Wednesday 28 August 2013

Introducting the Month of Guests 2013 Lineup!!

Fortnight of Guests is back and it’s bigger than ever. For one, it is now:

Month of Guests 2013!  



And secondly, so many of my favourite authors and bloggers are joining in this year - I’m really excited about it!!

I've been teasing you all for ages about who will be taking part... and so without further ado here is the schedule of Month of Guests 2013!! :D




1st September: Sammee – I Want To Read That


2nd September: Nina Death, Books and Tea

3rd September: Sophie – So Many Books, So Little Time

4th September: Hollie – Music, Books and Tea

5th September: Emma – Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

6th September: Hawwa – It Was Lovely Reading You 

7th September: Amy – Amy Bookworm (and guest blogger Rita from Weaving Pages)

8th September: Lucy – Queen of Contemporary

9th September: M&LittleM – We Sat Down

10th SeptemberViv – Serendipty Reviews

11th SeptemberJenny – SupernaturalSnark
Recommended Authors! 

12th SeptemberEvie – Bookish

13th SeptemberFaye – A Daydreamer’sThoughts

14th September: Megan - Paperbook Princess
Top Ten Covers

15th September: Lisseth – Read-A-holicZ

16th September: Sarah – Forever YoungAdult

17th September: Spinebreakers



18th September: Maria V Snyder


19th September: #MuderOnTheBeach – JamesDawson 

20th September: Little White Lies Blog Tour - Katie Dale

21st September: Lauren Oliver 

22nd September: Amy Plum

23rd September: Sarwat Chadda


25th September: Matt Whyman 

26th September: Alex Gutteridge 


28th SeptemberKate Cann 

29th September: Jennifer L Armentrout 









I hope you're all as excited as I am!!
And that you enjoy all the brilliant posts we have lined up!
Stop by every day to enjoy the amazingness that will be 

Month of Guests 2013!!

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Top Ten Tuesday (#5)



Hello, lovely followers! I've decided to join in with all the fun of Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the awesome The Broke and the Bookish. It just looks like so much fun! :D

This weeks topic is...


Top Ten Favorite Books With School Setting


Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Officially the best ever book series set in a school.  I mean: Hogwarts!!  Need I say more?!
Vampire Academy/Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
C'mon!!  Who doesn't wanna go to St Vlads and hang out with Rose before heading off to the Sunshine State to hang with Sydney and Adrian?  No one.  Ergo: one of the best book series set in a school ever.  Period.


Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter
Yep, one of the best.  I sooo wanna go train at Gallagher Academy...  *sigh*
Probably a bit cheating, this one.  I mean, they're summer camps.  But the half-bloods... they learn there.  That kinda makes it school...  Hey, this is my list!  I totally allow minor cheats like this from now on! ;)
Leading us to...
Study Series by Maria V. Snyder
Yep, another cheat.  So soon.  But Yelena has to learn.  And, y'know, the word 'Study' is in the title.  Studying is what you do at school.  Ergo: allowed.
I love my logic.


Ravenwood Mysteries by Mia James
Vampires, conspiracies, murders...  If all schools were like this, no one would ever leave.
Y'know.  Unless in a coffin or something...
The Medusa Project by Sophie McKenzie
School and superpowers! #SOLD
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
A school for witches, fairies, ghosts, and other various supernatural beings... What's not to love?


Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
It's hot.  Enough said.
House of Night by P.C and Kristin Cast
Gotta love that school...  Awesome...


