Haunted – Various authors

“Some of the best-loved children’s authors have come together to bring you this terrifying collection of ghost stories;

There’s a lost ghost child trapped in a mirror and wanting to pull you in; an evil soul eater waiting for its next victim; a ghost walk with a haunting twist; and the spirit of a drowned boy who needs to be put to rest. These and many spine-chilling tales will make you scream, shiver and gasp.

Open if you dare...”

***

Let me tell you this, if you want to scare yourself silly, especially on, or close to, Hallowe’en Haunted is the collection of stories for you!

I always find it difficult reviewing a collection of stories and when they’re all as amazing as the ones in Haunted I really struggle... which ones should I highlight to my readers... should it be the spooky tale of The Beach Hut with Bram’s night time wanderings? Or The Ghost walk which made me want to go back to York so badly I was looking up hotels straight after I read it? Or maybe even the tale of Hari Patel who finds himself in a scary and very awkward situation involving a computer? Truth is I enjoyed all of these tales for different reasons and I can’t possibly choose between them.

Therefore I am going try and say a little about as many as I can. First of all let me say that I haven’t actually read any of the authors who compiled this book before, they are all new to me but some I have heard of. I have been meaning to read Mal Peet, Derek Landy, Robin Jarvis and Philip Reeve’s works for quite a while and I’m so glad I read this because it really gave me an insight to what I am missing! However at the same time it really brought forward some others that I need to read more of.

The Castle Ghosts by Joseph Delany was a terrifying tale that really chilled me. I started this book late on Saturday night and only read this one story because I thought if the rest were like this I wouldn’t be able to sleep! It was very impressive, unique and had a brilliantly spooky setting.

The next is a little of a sore point for me.  I have heard amazing things about Mal Peet and his books so this is one I was really looking forward to, but it was probably my least favourite of the entire book. I LOVED the writing but the story, of a girl who was haunted by dreams of a huge black dog, really didn’t excite me. I was quite let down but the writing really made up for the story.

The Blood line by Jamila Gavin saw a character retrace the history of her family when  she and her husband move into a home that she’s certain has something to do with her past. I liked the way this one was put together and the character that were in it. Freddy was a sweet boy and I felt for him so much. This was the only book within the collection that had chapters and although it’s rare in the children’s short stories which I have read, it worked really well.

Eleanor Updale’s story of a boy and his technology obsessed ways really made me giggle. It was a frightening story but not as spooky as any of the others. I did really enjoy it though and I think a lot of young teen boys will sympathise with Hari.

Songs the Dead Sing was quite possibly one of the scariest stories in this collection. I have only heard amazing things about Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series and this has made me want to read it more! What else could you want from a ghost story than a brutal murder of the main characters best friend and the victim coming back to him for help? I love a good mystery and this definitely had one!

The Ghost Walk by Matt Haig was impressive. I could see the end of the story right from the beginning but it was the writing, the description and the setting that had me sold. This was based in York, which is a city famous for its pubs and its ghosts. I lived in York for a year and unfortunately I was too busy partying – ahem I mean studying – to go on a ghost walk. Immediately after I finished the tale of Oscar’s family’s ghost walk I went to look for hotels to stay in so I could go on my own!

Then there was The Ghost Wood. Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines series has been on my wishlist for months and months yet I have never gotten round to buying myself a copy (even though I’ve bought my sister the first in the series for her birthday!) I have heard amazing things about the author and in this story he made forests come to live in the middle of a city; and I could see it all. That is what makes an amazing story! I think this was one of my favourites of the collection, if not the favourite and it definitely made me realise what I’m missing!

This is all of the stories, the others are just as good but I don’t want to bore you. I really would recommend these stories for people who love a good fright and a well told tale. There are 11 stories in total in the book and not one of them made me want to put the book down. I gobbled it up in a few hours, though I’m not sure that I’m going to sleep tonight (Sunday) after reading this book this afternoon!!

Haunted is an excellent collection published by Anderson Press. I am very grateful for the review copy that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (#31)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren, you probably already know that but if you don't, go here and find out more!!

Only one book this week but an awesome sounding one! Can you spy my dino? 

For Review : 

Swim the Fly - Don Calame

Thank you to Leonora at Templar for sending me this one! cant wait to get round to it! :D 

On My Wishlist (#21)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme brought to you by Book Chick City, its a chance for you to drool over all those books from the past, present or future which you cant wait to get your hands on! 

***

This weeks wishlist explains itself when you know that I finally read Inkheart at the beginning of the week and loved it. I have it in Hardback and I cant have the first of a book in Heardback and not the others so: 

Inkspell - Cornelia Funke

2005 (Chicken House)

Goodreads:

Just a few chapters into Inkspell, Mo (a.k.a. "Silvertongue") sagely says to his daughter, "Stories never really end, Meggie, even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page." A fitting meta-observation for this, the unplanned second installment in Cornelia Funke's beloved now-trilogy.

Of course, it's that sort of earnest, almost gushing veneration of books and book-loving that made the absorbing suspense-fantasy Inkheart so wonderful in the first place, with that lit-affection getting woven integrally into the plot (Inkheart being both Funke's first book in the series, and the fictitious book within that book, authored by the frustrated Fenoglio, now trapped within the book, er, within the book. Fenoglio, perhaps not surprisingly, self-referentially wishes in Inkspellthat he had written a sequel to Inkheart.) Inkspell should serve as a special treat for fans of the first book, as characters from Inkheart who have found themselves in the "real world" (if there is such a thing) find themselves read back into their own mythic, word-spun world--along with some of our favorite "real-world" characters. As with the previous book, Funke's greatest accomplishment here is telling such a rich and involving (and fun!) story, while still managing sweet, subtle commentary on the nature of words and meaning. Expect a tantalizing finale, too--as Funke says, "No reader will forgive me the ending, though, without a part three." 

