Friday 29 November 2013

Review: The Almost Girl

The Almost Girl
Author:   

Publication Date: January 7th 2014 by  
~A copy was provided by Strange Chemistry, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.~    
 
 
Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.

Faced with hideous reanimated Vector soldiers from her own world with agendas of their own, as well as an unexpected reunion with a sister who despises her, it is a race against time to bring Caden back to Neospes. But things aren’t always as they seem, and Riven will have to search for truth. Family betrayals and royal coups are only the tip of the iceberg. Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was designed to be?
 
 
 
Firstly, look at the pretty cover! Pretty and appropriate to the book. *clap*
What drew me to the book was the infinite possibilities of parallel universes, seriously, I love it. And with infinite possibilities brings so many different versions that is completely fascinating and for most of it The Almost Girl didn't fail. It was completely badass.

Feature & Follow (#7)


Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly bloghop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

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This weeks Question:
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Day food? If you’re not American or Canadian, what is your favorite holiday food?
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I don't eat red meat all year, so I mainly only do around this time because I can't not have pigs in blankets.

What about you?

Thursday 28 November 2013

Booking Through Thursday: Holiday Season


Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme, hosted by btt2, about (mostly) books and reading.


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Do you have a reading equivalent of holiday music to get you in the mood for the holiday season? Any books you make a point of reading this time of year?
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Ahh, I can't say that I do. I tend to read less heavy books and more happy go lucky ones, but none that focuses on Christmas or anything like that. I'm not a really festive person (don't look at me like that) until a few days before Christmas. Probably because it eclipses my birthday. I've never forgiven myself for being born on the 23rd. ;)

What about you?

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (#21)

 "Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.
 
 



 ORDER, ELEGANCE, PROSPERITY.
The words might as well be branded on seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry herself. Here in the future United States, ruled by the lavish gentry, very little is left to choice—and even less is left to Madeline. Gentry decorum and Madeline’s domineering father insist that she must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But as she steps outside the decadent walls of her world, Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned. In her desperation, she turns to the only person who seems to understand: handsome, beguiling avid Dana.

Soon, rumours of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the centre of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between her duty—the family and estate she loves dearly—and her desire.





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No specific reason this week, other than it sounds and looks amazing.

So, what're you waiting on?

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Teaser Tuesday (19)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
 
 
 
Title: Fake ID
Author:
Release date: January 21st 2014 by
Publisher:  Amistad / Harper Collins
Place: 37%
 
 
Debut author Lamar Giles takes readers on a wild and dark ride in this contemporary Witness Protection thriller. Fake ID is a compelling story full of twists and turns—sure to appeal to fans of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and John Grisham.

Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight. In fact, his name isn't really Nick Pearson. He shouldn't tell you his real name, his real hometown, or why his family just moved to Stepton, Virginia. And he definitely shouldn't tell you about his friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy Eli was uncovering when he died. About how Nick had to choose between solving Eli's murder with his hot sister, Reya, and "staying low-key" like the Program said to do.

But he's going to tell you—unless he gets caught first.
 
 
 
 
 
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"I'll call you tonight," I said, more as a comforting gesture than a promise. If things had really hit the fan- and that's what it sounded like- come nightfall, Nick Person might be a fading memory.


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Oh man, this is so good, and really addicting and funny. Triple win.
 
What're you reading? :)
 

Monday 25 November 2013

Review: Revel

Revel
Author:  

Publication Date: February 12th 2013        
Publisher:  Delacorte Books for Young Readers       





There’s an island off the coast of Maine that’s not on any modern map.

Shrouded in mist and protected by a deadly reef, Trespass Island is home to a community of people who guard the island and its secrets from outsiders. Seventeen-year-old Delia grew up in Kansas, but has come here in search of her family and answers to her questions: Why didn’t her mother ever talk about Trespass Island? Why did she fear the open water? But Delia’s not welcome and soon finds herself enmeshed in a frightening and supernatural world where ancient Greek symbols adorn the buildings and secret ceremonies take place on the beach at night.

