31 Jan 2011

February Books/word of the month

The first book of the month is I am number four by Pittacus Lore.
Why? To celebrate the movie out this month and because it's awesome and I think you all should read it!

I know there are a whole bunch more different covers but I went with this one because it's the one I own!

Synopsis:
John Smith is not your average teenager. He regularly moves from small town to small town. He changes his name and identity. He does not put down roots. He cannot tell anyone who or what he really is. If he stops moving those who hunt him will find and kill him. But you can’t run forever. So when he stops in Paradise, Ohio, John decides to try and settle down. To fit in. And for the first time he makes some real friends. People he cares about – and who care about him. Never in John’s short life has there been space for friendship, or even love. But it’s just a matter of time before John’s secret is revealed. He was once one of nine. Three of them have been killed. John is Number Four. He knows that he is next . . .

The next book is No Permanent scars by Michael Hemery. It was suggested by Silenced Press
Synopsis: No Permanent Scars reads how creative nonfiction should read: Like fiction. Like nonfiction. Like memoir. Like humor. Like literature. Like life. It’s about childhood, adulthood, the neighborhood and what it means to be a kid, a parent, a teacher, a human. Michael Hemery illuminates an honest working-class existence, offering both the sober realities of class discrimination and the humor and love of family. Intertwined with serious issues such as suicide, alcoholism, abuse, religion, and immigration, Hemery also endures a painfully slow and often naive coming of age (he once mistook an obvious prostitute for an office supply store employee). This is going to be the best book you’ll read this year.




And the word of the month is

Suggestions:
Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Eternal by Craig Russell
Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Eternal kiss of darkness by Jeaniene Frost
The fire eternal by Chris d'Lacey
The eternal Dawn by Christopher Pike
The eternal kiss anthology edited by Trisha Telep
The eternal ones by Kirsten Miller
Eternal hunger by Laura Wright

Please note some of these are out of series' so check before reading.
If you have suggestions just comment and I'll add them to the list.

29 Jan 2011

The Replacement review

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff


What's it about?
Mackie Doyle is a replacement - a fairy child left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago, to replace the baby when it was stolen away by the fey. So though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie's real home is the fey world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. Now, because his fey blood gives him fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably back home to the fey underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures, rescue the child, and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs.


My review:
3/5
I finished this book still not knowing how I felt about it, I had to sleep on my review to really think about it.
I felt extremely frustrated at the start because there wasn't any 'world building.' it jumps straight in and I was very confused with exactly what was happening sometimes, like I'd accidentally missed a chapter, it was only after that I realised this was to echo the towns reluctance to talk about or acknowledge the strange goings on in the night.
I also struggled with the main character mackie, instead of dark and brooding, I thought he went to far and became dreary and depressing, a few times when I put this book down I actually felt down myself, but I have to credit some of that to pregnancy hormones heightening my emotions, which I think gave me a stronger reaction than someone else.
It wasn't until well in that I felt the eerie sense of the book and could read easier and I can honestly say I've never read anything like it before, there's no holding back on the gruesome parts and the monsters really are scary to think of.
I really felt mackie redeem himself in the end in a scene that almost had me in tears and by the end I really feel like I hope everything works out for him.
So to conclude I guess I'd say maybe don't read if your pregnant but certainly give it a shot if you like a challenge in your reading and don't give up after a few pages of confusion.
For more on Brenna Yovanoff visit her website: http://www.brennayovanoff.com/

27 Jan 2011

Wound too tight review

Wound too tight by TJ Perkins


What's it about?
Summer vacation in Maine promises to be exciting for Shawn and his friends until they uncover a lost treasure from an evil pirate named Simon de Cruel and a very special watch. Each boy decides to keep some of the treasure for himself, but an inscription on the inside of an enchanted pocket watch warns of danger to those who touch the pirate's treasure. One by one the boys begin to disappear, and the curse of the pirate touches the lives of all those close to Shawn. It's up to him to discover the secret of the watch, save the lives of his friends, and put an end to the wickedness unleashed on his home town - before time runs out!  


My review:
4/5
I can't wait to give this book to my son (he's only 19 months so I have a wait) although I think girls and adults will love it to, i think it's perfect for little boys, with a strong male lead, a tight group of friends and of course pirates! I found Shawn to be laid back and head strong and a natural leader amongst his group, even if he doesn't realise it. The writing is easy to get into and the story is lovely. I recommend to all.
You can see more of TJ Perkins and find out where you can buy this and more books by her here

26 Jan 2011

Fantasy casting #2


With the confirmed date for the movie release of the much anticipated The hunger games movie adapted from the popular 'The hunger games' book by Suzanne Collins, casting can't be far away.
Already somebody has mentioned they think Nicola Peltz, most recently seen in The last airbender, is perfect for the role of Katniss Everdeen.
What do you think? Do you agree, or do you think someone else is better suited?

