Showing posts with label newly read. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newly read. Show all posts

Wednesday, 11 May 2016

Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel


Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel

Published by: Katherine Tegen
Genre: Young Adult Romance, Young Adult Contemporary
Tagline: Welcome to the party
Rating:****

The book follows a few characters on their endeavour to win a competition. Through this, the reader encounters the mean ad celebrity filled streets of Los Angeles and there's a mystery/thriller as a famous actress goes missing.

So my main thoughts of this book was how much I wasn't sure if I didn't like it or not. Torn between wanting to stop reading it for fear of losing my sanity - it got to the point I was contemplating trying it later, or continuing it so I might just discover what the hell was going on.

However things did pick up. Thank god for that! But the sad news was that it picked up too late. For me, I became interested as the novel ended because that was when the true thriller/mystery aspect kicked in.

(A free copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.)


Unrivalled can be purchased from all retailers, or on Amazon UK now.

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

For the Record by Charlotte Huang

For the Record by Charlotte Huang


Published by: Delacorte books for Young Readers
Genre: YA contemporary
Rating: ****
Tagline: Standing out isn't the same as fitting in

Chelsea, the newest frontwoman for known band Melbourne, has just begun a new life. Previous to joining the band she was just a contestant on some talent show reminiscent of X-Factor or Britain's got talent, etc etc. 

Melbourne have been on the music scene for a few years. They're famous for their old singer Hollis who after leaving the band for mysterious reasons or rather to just go to Vassar. Forced to take Chelsea on, they're about to embark on a US tour that will teach her so much more about the world. 

But as usual there's a romance in the book. A few to be rather honest. 

What comes with fame is the arrival of celebrities into Chelsea's life. One celeb in particular is a young teen heartthrob who makes her feel so good at first until the relationship becomes a little weird. (My words). I wasn't too keen on her romantic endeavours. They felt so forced, so wrong but maybe that was how Huang was writing it to be like.

I did enjoy the book. It was a quick read, something I devoured on the train and made me feel a bit better before I had my dissertation presentation. 

For the Record can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon US now.












Sunday, 18 October 2015

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas


Published by: HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy tale
Tagline: When the glass slipper doesn't fit...
Rating: ***

Ash & Bramble revolves around the protagonist Pin and her waking up from one situation, to be in another. She's a seamstress at first in this world called Story, but somehow breaks out of it with a boy named Shoe. However when chased by a Godmother, things go bump.

I wasn't too sure what to think about this novel.

My main thoughts were mainly about how little I cared about Pin and Shoe. Instead I was counting the pages, the minutes and stops until I could turn my kindle off and stop reading the damned thing.

Pin isn't our typical female protagonist. She's against the grain from the very start. I liked that she planned her escape. It was intelligent and smart but also different. Pin is just not any of the female characters in any traditional fairytale not because of any of what I listed above, but because when she's placed into this different situation she chooses not to be submissive and instead thinks for herself (yay!).

But it wasn't enough. She still needed the guy to rescue her and kiss her and all that. It's just annoying that it could have been amazing and strong but instead it had holes in it from how some male characters can kinda ruin the strong woman.

As far as fairytales go, I found this retelling a fantastic idea but didn't enjoy how it unravelled. It was different for sure. But I think if I was forewarned, maybe I'd have given it a miss.


Ash & Bramble can be bought from Amazon UK or Amazon US.



Friday, 18 September 2015

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

Published by: Running Press Kids
Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy, Young Adult
Released: December 8th 2015

Inherit the stars is kinda like Princess Diaries minus the "Me a princess??". Asa knows she's royal, but she's not necessarily the important one. That falls to her sister who has just been betrothed to another royal of a neighbouring planet etc.

It's literally a sci-fi royal romance that is far better than I could try to even explain. I was blown away by how amazing it was and the fact I was hooked on every word Tessa Elwood wrote. It's a very Hunger Games situation, Asa sacrificing herself to save a sister just like Katniss. But it's very different and poignant and just shows sisterly bonds differently. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, I actually hope they continue the series. I'm just going to apologise in advance because I'm more likely to forget to place the actual cover here when its revealed. The book releases Decemeber 2015 which is a long time away from the month of May. However it is worth the wait and I'm not 100% sure if they might bump it up to an earlier release date. BUT THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! Pardon the caps there but there was no other way to explain  my excitement and how much I loved this book.

