Tuesday book survery

OK so it got to hal 9 last night and I didnt have anyhing to post. I usually try and post something none-review on a Tuesday just because I want a bit of variety. I saw this on a blog last week (me, my shelf and I) and thought it looked fun so I thought Id post this instead of trying to write something interesting at an hour when my brain doesn't work!

Rules of this survey - no two answers can be the same book, all books must be fiction.

Book next to your bed right now: I actually have my pile of "to read next" next to my bed. This is a bit like my TBR pile but its the books on there which I will read next. It includes The Folk Keeper, Lottie Biggs is (not) desperate, Truth and Dare and Inkheart

Favorite series: I have two, obviously without a doubt Harry Potter is there along with Noughts and Crosses. I really need to read Noughts and Crosses again, I loved it! 

Favorite book: A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby I loved this book! It was brilliant and I really recomend it even though its n adult book and I usually read and review YA. My favourite YA is a tough one. I only got back into it last year and I have read so many good ones, I would have said Guitar Girl by Sara Manning this time last year but I think some of the ones I've read since blogging have over-taken that so possibly The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson now! 

The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island: Thats a tough one. I honestly dont know. Can you merge a load of my faves into one book for me?! 

Book/series you would take with you on a long flight: On a long flight? ooo maybe the Fallen series by Lauren Kate, Its been on my TBR for ages along with Torment and I have been put off cos they look a little long and I'm quite a slow reader! 

Worst book you were made to read in school: oooo I dont remember too much from school. I know I hated mostly everything I was forced to read I think I'm gunna have to say Macbeth though as I was forced to read it EVERY year from 7 onwards! :( 

Book that everyone should be made to read in school: definitely An Act Of Love by Alan Gibbons. I said it in my review last week that this should be on school syllabus in the UK because its amazing! 

Book that everyone should read, period: Die For Me - Amy Plum. AWESOME book! 

Favorite character: Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter or Daisy from Pretty Things by Sara Manning or Ethan from Beautiful Creatures by Kimi Garcia and Margaret Stohl or Finn and Jessie from Jessie <3's NYC. I have too many characters that I love!!  

Best villain: erm.... I dont know!!! Are there many Villans in the books I read?! I can think of two (Voldemort and Dolores Umbridge) from Harry Potter but I've already mentioned that! Father Breslin from Prisoner of the Inquisition whicih I just read was pretty damn mean.

Favorite invented world: erm... I have no idea! My brain really doesn't seem to be working!  

Most beautifully written book: oh! I've already said The Sky Is Everywhere! booooo! erm... Daughter of the Flame by Zie Marriott. I love Zoe's writing style! 

Funniest book: oh man. There are too many!! Della Says OMG by Keris Stainton had me in hysterics. As did Lottie Biggs is (not) Mad by Hayley Long! Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins was pretty funny too! 

So there you have it. My dumb-ass answers. No doubt I will look at this later in the week and be like "why didn't I say that?!" but nevermind! I hope you enjoy and please feel free to take the survey for your own blog! :) 

The Missing – Lisa McMann: review

“We

When it is over, We breathe and ache like old oak, like peeling birch. One of Our lost souls set free. We move, a chess piece in the dark room, cast iron legs a centimetre at a time, crying out in silent graffiti. Calling to Our next victim, Our next saviour. We carve on Our Face: 

Touch me. 

Save my soul.”

In the tiny town of Cryer’s Cross Kendall’s best friend and boyfriend goes missing. He’s not the first, just before the summer holidays another girl from the town went missing without a trace and as they never found her things aren’t looking good for Nico. Kendall struggles with the loss of her best friend, the stress of not knowing what is going on in her town and the disorder that she tries to keep a secret from her friends.

***

I loved this book. I devoured it! It would have been over in one sitting had I had a couple of hours free in a row to do so! It was haunting, so, so haunting and it was so well written! I didn’t want to put it down!

Kendall suffers from a disorder that she tries to keep a secret because so many people don’t understand it. We see her struggling with this right from the offset; you can really see the essence of the disorder coming through while she goes about her day to day tasks. It’s really this aspect of the book that makes it shine so well as it’s because of this that Kendall acts in the way she does.

It will be hard for anyone to lose their boyfriend but I never really saw Kendall and Nico’s relationship like that. It was a strange one for me as I know what its like to grow up in a small town, I know about the bonds that people make to each other and how they stay friends with people just because they are there. That’s how I saw Nico and Kendall’s relationship sounded to me. This was intensified when I learnt that Kendall was the only girl in her year group at school. Her character was so interesting because of these things though. She had her own personality shining through, there was never any moment where she acted like a typical girl and I loved her for this. I loved that she questioned when a guy opened a car door for her and even though she cried a bit, that’s alright, cos her best friend had gone missing! I also liked that although the narration wasn’t in Kendall’s voice you got a lot of her personality shining through, I can sometimes feel cut off from a character but this time I didn’t at all!