Sean Gunn, a handsome young lobsterman, befriends Delia and seems willing to risk his life to protect her. But it’s Jax, the coldly elusive young man she meets at the water’s edge, who finally makes Delia understand the real dangers of life on the island. Delia is going to have to fight to survive. Because there are monsters here. And no one ever leaves Trespass alive.




Revel, Revel, Revel. What am I going to do with you? You were not what I was expecting, at all. But, you were so good I don't freaking care.
I had started to read Revel a while ago but gave up, probably because of the mood I was in, so I didn't want to not read it a second time, and I didn't. So. Good.

Sunday 24 November 2013

Stacking the Shelves (#20) & Recap


STSmallStacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

 
So, I've had a pretty bad reading week. I only bought one physical book, but I'll leave that until next week, but I bought some for my kindle. None for review this week, either. I haven't seen Catching Fire yet! Eek. Hopefully this week. But, anyone seen the trailer for Vampire Academy that came out this week? I'm not passing judgement over it until I've seen the whole film, but it does look funny.
 
Bought

 
 
 
 
 
 
I'm also participating in 4th Annual Broke & the Bookish Secret Santa, so have bought a couple of books for that, which I can't say what books, but one of them is one of my favourites.
 
 

So that's it! What did you get this week? :)

  

 A recap of posts this week
 



       
      This week I have read:

       

      Friday 22 November 2013

      DNF Review: The Syndicate

      The Syndicate
      Author:  

      Publication Date: July 9th 2012         
      Publishers: Lands Atlantic Publishing 



      For centuries, the Petrescu family has been protecting society from a danger that moves among the population undetected. Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate an eighteen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.

      The Syndicate has never targeted a female before, yet somehow this one has ended up on more than one hit list. Vasi would like to find out why, but there may not be time.

      Now, he'll have to decide whether or not to keep her alive even if it means going against his own family.








      I can't believe I tortured myself with The Syndicate for so long. It started off bad, but somewhere between the bad and 30% I started to enjoy it, BUT, past that 30%, it welcomed back the bad with welcoming hands. My initial percentage for books I'm not enjoying is always 50%, but it's safe to say I didn't get there. I managed 42%, and there is a specific reason as to why I stopped there.
      1) The Syndicate has never heard of feminism.
      2) It's never learnt of pacing, either.

      Wednesday 20 November 2013

      Waiting on Wednesday (#20)

       
       "Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.
       
       





      Clementine DeVore spent ten years trapped in a cellar, pinned down by willow roots, silenced and forgotten.

      Now she’s out and determined to uncover who put her in that cellar and why.


      When Clementine was a child, dangerous and inexplicable things started happening in New South Bend. The townsfolk blamed the fiendish people out in the Willows and burned their homes to the ground. But magic kept Clementine alive, walled up in the cellar for ten years, until a boy named Fisher sets her free. Back in the world, Clementine sets out to discover what happened all those years ago. But the truth gets muddled in her dangerous attraction to Fisher, the politics of New South Bend, and the Hollow, a fickle and terrifying place that seems increasingly temperamental ever since Clementine re-emerged.




      I have yet to read The Replacement but I've read The Space Between and Paper Valentine, and enjoyed them well enough...and really, how good does it sound?

      What are you waiting on?

      Tuesday 19 November 2013

      Teaser Tuesday (18)

      Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
       
       
       
      Release date: January 2nd 2014         
      Publisher:  Bloomsbury Childrens UK
      Page: 222
       
       
       
      Emma Day and her two cousins, Gretchen and Penelope, are uninterested in their debutante lives. All the boring balls, tiresome curtsying and polite conversation leave much to be desired. Then a girl is found dead, frost clinging to her lifeless body, and the murder is traced to Emma. As their world is turned upside down, Emma discovers more about herself and her cousins, from her connection to the murders to the secrets of her family legacy. Now the girls must embrace their true Lovegrove inheritance in order to stop the chaos, even if that means risking their lives. Dangerously handsome Cormac Fairfax wants to help Emma – but, with secrets of his own to hide, can she trust him?
       
       
       
       
       
      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       
       
      "You are a fool," he whispered, his hand tightening around hers. He leaned in until his mouth was barely inches from hers. He smiled crookedly, wickedly. "If you think that."



