What I'm reading?

Eve by Anna Carey

Blurb:



The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

My thoughts:
I haven't really heard much about this book but it sounded good so I requested it from Netgalley, fingers crossed it'll be as good as it's lovely cover!

End of July R.A.K round-up

R.A.K is the acronym for Random Acts of Kindness hosted by Book soulmates you can click the picture to find out more but basically you sign up every month that you'd like to participate then you can choose as many people as you like to send a booky gift to just for the sake of being nice!

July was actually the first month I've ever signed up and here's the size of my R.A.K!

First off I sent Frostbite by Richelle Mead to Stephenie at Steph likes books

I also sent Small blue thing by S.C. Ransom to Haley at YA-aholic

And Mistwood by Leah Cypress to Donna and My soul to take to Jessica, both at Book passion for life

Unfortunately I didn't recieve any R.A.Ks to show off, but that's ok, I had a great time sending books that people really wanted to them and there's always August! :)

In my mailbox #6

In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

25th July - 31st July

(All book links go to Goodreads.)

Bought:

Blood red road by Moira Young - I came across this on Amazon and it sounded so good I ordered it lol

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer - Eeeek

Forgive my fins by Tera Lynn Childs - I got the second book to review last week so I bought the first since I haven't read it lol

For review:

Colours and Shapes - Both these gorgeous childrens books were sent to me from PatrickGeorge, me and Oliver are looking forward to reviewing them this week.

Lottie Biggs is not tragic by Hayley Long and Shimmer by Alyson Noel - Both from HarperCollins, unfortunatley I haven't read the previous books in either series except the first two in The Immortals series which I didn't enjoy to be honest, so I'm not sure yet if I'm going to review these, I might see if the library has the first books then I will or if someone wants to donate them to me lol

Bought:

I am number four: The lost files: Six's legacy by Pittacus Lore

Gift:

Grit city, issue 2 by Ron Gavalik - This was gifted to me from the author, it has my review for issue one in it!!!

Freebies:

I also downloaded these freebie novellas from Rachel Vincent's website

And that's everything I've received this week

What was in your mailbox?

The girl of fire and thorns review

The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson

Releases 22nd September 2011 in the UK and
September 20th in the US

www.harpercollins.co.uk

What's it about?

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

My review:
5/5
I must admit when I started this I confused for a bit by all the politics and religion of a foreign world, but once I got into it and got a sense of what was going on I was hooked!
This book is well written with an excellent plot that never dulls. I really enjoyed watching Elisa grow from a shy, unconfident girl who overeats for comfort to a strong, clever leader, and, to be frank, completely bad-ass!
She strikes up some great unlikely friendships that were enjoyable to read and I look forward to seeing them develop more in future books, there's one in particular I have my fingers crossed for lol
Carson has created a wonderful, diverse world and I found it easy to envision the different places Elisa travels to and the people she encounters along the way.
One of the things I loved about this book is that it wasn't predictable, the were some things I guessed would happen but there were also a bunch that I never which made for a really excitable read.
This is an excellent debut, I cannot wait to see what more Rae Carson has to offer.

Rae Carson's website/blog

Survey results

Honestly, when I was putting the survey together I was worried nobody would fill it in! So I was pleasantly surprised when we got 55 responses!
Interest questions I asked were, 'How long have you been a fan of the page/blog?' 'What type of books do you typically read?'
These were just to see if we got replies from a variety of fans, which we did, so yay lol
I also asked 'Where did you hear about us?' mostly out of curiosity, it seems most found us on Facebook but others have come via other blogs and from friend recommendations, so it seems we're everywhere lol

Next I asked 'Which of our regular features do you enjoy?' these are the results (participants could pick as many as they liked):
Reviews: 51 votes!
Giveaways: 43 votes
Top ten Tuesday: 21 votes
Wednesdays worldly covers: 19 votes
In my mailbox: 26 votes
Book of the month: 36 votes
Let's write a story Monday: 2 Votes
Book suggestions photo albums: 31 votes
Same difference: 22 votes
Talent corner: 6 votes
The Traveling book: 15 votes

