Fluttering Butterflies

Fluttering Butterflies is 6 today!

2012-01-27T08:02:00.000Z

No big fanfare or huge giveaways for this year's blogiversary, I'm afraid (lots of giveaways for Love month though!). Still, I thought it only right that I mark the occasion in some small way.

Fluttering Butterflies has been active and running for a full six years. I'm daily amazed and delighted at the support and friendship that has popped up through writing this blog. I've met some wonderful people, had some amazing opportunities and read many, many great books.

I really hope that Fluttering Butterflies is around for many more years to come. Thank you so much for reading and commenting! This blog has changed my life in a really great way and it's all down to you my lovely blog readers. So thank you!

REVIEW: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

2012-01-26T08:51:00.000Z

I'd seen reviews of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand around for awhile, mostly positive, but I'd never had that much interest in reading it. I figured angels are probably my least favourite paranormal creature to read about. It was only when a fellow blogger gave it a glowing recommendation before Christmas that I really began to consider it. What helped it along is the gorgeous cover and the idea of the sequel, Hallowed, being released in January. I picked up a copy the following day.

I'm so glad that I gave this book a chance! All those positive reviews I've seen? They're so true! To the book blogger who doesn't read paranormal but loves Unearthly and recommended it to me? Hurrah for you. Thank you for encouraging me to read this book. I was immediately swept away into Clara's head and finding out more about her part-angel abilities and especially about her purpose.

Clara has recently learned that she is part-angel. Which means angel wings and the ability to fly, if she can ever master it. It means being better than most people at a lot of things, speed, strength, knowledge - especially of languages. And most importantly, being part angel means having a purpose. A reason for being, something important like saving somebody or giving a message.

These purposes are only shown to Clara in flashes. She must piece together their meaning on her own and it means moving her family from California to Wyoming in order to fulfill Clara's destiny. Following the flashes leads Clara to a forest fire and to a boy, Christian. Clara is intent on doing everything possible to save this boy of her dreams. But when she starts having feelings for a different boy altogether, it really puts Clara in a difficult spot. Does she follow her purpose or does she follow her heart?

I'll be the first person to admit to being sick of love triangles. They seem to be everywhere and I know a lot of people groan audibly at the thought of another one. But I'm so intrigued about the love triangle within Unearthly! I really cannot wait to find out where this is going. Initially, I thought Christian, the boy who is at the heart of Clara's purpose, was an all right guy, if a little dull. And as the book goes on, he became more and more surprising. But then there's Tucker! I can't help but feel warm and fuzzy about the wonderful, wonderful way in which Clara and Tucker's relationship progresses. There's actual friendship involved here and you can really feel how much their love is based on spending so much time together, getting to know each other. I love witnessing such relationship.

I thought this book did an excellent job of creating a new world of part-angels with different abilities and choices and mythology. Despite not being so keen on angels before starting Unearthly, I was fascinated by the research Clara does to learn more about her kind. I also loved the themes of good and evil and also this terrible choice Clara has to make between following the destiny laid out before her and following how her heart feels.

Random House Blogger's Brunch event report

2012-01-25T15:09:00.001Z

Oh folks, I don't even know where to start with this event report! It was so lovely to be invited to the Random House Blogger's Brunch - there was great company, great books and definitely some great cakes. I was so hugely excited about going that I managed to get the offices that I managed to get there a full HOUR early. Yes, I am that keen. And for good reason, Random House have some AMAZING books lined up this year.

When we first sat down and I was to able to flip through through the information about the books we'd be hearing about today, I found myself thinking 'ooh, the cover of that is GORGEOUS, but I'm not sure if the book's for me' or 'Intriguing title! but I have so many books to read, will this really be one of them?' because at the moment, I'm really trying to be picky about the books I read so that I don't get swamped with review books and become stressed or panicked. So I was trying to be reasonable and be discerning.

And then the editors and publicists started talking about what all these books are about and why they loved them and how they felt reading the different books, and I admit that I was won over by almost all of them. Because everyone who spoke seemed so passionate and enthusiastic about these books that I felt like I needed to read these books in order to feel the same excitement that they did. I love it when that happens. Here are some of the books that were discussed:

Fallen In Love by Lauren Kate - I've already read this one *feels virtuous* and what's better, I managed to snag an extra copy of the book in order to giveaway as part of my Love Month celebration in February! It's a collection of four connected short stories with characters from the Fallen series, which take place on Valentine's Day in medieval England. It is VERY sweet and sad and romantic. It is a perfect book to read for Valentine's Day, or any day for that matter as we are all DYING to read Rapture, which is out in June. (Roland's story made me well up, Arriane's story made me weep!)

Wonder by RJ Palacio - Wonder has such great buzz on Twitter and on blogs and while I'd of it before last weekend, I was never DYING to read it like I am right now. I'm absolutely kicking myself for not diving into this book immediately. I'm sure that it is a book that I will love and will be persuading all of you to read it as well, when it's published mid-February!

The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers - This book is out in March in paperback. I did have a copy of this, but I passed it along to my guest reviewer, Kulsuma, who read and enjoyed it, I believe. A collection of short stories and flash fiction which tends to head into darker territory. Look out for Kulsuma's review!

Starters by Lissa Price - I'm already excited about this one. It's a really great sounding dystopian novel and there's been lots of buzz already. I'm definitely looking forward it. It's a creepy cover and an interesting premise. Published 15th of March!

Vixen by Jillian Larkin - I've had a proof of Vixen for a little while now. It sounds utterly fun, set in the 20s. This debut novel has been described as Gossip Girl meets Chicago, and that description alone makes me smile. I think I need a good, fun read and this sounds perfect.

Itch by Simon Mayo - OK, here's where things start to get a little bit embarassing. I don't know who Simon Mayo is. Someone from RH said 'Yes, it is THAT Simon Mayo' and from that I took it to mean that Simon Mayo is a name that most people would recognise ... unless that person were me.

Regardless of that fact, I love the sound of this book. My 6 year old son is on the edge of becoming a science geek and this book really sounds like something he'd love when he's older and something I'll love right now. It's supposed to be this action-packed book with an Alex Rider type feel to it, but involving actual sciencey things instead of unrealistic and unbelieveable Bond/Rider gadgets. Published the 1st of March, I'm marking that down on my calendar.

Black Arts by Prentice and Weil - This book is set in Elizabethan London and tells a story about pickpockets and shows off all the dirt and grime of living in London at this time. The Globe Theatre plays a huge part in the story, which makes me happy, and I'm really interested to see where the story goes, especially as there elements of fantasy thrown into this adventure story! Published 5th of April.

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth - Well, Struck seems pretty exciting, doesn't it? It's a book that a lot of bloggers had heard of beforehand and already seemed dying to read. I'd seen the cover and it looked great, but I admit I didn't know anything about it beforehand. But after hearing that it's about a girl who is addicted to be struck by lightning and that somehow this ability for lightening to strike is at the core of saving the entire world ... yeah, I can see why people are excited. I'm excited too! Coming to you 10th of May.

Now Is the Time For Running by Michael Williams - When I first came into the Random House building, I did see this table full of books meant for us bloggers. You should have seen the stampede that occurred when the talk was over and we were allowed at the free books. I snatched a few books up, but there was this book just in the corner and I was desperate to get my hands on a copy. Luckily Carly was in a better position and was able to grab copies for the both of us! Very excited. I love the sound of it. It feels like it'll be very emotional, about two footall-mad brothers who go on this dangerous journey to safety.

The Seeing by Diana Hendry - What was great about hearing about these books from the RH editors and publicists were all the great details and facts learned about the authors. For this book, we were told a bit about the author's own experiences being nearly blind growing up and how she uses that in order to tell this story about two girls causing a world of trouble and problems post-WWII. I'm definitely excited for this book.

Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb - I'm not such a fan of historical novels in general, and with this cover, I thought Witchstruck might be a book I'd pass on. That thought process didn't last long as the Random House ladies really sold it to me. With a great female main character with witchy abilities in a Tudor setting caught between a marriage proposal with the local witch catcher and a hot Spanish guy. I found myself wanting this book more and more, especially after everything said about it! Published 5th of July.

GRYMM by Keith Austin - Yeah, Grymm sounds like a fun book. Twisted and dark, but definitely fun. A horror story about this weird little town where your nightmares come true. Published in July, this book is for Darren Shan and Spooks fans. It's got a great cover, featuring the town butcher and just the whole premise of this book makes me smile. Horror books, I like them. And I certainly don't read enough of them! :)

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - Here's an interesting sounding book. A fantasy book which focuses on solving a murder and keeping the peace, where one girl is stuck in the middle of it all. Here's another mash-up comparison for you: Eragon meets Game of Thrones with a female twist.

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne - A new John Boyne book! This one sounds like it's going to be incredibly sweet. We were able to see a few of the illustrations for the book done by Oliver Jeffers (whose picture books both me and my children adore) and the story of the book just sounds so much fun. About a boy who is born able to float. And this story tells of his journey floating around the world trying to make it back to his family. Aww.

Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton - I absolutely ADORED Blood Magic when I read it last year. Seriously loved it. So much so that I continued reading the book even though we had company over and it was very rude of me. But I didn't care, I couldn't stop reading. So I'm thrilled that the sequel will be published this year. Thrilled! End of August you cannot get here soon enough.

Spy for the Queen of Scots by Theresa Breslin - For absolutely ages I always said the same tired thing - 'historical fiction is just not for me' and then I read Prisoner of the Inquisition last year and some other equally wonderful historical books and now I'm finally at a place where I can admit that me and historical fiction can definitely work well together, provided it's the right author and the right story. And I think Theresa Breslin is definitely the right author and I'm hoping this is the right story! Published in August.

Turf by John Lucas - One of the publicists asked me during the brunch part of the day which book I was most excited about (actually, several of the publicists asked this and I got all flustered and probably mumbled something incoherent. I'm not good at being put on the spot, I needed more time to THINK!) and once I was able to think about it, I decided that it's Turf. Mostly because I read a book about gangs when I was little (Durango Street by Frank Bonham) and it was so different from the books I'd normally read and I was left reexamining my own thoughts about the subject. And also because a close family member was involved in gangs when I was a lot younger. This person made huge mistakes but really turned their life around and is now in a position to help teenagers and young people from making the same mistakes. So, Turf is a book about gangs in London and making the right choices and it really sounds like something I'd enjoy reading.

Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney - This new book by Karen Mahoney is for a new series away from The Iron Witch and The Wood Queen (which is out soon! I got a copy of it) is being described as 'Vampire Academy meets Skins' which makes me think 'ooh!' It's one I shall be looking out for! (Also? The Wood Queen! I loved Nav!)

Fire City by Bali Rai - Bali Rai is one of those authors that I've been very curious about. I've not yet read any of his books yet, but I'd like to. And his new book sounds like something entirely different than anything else he's written, and I'm intrigued! Taking place in Fire City, where demons rule and some humans who haven't allied themselves with the demons are left to fend for themselves. It sounds dark and fantastic.

On the Day I Died by Candace Fleming - I love the sound of this one, and it's being published in time for Halloween! This one's about a boy stumbling across a cemetery for dead teenagers, who appear as ghosts all of which want to tell their stories. I love ghost stories and especially reading them around Halloween time, don't you?

Also, Where She Went by Gayle Forman and Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie will be out in paperback this (both of which I enjoyed!), and there will be a new Spook's book by Joseph Delaney (which I didn't listen about very closely and I've only read the first book so far and would like to read the entire series!).

Followed by this, the lovely ladies of Random House and us bloggers had some yummy drinks and homemade cakes! Amongst the minglers were three of the authors whose books are being published this year: Victoria Lamb (Witchstruck), Bali Rai (Fire City) and John Lucas (Turf). It was so great to chat with everyone. I don't often get a chance to talk books with people, especially YA, so the whole day just felt amazing.

I know a bunch of bloggers left Random House to go to another bookish event, but a lot of us ended up at the pub next door and carried on talking books! Pictured above:

Sammee from I Want to Read That
Kirsty from The Overflowing Library
Sarah from Feeling Fictional
Carly from Writing From the Tub
Non from Catnip (who didn't go to RH but joined us at the pub!)
Caroline from Portrait of a Woman
Jo from Once upon a Bookcase

REVIEW: A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton

2012-01-24T08:48:00.000Z

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton is the exciting sequel to Darkness Beomes Her. It's this great story that combines paranormal creatures with Greek mythology set in New Orleans. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started the series, but I've been hugely surprised and delighted to be so swept away into the story and the characters!

A Beautiful Evil begins shortly after the events of Darkness Becomes Her. Our main character, Ari, is trying to deal with the fall-out of the battle between her and Athena, in which her friend Violet has been captured. Ari wants nothing more than to be prepared as quickly as possible, both with knowledge and also phsyical training in order to go up against Athena again. The thought of her father or Violet suffering under the imprisonment of Athena makes her furious.

So with the help of the other New 2 folks and the somewhat elusive Sebastian, Ari gets her wish. But battling a Greek goddess is pretty dangerous, even with Ari's special abilities. Ari still doesn't have all the information she needs or the ability to use her gift, but she has great attitude and determination going for her! I love the way I was so fully sucked into this story and this series. I loved the bits of mythology we're able to pick up, learning more about things like Pandora's Box and also more about Ari's new roommates.

The story never goes in the way in which I expected and all the twists in the storyline had me on the edge of my seat. It's a very exciting and adventurous and I was left at the end desperately wanting more. There were so many questions I'd like answered, about Ari's father and the choices he has made. I want to know more about Sebastian and Violet and I can definitely see the action being explosive as the battle between gods and monsters continues in the next book! Bring it on.

REVIEW: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

2012-01-23T09:47:00.000Z

I really liked The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker! Right from the very first page, the story and the characters really grabbed me, especially the main character, Sherry. I found it really interesting seeing this new world from her perspective, seeing the way in which her family copes and watching as Sherry adjusts to this new environment. And at the same time, the beginning of each chapter is laid out as a snippet of the other life, the one that Sherry used to lead.

A life that no longer exists, as for the past 3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days, Sherry and her family have been living in a bunker away from the world and away from the disease that has swept across Los Angeles. It began as a strain of rabies which has turned its victims into Weepers - deadly monsters whose aim it is to hunt and kill.

When Sherry's family is forced out of the bunker when their food runs out, Sherry is confronted with a whole new world. A Los Angeles that is nearly empty and lifeless. And as she sees sunlight and rain for the first time, Sherry also has to deal with the fact that her father has been captured and the only person that can help save him is Joshua, a troubled boy on a mission to destroy every last Weeper.

I really enjoyed this story, I found Sherry and Joshua to be interesting characters who I wanted to find out more about. I found this population-free LA to be an image that has stayed with me, the Weepers to be suitably horrifying and creepy and dangerous. And while at times, things felt a little convenient - in that Sherry meets this bad-ass Weeper killer at the exact right moment who happens to also live with a knowledgeable scientist who knows plenty about the rabies epidemic and is able to answer questions about Weepers - I was still able to move past that quickly and connect to the story. I liked the tenuous beginning to this relationship between Sherry and Joshua, I found it to be quite sweet. There was plenty of danger and edge-of-my-seat action that had me furiously turning the pages!

The ending to The Other Life is especially surprising and makes me feel very differently about everything. This is a fun and interesting debut novel and a good start to a new zombie series!

In my mailbox 45

2012-01-22T08:42:00.001Z

I have to apologise now for the sheer amount of books in this post. I'm thinking positive thoughts to all of you who make it to the end.

Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox. IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren in which bloggers get the chance to share with their readers the books that have recently come into their possession. I really love this meme and I look forward to seeing all my favourite blogger's books each week. Thank you to Kristi for hosting something that is such fun!

Here are the books that I acquired this week...

Starters by Lissa Price - The first in a futuristic thriller series featuring a dangerously vain society where youth is coveted at an impossible price, and one girl has the ability to bring it all crumbling down.

I am very excited about this book! I went to a blogger event at Random House yesterday, where we heard more about this book and I am even more excited to read it now! I'm sure I'll be talking about this book quite soon. I'm looking forward to it.

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Stones For My Father by Trilby Kent - Corlie Roux’s farm life in South Africa is not easy: the Transvaal is beautiful, but it is also a harsh place where the heat can be so intense that the very raindrops sizzle. When her beloved father dies, she is left with a mother who is as devoted to her sons as she is cruel to her daughter. Despite this, Corlie finds solace in her friend, Sipho, and in Africa itself and in the stories she conjures for her brothers.

But Corlie’s world is about to vanish: the British are invading and driving Boer families like hers from their farms. Some escape into the bush to fight the enemy. The unlucky ones are rounded up and sent to internment camps.

Will Corlie’s resilience and devotion to her country sustain her through the suffering and squalor she finds in the camp at Kroonstad? That may depend on a soldier from faraway Canada and on inner resources Corlie never dreamed she had….

This book sounds like it covers some really interesting ground and I am very keen to read it!

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Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale - When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...

Katie Dale was featured on the blog last year and ever since, I have been dying to get my hands on a copy of her book! Hurrah, that has been accomplished! Now to read it :)

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Empress of the World by Sara Ryan - Nicola Lancaster is spending eight weeks at the Siegel Institute Summer Program for Gifted Youth, a hothouse of smart, articulate, intense teenagers. She soon falls in with Katrina (Manic Computer Chick), Isaac (Nice-Guy-Despite-Himself), Kevin (Inarticulate Composer) . . . and Battle. Battle Hall Davies is a beautiful blonde dancer, and everything Nic isn't. The two become friends-and then, startlingly, more than friends. What do you do when you think you're attracted to guys, and then you meet a girl who steals your heart?

Just as last week I acquired A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner because of the fabulous review by Caroline of Portrait of A Woman, in the same wonderful theme week, she featured a review of Empress of the World and I was very taken up by it. So much so, that it arrived this week! I'm hoping to get to it for Love Month.

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The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg - 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?

This book arrived this week and I was so excited about it that it's the book I'm currently reading. So far, I'm loving all the pop culture references and the cheese jokes!

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Legend by Marie Lu - The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history....

Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.

Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.

Only one person could be responsible.

Day.

And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.

The truth they'll uncover will become legend.

Ooh. I've been excited about this one for awhile! I'm so intrigued.

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Girl Meets Boy - What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated-because there are two sides to every story.

Here's another book I thought sounded absolutely perfect for Love month, with the very he said/she said structure of the book. Sounds like a bit of fun!

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Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt - Seventeen-year-old high school senior Shannon Card needs money. And lots of it. She's been admitted to Wellesley, but her dad just lost his job, and somehow she has to come up with a year of tuition herself. But Shannon's dream of making big bucks waitressing at the local casino, the Collosio, disappears faster than a gambler's lucky streak. Her boss is a tyrant, her coworker is nuts, and her chances of balancing a tray full of drinks while wearing high-heeled shoes are slim to none. Worse, time is running out, and Shannon hasn't made even half the money she'd hoped.

When Shannon receives a mysterious invitation to join Aces Up, a secret network of highly talented college poker players, at first she thinks No way. She has enough to worry about: keeping her job, winning the coveted math scholarship at school, and tutoring her secret crush, Max. But when Shannon musters up the nerve to kiss Max and he doesn't react at all, the allure of Aces Up and its sexy eighteen-year-old leader, Cole, is suddenly too powerful to ignore.

Soon Shannon's caught up in a web of lies and deceit that makes worrying about tuition money or a high school crush seem like kid stuff. Still, when the money's this good, is the fear of getting caught reason enough to fold?

This fun, sexy, recession-proof story is a bubbly summer read with surprising depth—great for fans of Sarah Mlynowski.

I do love Lauren Barnholdt. I've only only read two of her books (Two Way Street and One Night That Changes Everything) but with just those two book I've become a real fan. I'm hoping to enjoy this book just as much! (for Love month again!)

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Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Can you see a bit of a theme with this week's books? Last year's Love month saw a review for Anna and the French Kiss and it just didn't seem right not to include the new book by Stephanie Perkins. I'm DYING to read this book.

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A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley - A summer of friendship, romance, and songs in major chords. . .

CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.

ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

Here's another book that I picked up mostly due to another book blogger's review! I say mostly because I've also just read the brilliant Graffiti Moon by the same author and was keen to read more by her. Very much looking forward to this one!

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Reckoning by Lili St. Crow - Nobody expected Dru Anderson to survive this long. Not Graves. Not Christophe. Not even Dru. She's battled killer zombies, jealous djamphirs, and bloodthirsty suckers straight out of her worst nightmares. But now that Dru has bloomed into a full-fledged svetocha - rare, beautiful, and toxic to all vampires - the worst is yet to come.

Because getting out alive is going to cost more than she's ever imagined. And in the end, is survival really worth the sacrifice?

