DNF – Elixir Hilary Duff

As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington D.C. politician, Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. And though she dreads the paparazzi who track her every move, she herself is a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. 

But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life. 

When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond. 

Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives. (Goodreads Summary)

***

I got this one through UK Book tours purely because I was intrigued as to whether or not Hilary Duff could produce a good, decent YA novel (or her ghostwriter could as the case may be!) and I was actually impressed with what I read of it. I stopped reading at around 170 pages of 320 or so, I read quite a bit of it and had I not had a crap week for reading time I probably would have finished it. However I woke up on the weekend looked at it and thought “you know what, I can’t be bothered.”

It’s well written, the story is ok but in all honesty everything about it is just average. I wasn’t connecting to the characters, I was bored with the story and thought it was being dragged out so much longer than necessary and I have a million other things I want to read so much more… I know its harsh and I feel bad for giving up on it but I cant be doing reading an entire book that I’m not enjoying when I have loads of others I know I’ll love!

I do think if I was younger, in my teens still, I’d be fine with it, I would have gobbled this book up faster than you can say Lizzie McGuire… (I loved that show so I’ll always have a soft spot for Hilary Duff)  I would have loved it but this is purely the type of thing I read when I was a teen, I loved contemporary books and although there is an element of paranormal in the book it is ultimately a love story I think.

I would recommend this book but I think it suits a certain type of reader. I have friends who would happily read it and enjoy it and I know it’s not a bad book but it’s not a great one either. 

Elixir is Hilary Duffs first YA novel and was published by Simon and Schuster in July 2011, the second in the series, Devoted was released in September. My copy was obtained through UK Book Tours 

Book shout out

I dont usually do this type of thing but theres a book due out soon which really need shouting about... its Celia Rees' The Is Not Forgiveness and it sounds utterly amazing! I have a copy but I haven't actually got round to reading it (its packed in a box somewhere but it'll be out before release date, which is February 2nd, don't worry!!) but I know other who have and have had their mind blown by it.
Anyway There is an extract to read from the book here and for you my lovely readers I have included the synopsis and trailer for the book below. Go add it to your wishlist, now!

This is not historical fiction. This is not a safe read. This is not Celia Rees as you’ve ever seen her before.

Bestselling Celia Rees is known for writing tales of high adventure set in the past. This exciting departure is a psychological drama that sees her tackling subjects of political terrorism, extremism and the effects of post traumatic stress disorder on soldiers.

Everyone says that Caro is bad news, but Jamie can’t help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can’t believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn’t know why, but there’s no way he’s going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro.

As Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is much more to Caro than he first thought. She disappears for days on end, she has small scars on her wrists, she talks about revolutions and taking action, and then there are the rumours he hears about the other men in her life.

Always in the background is Rob, Jamie’s older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect . . . but that isn’t how things work out in real life and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.

Dream Bookish Destinations (#8): Gallery Oldham

Welcome to Dream Bookish Destinations. This is a feature in which I lust over (semi) Bookish Destinations across the world.

What is it?  Gallery Oldham

Where is it? Oldham, Greater Manchester

History: Gallery Oldham was built in 2002, designed by architects Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects it offers a state of the art gallery. In 2006 the architects returned to the site to extend the building so the Oldham Library and Lifelong Centre could be born. The gallery offers a unique experience, targeting different audiences and offering talks, tours and arts and crafts workshops. 

Why I want to go there: I honestly hadn't heard of this building until I saw a tweet about an exhibition that was taking place and its actually the exhibtion that is the main reason I want to go here. Between November 26th 2011 and 11th March 2012 there is a fascinating exhibition on called Picture This! which highlights illustrations rom children's books and also features a selection of work by the winners of Best New Illustrators 2011 awards. Even though this is the reason I found out about The Gallery I also want to go because it looks like its a beautiful building; just the right amount of modern! 

Naked – Kevin Brooks

"My heart was born in the long hot summer of 1976; my life was made, my love was sealed, my soul was lost and broken. It was the summer of so many things – heat and violence, love and hate, dreams and nightmares, heaven and hell – and when I look back on it now, it’s hard to tell the good from the bad.”

In the year of 1976 Lili Garcia met William Bonney – the Irish gent who she knew was special from the minute she saw. He was everything, yet nothing, he blended into the crowd but also stood out and as soon as he started playing the guitar in Naked’s rehearsal space he was integrated into the band. Curtis, Lili’s boyfriend could tell he was special and for Curtis everything was about to get more and more special, but was it going to be the same for Lili and William? Can they survive the atmosphere of the new found Punk scene?

