I think this would appeal to people who have enjoyed 'Before I die' or books by Lurlene McDaniel. The beginning and ending were really good but I felt it lost momentum a bit in the middle – otherwise I would easily have given it 4 stars.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin
I think this would appeal to people who have enjoyed 'Before I die' or books by Lurlene McDaniel. The beginning and ending were really good but I felt it lost momentum a bit in the middle – otherwise I would easily have given it 4 stars.
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Cover Wars: US vs UK
US UK
What do you think?
Monday 28 September 2009
Living dead girl by Elizabeth Scott
The story is devastatingly sad. It scared the hell out of me too and I realised that Alice’s three rules - No one will see you. No one will say anything. No one will save you - are unfortunately true. How many times do we ‘not see’ the things we don’t want to see? How many times to we not want to get involved? It also gave me an insight into abuse that I had never really considered. I have never understood why someone would stay, would not tell someone what was happening – but I didn’t really understand the impact of fear as a motivator. I realised after reading this though that fear for oneself is not the only type of fear – the threat against her family was so strong I could understand why it had the impact it did and it terrified me that essentially love can be used against you in this way. It also scared me that I could see signs in Alice that she too had the potential to become an abuser – how that the need to escape, to not be abused anymore overtook everything else.
Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! It’s not the most comfortable read but Elizabeth Scott does an outstanding job bringing the story alive. It was absolutely heartbreaking to read but Alice will be a character I remember for a long time.
Sunday 27 September 2009
In my mailbox (8)
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
From Amazon: Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter, he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack. In summer, he has a few precious months to be human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
From Goodreads: Once upon a time I was a little girl who disappeared. Once upon a time my name was not Alice. Once upon a time I didn't know how lucky I was. When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over. Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her. This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.
Take me There by Susane Colasanti
From Goodreads: In one short week . . . three lives change. Rhiannon is devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend and wants him back. Nicoles ex is still in the picture, but she can't help having a new crush. James and Rhiannon are just friends, though he may try to take it to the next level. Will their desire to take a mean girl down a notch bring these three friends what they want . . . and more?
The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
From Amazon: Chloe Saunders used to be a normal teenage girl - or so she thought. Then she learned the shocking truth - she is a walking science experiment. Genetically altered at birth by a sinister group of scientists known as the Edison Group, Chloe is an aberration - a powerful necromancer who can see ghosts and even raise the dead, often with terrifying consequences. Even worse, her growing powers have made her a threat to the surviving members of the Edison Group, who have decided it's time to end their experiment - permanently ...Now Chloe is running for her life with three other supernatural teenagers - a charming sorcerer, a troubled werewolf and a temperamental young witch. Together they have a chance for freedom - but can Chloe trust her new friends?
The Hollow by Jessica Verday
From Amazon: Growing up in the town of Sleepy Hollow, the mystery and intrigue over Washington Irving's classic legend are all part of daily life for sixteen-year-old Abbey. But when her best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Abbey's world is suddenly turned upside down. While everyone is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead, Abbey refuses to believe that she is really gone. And when Abbey meets the gorgeous, but mysterious, Caspian at Kristen's memorial she starts to feel like she has something to hold on to for the first time since Kristen's disappearance. But when Abbey finds a diary hidden in Kristen's bedroom, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her disappearance or even her death? Hurt and angry at Kristen's betrayal, Abbey turns to Caspian for support...and uncovers a frightening truth about him that threatens both their emerging love and her sanity...
The Disreputable History of Frankie Laudau-Banks by E Lockhart
From Goodreads: Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father’s “bunny rabbit.” A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. Frankie Laundau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an answer. Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all-male secret society. Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew’s lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done. Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.
And thanks to Sheena for managing to get me a proof copy of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
How did you all do?
Friday 25 September 2009
I want to read that...
Now armed with a slight understanding of the mark, Cassie begins to search for it. Even as she hides her secret, Cassie mines her philosophy class, her memories, and even her new boyfriend for answers about the faint glowing mark. But many questions remain. How does it work? Why her? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?