I really, really adore the Strange Angels series. It's fabulous and I've been excited to read this book, but I find it strange that I haven't been able to find it in any of my local bookshops?

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Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti - Erin and Lani are best friends - and total opposites when it comes to everything, including boys. But then Erin starts dating Jason, and when Lani meets him, sparks fly. Lani is a loyal friend to Erin, but when junior year ends and Erin goes to camp for the summer, she leaves Lani behind...with Jason. Will Lani be able to put her friendship with Erin first, or will she be tempted by the guy who may just be her soul mate?

Can I just say right here and now that I'm a HUGE fan of Susane Colasanti's? Because I so am. I love her books. And while I'm not a huge fan of stories involving crushing on your best friend's boyfriend, I will still read and be excited by anything this author writes. This is another book for Love month!

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Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley - Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed.

This week has really been a great week for purchasing books that have been recommended to me by other book bloggers! I bought this one after I saw it on Mostly Reading YA's Debut Summer event! It sounds really sweet.

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Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

I've been seeing reviews of this around everywhere as (I think?) it was on Netgalley. I sadly missed out on that, but didn't want to miss out entirely!

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My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent - Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them. Until something does.

Demon's breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow, the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked. And when the epidemic hits too close to home, Kaylee will have to risk everything to save those she loves.

I have some serious catching up to do on the Soul Screamers series! This is the third book, and I do have the fourth and fifth lined up on my shelves waiting for me.

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Scars by Cheryl Rainfield - Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

This book has been on my wishlist for absolutely ages, as will any book about self-harm that I hear has been discussed in a sensitive manner. It's something I've dealt with personally so it can be a difficult subject matter to read, but I felt like it was time.

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Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron - Told in a voice that’s honest, urgent, and hilarious, Struts & Frets will resonate not only with teenage musicians but with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they’d ever find their place in the world.

Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend.

When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?

Here's a book that I picked up solely on the blog tour posts that cropped up recently! They really do work, ha! :)

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And holy crap, that is all. I've decided to not show you the books I picked up over the weekend from the Random House blogger brunch, but I felt like this lot was more than enough to share!

Where should I start? Which books did you get?

REVIEW: To Be A Cat by Matt Haig

2012-01-21T08:26:00.002Z

Guest review by Kulsuma from sunshine and stardust

I was so excited to read To Be A Cat by Matt Haig and fortunately, it lived up to all my expectations. To Be A Cat ticks all the boxes if you’re looking for a book that’s funny, action-packed and full of furry animals. The story takes place over a couple of days and features rapid chase scenes, amazing transformations and life-changing epiphanies. What more can one ask for? To Be A Cat was a really fantastic story; I finished it in one sitting.

Barney’s life is not going well. He’s being bullied by a horrible boy called Gavin Needle. Mrs Whipmire, the mean head teacher is constantly picking on him for things he didn’t even do and there’s been no sign of his dad for months. On top of all that, his mum’s always rushed off her feet. All this leads Barney to wish for an easier life- like a cat’s. Soon, Barney gets his wish, but will he live to regret it?

Though this story takes place over a couple of days, Barney learns a lot about himself in that short time. He learns so many important life lessons such as to be careful for what you wish for. Barney quickly realises that to be a cat isn’t as great as he’d thought it would be- certainly not with Mrs Whipmire and Gavin Needle on his tail!

This book was really suspenseful. People aren’t who you think they are.

To Be A Cat by Matt Haig had loads of great twists and turns. Children will love this book because it is full of humour, action and interesting interludes from the author. I was laughing throughout the story and I believe everyone will enjoy it immensely. I wholly recommend To Be A Cat. You must read it to find out if cats really do have nine lives.

Fun review, thank you Kulsuma!

REVIEW: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2012-01-19T08:28:00.000Z

I was so thrilled to win a signed copy of The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa in a Twitter competition! I'm such a huge fan of the Iron Fey series and I was desperate to read this final installment told from the point of view of icy Prince Ash!

And while I do love a good journey story, especially one that took us to the Edge of the World as did The Iron Knight, and however much I loved Ash and Grimalkin and Puck, I found this story to be lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it. I really enjoyed it, and I flew through the pages just as addictively as I have the previous three books in the series. It just wasn't as emotionally impactful as the previous books.

While it can be pretty heartbreaking in places as Ash struggles with his choices and his decisions as he's making this epic journey to the edge of Nevernever in order to prove himself worthy of a soul in order to return to Meghan in the Iron realm as her knight, I didn't feel as though Ash's struggles well enough. However, there was still much to love in this book.

What I did love very much, is seeing the world through Ash's eyes. I loved finding out more about his past including his relationship with Ariella and the friendship between Ash and Puck before her death. I found myself lapping up every single detail about Ash before we met him in The Iron King. Even (especially?) when he reveals more about the things he did in the Winter Court, in order to please his Queen and to keep up with the politics. The fey and people he killed without a care and how easily he toyed with human emotions made him more real to me, seeing how flawed he is as an individual.

I also really enjoyed the evolving relationship Ash has with Puck. I was really happy to see him let go of some of that anger and resentment over what happened with Ariella so very long ago. And throughout all these tough decisions and personal development, there is still a great deal of action and excitement as Ash and Puck travel together, meeting some new characters and old and battle against mythical creatures.

All in all, an enjoyable end to what has been one of my favourite recent series! My long-standing crush on Prince Ash remains intact.

Stacks of books

2012-01-18T07:59:00.001Z

It is that time of year again! Where instead of concentrating all my time on THIS stack of books...

...and instead will be focusing on THESE books:

Don't they look intimidating? I guess some of you might not know that I am studying for a degree in Psychology? Mostly because I don't discuss it very much on this blog. But I have been studying psychology for awhile now and as I'm doing a part-time degree, I am now halfway finished. I have this year's course to finish as well as two third level courses to finish. It is a lot of work and takes a fair bit of my time and concentration in order to do well.

This year's course (Biological pyschology: exploring the brain) is particularly stressful for me. It is the course I've been least looking forward to as it combines a subject I really enjoy (psychology, obviously!) with a subject that I find terrifying (biology). I don't have a strong background in sciences, and I worry that this course will be the undoing of me. Which is why I've made it my goal this year to really work hard on it. I am determined to ace this course despite being rather afraid of it.

I did know well in advance that I would struggle with this course, which is why I've tried to plan ahead, get some reviews prepared in advance, spread out some of my review load to guest reviewers (thank you so much Carrie, Kulsuma and Jenni!) and hopefully it will be enough. I do have a lot of review books already in my possession, I have a lot of review coming my way in the near future and I will do my best to juggle everything.

One thing that I try to keep in the back of my mind is that one of my goals for this year is to 'be kind to myself' and in this instance I feel like I need to remind myself not to put myself under too much pressure to do everything. Besides being a reader and a blogger, I am also a student, a wife and most importantly a mother.

So wish me luck! I feel like I'll need it this year.

Blog Tour: India Dark by Kirsty Murray

2012-01-17T09:35:00.001Z

It is my great pleasure today to introduce Kirsty Murray, the author of the beautiful India Dark, to my blog today! Welcome Kirsty :) Kirsty is here talking about herself and the ways in which writing has fit into her life. It's really interesting guest post, thank you so much!

To find out more about Kirsty or India Dark, please do visit the following places:

Kirsty Murray ... Kirsty's blog ... Kirsty on Facebook

Over to you Kirsty...

Mini biography and how writing fits into my life

by Kirsty Murray

I was the middle child in a family of seven kids and when I was really little my parents took us all on a disastrous family holiday. We spent a week trapped inside a caravan while it rained and rained and everyone argued or complained. Perhaps it was good preparation for understanding the cabin fever my characters would suffer when I wrote India Dark. My mother swore she would never take any of us anywhere ever again. She relented ten years later but in the meantime I spent a decade of childhood summers in suburban Melbourne messing around in the back yard. I was really hungry for travel and adventures but the only way I could go somewhere interesting was to disappear into a book. Reading was also a way of carving out a private space for myself in a very busy, chaotic household. I loved the life I led inside books, even if there was a disjuncture between my reading (mostly British and American fiction) and the life I was leading in Australia.

I was hugely influenced by my reading. I started writing very bad Blyton-esque adventure stories when I was in primary school. I graduated to writing the first three chapters of unreadable fantasy novels (I never got past three chapters) in secondary school. Then I moved on to writing realistic stories where nothing much happened. Eventually I decided I needed to actually live a bigger life so I would have something interesting to write about. My parents immigrated to Canada when I was fifteen and I fell in love with the idea of travel. I moved to California to live in an indoor-outdoor house when I was eighteen and then wandered back to Australia where I met my first husband. We travelled around Australia in a kombi van, had three kids, started a graphic arts business together, moved to France, then to Wales and all the time I was thinking “When I grow up, I’m going to write a novel.” I married a second time to a man who ran a children’s circus and had three kids of his own so we suddenly had a Brady Bunch and I found myself living in a household that was even more chaotic than my childhood home. And all through this time I continued to scribble pages of unfinished novels and short stories. It wasn’t until my kids were in school that I realized I would never write anything if I didn’t sit down and take writing seriously. Living a big life isn’t necessarily helpful in terms of producing a solid body of creative work.

I think up until I hit the desk with a vengeance in my mid thirties, I’d made the mistake of thinking that all writing needs to be auto-biographical and I’d run myself ragged trying to lead a life that I thought might be interesting enough to write about. But writing fiction is about using your imagination to enter other people’s lives, not simply your own. It’s about trying on other people’s skins, seeing the world through their eyes and having the chance to live more than your own narrow existence. In that way, it’s not so different to reading. When you write, you enter other people’s worlds and through them, other ways of being.

India Dark took me to India to travel across modern India but at the same time it also sent me time travelling back to 1910 to see those places through the eyes of children who lived in the era of the Raj. Many of my other novels have taken me to amazing place and I’ve had adventures that, as a suburban kid, I could never have dreamed possible. I’ve written nine novels since 1998. Each one of those novels has opened up new ways of seeing the world for me and helped me to understand my place in it. I’ve favoured writing about child and teenage characters because in a way it was the child I was, the child that never went anywhere much on those long suburban summer holidays, that propelled me into literature. As a writer, the biggest adventures have been the ones that I’ve had at my desk. That probably sounds twee but it’s true. The life of the mind – the adventure of imagining your way into the world – is limitless compared to any ordinary bus, train or plane journey.

REVIEW: India Dark by Kirsty Murray

2012-01-17T08:36:00.001Z

I don't know what it is, but something about India really intrigues me. Which is partially why I was excited to read India Dark by Kirsty Murray, despite it being an historical novel. But of course, the other part of it (pretty cover aside!) is the fascinating premise of it.

Based on a true story, India Dark tells a fictionalised story of a children's travelling theatre group in 1910, which went on strike while touring India and refused to go any further until the manager is removed. What I was most curious about is that this happened at all. It's a large group of children, varying in age, whose parents had signed over custodial rights in order for their children to work in this theatre group for two years. I find that incredible! From a parent's perspective, I find it unimaginable - with worries about safety and education and living and travelling conditions. But of course, as a child, I'd probably only be thinking of the adventure of it all. The excitement of seeing the world and performing in front of mixed audiences and the freedom that would go along with it.

And at first, that's what this story seemed to be about. Told in a dual-perspective by two of the girls in the travelling theatre, they tell a story of leaving their homes in Australia, encountering different social customs in Southeast Asia. These two girls, Poesy and Tilly, tell of the lack of education the children receive, the attention that the girls get after performances. It tells of costumes and set changes and the different songs and dances that are performed. There's a lot of bickering and arguments between groups of people, of course. But things mostly run smoothly.

But then things start becoming a little more dire. As news of poor showings and ticket sales occur, it soon becomes evident that this group, once on their way to America, will now detour throughout Asia and spend a great deal of time in India instead. And while a lot of the story is a straightforward account of events, it also brings up the stifling feelings of the older girls who want more control and freedom to choose which songs to sing and to roam about more freely.

When more and more conflict arises from friendships with some of the male fans of the showand when secrets and betrayals start coming between the friendships of those within the group and when more of the girls start rebelling against their minders, everything seems to come apart and snowball in terms of problems and conflict.

I really enjoyed this story, seeing the events unfold from two very different narrators with different ideas and priorities and viewpoints. While I did find the story to be a little bit long, I really enjoyed the making and unravelling of friendships in India Dark. I loved the detail of the performances, especially Charlie's interest in magic, and also how well Kirsty Murray showed that the truth can be very complicated and have many different sides and perspectives.

REVIEW: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

2012-01-16T08:11:00.001Z

Guest review by Kulsuma from sunshine and stardust

What interested me most about The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan was that it was about selkies. I haven’t read any books about selkies, so I was prepared to learn and be amazed. It took me a short while to get into the story because of little things like unusual names and time jumps, but when I did get used to it, I found it atmospheric, moving and rich in detail.

The Brides of Rollrock Island spans three generations and follows five characters. I really enjoyed Lanagan’s descriptions of Rollrock Island as it sounds so wild, untamed and mythical. The wonderful descriptions of setting reminded me of Guy de Maupassant’s A Vendetta. The transformation scenes from seal to woman are highly memorable too.

The story centres on a witch called Misskaella for the first third of the book. Her life isn’t a happy one as she is the black sheep of her family and treated as an outsider by the community. She’s constantly teased about her looks and her affinity to the seals that come to Rollrock Island.

One day Misskaella discovers that she is able to draw women out of seals. These selkie women are so fantastically beautiful that soon the men start to reject earthly women in favour of selkie women and here, much to Misskaella’s happiness, is where the tragedy begins.

I felt really sorry for Misskaella as she was mistreated and ignored. I supported her when she wanted to get her own back of the inhabitants of Rollrock Island. Of course, when I read the story from other people’s points of view, my support wavered.

I really wanted to read a part of the story from the point of view of a selkie wife, however, the closest I got to one was reading the point of view of her son and her husband. This definitely helped to keep up the mystery of the selkie.

The Brides of Rollrock Island has some great twists that I didn’t see coming. While I did think some parts weren’t necessary to the story, overall, I was highly satisfied with it. Margo Lanagan writes with flair and I am looking forward to reading more from her. I loved learning about selkies and would recommend this to those wishing to do the same.

Sounds unusual! Thanks for the review Kulsuma

In My Mailbox 44

2012-01-15T07:59:00.004Z

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The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

I do love John Green, and I am so excited to read this book. I love it when there's a big thing about a book and everyone is very excited and that excitement spreads like crazy. It's a great feeling being part of something like that.

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Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Ooh, I'm very excited about this one!

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Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate - What makes your heart race a little faster? Just in time for Valentine's Day, it's FALLEN IN LOVE, four wholly original new stories collected in a new novel set in the Middle Ages by Lauren Kate. FALLEN IN LOVE gives fans the much-talked about but never-revealed stories of FALLEN characters as they intertwine with the epic love story of Luce and Daniel. The stories include: Love Where You Least Expect It: The Valentine of Shelby and Miles , Love Lessons: The Valentine of Roland; Burning Love: The Valentine of Arriane; and Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda.

Hurrah! This will perfect for my Love month event in February :) I'm really looking forward to it!

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If I Die by Rachel Vincent - The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

This is the fifth book in the Soul Screamer series, a series that I really love. I do have some catching up to do though!

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Kiss Date Love Hate by Luisa Plaja - What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...?

Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?

EEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm very excited by a new Luisa Plaja book! This will not be unread for long, I'm sure of it.

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Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty - “My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut by first-time novelist Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment--from the dark days of Hope’s departure through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed-up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious “Dreg” who works his way into her heart. Like a John Hughes for the twenty-first century, Megan McCafferty taps into the inherent humor and drama of the teen experience. This poignant, hilarious novel is sure to appeal to readers who are still going through it, as well as those who are grateful that they don’t have to go back and grow up all over again.

I've been so many wonderful things about Megan McCafferty and this series, so I'm hoping that I will love it as much as the rest of you!

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Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty - “Knowing that I’ve just done something that will take decades off my parents’ lives with worry, you’ll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year.... The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don’t have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now Gladdie doesn’t need to ask a bizillion questions about my boyfriend, because she’s already gotten the dirt from you know who.”

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.

With keen intelligence, sardonic wit, and ingenious comedic timing, Megan McCafferty again re-creates the tumultuous world of today’s fast-moving and sophisticated teens. Fans of Sloppy Firsts will be reunited with their favorite characters and also introduced to the fresh new faces that have entered Jess’s life, including the hot creative writing teacher at her summer college prep program and her feisty, tell-it-like-it-is grandmother Gladdie. But most of all, readers will finally have the answers to all of their burgeoning questions, and then some: Will Jessica crack under the pressure of senioritis? Will her unresolved feelings for Marcus wreak havoc on her love life? Will Hope ever come back to Pineville? Fall in love with saucy, irreverent Jessica all over again in this wonderful sequel to a book that critics and readers alike hailed as the best high school novel in years.

And this is the sequel to Sloppy Firsts! Here's hoping I love the first book, otherwise this sequel is going to be a bad decision, eh? :)

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Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon - From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.

I've been quite curious about this book of recent. Lots of mixed reviews, but I like the idea of Ireland as a setting for a paranormal YA. We'll see how I get on with it...

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Desert Angel by Charlie Price - Nowhere is safe...
Angel is on the run. Her mother is dead, her body buried in a shallow grave by her latest boyfriend, Scotty, a ruthless, illegal hunter who is prone to violence and who wants Angel dead before she can talk to the police.
Angel has lived through more than a young girl should have but she's determined to stay alive.
But in the scorching heat of the open desert, where can she hide?

I like the sound of this one, I've been enjoying some psychological thrillers lately and I'm hoping to enjoy this one. Bonus that it's a fairly slim book. My concentration levels are not what they used to be! :)

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Hallowed by Cynthia Hand - For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

This is the much awaited for sequel to Unearthly, which I read over Christmas and loved. I can't wait to dig into this book and find out where the story will go between Clara, Tucker and Christian!

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Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar - Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.

And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy?

Let's hear it for Australian YA! I've become a big fan of it after reading Melina Marchetta and Simmone Howell over the last few years and I hope to continue reading Australian YA this year. Possibly starting with Raw Blue. Which sounds great.

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Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - “I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

AHHH! I've been dying to read Dash and Lily since FOREVER. I would have preferred to read it BEFORE Christmas, but I think any time will do with this story. I really hope that every good thing I've heard about it is true.

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A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner - For months, Cass Meyer has heard her best friend Julia, a wannabe Broadway composer, whispering about a top-secret project. Then Julia is killed in a sudden car accident, and while Cass is still reeling from her death, Julia’s boyfriend and her other drama friends make it their mission to bring to fruition the nearly-completed secret project: a musical about an orphaned ninja princess entitled Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad.

Cass isn’t one of the drama people. She doesn’t feel at home with Julia’s drama friends, and she doesn’t see a place for her in the play. Things only get worse when she finds out that Heather Galloway, the girl who made her miserable all through middle school, has been cast as the ninja princess.

Cass can’t take a summer of swallowing her pride and painting sets, so she decides to follow her original plan for a cross-country road trip with Julia. Even if she has a touring bicycle instead of a driver’s license, and even if Julia’s ashes are coming along in Tupperware.

Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad is a story about friendship. About love. About traveling a thousand miles just to find yourself. About making peace with the past, and making sense of it. And it’s a story about the bloodiest high school musical one quiet suburb has ever seen.

I've actually already read this one. I just couldn't wait. And it's so beautiful and sad and sweet. I cried so much reading it. And I never would have considered reading it or heard of it without the fab Caroline of Portrait of A Woman reviewing it on her blog. Thank you so much Caroline!

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The Future Of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker - It's 1996 and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Facebook will not be invented for several more years. Emma just got a computer and an America Online CD-ROM with 100 free hours. When she and her best friend Josh log on to AOL they discover themselves on Facebook... fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what life has in store for them.
Josh and Emma are about to find out.

I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, but still, I've been hugely curious about this new book. I think the cover is great and I'm very hopeful that I will love it!

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And those are the books that I've recieved in the past week! Which books did you get? Have you read any of these books? Any recommendations on where I should start?

REVIEW: Breathing Underwater by Julia Green

2012-01-14T10:13:00.002Z

Guest review by Carrie from teabelly

Breathing Underwater by Julia Green is a sweet story about loss and moving on. 14 year old Freya spends every summer with her grandparents on a remote island, with the freedom to roam around and make friends with the children of vacationing families. Having once spent those summers with her brother Joe, she returns alone after the loss of Joe in boating accident the year before. Freya’s parents are not coping with the loss, and she worries they may split up. She’s also trying to remember what went on last year, why Joe was so distant, and exactly what happened the night he died.

