Kobo Aura HD - Review

Kobo Aura HD

Available for £139.99 from Kobo and WHSmith 

What is it?

The Aura HD is a sophisticated e-Reader that delivers the best reading experience for the most discerning booklover. Available in luxurious Ivory, Espresso and Onyx, the Kobo Aura HD transcends comfort with a beautiful ergonomic design. Offering the highest resolution available on the market, its front-lit 6.8” Pearl E Ink touch-screen showcases stories in a way that only a true Reader can appreciate – it’s e-Reading re-imagined.

Kobo’s eReaders and tablets are designed for those who love reading. With this in mind there are some fantastic features which will make reading on your Kobo a joy. The unique Beyond The Book feature allows readers to explore books in more detail than ever before, by tapping on highlighted words to discover related books, authors, articles and more. If you want to use your eReader for more than just books, then Kobo’s partnership with Pocket is perfect for you. Pocket allows you to upload any articles or web content on to your Kobo to read at a time that suits you.

Review

The Kobo Aura HD is a sleek and sexy little machine, its light weight but feels tough too so I didn't feel like I had to be gentle with it, not that I'd start throwing it around either lol.

I found the device easy enough to use, with simple menus and easy reading. The only complaint I might have is a bit of a slow start up, you do have to wait a few moments for the system to load when you turn it on, or whenever you open up a book. But I love the design and how it feels in my hand. It's really easy to find your way around, either into the, well organised, online store or to look through your personal library, and I had no trouble connecting up to my wifi. Everything is laid out nicely and I love the reading stats that are easily accessible from both the home menu and during reading, they include an estimation on how much longer you have to read to finish the chapter your on and the book itself, based on your reading speed, and even has how many pages you've read, fun for anyone that likes to keep track or set themselves goals.

There's also a handy backlight, that you can quickly turn on from the push of a button on top of the ereader, with adjustable brightness, you can read in the dark without the danger of giving yourself if, like me, you're susceptible to them.
I found the display to be crisp and clear and the touch screen had the right amount of sensitivity, I wasn't accidentally turning pages by brushing by it and I didn't have to 'jab' at it either.
So, if you're looking to get yourself an ereader, I would definitely recommend the Kobo Aura HD for consideration, it does everything you would expect an ereader to do and then some.

The girl with the iron touch - Review

The girl with the iron touch by Kady Cross

The steampunk chronicles book three

Available now

www.miraink.co.uk 

What's it about?

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken.

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation, an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has.

My review

The girl with the iron touch is the most recent and most thrilling novel in this brilliant series. The whole gang is back together and back in London and we find ourselves back in the main storyline, feeling like we'd never left. However everything isn't perfect, Griffin is haunted from recent events and Sam and Emily are trying to define their relationship while Finley is wondering if she even has one with Griffin.
It's an intense addition to the series which continues to explore the character relationships while simultaneously taking us on a mysterious and exciting adventure.
I am really enjoying the world that the author is building and I love everything about it and all the characters she's created. One in particular I'd like to mention is Jack Dandy, although he's back in this book, he still doesn't get a whole lot of facetime, but I really like him and would love to see him get his own story, after reading the short novella The dark discovery of Jack Dandy, I really feel like he has a whole lot more to tell. And if you haven't read the three short novellas then I recommend you do if you enjoy this series as they're great little additions and will keep you going until the release of book four.

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The girl in the clockwork collar - Review

The girl in the clockwork collar by Kady Cross

The steampunk chronicles book two

Available now

www.miraink.co.uk 

What's it about?

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade--the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And "tightens."

From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship.

More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley...and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily--whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.

Now, to help those she's come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much....

My review

If you enjoyed the first novel in this series, The girl in the steel corset, then you are in for a treat in book two. In The girl in the clockwork collar we see our favourite little group of misfits moved over to 'the big city' of New York as they go on a new adventure to save their friend Jasper from the hands of an evil villain. Don't be put off by there being a new setting or new characters because it really all does go together well and I loved seeing a bit of American culture in this period of time, in contrast to the British culture we see in the first book.
Although The girl in the clockwork collar seems to move away from the main story for a little side adventure, I did enjoy it as an addition to the series and the author makes some good work of expanding the world and character relationships, particularly between Finley and Griffin, I am dying for them to get together!
I haven't read too much steampunk, in fact a lot of what I have tried, I've not been able to finish, but this is a great series, I really like all the little inventions the author has come up with and her addition of famous places (The statue of liberty) and people (Nikola Tesla). It makes for a thrilling adventure that you'll find hard to put down.

