that you don't like listening to. Tania Rodrigues, the reader for this audiobook, fell into the third section because she sounded BORED OUT OF HER MIND! If this is her portraying grief, then it didn't work! I have gone through grief and I never sounded bored out of my skull. But she did and because of this tone, I couldn't relate to her. It was hard work to sit and enjoy her voice.

So, as a whole, not really a fan of this audiobook. Next time, if I do return to Nicci French, maybe I will try one of their (Nicci French is a husband-wife duo) earlier novels.

The Owls Are Gathering...

So, what is Pottermore? Suggestions, ladies and gentlemen.

Because, by midday tomorrow, we should know what Pottermore is... Go to either Pottermore.com or YouTube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces to find out (Quick thanks to Potter-Lovers Tumblr for the Above Graphic).

Now, to past the time for this mysterious news, here's the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. Enjoy!

Is It Just Me...

Is it just me or is the model used on the front of the UK cover of "The Name Of The Star" look frightening like the author herself, Maureen Johnson?




See? They look SO SIMILAR! (can't wait to read this - my first EVER Maureen Johnson novel [secret Twitter stalker of hers!]. It's out at the end of September this year, for those of you wondering...)

I Hate Mondays!

Like to thank GIFMeThat's tumblr!

GoodRead - A Discovery of Witches (Audiobook)

I got this audiobook FREE via a special offer from a podcast I listen to, Answer Me This (the offer has ended now, curse it!) and, after thinking it over (it was between this, The Land of the Painted Caves by Jean M Auel or Kisscut by Karen Slaughter), I plumped for this audiobook. So, thanks Answer Me This for the freebie! :D

Now, the story in question. When Diana Bishop discovers an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, she has no idea how important it is. So when she returns the manuscript back "to the stacks", she suddenly becomes the centre of attention for witches, vampires and daemons. The world she tried so desperately to hide from since the deaths of her parents has come crashing back into her life. One of the creatures that is watching her is Matthew Clairmont, a vampire geneticist who has been searching for the manuscript for over a century. As the two work together to find the manuscript and discover why witches, vampires and daemons want it badly, the two grow closer together. But what will be the price for this dangerous liaison?

Now, I have seen reviews saying that this is the adult Harry Potter or the adult Twilight. I'm not sure if I would go that far with these comparisons, but I can see why people are saying that.

The novel has layers, has rich textures and revealed itself in a slow pace, which is a nice change from reading books where things are explained with the first 10 chapters. Also, this book took a step away from normal myths of vampires, witches and daemons as several of the characters, including Diana and Matthew were smart. They worked in universities and they didn't apologised for it, and that was a good thing. To read characters that are smart and were very "This is who I am and I'm not going to apologise about working hard to get here." was a refreshing change from reading characters that had self-doubt all the time. These characters had doubts but didn't let them get in the way I can see some YA readers wanting to read this and loving this book (there was practically no cuss words so you won't have to worry about bad language if that bothers you).

And Oxford! Now, I've never been to Oxford, but I have always loved books set in Oxford (you can blame Philip Pullman and His Dark Materials for that!) so when I knew part of the story was set in Oxford, I got excited. It doesn't stay there, but Oxford does take most of the story, and because of that, I felt happy and snug with feeling that magic and science fit together in this one place. One day, I will go to Oxford… one day…

However, the main problem I have with this is the length. The audiobook is just under 24 hours (this is long but Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is around 29 hours, just to compare) and, because of that length, there was time I was listening to the story going "Is that really important to the plot?" and "Is this going anyway because this is SO SLOW! Where was the editor?!". And then, when I was halfway through part 3 (the audiobook came down in 3 parts because Audible said it would be easier to download), I discovered that this was the first book in a trilogy. And, for the first time in discovering a book was the first book in a series/trilogy, I was quite disappointed. I honestly thought that everything would be explained and resolved, but the fact that this was a trilogy meant I found it hard to imagine myself reading/listening book 2 or 3 in this trilogy (the trilogy's name is "All Souls") if it kept this pace up, and I know there are people out there that like the plot to move quickly and swiftly, not being slow and taking its time.