Julia Green explores this in two separate timelines. There’s this summer and last summer. Here we get a sense of Joe, and some of the reasons for his moodiness as he pulls himself away from his sister. Freya is putting the pieces back together, but this means remembering a Joe she didn’t particularly like, one who wouldn’t always let her join in, who left her alone and angered easily. She’s looking for an explanation, but also worries about the part she played.

This is a quick and simple read, but also moving. And although it deals with grief, Freya isn’t overwhelmed by it. She’s getting on with things the best she can, she’s trying to have a life, to have fun, to still be around people, while also trying to resolve her feelings for Joe and what life means without him. She has a crush on an older boy which is complicated by her friendship with his girlfriend, and there’s also a younger boy’s affections to deal with.

I think the cover of this book does it a disservice, as they one I have makes it look like a throwaway teenage romance, like it has little substance. And while it isn’t the best book I’ve ever read, it has much more going for it than the cover suggests. I’m trying to avoid puns here about depth or other water related imagery, but that does sum it up nicely. It is deeper than you would expect. The writing is strong and I enjoyed all the characters. Possibly more could have been made of her crush, since it’s hard to see exactly what Freya sees in him, but her friendship with his girlfriend and Freya’s doubts about her own feelings are well done. The overall mystery, such as it is, of what happened to Joe seems to be resolved too quickly, and I was a little disappointed with the resolution, but all in all, a nice read.

Thank you very much Carrie!

Books involving Latin

2012-01-13T08:58:00.002Z

Call me a big nerd, but I really love finding patterns in the books I read. I especially love it when three seemingly unrelated books share something in common, and even better if it is something a little out of the way like Latin.

These three books involve Latin. Latin. It's kind of strange, right? Even though Latin is still studied and taught and everything, it isn't something I or anyone I know really has any knowledge of in terms of speaking or reading beyond the brief mottos here and there that have invaded popular culture. So I find it interesting to see these books introducing new readers to the complexities and appeal of a dead language...

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon - I had no idea at all before picking up this book what sort of paranormal creature I'd be dealing with in Dead Beautiful. In fact, the entire book turned out to be one big surprise as I knew next to nothing about it beforehand. I find that utterly refreshing to do sometimes, going into a book completely blind.

And I really loved Dead Beautiful. I loved the atmosphere of this creepy old boarding school with its old-fashioned traditions and it's insistence on teaching Latin and other unusual subjects like horticulture. The reason for these subjects is of course, tied into the world-building of this specific paranormal creature and I found it fun and surprising unravelling this book's secrets!

Deception and Betrayal by Lee Nichols - Deception, and it's sequel Betrayal, is another paranormal series that I read late last year. I hadn't heard anything about the books before they landed on my doorstop but early raving reviews of it quickly brought the books more to my attention. I found them both to be incredibly exciting and addictive to read. Once I'd started it was nearly impossible to stop!

Aside from the emotional romance and the mystery of this new ghostkeeping ability, I found myself really looking forward to Emma's interactions with some of the other students during Latin class. There is a (paranormal) reason that Emma takes so well to the language, but the playfulness and the flirting through Latin really made me smile!

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman - I think The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman is my favourite book of late using Latin as a means of pushing the story along. I don't know what it is, but something about translation just really appeals to me. I think I'm a language nerd and just haven't realised it as yet.

I do absolutely adore that a lot of this book is to do with translating centuries old letters written in Latin into English. I just love that image of this woman so long ago sitting down to write letters (remember hand-written letters?!) and the fact that Nora and her group of friends use this Latin-written letters to uncover this huge mystery as well as solving crime is both exciting and thrilling. There's blood and love and Latin and Prague and intrigue in this book. And it is wonderful.

Have you read any books lately involving Latin? Would you like to?

Blog tour: Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

2012-01-12T10:49:00.001Z

I am so pleased to take part in the Darkness Falls blog tour! I absolutely adore the series, see my review here, and am so excited to have Cate Tiernan on the blog today! Darkness Falls is the wonderful sequel to Immortal Beloved, which is a brilliantly addictive and romantic story of immortals.

To find out more about Darkness Falls, the series or about Cate Tiernan, please do visit the following websites:

Cate Tiernan ... Cate on Facebook ... Cate on Twitter

My Writing Journey
by Cate Tiernan

People always ask how I got started, how I first got published, and I have to say, the story of my first book is short and boring: I decided to write a children’s book, for ten days I closed my office door at work and wrote during my lunch hour, then I submitted it to a publisher, and they bought it. I’ve made other writers cry with that story. It’s a completely useless tale to tell anyone—it teaches them nothing, it says nothing about me, and I’m sure if I were starting my career now, my story would be quite different.

I took writing classes in high school, where writing was explained to me in a way that I could understand but not replicate myself. Mostly I learned in how many different ways my work fell short. My pieces were flowing words that had no layers of meaning. They were to show how well I could write, but made no attempt to show how well I could communicate.

I took more writing courses in college. There a teacher once told me, You have a genuine stylistic gift. That memory still gives me a warm glow—but it didn’t mean, You write well, I understood you, your work moved me, your words made me realize something I’d never realized. My work was appealing but without substance.

Then, twenty years ago, I decided to write a children’s book, and I wrote it in ten days, and sold it to the only publisher I submitted it to. It was the first thing I’d written that was more than three pages long, but more important, much more important—it was the first time I tried truly to communicate with an audience. It was the first time that I knew what I wanted to say, and the first time I knew who I was saying it to. It was about a girl who had a problem, and she solved her own problem without having her brother or her father fix it for her.

All my work since then has had that same theme, more or less: that girls and women are stronger than we know, that we can own our strengths, and we can determine the courses of our lives. Boys or men do not know us better than we know ourselves—they can be wonderful, valuable counterparts, but they don’t have all the answers or all the power, and we don’t need them to. By ourselves, in ourselves, we have the answers we seek and the power we need.

Today, when people ask how to get started, I skip over the articles about how to get an agent or how to network at writer’s conventions. For me the truth always comes down to: know what you want to say, and why, and who you want to say it to. That’s the first step—and it might just take you as far as you need.

Blog tour: Heart of Stone by ML Welsh

2012-01-11T09:11:00.003Z

I'm very pleased today to welcome to my blog, ML Welsh! Melanie is the author of Mistress of the Storm, which I read last year and absolutely adored, and this month sees the publication of the sequel, Heart of Stone. I asked Melanie to write something about happy endings, and she obliged!

To find out more about ML Welsh or Heart of Stone, please do visit the following websites:

Verity Gallant ... ML Welsh on Facebook ... Melanie on Twitter

Happy endings - do you do them, do you like them, are they important?

by ML Welsh

This month sees the publication of my second children’s novel, Heart of Stone, the follow-up to Mistress of the Storm. Both books are adventure-mysteries, and both feature a young girl called Verity Gallant and her friends.

In Heart of Stone the central premise of the story is that a supernatural force is trying to create a world where nothing ends happily any more: with terrible consequences for everyone. And I stand by the idea that this world needs stories that end happily too.

Publishing is a very middle class industry. Nothing wrong with that, most of the time. But sometimes I think it can lead to a few collective truths that are based on limited personal experience, rather than fact. Like, for example, the idea that the most valuable children’s books are the ones that tackle difficult issues such as poverty or abuse: on the assumption that we all now live in such a privileged world our children need to experience hardship through stories.

Well I’m afraid there a lot of children in this country who already know what it’s like to go to bed hungry or cold. Four million families – that’s one in three – in this country now live below the poverty line. And that tidy little phrase, just to be really clear, means going without something that you need on a daily basis. Like food, or heating.

That is shameful. And while this next part is nowhere near as important, it still staggers me that these children, in our own country, have become so overlooked that our publishing industry doesn’t appear to consider what they might want to read about. Because, trust me, it’s probably not other children feeling cold and hungry too. They’d like stories that end happily.

And don’t even get me started on the estimated one in ten children who are being abused in the UK. Does it really take so much imagination to understand that often the only place they can escape to is inside their own minds? Where it must be nice sometimes to think about lives that end happily?

My childhood was fine, but it wasn’t all sunshine and flowers. So growing up, I was captivated by tales of girls who had adventures and generally were never troubled by things like whether their parents could afford to pay the gas bill. I lived for stories because they took my mind off things. And I have a lot of friends from similar backgrounds who tell me they did the same.

I’m not saying happy children don’t deserve stories too. And I’ve got no idea whether Heart of Stone is what children need to cheer themselves up.

But if Heart of Stone isn’t for them I really hope they find another book that gets them through a tough time. Because that’s what Mistress of the Storm and Heart of Stone were meant to be: stories for children who need something to brighten their day. And if you think that’s not valid, that’s ok. You obviously don’t need them, and I’m glad you don’t.

To find out more about Verity Gallant, Mistress of the Storm or Heart of Stone please go to www.veritygallant.co.uk for sample chapters and trailers (don’t worry, there won’t be any rants about happy endings there).

REVIEW: Heart of Stone by ML Welsh

2012-01-11T08:26:00.001Z

There's something really comforting about reading M. L. Welsh's stories. They're so sweet with a slightly old-fashioned tone to them that just makes me feel very nostalgic. I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that Heart of Stone would be a sequel to Mistress of the Storm, which I read and adored last year. And Heart of Stone was just as brilliant. Gushy review to follow, be warned!

I absolutely adore the main character, Verity Gallant and how tough she is. In the previous book, it was up to her to stand against evil and whilst all she really wants is to have a happy ending and enjoy her time with her friends and her family and to sail, it is not to be. With some odd things going on in Wellow, with the earth moving and white sand covering everything, Verity begins to suspect that these events could also explain the lack of sleep and bad dreams that she's been having. It is the start of this new adventure as Verity and the others start researching the Original stories and begin their fight against this powerful force which wants an end to happiness!

I also love Verity's friendships with Henry and Martha. I wish I had friends like Henry and Martha, though of course, the three have their problems and issues to work out in Heart of Stone. Despite any jealousies or arguments, I just knew everything had to work out with these three, nothing else would do! But of course, Verity surrounds herself with so many wonderful people. The librarian, her grandfather, Henry's brothers, and of course, Jeb Tempest, who returns to help.

I love the concept and importance placed on storytelling in this series and this love for the library. Extra cool points for making librarians into their own force against evil! Wellow is again, the gorgeous setting for this book and I adored the local history and myths that surround it, together with how central sailing and the water is.

This book is a wonderful follow-up to Mistress of the Storm. It is both sweet and magical. I love the friendships in this book, the sense of adventure and independence that these children have. My heart absolutely ached at the stirrings of first love and I definitely want to know more about all of these characters as they feel so real to me. I think this book whilst being aimed at a slightly younger audience can still be loved by readers of any age! Highly recommended!

REVIEW: Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

2012-01-10T08:23:00.000Z

Oh boy, was I excited to read Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan! When I read the first book in the series, Immortal Beloved, I fell in love hard. With the story and the characters and the detail and how much layering was done with the different strands of the story. I had very high expectations for Darkness Falls and I was not disappointed! Darkness Falls is everything I loved about Immortal Beloved and more. More of Nastasya and Reyn, more history, more character development, more action and just more fun. I really love this series, it was such an addictive read!

Darkness Falls takes place not long after the events of Immortal Beloved. Nastasya is still attempting to make peace with who she is and the actions that have led her to where she is. She's an immortal being who has lived the past hundreds of years with no care or concern for the humanity that surrounds her and she's really beating herself up about her behaviour. But with the help of others at this sort-of rehab place for immortals, Nastasya is attempting to be a better person, to make amends and to shed the darkness that she feels lives within her. And despite her vow to try to connect more with the people around her, she's still reluctant to get any closer to Viking hottie, Reyn, who was responsible for wiping out her entire family.

When I started this series, I was really just expecting to find an interesting and emotional romantic story, and instead I found so much more. I was absolutely fascinated to read more of Nastasya's memories of her life through the decades. They are memories that pain her now, as she reconsiders how little regard she has had for other people throughout the years. It's sometimes a struggle to read of Nastasya's regret and also of how little she believes in her ability to change and make amends for the darkness, but it just made me feel so much more for Nastasya as a character. She's tough and snarky, but still so vulnerable and lacking in self-belief. So I could fully understand how that doubt causes her to make the choices she does in this book.

From the first book, I really wanted to know more about Nastasya and Incy, and Cate Tiernan definitely delivered on this part. I thought their relationship was wonderful delivered to us as readers. There's some really creepy and dark undertones as Nasty feels uneasy about the concept of Incy finding her in River's Edge having run away from him. We get to see how the two first met and a lot of their history together. I loved getting to know his character and this history more.

I just want more of this series as soon as possible! I want to know more about Nastasya. I want more of Reyn. I want to know more about Nastasya's past and her experiences, more Incy! Just more of everything.

REVIEW: Torn by Cat Clarke

2012-01-09T08:21:00.001Z

I think Torn by Cat Clarke is the book I was most looking forward to read. Cat Clarke's previous book, Entangled, was just that good - very emotional and hard-hitting that I could not wait to get my hands on Torn. And it's sometimes scary to have such huge expectations for a book. But Torn lived up to all of the expectations I had. I loved the flawed characters, the emotions I felt witnessing this revenge against the mean girl gone wrong and all the guilt and horrible feelings afterwards as everyone involved tries to get on with their lives. It was a wonderful, emotional book and I think I'll always be excited about reading new books by Cat Clarke!

Torn is told from the point of view of Alice King who recently went on a school trip to Scotland. There, sharing a cabin with her best friend Cass, social reject Polly, emo-girl, Rae and Mean Girl Tara. When Tara's bullying and mean girl ways go a bit too far, Cass and Polly decide to teach Tara a lesson in humiliation.

What happens next was difficult to read, but it was also really gripping and I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the pages. I loved how conflicted these characters are and how much in particular Alice struggles with the choices and decisions that were made. There's a deeper layer of guilt to Alice's story as she begins a romantic relationship with Tara's younger brother Jack. How can she carry on with Jack and not tell her what she knows about his sister's death?! And to make things worse, Tara isn't gone for good. Instead, Tara haunts Alice.

Torn really has so many great things going for it - a really ruthless mean girl, some hugely flawed and relateable characters, a sweet love story, a dead girl, and a ghost! But what I loved so much about it is how much emotion there is, especially from Alice. Not just guilt and horror at what happens, but all the complicated feelings that come with first love and a friendship that have ended badly. I love Alice's relationship with her father particularly as they are both still grieving from the loss of Alice's mother.

Torn as a brilliant book, one that really made me think about seemingly small actions that mean so much more to other people. It made me think about how I treat other people, how honesty and doing the right thing can feel like such a grey area. Mostly it just made me feel. Angry and confused and hurting and hopeful - and I think that's a sign of a great story. Torn is a book not to miss!

In My Mailbox 43

2012-01-08T08:49:00.001Z

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The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley - Michael Vyner recalls a terrible story, one that happened to him. One that would be unbelievable if it weren't true! Michael's parents are dead and he imagines that he will stay with the kindly lawyer, executor of his parents' will ...Until he is invited to spend Christmas with his guardian in a large and desolate country house. His arrival on the first night suggests something is not quite right when he sees a woman out in the frozen mists, standing alone in the marshes. But little can prepare him for the solitude of the house itself as he is kept from his guardian and finds himself spending the Christmas holiday wandering the silent corridors of the house seeking distraction. But lonely doesn't mean alone, as Michael soon realises that the house and its grounds harbour many secrets, dead and alive, and Michael is set the task of unravelling some of the darkest secrets of all. A nail-biting story of hauntings and terror by the master of the genre, Chris Priestley.

Again, I've heard such good things about this book. For 99p, I could hardly go wrong!

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Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott - Zahira is a young woman of the conquered Rua people, their country occupied by another, very different culture – the Sedorne. Zahira is an orphan and has been raised to despise and distrust the occupying population, as well as to be a devout follower of the native religion. But everything changes for Zahira when her home and foster family are destroyed and she finds out some shocking truths about her heritage and real family. Realizing that it is up to her to do something about the violence and upheaval that are tearing her country apart, she must learn to accept her Sedorne origins and try to bridge the gap between the warring cultures. But when her own people suspect her of treachery for her ideas – especially after she saves the life of a Sedorne nobleman and begins to fall in love – the epic task ahead of her seems insurmountable...

Ah, now Zoe Marriott is definitely an author that I need to read more of. I read Shadows on the Moon last year and it became one of my favourite books of 2011. I have some catching up to do!

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Paradise by Joanna Nadin - This is an emotionally compelling teen novel from Joanna Nadin - twice nominated Queen of Teen - featuring romance and family mystery through three generations of mother and daughters. Can Billie find the truth? When sixteen year old Billie Paradise inherits her grandmother's house, it's a fairytale come true. She and her family move from their rented flat in London to start a new life by the sea. Maybe Billie can even find the father she's never met. But moving back to her mum's childhood home uncovers long-buried secrets and Billie soon discovers that people may die, but the past lives for ever. Joanna Nadin was nominated for the 2010 Queen of Teen award, in the company of Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy. She was also shortlisted for Queen of Teen 2008. This title is written by the author of the best-selling "Rachel Riley" series for teens and the previous teen standalone, "Wonderland". This is intelligent, compelling commercial fiction for teen girls who will grow into fans of literary romance by writers such as Sadie Jones, Victoria Hislop and Jodie Picoult.

I can't really say that I've heard anything about this book, but I have heard of the author. I'm curious and would like to give her stories a try. Again, another Kindle bargain that I couldn't resist.

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Wither by Lauren deStefano - Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings. Editor's recommendation.

Wither has been on my wishlist for absolutely AGES! I was really happy to see this amongst the Kindle sale items. I won't be at all surprised if this ebook is read very quickly.

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Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen - Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear.

All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Again with the I've not really heard anything about this book, but so much can be blamed on the idea the '99p? Why not?' philosophy!

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Those are the books that came into my possession this week. What did you recieve? Where should I start?

Blog tour for Night School by CJ Daugherty: Feisty Allie

2012-01-07T08:50:00.000Z

I have the great pleasure today to introduce CJ Daugherty to Fluttering Butterflies! CJ is the debut author of the wonderful Night School, which was published by Atom Books on the 5th of January. She is here today discussing feisty female characters and I'm absolutely thrilled!

To find out more about CJ Daugherty or Night School, please do visit the following sites:

CJ Daugherty ... CJ on Twitter ... CJ on Facebook

Feisty Allie
by CJ Daugherty

Early readers of Night School have had a lot to say about Allie’s feistiness. And I’m glad that young readers in particular have been the most into this. It’s clear they’re looking for strong female characters who can take care of themselves.

Certainly, as the book begins, Allie has what adults would call an ‘attitude problem’. She’s had a family trauma and reacted by flaming out – failing classes, skipping school and rebelling against every adult in her life.

Even as she begins to heal and becomes less angry, she’s still tough. The bully girls at school get to her, but she never stops fighting back.

When I was writing Night School, I was more influenced by TV characters than book characters. Joss Wheden’s Buffy and Willow are both obvious character influences, as are Zoe and River from his Firefly series.

That guy KNOWS how to write a female character.

I love Vampire Diaries, but I like the TV version of Katherine more than the TV version of Elena. (I also like Damon more than Stefan and there might be a warning in that for those on Team Carter…)

I love all the girls in Drew Barrymore films. Heck, I just love Drew Barrymore. Every girl in her film Whip It! is an influence on my writing.

Most of all, though, my writing was influenced by my own school experiences.

I have a particular memory of walking down the hall at my high school with my friend, Karen. She was a musician – cool but not part of the ‘in’ crowd by her own choice. Blonde, tiny and tough, she always wore clackety heels and had amazingly perfect nails. On that day, which happened to be the day the school elected its prom queen, one of the most popular girls in school said hello to us for the first time in four years. Quick as a flash Karen replied, “It’s too late, Sally. We already voted.”

I loved her chutzpah.

There’s also a touch of my friend Pam in Allie. She had a troubled family life but worked unbelievably hard, made great grades and got herself into university all on her own.

Allie has my friend Susie’s careless nonchalance and athleticism, and more than a little of my own teenage anger.

Still, Allie has a journey to take. She’s just 16. And she gets rescued a lot in Night School. But she doesn’t like it.

Give her time to grow. This is not a girl who wants to be saved.

She wants to save herself.

Thank you so much CJ, and please do visit District YA tomorrow for the next post on the blog tour!

REVIEW: Night School by CJ Daugherty

2012-01-07T08:43:00.001Z

I really loved Night School by CJ Daugherty! It kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through and will brilliantly addictive. I was lucky enough to attend an event in which CJ Daugherty spoke about some of her real-life inspiration for this creepy boarding school, and I had that in the back of my head as I was reading it.

