Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday Finds, the fourth

And it's that time again. Friday Finds is the post where I tell you about all the wonderful reviews I've read lately, the ones that have inspired me to read books bsaed on other blogger's recommendations.

First up this week, we have Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor reviewed by Caroline Smailes

Caroline wrote a lovely review of this book and had a very interesting interview with the author on her blog. There was even a chance to win a signed copy of the book! I completely missed out on that, but the book sounds great. What really sold it for me in the review was the line 'supernatural meets geek meets romance' which sounds like a win to me.

Blurby thing from Amazon:

'What would I do without you, Lucy Brown?' he said, and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands and kissed him back. I felt that life just couldn't get any more perfect. And I was right, it wouldn't. By the end of the next day, I'd be dead. Lucy is about to marry the man of her dreams - kind, handsome, funny Dan - when she breaks her neck the night before their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime's separation from her soulmate, Lucy decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan. But it turns out things aren't quite as easy as that. When Lucy discovers that Limbo is a grotty student-style house in North London she's less than thrilled. Especially after meeting her new flatmates: grumpy, cider-swilling EMO-kid Claire; and Brian, a train-spotter with a Thomas the Tank Engine duvet and a big BO problem. But Lucy has a more major problem on her hands - if she wants to become a ghost and be with Dan she has to complete an almost impossible task. How the hell does a girl like Lucy find a girlfriend for the dorkiest man in England? IT geek Archie's only passions are multi-player computer games and his Grandma. But Lucy only has twenty-one days to find him love. And when she discovers that her so-called friend Anna is determined to make a move on the heart-broken, vulnerable Dan, the pressure is really on...


And then we have Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols reviewed by Lisa at Books. Lists. Life

I hadn't heard of this book before Lisa's review. But she really sold it for me. This is one of her favourites of this year, and she includes John After as a favourite male romantic character. The premise of this book really grabs me and I'm hoping I can find this book somewhere.

Amazon says:

High school senior Meg revels in being a rebel. She sports choppy blue hair, and tight t-shirts, cuts class, and is often found where she's not supposed to be. Like hanging out on a railroad-tracks-covered bridge that's off-limits to trespassers. When she and her friends are busted for trespassing and underage drinking, she's sentenced to spend her spring break riding along with a rookie police officer on his nightshift patrol. Compounding the punishment is the fact that the cop, John After, is only two years older than Meg, and a former classmate to boot. He thinks he has Meg's number and has nothing but contempt for her childish rebellion. Meg in turn has nothing but contempt for Officer After's straight-laced, by-the-book attitude. But Meg has her reasons for lashing out, and John has his reasons for his need for law and order. And they're about to discover that they have a lot more in common than either one of them could have dreamed...


Next, The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven reviewed by mariel at where troubles melt like lemondrops

This one sounds all a bit weird. I've seen this book in the library many times before. It's been on the library recommended shelf a few times and I've never given it a chance. And then I read mariel's review and I thought 'huh. I did not think it'd be about that.' And I'm intrigued. Kung-fu? Vomiting bats? I want to see how that plays out. It's clearly written with teenage boys in mind, but that's never stopped me before!

Blurb:

Jack doesn't know what he's got himself into. One minute he and his best friend Charlie were up in Chinatown having crispy duck with Charlie's dad (and Jack was having to listen to Charlie shouting at his dad for leaving his mum) - then next minute they were in a mysterious room above a theatre, with some of the strangest characters they'd ever encountered. And they were about to take The Test...and something very very weird was about to begin. The Test transforms Charlie - leaving him with the distinctive markings of the Black Tattoo - and with a temper that seems out of control. The boys' meeting with Esme, a young girl with the most impressive martial arts skills this side of Bruce Lee, her huge and hairy father Raymond, and the mysterious Nick seem to have swept Charlie and Jack into a world they had no idea existed. And it's only going to get stranger...This epic tale of good and evil, demons and hell, vomiting bats and huge battles marks the debut of an incredible new talent for children's books. Drawing on influences such as comic books, computer games and Eastern martial arts, "The Black Tattoo" is a book no self-respecting teenage boy will want to miss.


And finally, one I almost forgot to mention Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden reviewed by Becky at Becky's Book Reviews

I read Becky's review and it was like my eyes were suddenly opened to this series. Reviews all over the place. How had I not heard of this book or the series before? It sounds right up my alley. I've just had a quick look and the first three books in the series are out there in my library system. I think it'll be the first time I use the inter-library-loan. I'm excited.

What Amazon has to say:

Six teenagers spend five idyllic days camping in a remote and tranquil beauty spot called Hell. But when they return to their homes, they find their families gone, their farms deserted and the animals lying dead in the fields. That's when they begin to understand the real meaning of hell.

And that's it for me, for this week. Check out other Friday Finds over at Should Be Reading.

Have you read any of these books? What books did you come across this week that you'd like to read?

11 comments:

  1. That Jennifer Echols book *does* sound good! Thanks! (you'll probably see it on my FF list next week! LOL)

    ~MizB

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  2. Some great finds this week. I didn't join in this week as just too much going on in life. Shall try harder next week.

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  3. Wow, nice finds. I've added the first two to the "look for" list!

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  4. I really did love John After!

    Where are the butterflies? Have they been gone long? I've been away from blogs for a week or so, ok, more like two...

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  5. Lots of good books for you this week. I'm interested in the last one. Thanks for finding them.

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  6. Heaven Can Wait sounds cute! Great finds. I'm not sure if I should buy this week. Take a look: http://thecrowdedleaf.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/friday-finds-what-to-do-i-blame-you-yes-you.

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  7. This look good. I am especially interested in Going Too Far.

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  8. I haven't heard of any of these! I admit I really kind of want to read GONE TOO FAR. Looks good!

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  9. I'll be very interested to hear what you think of the Black Tattoo! Hope you like it. :)

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  10. Tomorrow When the War Began was a really good book!

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