A small thing that bugged me was the amount of wine that the main two characters drunk. Yes, I get why wine was used a lot within the story, but it still seemed a stupid amount! I know it's a small thing but it just got to me after a few hours listening, going "oh, they've opened ANOTHER bottle of red.". It was either that or Diana's obsession of having cups of tea. Now, I love a good cuppa myself, but it felt weirdly like all this woman drunk was tea or wine! I think there was two or maybe three occasions that I can remember that she had a glass of water, but it was always tea or wine. No one surely drinks that!

So, with me, I liked the story. But didn't love it. And because of that, I will keep an eye out for the second book in the trilogy, but I won't be rushing out to get myself a copy.

Divergent's Book 2 Title Reveal!

Now, yesterday, while the world exploded with the news of JK Rowling and her mysterious PotterMore (the truth about it will be revealed in 6 days time - click here for PotterMore's website, Twitter and the countdown!), Veronica Roth released the second title to her Divergent trilogy.

Now, as you guys know, I LOVE Divergent and I believe that this trilogy is a MUST READ to all Hunger Games fans so discovering Veronica Roth revealed the title got me very excited!

Ready? Book 2 in the trilogy will be called...




Do you like? I LOVE IT! It fits perfectly for what happened at the end of Divergent and might happen next.

If you want to read Veronica's blog post about the reveal, click here! Now GIVE ME THIS BOOK!!!

Meet The Blogger - SisterSpooky

Welcome to the first, official MEET THE BLOGGER and, choosing randomly from the a group of answers I have, this are the answers from Laura aka SisterSpooky! Please check her blog out! Go to http://sisterspookybookfangirl.blogspot.com/ and enjoy! But not before you read her answers...

When did you start blogging?
I started book blogging for real (like as in actually posting anything) the start of this year but i’ve been a blogger since I was about 14/15 ish.

What made you start blogging?
I started using Livejournal and one of my friend’s had a code so I could join (I think back then you had to have an invite code) so I joined and mainly used it to post those stupid quiz results that now drive me potty but then used it like a diary to vent etc.

What was the first book you reviewed for your blog and what was your reaction to it?
The 1st book I officially reviewed was Beastily by Alex Finn. I liked it and enjoyed the retelling and it was literally the book I was reading at the time so I posted a review.

When was the first time you realised you were a Book Blogger?
I think I’d always been a book person and a blogger for years so I just decided to have a separate dedicated blog for book stuff. I think in a way the 1st time I felt like a book blogger was when I had author reblog my review or reply a thank you. Never gets old!

How much of your time a week do you spend blogging?
Probably not as much as I should! I tend to spend maybe a few hours a week writing reviews or IMM posts etc but then also a lot of time I’m reading so I post reviews or thinking of things to do on the blog even if it’s just chatting with other bloggers. I’d say at least and 1hr or so a day.

Has your taste in book genres changed since starting the blog?
Not really! I’m a hard care YA fan but I feel like I’m trying to make more of an effort to find non YA books and YA books that are more topical or issue based rather than fantasy or sci-fi based.

What book are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading ‘One Seriously Messed-up Week in the Otherwise Mundane & Uneventful Life of Jack Samsonite’ by Tom Clempson and ‘The Princess Bride’ by William Goldman

What book has got you very excited or made you cry?
The first book that made me cry was probably The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman but I must be getting old cause it seems like every other book is making me well up with tears! I got VERY excited over the last Vampire Academy book because I adore that series with a passion

Have you read any book that you disliked so much you threw it across the room?
I have really not liked some books or disliked what was happening at certain points but don’t think i’ve even thrown a book. I’ve closed books very quickly and backed away when they’ve freaked me out or I was so shocked I couldn’t face to read more!

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part or what to set up a book blog?
Just do it! Set up a basic blog, have a look at blogs or bloggers you admire or enjoy reading and see how they do it. Don’t take on loads of features to start with because it’s too much pressure. I’d say maybe read and write reviews and have a few “stock piled” before you start posting so you have some on the go to beginning with. Put your own personality into your reviews and blogs because it’s the individuality that will make your blog stand out.