Because this book is contemporary and not at all paranormal, I found Night School to be that touch more frightening and dangerous. There's just something about the realistic that gives me the shivers, much more than a supernatural element could ever do.

I adored the main character, Allie Sheridan. She's got some issues in her life, with her brother's disappearance, and that's turned her kind of angry. And so she acts out and when she gets caught by the police, her parents are forced into sending Allie away to a boarding school which might be able to straighten her out.

And Cimmeria Academy is like no other school. Nobody's ever heard of it, there's no mobile phones or computers allowed. The students there are either very well-off, from prominent families or incredibly smart. And to top it all off, there's this secret Night School in which we can only speculate about what could be going on. (cue spooky music!)

But then Allie is attacked and other dangerous things begin happening around the school, including the horrific death of another student. Allie has to decide who she can trust as she goes on a hunt for answers.

There's so much to love about this book. There are great characters, the atmosphere of Cimmeria Academy was almost palpable. There was danger and mystery and a bit of romance. I really loved the friendships that Allie has with some of the students she meets and how much Allie struggles with trust. And then there's the love interests. I keep seeing the term 'love triangle' thrown about in regards to this book. I really hope that this series does not go down that route! There's an incident that happens between Allie and one of the boys that makes me very unsympathetic to his character, so for me there is only one option!

Still, I think it's wonderful that CJ Daugherty has written a book that has made me react so strongly to the characters. This book is a real gem, one in which I was desperate to read more and more - to unravel all of this story's mysteries and intrigues and it's definitely left me wanting MORE. Wonderful book, one I highly recommend!

Books that make me want to travel to ... Prague

2012-01-06T08:58:00.001Z

It's an unusual one this month. This feature, Books that make me want to travel, usually makes me pine for a place I've never been before. But today's destination, Prague, is a place I went on holiday a few years ago. I say 'a few years ago' but it was before children, so it was long enough for me to start thinking, I wouldn't mind going back!

There's so much history in Prague. I went during winter, and everything was cold and snowy and beautiful! Lately I've read two books which have reminded me of the beauty and intrigue about Prague...

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - I really adored the first three quarters of Daughter of Smoke and Bone! There was something really magical about Laini Taylor's writing style as she introduced us to Karou and the unusual companions as she tried to combine her life as an art student in Prague with the more fantastic life she leads as the helper of a Wishmonger who deals in teeth and wishes.

I really couldn't see a better setting for this story and these characters than Prague. I felt like everything just made sense. I love books where the setting just blends into as well as compliments a story so well as it did with Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman -I cannot say enough good things about this book! I loved it in its entirety! It completely blew me away with the detail and the layering to the story, the characters, the story. I really, really loved it.

I hope it isn't too much of a spoiler to let you all know that at some point in the book, the action heads over to Prague to unravel some pretty big mysteries. It was wonderful to read of Nora and her friends race around Prague, trying to decipher centuries-old clues in order to track down more information on secret societies and religious sects and the murderer of a close friend. It felt tense and emotional and really fascinating. Especially the parts to do with the golem, which I didn't know a great deal about beforehand. Reading The Book of Blood and Shadow really made me want to wander around Prague more, check out the sights and the history and the culture.

Have you read any books that took place in Prague?

REVIEW: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

2012-01-05T09:22:00.000Z

I'd been looking forward to reading Dark Parties by Sara Grant for such a long time, ever since Sara was here on the blog and mentioned how much of Dark Parties is a celebration of the strong women in her life. To me, that sounded like a book I really wanted to read.

And it is really good. Dark Parties is told from the point of view of Neva, a sixteen year old girl who has lived her life in the Protectosphere, this dystopian world in which the citizens inside are ruled by lies and fear. And with the government becoming more controlling over her life and with Neva's list of the Missing growing, Neva and her best friend Sanna feel that it is best to rebel against such a life.

The feeling these two girls have is that there must be something that can be done against the government having such control over every aspect of their lives, making people afraid of what can be said and voicing an opposing opinion. I really love that Neva is so pro-uprising right from the start and fights her way to the end.

I found Neva to be a really engaging main character. I loved her eagerness to stand up for what's wrong and I especially loved her strong friendship with Sanna. Through Sanna, Neva meets a bunch of strong women who are quietly rebelling and finds hope again that those who have been lost and missing might be found again. And while I didn't love the forbidden aspect of her relationship with Braydon (as he is Sanna's boyfriend), I could definitely feel the tension and attraction between Neva and Braydon.

I think I wanted to read a bit more world-building of this claustrophobic society and wanted more questions answered, but whilst reading the story, I found myself really emotional when reading of Neva's struggles both against the society she lives in, against her growing feelings for Braydon. The ways in which Neva and the people she comes into contact choose to rebel brought tears to my eyes.

Dark Parties is also quite exciting to read and there were some twists that I really didn't see coming. It's a wonderful debut and I'm excited to read more by Sara Grant!

My resolutions for 2012

2012-01-04T08:07:00.002Z

It's a new year and I love how hopeful and fresh that makes me feel! We always make sure the house is clean and tidy and wear new clothes on January 1st and every year I sit down and think back on the wonderful things that happened in the past year and then picture all the amazing things that will happen in the new year. I have a great feeling that 2012 will be a big year for me!

And to help things along, I've made some goals for myself this year. Both personal and reading/blogging, which I'd like to list here just for some accountability! :)

Reading goals in 2012:

-Read 200-225 books. I read 209 books in 2011, and I'd like to keep reading more, though this is of course the least important goal ever. I am aware of that.

-Complete the British books challenge. The British books challenge is the only reading challenge that I've signed up for this year. I think it's very important (and fun!) to read and support British authors. I read 68 books by British authors in 2011, and I hope to read possibly 75 in 2012! Bring it on.

-Operation Read Own Books. This is something I started last year and had varying success with. I think every book blogger I know has a towering pile of books to be read and I'm really keen on reducing the books on my unread shelves. I have a list that I mark off, but it quickly becomes out of date. I hope to do my very best to have a more manageable TBR list at the end of 2012.

-Be caught up on review books. My stacks of review books has become slightly ridiculous of late. And while having several regular guest reviewers has helped, I really need to stay on top of this. Including e-books from netgalley, which I have a tendency to ignore.

Blogging goals in 2012:

-Get caught up on reviews. This is always something I fail at. I'm usually in double figures behind and it makes me feel slightly anxious and panicky sometimes, so I'd really like to do something about this.

-Love Month/British month. These two themed months were quite fun and popular in 2011, and I've decided to make them yearly events.

-Create blog buttons for regular features. I have quite a few regular features that appear on Fluttering Butterflies and I'd like them to become more visible and recognisable by creating blog buttons for them. I've really been dragging my feet with this one.

-Better content and reviews. I'm always on the lookout for ways in which I can bring you a better blog. I'd like to recommit myself to my Awesome Women feature as well as talk more about things that matter to me, especially mental illness. I'd like to change up the way I review books. I'd like to bring you more guest posts and interviews with authors and bloggers. If you'd like to take part in anyway, please do let me know!

-Reach a wider audience. Of course I'd like more followers and readers on this blog, but I've always maintained that I would do this by providing good content and by reaching out to other book bloggers, as opposed to giveaways or blog hops. So my goal for this year is to continue supporting the blogs I already read and to widen my blogging circle and looking out for other great bloggers that are currently unknown to me!

Personal goals in 2012:

-Be kind to myself. This goal has a very wide reaching meaning. I feel as though I need to take better care of myself in different ways and 'be kind to myself' covers just about everything!

-Do well in my university course. In February, I'm starting the course I've been most worried about. It combines the subject I'm studying and really enjoy, with a subject that I'm almost terrified to cover. I'm really scared that I'll do abysmally with this course and will be really concentrating on it once it begins.

-Doing Things Differently Project and Random Acts of Kindness. These two projects were started in the past, and mostly forgotten. I still believe in them though and I hope to do more with them in 2012.

Do you make New Year's resolutions or goals? What do you hope will happen in 2012?

REVIEW: Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-03T08:13:00.001Z

How much did I LOVE Tempest by Julie Cross?! I admit, I wasn't so sure that this book would be for me when I first started, but almost immediately I was absolutely sucked into this story, these characters and these wonderfully sweet relationships - both between Jackson and his girlfriend Holly and also between Jackson and his sister Courtney.

Tempest was a book that I just could not put down. I was desperate to continue reading it, even late into the night and bleary-eyed the next morning I CRIED in public trying to read more. I love books that make me very emotionally connected and that I'm so addicted to reading that I carry around with me every where I go. Tempest by Julie Cross was such a book for me.

Our main character, Jackson Meyer has recently found out that he has this special ability to time travel. He doesn't know very much about it all, how far back he can go, what the side effects will be, so with the help of his science-geek friend, Adam, he starts experimenting. And at the same time, he's hiding things and blowing off his girlfriend Holly. One night, some creepy guys burst in and attack Jackson and Holly. When Holly is shot, Adam immediately time travels away and what he realises is that he's now stuck two years in the past.

Without the ability to jump forward and save his girlfriend, Jackson has no choice but to work with what little clues he has about the two men and try to figure out what's going on. Enlisting the help of a younger Adam, Jackson begins learning more about his own abilities and the involvement of the creepy men but also how it all ties into to Jackson's father. What follows is exciting and fascinating and also very emotional.

At one point during Tempest, a character is told to forget everything they know about time travel in order to understand Jackson's ability, and I think that's excellent advice. Julie Cross seemed to really play with time travel, allowing Jackson to do full-jumps and half-jumps which allowed for different things to happen as well as to change the fixed point in time that he returns back to after each jump. It sounds confusing the way I just described it, but I promise it isn't as confusing when you're reading the book!

While the parts of the book relating to Jackson's time travel and the CIA and this dangerous group of individuals called the Enemies of Time are absolutely edge-of-your-seat exciting, the parts that I found the most compelling, as I said earlier, were the relationships that Jackson has with his girlfriend and also with his twin sister, who passed away when they were both 14. There are some heart-breaking and painful but also sweet and touching scenes with brother and sister together.

With Jackson and Holly, we aren't told straight away of their history, but we are able to see glimpses of how they met and their first kiss in flashbacks as Jackson finds himself two years in the past and unable to stay away from a younger Holly. As Jackson begins to get to know this younger and different version of Holly, we begin to see more of the attraction and the build-up of this wonderful relationship and romance between the two. And I was rooting for them the entire way! They are so sweet and perfect together.

The ending blew me away and I'm gasping to read a sequel! Hurry it up, Julie Cross! I want more.

Blog tour for The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman:

2012-01-02T08:47:00.002Z

I am extremely happy today to have Robin Wasserman on my blog for her blog tour for the fabulous The Book of Blood and Shadow! This book is incredible, and I was really blown away by it! Robin is here today discussing something very relevant and close to my heart, New Year's resolutions!

To find out more about Robin or The Book of Blood and Shadow, please do visit the following websites:

Robin Wasserman ... Robin's blog ... Robin on Twitter

New Year's Resolutions and January Blues
by Robin Wasserman

I love making lists, I love making plans, and I love judging people, most of all myself. So as you can imagine, I’ve always been big on New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, for the last few years, I’ve been making them not once, but twice a year. (Thanks, Jewish New Year!) Unfortunately, like the rest of the world, I’m a lot better at making lists than I am at following them. Some failed resolutions from the last couple decades:

-I will not bite my nails
-I will join a gym
-I will go to the gym
-I will stop yelling at my mother
-I will go beyond my comfort zone (this from the period when I decided to try generic, personality-improving resolutions rather than concrete actions – it didn’t work any better)
-I will get a boyfriend (this from pretty much every year of junior high and high school and probably elementary school, though I think back then I didn’t want a boyfriend so much as I wanted Robbie W to ask me to dance)
-I will write every day
-I will stop being a picky eater
-I will stop eating so many cookies (I don’t think this one lasted past January 1)

I don’t think of myself as someone completely lacking in willpower (well, except when it comes to going to the gym), but slap a self-improving suggestion on a piece of paper and call it a resolution, and I am apparently powerless to resist the temptation to ignore it entirely.

Which is why I finally came up with a new plan. Call it a resolution on resolutions.

Last year, for the first New Year’s Eve since toddler-hood, I made no resolutions whatsoever. Instead, I made a different kind of list. A list of things I wanted to achieve and things (even things that were completely out of my control) I wanted to happen. I made a wish list for life, and I forced myself to write down everything that I really wanted, even the things that seemed too ludicrous ask for, the things it seemed embarrassing to even admit that I imagined as possibilities. I forced myself to think big.

Now, writing things down and hoping really, really hard isn’t enough to make things happen, and even the balmy glow of New Year’s Day couldn’t make me believe otherwise. But there’s something to be said for forcing yourself to admit to the things you want the most—and there’s something to be said for writing it all down in list format so that over the course of the year you can remind yourself what you’re aiming for…and how happy and grateful you should be when you get it. (Bonus, you get to avoid feeling like a complete failure when you don’t measure up.)

I’ve always found that one of the hardest things about being a writer is having no single, obvious track to follow—no straightforward marker of ultimate success. There are so many types of career to have, so many ways for a book to succeed (or fail), so many people so publicly doing exactly the same thing you are and seemingly (because it always seems this way) doing it better, that it’s almost impossible not to be constantly moving your goalposts. To think: All I want is to get published. Only to get published and realize: All I want is to get good reviews. Or get a book tour. Or be a bestseller. Or win an award. Or win a better award. No one can do it all, but it’s hard not to want to, and I suspect that even JK Rowling still spends an occasional night tossing and turning and wondering why her career going as well as...well, bad example, maybe. But I’d bet that every other author in the world is jealous of someone, and a lot of us probably spend more time worrying about what we don’t have than being proud of what we do.

Hence, the list. My resolution for resolutions is that this year and every year, I’m going to figure out the kind of life I want for myself, the kind of writer I want to be and the kind of person I want to be. I figure knowing what you really want has got to make it easier to pursue it. Because if life is a series of making choices, how better to figure out the right ones?

And who knows—maybe I’ll even choose to stop biting my nails. It’s a new year: Anything can happen.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman is published by Atom as a paperback original on the 19th of January, £6.99.

REVIEW: The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

2012-01-01T14:24:00.001Z

Wow, how much did I love The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman? I'd never read anything by Robin Wasserman before this, but I've always been intrigued by the sound of her stories. And after loving The Book of Blood and Shadow, I will be sure to pick up her other books!

The entire tone of the book was slightly unusual for me. There was something about Robin Wasserman's writing style and the story and the structure of the book which made it feel as a reader that time should be taken to think about everything that's happened, everything that's said. But at the same time, it was impossible for me to not fly through the pages and read more and more. I was absolutely hooked on this book, right from the first page. It's so exciting with all the secrets and double-crossing and the tension of being on the run and being not sure if you're travelling with a murderer or not! Plus, the love story was rather sweet.

This book really had me on the edge of my seat! I loved the different twists to it and the added layers to this story as we're taken farther and farther into this complicated mess of a situation. I absolutely loved each of the characters, I love that we travel to Prague of all places and I especially loved the addition of all the Latin translations.

So, Nora and her best guy friend, Chris are Latin scholars put on this special new project translating some really old and historically relevant manuscript which is meant to hold the secrets to uncovering a way to speak with God called the Lumen Dei. Though sometimes feeling a bit of a third wheel when it comes to Nora's two best friends, Chris and Adriane's romantic relationship, Nora begins falling for the other person on this special translation team, Max. I loved the slow and steady build-up to their relationship. Falling in love over letters written in Latin seems like a great way to go about things, if you ask me.

But it is not to last! For one day, Nora finds her best friend dead, Adriane catatonic and her boyfriend on the run, suspected of murder. Nora must piece together this mystery and put all the missing pieces together in order to learn who killed Chris, who is after the Lumen Dei and how much in danger is Nora?!

Seriously, this book is amazing. I especially loved Nora as a character. She's so normal and relateable, and because I connected with her so much, I found myself going through all of the emotions she did. From the stirrings of first love, to the horror and confusion of finding someone you care about dead. The need to put things right and find out the truth, no matter how deep and awful things become.

This book really is like no other YA book I've read before! I'm so excited for everyone else to read it and love it as much as I did. It's not being published until the 19th of January, but when it is be sure to look out for it!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T08:26:00.001Z

So this is the end of 2011! So far, and I think it's unlikely that I'll finish any more books so just quickly some stats:

I finished 17 books in December, bringing my yearly total to 209 books. I'm also really proud of the fact that 105 of those books were by new-to-me authors and that 68 of them were written by British authors.

I shall be writing a post about my reading, blogging and personal goals for the new year very soon but for now, I hope you all have safe and happy celebrations tonight and that 2012 is a wonderful year! See you on the other side.

Top Ten Books of 2011

2011-12-30T09:24:00.003Z

OK folks. It's the end of the year and the time where everyone gathers together their lists of the top books they've read throughout 2011. And here is mine.

I don't think that there are many surprises here, I feel like I've been quite vocal about my love for each of these books. Some though, I've really struggled to find the words to express that, and for that I'm sorry. On with the list though... (in no particular order!)

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta - The Piper's Son absolutely blew me away. Melina Marchetta just blows my mind with the amount of emotion and fantastic characters that she writes. It's no mistake that TWO books by the same author is on my favourites list this year. I'm such a huge of her, especially after reading the incredible The Piper's Son.

It's a sequel to Saving Francesca, but told from a different perspective. Instead of it being Francesca's story, everything shifts over the Thomas Mackee as he struggles both with his family, with himself, and with his feelings for Tara Finke. It's a fantastic book, one that broke my heart into teeny tiny little pieces. A book that once finished reading it meant that I would never be the same again. Incredible.

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck - I really wanted to include all three books that I've read so far in this series onto this list, Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Voyage and Tiger's Quest, but I felt like that would be cheating. But just know that they are all worthy of this list. It's been a really long since I've come across a series of books like this, in which I'm so addicted and captivated by that I would consider putting my life on hold until the end of the book.

With each book, I felt myself falling more in love with these characters, with the world that Houck has created and the story she's telling. It's a really wonderful series, one that I'm super excited to continue. I love these books with my whole heart.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd - Writing about A Monster Calls makes me nervous, because I know that I'll never find the right words to tell you exactly how I feel about this one. It's a book I loved so much that I never reviewed it. It's such a beautiful and heartbreaking story about a young boy trying to deal with his mother's illness.

Not only is it a gorgeous story, but it is also gorgeous in the way that is presented, with the pretty illustrations. If I could bear to part with it, the book would make a really lovely present for people of any age.

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott - I read this book on holiday and I loved it so, but it probably wasn't the best book to read when I was away. This book is really a book to read when you have plenty of time to lose yourself completely in the story and the characters and the setting. It is truly a beautiful book - from the outside cover art to the beautiful story inside.

A retelling of Cinderella, set in a fantasy feudal Japan, this book takes a really familiar story and makes it entirely unique. Suzume is a wonderfully drawn character, who is both strong and vulnerable as she struggles with the grief that comes with witnessing her father and cousin's deaths. In order to survive some of life's cruelties, Suzume, with the help of some wonderful friends, transforms herself into different people in order to focus herself on avenging her family's deaths. I absolutely love the characters of this book from Suzume to Akira and Youta, and especially, especially the lovely Otieno. I think if I were to pick a book that I'd like to live in, Shadows on the Moon would be right up there on my list!

Going Bovine by Libba Bray - What a wonderful, wonderful book Going Bovine is. This is the first book of Libba Bray's that I've read and already I can feel her becoming one of my favourite ever authors. And Going Bovine would count not only on my list of favourite books read this year, but read ever. It's really that good of a book.

Going Bovine is so much more than just a crazy road trip story. It's emotional, hilarious, sad and beautiful story about a boy trying to come to terms with both his life and his death. It's one of the most intelligent books I've read in awhile as well as the most downright weird. There is a talking yard gnome and a punk rocker angel and a hypochondriac dwarf. There's sarcasm and music and a big dose of poking fun at popular culture. Going Bovine had me laughing on one page and crying the next. Outstanding book.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - Yes, you did read that correctly. There ARE two books by Melina Marchetta on my list of favourite books read in 2011. What can I say? I'm a huge fan of Melina Marchetta's. I think she's genius. Which is why I'm not quite sure why it took me so long to pick up and read Jellicoe Road. Everyone raves about it, and for good reason. It's amazing.

I really love the depth of this story, how it combines the lives of two sets of friends in two different time periods and also how the two stories overlap and intertwine. I loved unwrapped that little mystery and discovering these relationships and friendships for myself. I love how real it all felt, how emotional and sad and beautiful it is. Everything feels a little broken and I love that about this book. I thought all of the characters felt so life-like to me and I especially adore Taylor and Jonah. Melina Marchetta, I love you.

