GoodRead - The Testing

After reading The Guest Cat over a very short period of time (while I was away of holiday), I asked Twitter if I should read this or if I should read The Bone Season. Twitter, to my surprise, told me to read The Testing. Whenever I ask Twitter to pick my next read, you guys always surprise me...

Every year, the United Commonwealth invites the top students from each colony to take part in The Testing. If you are successful, you go onto University and, after that, help the Government rebuild the war-stricken world. If you failed... best not thinking about.

Cia Vale is one of the successful students going to take part in The Testing. But her father gives her one warning - Trust No One. And what Cia sees within The Testing will change her...

This book is a bit of mixed bag. While I liked reading it, I saw real issues with it and, because of these, it makes it hard to warm to the book.

I liked the idea of this story and the series - the idea of education becoming more lethal - and I know that the second and third books in this trilogy are better than this first book from several reviews I have read.

But, I hate to say this, the execution of this idea is lacking. I'm not sure if it's how the main character, Cia, told the story or the packing of the story. There were times where information was thrown in a paragraph to speed things along (when it might have been more interesting to read the characters talking about the same information). Also, with the four Tests that took part in The Testing, the first 3 test took part within the first 40% but the last test took part in, roughly, the last 40-45%.

What worse is that, at times, I couldn't help but compare to The Hunger Games. Which you should never do, as The Hunger Games isn't the be-all and end-all of YA dystopia novels, but when you have something so successful, you can't help but compare. And at times, you couldn't help but wonder if, because The Hunger Games was so successful, someone wanted something similar and wanted to publish it quickly and The Testing was what was written.

But, like I said before, I know from other book reviewers/vloggers that the series does improve and I do have Independent Study and Graduation Day on my kindle (all 3 of these books are 99p at the moment! BARGAIN!) so I will continue the series. But I don't think that this book is a great book to start a trilogy with.

GoodRead - The Testing Guide

I try and put my posts in the order I read them (am writing this on the first of June) but with this one, as it was such a fast read, I thought I would quickly slot this in here.

Plus, this was a free eNovella. FREE! And you guys know how much I love a bargain!

In this prequel to The Testing, we follow Zeen (the older brother to the trilogy's lead's, Cia) on his gradulation day and he finds out if he has been accepted for The Testing and to go onto University like his father did before him...

Ok, am going to say this here and now. I am VERY glad this was free because if I bought this, I would have been quite angry. Because this is very short. VERY short. It's around 18% of the download. The rest is the first three chapters of The Testing. Which is fine by me as I still haven't read this trilogy yet and I have been interested in this trilogy but I can't seem to get my hands on a copy of any of the books (and I want the physical books as the UK editions are super shiny!).

And this trilogy sounds interesting. The Hunger Games or Legend by Marie Lu but with education being the vocal point rather than entertainment and revolution.

Anyway, the novella. It sets up the world in the trilogy nicely and, as I am interested in the trilogy, it did wet my appetite. However, it was such a short read and not much really happens that, if you were not curious about the trilogy and you solely read this, you might feel quite disappointed and not read further.

But I do want to go further with this trilogy and reading this got my use to Joelle's writing style. But we shall see if I actually get my hands on a copy of The Testing...

GoodRead - Daughters of Time

To celebrate International Women's Day (which is tomorrow, my lovelies!), I was asked by the lovely people of Templar to read this collection of short stories inspired by women throughout history. And I do like a collection of short stories.

Within this collection of short stories, we have thirteen tales from thirteen bestselling historical authors. These women range from Queen Boudica and Lady Jane Grey to Aphra Behn, Mary Seacole and Emily Davison, to name but a few.

With all anthologies, there are stories I did really enjoy reading. But there were a few I just didn't click with (Won't say which I liked and which I didn't as I don't think that won't be fair for the collection as a whole). I'm not sure if was the style of narration or the fact that the story slimmed over the stories depth. But it was a mixed bag and the stories I did enjoy were of women that I knew vaguely or didn't know anything about. So, I learnt something new!

And who says books don't teach you anything?