***

What a way to lose my Kevin Brooks virginity! I knew Naked was going to be amazing, as soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb and I needed to read it. I had to have it right there and then and thankfully when I managed to get my hands on it, it really did not disappoint.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I care about music, a lot. My punk knowledge isn’t brilliant but I know a bit thanks to my ex-boyfriend. He was into his punk and a few of the references in this book I knew because of him. But in all honesty, they aren’t that out there that someone who knows nothing about punk would be lost. I mean, I don’t think you could find a person who doesn’t know who the Sex Pistols are and it wouldn’t take long to figure out what Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren had to do with the band. I was worried that the inclusion of such well known bands would mean that the importance of the punk scene would be lost but it wasn’t at all, everything seems pretty real and from what I know about the punk scenes roots nothing came across as inherently fictional, obviously other than the fiction.

The story was amazing, I really got into it and it’s not just because of the music, though that helps. The story was fast and full of action and energy. It was punk in itself, not really stopping for air but because of the way it was told it didn’t feel rushed and didn’t overpower me. The pace mirrored the music but I loved every second of it and there really wasn’t a dull moment.

I love the way Naked is written, like a story being told from a mother or grandmother, looking back over their life. It was really well done, I mean it is Young Adult, focussing on the summer of 1976 but told from 2010, you don’t really get told that 'til later but you get the feeling there has been a lot of time between the events and the writing of these events right from the start. The punk movement really changed Lili and yet it isn’t the only thing that changed her. The relationships she gathered over the time she’s looking back on and the other historic events she as the IRA problems of the time really broadened her outlook on life and you can tell that everything that happened has really stuck with her, I mean; she is still thinking about it all 35 years later!

The characters within this book are just incredible. They really jumped out of the page and into my head. The only person I had trouble with actually seeing was Lili, everyone else I could picture perfectly! Curtis was quite possibly the most out there and crazy character within the book who I didn’t already know about and I really wanted to know if he was based on someone who was around at the time and if Naked were based on a real band. I loved Stan and Chief as well, they seemed so lovely and just chilled out. The pair of them seemed really in tune with their music and that’s all that mattered to them. But I can’t love anyone from the book more than William, wow; he was everything a girl could ask for, including being Irish. I think if he walked into my rehearsal space when I was 16 I would have blabbed saying I loved him there and then, and he gets better throughout the book!!

Naked is definitely a fast paced, mind blowing read, if you ever wanted to learn anything about the punk movement or even a bit about the IRA then it’s the book to pick up but even if those things don’t interest you I really believe it’s a coming of age tale that stands out from the others. It shows that the actions you perform when you are 16/17 do stick with you for years to come and that this age period is more important than you think. It’s full of interesting characters, music references and, more unexpectedly, snippets that’ll make you shed a tear. It’s a powerful story of love and hate, drugs and drinking, rock and roll and more punk that you can shake a stick at; and I’ll be recommending it for years to come I’m certain of it!

Naked is the latest title from award winning author Kevin Brooks, it was released in October by Penguin. My copy was kindly gifted to me by Cicely from Ciclovesbooks, thank you!!

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (#34)

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!!

I only got two actual book this week, but Im also going to include the ebooks that I've got over the past, well I dont know because I keep forgetting to include them on my IMM! I havent broken my book buying ban as the ebooks are either from netgalley or were free from the kindle store.. and the bought book is from the money my dad gave me last week! 

For Review

Scary School by Derek the Ghost

This was sent for review from the author and I cant wait to read it, it look really funny and once Ive read and reviewed it I definitely think my stepson would like it! There are some great illustrations in it! 

Bought

Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry

This one is one Ive seen all over the blogosphere but mainly in the US and Aussie blogs. Its difficult to get hold of over here but I'm sure it'll be worth it! 

Ebooks:

Netgalley

Long Lankin - Lindsey Barraclough
Trick or Treat - Richie Tankersley Cusick
Scarlett Dead - Cathy Brett
My Lunatic Life -  Sharon Sala
Geek Girl -  Cindy C Bennett
Without Tess - Marcella Pixley
Rumours from the Boys' Room: a blogtastic novel - Rose Cooper
Saving June - Hannah Harrington
If I Tell - Janet Gurtler
Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Yeah I went a bit crazy on the netgalley books. I will get them read as soon as I find my kindle charger... living out of boxes really isnt good!