***

Inkdeath - Cornelia Funke

2008 (Chicken House)

Goodreads:

Caught between the covers of a cursed story...

Ever since the extraordinary events of Inkspell, when the enchanted book Inkheart drew Meggie and her father, Mo, into its chapters, life in the Inkworld has been more tragic than magical. Dustfinger is dead, having sacrificed his life for his apprentice's, and now, under the rule of the evil Adderhead, the fairy-tale land is in bloody chaos, its characters far beyond the control of Fenoglio, their author. Facing the threat of eternal winter, Mo inks a dangerous deal with Death itself. There yet remains a faint hope of changing the cursed story—if only he can fills its pages fast enough.

Inkdeath—the captivating final tale in the Inkheart trilogy

Lola and the Boy Next door – Stephanie Perkins

“I have three simple wishes. They’re really not too much to ask.

The first is to attend the winter formal dressed like Marie Antoinette. I want a wig so elaborate it could cage a bord and a dress so wide I’ll only be able to enter the dance through a set of double doors. But I’ll hold my skirts high as I arrive so everyone can see that, underneath the frills, I’m punk-rock tough.”

Lola just wants to attended the winter formal dressed like Mari Antoinette, for her parents to approve of her 22 year old boyfriend and to never see the Bell twins again. The first is nothing new, she believes in costume not clothing, and her new year’s resolution was to never wear the same outfit twice. The second is a little harder, shes only just turned 17 and that five year age gap aint looking pretty to her parents, especially when Max is the front man of a rock band, covered in tattoos, smokes weed and drinks. Then the third, that should be easy, the Bell twins haven’t lived next door for two years… except a removal van has just turned up and there is Calliope Bell standing in next doors yard… but maybe it’s just one twin, maybe Cricket won’t be joining them? Lola can only hope.

***

Oh Stephanie Perkins, you have done it again. Im not a girly girl, I don’t do romance that much but when I read your books I have a yearning for my boyfriend to transform into a Cricket or St Clair of my own (and for the record, hes an awesome boyfriend, it wouldn’t take too much transformation!)

I had a feeling I would like Lola more than I liked Anna, Anna was a great story but I didn’t relate to Anna as a character as much as I knew I would Lola, shes just me and that’s why I was so excited to read this book! The storyline sounded interesting because to be honest I usually don’t think I’ll like love triangles but when I started reading I knew that I would like this one, it helps that I disliked Max, so I was rooting for Cricket the whole way through.

I loved that we are thrown in head first. Lola HATES the Bell twins but we don’t actually find out why until 60 pages in. Theres a lot of build up before then and you get a feeling for who Lola is and her background without Cricket and I really liked that. You also get some of her and Max’s relationship info slowly and information about her parents too. I love how spaced out the story is but nothing ever falls flat. I have seen some people say that the whole Gay parent thing in Lola is a bit stereotyped but I don’t think it is, I liked that Lolas dads acted like equals, neither was more feminine than the other.  This added well to the story though and I guess they weren’t any more overprotective as a normal dad would be, just it was over powering because there were two of them and tey didn’t want her to go the same way as her mum.

The characters were all fantastic. From Nathan and Andy to Norah and Lindsey they all had depth and more to them than Lola. I loved that although she was Lola’s best friend Lindsey has her own stuff going on with Charlie, her school work and her parent’s restaurant. I would have loved for her to be in the story more and felt bad because Lola had basically dumped her a bit since starting to see Max. Norah was awful but you could tell she was just stuck in her ways and didn’t know how to change. You get glimpses of who she wants to be when she’s staying with Lola and her Dads and I would love to know how she handles moving out! Then we get Anna and St Clair… I thought theyd be in one or two scenes but they are actually quite prevalent in the book. They work with Lola and Anna is kinda a shoulder to cry on with things get crazy! I lcan totally see them in the settings they were in and loved that we catch a glimpse of them post-Anna and the French Kiss.

Now on to the main character. Max, Max, Max… youre a douche. Sorry but you want a little groupie who will follow you around and worship you and that’s fine but don’t make that person Lola, she derserves better! I cant believe she couldn’t see that for herself! I really thought he was a prat but I know people like him… they are ok as mates but you wouldnt want to date them! Saying that though… If you’d have sent a Max my way when I was 16 I wouldn’t have said no, we can be young and foolish and not see whats right in front of us hwen we’re that age!

Cricket; stop being so shy, you are lovely and kind and you deserve happiness, and to not have to follow your bitch of a sister around all the time. I understand you are all shes got but that’s her own problem! Now go tell Lola you like her and do something about it… get into a fight with Max, don’t just let them walk away together.

Lola... youre 17. You have some growing up to do and although you appear confident and amazing from the start we all know it is just 17 year old cover up. Also there is 6 and a half years between my and my boyfriend... but that didn't start 'til I was 20 and I would have been locked in a tower by my father if it was when I was 16!!
But anyway, I love how much Lola grows up through this book, she goes from a teen who wants to prove she’s something to the world by doing all the wrong things, to a teen who knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to achieve it. She grows up dramatically and it’s awesome. I think at the beginning of the book she’s trying too hard to be “herself” but shes not certain who that is yet and it is a mask but when she works it all out everything clicks into place. The whole Marie Antoinette wig thing at the end is proof of this.

