Wednesday 28 October 2015

I want to read that...

The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin

From Goodreads: In the tradition of Sarah Dessen, this powerful debut novel is a compelling portrait of a young girl coping with her mother’s cancer as she figures out how to learn from—and fix—her past.

Few things come as naturally to Harper as epic mistakes. In the past year she was kicked off the swim team, earned a reputation as Carson High’s easiest hook-up, and officially became the black sheep of her family. But her worst mistake was destroying her relationship with her best friend, Declan.

Now, after two semesters of silence, Declan is home from boarding school for the summer. Everything about him is different—he’s taller, stronger…more handsome. Harper has changed, too, especially in the wake of her mom’s cancer diagnosis.

While Declan wants nothing to do with Harper, he’s still Declan, her Declan, and the only person she wants to talk to about what’s really going on. But he’s also the one person she’s lost the right to seek comfort from.

As their mutual friends and shared histories draw them together again, Harper and Declan must decide which parts of their past are still salvageable, and which parts they’ll have to let go of once and for all.

In this honest and affecting tale of friendship and first love, Emily Martin brings to vivid life the trials and struggles of high school and the ability to learn from past mistakes over the course of one steamy North Carolina summer.


*Grabby Hands*  This sound so good!  It's published 2016.

Friday 23 October 2015

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

From Goodreads: Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this.

When her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she hardly knows-family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are some things no tornado can destroy?

In this powerful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown delivers a story of love, loss, hope, and survival.


I admit I was a bit conflicted about this one.  I was sucked in straight away and the beginning was amazing (and scary!) but it kind of lost its way a bit in the middle for me.  It really picked up again towards the end and I spent that section of the book wishing there had been more of it as I wanted to know what happened next.

I really like Jennifer Brown's writing style and characters.  I loved the way Jersey remembered her sister and mother - you really felt the grief in those moments.  Jersey really does have a rough time and I have to say really hated Ron!

Although not my favourite of her books - The Hate List still holds the top spot - this is still good and and worth checking out.


Wednesday 21 October 2015

I want to read that...


Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

From Goodreads: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.


I'm LOVING the sound of this one! It's published January 2016

Monday 19 October 2015

Find Me by Romily Bernard

From Goodreads: 

A girl is dead…
A killer’s closing in…
And two little words are the only clue…
“Find Me”.

These are the words that Wick Tate finds in Tessa Wayne’s diary. And now Tessa has been found … dead. Does someone out there really expect Wick to uncover the truth about her death?

An expert computer hacker, Wick has the skills for the job, but with the threat of her ex-con dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around and new foster parents to keep happy, getting involved with a murder case is the last thing she wants to do. Until her little sister, Lily, is the next target.

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker-girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare. And now she’s going to find this killer, no matter what it takes. Because it just got personal.


I really enjoyed this one!  It was pleasantly intense and a very intriguing mystery.

I really liked the main character - Wick - I thought she had a great back story to explain her involvement in the mystery.  Sometimes those scenarios can feel forced but I liked this set up and am very keen to see how that progresses in the next two novels.  Especially given the set up at the end of this book!

Nice and creepy in places too.  And I did not work it out in advance - bonus!  I also really liked Griff and am looking forward to seeing how their friendship develops.

I will definitely be reading more in the series!


Friday 16 October 2015

All The Rage by Courtney Summers


From Goodreads: The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear. 

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?


I am a massive fan of Courtney Summer's books and this one is no exception.  It is so good!

It is a very powerful story and I found myself sucked into it straight away.  Summers'  always has the knack of putting me right in there with the main character and really experiencing how they feel.  I felt very angry when I was reading this!

Rape is a tough subject to write about and do it justice.  There are no easy answers here and I thought Summers' really managed to capture that with this novel.  What happens to Romy is awful but the problem is that it does happen - and that in itself is very, very scary.

My only complaint is that I didn't feel as much of a connection between Romy and Leon as I had from the characters in her previous novels.  But in some ways that too felt true to Romy's character - the place she was in during the events of this story meant she would probably have been taking very timid steps before establishing a relationship.

Another brilliant read from Courtney Summers.  I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.


Wednesday 14 October 2015

I want to read that...

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

From Goodreads: The story of a sixteen-year-old girl having the worst day of her life, culminating in an unexpected break up, which then begins repeating itself, pitched as Groundhog Day meets Why We Broke Up.

A long wait for this one as it isn't published until August 2016 but I can't wait! It sounds amazing and I have loved all of Jessica Brody's books!

Also how awesome is that cover!!! *grabby hands*

Monday 12 October 2015

I Knew You Were Trouble by Paige Toon


From Goodreads: Life as the undercover daughter of a rock god isn't going to be easy. How will Jessie adjust to her old boring life again after spending her summer living it up with her dad in LA? With tough decisions ahead (and not just choosing between two hot boys), can she cope juggling her two very different lives? 

Summer may be over, but Jessie's story is just beginning…


I really do love this series and the world they are set in.  Johnny Jefferson (be still my heart!) is awesome and I love all the drama!

In this installment we get to see how Jessie copes with being Johnny Jefferson's daughter as well as her ever increasingly complicated love life.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and am now desperate for the next book!  I hope Paige Toon wrties many, many more!

I would still love more Barney scenes because he is the cutest character ever - and I'd like to see more of Jessie interacting with the family as a whole.  This really is becoming one of my favourite series.  I can really see it as a TV series (and have spent much too long googling actors I'd love to see play the characters...)


Friday 9 October 2015

Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon


From Goodreads: The first YA fiction novel, from the bestselling adult author Paige Toon. 