      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       
      Yup, I'm using the same book as last week, I only got so far and wasn't really feeling it, so I moved onto another book, and went back to this one yesterday, and now I'm getting into it, so yay. Cormac's a great character, even if I do want to slap him half the time.
       
      What're you reading? :)

      Monday 18 November 2013

      Review: The Promise of Amazing

      The Promise of Amazing
      Author:

      Publication Date: December 31st 2013        
      ~A copy was provided by Balzer + Bray, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.~






      Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

      Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

      One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love
      .





      I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to Contemporary Romance, I am out of my comfort zone, I don't read them often, but it's good to go over that line of comfort zone once in a while, and you know what? The Promise of Amazing is just about that.

      Crossing lines, pushing the limits, being taken out of that comfort zone and actually finding you like it.

      Sunday 17 November 2013

      Stacking the Shelves (#19) & Recap


      STSmallStacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

      How's everyone's week been? Mines been good, I uh, went into town twice this week, even though I said I banned myself last week. But, I only got three! And none for review this week, which I'm so happy about, I'm getting through some of them now.

      Bought
       
       
       
        
       

      So that's it! What did you get this week? :)

        
      
       A recap of posts this week
       
         
         
        This week I have read:
         

        Friday 15 November 2013

        Review: Cracked

        Cracked
        Author:

        Publication Date: November 5th 2013
        Source: An advanced copy was provided by  Strange Chemistry in exchange  for an honest review.

        Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

        They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.

        Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

        The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.




        Stuck in an asylum for the past two weeks, what Meda's anticipated since then has finally arrived, and as her mother used to say, she's hangry. To live and to survive, Meda must eat a living soul, it's messy and bloody, but she's equipped and enjoys it. She makes it a point, on her mother's wishes, that she only kills bad people. Which, brings us back to the slimy asylum, in which she admitted herself to get closer to the target of a girl ghosts' murder.
        She doesn't like the tables being turned.

        Feature & Follow (#6)

        Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly bloghop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

         
        This weeks Question:

        Are there any book to movie adaptations where you think the movie is better than the book?
        Okay, you're probably going to shout at me but, I liked The Hunger Games, not because it was better than the book, but because it was just really nice to see all of it come to life. But, since that's not really an answer I'd say Dear John, though I loved the book, I preferred the movie ending that the actual ending in the book. Also, Channing Tatum. Enough said.

        What did you pick?

        Wednesday 13 November 2013

        Waiting on Wednesday (#19)

         "Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.
         
         

         

        An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young's Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

        Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision. The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is-although he doesn't know it-one of the MC's programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family? Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.




        So, I was going to pick this one a few weeks back, but wanted to do it when it had a cover. And it is awesome.
        What are you waiting on? :)

        Tuesday 12 November 2013

        Teaser Tuesday (17)

        Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
         
         
         
        Release date: January 2nd 2014         
        Publisher:  Bloomsbury Childrens UK
        Page: 24
         
         
         
        Emma Day and her two cousins, Gretchen and Penelope, are uninterested in their debutante lives. All the boring balls, tiresome curtsying and polite conversation leave much to be desired. Then a girl is found dead, frost clinging to her lifeless body, and the murder is traced to Emma. As their world is turned upside down, Emma discovers more about herself and her cousins, from her connection to the murders to the secrets of her family legacy. Now the girls must embrace their true Lovegrove inheritance in order to stop the chaos, even if that means risking their lives. Dangerously handsome Cormac Fairfax wants to help Emma – but, with secrets of his own to hide, can she trust him?
         
         
         
         
         
        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         
        "The dog licked her nose frantically.  "I don't have biscuits," she said. "You look like a tea cake. Honestly, I'm embarrassed for you. And I hope you bit Lady Pickford for doing that to you," she said conversationally."

        -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         
        I'm loving Gretchen's character already.
         
        What're you reading? :)

         
         
         

        Monday 11 November 2013

        Review: Witchstruck

        Witchstruck
        Author:

        Publication Date: September 24th 2013        
        ~A copy was provided by Harlequin Teen, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.~

        If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned. If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged.

        Meg Lytton has always known she is different; that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practice witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne. With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg's hand in marriage, and Meg's own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn't a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.