Divergent by Veronica Roth - Ahhhh! What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? It's hugely exciting and feels like a fresh and unique dystopian book. I started reading it while on the train and I had daydreams about being in Dauntless and jumping off and on the moving train I was on.

I loved the idea of the different factions and wondering to which faction I'd belong... I loved the action and the training involved with Tris in Dauntless, I loved the growing attraction between Tris and Four. I loved that this book is incredibly addictive reading, that it's by a debut author. I love that it's the first in a series. There's so much to love about this book that I could talk about it all day if I could!

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - This is the most recent book that I've read to appear on this list. What I love so much about this book is how addictive this book was to read. On the night I read it, I had no intention of reading. I had fully planned an evening of vegging out in front of the television. But I'd been having problems charging my Kindle and decided to check out one of the books on it just to make sure that my problem had been solved. And it just so happened that I clicked on Graffiti Moon that night.

And that was it. After the first page, my plans for that night changed entirely. I knew straight away that that night was only for falling in love with Graffiti Moon. So that's what I did. I did nothing until I'd finished it. I really adored the characters of this story. I loved how everything occurs over one eventful night. I love how much art is central to the story and how inspired I was while reading it to find out more about the artists and poets that inspired the characters. I love that this book is so sweet and romantic, and I especially love discovering a new author whose other books I shall soon be reading!

Where She Went by Gayle Forman - I absolutely adored If I Stay by Gayle Forman, so when I first heard of this sequel, I was instantly wary that it wouldn't live up to the first book - especially in terms of emotion. How can anybody top the heart-rending reading experience of Teddy?! I didn't think it possible, but I felt even more emotional and drawn into the character and story during Where She Went.

If I were to describe Where She Went in as few words as I could, I'd probably choose 'heartbreaking, beautiful and hopeful.' It's such a great story about what happens to Adam and Mia after the horrific car accident that took Mia's family. It's several years after, and despite it being Adam who asks Mia to stay, the two have broken up and are no longer speaking to each other. That is, until this one fateful night, in which the two catch up in New York and begin asking each other all the questions that have been building up over the years in which they have been apart. The anticipation of the 'why?' that builds up as the story goes along is almost unbelievable.

This book is so filled with grief and confusion and tension and love that I almost can't stand it. Such a beautiful, beautiful book.

Wood Angel by Erin Bow - And finally, I think it fitting to end this list with a book that I read and loved at the beginning of the year. Wood Angel really touches on something that really means a lot to me and which I strive for and yearn for in my own life - belonging. It's such a huge part of this book that I couldn't help but be won over by this beautiful little book.

But it isn't just the belonging aspect that made me fall in love with this book. It's Erin Bow's wonderful and magical writing style, it's the flawed characters and the melancholy that seems to surround our main character, Plain Kate. I found her search for family and a place to belong absolutely heartbreaking. Plus I absolutely ADORE Taggle, her gorgeous talking cat. This is such a beautiful book and I felt so incredibly emotional whilst reading it. A very worthy entry in my favourite books, both of this year and in general!

What books were your favourite in 2011?

REVIEW: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

2011-12-28T09:16:00.002Z

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor was SUCH a good book. I'd heard that it was, but I still didn't believe it. Not until I picked it up and by the first page I was convinced. There's just somthing really beautiful and captivating about Laini Taylor's writing style that pulled me in immediately. So if you're still on the fence about this one, please don't hesitate! Pick this book up right now, don't lose anymore time!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is such a magical treat to read. It's filled with so many fantastic things, from a wishmonger that deals in teeth and wishes. There's interesting and exciting characters, a real sense of mystery as well as setting. There's fantasy and friendship and love. Angels, chimaera, art, Prague.

Karou is no typical teenager. In one aspect of her life, she is an art student in Prague, having fun with her best friend Zuzana. But on the other, she is the apprentice to these fantastical creature, gathering teeth for him from many different places in the world. She can step through doors and end up in Paris and Morocco. But Karou has grown up knowing very little about this world of angels and demons. Instead she collects languages and draws the chimaera that she impresses the other students at her art college with.

But things are beginning to become more dangerous and Karou is soon drawn into this battle that she had no knowledge of and in order to get her ragtag collection of 'family' back, Karou must start learning more about the wishmonger and the things that she's been protected from knowing for so many years.

It's been a long time since I read a book that was so exciting and that was so atmospheric and detailed and interesting like Daughter of Smoke and Bone. While I did feel like it lost its way a little bit towards the end, I felt like the strongness of the characters, the story and especially the setting more than made up for this. Every detail of Prague and of the chimaera, Karou and all of the characters, everything about this book made me feel as though it were real and that I was right in the middle of the action.

I loved feeling a part of this book and already I feel a little bit sad that I will never again be able to read this book like it were the first time again. A beautiful, brilliant story, one in which I highly recommend!

REVIEW: Fracture by Megan Miranda

2011-12-27T08:54:00.001Z

Out of all the 2012 releases that I've been sent so far to review, Fracture by Megan Miranda is my favourite. It's the book that I'm most excited for other people to read because I love it so. There's just something about it which appeals to me and I was immediately drawn into the story and the characters and the emotion of the book. I love when a book surprises me as much as Fracture did!

Megan Miranda is a debut author and this book is published in early January, so please do look out for it. It's the story of 17 year old Delaney and what happens to her about a terrible accident. It's about the many things that can happen in 11 minutes as Delaney falls through the ice of a local pond. It's about what happens to Delaney afterwards as she defies all the doctors and medical knowledge that says she should be dead. But Delaney isn't dead, and what's more, she's now able to sense when someone is about to die. What seems coincidence at first seems more sinister once Delaney realises there is another person out there like her ywhen she meets Troy Varga. But all is not as it seems with Troy, as Delaney soon finds out.

Having an interest in psychology, just like the author, I have a huge interest in how much is unknown about the brain and how much that it is capable of that we're not aware of yet. I love the idea of Delaney defying all the odds to survive and so even from the premise I was sold to this book. But what's better is that the characters are sympathetically written, all flawed and imperfect but still relateable, especially the main character Delaney. And also her best friend, Decker, who goes to great lengths in order to rescue Delaney from the freezing water. I really welled up at the relationship between Decker and Delaney. It's hugely emotional and moving. Decker and Delaney are by far my favourite relationship of recent!

I love how this story combines a bit of romance, and the mystery that surrounds Delaney and Troy's new ability with a big dash of deciding what's important in life. It's about friendship and love and about how a few short minutes can change everything!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:18:00.001Z

To all my lovely friends and blog readers, I wish you a very Merry Christmas! I shall be taking a few days off to relax and enjoy my time with my family.

It's always a lovely time of year, having two small children, I wouldn't want to miss out on any of their excitement or fun!

I hope that you too have a wonderful, relaxing and magical Christmas, however you spend it!

Books that make me want to travel... to New Orleans

2011-12-23T09:35:00.002Z

I love the idea of travelling. I don't think I've done very much of it in my nearly 30 years, but I'd like to. I sit and daydream all of the time about the different places I'd like to see and what I'd do there. It's a fun pasttime. And something that really helps is when I read about a place and the author describes it in such a way that makes me absolutely PINE to visit. And so my 'Books that make me want to travel' feature was born.

Today I'd like to talk about a few books I've read recently which have included, even briefly, New Orleans. I love books about the South of the United States, I really do. I think it's a place that I'd love to visit, even just for the food some time. But after Hurricane Katrina it just felt like whenever I thought of New Orleans, I thought of sadness and the huge destruction that it caused.

And then, I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but three books recently mentioned New Orleans and it got me feeling excited about NOLA all over again. To visit, not just because of Mardi Gras, but for the music and the history and the food.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa - Obviously The Iron Fey series of books takes place mostly in a fairy realm away from the world we all live in. But in The Iron Queen, which I read recently, there was this really interesting scene early on in the book. In order for Meghan to barter for something she needs back, she had to locate an object of power, this token. To do this, she and Prince Ash journey into a cemetery in New Orleans and Prince Ash tells Meghan of this lovely and sad story of two lovers.

It wasn't much about New Orleans, not a great deal of time was spent there, but the story really stuck in my mind. It was enough.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray - Going Bovine is one of my favourite books that I've read in recent years. It's so weird and emotional and heart-felt that it will forever stay in my mind. I really, truly adore this book. The characters and the story and some of things that are covered in this book were just done so well. It's this really bizarre road trip through America on a quest that is both strange and wonderful. And there's quite a bit in the book about music, particularly jazz music, which of course, New Orleans is sort of known for. There's a whole sequence in the book about our main character, Cameron, in a jazz club in New Orleans and it really is unforgettable.

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton - I really was surprised by this book. I had no idea what it would be about when I first started, but I jumped in anyway and it was such an interesting and different story combining both paranormal creatures such as shape-shifters and vampires together with Greek mythology. It was such a fun book to read. I've recently read the sequel and loved that as well. But what I also think is great about this series is how it encorporates New Orleans into the story. Everything takes place in a fictionalised version of New Orleans called New 2. After the mass destruction of Hurricane Katrina, a private group of individuals (the heads of 9 witches, vampires and shape-shifter families) buy the land around New Orleans and the area becomes a haven for the weird and paranormal.

I really enjoyed reading of the different quarters of New Orleans and how our main character, Ari, wanders through them and learns more about this city she's now living in.

Have you read any books recently that involve New Orleans? Or the South? that made you want to travel?

On my way to school (Musical Memories)

2011-12-21T09:27:00.001Z

I don't generally listen to a lot of music. In many ways, I think my musical preferences have been stuck in a couple periods of time, generally to 50s/60s and the late 90s, and haven't moved on very much from that. Still, I need music at certain points during my day, every day. I like listening to music in the car, whilst running, and most especially when walking to school to pick up my Eldest.

We don't live very far away from either E's primary school or the Littlest' nursery, so I usually walk to drop off and collect both boys. Because of the hours that the nursery is open, every day I walk to pick up my Eldest all by myself. It's a 20 minute walk, if that, very peaceful. I have to admit that that walk is one of my favourite times of my day, putting in my headphones and walking to school.

I have several different playlists that I use to listen to music. The most popular playlist is one where I've just dumped lots of individual songs that I love. And for whatever reason, I listen to a lot of the same music day after day. I think I shall always remember these last two years, when my beautiful E has just started primary school, every time I hear the following songs.

Geek Love by Nerina Pallot - I don't even remember how or when I came across Nerina Pallot. I think it was down to N when we were in New York on a holiday browsing through a music store, but I'm not sure. As soon as I heard Geek Love, I knew that it would be a favourite of mine, and it has been. I'm not sure that I could ever get tired of this song and have been known to listen to it on repeat!

I Shall Believe by Sheryl Crow - I think this song was first brought to my attention after watching Roswell, that fantastic alien teen TV programme (which I loved! seriously). It was in that episode where Liz is visited by Future-Max and despite hearing that in that future Liz and Max get married and dance to this song, Liz has to do everything she can to make Max fall out of love with her so it doesn't happen. For the sake of the whole world. Ahhhh, what angst and drama! But still, I think this song is gorgeous.

Defying Gravity from the Wicked OST - This song never fails to give me goosebumps. I have both the Wicked soundtrack with Idina Menzel and the Glee version with Rachel and Kurt. I love both versions, but I listen to the original more, I think. Such a beautiful song, that despite my very little talent for singing, I'm tempted to belt out the lyrics to this song as I'm strolling along. When this song comes up, I usually have a big grin on my face. I would LOVE to see Wicked again, I really would.

Since You've Been Around by Rosie Thomas - It was a lovely friend that I used to work with at Books Etc who introduced me to Rosie Thomas' music. We even went to one of Rosie's gigs which was beautiful as well as .. unusual. Her music is very soothing and relaxing and while I don't know the titles of all her songs or even all the lyrics to the albums of hers I have, I still just really love the sound of her voice and her songs.

And that's it for me. Do you have any favourite songs or music that you've been listening to lately? Any music suggestions for me?

REVIEW: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

2011-12-20T09:06:00.001Z

Earlier in the year, I read and loved Sisters Red, so I was always going to be hugely excited to read Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. I really love her retellings of popular fairy tales. She has a great eye for turning a story we're all familiar with and giving it a new twist and for seeing things in a new and different way. While I may have liked Sisters Red a little bit more than Sweetly because of the relationship between the sisters, I also found Sweetly to be very entertaining and interesting and I flew right through the pages, desperate to find out what happens.

Sweetly begins our our two main characters, Ansel and Gretchen, and an unnamed twin sister of Gretchen's exploring the woods. My attention was immediately grabbed by the addition of a third sibling in this story, one that disappears after a witch chases the three of them in these woods. The idea that this twin sister is unnamed and unspoken of, because of Ansel, Gretchen's and their parents' grief and also because of their guilt is an intriguing one.

Despite this being a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, we never hear of Ansel's point of view and this too, I find surprising, I was really expecting a dual-perspective. Instead, we get Gretchen's view of the world. It's many years after the death of her sister and Gretchen is plagued by the question 'why?' Why when the two girls were identical, did one sister live and the other did not? Gretchen has sort of fallen apart over the loss of her twin sister, and has relied on her older brother to be her rock, to be dependable and to always be there. So when she suggests they travel to the other side of the country to see the ocean, Ansel is there for her. But things don't go to plan, as their car breaks down in a small village and they have no money to carry on without it or to fix the car.

When Sophia, the local chocolatier, offers to let Ansel and Gretchen stay with her in exchange for some help around the house and with her chocolate stop, the two agree. Everything seems to be going right for them, as they've finally found a place where the two feel as though they belong and with somebody who really cares for them. Despite the nearness of the forest, which still terrifies Gretchen, she does her best to carry on and surmount her fears. It doesn't help that there are rumours floating around about Sophia and her annual chocolate festival. Girls in town disappear every year after attending Sophia's event, and fear and mistrust of Sophia lodges in Gretchen's heart. But Gretchen is determined to be different, to fight against her fears of the witch and of the forest and to survive.

While I thought the story and the retelling of this classic fairy tale was done well and in a way that was different and interesting, I didn't feel as though I connected emotionally as strongly as I wanted. I loved Gretchen's struggles with her fear of the forest and the way in which she begins to change her fear into something else, into a way to protect herself if the witch ever attacked again. I also thought the interactions between Gretchen and Samuel were fun. But I wanted to see more between the three main characters - Gretchen, Ansel and Sophia.

Still, a very fun read! I'm really looking forward to more from Jackson Pearce, she's becoming an author that I'm excited about.

REVIEW: Trapped by Michael Northrop

2011-12-17T09:36:00.001Z

Trapped by Michael Northrop isn't a book I'd heard a great deal about before I picked it up to read. It's an interesting book to read as the weather is getting colder and the days are getting darker. I found it very atmospheric - as I turned the pages of Trapped I found myself getting colder and colder as well as feeling slightly claustrophobic to be outside and to be free. Unlike these seven teenagers, trapped in their high school during the worst snow storm of the century.

What helped along this feeling of unease and discomfort as I was reading is that each chapter shows a little picture of the snow falling, and as the chapters go along and the snow rises higher and higher, it really made me aware of how I'd feel in the same position. I've never been in a situation where there might be three foot of snow falling in one day, but I imagine it to be terrifying. Especially as a teenager, isolated from everyone.

Trapped tells the story of seven teenagers who have been left behind during a huge snow storm. Our main character is Scotty Weems, a sophomore basketball player, and we see all the events from his perspective. He's stayed behind with two best mates in order to work on this go-cart they're making for shop class. The other students left behind include two freshman girls, a trouble-maker and a loner Goth boy. And as the hours pass, and then the days pass, things within this small high school in the middle of nowhere began to get really desperate.

In some ways, I think I was expecting for the means of survival to be a little more extreme with this book. And if I'm honest, that's probably just because I'm used to the over-dramatisation of disaster movies that I wasn't expecting there to be blankets in the nurse's office or that (of course!) there'd be a huge supply of food in the cafeteria that could feed a handful of kids for a week. I kind of wanted more drama though. It is a high school though, and of course they would be there.

And while I did enjoy Scotty's observations of this weird collection of students and the way in which he began to see the other people in a different light, especially in regards to the Goth boy and the troublemaker, I also wanted more interactions between them. Because this book has been mentioned in the same sentence as The Breakfast Club (one of my favourite films!) I think I was expecting for these kids to open up a little more, share some secrets or to dance about in the library. But towards the end, it is mentioned that this book is more about survival than anything else.

And keeping that in mind, Trapped is subtly scary. The idea of the snow continuing to fall, no way to contact the outside world, having no idea of if somebody is coming for them. With the temperature dropping and no electricity and the roof beginning to cave in, things are looking pretty bad.

Semi-regular giveaway time!

2011-12-16T09:28:00.000Z

I am so lucky to recieve so many review copies of books from publishers lately. I really do value and appreciate reading these books and I really do know how lucky I am to be involved in book blogging and being friendly with many different UK publishers.

Every once in awhile, I like to share with you, my lovely blog readers some books that I've been sent for review and really loved. I hope to pass on some of these books so that you too can read them and love them too.

So it's time for a semi-regular giveaway. The rules are simple, just leave a comment on this post and let me know which (if any!) of the books below you'd like to read. If the account that you use isn't connected with an email address, please do leave some way to contact you as well. This can be an email address or a Twitter account. I shall choose at least 1 winner and will hopefully send books out before Christmas! Good luck.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman (bound manuscript)

Deception by Lee Nichols (finished copy)

Betrayal by Lee Nichols (finished copy)

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (finished copy)

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton (ARC)

Heart of Stone by ML Welsh (bound manuscript)

This Is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees (ARC)

The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker (ARC)

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (ARC)

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver (ARC)

Trapped by Michael Northrop (finished copy)

Tempest Rising by Tracey Deebs (finished copy)

REVIEW: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

2011-12-15T09:01:00.003Z

Reviewed by Carrie from Teabelly

The best way I can think of to describe Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison is as a snarky version of Before I Fall, (with a little touch of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol thrown in). It’s not exactly original, but it’s enjoyable enough.

Bridget Duke is the most popular girl in school, and in keeping with that stereotype she’s also mean. She keeps others in line by death glares and digs at them, making even her so-called best friends’ lives miserable. After following her through a few days of her life, and seeing how a ‘misunderstanding’ leads to Bridget alienating her friends, ruining someone’s career and causing problems in her family, we find her on trial for her life. After a car accident she wakes up in an unknown place, surrounded by those she has injured, and having to see life through their eyes. It is only after these revelations that she begins to understand how her actions have affected them, and she hopes to fix it.

Bridget is, frankly, detestable, and is so for most of the book. I can only hope there aren’t actually girls like this out there, so selfish and arrogant, and if there are I am especially glad I am no longer in school to deal with them. For two thirds of the book I wanted really terrible things to happen to her, and I wouldn’t have been at all upset if she had died. Part of the problem with the book is that it makes it too easy to hate Bridget, and it’s also hard to understand how someone can be so oblivious to their own actions. She honestly seems to have no idea that how she acts is wrong, or that her words can hurt. Everyone else is the problem, everyone else is just being too
sensitive, while she’s just being real. If she had actually been straight out horrible and known it, but had reasons (whatever they might be – the loss of her mother is sort of glossed over, as is her absent father), she might have been more relatable, and her change of heart more believable.

Thankfully the last part reigned it in a bit, and gave us more to Bridget than just being mean to anyone who might be stupid enough to care about her. Sure, this is done through oft-used tropes, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. It’s not particularly subtle – a main character named Anna Judge for example – and there’s a bit too much ‘And it was all a dream’ about it, but it’s fun, and it has a decent message that will hopefully come across to any teen who might be a Bridget in the making. Don’t do it kids.

Thank you Carrie!

Vampires on film and TV

2011-12-14T08:56:00.000Z

Vampires have always had a place in popular culture. I remember growing up seeing numerous different film versions of Dracula (which creeped me out, if I'm honest!), I remember reading some Christopher Pike books about vampires. There were other movies that really stuck in my mind (like The Lost Boys, which I'll discuss in a minute) but for me, vampires became something I was really interested in after watching the TV programme, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Was it the same for you?!)

I loved Angel right from the start, but in the end, I think I preferred him as Angelus. And then there was Spike. I was completely sold from there. But of course there have been other very popular books and TV shows and films since then about vampires. There's crazy popular TV programmes like Twilight and True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.

While I do hear quite a lot of people braying about how they're tired or fed up with vampires and paranormal fiction, I can also see how vampires seem here to stay for awhile longer. I just hope that they aren't all sparkly or emo, as I prefer vamps when they're bad but perhaps that's just me.

Here are some of my favourite vampires from TV and film.