The plot of the book was incredible; I couldn’t stop reading because I was just so drawn in. I wanted the history behind what was going on and the questions that were buzzing around my head answered. In fact, I didn’t want them answered I needed them answered! It was really haunting and I did find myself getting a bit freaked out during parts of this book! It was one that I think if I was reading on my own late at night I would have been terrified of but its psychologically scary which I enjoy more than ARGH! Scary so it really pushed my buttons!

I also really loved the additional chapters that turned up periodically in the book. They added to the intense atmosphere already there, I loved that you got that side of the story as it were. (I’m trying desperately not to give anything away here!)

The only bad thing I can think of with this book is that I really prefer the American title and cover. It’s just so much better! The Missing makes it sound a bit like a crime type book whereas Cryer’s Cross makes more sense and I find the American cover so much more haunting and fitting for the book!

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good psychological thriller. Especially if you find yourself wanting a break from paranormal fiction but not something completely real-lifey! 

The Missing is Lisa McMann's fourth young adult title. It was due for release on June 9th by Harper Collin's Childrens Books, however has been released early by Tesco and amazon it would appear!!

In My Mailbox (#9)

In My Mailbox is hosted by the lovely Kristi, The Story Siren, if you wish to learn more please visit her page here.

Sorry for rubbish pic, It was dark and late so it'll have to do! This weeks mailbox is pretty epic. I was very pleased to receive these! I want to meet the people who sent me them so I can give them a huge hug!

For Review
Flawless - Laura Chapman
Breathing Underwater - Julia Green 
Montacute House - Lusy Jago
The Folk Keeper - Franny Billingsley 
Fallen Grace - Mary Hooper
A HUGE thank you to Bloomsbury for sending these books in exchange for an honest review, I only asked for Flawless so I was shocked when I opened the bag to all these! I have Chime by Franny Billingsley and I was going to buy The Folk Keeper once I'd read Chime so I'm glad I got this one!! :D

Gifted
Scatterheart - Lili Wilkinson 
A huge thank you to Non from Catnip Books for sending me Scatterheart! :D I love the sound of this book, and the covers beautiful! :D

Lottie Biggs is (not) Desperate - Hayley Long

Another huge thank you to Hayley Long for sending me Lottie Biggs' second installment for being her 100th follower on twitter! :D She even signed it for me! :D 

Split By A Kiss - Luisa Plaji

Truth And Dare - Edited by Liz Miles 
And a gigantic thank you to Luisa Plaja for sending me both Truth and Dare and Split By A Kiss, I was only expecting the anthology so when Luisa threw in Split by a Kiss I was so happy, I've been wanting it for ages!

On my Wishlist (#2)

On My Wishlist is a wonderful weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City in which we drool over the books which are still on our wishlist and quite frankly... will probably be there for a while as we have too many books on there!!

***

I've been after this book for so long I'm going crazy. I need to make sure it's bought soon but it's not released in paperback until December(?!?!?!) and I prefer paperbacks! 

Slice of Cherry - Dia Reeves 

Jan 2011 [HB] Dec 2011 [PB] (Simon Pulse)

Goodreads:

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.

It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities….

***

This next one Ive been after for a while and I was going to buy it for my sister for her birthday (and steal from her later!) but I decided to introduce her to Steampunk instead (even though I havent read any steampunk!)

Zombies vs. Unicorns - Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier (editors)

Sep 2010 [HB] (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

Goodreads:

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

***

And my final wishlister this week with the fact that I want to read some steampunk is... 

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld 

May 2010 (Simon & Schuster childrens)

Goodreads: 

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

DNF: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides

"The haunting, humorous and tender story of the brief lives of the five entrancing Lisbon sisters, The Virgin Suicides, now a major film, is Jeffrey Eugenides' classic debut novel.

The shocking thing about the girls was how nearly normal they seemed which their mother let them out for the one and only date of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sister's breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear."

***

From the reviews of The Virgin suicides that I have seen on goodreads I can tell that this book is one of those that you either love or hate. Nearly every review is either 5 stars or 1. Unfortunately I'm going to have put mine low I think.

I wanted to love this book, it has been on my tbr list ever since I saw the movie and I loved the movie. However when I started reading it something seemed lacking. The movie did this book more than justice, its amazing but from what I remember of the movie it's storyline runs very very similarly to this book. Unfortunately it must work better in the movie and at 111 pages in I decided to give the book up. 

I loved the way the movie's story was told, from an outsider looking in, and although this is the same as in the book I felt like the book was lacking. It didn't have the visual stimulation which was needed for such a voice, and it really bugged me that the narrator kept pointing to "exhibits" that I couldn't view myself! 

I remember the movie flowing so well, I remember that there was a time period between the first Lisbon sisters suicide and the next but I didn't think it was a long time period at all. However in the book I started getting bored. Nearly halfway through and only one of the girls had committed suicide and the story was so boring. I decided that for my own sake I was going to stop reading and change to something else.

I really hope that this isn't the start of a bigger reading slump. I don't think it is to be honest though. I really wasn't connecting to the story, it took me three days to get 111 pages in (even though I'd read a 200 page book the morning I started this one!)  and I kept putting off reading to do other things (a definite sign I'm not enjoying a book!) I'm annoyed at myself for stopping reading but I think if I carried on it would have taken me all week to read it and I would have enjoyed it even less! 