The characters in Lola really made the book, that and the writing. The story is pretty much a basic love triangle between a girl, a boy and another boy next door. There wasn’t all that much to the main story, there was depth thrown in with Lola’s mum and stuff but it was basic… The writing though. Ahh I love it. The way everything is described and the pace and the dialogue all flows so well that you can’t put this book down. Perkins has such a great talent and I cant wait to see what she brings us next!

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss. It was released in hardback by Dutton Books on September 29^th in the US, it does not have a UK publisher but can be bought from various online stores. I was very lucky to win my copy through an international giveaway at The Reader Bee, Thank you Christy!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Dead Ways – Christopher Edge

“As the car speed through the busy London streets, its blacked-out windows glinting in the early summer sunshine, Scott knew that something wasn’t right. From the moment the car had pulled up outside his school gates, as uneasy feeling had started to knot in his stomach and right now, as the driver swerved round a right-hand corner and straight through a red light, scattering pedestrians in front of him, the know was being pulled tight.”

Scott’s father is the Chief Secretary at the Department For Transport, the government body who are cleaning up the environment by closing down motorways and returning the land to its natural state. There is no reason for the motorways as fewer people are travelling by car since the opening of the Maglev. Or at least this is what the Department are telling the people; but in reality the motorways are covering ancient lines which flow across the country. These lines are known, by few, as The Dead Ways and if they are uncovered the dead may be able to walk freely across the country. With a little help from DI Jason Dyer and two family friends Scott may just be the one who has to do something about this but with more and more stories of the dead walking make their way onto the headlines will they be able to do something before it’s too late?

***

Im always intrigued by zombie stories, always. I never know if they are going to be done really well or if I will just laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but in all honesty... Christopher Edge does Zombies so well that instead of laughing I was nearly cowering through this book!!

The story is awesome, the whole government conspiracy thing can always get mne hooked onto a story and this one is done well. Very few people even think there is something up with the “Greening of the Roads” policy because it is covered up so well. It just looks like a great way to help save the environment so I was all for it at the beginning. I loved the uncovering of this as it came out and I couldn’t put the book down! I think it really twists what we know about our country and puts some great little extras into it! I also really enjoyed it because the characters end up travelling down the A66 at one point and you wouldn’t believe how well I know that road... I could picture every little turn they made so clearly!

The characters in this book are amazing. It is all in third person with a lot of focus on Scott and Jason and a bit on their two companions. I was surprised to find that one of the main characters was a grown man even though it’s a YA book but it worked so well! Scott was impressive for his age and his circumstances but also very believable. I would like to think I could do everything he does within the book. I kinda get the feeling he’s a bit of a loner though and I wish I didn’t get that feeling!

Jason is a great character. You can tell there’s a lot to him and he’s been through a lot of adult crap but its kinda all put in a way that kids would understand. Stress at work doesn’t seem so strange to kids when you realise it’s all down to ghostlike zombie creatures appearing on a motorway late at night!! I liked the relationship that built up between the characters and in a way I kinda thought Jason was like a dad figure for Scott.

I was really impressed how lots of other things were mixed into this book and really, for a zombie book, there aren’t all that many zombies! There was one really scary scene but the rest is all the background to the zombies and I really liked that and it made it more realistic. I reckon teens will love the way its all set out and I think I’m gunna pass it on to the stepson, see what he thinks of it! With great writing, an awesome story and really relatable characters I honestly think teens will devour The Dead Ways!

The Dead Ways is Christopher Edge’s latest teen book. It is the first in The Dead Ways trilogy and was published by Catnip Publishing on October 1^st. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy. 

Goodreads | Amazon

By Midnight - Mia James

"Prologue: Spitalfields, east London, 1887

She was dying. He could feel her life slipping away between his fingers. He had tried to ignore the signs, tried to pretend it was just the night cold making her face so white, but now as they paused in the pool of gaslight he could see the grey circles under her eyes and the dark blood on her lips"

When Aprils father loses his high-flying journalist job in Edinburgh and takes a job on the Highgate "local-rag", he uproots April and her mother and moves them to London. At such short notice there was only one school place available nearby and April starts mid-term at Ravenwood, a prestigious academy for gifted, financially or intellectually, students. April is niether so its quite intimidating but she finds Caro, a conspircy0nut who stands out from the crowd of beautiful, super-rich girls at Ravenwood. 

Things at Ravenwood are mysterous but April refuses to believe Caro's take on whats going on. Until a series of murders take place far too close for comfort. 

***

By Midnight is one I have been putting off for months, literally months. I bought it early, really early, this year and it sat on my shelf until now... the reason? Its a vampire book... and I just don't do vampire. I bought it not realising and then when I found out I put it off even though people rave about it! Its not really fair for me to distance myself from vampire books. I'll be honest and say that its because of the huge influx of them since Twilight hit it off... But I'd heard great things and with the second in series due out this month I thought I may as well give it a go... and I'm glad I did! 

The book is a brilliant tale of mystery, misplacement and loss. It follows April from the minute she gets into London and we see her settling into her new life, though not comfortably. The story was brilliant, the new school thing is really interesting to me, I dont know why but I love it when we see characters just thrust into new surroundings and we pick up on everything they do. It makes it all so much more interesting. I dont want to give away too much of the plot but I love how everything was slowly revealed, but not too slowly, and I was very impressed with the results towards the end of the book... I didn't see one major thing coming and I thought I had the entire story sussed after about 200 pages (of 436) so I was glad when something happened that I didn't expect, it actually boosted the book from "meh it was OK" to "yeah this is a damn good read". I also like the way the book was split into parts, that isn't done enough and it really makes sense with this book as Aprils life shifts dramatically with each part. 