So that's my Top Ten!!  What's yours? :D

Monday 12 August 2013

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Series: Goodnight Family, Book One
Publisher: Corgi
Format: Paperback
Published: 7th June 2011
Number of Pages: 416
Book: For Review*
Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery Murder-Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Crime Novel, Thriller, Thriller-Suspense, Action-Adventure, YA
Recommended Age: 13+
Contains: Swearing, Violence, Alcohol and Drug References
Author's Blog: Rosemary Clement-Moore

Amy Goodnight’s family are far from normal.  She comes from a long line of witches, and grew up surrounded by benevolent spirits and kitchen spells. Al fairly harmless, but Amy can’t wait to get to college and escape the “family business”.
But things take a darker turn when she and her sister Phin spend the summer looking after their Aunt Hyacinth’s ranch.  Amy is visited by a midnight sceptre who is clearly trying to send her a message.  It seems that the discovery of an old grave on a neighbour’s land has been the catalyst for an apparent ghost uprising.
Aided by local friends and Ben, the handsome cowboy who just can’t take his eyes off Amy, the sisters investigate.  And they soon find that there’s something strange and dangerous going on, deep in the heart of Texas…

                                                                   Review:
'A lifetime of living with witches and psychics had made spells a routine part of my life.  I knew they worked, but I still preferred to put my trust in a locked door.  My relationship with magic was like a president's kid's relationship with politics: I didn't participate, but I couldn't quite escape it.  Especially not here, in the White House of the sovereign nation of Goodnight.'
Everyone knows the Goodnights are eccentric.  Kooky.  Crazy.  
They just don't know how different they are.  
Amaryllis (more commonly known as Amy) Goodnight knows, though.  She knows that the Goodnights are witches.  She grew up with witches, even if she doesn't practice herself.  But proof of her family's craziness?  
Her sister Phin Goodnight blew up the chemistry lab while trying to charm the football team's jerseys.  Daisy Goodnight's imaginary friends were real people – ghosts.  Violet Goodnight's crystals can cure a headache and even pick up Mexican radio.
So yes.  The Goodnights are odd.
But Amy, she knows how everyone sees her is important and so she carefully blocks off her home life from her public one, smoothing problems over and keeping the whole witch thing very much secret.
But then Phin and Amy agree to look after their Aunt's ranch over the summer.  Big mistake.  Like seriously, a huge mistake.
And we're not talking about the ghost of their Uncle Burt.  Or the fact Amy runs around in her underwear to scare of a cow and then gets into a fight about ghosts with a hot cowboy (still in her underwear).  Oh no.  It is just... so much worse.  Amy knows that's hard to believe, but it really is.  As in, catastrophic-freaky-deaky-paranormal-ghostly-happenings bad.  As in dead-body-found and ghostly-attacks bad.
So the Goodnight sisters are dragged into an investigation - one that could reveal the very secret Amy has been fighting to hide for so, so many years – and draw up a whole rush of old memories...
I've never read anything by Rosemary Clement-Moore before, although I've been eyeing Texas Gothic for what feels like forever – damn budget!  I am so glad that I finally got round to reading it, because I loved it.  It was absa-freaking-amazing.  I just gobbled it all up!  I am now going to have to buy every single book by Clement-Moore now, because even if they're only a quarter as good as this it'll be more than worth it.  And I was so pleased to see she has written a sequel – I only found out after I began writing the review and literally did a happy dance!
Amy was brilliant: so funny, snarky and just a great character.  I instantly fell in love with her!  She had me laughing my head off, hunting ghosts and wincing (because man did this girl get herself into some awkward scrapes!). 
And her sister Phin was just as amazing.  She was like an evil scientific genius.  I love that in a girl.  Plus, she was just so darn quirky and bizarre.  Oddly enough, this made me relate to her more.  I wonder why…
As for Ben, well excuse me while I swoon.  He is gorgeous.  Seriously.  I mean, sure, he's grumpy and snarky and moody.  But he's also sweet and funny and gruffly caring.
And I loved the relationship between Amy and Ben.  I loved that it wasn't love-at-first-sight.  It was an insta-hate (albeit a very understandable one, given all the circumstances that I won't go into now because it would make this review way too long).  It was also hilarious.  Their banter was one of the highpoints of the books.  And I loved watching how their relationship changed and grew.  It was really sweet and also really real.
The rest of the characters were brilliant too.  A few faves were Mark and Ben's Mom.   And I loved Aunt Hyacinth and Uncle Ben – in fact, I loved all the Goodnights.  Cousin Daisy was another highlight – as was her bickering with Phin!  Their kookiness kinda reminded me of my own very crazy family.  If only we had magic though...
I will admit, for quite a while I was completely confused about the whole magic thing.  For ages, I was going: "Ok... so Amy doesn't like magic…   Doesn't she have magic?  And what exactly can these witches do?  Other than, like, making awesome potions and shampoo that literally clears your head (could so do with some of that before exams – am I right?), what can they do?"  This didn't really bother me, I must admit, 'cause I loved the characters, writing, plot and humour and I wasn’t confused for long, but it was a little niggle.  It was sorted out and by the end I knew everything there was to know about the magic in this world – and I loved it!
Speaking of: I loved the writing.  It was just so Amy, you know?  Like, if I met her or someone like her, this is exactly how I'd expect them to talk and act.  Her writing was descriptive, beautiful, funny and very witty.  It had me laughing a lot, but also totally hooked and on the edge of my seat as I raced for the end and for all the answers.  Because this plot was awesome.  It was so twisty and exciting and unexpected.  I literally never knew what to expect next.  Which was obviously very fun!  
Plus, it's just so different from your typical YA paranormal stuff.  I read a lot of witch books – trust me – but I found everything in Texas Gothic totally original.  Maybe it was the whole set-in-Texas thing, or the unusual twist on magic – it's all really... I don't know.  Realistic seems like the wrong word.  And yet it's true.  Somehow the magic in this world feels real.  Even the ghosts.  Speaking of, there's also the suspense and borderline-horror: it was totally hooking and mildly terrifying.  And, of course, it was all absolutely freaking hilarious as well!  Or maybe it's the Goodnight family, who I love to pieces.  They're all bizarre, funny and all so different.  I so want to read much much more about them!   Many sequels’ worth, Miss Clement-Moore!
With bundle of magic, suspense and ghosts, with added laugh-your-pants-off-powder and one sexy cowboy, Texas Gothic is every paranormal lover's dream book.  It's funny, it's fun, it's the perfect summer read.  But maybe read in daylight.  Those ghosts?  Cr-ee-py!