"Bought

Bunny Attack - De Kenyon

The Golden Acorn - Catherine
New World - Patrick Ness
Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know - Hamilton Wright
Kisses for Lula - Samantha Macintosh
The Shadowing: Hunted - Adam Slater
These were all free books on Amazon that I thought I would get while they were free. I've heard mixed things about Kisses for Lula so I was going to get it from my library anyway.

So that's my mailbox. What's in yours?

On My Wishlist (#24)

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! 

***

Three wishes this week that have been added to my wishlist since spotting them on other peoples blogs... this blogging business is bad for me!! First up is one I would usually probably ignore but it caught my eye for some reason and Liz over at Planet Print loved it so much that I kinda had to add it to my wishlist!  

The Catastrophic History of You and Me - Jess Rothenberg

Feb 2012 (Puffin)

Goodreads Summary:

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

***

Next up is one that I saw on Carly's (Writing from the Tub) "Waiting on Wednesday" post... I will admit I rarely do more than glance over those posts but this glance had me adding the book to my wishlist straight away, it is definitely my kinda thing! 

Unraveling Isobel - Eileen Cook

Jan 3rd (Simon Pulse) [US]

Goodreads Summary:

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. 

***

And thirdly, I couldnt see this book and not add it to my wishlist after I read and fell in love with Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, I cant wait to read what Morgan Matson has in store with her second book! I cant remember whose blog I saw this on but thank you for bringing my attention to it! 

Second Chance Summer - Morgan Matson

May 2012 (Simon & Schuster Children's Books) [US]

Goodreads Summary: 

Taylor's family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then Taylor's dad gets devastating news that changes everything. Her parents decide that the family will spend the summer together at their old vacation home in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they’ve ever been before. But all of them are very aware that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love.

Petals in the Ashes - Mary Hooper

***This is the second book in the series and will, unfortunately, include spoilers from the first book. Whilst all care is taken not to give away too much of the story this cannot be helped. If you do not want the story of At The Sign of the Sugared Plum spoiling please do not carry on. Sorry!!*** 

“’Rouse yourself, Hannah,’ Sarah said, shaking my shoulder a little. ‘ Tie your hair back… and can you not splash your face with water from the flask? We do not want to arrive at milady’s house looking like frowsy kitchen wenches.’”

Hannah and her older sister, Sarah, had escaped London. As the plague ravished hundreds of others they managed to get out and stay safe. Making their way back to their family they find their mother pregnant and struggling to keep check on their younger siblings. Sarah wanting to stay behind and help their mother, Hannah having other ideas; the two girls decide to take different paths and Hannah returns to London with their younger sister, Anne. Hannah is convinced that London is safe now the plague has gone but a new year means new problems and soon after they arrive in the city a fire starts raging in Pudding Lane…

***

Hannah doesn’t have much luck, the year she arrives in London the plague hits, then the next year she returns and there’s a great fire blazing, but my oh my, Hannah’s story makes a great read.

This is the second book in the Sign of the Sugared Plum series and it’s just as good as the first. Hannah’s character has developed and she’s no longer the younger one but the more responsible older girl. Hannah really grows between the two books and I grew to love Hannah even more. She has lived through a lot but is still there fighting right through to the end.

A large part of this story does actually happen outside of London, when Hannah and Sarah find themselves at Lady Jane’s. I got bored of this part of the story in all honesty, it was good but I much preferred it once Hannah and Anne got in to London. It was good to know what happened after the first book but there was more action and passion in the latter two thirds of the book.

Petals in the Ashes followed the lead of its predecessor by having wonderful character. Mr Newbury was again in residence and Anne was an interesting character. She was a mirror of what Hannah was in the first book and I loved that Hannah’s role was reversed. Hannah’s romantic interests became even more prominent in this book and I feared for Tom on more than one occasion, especially when Bill came into the picture. I didn’t like Bill and thought he was a bit selfish but I guess it’s probably because he put Tom’s position as Hannah’s sweetheart in jeopardy!

I loved this story and it felt exciting yet also slightly terrifying to see the Great Fire of London from the eyes of someone living it. It truly felt like a memoir of sorts rather than fiction and I admire the way Mary Hooper has a knack of making me want to find out more about historic periods that I haven’t even really thought about before! I honestly thing this series would push any young teen into wanting to find out more about the events of the past and the people who lived them. Mary Hooper is a teacher of the kind that every teen should have!