The books basically a romeo and juliet but not. The lead female character is the youngest and sacrifices herself to marry a stranger just so her people can have food and the other guy's family has fuel. Add a lot of twists and more exciting stufff that I could say but actually spoil the book and it's fantastic!

Sunday, 17 May 2015

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir


I hope this book is book one of a series. I really hope so because I've not read a book like this in a long time. There was an alternating point of view each chapter but between the two leading characters and I found Tahir did both perfectly. Yes there were parts I got a little bored but I wasn't bored enough to stop reading it, it was just kinda slow. But the ending makes me really really really hope there's a sequel in the works!

Also this is the book everyone is talking about.

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury


I bought this awhile ago but only just finished it. Wow. Okay so this book has so many brilliant things that its made up of that I can't even think of the words to say why you should read it other than the fact it is amazing!

Okay so the book follows the story of Twylla who comes from a long line of Sin Eaters. However she's got some magical blessing that allows her to get out of her village and live in a palace and eventually marry a prince. Doesn't that sound too good to be true? That's because it is. Read this book and find out what exactly happens to our dear heroine and see how amazing this book is.

Sunday, 29 March 2015

A Wicked Thing (A Wicked Thing #1) by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing (A Wicked Thing #1) by Rhiannon Thomas



I know I love retellings of fairy tales but I found this one quite confusing. The idea of the book is fantastic, I loved that Thomas had started a what happened after she woke up. However I was annoyed more at the story itself. Of course she'd be a weak character due to confusion of who to trust and waking up with no friends and family etc. 

The ending however was much better than I thought.

Friday, 6 March 2015

Volition by Lily Paradis

Volition by Lily Paradis

Can we just take a moment to look at how beautiful the cover is?
My first impression with the novel was how amazing the author was to include not just a quote by Courtney Love ("I found my inner bitch and ran with her") but the fact that in her foreword she considers the book a horcrux (which to people who haven't had the time to grace their lives with Harry Potter is like a piece of your soul). From there I was in love. 

Tate the protagonist is messed up. She's got the big chip on the shoulder syndrome going on and instead of the book being all eugh, it was really good. I was thoroughly entertained and hooked throughout the novel, even with the whole Rockefeller parts, yes they were a bit ott but were really good.

I can't give this book enough praise. I am so happy I read it.

Sunday, 15 February 2015

Atlantia by Ally Condie

Atlantia by Ally Condie


The woman who created the Matched trilogy now brings us Atlantia which is a fantastic book. I was drawn into the world of underwater life and shocked that they weren't mermaids as I originally thought. They're just humans living in a bubble in a basic explanation. However the book has a huge sister betrayal, death and a lot of weird stuff going on that makes it worth reading.

Overall however it's a book that keeps you guessing and second guessing what is going on until the end which almost blew my mind (Gone Girl keeping that number one spot) but I was just kinda let down as well. Trust me it's delivered well, the book is fantastically written.  If I had to say more then I think I would give away a hell of a lot of spoilers, therefore I will leave this book in your hands.






Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown


As a fan of Brown's novel I was immediately drawn into Jersey and related with her over her sibling issues, family life etc. The tornado was written beautifully, my attention was caught and I almost shed a tear at the way she refused to leave the ruin that was her home. I knew (Spoiler) her sister and mother had died but I thought that Jane her friend had too. I was kept guessing on that and she turns out to be alive (yay!) but Jersey's life doesn't go too well. I felt awful when I read about Clay and his family, I honestly thought Terry would make her feel better by almost being some kind of maternal figure, same with the grandparents but nothing was resolved enough to give them that chance to.

What I didn't understand was why Brown chose to drift over the passsing over of Jersey from paternal grandparents to the maternal grandparents. It was too rushed, the details breezing over my head and in the end I didn't feel satisfied as a reader. As an author I just wanted to rewrite the ending and extend the novel to give it more of a spark but one day maybe I'll write a novel like this.