Star Rating:
4¼ Out of 5




Read this book if you liked:
The Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood
Blood Journals by Tessa Gratton
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Wicca Series by Cate Tiernan 


Challenges It's Taking Part In:


Happy Reading
Megan

* This book was received from Guardian Children's Books in exchange for an honest review

Sunday 11 August 2013

In My Mailbox (#65)


In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a perfect way to see who's reading and review what. Awesome!



Yay, I managed not to leave this for a year! Go me!!  Only two weeks worth of books here!!  ;)
Anyways, this is what I gots! :D

For Review:


Far Rockaway by Charlie Fletcher (Goodreads | Amazon)
This one looks brilliant - and I am so in love with this cover!!
Parallel by Lauren Miller (Goodreads | Amazon)
What If You Woke Up To A New Life Every Day?
One of my bestest blogging buds Sammee (I Want To Read That) says this is amazing!  Can't wait to read it!! :D
Natural Born Angel (Immortal City, Book Two) by Scott Speer (Goodreads | Amazon) 
When The World Says They Can't Be Together, Can Their Love Survive?
Loved Immoral City and can't wait to read this!! :D
Deadlands (Mall Rats, Book One) by Lily Herne (Goodreads | Amazon)
Everything's Better With Zombies - Not
This looks amazing!!  Can't wait to get stuck in!!
Blood Tracks by Paula Rawsthorne (Goodreads | Amazon
A Story Of Suspense, Obsession And Betrayal
Yay!! :D
Ashes (Ashes, Book One) by Stephanie Harbon (Goodreads | Amazon)
Excited about this one!! :D
Antigoddess (The Goddess War, Book One) by Kendare Blake (Goodreads | Amazon)
Oh. My. God! This one looks absolutely brilliant!  My new Percy Jackson??
Finding Cherokee Brown by Siobhan Curham (Goodreads | Amazon)
Everything Changes When You Dare To Dream...
Heard loads of good things about this one!  Can't wait!! :D
Rules of Summer (Rules of Summer, Book One) by Joanna Philbin (Goodreads | Amazon)
There Are Two Sides To Every Summer...
Perfect summer read, me thinks? :D
Quicksilver (Ultraviolet, Book Two) by R.J. Anderson (Goodreads | Amazon)
Everything You Are Is A Lie
Squee!! :D
Arclight (Arclight, Book One) by Josin L. McQuein (Goodreads | Amazon)
No One Is Safe When The Lights Go Out
This one looks brilliant!!  
Thank you so much to Guardian Children's Books for all these amazing books!!  You guys are the best!!