Petals in the Ashes is the second in the Sign of the Sugared Plum series. It was first published in 2004 by Bloomsbury Children’s Book’s. My copy of the book was received in the Fever and Flame omnibus format from the publisher.

Goodreads | Amazon

Dream Bookish Destinations Thanksgiving Guest Post

Today I have the wonderful Emma from Book Angel Booktopia talking about the destination for her dream Thanksgiving dinner

So following the Thanksgiving Menu at The Emancipation of Pewter Wolf and the fantasy dinner
Party at Serendipity Reviews we really needed somewhere to hold this shindig [ : D ]

Being a proud welsh woman and book obsessed with a love of historical architecture where better to
hold the Dinner Party than:

The National Library of Wales

Is it just gorgeous? It is in Aberystwyth – which is not close to where I live at all contrary to popular
belief Wales is quite big [ : p ] I would love to go there.

I will let Raimy tell you about the architecture as I know nothing about it only what I like and do not
like (old = good, modern = bad)
Hehe, Thank you Emma and although it really is a gorgeous turn of the 19th century building I will just include a little from online and the NWL website below! 


The National Library of Wales was designed by architect Sidney Greenslade who won a competition to design the building in 1909, the building at Grogythan, off Penglais Hill, was first occupied in 1916. The central block, or corps de logis, was added by Charles Holden to a modified version of Greenslade's design. Since then a number of additions have bene made to the site including a new storage building in 1996 and changes to the front elevation. A new Royal Charter was granted in 2006.

Leading Welsh people and Members of Parliament worked hard to establish a National Library and a National Museum. In 1905 the government promised money in its Budget, and the Privy Council appointed a committee to decide on the location of the two institutions. Aberystwyth was selected as the location of the Library partly because a collection was already available in the College. Sir John Williams, physician and book collector, had also said he would present his collection to the Library if it were established in Aberystwyth. Cardiff was selected as the location of the National Museum. Both the Library and Museum were established by Royal Charter on the same day, 19 March 1907. (taken from www.llgc.org.uk)

You can find out more about the National Library of Wales at http://www.llgc.org.uk

At The Sign of The Sugared Plum

"To tell the turth , I was rather glad to get away from Farmer Price and his rickety old cart. He made me uneasy with his hog's reath and his red, sweaty face and the way he'd suddenly bellow our laughing at nothing at all. I was uneasy, too, about something he'd said when I'd told him I was going to London to join my sister Sarah in her shop.

'You be going to live in the city, Hannah?' he'd asked, pushing his battered hat up over his forehead. 'Wouldnt think you'd want to go there.'"

When Hannah gets the message from her sister that she is needed to help in her sisters sweetmeats shop in London she is overjoyed. However she is not received well when she turns up with her sister exclaiming that she was not meant to come at all. Sarah sent a second letter telling Hannah not to come as cases of the plague had been reported in the City and Hannah was safer at home. With the plague getting worse by the days Hannah has no choice but to stay and help her sister, but will the plague get worse, will it come nearer, and will the girls be OK when it does?

***

There's something about Mary Hooper's writing that grabs a hold of you and whisks you off to wherever the protagonist is. From the minute I started reading At the Sign of the Sugared Plum I was inside Hannah mind, I was on the cart, I was in front of the pub and I was working my way through the small alleys and crowds of people to find Sarah's shop, and I loved every minute of it.

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum was another hit for me. I love how much I learn from Mary Hoopers books, I new some things about the plague, the strange costumes the doctors wore, the plague pits and the houses being locked up but I never knew the true horrors of the plague. To be honest if you have a weak stomach you may struggle with this book, its horrific in some places and you really get a feel for what life in London at this time is like.

The characters really meant a lot to me in this book, with it being in first person narrative from Hannah's point of view you feel everything she does and shes a loving, kind girl so its hard not to like the wonderful characters. Sarah is an amazing older sister who's supportive but also who needs a bit of looking after herself, she was a very motherly person and I really loved the relationship between the two girls. Doctor De Sliva and Tom were brilliant characters and the budding romance between Hannah and Tom was so polite and old fashioned that I found it so sweet! I was gunning for Tom and was ready for the book to be thrown across the room if anything happened to him! Abby was a rock for Hannah and she was very easily likeable. I enjoyed the scenes with her in and I would have liked her to be more of a main character but the part was done well.