I also asked which features people didn't like, most people did answer 'none' but there were a few that didn't, here's the results:
Reviews: 1 vote
Top ten Tuesday: 1 vote
Wednesdays worldly covers: 3 votes
Let's write a story Monday: 6 votes
Book suggestions photo albums: 1 vote
Same difference: 1 vote
Talent corner: 5 votes

I actually already decided to scrap 'Let's write a story Monday' this week due to lack of interest, well no interest! So I'm glad to see I was right to lol

Next was 'When adding suggestions to the book photo albums would you prefer I...'
Added the blurb for every book in the series: 32 votes
Added the book blurb for just book one: 9 votes
Just added a link for the authors website/blog/FB page: 9 votes
Added no info and just put a link to Goodreads/Amazon: 5 votes

Well I'd say that's pretty unanimous! I'll keep doing what I'm doing!

With four of us on the page I often worry we annoy people with spam so I asked 'Do you think we post...'
Just right: 47 votes
Too much: 2 votes
Not enough: 6 votes

Guess I needn't have worried, we'll try to keep it at the level it's at or below.

And lastly, every month I set two books of the month but I never hear if anyones reading them and stopped setting up discussions for each one some months ago because often there was no response so I asked if people make an effort to read either book of the month:
Yes: 10 votes
No: 9 votes
Sometimes: 36 votes

So based on these results here are the changes we'll be making:
As I've already mentioned I've gotten rid of Let's write a story Monday, all other features at the moment will be staying and they'll be no change to how I add suggestions to the photo albums on Facebook. Because feelings seem to be mixed on The talent corner we considered moving it to a new page of it's own but we just don't have the time so we'll be leaving it how it is. The only thing that's really going to be changing is how the Book of the month will be done which will hopefully make it easier for everyone to participate. I'm going to explain all about that on Monday when I post August's book of the month.

I also wanted to say a big Thanks for all the lovely comments and suggestions, they've all been taken on board and some are being used. Quite a few people mentioned that they sometimes don't get involved simply because they miss posts so as of last week we started a weekly newsletter which you can sign up for using the button on the right (You don't need to be a blog follower to recieve it) which will be a round up of everything that's been happening in the world of Bookaholics that week and stuff coming up, so you need never miss anything again, there will also be some exclusive stuff in there to!

Also you know that the first 15 responses got a gift for participating, those people were:

Stephenie Barker-Drew

Melissa Andrews

Susan Light

Tammy Morrissette Hale

Pam Mandigo

Clarissa P

Vivien (Didn't provide an email address so I'm sorry you got skipped)

Siobhan Phinn

Tammy

Michelle S

Patricia

Dawn Slaughter

Tara/Wildirishrose3

Yvonne Leacy

Ron Gavalik

Karen Dunnell

If you see your name here but haven't yet been contacted regarding your gift, don't worry I am getting you. I'm working my way down the list so you can pick your gifts in the order you responded and it's taking a while to get some replies :)

What I'm reading?

I am number four, the lost files: Six's legacy

Number Six - when John meets her in I Am Number Four she's strong, powerful, and ready to fight. But who is she? Where has she been living? How has she been training? When did she develop her legacies? And how does she know so much about the Mogadorians?

In I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy, discover the story behind Six. Before Paradise, Ohio, before John Smith, Six was traveling through West Texas with her Cepan, Katarina. What happened there would change Six forever . . .

My thoughts

I came across this eBook novella a couple weeks ago after I reviewed The power of six and instantly preordered it! I nearly wet myself when it landed in my Kindle a couple days ago lol Since it's short I'm taking a quick break from my review books to read it, though I'll probably review this to :)



Dark territory review

Dark territory by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel

www.hcibooks.com

What's it about?