Teardrop (Teardrop, Book One) by Lauren Kate (Goodreads | Amazon)
Sooo excited about this one!!  And the cover, the actual finished cover??  *drools* :D
Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper (Goodreads | Amazon)
SQUEEE!!!  Super duper excited!!
Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid (Goodreads | Amazon)
...and hope to live
Looks so good!!
Such Wicked Intent (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book Two) by Kenneth Oppel (Goodreads | Amazon
Loved book one - super excited!!
The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine, Book One) by James Dashner (Goodreads | Amazon)
The Game Is On...
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This one looks SOOOO GOOOOOD!!!!!  AMAZING!!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT!!! :D
Phoenix by S.F. Said, Illustrated by Dave McKean (Goodreads | Amazon
The Supernova Is Coming...
Can't wait to read this one - the illustrations are the most beautiful I've ever seen!!!
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan (Goodreads | Amazon)
I am sooo behind on reading this and I can't wait!! :D
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan (Goodreads | Amazon)
Can't wait to read this either!! :D
Earthbound (Earthbound, Book One) by Aprilynne Pike (Goodreads | Amazon)
Bound By Fate, Torn Apart By True Love
Gorgeous cover!! Very excited!! :D
Battle Lines (Department 19, Book Three) by Will Hill (Goodreads | Amazon)
Department 19
Secretly Saving You From Vampires Since 1892
Loved this book!!  And loving this new cover!! :D
Here Without You (Between the Lines, Book Four) by Tammara Webber (Goodreads | Amazon)
Ooh, exciting!! :D
The Burning Shadow (Gods and Warriors, Book Two) by Michelle Paver (Goodreads | Amazon)
Super excited about this one!! :D


Bought:


Spy Glass (Glass, Book Three) by Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads | Amazon)
Forged In Adversity, 
Bound By Blood
Bought in advance this time - I know not to start reading Snyder and not have all her books ready! ;)
Magic Study (Study, Book Two) by Maria V. Snyder  (Goodreads | Amazon)
Completing Her Apprenticeship Could Prove Deadly...
Read this.  Loved this.  Gimme Fire Study. ;)
Fire Study (Study, Book Three) by Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads | Amazon)
Her Magic Will Be Put To The Ultimate Test
Excited about this one!  Did you know that Maria's doing three more in the Study series?!?!  I'm so excited!! 2014, come faster dammit!! ;)


Icons (Icons, Book One) by Margaret Stohl (Goodreads | Amazon)
Your Heart Beats Only With Their Permission
Love Stohl's Beautiful Creatures - super excited! :D
Valkyrie by Kate O'Hearn (Goodreads | Amazon)
Her Touch Is Death...
Excited about this! :D
Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt (Goodreads | Amazon)
Nothing Burns Like First Love
Very excited about this one! :D
Bone Quill (Hollow Earth, Book Two) by John and Carole E. Barrowman (Goodreads | Amazon)
Imagination Holds The Key
Didn't realise this was the second - just bought it because John Barrowman said he and his sister came up with the idea on a sugar rush.  LOL! ;)
Dante Valentine: The Complete Series (Dante Valentine, Book 1-5) by Lilith Saintcrow (Goodreads | Amazon)
Very excited about these!! :D
The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Goodreads | Amazon)
Can't wait to read!! :D
Martyr (John Shakespeare, Book One) by Rory Clements (Goodreads | Amazon)
England Stands On The Brink Of War