Mary Hooper's writing is just so elegant yet free flowing that its really isnt hard to read. I love how simple yet beautiful she makes everything and how much emotion is put into the writing. The only bad thing I found with At the Sign of the Sugared Plum was the length, it was short, only 169 pages, and I felt it was a little rushed towards the end. It also left me with a lot of questions but I guess that's OK as I have the Fever and the Flame edition which is an omnibus of this and its sequel.

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum was published in 2003 by Bloomsbury Children's books. It is the first in the Sign of the Sugared Plum series. My copy was gifted to me from the publisher by way of the 2006 omnibus The Fever and the Flame.

Goodreads | Amazon

Books and Movies; My thoughts on adaptations

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past week you will have seen or at least heard about the recently released Hunger Games, Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman trailers (here, here and here if you have missed them). I've watched all three and I must say I’m impressed with all of them and that’s saying something!

For someone who hates movie adaptations of books usually I am stupidly excited about these trailers. I will go into the two Snow White movies in a little while but first I want to say something about The Hunger Games. I didn’t like the first book as much as everyone else seems to have, *waits patiently for the gasp of shock and horror* (you can see my review of it here.) I didn’t hold out much hope for the film as I know what I’m like for hating these types of adaptations. However, when I saw that trailer… wow! I was tempted to actually go back to the book and read it again because I thought I must have missed something! Im still actually considering it!

I don’t say that I hate movie adaptations of books lightly, don’t get me wrong, I’m not just basing this on Twilight *shudders*. I have seen many different films which have come from books and even time I end up sitting there either hating it or thinking “It’s not as good as the book” I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, I love those books and to be honest putting aside the terrible child acting in the first couple they are good movies but are they anywhere near as awesome as the books? No! I’ve read The Lovely Bones, and I have the movie, but I still haven’t read it because I don’t want my memory of the book scorned by that of the movie because I know I won’t like it! Antonement by Ian McEwan was a great movie but was nowhere near as good as the book and any film based on a Nick Hornby book cannot live up to its book, and yes I've seen and read nearly all of them! Then Twilight, sorry but I hated the book so thought I should watch the movie and see what they can do with it… ergh I only watched the first two movies and gave up, pretty much what I did with the books actually!

I must admit that I don’t mind some film adaptations of books. Ten Things I hate About You is a kinda an adaptation/retelling of The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare and not only is it one of my favourite of all time movies it is actually my favourite Shakespeare play. Though I have to admit I’ve seen some other shocking versions of this play! This though is what gives me hope for the other two movies mentioned above, Snow White and Shakespeare plays are older, they are both more adaptable than a modern day book when it come to making movies I believe. I also have to be impressed by the way those two films which are so different can stem from the same story. Snow White and the Huntsman is a kind of action adventure-y and I would have to say more like the original fairy tale, it looks dark and full of action and not humorous at all. Then Mirror, Mirror looks pretty funny and quite pantomime-y but I like that about it, it wouldn’t work having two films were the same, if they explored the same things. I cant wait to watch these two movies!

I shouldn’t claim that every movie version of a book is going to be rubbish so I'm trying not too, but it is too often true. I also hate the feeling Ive got that, as does Cicely from Cicely Loves Books, these books are going to become franchises because of Hollywood. So many of some amazing YA books are having movie rights sold; Hunting Lila, Angel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Uglies etc, I am scared that Im going to loose my love for them and they are just going to become the next way for the movie bods to make lots of money. I really don’t want to walk into a shop and find a picture of Tally and Shay from Uglies starring back at me from a tote bag… also my daughter will be called Tally when/if I eventually have one and I don’t want people to think that’s where I got it from!

Anyway, I’ve waffled enough. To wrap up I am excited about a couple of the upcoming releases of movies which stem from books. I am going to reserve judgement on them til I see tham but I really hope they end up being great, though I doubt they’ll be as good as their book counterparts! That’s my opinion though, what’s yours?

P.S. Thanks to Emma at Book Angel Booktopia for giving me my topic to write about today. I was in useless journalist mode! *wink* 

Stealing Phoenix – Joss Stirling

“The boy seemed the perfect target. He stood at the back of a group taking the tour of the London Olympic stadium, attention on the construction vehicles beetling up the huge ramp to the athletes’’ entrance, not on the thief watching him.”