The characters were interesting... I liked April, she seemed very well put together and I loved that she was so down to earth but not at the same time. She was a great example of a 16 year old girl, especially after what happens part way through the book... at the end of part one. More than April I loved her dad and Caro, I've put them together because for me they were very alike. They were both conspiracy nuts and they both loved April and were there when she needed them, ish. They were April's confidants but they also had enough depth that they were stand alone characters too. I can't wait to find out what happens with Caro later in the series! 

Aprils mother and her Grandfather annoyed me. I think this is mainly to do with the lack of trust in April and the fact that a lot of their history, and Aprils fathers actually, is untold in this first book. There is obviously more to them and that isn't revealed in By Midnight so I feel like I cant trust them entirely. I want to know more before I gauge my decision of them.

Then we get to Gabriel. hmm... hes hot, hes kind, but hes not at the same time, because... shock horror... hes a vampire. I do get annoyed when they do the whole "I am one of them but Im different" thing but I guess with Gabriel it can be forgiven. I did like him and I feel for him, I really do... but seriously, he could have treated April better in the first place! 

Mia James' writing is what makes this book stand out for me. She captures the scary stuff about Highgate, the freaky stuff about Ravenwood and the absurdness of The Faces and the other "popular" people mentioned, both from Ravenwood and beyond, like the Osbournes. I honestly think that the writing is what really stuck out for me and if it wasn't for how beautiful it is this would be a throwaway book, a read it once and chuck it, for me. 

There were a few things I didn't like about By Midnight, I don't want to focus on them too much but the timeline seemed a bit screwed. April mentions at two separate points that she has only lived in London for two weeks... and as far as I can tell this was at least a few days, if not a week, apart! I also thought that the end of part one was more than a week or two from the beginning of the book and that was ten days before these bits at least... it didn't make sense! Then there was the revealation of the twist towards the end... I liked it, but I didn't think it was revealed as well as it could have been... it was a bit rushed and odd... but nevermind, it completely changed the book for me! 

I would definitely recommend By Midnight to someone who loves the paranormal, and especially vampire, genre. I did really enjoy it and I will be carrying on with the series but thats becuase I did love the writing and the layers of the story... and I need to know what happens to April and Gabriel, and Caro! I need my answers!! 

By Midnight was released in February 2011 by Gollancz Books, but has recently been republished by Indigo to co-inside with the release of Darkness Falls, the second in the Ravenwood series. My copy was purchased from my local Waterstones. 

Goodreads | Amazon

Why I'm on a(nother) book buying ban

So I'm on another book buying ban. This time it comes from a couple of things, one is a serious lack of money. Two is that if I don't stop buying books I'm seriously going to end up like the picture above!! 

I looked over at my tbr the other day. I thought "I should count those and see how many I've got" then I thought "don't be f'ing stupid, why even put a number on it, that would fill you with dread every time you glanced at the shelves!" So I didn't. I left them uncounted. All I know is there are a lot, two shelves, double stacked plus another huge pile on my bedside table. And that doesn't count the kindle books! It puts fear into me even without knowing the number. And you know what? I always leave the ones I've bought myself to last, I have review books, competition books, gifted books,loaned books, book tour books and my own,  and of course the others are all seen to before my own. So what's the point in buying them. I'm not complaining. I love my books but I cant love them enough so for now, no more books til after Christmas. 

Going back to the first reason I said too. A serious lack of money? I'm getting that everyone is in the same boat at the minute. Christmas is approaching and it aint looking pretty for my bank account. But not only that there is the fact that me and my partner are moving. AGAIN. We love our flat, but its too small, too cramped, and too damn expensive. We can get a bigger place 2 miles away for less so we're on the move. But not only once, no, that would be too simple. We're moving to T's mums for three weeks to get enough rent and deposit money together for the next place. Thankfully that should only take us 3-4 weeks but that means that between the beginning of November and Christmas I'll have moved twice. So this is the other reason for the ban. For some reason I don't mind moving books I've read and want to keep. I love them so why would I mind. But those pesky unread books? Why do I wanna move those, I don't even know if I'll like em! haha but in all seriousness, I could do without adding to the books so from now on, I'm saying no to bookshops, charity shops, and even the library. I'm not going to request any more book tour books until I'm settled in the new place and I'm going to try with all my might to say no to anyone offering me books. I've also not entered any competitions for a few weeks. I'm doing well. I'll let you know when I'm on the buy again... for now though; I'm on the packing. Wish me luck! 

Double Clutch – Liz Reinhardt

“My Mom waltzed into my room early on the morning of my first day of high school back in Sussex County, NJ, after a year in Denmark, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she kissed my forehead like it was my first day of kindergarten instead. “

Brenna’s back home after a year of living, and homeschooling, in Denmark, her stepfathers home country. Excited but also terrified by being back at school she breathes a sigh of relief when one of the first people she encounters is her best friend from Middle School, Kelsie. But that’s only at the local high school, and Brenna has opted for Share Time between High School and Tech School. Having advanced well in homeschool Brenna finds herself in the higher classes at High School and gathers the attention of older, bad boy, Saxon. With her head already mixed up by her encounter with Saxon she goes for her afternoon at the Tech and comes across sweet, sensitive Jake. Brenna feels something towards both boys but there’s more than meets the eye to them both.

***

When I accepted the request to read and review this book one major thing ran through my mind. It’s a self-published book and I’ve had some bad experiences with them – bad grammar, terrible writing, boring storylines… so I said yes to give it a go and I can honestly say that none of this should have run through my mind! Double Clutch was brilliantly written, well edited and had a great storyline that captivated me the whole way through.