In the quaint town of Middleburg, an abandoned train yard and old railroad tracks form the dividing line between two rival gangs—the posh, preppie Toppers and the working-class Flatliners. When Raphael, the leader of the Flatliners, falls in love with Aimee, a Topper girl, the rival gangs prepare to do battle . . . but not with guns and knives. Their martial arts training dictates a strict code of honor, which all of the gang members adhere to. The only hope for peace between the rival gangs lies within the giant X formed where the railroad tracks cross. The awesome power contained in the X sends the Flatliners and the Toppers on a mystical quest to fight against malevolent forces that threaten the existence of Middleburg—and maybe the world.

My review
3/5
Well I liked this book and it has some great characters but it's really long, I felt it would've been just as good if it were missing a few scenes.
There are a lot of characters to meet in the book but I liked how they all became linked to each other by the end and there are a couple who weren't in it much that I think will be more prominent later in the series.
Though this isn't the first book I've read with martial arts in I thought it added something different to a great story, I really liked the rivalry between the Toppers and the Flatliners (Team Flatliners! lol) and I loved how when we got to the Supernatural element of the story it blended in so well with the Natural part it was believeable, though there were some parts that didn't make a lot of sense and I was left with a lot of questions, but I assume this is because there are further books and all will be explained later.
I felt the authors did a great job of portraying Raph and Aimees feelings for each other, especially when they were together, I found to hard to believe they are in love simply because they don't spend more than five minutes together a handful of times, they don't actually get to know each other making it feel more like lust or infactuation, but it was still engrossing to read them.
I thought Raph was a really great guy, honest and determined and despite his living situation he still stays true to who he is, I did feel sorry for him a lot at times and just hope everything works out for him. Aimee is a nice girl to, she's obviously getting over something big and I think she could be a lot more if she didn't have such a controlling Dad and Brother.
I think the story was very imaginative and not something I've seen before, the writing is brilliant with just the right amount of description on everything so you can easily imagine the world it made it easy to read through at the more drawn out parts, I'll definitely read the second book.

Books in The Tracks series:

Dark territory

Ghost crown (January 2012)

More by J. Gabriel Gates:

The sleepwalkers - Check out my review for this creepy horror

J. Gabriel Gates on Facebook

J. Gabriel Gates' website

Same difference #12

I'm 99% sure these are the same girl lol

It's the covers for The betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate and Haunted by Joy Preble.

Have to say I think the Natalie Hargrove cover wins for me

Which do you prefer?

Wednesdays Worldly covers - Week 23

Wednesday's worldly covers is a weekly meme I may have created where each week I share a book cover from around the world

This pretty lady is the German cover for Dead Beautiful - Deine Seele in mir: Roman, which obviously is Dead beautiful by Yvonne Woon, the rest translates to 'Your soul in me: A Novel'

This is what the book looks here in Blighty

And across the pond in the US it looks like this which is pretty simlair.

I like the softness and the red in the German cover so I think that one wins for me,

Which is your favourite?

What I'm reading?

I saw that Haley on YA-aholic does this when she starts a new book. I thought it was a good idea so I'm copying her lol.

The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson.



Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

My thoughts.

Have to say I was really excited when I was approved for this one on NetGalley, I've really been looking forward to it but had a couple of review books to get through first. It sounds really interesting and different

What are you reading?



Top ten Tuesday #9

Top ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The broke and the bookish

This weeks topic is Top ten books that tackle tough issues.
(I haven't read all of these but the ones I haven't I believe fit the bill)

Entangled by Cat Clarke deals with depression and cutting - You all already know I loved this one! Newer followers can see my review here and a post I wrote about depression inspired by the book here if they want to.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler - I recently bought this one because it sounded extremely interesting, it deals with Anorexia and eating disorders.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - another one I've very recently bought, this ones about incest between siblings, I'd never heard of a book about this subject before so I hd to check it out

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson- This one is on my wishlist, I've heard a lot about it, it deals with Rape and one girls struggle to 'speak' about it when it happens to her

Blubber b yJudy Blume - This book deals with bullying, I read it a looong time ago but I remember enjoying it a lot

I should probably call this top five Tuesday cuz that's all I can think up lol

Any suggestions?