Monday, 17 November 2014

The Words We Use are Black and White by Simon Holloway

The Words We Use are Black and White by Simon Holloway

'On essaie de trouver les couleurs qu'on a reve.' - Jacques Brel In Evian, on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lucy sells tickets at the cinema. In the hills above the water, her brother believes himself happily married to a woman he once tried to find by swimming across the lake. Their childhood friend, Fabrice, is returning from the quiet confusion of Canadian trees and the brief memory of his girlfriend in Toronto. Into this relative stillness comes Alain, escaping Geneva's necessity of human contact. But a budding relationship between Alain and Lucy forces them all to reconsider the ways in which they try to talk to each other. To the songs of Jacques Brel and with the lake as a constant presence, Lucy, her brother Jean-Luc, and Fabrice struggle to make themselves heard among the clamour of failing words and misconceptions, leading to potential crises for them all. This interwoven story of love, family and our inability to make ourselves understood leaves you wondering if language can ever be more than guesswork, and if so whether anyone can ever be heard. And for Alain, tangled somewhere in the middle'

So I have a number of notes on my kindle about this novel and overall I found it a really enjoyable read and that's not because Simon is my lecturer. The book itself is easy to read, to follow and is set in some really beautiful clear places. An example would be 'The lake is clear. At it's edge you can see small catfish and perch flit about in the shallows, praying for bands of well-wishers to cast out yesterday's bread' For me this created a beautiful image in my mind because it captured a side of Lucy that I hadn't yet encountered. Also Lucy has to be my favourite character in the novel! She's so gone with the wind it's just wow.

The whole book has examples that I could gush and gush about, I wasn't expecting this when Simon gave me a copy but I'm really glad I read it, I think I might even buy a paperback of it because it's so good. I can't fathom more words to explain the story except suggest that you should read this book.




Thursday, 30 October 2014

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (A Rose Gardner Mystery Novel #1) by Denise Grover Swank

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (A Rose Gardner Mystery Novel #1) by Denise Grover Swank


I just finished this about an hour ago. It was fairly entertaining. I really liked how it wasn't the atypical mystery crime novel that makes me want to rip my hair out and cry. That sounds overdramatic but it's so true. 

I loved Rose, I can relate to here a lot, she's a fantastic character and so is Muffy and her sister Violet and yeah. Grover Swank did really well with this novel, I think I'll read on, I'm half there and half not but it's not a big series, only a few books long.

Yeah the books about Rose, shes's twenty eight and lives in Henryetta and her town is super small and all about the Southern hospitality etc. Her neighbour is hot and a mechanic and a cop maybe? spoilers (maybe). 

I can't say much without spoiling it but read this book! You can read it for free via Amazon Unlimited!


Sunday, 12 October 2014

The Dig (Zoe and Zeus Trilogy #1) by Audrey Hart

The Dig (Zoe and Zeus Trilogy #1) by Audrey Hart


Do not read this book if you actually like Greek mythology. No joke. I'm a stickler to myth accuracy and I was not pleased to see how Hart had changed things around but at the same time I was equally annoyed at the story itself. My first scoff was the "magic black Iphone" AKA A PORTAL! She kept plugging Iphones and oh my god I wish I could shake that out of the book. I thought she could have used a bit more imagination that repeating that but i don't know. It was a tragic book.

Can't Look Away by Donna Cooner

Can't Look Away by Donna Cooner


I went into this book predicting it to be similar to If I Stay and other atypical realistic young adult stories and it was. The protagonist Torrey Grey (named after a moutain) was the standard griefstricken teenager who's forced to carry on with her life after the recent death of her younger sister, a last memory of them also being an argument. There's a twist though. Torrey is internet famous and has previously been featured in Vogue etc. 

It's a bit sudden. You know she's going to fall for some guy, it's how the cycle goes and she does. It just takes her a while to get over appearances and what other people think of her. Still that doesn't make me thirst for more. I thought Torrey was a bitch, she was to choose the popular girls over the real and nice people, she even hurts her cousin but apologises. I get the thrill of being popular, it's what shes always been but still. 

I don't know what to say. Other people might enjoy this but I didn't that much. The ending destroyed what emotion I had for her.

Thursday, 11 September 2014

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart


It's been so long since I read an E.Lockhart book that I floundered for so long about if I should get this or not. Louise ended up buying it and then told me to start reading it...So I did after a few months. Yes I am late jumping onto the bandwagon but bloody hell this book blew my mind. It was so unsuspecting, it comes across as a summer holiday for rich kids gone wrong in that Jenny Han secret way. But the last two chapters decieve you and pull the wool from your eyes when you discover the big secret and my is it good!

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman


After reading If I Stay I had to read the sequel. I had to find out what happened to Mia and Adam and what had become of her since that accident.