I may try and read it again one day. I know its a cult classic but at the minute I'm not in the right kind of mood to push myself to read a book I'm not enjoying. All I know is I'm glad I managed to find it in a charity shop for 1.99 rather than bought it at full price! 

An Act of Love – Alan Gibbons

“You think you’re invincible when you’re a kid. Invincible, that’s a laugh. We’re easy to hurt, any of us, all of us. Physically, emotionally we snap. Like a matchstick. Easy as that.

And the damage can last a day.

A week.

Forever.

I open my eyes. I crave daylight. There’s darkness inside me, stifling, suffocating. It’s always been there.

Since it happened.

Since the explosion.”

Chris has just returned from Afghanistan. Wounded in combat he is due to receive a medal for his work. While he awaits the ceremony he flashes back to the scenes of war, he’s stuck in the mind-set he was in on the front. But then he gets a text message from his childhood friend Imran, and everything changes, he isn’t concentrating on the war anymore. He’s thinking about his life leading up to that very moment.

***

An Act of Love is amazingly written, it is a tragic story about two friends, from childhood they grow apart, into directions which couldn’t be more distant. Chris grows to be a fighter, boxing and not knowing where life will take him until he joins the army. Imran is a smart kid but is affected too much by the scenes which reach TV screens of the fighting in Gaza and other countries. Both boys think that the direction they have chosen is right, but is it?

I loved this book, it’s so powerful! I couldn’t put it down I was so moved. It really does open your eyes to what goes on in right here in England. I know how awful people can be, I know that in built up mixed-ethnicity towns there is a lot of fighting and racism but Alan Gibbons gets it put across so well that I was reading some parts of this book and I was ashamed for the characters who were being blatant racists! I love that Gibbons makes a point of the type of people who act in this way by one guy saying “go back to Islam.”

I loved the way this was written, it was mainly from Chris’s voice, even when Chris wasn’t really there and was also split into different perspectives between Chris and Imran, with a couple of mini-chapters coming from two other unknown (until near the end) people. The perspectives switched years too, so you got a lot of the background of the two boys, as well as their feelings and thoughts whilst Chris’ medal ceremony was happening. I have read books where time-switches got confusing and I had to keep checking the dates and stuff but one was written so well that I never lost where I was.

The two characters were totally relatable. For a lot of teenagers they get to 16 and cant work out where to go next and that’s a huge part of this story. Chris was a lovely guy, but not realy clever and not educationally motivated, so at 16 he had no clue and I did want to just get him, shake him and tell him not to go to the army. You know instantly that hes been wounded in war and as you learn more about him you don’t want that to happen to him. Imran was a different story, I kind of got mad at him because he was really smart but just let things get to him more than he should, he couldn’t help it, he was over-sensitive but I wish he could have been a little smarter when he needed to be!

I can totally see this book being used in a school as a way to get kids to engage with current affairs, war-time events and terrorism. I wouldn’t be surprised to go into a school and see this on the shelf in ten or fifteen years because it is a book that is going to stick with you. I loved it because it really got my emotions going, it was educational, and it was an amazing story. I would really recommend getting this book as it really doesn’t get more contemporary than this!

Alan Gibbons has been writing children’s book for over 15 years. An Act of Love is his newest addition and is available from Thursday June 2^nd. Many thanks to Orion for sending me a review copy. 

In Trouble – Ellen Levine

“Run, RUN!

Behind me. A lengthening shadow. I see the shadows edge.

I duck in a doorway and look back.

HIM!

Smirking.

I try to close my eyes but they will not shut.

Run, RUN!”

Jamie is 16, living in the mid-50’s, she understands that girls who give it up are “loose,” “sluts” or “easy.” So she doesn’t understand when Elaine, her best friend who had moved away a year or so ago, tells her that she’s been sleeping with her boyfriend who “loves her.” Jamie knows that Neil is a no good loser and her friend is in trouble, but she can’t get her friend to see what she means. Jamie tries to get help from her cousin Lois but Elaine won’t listen, she wants her baby because she thinks that Neil will come and marry her and they’ll be a family.

Jamie is smart. She knows what Neil’s like and she knows that it’s no life to be 16 and pregnant. But what can you do when abortion is illegal? Jamie thinks her friends in trouble but it’s nothing compared to what’s about to happen.

***

In trouble is a moving story about growing up in 50’s America. Life is hard, women aren’t overly powerful but they are allowed to work and provide for the family. But teen pregnancies are a huge taboo, and there are many “homes” which girls get sent to, to have their babies and give them up for adoption.

I never even thought about the difference in times between now and when this book is set when I saw it on netgalley. I thought that it sounded interesting but I think I struggled a bit because times have changed so much since then, especially in England. But as Levine mentions in her editor’s note at the end there are some restrictions even now for girls under 18 who want abortions.