Same difference #11

This one was a tip from someone who filled in the little form on the Same difference tab but forgot to include their name, so Thanks annoymous!

This is Dark Angel by Eden Maguire and The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell.

Just goes to show what they can do with a computer!

I think Dark angel is cool and creepy but I think I like the more natural feel to The vespertine.

Which do you prefer?

Update

Hello, I just wanted to put out a little update for my bloggy followers who aren't on Facebook.
Yesterday evening I sent out our very first weekly newsletter! If your interested in receiving our newsletter there's a little button to sign up on the right, once you sign up it should change and give you the option to see last nights newsletter. It's mostly just a round-up of what's been going on this week, here and on Facebook so it's good for people that miss posts or only follow us in one place :)

Also this week on Facebook I started off a poll for our next Travelling book, these are the books you can vote for:

If you'd like to vote then go here.

I also wanted to remind you our artsy contest to design us a new graphic which will be used as our header and profile picture is still running, there's a chance to win lots of books!

(The picture will take you there)

And I think that's about it :)

Robot Dog review

Robot dog by Mark Oliver

What's it about?

In a factory on a hill, a huge machine creates robot dogs for owners eager to feed and play with the lively creatures. But when Scrap dents his ear, he is exiled to the junkyard where all of the other rejected creatures live without someone to care for them. The yard is a comfortable place, but it is never quite the same as finding an owner. What can the rejected dogs do? All dogs, even robot dogs, want an owner.

Mine and Olivers review:
5/5
When I took Oliver to bed he wasn't interested in a story, he didn't want to go to bed, but as soon as I opened up this book he stopped! The pictures are lovely and colourful. The tale starts off sad when a poor robot dog is scraped because he has a dent. Though he's sad and doesn't quite understand what's going on he makes the most of it and makes new friends with the other scrapped dogs which I think is a great lesson fir kids. When the dogs get sad that other dogs they play with have an owner they make themselves an owner with the scrap metal in the junkyard to make for a happy ending. We thought this was a lovely book, it teaches kids to make the most of a bad situation and to be resourceful rather than to be jealous of what others have. The pictures are cute and colourful and the text is big enough for little fingers to follow.
 

In my mailbox #5

In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The story siren

18th July - 24th July

So this week I got:

(Book links go to Goodreads)

Well by now you've probably I'm a sucker for 3 for 2!

I bought:

Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper

Blood magic by Tessa Gratton and

You against me by Jenny Downham

I also picked up The Medusa amulet by Robert Masello because it was near the register and sounded interesting lol

Received for review:

Knight night by Owen Davey - my review is here

Fins are forever by Tera Lynn Childs - This is a UK proof, the book is already available in the US - I actually meant to request the first book but got my titles mixed up lol so I've ordered that and it'll most likely be in next weeks IMM

both from Templar

Won:

I won this fabulous book bundle from Gollancz

Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes

Black lung captain by Chris Wooding

Wolfsangel by M.D. Lachlan

A place called Armageddon by C.C Humphreys

Shadows son by Jon Sprunk

and a lovely Stonewylde postcard.

Won:

I won these eBooks from Kati at Jagged edge

Gray by Rachel Karns

Prophecy of the guardian and Siege of darkness by J.W. Baccaro

Recieved for review from Netgalley:

Eve by Anna Carey

A beautiful dark by Jocelyn Davies

Recieved for review from the author:

Be careful what you wish for and

How to dump your boyfriend in the mens room both by Sibel Hodge

So a pretty busy week for me!

What was in your mailbox this week?