Now, to ask five fun quick-fire questions. What song are you listening to right now?
Division Street by Thursday. (woo for post hardcore emo)

MySpace, Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter!!!!!

Hardback, paperbacks or eBooks?
PAPERBACKS! I like my Hardbacks too but I can’t deal with ebooks.

Letters, phone, texting or emailing?
That’s harder.....probably texts but i LOOOOOOVE getting post in my mailbox

Zombies or unicorns?
ZOMBIE UNICORNS!

Meet The Blogger

Meet The Blogger is an idea I had a few weeks ago, where bloggers from all over the blogsphere answer some questions about blogging, what's it like to blog and random questions. After asking some bloggers - peeps I know and some who wanted to get involved - am going to do this. It will take place EVERY THURSDAY from now till I run out!

So, just to warm up (and just because), I decided to interview myself with these questions. I hope you like and I hope you return on Thursday to see the first OFFICIAL Meet The Blogger post!

When did you start blogging?
Just checked. My first blog post was on 19th August 2009.

What made you start blogging?
I can't really remember. I think it was to write about books and, also, to show off my writing. But then, the reading and reviewing took over.

What was the first book you reviewed for your blog and what was your reaction to it?
Just checked. It was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

When was the first time you realised you were a Book Blogger?
I have no idea. I still feel like I'm acting as a Book Blogger. I was asked to go to Atom Books Blogger Event, which was cool. But I felt like I was conning people. I think it was after that when Atom actually sent my copies of books to review. I tweeted in shock and people were going "Well, you are a book blogger!". I think it was then that I thought, "Ok, so I'm a book blogger".

How much of your time a week do you spend blogging?
It depends. Some times, it's not long. But other times, it takes ages! But what's interesting is how I've changed my thinking. I seem to constantly be thinking "That would be cool for the blog!"

Has your taste in book genres changed since starting the blog?
I think I have become a bit brave with my reading now. I still read YA and sometimes adult novels (mostly crime). But I'm braver in trying new authors and tackling issues I would stay away from. Also, with publishers sending me books I wouldnd't normally have chosen for myself, it's opening my eyes to new ideas.

What book are you reading at the moment?
At the moment, am reading Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck, rereading Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling for a possible blog idea and am listening to the audiobook of A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

What book has got you very excited or made you cry?
I have never cried while reading a book. It's the same with laughing. Books I get excited over... Too many to mention! I do a happy dance every time I get a book sent to me!

Have you read any book that you disliked so much you threw it across the room?
YES! Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwall. I got to chapter 10 before I snapped. She used the word "says" every time someone spoke! But, saying that, because of that book, I discovered Kathy Reichs and I class her as one of my favourite crime writers.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part or what to set up a book blog?
DO IT! Be brave and do it! Also, be open to new ideas and chat to other bloggers. They are ALWAYS so helpful with ideas and questions you have! Also, if you're going to write a bad review of a book, be CONSTRUCTIVE! Don't just bad-mouth it!

Now, to ask five fun quick-fire questions. What song are you listening to right now?
"Monster" by Paramore.

MySpace, Facebook or Twitter?
Hmm... Facebook or Twitter... (never had a mySpace account). I like Twitter because it's fast and fun, but I like Facebook because of family and friends.

Hardback, paperbacks or eBooks?
Depends on the mood. I just got an Kindle so will slowly join the eBook side soon. But I like paperbacks. There's something nice about a battered paperback that shows that people have read and loved the story.

Letters, phone, texting or emailing?
er... Texting, though I do email a ton. I hate phoning people and it's rare I write a letter.

Zombies or unicorns?
I asked this question because I didn't want to ask whether people were Team Vampire or Werewolf. Plus, it's more interesting, this question. Am Unicorn, BTW. I fear the day when a Zombie-Unicorn Hybrid is created. Or, worse, when a Vampire-Unicorn comes into the fight...

Which Way To Go...?