This was an easy read to dip in and out of, but it was a fast read (well, to me, it was fast), and I think girls who read this will find these women inspiring - hopefully more inspiration than some role models and celebrities we have nowadays...

Daughters of Time - Mary Seacole

As part of the Daughters of Time blog tour, I have been asked to let Catherine Johnson - author of the short story within the collection, The Lad That Stands Before Me - why she decided to write about Mary Seacole.

Oh, there will be a small review of Daughters of Time sometime later today... So, keep your eyes peeled. Now, will hand you over to Catherine Johnson...

Why I Chose Mary Seacole
To be honest, I didn’t really choose Mary Seacole – she sort of chose me. I’m mixed race, like Mary, and I knew about her already. In fact, my uncle Curtis Johnson made a bust of Mary that was reproduced on one of Jamaica’s postage stamps. And one of my big ‘things’ is people of colour in Britain in the past – we have been here for ever, you know, or at least since Roman times! When I started, I thought I wanted to write about Mary in London, aged about fifteen or sixteen, on her first visit. She never really talked about this trip
and there are only two lines in her book about it. It made me think: A girl from a tiny island in the 
Caribbean in the biggest city on earth… But I think  that story will have to wait for another time.

One other thing – I’ve used the word ‘Negro’ in my story. It’s how an officer in the British Army describes Mrs Seacole; the word was in common use and not thought to be derogatory at the time. In her own writing, Mrs Seacole described herself  as ‘Creole’ (meaning ‘one born in Jamaica’) and sometimes simply as ‘brown’.

Hot Key Books/Templar Books/Piccadilly Press Book Brunch

So, the Saturday just gone (while I was in my Mini-RSM), I went to Hot Key Books HQ went Hot Key Books with fellow publishers, Templar Books and Piccadilly Press did a joint book brunch. And after a week away at Disneyland and me deciding (in my wise wisdom) to walk there from my train station and getting lost (thanks iPhone Maps!), I feared I would be in the corner of the office, either panting furiously or about to fall asleep. But I stayed away and drooled over the books that all three publishers showcased! You guys will find something you enjoy reading. That is my honest opinion.

So, to all the other book bloggers and vloggers I chatted to (or briefly said hi to), WAS GREAT CHATTING TO YOU GUYS! It was very much a quick catch up! To all the publishers, THANK YOU for setting this up and chatting to all of us with our question/excitement! And with all the authors, THANK YOU for chatting to us about your books, writing tips, writing twisted deaths and writing kissing in different and exciting ways!

So, let me quickly go through some books I am HUGELY excited to read!

TRIBUTE by Ellen Renner (March 2014 - Hot Key Books)
This was one of those books that I (and several bloggers around me) instantly went "I HAVE to read this!". This world tackles dark issues - death, power, corruption, society - but it's been a while since I read a "magical" world that tackles these themes and tackle them well. In this, the first of two books (a duology, right?), we're in a dark world where magic is power, technology is banned and you can be killed if you know how to read. After a shocking death of a friend, Zara vows revenge and begins to spy for the rebel Knowledge Seekers. But when Zara meets the hostage Aiden, Zara is determined to save him... but can she save her?

BOMBMAKER by Claire McFall (February 2014 - Templar)
I still haven't read Ferryman and I have EVERY intention to read it but Bombmaker will be read first as this sounds awesome. This tackles issues such as terrorism and national identity. In the near future, the recession has hit the United Kingdom hard. So much so that the English government close their borders to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Any person from these countries found in England will be branded, and if they are found in England a second time, they will be shot on sight. Lizzie is Scottish, branded and was almost shot till gang boss Alexander "saves" her and makes her his possession. As a twisted freedom fighter, trying to reunite Great Britian, he forces Lizzie to become his bombmaker. Can Lizzie escape and, if she does, at what price?

ALL THE TRUTH'S THAT'S IN ME by Julie Berry (Out Now - Templar)
This is causing HUGE WAVES in the BookTube Community in the US! HUGE! Plus, this book is written in the rare second-person (aka "You walk through the field", etc). The book follows Judith, who after being missing for two years, returns home. Only she's not the same girl she was before she disappeared. Her tongue has been cut out and her best friend is dead. With no way to tell what happen to her, she silently pours her heart out to a boy who owns her heart...