Even with the severe difference in society and laws between now and then I did enjoy this book. It was a very quick read at something like 200 pages but it was by no means an easy one. A lot of issues are dealt with in that short space but it never felt rushed either. I did expect a bit more action when I read the opening lines, but it wasn’t action packed at all, except in the thoughts of Jamie.  As the whole story is told in Jamie’s voice you get to know her very well, you understand her, and her family. She is a strong, caring girl and I just wanted to help her throughout the whole book. She had to deal with a lot of things that a 16 year old girl shouldn’t have to go through!

I did really enjoy this book but something was slightly missing. I think its because I couldn’t fully relate with the time in which it was based. I couldn’t get my head around the stupidity of Elaine either, I really didn’t like her, she was away in the clouds most of the time and very selfish! I think some readers will find it difficult to engage with the story to be honest. I did and I think if I was reading this when I was a teenager I probably wouldn’t have finished. I wanted to know where the story was going but it didn’t grab me completely.

Ellen Levine has written numerous books for young adults. In Trouble is due for release in September from Carolrhoda Group [US]

Discussion: Poetry – yay or nay?

While at school we were forced to read poetry. And I hated it. I never understood it and I got really pissed off when I was forced to share an opinion. Then something happened. I went on a trip in year 10 or 11 to Newcastle for the GCSE Poetry Live event. It was all those boring poets from our anthology reading our their poems and discussing them! Don’t get me wrong. I still didn’t understand! To this day I refuse to read anything by Carol Ann Duffy or Simon Armitage purely because of school!

But on this trip there was an extra poet, one that wasn’t in the anthology. He walked on stage and started reading our his poems and I feel in love. I knew he was a cool dude as soon as I saw him and then when he started speaking, it was at that very moment that I realised poetry was actually all around me. As someone who is totally obsessed with music I had been writing “song lyrics” for years but never realised that actually, to someone else, they would just be poems!

This guys name was John Cooper Clarke and he was a punk poet. He changed my opinion of what poettry could be forever and he deserves all the recognition he can get because seriously I love him. He writes real stuff, fun stuff, rather than the down and depressing stuff you get elsewhere!

I keep meaning to get some of his poetry but it’s quite often put to music and all I can find is CD’s, not books! From John Cooper Clarke I found Spike Milligan and from there I realised that actually all my life I have loved a certain type of poetry because the “story” I used to force my sister to read me in bed when I was little was Edward Lear’s The Jumblies – which has to be one of the most awesome poems like EVER!

I really want to expand my collection of poetry, but I know I will stick to this type of thing. Funny poems and limericks, I really do need to expand my collection of Edward Lear stuff too! But for now I thought I would share with you one of John Cooper Clarkes poems, moer can be found on his website here.

(I married a) monster from outta space

The milky way she walks around
All feet firmly off the ground
Two worlds collide, two worlds collide
Here comes the future bride
Gimme a lift to the lunar base
I wanna marry a monster from outer space

I fell in love with an alien being
Whose skin was jelly - whose teeth were green
She had the big bug eyes and the death-ray glare
Feet like water wings - purple hair
I was over the moon - I asked her back to my place
Then I married the monster - from outer space

The days were numbered - the nights were spent
In a rent free furnished oxygen tent
When a cyborg chef served up moon beams
Done super rapid on a laser beam
I needed nutrition to keep up the pace
When I married the monster from outer space

We walked out - tentacle in hand
You could sense that the earthlings would not understand
They'd go.. nudge nudge ...when we got off the bus
Saying it's extra-terrestial - not like us
And it's bad enough with another race
But fuck me... a monster ...from outer space

In a cybernetic fit of rage
She pissed off to another age
She lives in 1999
With her new boyfriend - a blob of slime
Each time I see her translucent face
I remember the monster from outer space

Anyway I wondered what other peoples thoughts were on poetry? Do you read it much? Do you think most of it is depressing and/or boring (I’m sorry but I really can’t stand War Poetry. I understand it was bloody horrendous in those trenches but a lot of the time I just can’t read it! Especially after months of it in college!) Have you come across many funny poets like John Cooper Clarke and Spike Milligan? Can you recommend any to me?!

Lottie Biggs Is (Not) Mad – Hayley Long

“My name is Lottie Biggs, and in three weeks’ time I will be fifteen years old. At school most people call me Lottie Not-Very-Biggs. I’ve never found this particularly funny. I am five foot and a fraction over a half an inch tall. My current hair colour is Melody Deep Plum, which is better than the dodgy custard colour I tried last week.”

Lottie Biggs is having a bit of a strange time of things lately. She is so engrossed in her English project that she’s staying up til 4am most nights. On top of this her best friend gets a boyfriend and Lottie seems to think everything is a competition now. And just to make matters worse she seems to be “rescuing” shoes and tights from her workplace.  Things are confusing and it would appear that to make things a bit clearer Lottie needs to take a break; maybe in her wardrobe.

***

I wanted to read Lottie Biggs is (not) mad when I saw Michelle’s review over at Fluttering Butterflies as part of her Mental Health Awareness week. I knew then that this book would be hilariously funny but would also tackle a lot of serious issues.