The story was all about the main character and the love triangle that she has found herself in. I only really like love triangles if theyre done in a certain way. I dislike it when a character is with one person, who is amazing and perfect with no flaws at all, and then another pops up and suddenly its bye-bye decent guy, hello randomer who’s just turned up. But Double Clutch wasn’t like this. The first guy, Saxon was very charming and you tell he’s the type of bad boy that all girls will fall over themselves for no matter what. He had a way about him that was just, impressionable, and I could see what Brenna had feelings for him. Jake was more of a sensitive guy who you need to take to for a bit to really get to know. He was beautiful on first glance but you built up feelings for him, even if they were built up fast.

I liked that the love triangle started out with no connection to either boy. It was plain fancying on Brennas part and we’ve all been in situations where we fancy two people at once, hell I remember having a list! And Brenna really didn’t have to battle knowing which boy was right for her… she knew but she had a hard time deflecting the attentions of the other!! I really enjoyed the way that everything was set out, it made for a great story line with brilliantly developed characters.

The two male characters had a lot to them. Saxon was highly intelligent, with a photographic memory and obviously a bit of a bad boy attitude but there were reasons for that and you pick those up throughout the story which really gave great development to Saxon, and in a way Jake.

Jake was really interesting too. A sensitive boy with a bit of a bad boy background, he’d been tarred with a brush that he couldn’t get rid of no matter what which stressed him out a bit but he was lovely and Brenna knew it.

Then we get on to Brenna. I liked Brenna, I really did, she was funny, laid back and had a great relationship with her parents and a great attitude to life. However I really wished that she spent a little bit more time doing the things she loved and with the people she cared about than worrying over the boys… It made her character seem a bit two dimensional towards the end, whereas at the beginning she was more of her own self… I still liked her but she become too obsessed with the boys, however I can’t really blame her for that… I remember what I was like with boys at that age and I was pretty much the same!!

I think what I really enjoyed about this book is the way it handles certain aspects of the teen relationships. There’s the trust that is needed for relationships of this kind, there’s the feeling of being on the verge of adulthood and most of all there’s the sexual aspect of relationships. Brenna is 15/16 and Jake is 16/17 so both of them are starting to think about sex and what being in a relationship is about. I liked the way sex was handled and not only that but the fact that “other things” and not just full on sex were explored in the book.

I really enjoyed this book; it had a great storyline with great characters and decent writing. I honestly think Reinhardt is one to watch when it comes to fun, exciting teen chick lit because she does it so well!

Double Clutch was released for Kindle on September 6^th. My copy was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (#30)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren, you probably already know that but if you don't, go here and find out more!!

For Review:
Haunted - Various Authors
This one sounds so much fun. Its a few different short stories all about ghosts! Im taking part in the blog tour for this book on the 1st November so keep an eye out for that!

Gifted:
Naked - Kevin Brooks
The wonderful Cicely saw that I really wanted this book and that Im on a ban (more about that on Tuesday) and offered to send me her copy of Naked, I was over the moon because I know I will LOVE this book! THANK YOU CICELY!!!!

and that's all this week, a quite week by my means, what did you get in your mailbox? 

On My Wishlist (#20)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme brought to you by Book Chick City, its a chance for you to drool over all those books from the past, present or future which you cant wait to get your hands on! 

***

Again this weeks wishlist picks are things Ive seen arund the internet, two on blogs and the third on twitter. I cant wait to get my hands on this first one after seeing the awesome trailer for it over on Book Angel Emma's blog on Tuesday and a great review on Heaven, Hell and Purgatory from Lyndsey.

A Tale Dark and Grimm - Adam Gidwitz
 

September 2011 (Anderson Press) 

Goodreads:

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

***

This next one was on Viv's blog, Serendipity Reviews, this week and sounds awesomely spooky! 

Ghost Ship - Dietlof Reiche

May 2007 (Chicken House) 

Goodreads: 

Vicki planned to spend her summer as a waitress in her father's seaside restaurant, a must-see tourist destination w/ its seashell-covered walls, a 230-year-old portrait of an evil eyed sea Captain & the majestic figurehead from his ship. But when the bay went dry & a 1772 sailing ship appeared, Vicki's course was reset. For where the greedy mayor saw dollars signs & a nosy reporter saw something fishy, Vicki saw ghosts. Determined to discover the truth & to uncover old family secrets, Vicki, along with her new best friend Peter, must venture into the deep & believe the unbelievable.

***

And Finally, my attention was brought to this book via twitter when someone (I cant remember who) said that it wasn't read enough. It sounds great and a couple of folks I know have read it and enjoyed it so I wanna check it out! 

The Book of Lost Souls - Michelle Muto
 

March 2011 (Kindle published)

Goodreads:

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end. 


***

Eight Keys – Suzanne LaFleur

“The trouble all started right before the first day of sixth grade, the last time Franklin and I played Knights.

Knights works like this: we get our swords, we head out to the woods, and we go on chivalrous missions to battle ghost knights.”

When 11 year old Elise starts middle school she has no idea how much things are going to change. Making an enemy on her first day she feels lost and quite alone. No one understands her, she starts being purposely late for school and she never does her homework. Things get worse and worse, then she turns 12. She thinks turning 12 will change everything but in reality the only difference was that the letters she receives off her dad, who passed away when she was three, on her birthdays stop and there’s something else she has to figure out. But her dad has left her with a task, and that task might eventually straighten a few things out.

***

Eight keys was so cute, but oh so sad. I felt a pull like no other on my heart whilst I read this book and I had to read on to find out why everything was the way it was.