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Sky on fire - Review

Sky on fire by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 book two.

Available now

www.hodder.co.uk 

What's it about?

Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope. 

Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .

Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected. . .

My review

(Spoilers from book one are in this review.)

After such a great start to this series with Monument 14 I was expecting the same high quality with Sky on fire and I'm glad to say that's exactly what I received.
Sky on fire is another thrill ride from Emmy Laybourne. Told again from Dean, who's stuck in the Greenway, we also have the added voice of his brother Alex who left on the bus at the end of Monument 14, which adds a whole new dimension to the books. We now get to see two stories unfolding simultaneously and have the voices of two very different characters in our heads. I thought this added a great extra layer and continues the series nicely and I hope the same structure will be kept for book three.
The things I liked about Dean in book one are still there, he's not the perfect hero, in fact sometimes he's not a hero at all, he has bad thoughts and he doesn't always do the right thing because he's scared. This made him a more realistic person to me because sometimes it's hard to be selfless and we do think of ourselves first, even if we won't admit it out loud. And I liked Alex too, he's younger but very clever and they are two very different characters in their own right.
The story had me hooked all the way through and I've found myself very invested in all of these characters and I care a lot about what happens to all of them so right now I'm just praying none of them get killed off in the last book! Lol..

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Daylighters - Review

Daylighters by Rachel Caine

The Morganville vampires book fifteen

Available now

www.allisonandbusby.com 

What's it about?

While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one…

Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.

It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation—even for the vampires themselves—the truth is far more sinister and deadly.

Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end.

My review

(4.5)

Ahh as if the Morganville series is actually finished! I've enjoyed this series immensely since I started reading it three years ago and seeing it end was bitter-sweet. While I wanted to see how everything plays out for all these much loved characters, I didn't want to say goodbye to them. Despite the long run of this series, I've never once found it boring or disliked any of the fifteen books or anyone in them.

Daylighters ended the series well, with all loose ends tied up and I was happy with everyone's endings. One of the main things I liked was how the humans and vampires have come to work together as the books have progressed, into some kind of unconventional friendship.
I'm trying to not say too much because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone but I personally think Daylighters puts a great close on this much loved series and fans won't be disappointed. And to anyone that's never read any of the Morganville books, I'd like to say, don't be daunted by how many there are because they're all great and you should give them a try!


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Pawn - Review

Pawn by Aimée Carter

The Blackcoat rebellion book one.

Available January 2014

www.miraink.co.uk 

What's it about?

Are you more than the number on the back of your neck?

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered. The same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

My review

Pawn was an exciting dystopia novel full of intrigue and twists, I really enjoyed it. Although I've read many dystopias that focus on a 'class' system society, I always enjoy reading new imaginings of what a futuristic world would be like to different authors and I liked what Aimée Carter did with Pawn. Not only is everyone ranked when they become of age but they are forced to have it tattooed onto the back of their neck to forever remind them of their place in society, a sign of the kind of power the government hold.
The story moved along nicely and many twists, some I saw coming and others that I never. I'm equally intrigued by both Benji and Knox, I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop in further books, as I will most definitely be reading them.
Kitty's character was also relatable, she's kind and caring, however she does want the best for herself to, if she can get it, I liked her.
If, like me, you have a big pile of dystopias to read, then put this one nearer to the top because you won't be disappointed.

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Allegiant - Review

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Divergent book three.

Available now.

www.harpercollins.co.uk 

What's it about?

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

 The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

 But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

My review

This has to be one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write! It's taken me three weeks to gather my thoughts after reading Allegiant and I still don't know how I feel about it. For the most part I did enjoy it, I wasn't outraged by the end like a lot of people were, the ending was actually the least of my worries, I thought it fitted the story and if that's the way the author felt it going, then good on her for being brave enough to write it that way. The whole series focuses on bravery a lot after all! I even teared up and had to take a few breathes after turning the last page before I could do anything else.