FIREWALLERS by Simon Packham (Out Now - Piccadilly Press)
This was released earlier in the year (but it got a little lost under the news that Piccadilly Press was bought by Bonnier Publisher [the same people who own Hot Key Books, Templar Publishing & Red Lemon Books]) hence it coming into my radar now. It sounds very thriller and I love reading thrillers! Jess returns home from a bad day of school, to find her dad suspended from work, the media's outside her house and her dad is in hiding. Her mum drags Jess and her sister into hiding where modern technology is forbidden! But what did Jess's dad do? And why is the whole family on the run?

HOLD YOUR BREATH by Caroline Green (Out Now - Piccadilly Press)
Dark and twisted. Basically how I like my reads, and this fits perfectly! Tara has a gift to find lost things. But the last time she used this gift to help the Police, it ends badly and this leads to Tara to doubt her gift. But events take a dark turn when she picks up an earring and see's its owner, trapped in a basement. Can Tara trust her gift and save the girl? (You can see why I love the sounds of this!)

IRRESISTIBLE by Liz Banks (Out Now - Piccadilly Press)
I know most of you guys will reacting either "This has been out for AGES! Take about Unstoppable!" or "This is romance! You HATE romance!" and, I know, this isn't up my street normally, but this sounds really interesting and I want to read something fast. Mia's summer job is hard-work, but fun, especially when a romance develops between her and the hunky Dan. But Mia can't help but be drawn to Jamie - sexy, rich and who happens to love messing people's lives. (But out of the three of Liz Banks, the one I am the most intrigued to read is her second, Undeniable...)

THE MADNESS by Alison Rattle (March 2014 - Hot Key Books)
Another Victorian thriller from the pen of Alison Rattle and we enter the world of being a "dipper". Marnie is a dipper in training. Her life is dull until she meets the charming, handsome and a son to a Lord, Noah. But Marnie feels for him begins to consume her and turns into an dangerous obsession that can only end in tragedy. This was described to us as "Teen Victorian Fatal Attraction."

And am going to stop here but I could go on for ages over this. And this post took under two hours to write so... what do you think? Are they any books that wet your appetite?

Hot Key Books and Templar Book Blogger Event

On the Saturday just gone, I was at the Hot Keys Book and the Templar Books Book Bloggers Brunch. And after having to handle some small London Underground troubles (the Circle Line wasn't working due to maintence repairs so I walked there. In London. Pass strange street names that made me laugh), I got there and had a wonderful time. It was lovely to catch up with some bloggy pals I have me in previous events (and I scare on Twitter & Facebook), meet some new bloggers (who are just as hyper about books as I am), talk to the lovely people at both Hot Keys and Templar and, after having both publishers chat to all of us about exciting books in their "Spring Line" (that's from now till June/July), chatting to some authors and getting hyper over some books that just sound wonderful.

So, to everyone, from Hot Key and Templar staff, blogging pals old and new and to the authors who made me go "I MUST READ THE PRETTY!", thank you for a great few hours. I got some funny looks on the train home, but it was a blast.

Now, for the main point of the blog, BOOKS! Or, some books that have SERIOUSLY wetted my reading appetite and I think you guys will love! It's a real mix bag so... let's get cracking!

THE QUIETNESS by Alison Rattle (OUT NOW-ISH)
Let's start with a surprise one as, when Hot Keys were talking about this book, I was all "oooh!" as it sounds a bit different to my normal reads, but it didn't grip me. Until I heard the term "baby-farming". I'm not going to go into what that term means, but here's the basics of the book: In London 1870, two girls lead very different lives. Queenie longs to escape the slums tat she's grown up in, where life is a struggle, no matter what she does. Ellen, on the other hand, lives a privileged life, but is lonely beyond words. Soon, their worlds crash together and their lives will change in unspeakable ways...