Lottie was amazing; I loved her and as you get closer to her you start seeing whats wrong, why things aren’t quite simple for Lottie. The pinicle moment is Lottie’s fifteenth birthday and I just wanted to hold her and give her a huge hug! I felt so bad for her! However Lotties “mental disturbance” may be, she doesn’t really let things get out of control, you understand that she’s always had a couple of issues before and she does really want help. I loved how strong Lottie was, even if she thought she was a bit weak, and I loved how she didn’t let anyone get the better of her.

The story is really sweet, with the plot working really well at a good pace, I loved that illustrations were included that Lottie was meant to have drawn herself; they were so so funny and really insightful! It was written from the point of view of Lottie and is basically her English GCSE Coursework, which was pretty damn cool. I loved that the book worked well in addressing such difficult issues but in a way that teenagers could really understand. Not at any point did I find myself thinking that a “mental disturbance” of this kind was unrealistic for a teenager like Lottie, or any teenagers.

This book is an excellent quick read for a quiet Sunday afternoon (when you’re meant to be packing up your flat to move!) I was laughing, I was almost crying, I wanted to hug my book. My boyfriend was getting annoyed because every moment I could get I was picking it up to steal a quick minute reading time!

If you liked the Georgia Nicholson series of books (which I did and still need to re-read!) then this has to be the next book for you! It really was awesome and I can’t wait to read Hayley Longs next Lottie Biggs instalment!

Lottie Biggs is (Not) Mad was Hayley Long’s first YA novel, this and Lottie Biggs’ next instalment, Lottie Biggs is (not) Desperate are both available now. The third in the series Lottie Biggs is (not) Tragic is due for release in August 2011.  

In My Mailbox (#8)

In My Mailbox is hosted by the lovely Kristi, The Story Siren, if you wish to learn more please visit her page here.

OK, so by Friday I only had one book... Tesco BOGOF on Children's Chart is evil! and I had to visit my new library so I picked up a couple of books there! 

Bought: 

Running In Heals - Helen Bailey

The Missing - Lisa McMann 

Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy - Ally Carter

Don't Judge a girl by Her Cover - Ally Carter 

I bought these from Tesco with the BOGOF offer - but they screwed up and didnt deduct the 6.99 for either The Missing or Running in Heals, so I complained and they gave me both of them free! So the four books cost me a grand total of £2.99! WOOP! 

Giveaway:

The Poison Diaries - Maryrose Wood 

Won from Teentoday when they gaveaway 500, yes 500!, copies. Glad I got one as it sounds great! 

For Review: 

Prisoner of the Inquisition - Theresa Breslin

Sent in exchange for an honest review by Random House Children's Books 

Borrowed from Library: 

My Soul To Take - Rachel Vincent 

Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror - Chris Priestly

I have been wanting to read the Rachel Vincent series for ages! and I had to get the Tales of Terror as I've been hearing such great things! :D 

Galleys: 

The Day Before - Lisa Schroeder

Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz 

The Day Before was on the May Galley Grab from Simon and Schuster - It sounds amazing, can't wait to read it! Spellbound was from NetGalley 

 

As many of you know I moved house this week so I thought I'd include a few pics for you of my new place... I hope you don't mind!  Due to lack of furniture we're sleeping on the floor! But as always I made sure my Dino's and books were unpacked first! :D 

 

       

On My Wishlist (#1)

On my wishlist is a weekly meme brought to you by Book Chick City. Its a fantastic way of hearing all about the books that are on peoples ever growing wishlists! please visit Book Chick City's blog here to find out more!

***

I'm an uber geek, thought you should know...

At Home: A Short History Of Private Life - Bill Bryson

May 2010 (Doubleday)

Goodreads: 

"'Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.'

Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has
happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has fig­ured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture."

***

I heard about this one on the radio last year when it first came out in hardback and still haven't gotten round to getting it! 

The Poison Tree - Erin Kelly

May 2011 (Hodder) 

Goodreads: 

"It is the sweltering summer of 1997, and Karen is a strait-laced, straight-A university student. When she meets the impossibly glamorous Biba, a bohemian orphan who lives in a crumbling old mansion in Highgate with her enigmatic brother Rex, she is soon drawn into their world - but something terrible is about to happen, and someone's going to end up dead . . ."

***

I really want to see the movie of this and I point blank refuse to watch the movie before I read the book! 

Whip It - Shauna Cross 

September 2009 (Macmillan US)

Goodreads: 

"Skirts, Skates, & Scrapes!
All the old school skills with a new punk rock attitude
Come see The Lone Star Derby Girls
Austin’s All-Girl Roller Derby League
The Holy Rollers vs. The Fight Crew
Halftime Concert by the Chimney Sweeps
This ain’t no cheerleading clinic, y’all!
Meet Bliss Cavendar, an indie-rock-loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas. Her pageant-addicted mother expects her to compete for the coveted Miss Bluebonnet crown, but Bliss would rather feast on roaches than be subjected to such rhinestone tyranny.
     Bliss’s escape? Roller Derby.
     When she discovers a league in nearby Austin, Bliss embarks on an epic journey full of hilarious tattooed girls, delicious boys in bands, and a few not-so-awesome realities even the most hard-core derby chick has to learn."

***

Now a more recent one! I love the sound of this anthology and I cant wait to read it at all! 