Phoenix has grown up with an extended family known as the community. Like a commune with a leader who demands their rent to be paid in stolen goods she has used her savant powers to excel in the only past time she knows well; stealing from tourists. However things change when she is sent to seek out one particular tourist, Yves Benedict. She doesn’t know why her leader wants her to target him but when the first attempt doesn’t end well it would seem that her mission grows in importance and becomes very personal.

***

I loved the first in this series, Finding Sky, so much and I knew I had to pick up Stealing Phoenix as soon as possible after it. Thankfully I have amazingly kind friends and the wonderful Viv from Serendipity Reviews sent me her Arc to read… And I’m so glad she did!

I wasn’t sure what Stealing Phoenix was going to be like as I knew the protagonist had changed from the first book in the series to the second. The focus was also on Yves, the second youngest Benedict boy, instead of Zed, the youngest. Once I started reading I was sure that the change really didn’t matter though because the characters were just as good as those in the first book! Phoenix was ‘street’ and yet very closed in her perspective of the world. She was self-assured but at the same time very unconfident and I think that her upbringing had a lot to do with that. Also she came across to me as a little younger than her 17 years at times and I think that was down to her way of life too. I loved how much growth Phoenix goes through during this book and in many ways she reminded me of myself when I was younger.

The focus on Yves instead of Zed was really exciting to me too because in the first book I really wanted to know more about him. He was my favourite Benedict boy in the first book but I’m not sure if this book ruined him for me. There are parts in Stealing Phoenix when it’s hard to like Yves, even though I was convinced he wasn’t really like the guy he was acting like; I was still put off him a little. It takes a lot to love Yves but he does have a lot to contend with, having 6 gorgeous brothers.

There are many characters in this book that appear in the first, obviously but I loved the insight into how Zed and Sky were doing following the start of their romance in the first book and the increase knowledge of the Benedict family’s powers and traits. There were also a few characters from Phoenix’s side of things that were great, Tony was a brilliant, yet very minor character and you could tell that he loved Phoenix even though he was kinda brainwashed to not trust anyone. The Seer, Dragon and Unicorn were awful character and my skin crawled every time they were on the page, especially Unicorn… ergh *shudders*

I don’t want to go too far into the plot of this book but let’s put it this way; it had me hooked. You know from the start that Phoenix’s “family” are corrupt, it’s obvious, and the plot is very much their evilness shining through, with Phoenix and Yves soulfinder romance intertwined of course. I love the crime element to these books and as I love to solve a crime and help (in my mind anyway) catch the bad guys these books are definitely for me. I had some of the plot pegged before it was unravelled but I don’t mind too much because the way it unravelled could never be guessed.

Joss Stirling really has got an amazing imagination to be able to pull off the worlds that she creates, the mix of paranormal with crime and romance is amazing and I love the ride that her writing takes me on. Phoenix and Yves whirlwind romance excited me as much as their mixes with the wrong crowds and the freezing of worlds. I really do love the world created in these books and I can’t wait to find out more about the other Benedict boys, I know we’re getting a bit further out the young adult range but I would love Xav and Uriel’s stories at least!!

Stealing Phoenix is the second in the Benedict series. It was published in September by Oxford University Press. My copy was gifted to me, Thank you Viv.

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In My Mailbox (#33)

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!!

I know, I know, I'm meant to be on a book buying ban... however... I went to see my parents last weekend and he gave me some money for helping him out with some stuff a few months ago. He handed me the money and said "this is for books and only books, nothing else OK?" well, who am I to refuse that order!

Bought: 

Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone - Stephanie Kuehnert

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac - Gabrielle Zevin

Dancing Jax - Robin Jarvis

The Hollow - Jessica Verday

Rot and Ruin - Jonathan Maberry

I'm so impressed that I got so much for the money my dad gave me. There's actually another book still to come but its from the Amazon marketplace and is taking a while. These all sound amazing and after reading reviews for Five Flavors of Dumb on Ashley's blog, Books From Bleh to Basically Amazing, and I wanna be your Joey Rammone on Laura (Sisterspooky) and Clovers (Fluttering Butterflies) blogs I knew I needed to read them! Trouble is I have so many awesome books now I dont know where to start! 

For Review: 

The Storyteller - Antonia Michaelis

Thank you to the lovely Tina at Abrams and Chronicle for this one! it sounds so good and that cover had me sold from the second I saw it! 

On My Wishlist (#23)

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! 