Meet Jessie, the daughter of Johnny Jefferson, as featured in Johnny Be Good and Baby Be Mine…

My fifteenth birthday was the worst day of my life, and it's inconceivable to think that any single day in my future will ever be as bad. My mum was killed in a freak accident on her way to pick up my cake. Even when there was still no sign of her after two hours later, and my friends started to arrive at our house, it never occurred to me that she wouldn't be coming back.

That was six months ago. My mum died without telling me who my real dad was. And for a while I hated her for it. I thought she's taken the secret of my father's identity with her forever. But she didn't. Holy hell, she didn't. Because three weeks ago I found out the truth. And I'm still reeling from the shock of it. My dad is none other than Johnny Jefferson, mega famous rock star and one-time serial womaniser. And now I'm on my way to LA to meet him and his family. 

My tiny little world has just got a whole lot bigger…


Having loved all the books I've read my Paige Toon it comes as no surprise to me that I LOVED this! It's SO good! I loved Jessie, the setting, her relationship with her step dad, finding out who her real dad is, and then her meeting the famous Johnny Jefferson! I think having been a massive fan of the adult novels set in this world I was even more excited to catch up with Johnny, Meg and Barney (who is seriously cute! He needs more scenes!) and to meet Phoenix (also cute!) And I loved seeing them all though Jessie eyes (although I had to then question whether lusting after her dad was a bit weird…?) Anyway…

Can’t wait for more of this series – I have the feeling it will be one of my favourites.  I'm looking forward to seeing how see copes with being Johnny Jefferson’s daughter and I can’t wait to see how her relationships with Jack and Tom pan out!


Wednesday 7 October 2015

I want to read that...

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

From Goodreads: Sadie Kingston, is a girl living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can’t move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent’s brother, Max.

As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him — even if Max is able to look at her scars and not shy away. But when the truth about the accident and subsequent events comes to light, Sadie has to decide if she can embrace the future or if she'll always be trapped in the past.


I still need to read Faking Normal but this sounds so good I have already preordered it! It's published November 2015.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Bookish Things I Want to Quit Or Have Quit


Bookish things I want to quit....

*  Finishing a book if I hate it.  If I'm not feeling it that's it!

*  Love triangles.  I kind of love and hate these. If done right they can be really good but in every series?  Not so much.

*  Cliff hanger endings.  The only way to avoid this is to wait for the whole series to be published.

*  A year long wait between books.  Honestly I am starting to hate this.  I guess it ties into the cliff hanger endings bit but knowing there is such a long wait between the books just makes me want to wait for them all to be published!

*  Buying ALL the books of a series before I read it!  I need to at least read book one first to see if I like it!

*  Carrying on with a series when it should have finished about 5 books earlier.  Or a series that I've stopped caring about.  Why bother?

*  Buying more books than I can read. (I think I'm kidding myself with this one lol)

*  Collecting bookmarks.  I have this addiction for them but I never use one.  What is that about?

*  Keeping every single book.  Even ones I didn't particularly like.  I have no more room!  Seriously books are everywhere!  I have to keep only those I know I'll read again in the future!  And maybe those with really nice covers...

*  Buying /keeping books because I love the cover.  Really ridiculous but I do it all the time!

*  Re-buying books because the publishers change the cover mid way through a series (this is sooooooo annoying - why?  WHY DO THEY DO IT!!!!) But I need to live with it and not waste my money.  I can do it.... maybe....

So that's my list..  What about you?  Let me know in the comments below.

Monday 5 October 2015

Johnny Girl by Paige Toon

From Goodreads: Meg's life has taken a turn for the perfect. She is the envy of millions with her drop dead gorgeous husband, their two beautiful sons and her new mansion in Henley. Her celebrity PA days are over. But desperate to keep up with her rock star husband, Johnny Jefferson, she uproots her perfect family and moves back to LA.

Meg has to learn to live with her new celebrity status and the insecurities of her old life, which keep reappearing. Under the paparazzi flash of an A-List party, complete with red carpet, champagne and canapĂ©s, Johnny's rock star past catches up with him and Meg's worst nightmare becomes a reality…

This is a great short story. I loved catching up again with Meg and Johnny to see how they are getting on – and it sets the scene for The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson. I think the idea of this was actually hinted at in Baby be Mine – and I'm glad to see Meg and Johnny react realistically to this turn of events. It wouldn't be easy – and considering Johnny’s past it must be rather unsettling for Meg so I'm very interested to see how it plays out and to see them as a couple through Jessie’s eyes.

So yes I picked up The Accidental life of Jessie Jefferson straight away…

Friday 2 October 2015

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN 9781447265528
Release Date: 27 February 2014 (previously published 2013)
Source: Provided for review by the publisher

From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Sera is the only survivor of an explosion on a plane. She wakes up in hospital to find that she has no memory. The only clue to her identity is a mysterious boy who claims she was part of a top-secret science experiment. The only adult she trusts insists that she shouldn’t believe anything that anybody tells her. In a tense and pacy novel exploding with intrigue and action, Sera must work out who she is and where she came from. Eventually she will learn that the only thing worse than forgetting her past is remembering it.

This is quite different from Jessica brody’s previous YA contemp novels – but at the same time everything I liked about them is still present here.

This is one of those books that is hard to talk about without giving spoilers – it definitely best to go in not knowing anything about it and let it unfold. I really, really enjoyed it and had no idea what was going to happen or where the author was going to take us! I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy because I really want to know what happens next.

Great characters, a brilliant plot and romance to die for (I really loved this element of the book!).



Thursday 1 October 2015

I want to read that...

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

From Goodreads: Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.


WANT!!!

Luckily I don't have long to wait - it is published next week on the 6th October.

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