Eric from True Blood - Oh hello Eric Northman. You are pretty much the only reason I continued to watch True Blood for as long as I did. Sadly, even your gorgeous face isn't enough to keep me watching forever. I just don't have the time or energy to keep up with many shows and I found my interest waning after some of the crazier storylines that have appeared in the show that don't quite match up with the books. Still.

Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries - I think the point at which I stopped watching the television show was when I'd heard that the author was forbidden to carry on with any sort of Damon-Elena storyline. I don't know if those rumours were true or not, but the idea of Damon and Elena maybe-possibly ending up together was something I was really rooting for. I don't like for hope to be all crushed like that. Still, the Salvatore brothers are very good-looking. It was also the inclusion of (boring to me) historical episodes which shifted my interest away from regularly watching. Perhaps I'll return to the show to watch more kick-ass Caroline though? I'm undecided.

Spike and Angel/Angelus from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - I've already briefly mentioned Spike and Angel, but it has to be said that I'm a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and I was so completely emotionally involved in this entire series and all of the characters. I think Joss Whedon did a fantastic job of world-building and characterisation and the mythology of the different mythical creatures. I did think Angel left at the right time (too much tortured brooding for me!) and that Spike was the perfect replacement. I love his attitude and Spike scenes always made me laugh.

Louis and Lestat from Interview With the Vampire - It wasn't until a few years ago that I actually read the book by Anne Rice. I didn't much care for it, as I thought Lestat to be a little bit on the whingey side, but I remember watching and enjoying the film when I was little. It seemed like a film I shouldn't be watching and so that whole I'm-too-young-to-be-watching-this-grown-up-film aspect of it makes me remember it more fondly than I probably should. I remember being quite creeped out by a lot of it, but I also really liked the different settings and the period clothing in some parts. But then, I'm quite shallow!

David from The Lost Boys - Here's one that I can't say very much about. I watched this when I was very, very young. I remember that it gave me nightmares and was one of the scariest films I'd ever seen in my entire life. And of course, as I had an older brother, he liked to torment me by watching this film over and again for the sole reason that it scared me. Still. An 80s film starring Kiefer Sutherland as a bad-ass vampire? Sounds like a film I should probably re-watch at some stage.

Edward Cullen from Twilight - I felt like I should include Edward on the list, as he's one of my favourite vampires in general, though not necessarily because of the films. I've only seen the first film and I wasn't overly impressed. Don't hate me!

Do you have a favourite vampire from film or television? Do you agree with any of my choices? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

REVIEW: Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

2011-12-13T09:14:00.000Z

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver is such a beautiful and sweet book. I'm not surprised - Lauren Oliver has quickly become one of my favourite authors after falling hard in love with both Before I Fall and Delirium. Whilst Liesl and Po is definitely aimed at a younger audience than her previous books, it's written in a really wonderful way with great feeling. Plus, it's also just a stunning book physically. I love that it's a small hardback book with gorgeous (seriously! gorgeous!) illustrations that suit the story perfectly. I think this book would make for a very wonderful present, both for Christmas or at any time of the year.

What I love so much about Liesl and Po is how the story and the characters overlap and connect to each other. It really put a smile on my face to see how all of the mishaps and events lead into each other. Plus the characters are all wonderful. I immediately felt emotionally connected to poor Liesl, who is grieving the loss of her father, and has been stowed in the attic by her evil stepmother. And also of Will, an overworked apprentice, who wonders about the sad-looking girl in the attic window.

One day, when Liesl is approached by two ghostly figures - Po and Bundle, it sets off this fun, and slightly sad series of events that changes so many lives. Everything combined, from the illustrations, the beautiful writing style, Liesl's grief, the adorable ghosts, the brief glance at the Other Side and the most powerful magic in the whole world make this a story that I won't forget.

I know I've been a bit scarce on the details of this book, but only because I really want people to experience the wonder of this book first hand. It really is a book not to miss!

REVIEW: Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

2011-12-12T08:24:00.001Z

Guest review by Kulsuma of sunshine and stardust

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy was a memorable, vivid and bittersweet book. It tells the story of a young Afghan girl called Zulaikha who has a cleft lip. Due to this deformity, she is cruelly bullied by the local boys who call her ‘Donkeyface’ and she is even verbally abused at one point by her brother which is heart-breaking in itself. All Zulaikha wants is to be normal like her sister, Zeynab and to one day get married. With her cleft lip, however, she knows this is impossible.

One day, Zulaikha meets her deceased mother’s old teacher, Meena, who introduces her to poetry and teaches her how to read and write. Though Zulaikha knows she will be in great trouble if her lessons with Meena were ever to be found out, Zulaikha perseveres.

At the same time, American soldiers enter the Afghan town, aiming to build the infrastructure of the area; however Zulaikha is warned to stay away from them. Even so, one of the soldiers sees her cleft lip and all that Zulaikha thought was impossible suddenly becomes possible.

With Zeynab’s marriage on the horizon, Zulaikha believes her life will improve infinitely after the surgery. But then things take a turn for the worse- surgery is out of her grasp and her sister’s fiancé isn’t at all what they’d expected. Zulaikha’s hopes for the future were gone as quickly as they had come.

Could things get any worse?

I really enjoyed reading Words in the Dust as Zulaikha was a likeable character. There were so many obstacles in her way; her cleft lip, the people around her such as her stepmother and to an extent, her culture. I wanted to reach inside the book and say to her ‘Keep going, don’t give up!’

Zeynab’s engagement and marriage is a focal point of Words in the Dust and it was fascinating to read about Afghan customs, such as looking at your intended partner in a mirror on the wedding day. The relationship between Zulaikha and Zeynab was integral to the book and I liked their bond of sisterly affection.

The other characters were believable and I think this is why I enjoyed Words in the Dust as much as I did. Some of the characters surprised me when I least expected them to. Though Zulaikha’s story and the issues along with it are complex, it is definitely worth reading.

The shocking and graphic turn in the story left me reeling, engraving the story into my mind. I won’t spoil it, but I will say it is tragic. Overall, the ending was bittersweet and I had mixed feelings; I don’t know whether I can be truly happy for the way Zulaikha’s life turns out due to the events leading up to the end of Words in the Dust. Words in the Dust tells us to make the most of our opportunities and to make every second count.

Words in the Dust is a fantastic debut from Trent Reedy, an American soldier who went to Afghanistan. I would recommend Words in the Dust to all those interested in Afghanistan, family dynamics and a struggle for happiness.

Thank you for that thoughtful review, Kulsuma!

REVIEW: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

2011-12-10T09:25:00.000Z

Oh I do adore the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa! And this, The Iron Queen, the third in the series is absolutely brilliant. I don't know how Julie Kagawa manages to consistently write books that will suck me in so utterly and have me care so completely about the world, the characters and the relationships.

Because it is the third book in the series it will be hard for me to review this book without spoiling some aspects of the two previous books, but I will not spoil anything within this book! I promise.

The Iron Queen begins roughly where The Iron Daughter finished. Meghan Chase and Prince Ash have both been banished from the faery world for admitting their love for each other and their refusal in face of the faery courts to give each other up. They think that it's all over and that they can lead normal lives from here on. But on their way back to Meghan's home and family, she fears her arrival will mean that her family will come to harm.

The False King of the Iron realm is after Meghan and the iron glamour she has recieved after killing Machina. The false king won't stop until he defeats Meghan and his attack on the lands of the Summer and Winter fey continue. Meghan and Ash must once again journey back and into a conflict so large and very nearly hopeless. But as Meghan and Ash begin to prepare themselves for war, they find they have some very surprising allies on their side. For once, Summer and Winter are joined to defeat the Iron fey, but they rely solely on Meghan, the only person able to withstand the Iron and get close enough to destroy the False King once and for all.

I adore the characters that Julie Kagawa has brought to us in this series. From self-sacrificing Meghan Chase, to cold and aloof Prince Ash. I adore Puck, with his goofy humour and his loyalty. And I can barely put into words how much I love Grimalkin. I didn't think it possible for me to care more about these characters then I already did, but the events of The Iron Queen really ramped up all of my feelings. I was heartbroken for Puck, I was desperate for Meghan and Ash to have happiness whilst being surrounded by the grimness of war and battle.

The battle sequences were breath-taking, as were the tender and at times painful moments between Meghan and Ash. This book was explosive and it makes me year for more!

Characters that are mixed race/caught between cultures

2011-12-09T09:10:00.002Z

I've been thinking a lot about myself and N recently. We've been married for many years now (our anniversary was last week!) and there's something I've only recently discovered we have in common.

Perhaps you know this about me already, but I'm half Native American. My mother is from the Tlingit tribe in Southeast Alaska. Before the divorce and before she moved out and away, Native American arts and crafts and that whole community was something she and I did together. When she became no longer a part of my life, I really felt a bit lost and like I was missing out on more than just my mother.

Growing up, I've always had that confusion about being mixed-race. I was never sure where I fit in, it seemed like everyone else viewed me in a way that I didn't see myself. And what I have always needed and wanted was to see more mixed race characters in the books that I was reading. I wanted to see myself in the books I loved. And I haven't come across very many.

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel - I really wasn't sure what to make of After Obsession when it arrived for review. I hadn't heard of it before and the back cover seemed a little vague about what we're dealing with. It's actually about demon possession, and is quite good. It's written from a dual-perspective and what I found really kept me reading is the fact that one of the main characters, Alan, is half Native American. Just like me!

Hurrah! I found Alan's character to be really interesting as he embraces his Native American side and uses his knowledge and connection to his spiritual side in order to help and prevent his cousin's possession. I was really rooting for him throughout the entire book.

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott - And in this offering from one of my favourite YA authors, Elizabeth Scott, we have something very different. Eli isn't the main character, he's the love interest. And we don't get to see any of the story from his point of view, which is a shame.

I can't quite recall the details, but Eli is this beautiful black/Asian boy who our main character, Abby, meets in a hospital as she's waiting for her sister, Tess, to wake up from a coma. She feels like some outside help would benefit her sister and she convinces Eli to come sit with Tess and talk to her. I think a lot of the story is very far-fetched and that some of it just didn't work for me, but there were bits of Eli's story which showed how conflicted he is in the way that people percieve him based on his appearance.

But what I realised recently, is that N shares a similar confusion and a sense of 'where do I belong?' in his own way. His parents are both of Indian descent and immigrated to the UK more than 30 years ago, but N was born and raised here in England. As a second generation immigrant, I think he feels caught between cultures in the same way that I do being mixed-race. He has no personal ties to India at all, but at the same time doesn't feel properly British, as that is not how he is seen by other people. I think it's quite hard for both of us.

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier - I seriously love this book. It's one of those books that I continually read and re-read because I can't get enough of it. And that's mostly because of how much I can relate to the characters and the situations covered in Born Confused. I love the main character, Dimple's insecurities about herself and her size. I love her struggles and conflict with her best friend and also her parents. And Karsh is a pretty great romantic lead!

But it's really her struggle with who she is as an American born Indian that had me captivated. She had this wonderful relationship with her grandfather that transcended language differences using photography which was just so sweet and lovely. But as Dimple's parents try to set her up with a 'suitable boy' Dimple comes to realise that this divide between old-school traditional values and her more modern upbringing in the United States will have to be addressed at some point.

Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta - Melina Marchetta is definitely one my favourite authors and Looking For Alibrandi was the first book of hers that I read. I was blown away by the characters and the story and the emotion that I felt whilst reading it. I really thought that this book was incredible and it made me desperate to read everything of Melina Marchetta's!

Josephine Alibrandi is a great character as she struggles with the old-fashioned traditions of her Italian family and that of growing up in modern Australia. She's finding it hard to manage the two at school and with her family and in her burgeoning new relationships. Fantastic book, I thought it really explored this feeling of being caught between cultures really well.

Have you come across any mixed race characters or characters who are caught between cultures lately? I'd love to hear your thoughts or recommendations!

REVIEW: Betrayal by Lee Nichols

2011-12-08T09:23:00.001Z

I was so excited to read Betrayal, the second book in the Haunting Emma series by Lee Nichols. The first book, Deception, was a huge surprise for me and I loved being so utterly gripped and addicted to finishing a book like I was with that book.

And while Betrayal is every bit as exciting and interesting and action-packed as the first book, I felt like a little of the exciting new-ness was missing in this book, which was a shame. Still, I enjoyed it enormously. We have Emma Vaile, a teenage girl, who has learned that she's the most powerful ghostkeeper in hundreds of years. As Emma is facing a huge battle and the threat of evil Neos, she rallies together with a group of friendly ghosts and other ghostkeepers in order to train, prepare and gather whatever knowledge they can.

I really loved the tenseness between Emma and Bennett Stern in the previous book, whereas Betrayal sees them more apart as the temptation of being together is too great for them to handle. If they are together, the weaker ghostkeeper (Bennett) will lose his powers and that cannot happen before he avenges his sister's death. While I was really keen to see more heart-break and drama between Emma and Bennett, I'm not entirely sure I'm liking where this relationship is going. I can only wait desperately for the third book in the series to find out for sure!

We know from the title of the book that someone close to Emma will betray her and I loved guessing (and getting it wrong!) who the traitor is. There's so many wonderful characters that surround Emma, from Natalie, to the Rake, to Coby her recently dead friend.

I thought Betrayal was an excellent second book in the series, one that ties together plotlines from the first book, has enough development and mystery to keep my entertained throughout the book and that left me eager in anticipation for the third book! Let's hope it's soon!

Reading challenges for 2012

2011-12-07T08:06:00.001Z

I've considered joining other reading challenges for next year and then decided that I don't need the added stress! So it's just the one for me. The new British Books challenge that began this year with Becky from The Bookette and has now been handed over to Kirsty from The Overflowing Library. I hear she has great plans and ideas for the challenge in 2012, I'm really looking forward to it.

Here is my proposed list of books that I'd like to tackle in 2012. This list is obviously subject to change... and by 'change' I just mean that it will grow even larger as next year goes on!

(wishlist)

Saving Daisy by Phil Earle
A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja
Hollow Pike by James Dawson
Torn by Cat Clarke
15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins
Adorkable by Sarra Manning
Nine Uses for an Ex-Boyfriend by Sarra Manning
Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott
The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott
Frostfire by Zoe Marriott

(own)

Heart of Stone by ML Welsh
Mist by Kathryn James
Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
Waves by Sharon Dogar
Candy by Kevin Brooks
The Double Shadow by Sally Gardner
Pretty Bad Things by CJ Skuse
Mondays Are Red by Nicola Morgan
One Seriously Messed-Up Week by Tom Clempson
My Swordhand Is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick
The Dead by Charlie Higson
The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick
The Dark Flight Down by Marcus Sedgwick
Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachel Ward
Hunted by Sophie McKenzie
The Rescue by Sophie McKenzie
Hostage by Sophie McKenzie

Hurrah for books by British authors! I'm going to have a lot of fun continuing with this challenge.

REVIEW: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

2011-12-06T09:06:00.002Z

Reviewed by Carrie from Teabelly

I wasn’t expecting to overly like I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have Kill You by Ally Carter. I mean, just look at that title. It was going to be silly and cheesy and I probably wouldn’t like the characters all that much, but maybe it’d be a cute enough way to pass the time. Oh I do like being wrong about books.

I’d Tell You I Love You is set in the world of the Gallagher Academy. On the outside it’s a private school for over privileged girls, on the inside you have to be careful what you touch, lest poison gas suddenly erupts from a statue. See, the Gallagher Academy is a school for spies. Cammie ‘The Chameleon’ Morgan is in her third year and about to take Covert Operations. Cammie’s mother is the headmistress of the school, also a spy, and they came here after Cammie’s father died during a mission. Cammie is known as The Chameleon due to her uncanny ability to disappear in plain sight.

On her first mission for covert ops, Cammie meets Josh, an ordinary boy from the town near to where the Academy is based. Of course, Josh can never know who Cammie really is, but she likes him and, more importantly, he seems to like her. Cammie’s friends Liz and Bex decide to do a background check on Josh, to see if he’s not actually been sent to infiltrate the Academy though Cammie. And hijinks ensue. Hijinks including Liz and Bex abseiling down the side of Josh’s house while he’s right there under their noses, and intricate plots to help Cammie go on dates.

This book is incredibly good fun, it had me chuckling quite a lot over what Cammie and her friends got up to, and I loved all the characters. Cammie narrates as if she’s writing a report on a mission, and there are fun notes dropped in like ’18.30 hours: The operative realised it’s almost impossible to look pretty and/or seductive if you SERIOUSLY have to go pee.’ Cammie is funny but also smart, and loyal to her friends. She’s also hurting after the loss of her father and starting to realise the effect this has had on her and her mother. And also how dangerous spying can be. Is a life in the field really what she wants? Josh is a part of her escape from that life, if only for a little while.

Even though it’s a book about teenage spies, the things that happen to the girls are relatable. I also like that a new girl appears on the scene, but that storyline doesn’t go where you necessarily thought it would. For a book about girls living in close quarters, there are very few ‘bitchy’ moments, and mostly they’ve got each other’s backs. As you would expect from spies I suppose. Still, it’s always nice to see books that don’t go the easy or obvious routes. I’d definitely recommend this one, and will happily continue with the series.

Thank you for that Carrie!

REVIEW: Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck

2011-12-05T09:22:00.001Z

I am so in love with this series! I did my happy dance when Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck arrived as the previous two books, Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest, were so wonderful and I had such high hopes for this third book in the series that I was absolutely desperate to find out where the story would go. And Tiger's Voyage is just as exciting and addictive and heart-breaking! This series just gets better and better.

And Tiger's Voyage really has so many wonderful things going for it. I feel like India is the perfect setting as it is filled with great history and culture and the these books' exploration of different religious stories and fantasy creatures is amazing. I love how Tiger's Voyage focuses mostly on the underwater and we come face-to-face with dragons! Dragons, my heart sings!

As always, Kelsey and the two tiger princes, together with loyal Mr. Kadam must unravel the clues given by the goddess Durga in order to break this curse on Ren and Kishan put in place hundreds of years ago. The three of them begin training to dive underwater and, Kelsey in particular, steel themselves for the many hardships they will face. But of course, it's the many romantic problems that causes Kelsey the most concern. With Ren's memory of her and their relationship completely gone, she must decide if it will be better in the long term for her to wait for his memory to return or to move on and begin something with Kishan.

In the previous book, I really went back and forth about which tiger I'd like to see Kelsey end up with, but I didn't have that problem in Tiger's Voyage. For me, there's a clear winner, but I still found it interesting watching Kelsey making up her mind. There was lots of conflict and drama here, not only between the two brothers but also a third guy (!) It can be painful watching Ren and Kishan be jealous over each other, and I felt a lot of sympathy for both brothers as Kelsey does not seem to be the more self-aware character and found it really difficult to realise what it is that she wants. There's still more books to come, so I'm still hoping desperately for a happy ending for all three major characters.

What I love most about these books is the mixture of so many different things - from the romance, to the action sequences, the fantasy elements, the history and folklore that everything is drawn for, but most especially the detail of these books which really make everything stand out so brilliantly.

A fab book, one that I highly recommend!

In My Mailbox 42

2011-12-04T08:50:00.003Z

Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox. IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren in which bloggers get the chance to share with their readers the books that have recently come into their possession. I really love this meme and I look forward to seeing all my favourite blogger's books each week. Thank you to Kristi for hosting something that is such fun!

Here are the books that I acquired this week...

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

After recieving Clockwork Prince last week, I figured I really should read the first book in the series! Luckily I was able to swap for this book on ReadItSwapIt. I'm looking forward to it!

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My Beating Teenage Heart by CK Kelly Martin - Ashlyn Baptiste is falling. One moment she was nothing—no memories, no self—and then suddenly, she's plummeting through a sea of stars. Is she in a coma? She doesn't remember dying, and she has no memories of the life she left behind. All she knows is that she's trapped in a consciousness without a body and she's spending every moment watching a stranger.

Breckon Cody's on the edge. He's being ripped apart by grief so intense it literally hurts to breathe. On the surface, Breckon is trying to hold it together for his family and his girlfriend, but underneath he's barely hanging on.

Even though she didn't know him in life, Ashlyn sees Breckon's pain, and she's determined to find a way help him. As her own distressing memories emerge from the darkness, she struggles to communicate with the boy who can't see her, but whose life is suddenly intertwined with hers. In alternating voices of the main characters, My Beating Teenage Heart paints a devastatingly vivid picture of both the heartbreak and the promise of teenage life—a life Ashlyn would do anything to recover and Breckon seems desperate to destroy—and will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen, John Green, and David Levithan.