Found this on Fell From Fiction tumblr, so thanks! :)

GoodRead - Summer's Crossing

As some of you guys knows, I haven't read the Iron Fey trilogy by Julie Kagawa. I do have a copy of the first book - The Iron King - but this keeps getting pushed further and further down in my ToBeRead pile - but I had the first eBook Winter Passage (the story between book 1 and 2) and I read that, liking it quite a bit.

So, Summer's Crossing. This story comes after the third book in the series - The Iron Queen - and the newly-revealed fourth book, The Iron Knight. So, if you have read the first three books, this is a bridge between the Iron Queen and the Iron Knight.

Summer's Crossing is a story told from Puck's point of view and, with the Winter Prince Ash, they must granted one last favor (fairies are BIG on their favors) forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help — into the heart of the Summer Court. And, with this, Puck faces the ultimate choice — betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help the Winter Prince - his frienemy - pull off the biggest deception he will ever pull...?

Now, after the whole drama of trying to get the story onto my Kindle (and I have to thank Matt from Teen Librarian for a lot of help on that front!), it took a while to get my head round all the characters. But seeing as I haven't read the rest of the books in the series, that's understandable. But once the story got going, it became interesting.

But, I didn't connect with it. It was the last chapter which laid down the fountains for the Iron Knight, that held my attention. Now, I know that this series has bases in Shakespeare plays, but this ending with a Shakespeare play that I studied in school and quite like. So, for this, I would be interested to read Iron Knight. But, saying that, after reading Winter's Passage, I wanted to read the following book, The Iron Daughter.

But I think I prefer Winter's Passage, but I do want to read Iron Knight. Anyone know when that's out in the UK?

Breaking Dawn: Part One Teaser Trailer

As some of you guys know, the teaser trailer for BREAKING DAWN: PART ONE was revealed to the world last night. (Not going to write up the teaser poster for BREAKING DAWN. Nothing exciting about it...) So, if you are a Bella, Edward or Jacob fan, have you seen the trailer?



Reactions? I'm surprised but I quite like it. I don't love the lingering shots but, apart from that, there's good vibes coming off this. *fingers crossed*

PS - I have heard rumours that if you're paying close attention, you might see the author, Stephenie Meyer, and scriptwriter of the films, Melissa Rosenberg, in this trailer...

Smile On A Monday

It's a Monday and we all need a smile on a Monday, don't we?

Expelliarmus!!!

Thank you GIFmethat! Your GIFs always make me smile...!

GoodRead - Reunion

After reading the amazing Tiger's Curse and wanting some fast to read to past the time till I can get my heands on its sequel, Tiger's Quest or whatever I decide to read next (got no idea at the moment), Sarah from Feeling Fictional tweeted about a free ebook and, seeing as I want to test out my Kindle with some fun stuff from authors I've never read before, I downloaded Reunion and started skimming through it.

After becoming the Law Keeper for the Venia bloodline, Marise doesn’t want to return home but duty returns her to investigate the attempt on her lord’s life. But after she discovers that her only source of information is a guard who was mortally wounded during the attack, a guard who turns out to be the man who broke her heart fifty years ago...

Reunion is, as I have just discovered, the 6th book in the Vampire Realms (a paranormal romantic serie)s so there were one or two things that were touched upon that happened in the previous books within the series.

This was a fast and slightly fun read (with one sexy scene which took up one whole chapter out of the eight), but it still had its moments of "Hang on, what?"

One of the problems I had was this was there were times I wondered which this book was. A vampire story or a romantic story. Because it never felt like it made up its mind one way or the other. I felt that the two sides of this story never mixed together well.

But seeing as I got this free, I'm not seeing this as a bad thing as I had low standards. It was a fast read, but nothing exciting. So, middle of the road for me...

An Interview With Colleen Houck!!!

As you guys knows, I was reading Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck and, let's say I got a bit addicted with this book. So much so, I send a quick (maybe gushy) email to the UK publishers, Hodder, asking if I could have a interview with Colleen Hough. And they did! They sent the questions to her and she answered them!