Truth and Dare - edited by Liz Miles

26 May 2011 (Constable and Robinson)

Goodreads: 

"The truth is that for those who dare to be different school and growing up can be hell. "Truth & Dare" is a collection of edgy, quirky stories that revolve around a funny, nerdy cast of characters who struggle to fit in ...or struggle not to. They will appeal to the inner geek of anyone caught up in attempts to navigate the labyrinthine teen caste system. Written in authentic teen voices, they speak to fans of the movies "Juno" and "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" and the TV series "The Gilmore Girls." Witty and smart, these are short stories from the point of view of funny, though not always cool or popular guys and girls, who are dealing with all the pressures of growing up - school, friends, music, relationships, parents, and just plain fitting in (or not)"

Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins

“Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and a lot of kings named Louis.  I’m not sure what they did either, but I think it has something to do with the French Revolution, which has something to do with Bastille Day.”

Anna’s father has enrolled for her to spend her senior year at the School Of America in Paris. Anna has never been away from home, never been to France and hates the idea of a boarding school. She also hates that her dad has turned into a bit of a pompous prick now that his bestselling books are being turned into movies.

Her first night in Paris is spent crying, until the girl next door takes pity and adopts Anna into her friendship group. In that same friendship group is Etienne St Clair, a beautiful boy with a gorgeous English accent. Anna instantly wants to get to know him more but knows that his girlfriend isn’t far away. The next year is a roller coaster of cute boys, dodgy French speaking and kissing that Anna should be thinking twice about.

***

I totally judged this book before I read it, buts that ok as I still read it to formulate my own opinion right?! I really didn't like the sound of it. I thought it would be total romance with no depth and Anna would be annoying and girly. However after hearing so many people rave about how good Anna and the French Kiss is I decided I had to give it a whirl and I’m so so glad that I did!

The book wasn’t as “kissing, lovey dovey” as I thought it would be, quite a lot of it focused on Anna as a person, growing rather than just the romance, in fact there was A LOT less romance than I had assumed. I liked Anna, she was her own person, with a strong personality, even if she did come across a little selfish in places, she redeemed herself later on in the book.

The characters were really cool in this book actually. I was impressed that they weren’t really your mainstream type of friends, they had their artsy kind of twist. They all kind of had their own personalities even though the focus was on Anna and St Clair. Obviously St Clair was my favourite character, he was chivalrous   without being sexist, he was funny, sarcastic, intelligent and damn hot! I loved that him and Anna seemed to fit together and I was absolutely gutted for him when he receives his bad news part way through the book!

The setting was also amazing in Anna, obviously, I mean come on! Its Paris! I love Paris, I’ve been twice and the second time was for my 18^th with my ex-boyfriend, it really is a romantic city and the memories of Paris have totally lasted longer than that relationship! It’s an amazing city and to put that across on paper the way that Stephanie Perkins does takes a lot, the writing was brilliant!

To read something that I didn’t like the sound of at first and to love it as much as I loved Anna and the French Kiss is really amazing. The story flowed so well and the characters really made this book. Its made me want Lola and the Boy Next Door even more (after seeing the cover and falling in love with just that!) And actually, speaking of covers, the only thing I really didn’t like with Anna was the cover. It totally didn’t do the book justice!

I would honestly recommend this book to anyone, even if they don't do romance like me, I'm glad I didn't listen to my "ergh romance" side and I read this book cos it was awesome! 

Anna and the French Kiss is Stephanie Perkins’ first novel, it was released in the US in December 2010 by Dutton Books. Her next book ; Lola and the Boy Next Door is due for release in September. 

Pretty Bad Things - CJ Skuse: review

“Paisley,

School counselor’s office, Immaculate Conception Academy, Lodi, New Jersey

** 

Simpson fumbled getting the tape into the VCR. She was all, which button is it?

And I was like, How old are you and you can’t even work a friggin’ VCR?

‘I’d like you to watch this and tell me how you feel about it,’ she said, finally getting her fat ass out of the way so I could see the screen.”

Paisley and Beau are the wonder twins. Lost for three days in the woods near their house just after their mother was found dead they were found alive and well when everyone feared the worst. What followed was countless TV appearances and plenty of money going into a trust fund for them. Now 16 Paisley is a delinquent type, in her fourth boarding school because her grandmother cant, or doesn’t want to, look after her. Beau on the other hand is his grandmother’s doormat, in the nicest way possible.

Then they discover that their dad has been trying to write to them for years. Not just one letter but tonnes, and he tried to visit when he came out of prison. The last letter he sent places him in Vegas, so they follow, and Paisley has just the right plan to get them noticed.

***

I read CJ Skuse’s second book, Rockoholic, a month or so back and since I read that one I knew I had to get my hands on her first book. I knew I would love it as CJ’s writing style is just up my street. I love how real and down to earth she allows her characters to be and I really wasn’t disappointed with her first book!