Sounds good and I really like the cover:)
Thursday 24 September 2009
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
I was taken by surprise with this book. I had heard good reviews but it was just beautifully written. I loved how the author created a world where things are not black and white. The characters are realistically complicated, especially her dad, who I spent most of the book being annoyed at yet also understanding why he behaved the way he did. I really felt as if I was in Deanna’s head - at first she felt very guarded, even from herself, preferring to think about herself as the anonymous girl she liked to write about, but towards the end you get to really see how she feels. The book is full of emotion and was heartbreaking to read at times, especially Deanna’s confrontation with her father. It also ended in a good way – feeling realistic rather than a ‘happily ever after’ – although I would love to know what happened next and how Deanna got on.
Wednesday 23 September 2009
Marked by P.C and Kristin Cast
Overall I really enjoyed it and by the end I couldn’t wait to read the next instalment.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Cover Wars: Hardback vs Paperback
Monday 21 September 2009
Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer
Sunday 20 September 2009
In my mailbox (7)
Thank you to Andrew for this, as he managed to get me a signed & dedicated copy of Marked! Apparently they didn't sign that many so you can imagine how excited I was!
Saturday 19 September 2009
I want to read that ...
I can't wait for this! It is published in the US 1st April 2010. There is no UK date yet (Grr!)
Friday 18 September 2009
Golden Oldie # 4
So, my final Golden Oldie goes to The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon.
From Goodreads: Stacy wakes up in a room that's not hers, in a body she doesn't recognize, to discover she's been in a coma for four years. Her mother is dead--murdered--and Stacy, recovering from a gunshot wound, is the only eyewitness to her mother's murder.She can recall only a shadowy face, so far. But the killer is not about to let her reveal his identity...
I enjoyed all of the Joan Lowery Nixon books I read but this one really stood out for me. It was another one of those books that I read over and over again. I loved the suspense and the romance, and the fact that it was slightly scary was a bonus. I haven't re-read it in a long time so I don't know if it will live up to it's memory but as a teenage girl I absolutely loved it!
The other book of hers I loved was A Deadly Game of Magic.
Thursday 17 September 2009
Golden Oldie # 3
The third Golden Oldie goes to The Third Eye by Lois Duncan
From Amazon: High school senior Karen, who worries that her psychic powers will make her seem different from other people, is frightened at first when a young policeman asks her to use her gift to help the police locate missing children.
I read this when it was published in the UK as The Eyes of Karen Conner - I actually prefer that title - it sounds more interesting and I think it sums the book up better. I re-read this book so many times when I was younger I think I could probably have quoted it word for word! I loved the romance, the mystery, the coming of age, Karen's psychic ability - everything about it! It is well written, although possibly short by today's standards, has really good characters and a great plot - and how much did I love the ending!
Lois Duncan has written many books - the film 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' was based on her novel of the same name (her book is much better by the way!) Those that stand out for me alongside The Third Eye are Don't Look Behind You and Stranger With My Face.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Golden Oldie # 2
Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.
Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....
Okay, so without making myself feel really old I read Christopher Pike the first time around. He is a very talented author and is great at writing action and suspense. He also amazes me with his ability to write characters with a distinct voice (both male and female). In this series he does a superb job with Alisa (Sita) - a 5000 year old vampire, who he manages to make powerful, yet vulnerable and injects her with the wisdom you would expect a 5000 year old vampire to have. The story is suitably dark, beautifully written and I just loved it!
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Golden Oldie # 1
When I first read Tiger Eyes it just blew me away. Judy Blume was the first author (with Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret) that introduced me to how amazing reading could be. Tiger Eyes for me was like hitting the ball out of the park - it just had everything. It is a very sad story but also very real and I loved the characterisation in the book. I reread it recently and love it just as much now. It doesn't take long to read and I found myself so absorbed in the story that it went even quicker. A great book that I think fans of Before I Die, Cracked Up to Be, Going Too Far or If I Stay would love.
Other Judy Blume books worth reading are Forever (probably the best know one) and Deenie. I love them all but those are the ones that stand out for me.