For me, it was more the fact it didn't live up to its predecessors. Both Divergent and Insurgent were constant thrill rides of action and shocks, neither book let off until the end. In comparison Allegiant felt tame, okay I was expecting some talking, being the last book in the trilogy we were certainly owed some explanations, but there was just too much talking along with a secondary rebellion that didn't feel completely necessary to the story and made everything more complicated. A big chunk of the book was spent on this, lots of talking and plotting but no real action, which is something I've come to expect from Veronica Roth's books after the example of her first two novels. So I did enjoy the book, I just think Roth could have done so much more, she's already proved she has the talent to. But it certainly hasn't put me off any of her future work, while I've loved Tris and Four and I'm sad to see them go, I'm excited to see what the author can do next.

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The fall of five - Review

The fall of five by Pittacus Lore

The Lorian legacies book four.

Available now.

www.penguin.co.uk 

What's it about?

The Garde are finally reunited, but do they have what it takes to win the war against the Mogadorians?

John Smith—Number Four—thought that things would change once the Garde found each other. They would stop running. They would fight the Mogadorians. And they would win.

But he was wrong. After facing off with the Mogadorian ruler and almost being annihilated, the Garde know they are drastically unprepared and hopelessly outgunned. Now they’re hiding out in Nine’s Chicago penthouse, trying to figure out their next move.

The six of them are powerful, but they’re not strong enough yet to take on an entire army—even with the return of an old ally. To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. More importantly, they’ll have to discover the truth about the Elders and their plan for the Loric survivors.

And when the Garde receive a sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Loric symbol—they know they are so close to being reunited. But could it be a trap? Time is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they have to get to Five before it’s too late.

The Garde may have lost battles, but they will not lose this war.

Lorien will rise again.

My review 

Amazing! Awesome! Did I say amazing? Yep, I totally loved this book and if you're a fan of the series, then you will too. I've been in love with this series ever since reading the first book, I've even read all the novella's and hugely anticipate the next release in the series. That being said, I didn't enjoy book three, The rise of nine, quite as much, some of the characters annoyed me slightly and the ending was, meh. It had me worried that maybe the series had peaked and I really wondered what was in store for me when I got my hands on The fall of five, thankfully that didn't stop me starting it the day it arrived and I'm glad I wasn't put off but the series is back to its strongest and remains in my favourites list.

But anyway, you want to know about the book, I don't want to say to much, it's hard to review a book this far into a series without revealing spoilers but I'll try. Although The fall of five seems to move slower than the previous books story wise, its still a great read, the plot is really starting to thicken and there are some surprises in store, especially for anyone that hasn't read the additional short stories! There are less big fights but lots of training action so there's still fighting going on and the book moves along well. This time the book is told from the POVs of John, Marina and Sam, Sam! I'm so happy to have Sam back, I missed him a lot in The rise of nine and getting him back and getting to read from his POV was an extra treat.

So yeah, The Lorian legacies is completely back on form for me, although there's less development in the story we get to spend some time with the characters, getting to know them and seeing how they act and get on together as a group now that they're all together in one place. We also get a small look into the plans of Setrakus Ra!

I am so desperate to see what happens next, only a year to wait. *sigh*

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Invincible - Review

Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Chronicles of Nick book two.

Available now

www.atombooks.net 

What's it about?

Nick Gautier's day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul. 

His new principal thinks he's even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can't even mention and the girl he's not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him. 

But more than that, he's being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn't learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them...

My review

Following on from Infinity, Invincible picks up just hours from where we left off and dives straight back into the story and action. If you were a fan of book one then you will enjoy Invincible too. You can kind of tell the author is setting up for a long series as the story is moving pretty slow for my tastes but there's still plenty of action, extra story info and new characters to meet to keep you entertained. While I am enjoying the series, I wouldn't put it in my favourites and and find it forgettable, but I won't be discounting the rest of the books, I already have the next two waiting on my TBR for me.
I think my main problem is that this is a spin-off from her adult series which I haven't read and I often feel like I'm missing things, like when a character is introduced I can tell they've been in her other series just by the way they are introduced and the way their pasts and secrets are hinted at, but not told, like I should already know.
That being said, I didn't find the book a struggle to read, I just got put off a few times but I don't plan to read the adult series to understand more either. Nick's mom kind of annoys me to be honest, but I like Nick himself a lot, and he's what keeps me interested in this series, he's so innocent, naive and generally good that I want it to go well for him, I definitely don't want him to turn evil!