I hadn’t heard a lot about the book before I read it so it kinda shocked me that it was set in America, as CJ is a British author, I expected it to be British. However this really didn’t put me off and the setting was awesome. I loved the reactions that Beau had when they arrived in Vegas, they were just the kind of reactions I would have! It also opened my eyes to the crazy stuff they have in Vegas, I must find out if it was all fact cos it seems crazy to me that they have a rollercoaster in a hotel!!

The twins were amazing chracters. Paisley was a totally ass-kick chick, and you know how I love them. She was the type to call a spade a spade and be done with it, and she had a totally hot wardrobe! I loved that although she was against the world she knew where her loyalties lay and she wouldn’t let anyone or anything get in between her and her dad and brother. If I met Paisley Id totally shake her hand… well, if I got chance after her screaming obscenities at me!

Beau was a bit of a weedy character at first and I kinda had mixed feelings, I hated the people who had just thrown him in a dumpster but also kinda wanted him to grow a pair. But he got better and he was a loving character all the way through.

The plot was hilarious in places, it really would make for an awesome movie! All the way through I was totally engaged thinking “what are you doing?!” and “omg, Paisley is crazy, please Beau do something about her!” I totally wanted it to be a happy ending, but I wont spoil any of that for you!

I would recommend Pretty Bad Things to anyone. It was a really engaging read and I really do love how realistically portrayed the characters are… there are lots of swears in this, and Cj Skuse’s second book, and you know how much I love the swears! :D

Pretty Bad Things was released in March 2010 by Chicken House books. Rockoholic followed in March 2011 and a third untitled book is due for release in March 2012.

The Magnolia League - Katie Crouch: review

“Other things that aren’t so great? Georgia summers. Georgia boys. My grandmother’s rules. My entre new freakin’ life in Georiga.

I know I know. I have a bad attitude right now. Reggie would say I’m being a buzzkill. And if I had a buzz to kill, he;d be right. So please, don’t hate me – I mean really, this sour bitter Alex is a new thing.”

Alex Lee grew up on a commune, with her hippy mum and a load of other people who came and went. Her mum dies in a terrible accident when Alex is only 15 and life sucks, but it gets worse when Alex turns 16 and a lawyer turns up and forces Alex to go to Georgia and live with her Grandmother – Miss Lee.

Miss Lee stands for everything Alex hates about Georgia. She is the head of the Magnolia League, a society which takes old fashioned values to an extreme. With the help of Hayes and Madison, Alex is expected to be a Magnolia debutante. But as Alex is being steered into becoming a full blown debutante she realises there are more to them than rich lifestyles and stuck up values.

***

The Magnolia League was left sitting on my virtual shelf for a few weeks as I had loads of other books to read. So by the time I got round to reading it I had totally forgotten what it was about… and instead of looking at the back like a normal person, I decided to just carry on reading! I love doing this as you get a lot more surprises!

Because of forgetting about the blurb I found myself asking loads of questions. I love going into a book blind because of this and Magnolia league really helped with its fascinating plot. I was totally unaware of what was coming and I really loved the twists in the story. The plot was pretty damn good and really had me gripped! I cant wait for the second one because I have to see what happens.

Unfortunately the characters weren’t as good, don’t get me wrong I liked them but they didn’t have me gripped. I think it’s because I really don’t like the idea of debutantes, whenever I see that kind of thing on American TVS shows I am so glad that I didn’t have to be a part of that! I really thought Alex was going to try and change the order of things so I was a bit upset when she dips in the middle of the story. However, she does come back and kicks up a little fuss so I can live with that!!!

I really was gripped whilst reading this story. I loved that it was like Mean Girls with a twist and the character had some depth to them. I really liked Thad, but I mean I don’t think anyone couldn’t! And Dex was really funny!!! Even Hayes and Madison I grew to like, but not loads… they kinda stand for everything I hate… focussing too much on mney and looks.

I also loved the way that the story was presented. Bits of the story were told from Alex’s perspective, in first person. However it split and went into third person to discuss other characters actions, like Miss Lee, and the other Magnolias. Sometimes third person can distance you but they way it was done really made me drawn closer to Alex. I don’t think I’ve come across many books that change focus in this way but I really did enjoy it as you got more of the bigger picture.

The Magnolia League was a good, quick read and ended on such a cliffhanger that I really want to read the next! I really hope the wonderful perspective carries on through to the next book as it really gave the book more depth! I really would recommend this book if you want some fantasy that’s a little bit different, as it was really quite real-lifey!

The Magnolia Leauge is Katie Crouch’s first Young Adult novel. It was released in the US by Hatchette Book Group on May 3rd. Thank you to the publishers for prviding a copy for honest review via netgalley. 

Non book related: Moving house

Happy Tuesday! I thought I’d share a couple of things with you. For the first I may be a little quieter over the next few weeks. I picked up the keys for my new flat on Saturday just gone and I am in the process of moving… annoyingly our furniture is being delivered sometime between now and June 5^th so we may actually be sleeping on the floor (and omg this just occurred to me, I could be reading on the floor!!! HORROR! I like my couch!) for a week or so…. If anyone from Argos is reading this please send my furniture soon!!! 

I was asked to post pictures but the ones I took were rubbish. Sorry! I will post some soon! Also let me add that I found this picture when looking for a picture to accompany this post... NO ONE is this happy whilst moving... its all a lie!! 