Elise is being bullied, and this is one amazing story of why bullies bully, and why people let them get away with it. This along with a story of growing up and discovery makes Eight Keys a must read for the younger generation… however I honestly found it difficult to relate to the story. I was bullied at school, when I was the same age as Elise, and I grew up in a small community but this felt like it was too far out there for me. The story seemed a bit aged, like it was set in the 80’s or early 90’s… it just felt a bit odd for me.

The problem I had was only the ageing of the story. Everything else was amazing, the characters were definitely brilliant and the way Elise and Franklin were just made perfect sense to me. Elise’s family were amazing and it was so sweet the way they took Elise in and treated her like her own person, they treated her as if she was their own child – she was their niece, her mother had died when Elise was born – but they also never put too much pressure on her or anything like that. I loved the way the book showed what it can be like for a child of that age to suddenly have responsibilities and also how hard it can be on them to suddenly have another, younger, child around all the time. I loved the relationship between Elise and Ava because I can see it really being like that.

I know that being a child of 11/12 can be hard. I am currently watching my boyfriend’s son go through that time, hes just started secondary school and the transition from primary to secondary, or in the books case elementary to middle, is very tough so I understood that. It’s a time when theres a lot of change and a lot of growing up and you can get confused and the book captures that well.

Overall I honestly thing Eight Keys is cute, and very moving but something wasn’t right. The characters were great but it really did feel a bit too oldie-worldy… or maybe its too set in the ways of an American way of living that I don’t fully understand. Anyway, I do think its worth a read, especially for younger kids who are possibly coming up to secondary school age, it just wasn’t for me. 

Eight Keys is the second book from Suzanne LeFleur and was published on 11th August by Puffin. My copy was acquired through UK Book Tours.

Goodreads | Amazon

The Boyfriend List – E Lockhart

“1. Adam (but he doesn’t count.)

2. Finn (but people just thought so.)

3. Hutch (but I’d rather not think about it.)

4. Gideon (but it was just from afar.)

5. Ben (but he didn’t know.)

6. Tommy (but it was impossible.)

7. Chase ( But it was all in his mind.)

8. Sky (but he had someone else.)

9. Michael  (but I so didn’t want to.)

10. Angelo (but it was just one date.)

11. Shiv (but it was just one kiss.)

12. Billy (but he didn’t call.)

13. Jackson (yes, okay, he was my boyfriend. Don’t ask me anymore about it.)

14. Noel (but it was just a rumour.)

15. Cabbie (but I’m undecided.)

Before anyone reading this thinks to call me a slut – or even just imagines I’m incredibly popular – let me point out that this list includes absolutely every single boy I have ever had the slightest little any-kind-of-anything with. “

Ruby Oliver is 15 and life seriously sucks. After a week of panic attacks her parents decide she’s anorexic or losing it and book her in with a shrink. There she spills her life, and how it has revolved around friends who aren’t talking to her anymore and boys… even the ones she’s never even talked to. In-depth discussions about her friends and the boys throughout her life may just reveal the issue at hand but Ruby is sceptical…

***

Hmm, I’d heard amazing things about this series and its protagonist and I wanted to love it but I don’t know… it definitely messes with your emotions and I had mixed feelings whilst reading this one… but that won’t stop me carrying on the series!

First of all, I think it’s safe to say that this is a very girly, very teen book and whilst I love getting in touch with my inner teen a lot of the time I kinda got very pissed with this book. The story was brilliant and I loved the way little bits of Ruby’s life was revealed in little bits throughout it. But I think it was the characters that I was pissed at.

Ruby is great, I liked her attitude and whilst yes, she did need some perspective on life and herself, she was actually quite well rounded and what girl doesn’t at 15!? I loved her parents and thought they were hilarious but knew they would have driven me INSANE if they were my own and I don’t know how she survived living on that houseboat… wow!

But that’s where the love stopped. Intrigue got me through The Boyfriend List and that intrigue carried me through right til the end. I needed to know what it was about all these boys that Ruby put in the list and when the boys (and Ruby) started getting older, I started getting annoyed.

It wasn’t annoyance at the boys per sae, it was annoyance at the situation and the girls in Ruby’s life. I couldn’t believe what had gone on in Ruby’s life… I mean, you just don’t do that, not to your best friend or any friend!! I cant go into details for fear of spoilers but I can tell you this; friends ex-boyfriends = no go area!

The Boyfriend List may have bugged me, a lot. But I think it bugged me in a good way… you know those books that get you so riled up that you want to shout at the characters? Yeah, The Boyfriend List was one of those books. So whilst I did get annoyed a lot and shout at it a lot, I did really enjoy it and I am dying to know where the series goes next. Though that was another good thing about this book… There wasn’t a drastic cliffhanger ending, even though it’s the first in a series, it could cut there and leave the rest up for you… but I wanna know what happens next now I know it’s a series!!

PS. just have to say, not al the boys were awful, Hutch was nice and Noel... he was AWESOME! I want a Noel! 

The Boyfriend List is the first in the Ruby Oliver series. It was published in 2006 by Corgi, a Random House Children’s Books imprint. My copy was purchased via the Amazon Marketplace.

Goodreads | Amazon

Newes From the Dead – Mary Hooper

“It is very dark when I wake. This isn’t frightening in itself, because most of the year I rise In darkness, Sir Thomas insisting that as much as possible of the house be put in order before any of the family are about. It is the quality of the darkness that is strange; blacker than black, soft and close about me.”

Anne is working as a scullery maid when she becomes pregnant. Too far gone to do much about it she gives birth on the first day of December 1650. The child never drew breath yet Anne is accused of its murder. Sentenced to death by hanging the body of Anne Green is carried away for dissection. But as the physicians begin the procedure a strange rattle is heard from her throat. Could Anne still be alive?