Monday 14 September 2009
The 'Tomorrow' series by John Marsden
Sunday 13 September 2009
In my mailbox (6)
This week I purchased:
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
From Amazon: For sixteen-year-olds Anna Reiley and Frankie Perino, their twenty day-long, minimally supervised California vacation will be the 'Absolute Best Summer Ever' and according to Frankie, if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance that Anna will get her first real boyfriend. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie - she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. Written in lyrical, accessible prose, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it truly means to grieve, and perhaps most importantly, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.
Everlost by Neal Shusterman
From Amazon: Nick and Allie don't survive the crash, and now they are in limbo, stuck halfway between life and death, in a netherworld known as Everlost. Everlost is home to those who didn't make it to their final destination: A magical yet dangerous place filled with shadows where lost souls run wild. Shocked and frightened, Nick and Allie aren't ready to rest in peace just yet. They want their lives back. Desperate for a way out, their search takes them deep into the uncharted regions of Everlost. But the longer they stay, the more they forget about their past lives. And with all memory of home fading fast and an unknown evil lurking in the shadows, Nick and Allie may never escape this strange, terrible world. In this imaginative, supernatural thriller, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.
The Eternal Kiss - edited by Trisha Telep
From Goodreads: There’s an allure to vampire tales that have seduced readers for generations. From Bram Stoker to Stephenie Meyer and beyond, vampire stories are here to stay. For those fresh-blooded fans of paranormal romance or for those whose hunt and hunger never dies, these stories have what readers want! This collection of original tales comes from some of the hottest, most popular, and best-selling YA writers.
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson (I found this in a charity shop for £1 - bargain!)
From Amazon: Kate's failure to get into college to study chemistry, the only subject she can cope with, sends her spinning out of control. She'd only applied to one college - now what? Then her rector father brings home a local family, made homeless in a fire. Teenager Teri is the class outcast, but slowly she and Kate become friends, while little Mikey melts Kate's heart, until a tragic accident sets in motion a chain of events which will change both Teri and Kate's lives for ever.
Beauty by Robin McKinley (Also found this a charity shop for the bargain price of 50p)
From Amazon: When the family business collapses, Beauty and her two sisters are forced to leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside. However, when their father accepts hospitality from the elusive and magical Beast, he is forced to make a terrible promise - to send one daughter to the Beast's castle, with no guarantee that she will be seen again. Beauty accepts the challenge, and there begins an extraordinary story of magic and love that overcomes all boundaries. This is another spellbinding and emotional tale embroidered around a fairytale from Robin McKinley, an award-winning American author.
Saturday 12 September 2009
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Friday 11 September 2009
Trailer: Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder
Pulling her powers in unfamiliar directions, Opal find herself tapping into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. Now Opal must deal with plotters out to destroy the Stormdancer clan, as well as a traitor in their midst.
Following Maria V. Snyder’s popular and critically-acclaimed Study series, Storm Glass is the first in her new and much anticipated Glass trilogy.
This looks really good! It is available to buy now.
Trailer: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
(Younger viewers - please bear in mind it is a trailer for a horror book so there are some scenes of violence!)
Thursday 10 September 2009
I want to read that...
Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?
Wednesday 9 September 2009
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
I really enjoyed reading Bloom. Elizabeth Scott is a fantastic writer and managed to create some very complex and layered characters. The plot was easy to get lost in and Laureen had a great voice – I found her to be a very likeable character even though she didn’t always do the most likeable things. I could understand her actions though – I felt she tried so hard to be the ‘perfect’ person she thought people wanted her to be that she didn’t want to do anything to change that. And although I don’t think it made her happy I think it made her safe. Evan, of course, changes all that. There were some really lovely moments between the two of them – I epecially liked the whole boxset incident. I was impressed that the plot wasn’t a straight forward love story – all the characters were three dimensional and I was equally interested in all their stories. In fact, a slight complaint would be that some story lines were not tied up in the end – Katie's story being one of them. I would really like to find out what happened with her.