CK Kelly Martin is just one of those authors that I've always heard about and that I've always wanted to try. Again, this book was swapped for using ReadItSwapIt. I really love that website, and of course the wonderful people who use it and agree to my swaps! :)

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Dark Parties by Sara Grant - Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for awhile! I really hope it lives up to my expectations! :)

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The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan - How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

Thrilled to have swapped for this book using ReadItSwapIt! I'm trying hard to track down all of David Levithan's books as I've enjoyed his stories very much. It seems a pretty slim novel, so I'm sure I'll fly right through it. (I have since already finished this one!)

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The Memory Cage byRuth Eastham - Alex's Grandfather keeps forgetting things. Desperate to help him remember, Alex starts collecting old photographs. Bust as Alex digs into his grandfather's past, he stumbles across secrets that have been buried since World War II. Uncovering the truth could save Grandad ... but it might also tear Alex apart.

I've always heard such good things about this one, so I was thrilled to win this signed copy from Mostly Reading YA, so thank you very much! :)

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Night School by CJ Daugherty - Sometimes school is murder.

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

Hooray, I was really hoping this book would make it into the goodie bags :) CJ was at the Atom blogger party and we heard her talk about her inspiration for Night School and she was there afterwards to sign copies of her book! We're both American expats who moved here 11 years ago, so I found it very cool to meet her and talk with her :)

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Trapped by Michael Northrop - The Breakfast Club meets The Blizzard of the Century: A young adult suspense novel from PW Flying Start author Michael Northrop.

Scotty and his friends Pete and Tommy are among the last kids waiting to get picked up at their high school. The snow has been coming down for hours, and it's starting to look like no one is coming for them. As the snow piles higher, their teacher Mr. Gossell leaves them behind to seek help--and disappears into the drifts outside. Now the seven remaining students are on their own, with no food and no electricity, facing a night of sleeping on classroom floors. Will their friendships survive the night . . . and will THEY?

I hadn't heard of this one before attending the Atom blogger event earlier in the week, but it sounds really good! Creepy and atmospheric, I'm looking forward to it!

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The Witch of Turlingham Academy by Ellie Boswell - It's not easy being the only day girl at Turlingham boarding school: Sophie misses out on all the midnight feasts and late night gossip. Things take a turn for the worse when a new girl - Katy - shows up and all Sophie hears is Katy, Katy, Katy from her friends. It's like she's put a spell on everyone. Katy's no witch, but there is a witch at Turlingham. Katy comes from a long line of witch hunters whose fate is to stop evil magic once and for all. Sophie is going to help her - anything to get Katy out of her life and get things back to normal. But what she finds out means nothing will ever be normal again!

This book isn't out until March of next year! Atom are soon to be launching a range of books for aimed at a younger than YA audience, and I'm really looking forward to it. Especially this book, as it sounds quite fun. Yay for boarding schools! :)

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172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad - Three teenagers are going on the trip of a lifetime. Only one is coming back. It's been more than forty years since NASA sent the first men to the moon, and to grab some much-needed funding and attention, they decide to launch an historic international lottery in which three lucky teenagers can win a week-long trip to moon base DARLAH 2 - a place that no one but top government officials even knew existed until now. The three winners, Antoine, Midori, and Mia, come from all over the world. But just before the scheduled launch, the teenagers each experience strange, inexplicable events. Little do they know that there was a reason NASA never sent anyone back there until now - a sinister reason. But the countdown has already begun..

Couldn't find the cover art of this one easily, but we heard talk of it at the Atom party and it really sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to it. Not out until April of next year though!

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Halo by Alexandra Adornetto - Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.
Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.
The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

I've been hearing mixed things about this book, but I really want to give it a try to see what I think of it! It was on offer at the Atom blogger party, so I snapped it up :)

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Hades by Alexandra Adornetto - IS LOVE A GREAT ENOUGH POWER AGAINST EVIL?

Bethany Church believes so- after all, the love of her angel siblings and her boyfriend Xavier saved her from the clutches of hell itself.

But when Jake Thorn returns to town, determined to take Beth away with him, it seems he may be able to destroy everything she cares about.

Will Jake's actions shatter Beth's faith in love? Or can she overcome heartache and betrayal to fulfil her role on Earth?

I figured I may as well pick up the sequel while I had the chance!

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Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - Set initially in a future shanty town in America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being dissembled for parts by a rag tag group of workers, we meet Nailer, a teenage boy working the light crew, searching for copper wiring to make quota and live another day. The harsh realities of this life, from his abusive father, to his hand to mouth existence, echo the worst poverty in the present day third world. When an accident leads Nailer to discover an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, and the lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl, Nailer finds himself at a crossroads. Should he strip the ship and live a life of relative wealth, or rescue the girl, Nita, at great risk to himself and hope she'll lead him to a better life. This is a novel that illuminates a world where oil has been replaced by necessity, and where the gap between the haves and have-nots is now an abyss. Yet amidst the shadows of degradation, hope lies ahead.

This is another book that was up for grabs at the Atom blogger party. I seem to remember Hank Green enthusing about this one recently and it sounds interesting! I'm glad I now have the chance to read it.

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Breakfast at Darcy's by Ali McNamara - When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn't expect any sort of inheritance - let alone a small island. Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn't been lived on for years, but according to Molly's will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit, and she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too. Darcy has to leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, Darcy meets confident Conor and ever-grumpy Dermot - but who will make her feel really at home?

Earlier in the year, I read and absolutely adored Ali McNamara's From Notting Hill, With Love ... Actually and have been excited to read more from her. The wait is over, and I'm really looking forward to this one!

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Home For Christmas by Cally Taylor - Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck!

There's just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn't look like Aiden's going to say it any time soon.

Desperate to hear I love you' for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands - and instantly wishes she hadn't. Just when it seems like her luck can't get any worse, bad news arrives in the devilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of a multiplex cinema and he's determined to get his hands on the Picturebox by Christmas.

Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?

I don't normally read adult books, but I read Cally Taylor's Heaven Can Wait awhile back and I thought it was absolutely wonderful. Very sweet, so when I saw this book on the shelves, I snapped it up quick. And have already finished it, review soon!

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Six Days by Philip Webb - For Cass, the life of a 'scav' is all she’s ever known – scavenging what’s left of London in search of a precious relic no-one, not even her new Russian masters, has ever seen.

But when two survivors from another time show up, claiming they hold the key to the whereabouts of the missing ‘artefact’, scavving will never be the same again. They have six days to find it before their world will come to an end.

A gripping post-apocalyptical adventure set in the ruins of London about a desperate race to find a relic of extraordinary power. Spectacular science-fiction debut from Philip Webb.

Doesn't this one sound wonderful?! Lovely Tina from Chicken House kindly sent it over. I'm very much looking forward to reading it. London in ruins, can you imagine? :)

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Vixen by Jillian Larkin - Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

This one showed up unexpectedly, could be quite fun! :)

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Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella - Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true - a shopping friend for life. But it's trickier than she thought - two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping. She can create havoc everywhere from Harrods to Harvey Nicks to her own christening.

I wasn't sure that I was going to read this book. I haven't been enjoying the last few Shopaholic books, but I saw this book in a charity shop for 50p and thought 'why not?'

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The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell - In 1799, Jacob de Zoet disembarks on the tiny island of Dejima, the Dutch East India Company’s remotest trading post in a Japan otherwise closed to the outside world. A junior clerk, his task is to uncover evidence of the previous Chief Resident’s corruption.

Cold-shouldered by his compatriots, Jacob earns the trust of a local interpreter and, more dangerously, becomes intrigued by a rare woman – a midwife permitted to study on Dejima under the company physician. He cannot foresee how disastrously each will be betrayed by someone they trust, nor how intertwined and far-reaching the consequences.

Duplicity and integrity, love and lust, guilt and faith, cold murder and strange immortality stalk the stage in this enthralling novel, which brings to vivid life the ordinary – and extraordinary – people caught up in a tectonic shift between East and West.

David Mitchell sort of intimidates me, I don't know. I've only read the one book of his, Black Swan Green, though I do have several others unread on my shelves. I worry that this book will collect dust like the others, but perhaps not? Again, I found this book in a charity shop for 50p...

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Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he cant seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worsePercy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Percys mom decides its time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friendsone a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of AthenaPercy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I haven't yet read this book! I know, where have I been in the last few years?! It just seems like a lot of fun, I'm pretty sure I will enjoy it :)

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Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick - No, she thought. No, please, God, I'm not seeing this

Seventeen-year-old Alex is hiking through the wilderness when it happens: an earth-shattering electromagnetic pulse that destroys almost everything.

Survivors are divided between those who have developed a superhuman sense and those who have aquired a taste for human flesh. These flesh-hunters stalk the land: hungry, ruthless and increasingly clever...

Alex meets Tom, a younge army veteran, and Ellie, a lost girl. They will fight together and be torn apart, but Alex must face the most difficult question of all:
In such a vastly changed world, who can you trust?

A srtory of high-wire tension, gut-wrenching twist, and burgeoning love, Ashes will leave you breathless.

This was a total impulse buy. I'd heard a few vague things about it, but couldn't remember much. I bought it, and came home to read several really positive reviews of it. So yay!

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Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

When I was at the Atom blogger party, I think I recall Carly from Writing in the Tub saying that this is one of the few paranormal books she enjoyed reading, so I thought I should give it a try!

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And those are the books that arrived for me this week. Which books did you get? Have you read any of these? Where should I start?

11 years!

2011-12-02T08:38:00.001Z

11 years ago today, I married my wonderful husband, N! (He's shy, and I'm not sure if he'd want me to post a photo of him on the blog? So have one of just me that I don't think I've shown you before?) Despite it being December and generally very rainy in the few weeks leading up to it, our wedding day was sunny and dry, if cold.

It didn't go perfectly (there was a funny moment with the wedding rings and also a wardrobe malfunction), but there was no huge disasters that we couldn't laugh about later. I'd never been the sort of person who dreamed about my own wedding and had some huge fantasy day planned, but I really liked the wedding that we put together. It was small, but enjoyable! I was never without a huge smile.

And what's even better, is that in the 11 years since N and married, it's been much the same. Of course it hasn't been perfect, there have been tears and fights but there have also been smiles and laughter in abundance. There have been two beautiful little boys, and a home and happiness. Today I feel especially thankful for everything I have.

Happy anniversary N! I love you.

REVIEW: Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

2011-12-01T09:29:00.001Z

I am such a huge fan of YA werewolf books so I absolutely jumped at the chance to read Unleashed, the first book in the Wolf Springs Chronicles by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie. And it is a very surprising and exciting first book in the series! I'm really intrigued to explore more in the world these two authors have created as well as find out more about the characters and the mythology of these werewolves.

Unleashed begins with our main character Katelyn and her mother living a normal and happy life in San Francisco, but when an earthquake kills her mother, Katelyn is sent off to her only remaining relative who lives in the Ozarks in Arkansas. Katelyn and her grandfather don't know very much about each other, so this huge move means starting all over in so many ways. With her grandfather, whom she calls 'Ed', at a new school and also fitting in with new friend and social circles.

When Katelyn is assigned a local history project, she begins to try to unravel the town's secrets. There's the warnings to not go outside after dark, the wolf imagery that is everywhere she looks, the unexplained mauling and the deaths of two teenage girls and the weird behaviour of some of the people Katelyn meets. Katelyn is never quite sure who to trust and what to make of this weird and dangerous town she has found herself in.

There's Cordelia, Katelyn's partner for this history assignment, who seems to blow hot and cold and has a very unusual family dynamic. There's Trick, the hot guy who drives Katelyn to and from school and then there's Cordelia's cousin, Justin who she seems drawn to in this very intense way.

Unleashed has many different aspects to its story, from the mystery of the werewolves, to Katelyn's fragile relationship with her grandfather, her tenuous friendship with Cordelia and her budding attraction to both Trick and to Justin. And as I was reading the book, I found myself more and more intrigued about each different part to the story. I loved the mixture of mystery, action and romance and I'm so excited to read more in this series!

The end of my British authors month...

2011-11-30T09:20:00.000Z

And that's it! I hope you've all enjoyed November's themed month. I know I certainly enjoyed it. It's been really fun talking about and reading books by British authors. And even though November is finished, I will continue to support and celebrate my favourite homegrown authors, you can be sure of that!

Here's a look at all the posts which went up... Thank you all for your support, comments, retweets, posts about the month. A huge thank you also to my absolutely wonderful and lovely guest posters and guest reviewers, I really don't know how I could have managed the month without you! Thank you so much for writing such brilliant and thoughtful posts!

Introducing British authors month

Reviews

Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling
Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie
The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight by Jenny Valentine
Naked by Kevin Brooks
0.4 by Mike Lancaster
Numbers by Rachel Ward
Extreme Kissing by Luisa Plaja
The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
The Medusa Project: The Set-Up by Sophie McKenzie
Big Woo by Susie Day
Wasted by Nicola Morgan
Pretty Things by Sarra Manning
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick
Rich and Mad by William Nicholson
Lucas by Kevin Brooks
Divided City by Theresa Breslin
Exodus by Julie Bertagna
From Where I Stand by Tabitha Suzuma
Sea of Tears by Floella Benjamin

Posts

Some of my favourite books by British authors
Jenny Valentine (Awesome Women)
Peter Pan
Reading the not-quite-blockbusters, Part 2
Reading Roald Dahl
Books that make me want to travel to ... the UK
Favourite bookish websites
Books by British authors I'm dying to read

Guest posts

British Book Destinations Tour by Raimy from Readaraptor
Gritty Teen/YA fiction in the UK by Savita Kalhan
How the British seaside inspires my writing by Jill Hucklesby
A literary tour of London by Laura from SisterSpooky: Book Fangirl
What makes a novel British? by Catherine Bruton
Two British settings by Luisa Plaja
The most bookish place in the UK? by Jenni from Juniper's Jungle
Enid Blyton by Zoe from Bookhi
Ten British books that I love from Hayley Long
Location, Location, Location by Sophia Bennett
Weird Things You Learn When Writing by Jo Cotterill
Confessions of a Word Nerd by Luisa Plaja

What do you think? Should I make this an annual event?

REVIEW: From Where I Stand by Tabitha Suzuma

2011-11-29T08:27:00.001Z

Tabitha Suzuma writes some really powerful books. I first came across her name when Forbidden was published. So many people were talking about this wonderful consensual incest love story that I had to pick it up. And it shocked and surprised me how much I began to root for this unusual romantic couple.

So I picked up another of her books, this time about a young man struggling with the pressures of a prestigious music academy and manic depression called A Note of Madness and again she blew me away. I became determined to read Tabitha Suzuma's entire backlist as I'm intrigued and excited about where this author will take me next.

From Where I Stand is an unusual little book. It seems rather straight-forward at first glance - our main character, Raven witnesses the death of his mother and he's placed in a foster care. He's taken in by a great family, but he's so troubled and traumatised by the death of his mother that he can't really deal.

Despite being bullied at his new school and being befriended by Lotte, a girl in his class, all Raven really wants to do is gather some evidence in order to prove guilty the person he knows killed his mother. Despite her death being ruled as accidental, Raven has other ideas. So together, Raven and Lotte start their search.

I really didn't have a clue where this story was heading until the last third of the book. Then it becomes more obvious how much Raven has been affected by his mother's death. You start noticing some similarities between Raven's tormentors and the way in which Raven treats his ex-step father. There's this growing sense throughout the novel that Raven and Lotte are really in over their heads in the way the go about their investigation.

I wasn't sure what to make of Lotte at all. It's nice for Raven to have a friend, but it was constantly at the back of my mind that perhaps Lotte isn't as genuine as she makes out to be. I did however LOVE Ella, Raven's new little sister where he's staying. She was a really bright spot in this otherwise gritty and darkish thriller. Plus, everything takes place in West London, where I used to live. It's always nice to see familiar places.

On the whole, I enjoyed From Where I Stand. I really felt for Raven and wanted him to be happy in his new family but could really believe how broken he had become from what he had experienced. His quest for the truth and for some answers took me to a surprising place. I look forward to reading more books by Tabitha Suzuma!

Some of my favourite bookish websites

2011-11-28T09:14:00.001Z

I've had SUCH fun producing reviews and posts to fill up this month. I'm so inspired by the wonderful selection of books by British authors that I've read this month and throughout the year, and having reading them, I continue to want more and more.

Today, I thought I would share with you some bookish links just in case you were also interesting in finding out more about these wonderful authors that I've been reading about lately. And I've also included some of my favourite fellow book bloggers who spend a considerable amount of time and energy reading and reviewing. I don't think book bloggers ever truly get the recognition they deserve for their incredible work.

Please do feel free to share in comments YOUR favourite bookish links that promote books by British authors, whether it be a favourite UK book blogger or British author blog.

Author websites of the books I've reviewed this month/author contributors

Floella Benjamin
Sophia Bennett
Theresa Breslin
Julie Bretagna
Kevin Brooks
Catherine Bruton
Jo Cotterill
Keren David
Susie Day
Joseph Delaney
Jill Hucklesby
Savita Kalhan
Mike Lancaster
Hayley Long
Sarra Manning
Jill Mansell
Sophie McKenzie
Nicola Morgan
William Nicholson
Luisa Plaja
Joss Stirling
Tabitha Suzuma
Jenny Valentine
Marcus Sedgwick
Rachel Ward

UK Author blogs I love

Keris Stainton - Keris is quite obviously one of my favourite people. But she's also the person I'd say has most inspired me to keep blogging, to keep trying new things and to strive for more and better. I will always read Keris' blog. It's filled with such a wonderful variety of things that make me smile or stop to think.

Zoe Marriott - Zoe's blog is something newish for me. I hadn't really heard of Zoe or her books until earlier in the year. Just before Shadows on the Moon came out, I believe. I'd been sent a review copy of the book and took the book away on holiday with me. Shadows absolutely blew me away and I've been a huge fan of Zoe's ever since. And her blog is absolutely wonderful. She writes really interesting detailed posts about writing that fascinate me.

Keren David - I started following Keren's blog last year after reading the amazing When I Was Joe and the sequel, Almost True. Just like with Keren's books (which I adore) I find her blog posts to be very emotional and intelligent. She writes about her writing and about books and recent news events in such a way that it always makes me interested. I do love reading her blog.

Cat Clarke - I think what I like so much about Cat's blog is the tone used. I think for most of the authors blogs I've come across, it feels as though something is being held back or that some authors feel like they have to appear in a certain way. And with Cat Clarke's blog, I don't feel that same hesitation. Her posts are also about books and writing, but it feels very conversational and a bit fun, with the photos of hot guys and her adorable puppy and the music videos.

Collab author blogs

Girls Heart Books - Here is a wonderful, wonderful collab blog. I absolutely ADORE it. There's 30 or so authors who write books for girls aged usually between 8-14 and have banded together to write blog posts about their books, writing, inspiration, names. It's a really lovely mix of topics and authors to discover here. One of my absolute favourite blogs to read on a daily basis.

The History Girls - For those of you interesting in history, fiction or writing, this is the place for you! I always find the most entertaining and interesting posts written about on The History Girls. They cover nearly every historical period of time and have such fun things to share.

The Edge - The lovely Edge authors have all made an appearance on my blog at one time or another, and for good reason. These authors are all writing my favourite type of YA books. Sure, I like light and fluffy and dystopian and paranormal and occasionally historical, but where my heart truly lies is with the stories with a layer of grit and ..edge about them. And this blog delivers in that area and allows me to better get to know this group of authors. Well worth a visit.

My favourite UK YA book blogs

Wondrous Reads - I don't think Jenny needs any introduction, do you?! I think most people would immediately think of Wondrous Reads when thinking of UK book bloggers!

Serendipity Reviews - Vivienne is one of my favourite bloggers, and I think what I love so much about her blog is how hard she works at bringing us more than just wonderful reviews but also fascinating interviews with authors about writing. It's always wonderful to read new posts.

The Book Memoirs - It is the same with these two lovely ladies, Elle and Kate. I love their rating system, their discussions on different topics and especially the very many different themed events going on! A fairly recent discovery of mine, The Book Memoirs is a firm favourite.

Chicklish - Chicklish will always be one of my favourite YA book blogs. It's probably the first review site in the UK and is always filled with fab books and giveaways and news. Plus, it's run by the wonderful Luisa Plaja, who is just an angel.

New-to-me blogs that I've come across lately

Anna Scott Reads

Wear the old Coat

I would love to hear which blog sites are your favourites! Please do share in comments! Thanks.

REVIEW: Sea of Tears by Floella Benjamin

2011-11-27T08:46:00.001Z

Guest review from Kulsuma of sunshine and stardust

Sea of Tears by Floella Benjamin was a thought-provoking, coming of age story. The story starts as Jasmine is saying goodbye to her South London home and then journeys back to when Jasmine’s parents tell her that they will be leaving England for Barbados due to the dangers of London.