I was amazed and a little skeptic to read it from Adam's point of view, especially when you really fall for his character in If I Stay because how could you resist him? But still he's such a great character and I enjoyed seeing the accident through his eyes and the aftermath of it. I was super shocked to see what had happened to Mia but it made sense, Gayle Forman really made it connect to the first whilst still making it  a brilliant sequel. If someone asked me which I prefer the most, I would say both. They're equally attention grabbing and beautiful books that made me cry and laugh and wish for what Adam and Mia have.


Unmarked (Legion #2) by Kami Garcia

Unmarked (Legion #2) by Kami Garcia



I received this book in exchange for a honest review and I have to say I LOVED it! Louise lent it me and hasn't read it to my dismay, maybe that's because I have her copy but still. I devoured the first and that was awesome, review to come soon. But mixing things up here by saying the second is far more better than the first. There's a bit that makes it seem like it would suffer from second book syndrome (That's where the second book is a bit yucky but still makes sense) but it still maintains that strength and I really think you should all read it.

Publishes September 30th through Little Brown Book publishers

Also here's the Goodreads link for it: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12371865-unmarked


Friday, 23 May 2014

5 titles I'm reading (and recently read) that you should read

1.If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

"My emotions swirl like leaves caught in the breath of a dust devil, and the only thing I can seem to hold onto is the anger"
Carey is keeping a terrible secret. If she tells, it could destroy her future. If she doesn't, will she ever be free?

For almost as long as she can remember, Carey has lived in the heart of the woods with her drug-addicted mother and six-year-old sister, Jenessa.

Their mother routinely disappears for weeks at a time, leaving the girls to cope alone. Survival is Carey's only priority - until strangers arrive and everything changes..

I found this book on display at my local Waterstones. Picking it up, I was immediately attracted by the plot and kind of thought it to be a crime novel but it was going to be bought regardless. Turns out I had a good hunch as the book turned out to be amazing, I just loved Murdoch's writing style and how you as a reader were placed into the storyline so gently. I cried and laughed and I just attached to Carey and Jenessa and even the other characters. I honestly cannot stop recommending this book.

2. The 100 (The One Hundred #1) by Kass Morgan
"Orange streaks appeared in the blue, like an oboe joining a flute, turning a solo into a duet. That harmony built into a crescendo of colors as yellow and then pink added their voices to the chorus. The sky darkened, throwing the array of colors into even sharper relief. The word sunset couldn't possibly contain the meaning of the beauty above them, and for 
the millionth time since they'd landed, Wells found that the words they'd been taught to describe Earth paled in comparison to the real thing"
In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again

So I found this by coming across the tv series (Which is really good but not entirely to the book as expected). But I love both. The novel is more down to earth and less about boys and love, instead it shows how our Earth has evolved, there's a lot more description that is beautiful (My above chosen quote) but altogether Clarke is a nicer person, well okay, she's a lot more harder and well a teenage girl in the book (She doesn't love blank!) but the show is good too. I don't know what more to say because if I carry on, I'll probably give a lot of spoilers too. But The 100 is on tv Wednesday nights on CW (Gossip Girl, 90210 etc) and the book is available everywhere now!

3.The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young
"If it's meant to be, you'll find each other again."

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them

To be honest I haven't actually finished this book, I'm 5-10% done with it but I have a feeling that when I get past the first few chapters it might get better. Who knows? But it is a great plot and story. 

4. The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2) by Michael Crichton



"All your life people will tell you things. And most of the time, probably ninety-five percent of the time, what they'll tell you will be wrong"
It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park. Six years since that extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end - the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, the island indefinitely closed to the public.

There are rumours that something has survived.

So I bought this late last year when filming a project for uni. Since then it's been under my bed until yesterday when I thought what the heck, I'll read it. I haven't read the first nor bought it so I'm probably making a mistake here but yeah. I've reached the first eighth of the book and it seems quite good. As I've seen the films I have a brief knowledge of what's happening/what happened in the first book but yeah. Geology seems quite cool right now (That's a joke by the way)

5. Slammed by Collen Hoover (Currently Reading - 50% read as of this morning)
"Sometimes life gets in your way. 
it gets all up in your damn way. But it doesn't get all up in your damn waybecause it wants you to just give up and let it take control. 
Life doesn't get all up in your damn way because it just wants you to hand it all over and be carried along."
Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.


Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart


I've had a lot of reservations about this book/series. Hoover seems like a good author, I've researched around her books wanting to read them but not knowing if I should. Slammed is one goodreads continuously recommended me and so here I go.

So far it's really good but I'll let you know how that goes when I've read it.