So, that's me for the last two weeks!! At least I managed not to leave it for a month or more!! ;)
Hope you guys are enjoying the summer - and happy reading to you al!! :D

Wednesday 7 August 2013

HELP ME!

Ok, people.  I need your help.  So so badly.  I need you all to help me: A) Pick A Slogan For My Blog and B) Choose A Banner For My Blog!
Being insanely indecisive, I can't choose either, so please help me!!  I'm BEGGING YOU!!!  

Possible Slogans:
For The Love Of It
The Only Addiction You Don't Want To Quit


Possible Banners:

I really like this one - the kind of messily-cut-out girl with the book, the colour scheme...

This one won't go with my current blog scheme but I absolutely love it...

I really like this one - the whole books flying thing is awesome!

Another awesome one - one of my favourites!!  I just love it!

Not as keen of this one, but it's pretty cool...

The same pic as up there somewhere - love the layout! 

This is probably my favourite - I just really love this picture!!

This one is pretty cool.  I think I need to put the girl behind my sparkles, though. 

Not really overly keen on this one - it didn't work out like I wanted it to!!

I kind of really like this one, even if it is a little cluttered!!!


Ok, so that's all the banners.  PLEASE help me choose one!!  I'm literally on my knees right now, sending mental pleas to you!!

Waiting on Wednesday (#46)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and it's a weekly meme all about the books that are coming out soon that we really can't wait to read.


The book I'm waiting on looks really awesome - and it's by a brilliant author! Yay!! :D


Unbreakable
Series: Legion, Book One
By: Kami Garcia
Published: 10th October 2013
Published By: Simon&Schuester

Synopsis From Goodreads:
Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia. 
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.
Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.
Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.
No UK cover yet, so I'm using the US one.  :D   It's awesome!!  Can't wait to read this - I love Beautiful Creatures and can't wait!! Squee! :D


Ok, so that's what I'm waiting for!  What are you all waiting for? :D

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Top Ten Tuesday (#4)


Hello, lovely followers! I've decided to join in with all the fun of Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the awesome The Broke and the Bookish. It just looks like so much fun! :D

This weeks topic is...

Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels



I don't really want a sequel-sequel.  Cause... well, if you've read the book you know how it ends.  I just want a spin-off about Zoey - Tessa's best friend.  She has some pretty big news in the book and I wanna know how she deals with... everything.
Again, wanna know what happens next to Joey.  I love him so much!
Why do I want a sequel?  BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL TO LEAVE A STANDALONE NOVEL LIKE THAT!!!!!!!  I MEAN OHMIGOD!!!!!!!!  PURE FREAKING EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I'm done.  Read the book and you'll get all the yelling...


I'm not really sure why I want a sequel to this one.  I just... do...  I can't explain it.  And maybe I don't even want a sequel...  Ok, you know what I want?  Just more from this character - I love her.  That's why.  She broke my heart and I just... I want her to fix it again, ok?!
Again, not sure why.  I think it's cause I love the characters.
This one is probably cheating but I just... I never liked the ending.  I want the immediately-after, not the however-many-years-from-now.

 
Dunno why.  Just really really really liked this one. :D
Again, cheating.  But I want more books from Rose's perspecive.  I love Sydney like mad but still...
One of my fave series ever - it shouldn't've been ended after just two books!!!!


What can I say?  I wanna know what happens next. ;)

Ok, that's my Top Ten!  What's yours!! :D