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Showing posts from October, 2011

Book Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Title:  Carrier of the Mark Author:  Leigh Fallon Series:  Carrier Trilogy #1 Pages:  342 Publisher:  HarperCollins Children's Books Date of Publication:  27th October 2011 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: Their love was meant to be. When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs. But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction. My Thoughts: I was SO excited to read this book. And, I'm not going to lie, it was mostly because of the cover. I mean, it's GORGEOUS. I read the synopsis and thought it sounded great, so I added it to my to-read list. Then, once I got it,

Book Review: This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

Title:  This Dark Endeavour Author:  Kenneth Oppel Series:  The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #1 Pages:  352 Publisher:  David Fickling Books Date of Publication:  6th October 2011 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions.In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and best friend Henry on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love – and how much he is willing to sacrifice. My Th

Book Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Title:  The Scorpio Races  Author:  Maggie Stiefvater Series:  Standalone Pages:  404 Publisher:  Scholastic Date of Publication:  25th October 2011 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. My Thoughts: I was really excited to read The Scorpio Races . I'm a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater, and I've read all her previous books apart from Ballad (which I REALLY need to get

In My Mailbox #37

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Once again, this week, the sound in my video is awful. And the lighting's pretty rubbish too... I did my best, it's just I use the camera on my laptop and let's be honest, laptop webcams are not great. Anyway, I've listed the books underneath and typed out all the important bits that I say, just in case you can't watch it ;) Bought: Lost In Time by Melissa de la Cruz Between by Jessica Warman Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien Gifted: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (Thanks to my parents for these birthday presents! Have read them both and they were AMAZING and I wanted finished HB copies) For Review: After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel Footloose by Ruby Josephs (Thanks to Bloomsbury for both of these!) Then I showed 4 books that I got signed this week: Crescendo and Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick - I went to a si

Book Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title:  Silence  Author:  Becca Fitzpatrick Series:  Hush, Hush #3 Pages:  438 Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Date of Publication:  4th October 2011 Source:  Bought Synopsis from Goodreads: The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever. My Thoughts: I really really like the Hush, Hush series, it is one of my favourite series ever. It was one of the first YA series that I read and really fell in love with, and after reading that, I just couldn't get enough. I'd read and read and read, and nothing would be as good as Hush, H

In My Mailbox #36

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. This IMM is for the past two weeks - I was away all weekend last week and didn't have a chance to do one, so I thought I would just do a bigger one this week. This week I managed to get good lighting, but unfortunately the sound is AWFUL. You can't hear half of it and I'm sorry but I've listed the books below, and you can see them in the video, I guess :) I hope you like it anyway! RAKs: The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (gifted from Mist at Bookaholics Book Club ) Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis (gifted from Lillie at Read My Mind ) Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst (gifted from Lillie at Read My Mind ) Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson (gifted from Silvia at Darkest Sins ) For Review Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs (UK Proof from Templar) Angel Fire by LA Weatherly (UK Finished Copy from Usborne) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (UK Hardback free from Laini Taylor event

Book Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title:  Shut Out Author:  Kody Keplinger Series:  N/A Pages:  273 Publisher:  Poppy Date of Publication:  5th September 2011 Source:  Borrowed from Lesley at My Keeper Shelf via UK Swap Shop Synopsis from Goodreads: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention. Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of riva

Happily Ever Endings: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous installment. It's really annoying when you can't remember what happens and don't have time for a reread, so this hopefully will be a huge help! ________ Synopsis from Goodreads: What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue? Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's cr

Book Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Title:  Glow Author:  Amy Kathleen Ryan Series:  Sky Chasers #1 Pages:  385 Publisher:  Macmillan Date of Publication:  7th October 2011 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue? Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them... Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large fa

Happily Ever Endings: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous installment. It's really annoying when you can't remember what happens and don't have time for a reread, so this hopefully will be a huge help! ________ Synopsis from Goodreads: 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 rock

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title:  Lola and the Boy Next Door  Author:  Stephanie Perkins Series:  Companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, but can be read as a stand alone. Pages:  338 Publisher:  Dutton Date of Publication:  29th September 2011 Source:  Bought Synopsis from Goodreads: 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. My Thoughts: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK. IT IS AMAZING. I don't care if you hate contemporary,

Happily Ever Endings: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous instalment. We hope this saves you the frustration of forgetting the ending to the last book in the series! There WILL be SPOILERS from THIS book, and possibly ANY OTHER BOOK IN THE SERIES. Do not read on if you haven't read the book yet and do not wish to be spoiled! :) __________ Synopsis from Goodreads:   Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Eith

Book Review: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Title:  Sweetly   Author:  Jackson Pearce Series:  Fairytale Retellings #2 Pages:  312 Publisher:  Hodder Children's Date of Publication:  4th October 2011 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again. Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel. Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from

New Releases in October 2011

Hey everyone, here are all the October releases I can think of! If I've missed any out, do leave it in the comments for me! :D       Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (4th October) Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (27th October) Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (6th October)       This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel (6th October) Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (18th October) Eve by Anna Carey (4th October)       Variant by Robison Wells (4th October) Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison (10th October) Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore (25th October)       The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (25th October) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (19th October) Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (4th October)       VIII by Harriet Castor (1st October) Angel Fire by LA Weatherly (1st October) Between by Jessica Warman (3rd October)       Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (6th October) T