RED INK by Julie Mayhew (OUT NOW)
Another surprise for you, but from all the whispers I've heard from those who have read this, this is a must from the books we were shown/given. Melon is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her mother, who was knocked down and killed by a London bus. Only holding "The Story" - a fairytale, if you will - close to her heart, Melon begins to see the world for what it is. And begins to see sides to her mother that she never saw before and never thought could exist before...

FERRYMAN by Claire McFall (OUT NOW)
It's the cover that got me. It's shiny. And the idea of a train crash. And that the author was just as hyper as us bloggers when we chatted to her. So, yeah, I wanna read it. Anyway, the story: Dylan emerges from a wreckage of a train crash, she believes she's the only person who survived. Expect she isn't, according to the boy on the hill. She's dead, and he has to take her through the wraith-infested wasteland to the Afterlife. But what happens to them on this journey might change all that... [FYI, Claire is writing her second novel which tackles Scottish Independence and terrorism. Yep, am excited for that one as well.)

DEATH AND CO by D.J. McCune (MAY 2013)
All Adam wants is to be normal. Is that so hard? Yep. You see, he's a Luman, one of the members of spirit guides who guide dead souls into the afterlife. And when this job is non-negotiable (thanks parents!), Adam finds it hard to be normal. He can't go on dates in case he has to leave half way through because of a job. He can't hang out with friends if he has to lie to them on why he missed their last meet-up. And homework... the less said, the better. So when Adam discovers he has a rare gift that could undermind everything a Luman stands for, he'll have to make a choice...

THE SAVAGES by Matt Whyman (JUNE 2013)
Some of you guys, I suspect, know who Matt is. He has written several adult novels and is agony uncle for BBC Radio 1's The Surgery. So, you think this will be dealing with tough teens issues, right? Er... not exactly. Chatting to Matt made me laugh my head off and go "This book is so dark and twisted, I HAVE to read this when I can!". The Savage family look like a "typical" family. Expect, they're not. They're hiding a dark secret. So, when Sasha starts dating Jack, a vegan, her family react badly. And when a curious detective begins snooping around, how long will the secret stay secret?

FRIDAY BROWN by Vikki Wakefield (JULY 2013)
If anyone ask if this is linked to Mrs Brown's Boys, I'm not sure how to react. Probably laugh then throw the book at you. No, this should be well known to your Australians as its won a high-profiled award - the Adelaide Festival Award for Literature 2012 - and now, we're getting in the UK. Friday travels the endless roads of the Australians. But when her mother dies, Friday starts running. Running from a family curse that might or might not be real. And trying to running to the current of life that, before she would be swept away, Friday is struggling to stay afloat. But when something terrible threatens, Friday Brown must stop running from her past and she must fight...

THE GHOST BRIDE by Yangsze Choo (AUGUST 2013)
When I saw I was given this, I think I made a noise. A squeal? A gasp? Why, I hear you ask. Well, this sounds scary. Perfect for the summer months! Anyway, when Li Lan is asked to marry the wealthy Lim family, her father agrees. Only, the Lim's son is dead. She will be a ghost bride. As Li Lan tries to come to terms with her ghostly would-be suitor, she finds herself having desires to the Lim's new heir. But it's the nights she should be fearful of. At night, she finds herself drawn into the Chinese afterlife, filled with ghotly cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits. If she's not carefully, she will be trapped there forever...

MAUREEN JOHNSON
If I didn't mention the news of Hot Key publishing Maureen Johnson for the next few years, you would probably have a go at me. So, Hot Key is going to publish Maureen Johnson. And they have a huge back catalogue to publish. They are going to publish Maureen's debut novel, The Key of the Golden Firebird, are going to publish the third and fourth books in the Shades of London series (and they have confirmed that  they will try and keep the cover as similar to the HarperCollins covers), and all the books in the Suite Scarlett series. They might be publishing more over the course of the next few years but these are GOING TO GET PUBLISHED IN THE UK!

There's more, but am going to stop now. I want to read and I want to know your reactions. So, what do you guys think? Do any tickle your fancy?