I wont be losing internet connection at all over the period hopefully but I probably wont have as much reading/twitter/blogging time as I do usually! 

Secondly when I’m all up and running properly again I'm hoping to have an exciting new feature… only a couple of people know what this is and I hope that it will be fun! There’ll be more info posted on the blog around the end of May beginning of June but there will be area for guest posts I think so keep an eye out to see if you fancy it! 

Halo – Alexandra Adornetto: review

“Our arrival didn’t exactly go as planned. I remember it was almost dawn when we landed because the streetlights were still on. We had hoped our descent would go unnoticed, which it mainly did, save for a thirteen year old boy doing a paper round.”

Bethany is an angel, sent with her brother, Gabriel, and her sister, Ivy, to help to small backwater town of Venus Cove from evil doings. Bethany is a young angel, created only 17 “mortal years ago” and she adjusts to human life quickly, a lot quicker than her or her siblings imagined. She enrols at the local school and soon starts getting to know the schools most unobtainable boy, Xavier Woods. Something about Bethany suddenly makes Xavier unobtainable and the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will this mean for Bethany, especially when the strange happenings grow stranger.

***

Ok first of all… I was very mixed about this book. There are things I loved and things I hated. To be honest, the things I hated probably would have made me put the book down had they not been matched with the things I loved.

I’m gunna start with the negative, I think its best to get it out the way first then concentrate on what was awesome! I hated Bethany. I think she was a spineless, selfish, annoying character. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her but at the same time, ergh. She was sent to earth to help and she pretty much threw that away as soon as she started school. She practically forgot about her “angel-ness” and became a very annoying little brat. She didn’t have a backbone at all, not to me anyway. I hated the way that Xavier “protected her” and all that, I mean ergh, protect yourself! *feminism ftw!* I honestly think that Bethany’s character would have made me stop reading if it wasn’t for the story, the other characters and the totally amazing writing! It was a bit strange however that as it was written in first person from Bethany’s perspective I kinda fell in love with her voice but not her! It freaked me out because I wanted to like her but then she’d do something to make me not but everything was coming from her!

The other thing that I wasn’t impressed with was the size of the book, at 480 odd pages I would expect a lot more stuff to happen than what did. I think the book probably could have been just as powerful if it wasn’t as long because I found myself a little bored at times then the “finale” scene kinda felt a bit rushed (considering the size of the book itself!)

Right! Horrible stuff aside! What shall I start with!? Xavier? Phawor! Hes a hottie, and he has a great sense of humour. I think personally I would have gone for John as I have a thing for the dark brooding type of guy but I loved Xaviers sense of humour and his attitude and his love for Bethany, while it was a bit bloody ergh at times, was really sincere.

Then the story; it was really interesting, I kept going because I needed to know what was going on, it gripped me, but as with many series’ not all the questions are answered! I never got sick of the storyline, even if the pace was a little off for me, I loved the plot and the way that it threw me off when I thought I’d guessed something!

Then last but not least at all. My favourite part of this book had to be the writing! It hit you from the very beginning and didn’t let you go. I couldn’t believe that what I was reading was written by an 18 year old! It’s crazy. I wish I wrote like that now, let alone back then!! I’m in awe of Alexandra’s writing style and her amazing capability with words. I think that no matter how good the story and other characters were, with my loathing of Bethany I probably would have put this book down, if it wasn’t for the writing! Seriously I couldn’t put it down because of the way it’s written! The descriptions, the vocab, the feel of the words running through your head as you read them; it was INCREDIBLE! Ten out of ten for it!

 I really wanted to love this book. I really did! Everything but the main character was near perfect but she put me off a bit. I am going to read the other in the series, but I probably won’t rush out for them! However I’m really gunna have to try and get my hands on some of Alexandra Adornetto’s other stories, see what her other characters are like!! I would recommend it to other people purely because of the writing, and to be honest other people mightn’t take to Bethany like I did, they may like her because some bits of her personality were really good.

Halo is the first of the series and was released in the UK in January 2011. The second, Hades, is due for release towards the end of the year. 

In My Mailbox (#7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. You can learn more about it here.

Quite a small lot this week unfortunately. I a expecting more but I'm not sure when and where too, everythings a bit messed at the minute as I'm moving house soon and I'm scared things aren't going to arrive before I move! :\

For Review:
An Act Of Love - Alan Gibbons
This was sent to me by the lovely Nina of Orion, it sounds fantastic and I cant wait to get it read!

Giveaway:
I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have To Kill You - Ally Carter.
The wonderful guys from YA Book Reads - I think it was David who I spoke to on Twitter but I'm not sure! - tweeted saying that the 400th person to follow their blog could order any book they wanted from the Book Depository! I did think I was already following them but I wasnt so I fixed that and managed to be their 400th! I asked for this cos I love the sound of the series but my library doesnt have the first book! Thanks guys!! :D

Galleys:

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff 
Supernatural Nior  by Various Authors

I got theese both through Netgalley this week, they both sound really awesome! :D


What did you guys get this week?