***

I read Fallen Grace not so long ago and then accepted an invite to visit the Bloomsbury offices in London and meet Mary Hooper. I accepted that invite and thought Newes from the Dead, one of Mary’s first historical fiction books, would offer me brilliant company on the three hour, each way, train journey. I was so totally right as I couldn’t put it down at all and very nearly ignored the conductors voice telling us we’d reached our destination!

Newes from the Dead is a very powerful story. It is told in both first and third person narrative. The first person narrative is heard in the chapters where we get Anne’s perspective of things. She believes she is dead and is trying to make sense of everything and reflecting on the events which led to her demise. The third person narrative comes when we are watching over Richard, one of the Physicians who is at the dissection. I loved the way the story was told because you got a lot of insight into the events, what is happening when Anne is in her “black place” and you also get a little back story into Richard which I thought was brilliant. The story that Anne goes over, of how she came to be in her situation, is amazing and really keeps you gripped. The entire story is a fantastic portrayal of life in Victorian times and you can really tell that Mary Hooper did her research!  What is even more gripping about the story is that its based on an actual account of what happened to one young lady in 1650, and very closely based too.

The characters are wonderfully writing and you really come to love them. Anne is a kind hearted, loving type of girl and you really feel sorry for her and her naivety. She got into her situation because of false promises and you know that she didn’t want to do the things she did but she was too bowled over! I loved her and what you found out about her family, I could actually relate to her very well even though Id never been in a situation like that, it was very powerful.

Richards character was brilliant too, the story of Anne coming around could have been told a million different ways, with just a general third person narrative but the way it focussed of Richards perception of the events was brilliant and he was such an interesting character to get to know. I loved his stammer and just how cute he was… you could ddefinitely take Richard home to your grandma!

The other characters were really well developed too. Mrs Williams, Susan and the servants were interesting. I didn’t like Mrs Williams and Susan much and felt they were unfair to poor Anne but they did show a bit of remorse for Anne so I will let them off! They were never as awful as Sir Thomas or Master Geoffrey though! I could have swung for those characters many a time!!

My favourite character of course had to be John Taylor. He was so sweet and kind and knew his place but didn’t mind much that it wasn’t a great one. He was just perfect for Anne and I was so upset when things didn’t go to plan. I wanted them to having a budding relationship!!

Newes from the Dead was a wonderfully written,  beautiful piece of fiction. It picks you up and whisks you off to 1650 and it taught me things about the time period that I never knew before! I loved every minute of it and although it was heart-wrenching, it was a beautiful story to read.

Newes from the Dead was published in 2008 by Definitions, a Random House imprint. Thank you to the wonderful Jade at Ink-scratchers for sending me this book as a birthday gift!

Goodreads | Newes from the Dead

October 7th: the day I met Jennifer Donnelly!

Ok so on Friday 7^th October (how did that happen by the way... October? Already?!) the lovely people at Silverdell Bookshop and Lancashire Libraries hosted an evening with Jennifer Donnelly to celebrate the release of Revolution. I was meant to be going to the Leeds Blogger event to meet Jennifer but couldn’t afford the train ticket so had to pull out so I was very happy when I found out about this!

The event was held in the old part of Preston city hall so obviously it was a beautiful room, and it was a pretty decent turn out I reckon! My boyfriend came with me, so I wouldn’t be alone, and we both fully expected him to sit there playing on his phone and not take much notice, but then Jennifer turned up, and she started talking; Tony’s phone didn’t appear once!!

Jennifer started by telling us about her mother, who used to tell her stories at bedtime about her life in Germany during the Second World War. It was fascinating to hear that Jennifer picked up her mother’s passion for storytelling and picked up on the history aspects of storytelling through this. The stories that her mother used to tell sounded scary and not quite childlike but I think it probably helped Jennifer develop the courage that she needed later in life to face the hurdles that life throws at you! I think it definitely helped her imagination!

Jennifer went through the history of Revolution and all the things that made her wan to write the book in the first place. I was really surprised to learn that the heart in the urn was actually real, I didnt know that until this event and thought it was just part of the story for Revolution. I was also surprised to learn that Jennifer first saw the new piece which led to the birth of Revolution around ten years ago! I can’t imagine what it would be like to know something I had done took that long in the making. I loved how much Jennifer really put across her love for history and her experience of writing Revolution. Her anecdotes of the visit to Paris to research for Revolution were hilarious as well as inspiring!

After the talk Jennifer answered any questions the audience had, from tips to anyone who wants to be a writer (write, and do lots of it!) to how the characters came about (they turned up in her mind in what sounded very spiritual and beautiful, I wish some characters would wander into my mind!). I asked about a soundtrack to Revolution and she told me that she listened to a lot of the bands that Andie listened too which made me happy cos Andie had awesome music taste! I was shocked to find after the Q&A session that I was, up til then, the only person at any event to ask about music! Its such a huge part of Revolution!!

After the Q&A Jennifer signed books for people and thanked me for my review of Revolution (Emma from Bloomsbury had shown her it) and spoke to me a little about my blog and things. Then I stood and talked to Emma for a while when everyone was getting their books signed which was lots of fun, she’s very lovely! I was also introduced to Elaine from Silverdell Bookshop, which was great because they have lots of events on in Preston so hopefully I’ll be seeing her quite a bit! Then Jennifer finished signing books and I got a couple of pictures in!

 

It was a great talk and it was awesome to meet Jennifer, she’s so lovely and it really was inspirational to hear about how she works and all the research that goes into her work. She was such a great public speaker; it was easy to see how her writing comes out so brilliantly when you see how passionate she is about her work

Reel Life Starring Us – Lisa Greenwald

“Video tip; Use an L-cut – introduce a scene with an audio cue a second or two before the scene actually starts.