        This review has some spoilers, since I couldn't actually write it spoiler free with my issues with it.

        You know when you can read the first couple of pages and know you'll like it? You can pretty much tell by the writing and voice of the character, I was indecisive about Witchstruck and Meg for a while, I liked the beginning and I thought eventually it would evolve into something that could have been done really great.

        Sunday 10 November 2013

        Stacking the Shelves (#18) & Recap

        STSmallStacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
         
        How's everyone's week been? Mine, book-wise has been pretty good, or not so good, since I spent £25 in store, but...In my defence, one is Educational and the other two were buy one get one half price and one was for my cousin, so naturally, it doesn't count. This is why I'm banned from town. Also, a pre-order came in, yay!


        For Review

                  
         
         
         
        Thanks to Balzer + Bray, Harper Teen, Harper Collins and Edelweiss
        Thanks to Hodder Children's (Hachette), and Bloomsbury Childrens UK


        Such cover love! Does anybody else keep seeing Prisoner of Night and Frog? Just me? Okay then.

             
        Bought
         



        (Not pictured)
        • All Our Yesterdays by   -This is the 3rd time I've bought it. But, since I wouldn't let my cousin borrow my copy, I bought it for her instead. ;)
        Also, ignore the putty rubber, my art supplies are invading my room now.


        What did you get this week? :)

          
        
         A recap of posts this week
         
        This week I have read:
         
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        Click here to go to the British legion website
         
         

        Friday 8 November 2013

        Review: Two Lies and A Spy

        Two Lies and A Spy
        Author:

        Publication Date: September 3rd 2013        
        Publisher: Simon & Schuster  

        Kari plunges into the world of espionage on a mission to save her parents while trying to impress the guy she’s been in love with forever.

        When sixteen-year-old Kari’s dad sends her an unexpected text, she and her brother immediately go into hiding. Because when your parents are superspies and your dad declares a Code Black, it can only mean something bad. Very bad.

        Kari soon discovers that her parents have been disavowed and declared traitors, and she’s determined to clear their names. Breaking into the Agency seems like a reasonable plan, especially with the help of a team that includes her long-time crush, Luke, as well as her two best friends—an expert hacker with attitude and a master martial artist—and Luke’s popular, vindictive twin sister. Oh, and a new guy, who’s as cute as he is complicated.



         
        Alright folks, I have 12 words for you.
        Two Lies and a Spy rates from cutesy to right out ridiculous.

        That pretty much sums  it up perfectly, unfortunately.
        I was expecting a cross between Alex Rider and Gallagher girls.
         
        What did I get?
        A mess, that's what.
         

        Wednesday 6 November 2013

        Waiting on Wednesday (#18)

         
         "Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.
         
         



        I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
        But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

        Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

        What happened?
        Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

        My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
        I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
        I've been trained to fight.
        And I have a mission:
        Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
        Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
        Take the Lion's courage.
        Then and only then—Dorothy must die!



        I've been seeing it everywhere, and heard so much hype- with good reason, can't wait for this one!

        What are you waiting on this week?

        Tuesday 5 November 2013

        Teaser Tuesday (16)

        Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
         
         
         
        Release date: July 9th 2012 by
        Publisher:  Lands Atlantic Publishing    
        Place:  12% in Kindle.
         
        For centuries, the Petrescu family has been protecting society from a danger that moves among the population undetected. Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate an eighteen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.

        The Syndicate has never targeted a female before, yet somehow this one has ended up on more than one hit list. Vasi would like to find out why, but there may not be time.

        Now, he'll have to decide whether or not to keep her alive even if it means going against his own family.

        The action, mystery, and conspiracy in The Syndicate will take readers on an immersing journey in which decisions are not only life changing, but irreversible.
         
         
         
         
        So, I have this little gem for you this time, kind of made me want to throw up in my mouth.
         
                                                                           --------------------------
         
        "Feeling a need to relax and get out of my blood-smeared shirt, I pull it over my head. She rolls her eyes. I say, "What? Is it too much hotness for you? Does your boyfriend not have these abs?"

                     
                                                                           ---------------------------
         
        Let me point out, he's saying this to his sister.
         
         
         
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        On a separate note, have a safe bonfire night UK bloggers!