Why did you choose India as a backdrop for Tiger's Curse and the rest of the Tiger's Saga? Was that an organic idea or did you just know that this story would be set there?
It was the tiger that led me to India. I chose a Beauty and the Beast theme and picked a white tiger for my beast. I thought I’d set my book in Russia until I began researching white tigers and found they are all descended from one white tiger cub captured in India. So since he was a Bengal and all white tigers today have at least some Bengal from their great grandsire, I moved the setting to India.

I was wondering if you have ever been to India, because there were times I was reading Tiger's Curse and I felt like I was there.
I haven’t been to India though I have a strong desire to visit. There is something magical and special and mysterious about it even today. Early in my writing I found an editor from India, named Sudha Seshadri. She helped me make sure I was being as accurate as possible and though the story is told through the eyes of an American teen, Sudha gave me valuable insight in understanding and depicting her lovely country properly.

Kelsey lives with foster family at the start of Tiger's Curse, and this is quite rare in YA to have a lead character who is fostered or adopted. Why did you decide on this? And do we discover more on Kelsey's parents?
The death of Kelsey’s parents is something I will be revisiting later on in the series. I wanted my heroine to have some inner demons to battle as well as physical demons. The feelings of isolation and aloneness that Kelsey experiences in the book lend a sort of sad tone to Kelsey’s journey and it’s something that she and Ren have in common. A desperate connection builds between them and I think it speaks a bit to the emotional need we all have—the drive to belong and to hold on to those we love.

You mentioned in an interview that you wanted to write a love story where you have no idea who will win the heroine's heart? Does this mean that there will be Team Ren And Team Kishan in the near future?
I’ve already seen the beginnings of a Team Ren and Team Kishan movement. I think it’s fun to speculate about what will happen in a series. But in all honesty, I love both of my tigers and want them both to find the love they seek. Kishan has often been called a bad boy. He literally is the black tiger and comes off as a little dangerous but he can also be very sweet and charming. I think it will be hard for everyone to choose which one they’re rooting for. I think it’s okay to root for both.

In a video interview I saw online (one of the many reasons why I love you and knew I had to read Tiger's Curse), you spoke openly about ending Tiger's Curse on a dramatic cliffhanger. Why did you decide on this?
Part of it is strategy and part of it is to remind the reader that there is more to come, much more. I actually try to end every chapter with little mini cliffhangers. It’s just as difficult for me as a writer to stop there as it is for a reader. When I hit the end of a chapter or the end of a book, I feel the pressing need to keep going so we can all turn the next page. Also I’m a big fan of huge reveals. I like to give people something to talk about around the watercooler.

The Tiger Saga is a series of five books. Was that planned from the very start or did this develop into a series of five books as you thought out the story arc?
I wasn’t sure if I would write four or five books but as I neared the end of writing book three, Tiger’s Voyage, I knew it would have to be five. I still have the original story sketches for the four books with the same titles even, and I’ve pretty much kept to my outline. There were just too many loose ends left for me to finish the story with four books though so I had to add one more. I knew exactly where the story was headed from the first day. One of my pet peeves is getting into a series and having it aimlessly wander through dozens of books. I liked that J.K. Rowling always knew that Harry Potter would be seven books and then she stuck to it. Feeling that the series is headed in a definite direction is something I wanted to give to my readers.

I want to ask some questions about writing. When did you get the writing bug?
I started writing in the spring of 2008, the same week I finished reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Breaking Dawn was coming out seven months later and I despaired of ever finding another book series that spoke to me in the same way. That week after reading that she was an average stay-at-home mom and also knowing that J.K. Rowling too had never considered writing as a career gave me the courage to try. I will be forever grateful and admiring of the tenacity and resolve it took for them to break out of their comfort zones and give it a go. They both proved that writing can change the world.

You originally self-published Tiger's Curse as an ebook. Why did you decide to do this?
I was impatient and hated getting rejection letters so I sat down with my wonderful husband and together we made the decision to self-publish. The e-book version was a last minute addition to the self-publishing package and it was the best decision I ever made. At the time I thought, the more lines you cast in the water the better your odds of catching a fish. It’s a great tool for aspiring writers to “test the waters” and find out if they have an audience.