I’m standing in the second-floor bathroom, shaking crunched up potato chips from the bottom of my backpack into the garbage can.

Anywhere else potato chips are considered good – delicious, even.

Here it doesn’t seem to be that way.”

Dina’s parents move her away from her cultured life at a nice private school to Rockwood Hills. Here everything depends on which of the four sections you life in and what brand new jeans you are wearing. She doesn’t understand it, if she was popular at her old school that should make her instantly popular here should it? But it wouldn’t seem that way. She gets “chipped” on her first day and things go from bad to worse when she’s teamed up with Chelsea, uber-popular rich girl, for a project and Chelsea is obviously not a happy bunny about this.

Chelsea missed the first month of eighth grade and now she’s back her friends are acting a little odd and she’s been teamed up with the new girl, who wanders around with her camera permanently on. I mean, who does that? She’s got enough to cope with, trying to keep her family’s secret from becoming popular knowledge, and now she’s got to hang around with this new girl as if she actually wants to.

***

I wasn’t sure I’d like Reel Life Starring Us. I kind of saw it and thought it would be a clichéd middle grade story without too much depth. But there was more to it that I expected and it turned out to be an awesome story with characters that definitely needed some adjustment!

The story was simple; new girl gets teamed with most popular girl in the school. Popular girl hates this. They are forced together and learn some stuff. I liked it though. It was refreshing, the way it was done and I can totally imagine it being made into a Nicolodean teen day movie. The story was simple but with little bits mixed into it, there was more depth than I expected and there were a few twists that I didn’t expect. Especially with the end, I really enjoyed the ending! I also really enjoyed the differences you got between the two girls just from their chapter headings. Dina's chapters had video tips and Chelsea’s had a fictional (I think!) famous actress’ tips (who makes an appearance in the story)

The characters were interesting. I loved Dina and I wanted her to stay her quirky self and be who she wants to be. It annoyed me that at first she tried so hard to be accepted by Chelsea and her friends, especially when you find out how mean Chelsea’s friends are! But I guess that’s just the pressure of starting a new school! Chelsea was a nice character and I honestly think she was one of the only group of “popular kids” that had a heart. I think she was quite selfless, but because she was used to having things a certain way she probably came out as selfish at times. Chelsea’s friends were awful, except Ross, he was lovely and actually cared about Chelsea and Dina. He was so different from the other boys mentioned that I actually thought at one point her was going to turn out gay, not because of how he acted but just this one scene... but it all made sense in the end!

I have to add my one niggle; at times I did find the switch in narrative a little too much and got confused by which girl was talking, especially in the scenes which were just one of them on their own. It’s easier when they are with their friends or with each other but alone I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter a couple of times to double check! But once you remember which girl it is its fine.

Reel Life Starring us is definitely a must read for this age range and will teach kids a lot of valuable life lessons! It isn’t something I’d usually read and it was a little young for more but I find that with most contemporary middle grade fiction. Saying that though I really would recommend it to any kid of around 10 to 13, it’s something that I wish I’d read before I was 13 because I reckon things would have been different for me... The cover is ridiculously girly so I’m gunna put it out there that most girls will love this story but most lads won’t even think to pick it up, however I reckon it could easily be read by both genders!

Reel Life Starring Us is the new novel from Lisa Greenwald, known for her previous book My Life In Pink and Green. It was released by Amulet, an Abrams imprint, on October 1^st. Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (#29)

Considering I'm on a book buying ban I got a lot of books... whoops! I didn't mean to, it just happened! I technically didn't break my ban though as I said it would start this weekend... yeah. 

Gifted:

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

The Emerald Atlas - John Stephens

Devilish - Maureen Johnson

Stealing Phoenix - Joss Stirling

So, My friend bought me Delirium in July for a birthday present and as I HATE the UK PB version she ordered the HB for me... three months later it arrives, with a tear in the sleeve and with the sleeve curled up and damaged. I wasn't happy but Amazon were good and refunded part of the price! But yeah... then the wonderful Book Angel Emma sent me her copy of The Emerald Atlas as she cant put it in the library and I mentioned that I really want to read it! Also I went to see Maureen Johnson... yes THAT MAUREEN JOHNSON! (ARGH!) and my sister kindly bought me Devilish as I'd bought her a signed copy of Revolution, I have an awesome sister! And finally Viv from Serendipity Reviews kindly sent me her proof of Stealing Phoenix! I have awesome book blogger friends!! 

For Review: 

Frogspell - CJ Busby

Caulron Spells - CJ Busby

India Dark - Kirsty Murray

Beat The Band - Don Calame

Arcadia Awakens - Kai Meyer

I received all of these from Templar this week. Leonora emailed with the January to July 2012 catalogue and asked what we wanted so I asked for these, you wont see a lot of the reviews for a while though as I'll post nearer the time of release! 

Borrowed: 

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld

These are my sisters... I bought her Leviathan for her birthday in March and she loved it that much she went straight out and bought Behemoth! I cant wait to get round to reading them because of how much she loves em! 

UK Book tours: 

Elixir - Hilary Duff

Envy - Gregg Olsen

I admit, I use UKBT to get the books I'm either not sure about actually buying a lot of the time! These were both requested for this reason. I was really looking forward to Envy but after reading Emmas thoughts on it I was put off so requested it instead! I cant wait to see what I think of it... Also the Hilary Duff one is purely becuase I used to love Lizzie McGuire but Im not certain she can pull off a book!