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I'm back off my blog break!! woo! I didnt get as much read as I would have liked this week though but nevermind, I'm all moved in to my boyfriends mums, trying to fit a whole flat into one room is a nightmare but oh well! I will be moving again but I'll try not to go on another blog holiday next time! :D 

Anyway... This weeks wishes... These are VERY VERY important and I cant wait to get hold of these three books, technically I've read one but it was a library copy and I want my own with the shiny pretty new cover below! none of these actually come out until mid 2012 but I have to highlight them now becuase I want them so badly and they are from authors I believe I can call friends - at least in the twitter sense of the word! 

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The first two wishes are books from the awesome Zoe Marriott - these covers and the synopsis for Frostfire were revealed this week on her blog The Zoe-Trope 

Daughter of the Flames - Zoe Marriott

Originally published March 2008 - New cover publishes July 2012 (Walker)

Goodreads Summary:

What if your deadliest enemy were the only one who could save you? Inside an ancient temple in the mountains, fifteen-year-old Zira trains in the martial arts to become a warrior priestess who can defend the faith of the Ruan people. Bearing a scar on her face from the fire that killed her parents, the orphaned Zira is taught to distrust the occupying Sedornes. Terror strikes when the forces of the tyrannical Sedorne king destroy the only home she knows. To survive, Zira must unravel the secrets of her identity, decide her people’s fate — and accept her growing feelings for a man who should be her enemy

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Frostfire - Zoe Marriott

July 2012 (Walker) 

Goodreads Summary:

A companion novel to Daughter of the Flames 

Frost is cursed - possessed by a wolf demon that brings death everywhere she goes. Desperate to find a cure, she flees her home, only to be captured by the Ruan Hill Guard. Trapped until she can prove she is not an enemy, Frost grows increasingly close to the Guard’s charismatic leader Luca and his second in command, the tortured Arian. Torn between two very different men, Frost fears that she may not be able to protect either of them ... from herself. 

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My next wish comes from the awesome Keris who I've had the pleasure of meeting and going for coffee with! She's awesome and I cant wait to read her new book! 

please note: cover may differ... 

Emma Hearts LA - Keris Stainton 

June 2012 (Orchard books) 

Amazon summary:

Emma's not sure that LA's for her, but when she accompanies her sister Jane to an audition, a chance meeting with a teen TV star starts to change her new sunshine lifestyle for the better... But what about Oscar, so far her only friend in LA, who's turning out NOT to be the idiot she thought he was?

Soon Emma begins to find herself torn between two boys and reconsidering her entire future. 

Maybe LA's not that bad after all.

Anna Dressed In Blood – Kendare Blake

“The grease-slicked hair is a dead giveaway – no pun intended.

So is the loose and faded leather coat, though not as much that as the sideburns. And the way he keeps nodding and flicking his zippo open and closed in rhythm with his head. He belongs in a chorus line of dancing Jets and Sharks.”

Cas is a ghost hunter, just like his father. He travels across the world with his mother tracking down ghosts who don’t even know they’re dead, until they go crazy and kill humans who encounter them. His latest track is Anna Dressed in Blood, a girl who’s throat was slit in 1958 and who has been killing every person who set foot in her house ever since. Cas is expecting to go right in and kill her but when the guys at school play nasty and leave him with a gaping head wound and concussion on his own in Anna’s house what will she do?

***

From the synopsis of this book I knew I would love it, a ghost story with vivid imagery and what was said to be an amazing plot was enough to make me really excited, so when I started with Anna on Halloween I expected to be blown away by it… and I was, kinda.

I loved the story once it kicked in, but that’s the thing, it kicked in a little slow for me, but fast at the same time and it keeps up like this the whole way through. I loved Kendare Blake’s writing style during the fighting scenes or even just the scenes with the ghosts, without fighting. All the action packed stuff was really fast and hard hitting and I loved it, it got my heart pumping. However in all honesty the little bits in between really put a dampener on things and I was aware of the slowness of everything. I’m gunna go into English Literature student mode here and say that I guess this is kinda a reflection on the was Cas is though, tracking down ghosts is his thing and he feels at home and whenever he’s doing anything else it’s nothing to him? Maybe?

Anyway that aside, when Kendare Blake really gets ghosts, they had different personalities, they weren’t just there for one thing, they had different ways of “dying” when Cas destroyed them and they showed their wounds in different ways, some proud, others not so much. I loved the ghosts in this story, even though they were terrifying in places!!