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London YA Lit convention announced!

WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE TO CHAMPION BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Malorie Blackman announces campaign to support the best of young adult fiction in the UK, including the country's first ever YA Literature Convention at the London Film and Comic Con 2014.

#UKYA #YALC

Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman has announced a campaign to support fiction for young adults in the UK during her two year term in the post. A highlight of this will be the first ever YA Literature Convention, hosted at the London Film and Comic Con in July 2014. Blackman will also be working with Booktrust on a search for the rising stars in the UKYA community.

Blackman was announced as the Children’s Laureate in June this year. As the first Children’s Laureate best known for writing for a teenage audience, she is ideally placed to act as a cheerleader for books for young people. From the moment she was appointed, Blackman has passionately voiced her desire to get “more people, reading more”: whether they choose a classic literary novel or Twilight, the important thing is to get young people to pick up a book. The statistics show there is still much work to be done in this area, with recent research showing that only 3 in 10 young people read daily out of class and a fifth of young people saying they would be embarrassed if a friend saw them reading (NLT 2013).

Malorie Blackman comments:

“We are incredibly lucky to have such a wealth of fantastic children's authors and illustrators in this country who create incredible stories for young adults to enjoy.  It's so important to encourage, sustain and where necessary instil a love of reading in our teenagers.  Reading opens doors and creates life opportunities. That's why I want to do my utmost to promote YA books for all our young (and older!) readers.”

A highlight of Blackman’s campaign will be the first UK Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) which will take place at the London Film and Comic Con 2014 (LFCC). This convention will bring together all the UK’s YA publishers to provide a host of author events in a dedicated Book Zone, with talks, workshops, signings, a book sales area and publisher stands promoting new and upcoming titles. Blackman will act as a curator for the two-day convention, uniting authors and publishers throughout the UK community. 2014’s YALC event will be the first time a large scale public convention around YA books has taken place in the UK, and its setting among the fans of cultish film and TV will set books at the heart of entertainment for teens and young people.

At this weekend’s Winter LFCC, a one-off special event on Sunday 6th October will trail the YA Lit Con with a panel of award-winning authors lined up to discuss YA books that have been adapted to film. The panel will feature Meg Rosoff, whose novel How I Live Now is released as a major movie today, starring Saoirse Ronan and directed by The Last King of Scotland’s Kevin Macdonald. The panel also comprises award-winning authors Anthony McGowan and Lucy Christopher and will be chaired by Blackman herself, whose book Pig Heart Boy was adapted for the BBC and subsequently won a BAFTA.

Young Adult fiction has seen a boom in recent years with titles such as Twilight, The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments series all enjoying millions of copies sold and blockbuster movies to accompany their success in print. Between 2006 and 2012, sales jumped 150% and last year, Young Adult fiction accounted for over £36 million of sales in the UK alone (Nielsen BookScan). Despite many literary prize wins for UK authors including Carnegie Medals for Sally Gardner’s Maggot Moon, Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls and Monsters of Men and Meg Rosoff’s Just In Case, US authors continue to dominate the market, with 18 out of 20 of last year’s top YA bestsellers written by American authors.

However, Young Adult books regularly face controversy. Last week, the American Library Association revealed that teen fiction is the most targeted by censors, with a number of YA books appearing on their yearly Banned Books List. Recent issues around teen and YA books have centred on the inclusion of sexual content, levels of violence and the trend for “Sick Lit” – books featuring young people suffering from mental health issues or life threatening illness. Malorie herself has already voiced views that teen books should include realistic portrayals of loving sexual relationships in order to help educate young people and is keen to continue the debate on these topics.

Further events and elements to the campaign will be announced in due course. Blackman will also be working with Booktrust to choose her pick of YA books available, and she will be on the hunt for new and upcoming talent in the Teen and YA books sphere.