At first, I was a slightly surprised that Jasmine was so against moving to Barbados as it is Barbados after all! I felt slightly put off by her defiance. But then I thought about my own experiences and it became complex. Having lived in London my whole life, going on a ten week holiday to Bangladesh two years ago brought the question of my identity to the forefront. Like Jasmine, I asked myself several questions, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Where do I belong?’

Jasmine has to leave her friends and everything she knows behind and go to a place she has only experienced second-hand through her father. Jasmine, of course, has to grudgingly go along with it, but even though her home in Barbados is beautiful and she makes a new friend called Devlin, Jasmine cannot forget the life she left back in London. More to the point, she tries everything she possibly can to get that life back, both by herself and with Devlin’s help.

I really enjoyed Sea of Tears as it dealt with a major issue that is important to teens; the question of identity. Jasmine’s journey is a turbulent one; at different points of Sea of Tears she is bullied, lost and isolated, sometimes all three at once. However, in the end, all her questions about who she is, who her friends are and where her home is are answered.

It was great to see London portrayed authentically in Sea of Tears; however, I wished more of its positive aspects were depicted. There was a high concentration of negative events such as bringing knives to school, shoplifting, internet grooming and being kidnapped in such a short space that it left me questioning why Jasmine would want to stay in London at all.

Sea of Tears also had a lot of ‘telling’ and not ‘showing’ at the beginning which stymied the flow of the book and makes the book suitable for younger readers. Once the main action of the story started however, it was very interesting and exciting to read about. Furthermore, the climax could have been protracted as it felt slightly rushed. However, the ending was satisfying and was what I expected it to be.

I liked the characters that Benjamin created and believe that teens will be able to relate to them. Jasmine matures as a character throughout the book. I really liked Devlin and Jasmine’s grandmother as they were easy-going and helped Jasmine to become the girl she eventually becomes.

Overall, I liked Sea of Tears and would recommend it to those interested in identity, friendship and family.

I'm intrigued by the issues of identity. Thank you so much for this review Kulsuma!

Books by British authors that I'm dying to read

2011-11-26T09:25:00.000Z

And because I've had so much fun with this British themed month and reading so many brilliant books by British authors, I will continue to read as many books by British authors as I can get my hands on.

Here is a small list of some of the books I'm dying to read which are not yet published. Links shall go to the books' GoodReads pages.

Torn by Cat Clarke - Bah to all of you bloggers out there who have already recieved ARCs of Torn by Cat Clarke. I am absolutely desperate to read anything written by Cat Clarke EVER after her amazing debut, Entangled. I loved Entangled so much and I fully expect to love Torn just as much. This book is officially published on 5th January by Quercus.

Adorkable by Sarra Manning - No cover image for this one as yet, but it is due to be published by Atom the 24th of May (is that right?) so there is a bit of a wait for this one. I'm just so excited for it. I absolutely adore Sarra Manning and I shall always look forward to more of her books. This one sounds brilliant. I really just can't get enough of Sarra Manning.

Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja - Luisa Plaja is, of course, one my favourite authors, bloggers and people. I've loved all of her books that I've read so far and I think Kiss, Date, Love, Hate sounds absolutely brilliant. I love the mixture of love with a computer game. It speaks to the romantic inside of me as well as the huge nerd that hides away most of the time. I can't wait to find out more. This book is published by Corgi Children's on 2nd February!

Saving Daisy by Phil Earle - This is a sort of prequel to Being Billy, which I read earlier in the year and I absolutely loved. I mentioned Being Billy on my list of favouite books by British authors earlier in the month and I completely stand by it. It's such a moving, and emotional book about an angry boy trying to get by living in a care home. I have very high hopes that Saving Daisy will be just as wonderful. It is being published by Puffin on the 5th of January.

Fifteen Days Without A Head by Dave Cousins - Earlier in the year, my attention was brought to a group of writers blogging about edgy YA fiction, including Dave Cousins. I was lucky enough to interview each of the The Edge authors and after hearing about this book, Fifteen Days Without A Head has sat firmly on my wishlist of books I'm gasping to read. Especially after a fair few early reviews of the book have compared the book to Being Billy by Phil Earle. Look for it in January of next year!

Nine Uses for an Ex-Boyfriend by Sarra Manning - Oh! I've just seen the cover art for this! And again, it's Sarra Manning so it has to be on my list. I adore her. I absolutely love her YA stuff, but I'm in love with her adult books as well. If there are any two books I re-read the most recently, it has to be Unsticky and You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, because I feel such strong emotional connections to the two main characters Grace and Neve. So yes, I will have extremely high expectations for this book, and I'm sure that I won't be disappointed. I expect this book to be in my hands on or around the 2nd of February. Preferably earlier.

Hollow Pike by James Dawson - I was beginning to struggle with more titles for this list, until some lovely people on Twitter reminded me of some fab titles that I'd had on my mental wishlist and not on my actual one (this has since been corrected!). First up is Hollow Pike by James Dawson. I remember when the cover of this book was released it caused huge excitement on Twitter and just to see what everyone was going on about, I started clicking links. And this one sounds really good! Witches and ritual killings and mysterious figures, oh my! I've been recently converted to YA thrillers and hope to continue my love of them with this book. Out on the 2nd of February.

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton - And carrying on with the witch theme, there's this book. Which has a very pretty cover! I have high hopes that there will be something different in this paranormal offering. And I absolutely adore the name 'Seth'!

This book is out in January of 2012! So mark your calendars.

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale - Katie Dale is another author from The Edge blog, who I interviewed earlier in the year. I really love the sound of her debut novel! Lots of uncovering of dark family secrets and lies, including a trip to California with an ex-boyfriend. It sounds as though it could really be really emotional. I'm really looking forward to it. Published 2nd February 2012.

Night School by CJ Daughterty - And finally, to wound up this list of exciting books, we have Night School by CJ Daughterty. Not British as such, but has lived here long enough for me to include her.

I absolutely love the sound of Night School! What is it about boarding schools that attract me so much?! And Cimmeria Academy sounds like an unnerving place as our main character is attacked, someone's killed and of course there's this mystery to solve. Which I fully plan on doing in January of next year!

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So, these are the books by British authors that I'm most looking forward to reading. Which books would YOU put on your list? I really want to know. Let's share the excitement!

REVIEW: Exodus by Julie Bertagna

2011-11-25T10:30:00.001Z

Reviewed by Carrie from Teabelly

Exodus by Julie Bertagna is set less than a 100 years in the future in a world ravaged by global warming and rising sea levels. The ice caps have melted and most of Earth is under water. 15 year old Mara Bell lives on the isolated island of Wing with her family, trying to survive the stormy seasons and advancing tides. Many on the island cling to the idea that they are safe, but Mara can see they need to move before their home disappears altogether. There’s little time for anything except survival, but she has close friends and an annoying little brother to contend with. She also has The Weave, a sort of defunct version of the Internet, which she pokes around in trying to find information on the past, and ways to save her island.

She gets unexpected help from Fox, another traveller on the Weave, who gives her hope that the rest of the world may not be lost. He tells her of giant sky cities where civilisation is thriving and, armed with this knowledge, she convinces her people they must leave Wing in search of this new world.

I did have some problems with this book. At its core it is a well written, well meaning story with some compelling themes and terrifying ‘what-ifs’, but it’s also missing a lot of things that could have moved it from merely competent to great. One of its main strengths is Mara, a wonderful character who carries the burden of saving her people (and another group thanks to a prophecy), and never gives up even when everything seems lost. She’s smart, loyal and brave and you want things to work out for her. Unfortunately the book moves at such a fast pace that those around her do not get the same treatment, character-building wise. We go from the threat of disaster on Wing, the exodus, arriving at the sky city of New Mungo, being a refugee, finding the Treenesters and coming up with a rescue plan, to getting into New Mungo in not very many pages. There’s no real time to relax into it and enjoy what’s happening or get to know the people Mara meets. It all feels very superficial and makes it hard to connect. Therefore moments which should have been affecting just did not touch me at all. There’s no impact, and that’s a shame given what goes on.

I think if it had been a longer book, with more of a slow burn and higher tension it could have been much better. I never really felt that Mara was in real danger, or would not succeed. It all happens quite easily, despite the losses she sustains. A lot more could have been explored – the horrors of their journey to New Mungo and the first days in the boat camp. And it’s not because it’s trying to sugar coat it exactly, there are still deaths and truly horrible things that happen, I just had no emotional connection to them.

I also wasn’t totally sold on the world Mara lives in. I could just about picture Wing, but when she goes into the Weave I was lost. Likewise with the sky cities. These are massive feats of engineering that house thousands of people over vast oceans of water, but I could not imagine them at all given the descriptions here. A little more world building would have gone a long way to making this book more enjoyable.

It may be that this book is just aimed at a younger audience, and they would love it immensely, but I’m not sure if this is the case or not. I feel like the language would suit such an audience, but some of the subject matter it tackles might be a bit much for them, so I’m not sure where it fits. And there may be more to come in the trilogy, picking up the threads of storylines that seemed incomplete or abandoned here, but as a first book it hasn’t really held my interest enough to make me want to continue Mara’s journey. Maybe I will, but I was hoping for more.

Very interesting review, thank you so much Carrie!

REVIEW: Divided City by Theresa Breslin

2011-11-24T08:26:00.001Z

The thing that I love the best about starting this themed event is that when I began talking about my plans for this month, I recieved some of the most interesting reading recommendations from people. And for books I'd never have considered or thought of before. Books like Divided City by Theresa Breslin. Theresa Breslin is, of course, an author I recognise but not somebody whose books I've read a great deal about.

And when I heard about Divided City and the ways in which the book has helped bridge a massive gap between the people and the teenagers of Glasgow, I knew that it was the perfect book for me to read.

I can't say that I know a huge deal about the religious and cultural tensions in Glasgow. I still don't. The really basic story is that there's a split between Catholics and Protestants and that is in some way connected to which football team to support, the Rangers or Celtics. There also seems to be a negative view of asylum seekers or of racial minorities. And what is so great about this book is that in Divided City, Theresa Breslin really tries to address these huge divides in an interesting and non-judgemental fashion.

By giving a more personal perspective of these issues and also by allowing both sides of the story to give their points of view, I found it a really effective and wonderful way to spread a message of tolerance and acceptance. And it has had some really positive results in Glasgow.

The story itself is of two teenage boys, Graham and Joe, who meet at a city-wide football club for young people. They find that they got on well both on the pitch and off and would like nothing more than to hang out and be friends. When Graham witnesses a brutal stabbing in the streets of Glasgow, he'd really rather not get involved. But the man pleads with him to pass a message onto his girlfriend and soon, both Graham and Joe are involved in helping this young asylum seeker as well as identifying and questioning their held beliefs and rivalries.

Divided City was a real eye-opener for me. It is obviously centred around the troubles and problems arising from a specific situation in Glasgow, but it can certainly be applied anywhere else. Racial tension, prejudices and fears seen in this book are not restricted to Celtic and Rangers supporters! I highly recommend this book.

Confessions of a British Word Nerd by Luisa Plaja

2011-11-23T09:32:00.001Z

Luisa Plaja is definitely one of my favourite people. Like, ever, in the entire world. So I'm very happy that Luisa agreed to write this post on language differences. Luisa Plaja is definitely a wonderful British author that needs celebrating.

Not only is she a linguist, and author of several funny, romantic YA novels (Split By A Kiss, Extreme Kissing, Swapped By A Kiss, Diary of A Mall Girl and soon to be published Kiss, Date, Love, Hate), but she also runs the ever-wonderful YA book site, Chicklish. Find out more about Luisa and her books on the following websites:

Luisa Plaja ... Luisa on Twitter ... Luisa on Facebook ... Chicklish

Confession: I am a word nerd. As well as being a writer, with all the in-built word-nerdery this brings (I have been known to spend an hour thinking about the placement of a hyphen), I'm a Linguist who has spent years analysing UK English and comparing it to other varieties. I still work on ‘translating’ computer documents from US to UK and Australian English, and in the past I've worked on many different dictionaries – both the conventional sit-on-your-shelf tomes and the invisible varieties that lurk in computer programs and attempt to give you the impression that microchips understand you better than you understand yourself. *evil Linguist laugh*

For British Month on Fluttering Butterflies, I decided I'd like to write about UK English in Young Adult books. When I started thinking about it, though, I realised that there's just too much to say on this huge subject - more than I can fit into a humble blog post. Most people are familiar with many of the vocabulary differences between the US and UK English. (Cookies, biscuits, pants, knickers, jello, jelly... Let's call the whole thing off!) (Or see this Wikipedia entry for a non-exhaustive list of British words not widely used in the US. One of my favourite anecdotes from my dictionary days is about the time I carefully compiled a list of every curse/swear word I could find for both US and UK English, and the UK list was at least three times as long...

There are also, of course, many differences in sentence construction, and subtle nuances in meaning that we might not notice on either side of the pond until a misunderstanding comes to light. I highly recommend a fabulous blog on the subject of UK/US language differences, run by lynneguist and appropriately named "Separated by a Common Language". It was there that I finally understood the differences in the US and UK terms for shoes, among many other fascinating linguistic points. lynneguist's tweets are also recommended.

I know that many British-authored books have their language lightly (or less lightly) Americanised before publication on the other side of the Atlantic. For books that haven't been through this process – and even for books that have – I often see reviews that say things like: 'This book is very British.' It's something which always makes me stop and think. Are there degrees of Britishness in the storytelling? Or does this just mean: "it contains British cultural references" and/or "if you're unfamiliar with British English, you'll need a glossary". (In fact, I believe the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison WAS published with a glossary in the States.)

I love reading, and writing, about linguistic and cultural differences. My first novel was partly inspired by an article I’d read about the differences in US and UK attitudes to romantic relationships. The piece argued that these were influenced by the national sports of the respective countries – baseball versus soccer, ‘reaching bases’ versus ‘going for the goal’. I wouldn't say I agreed with this, but I did set out to explore it when I wrote Split by a Kiss.

Which brings me to... romance! I can think of quite a few books, including my own, where relationships develop between British and American characters. After all, what better way to bridge that cultural divide? Here is a quick list of YA/teen books which feature at least a little across-the-pond love. I know there are many, many more, and I welcome all suggestions in the comments. I'd love to add to the lists!

Books containing transatlantic romance, by US Authors

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Life Swap by Abby McDonald, titled Sophomore Switch in the US
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Books containing transatlantic romance, by UK Authors

Split by a Kiss/Swapped by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja
Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton
Finding Sky by Joss Stirling
Jumping to Confusions by Liz Rettig
Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning

Thanks for having me on Fluttering Butterflies!

REVIEW: Lucas by Kevin Brooks

2011-11-22T08:20:00.001Z

I've had a copy of Lucas by Kevin Brooks unread on my shelves for ages now. I've read a few other books by Kevin Brooks and I'm quickly becoming a huge fan of his! If I'm honest, I had no idea what the story was about before I picked it up. Kevin Brooks is a name that I trust and will most likely read his entire backlist. But I was a little nervous about reading Lucas as so many people rave about it. And for good reason, I think. There's something a bit special about this one, and I think I will find it hard to accurately describe just what about this book sets it apart. I shall try through.

Lucas takes place over a single month in summer. Caitlin lives with her father and her older brother who is home visiting over the summer. They live on this isolated little island and Caitlin is on the edge of something, growing up maybe. She worries about her older brother and also about her best friend and neighbour who seem to be getting caught up in a bad crowd.

And during this pivotal summer month, Caitlin meets Lucas and it changes her view of life forever. Not much is known about Lucas - he's utterly mysterious and different. He is sort of a drifter, moving and living however he likes and that freedom and that sense of being different really draws Cait to him. She falls for him quite hard, almost immediately and without them quite meeting yet.

However, the other people in this small town just don't understand him and seem to be afraid and wary of that which they don't understand. Caitlin and Lucas both get drawn into events beyond their control - events which are serious and big. Accusations are made, and things happen in this book that left me breathless and emotional. Despite this book having rather a dreary setting and an almost-heavy feeling atmosphere, I flew through the pages, desperate to know what happens.

There's a sense of really seeing the dark side of humanity whilst reading this book. The negative way in which Lucas is recieved into this small town, some rather nasty individuals and the horrible crimes that are committed. But through it all, we have this lovely, innocent and honest boy, Lucas, who just seems to shine. Lucas is a character and a book that will stay with me for a very, very long time.

Weird Things You Learn When Writing by Jo Cotterill

2011-11-21T12:38:00.001Z

I'm so pleased to welcome lovely Jo Cotterill to my blog today! Hello! Jo writes the super-sweet Sweet Heart series of books, of which the fourth book, Ice Dreams, was recently published. These books discuss friendship, families, first love and relateable girls for readers 10 and over.

Jo is also one of the contributors to Girls Heart Books, a really wonderful collaborative author website with loads of authors writing daily blog posts about fab books for young girls. To find out more about Jo or the Sweet Heart series, please do visit the following websites:

Sweethearts ... Jo's blog ... Sweet Hearts on Facebook ... Girls Heart Books

Many people think that ‘research’ is boring. Of course, if you’re researching something you don’t care about, then I guess it could be very boring. But when you’re writing a story, you often need to find out things in order to put them into the book. For example, when I wrote ‘Ice Dreams’, I needed to find out quite a lot about ice skating, so that I could write about practising. Do you know which side of the blade you use when taking off for a Lutz jump? No, neither did I, so I had to find out.

Similarly, when I was writing ‘Forget Me Not’, I came up with a plot in which someone broke into a garden centre at night and sprayed all the plants with something that killed them. ‘Acid’ I thought at first – but that had problems. Where do you get acid from? The only time I’ve seen acid is in school science cupboards, which are firmly locked with staff keys. My family has got used to being asked odd questions, so when I said to my dad, ‘What could destroy a plant within minutes of being sprayed, but is easy to get hold of?’ he said helpfully, ‘Caustic soda’ which is
something you use for cleaning drains and is very nasty stuff but you can buy it in the shops!

Other weird things I have learned whilst writing:

• people who work at animal sanctuaries are usually quite badly paid

• synchronised swimmers are among the fittest athletes there are

• an ‘olly’ is one of the first tricks you learn on a skateboard

• angioplasty is a type of heart surgery where the doctors insert a little balloon into an artery to clear a blockage

• If a vandalism attack causes more than £5000 worth of damage, the investigation will be handled by the Criminal Investigation Department (plain-clothes detectives) not uniformed officers

And if you’re having a heart attack, you should chew aspirin, not dissolve it in water or swallow it. Oh, and the new Aquatics Centre on the Olympic Park in London can hold seventeen and a half thousand people.

Finding out weird and wonderful things is a great perk of being a writer. And people are usually only too willing to help. I have visited the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary and interviewed the manager (for ‘Model Behaviour’, out Feb 2012) and also been to watch a practice session of the fantastic British Synchronised Swimming Team (for ‘Deep Water’, out June 2012) among other fab things.

I am SO LUCKY to be a writer, and I can’t wait to see what exciting new weird and wonderful facts the next book brings!

Jo Cotterill writes the romantic series ‘Sweet Hearts’ for girls aged 10 upwards. The latest in the series, ‘Ice Dreams’, was published in September 2011

REVIEW: Rich and Mad by William Nicholson

2011-11-21T09:25:00.000Z

I've been curious about reading something by William Nicholson for awhile, but I hadn't quite gotten around to anything of his before Rich and Mad. And if I'm honest, I had a few problems with this book, so I'm not entirely sure I'm convinced as yet to pick anything else up.

It is a shame, because I was quite looking forward to Rich and Mad. It's the story of two teenagers who have never been properly in love and they'd like to be. They want to get lost in someone else so entirely and be loved in return. Fair enough, I think, a lot of YA books explore love, but in order to get past my issues with Rich and Maddy loving near-strangers, I started to think of their sort of love in a different way.

Rich has a huge crush on mysterious and unattainable Grace, whereas Maddy thinks she loves Joe, but he has a girlfriend. Still, neither Rich or Maddy are put off by these facts and pine away, getting hurt and heartbroken in the process. The entire novel seemed to be a study on relationships and sex and love. Unrequited love, crushes from afar, damaged relationships, first time having sex, relationships falling apart, relationships that have strong and dependable. I thought a lot of the book was very interesting, but aside from the love issue, which I didn't feel was love, I thought that the story was let down by the characters and the dialogue.

I didn't really believe Rich and Maddy spoke like teenagers. The dialogue felt weird in lots of places, like the characters were visiting from a different era. And there was lots of dialogue, which slightly put me off. I was creeped out by certain characters and other friends of Rich or Maddy annoyed me a great deal. And yet, I kept reading. I did think that Rich and Maddy's relationship was sort of sweet in parts, but I wanted to hear their story in a different way. Can't win them all, I guess.