I was a bit worried about the relationship aspect of this book as I really don’t see how a ghost and a human can be romantically involved. This bit of the book was another small niggle to me but I think it worked because of how human you come to view Anna, something changes her when Cas is around and that something makes it easy to forget her spectral status. I understand why Cas feels the way he does but ghost and human romances do not work for me, I’m just glad this one wasn’t all out!

The characters were just amazing and hugely three dimensional. Cas had more to him than the ghost hunter thing, even though didn’t want to admit it. His mum is an amazing white witch who I know I’d love to know in real life. Thomas was such a sweetie, and Carmel even grew on me towards the end of the book! There were other smaller characters and even they were well developed. I do kinda wish we got to know more about Will and why he was the way he was though, I thought that was going to be a bigger thing. But not one of these characters is anything compared to Anna. Wow, Anna, you are one mean ass ghost, at the start, and then you are an incredible ghost, and I look up to you, I really do.

When I say that the story was slow in places I’m talking mostly about the first half of the book, as you get to the end and all that action goes down well put it this way, you will not be able to put the book down! This one is really crying out for a UK publisher, it needs one guys… I can’t just let the US have this book, everyone needs it! It’s heart-pumping, scary as shit, all out action and I loved it.

Anna Dressed In Blood is the first in the Anna series; it was published in the US in September by Tor Teen. My copy was won in a giveaway from Jenny at Into the Morning Reads, thank you Jenny!

Goodreads | Amazon

Fade to Blue – Sean Beaudoin

“The place was packed. I was in a lounge chair, Herb lay sprawled on the crusty cement, and Lake was wheeled between us, adjusting her tire pressure with little pfft, pfft sounds. In the parking lot, minivans pulled up in rows, disgorging knock-knees and beach towels and sloshy coolers.”

Sophie Blue started wearing a black skirt and Midnight Noir lipstick on her last birthday. It was also the day her father disappeared. Or spontaneously combusted. Which is sort of bad timing, since a Popsicle truck with tinted windows has started circling the house.

Kenny Fade is a basketball god. His sneakers cost more than his Jeep. He's the guy all the ladies (and their mommas) want. Bad.

Sophie Blue and Kenny Fade don't have a thing in common. Aside from being reasonably sure they're losing their minds.

Acclaimed author Sean Beaudoin's wildly innovative novel combines uproarious humor with enough plot twists to fill a tube sock. Part thriller, part darkly comic philosophical discussion, and accompanied by a comic book interstitial, Fade to Blue is a whip-smart romp that keeps readers guessing until the last paragraph.

***

In all honesty this review is going to be a strange one. That’s because Fade to Blue was a strange book. I can’t tell you what happened. I could tell you my theories but that would give the entire plot away so I can’t really tell you those either.

Fade to Blue was a complete and utter mind screw; from the very minute I started to the vvery last word. There seems to be no answers and lots of questions. Sophie is a messed up character and as you get everything from her point of view and she doesn’t know what’s going on the reader probably has no chance!

It’s strange though because although I had no idea what happened, what was real; what was in Sophie’s head and what wasn’t. I still actually kinda enjoyed the book. I honestly believe that everyone should have a good mind screw once in a while, that’s why Donnie Darko is such an awesome movie! So yeah, I did enjoy it and I THINK I know what happened but it’s a library book and I’m pretty sure I’d have to read it again to work out if I’m right and its due back in a day so yeah... maybe I’m never gunna know!

Fade to Blue was funny and was really intriguing. If you like humour and don’t mind it when things are left a bit “what the hell just happened” then you’ll probably enjoy the book. Sophie is a fun character, Kenny’s situation is hilarious at times and freaky at others and other characters are very intriguing. That’s definitely one word that sums up this entire book actually; intriguing!

I did enjoy Fade to Blue and I will be honest with you, I only picked it up because of the awesome cover. I enjoyed the characters and the suspense and mind screw that it gives off. I enjoyed the comic book in the middle of the story and I enjoyed the idea. However I didnt really enjoy the authors writing all that much... It was above average but some bits didnt seem to flow and the timeline seemed a bit weird (I’m fairly sure the book is set in 1998 but it makes reference to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie adopting kids and Im pretty sure they didnt even get together til 2005!) But yeah the writing thing might have been part of the mind screw so thats explained... Anyway it was an interesting read!

Fade to Blue was published in 2009 by Little Brown. My copy was loaned from my local library.

Goodreads | Amazon