What was it like to self-publish Tiger's Curse to receive over 350 4-5 star reviews on Amazon and then to have publishers all over the world wanting to publish your book series?
It was amazing and scary. When I was first approached by foreign publishers, I was still self-published and I had no idea what I was doing. Then my guardian angel of an agent, Alex Glass, found me. He knocked on my door, gave me a glass slipper, and escorted me to my carriage. Not literally of course, but he has been looking out for me ever since. Having my books published around the world is very humbling. To think that someone in New Zealand or South Africa or India can read what I’ve written is miraculous. There are many cultures and mythologies woven into my series and to feel their support has been extraordinary.

How long did it take you to write Tiger's Curse from the original idea?
I finished writing Tiger’s Curse almost to the day of Breaking Dawn’s release. It was seven months from start to finish and this was while I was still working full time.

What is your typical day of writing?
I typically write in the afternoons and handle all my correspondence and appointments in the mornings. When I was working, my shift was early in the morning and I’d then come home around 2 pm and write. I guess I’ve pretty much kept to the same schedule.

Random question: Did you write Tiger's Curse long-hand or straight onto the computer?
Before writing became my life, I was an American Sign Language interpreter, my husband knows both American and British Sign Language by the way, and because of that job I’ve always been paranoid about carpel tunnel so all my writing is done on the computer. I can’t imagine writing long-hand or without internet access so I can look up that elusive word on the tip of my tongue.

While you were writing Tiger's Curse, you must have written scenes that you, sadly, edited or completely cut it? How did you decide what stayed in and what "little darlings" you cut out?
Actually, I don’t delete anything as I write. When it goes to editing there are some little parts that are moved or shifted and there are some little things that my editor has cut out but even so we are keeping all the material to post on a deleted scenes section of my website.

Was there a scene you loved writing but you had to edit out?
The only big chunk of material that was taken out was a piece from the opening chapter of Tiger’s Curse that described Kelsey’s background. It was important for me to get a feel of who she was and what her character was like but it was information overload to have all that in the beginning of the book. We shifted some things to other places in the book and dropped others but we will post all of that at some point. To me it’s still a part of my character; it defines Kelsey, and is still a part of the story as I write on in the series.

What do you feel when you see people reading Tiger's Curse & Tiger's Quest and their reactions on blogs/facebook/twitter? Does it feel surreal?
It’s really wonderful to see such a reaction and that my fans love the characters as much as I do. I respond to all my fan mail and one person wrote back and said she screamed when she got my reply and that I’m the first celebrity who had ever written her. I don’t really feel like a celebrity. I’m just a book-lover the same as all the other people in my neighbourhood. I’m extremely grateful to my fans and I enjoy meeting them and giving them the best author experience that I can. I consider them all friends who are just keeping me company as I travel through this strange world of curses and tiger princes.

Now, I read on Tiger's Curse press release that the film rights to the whole Tiger Saga has been optioned. Are you excited over this?
I am extremely excited about this. The producer who optioned the books for film, Raffi Kryszek, has a very similar vision to mine and we have a lot in common. He also has a very personal connection to and love of tigers and I think he’s the perfect choice to make my movie. For more information about the progress of the film you can follow him on www.ineffablepictures.com.

One last question: what little titbits can you reveal of book two and three of the Tiger Saga: Tiger's Quest and Tiger's Voyage?
In Tiger’s Quest you will get to know Kishan much better. I plan to make a lot of converts to Team Kishan with this book. In each book I give a nod to one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. Tiger’s Curse is loosely themed after Romeo and Juliet and Tiger’s Quest has elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Tiger’s Voyage is my favourite of the series. In it our heroes must face the dragons of the five oceans and seek the sunken City of the Seven Pagodas. This one is full of danger, scary creatures, and ocean treasures. I’m very excited to see what everyone thinks of this book.

*

A quick Thank You to Colleen for answering these questions and for Lucy at Hodder for setting up the interview. YOU GUYS ROCK! (Also, if you can, go on the Ineffable Pictures website. They have an AWESOME picture of a scene taken out of Tiger's Curse!

And now, the trailers for Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest. ENJOY!

Smile!

Just fancied doing a random blog to make you smile. So, SMILE!!!