Wednesday worldy covers - week 2

This week German Vampire Academy






























And Swedish Vampire Academy















24 Jan 2011

Guest poster - Will Wyatt




And a Paycheck, Too!
By Will Wyatt

    





      
    I am always thrilled to share my book with new audiences. I have been in the fire service for over 25 years. My friends and co-workers have told me for years I should write a book. When I finally accepted the challenge I knew I didn’t want to write a story book on one time I did this and one time I did that. I didn’t want to write a text book on fire tactics and procedures. I wanted to write a book that the average person in the community could read and perhaps get a new outlook on the people who protect their community. The next time they pull over and allow an emergency vehicle to pass maybe they might stop and think of what fire fighters really do. A book that a person who has no knowledge of the fire service could relate to.

     It’s fun, fear, humor and horror, usually all in one day. I make the point in the book the average fire fighter sees as much death as a mortician. We see death in all forms. The young, old, murder, suicide and just being at the wrong place at the wrong time routinely. When I was young I always just brushed it off as seeing another dead person. After I had children I began to change. Post children when I gazed at a lifeless person I realized this at one time was somebody’s child or this was somebody’s mother. A person having a good day was about to get a phone call or a knock on the door that a loved one was gone.



Excerpt:
People die of natural causes just about anyplace and anytime. I have seen people who have died in bed, in cars, on the floor, and on the toilet. When the end comes, it is pretty sudden. I saw a gentleman in a recliner one night with the foot rest extended with his feet crossed, one hand on top of the other, his head gently laying back on the head cushion and dead. Just like he was napping and somebody flipped a switch. I always wonder if anything was different about their last day.
When a person falls to the ground in front of loved ones, that is a very traumatic and significant benchmark in a family’s history. A mother, father, grandparent, husband, wife, or child has just died. A person you came into the world with and that you always thought would be with you forever. Subconsciously you know that can’t really be true, but most people refuse to think of it in any other terms. A person from whom you first learned about trust and understanding, among a lot of other traits, has just taken their last breath in front of you.
     If this wasn’t bad enough, you look up and here we come. An ambulance and fire truck pull up to your house and we all storm inside. We move furniture, lay the person on the floor, begin mashing on their chest, and a whole variety of activities

     I’m on Face Book and my e-mail is andapaycheck2@aol.com. Let me hear from you.



Mystery of the attic review


Mystery of the attic by T.J Perkins


What's it about?
Melissa is just an average thirteen year old with a semi average life until she moves into an eighteenth century farmhouse. There she discovers that the house is haunted by two ghosts - one good and one evil. With the help of her stepsister, they unravel an age-old mystery and solve an unsolvable crime; one that was never intended to be solved. Many evil hauntings attempt to prevent the girls from discovering the truth. It's a race against time and a battle of wits to see which will prevail - the living or the dead.


My review
4/5
Although this book is aimed at younger readers aged from 8 - 14 I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a short read and I made quick work of it! The writing style is easwy to get into and I really like the chracter of Melissa, I thought she was very mature and clever for her age and extremely determined, I also liked her relationship with her younger sister, they're friends but there's also the common sibling rivalry there that made the relationship feel more real. And along with Melissa I found myself extremely curious about the mystery of the attic. I'll definitely be looking to get my hands on the sequel, On forbidden ground and I'll also be saving the book for my children in a few years.


For more on TJ Perkins visit her page here
Find out where you can buy the book here

23 Jan 2011

Bloody valentine review

Bloody valentine by Melissa De La Cruz
What's it about?
They're Young, Fabulous and Fanged...Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But all too often the only thing that eludes their grasp is love. So when two young lovers are kept a part by a centuries old decree, they'll be forced to learn that, in matters of the heart, not even immortals have total control...or do they?


My review.
3/5
With a title like Bloody valentine I was expecting something more... well bloody, but then I was also expecting one story and not three when I started the book.
The first 'Just another night in suck city' is the shortest and is about Oliver getting over Schuyler after she leaves with Jack at the end of The Van Alen legacy. It's short and sweet and was nice to read but I think it was more just an introduction to Melissa's upcoming series Witches of east end due out in Summer.
The second story 'Always something there to remind me' is about a young Allegra Van alen (Schuylers Mom) and how she came to meet the red blood who would be Schuylers Father, this story was my least favourite, probably because how they met has never been a burning question for me, I've always felt the books are more about Schuyler and her friends, it was however written well enough, the romance was sweet and being set in the 80s left lots of room for fun pop culture references (there are a lot)
And lastly the third story 'Ring of fire' was my favourite and what made the book worth buying, it features Schuyler and Jack right after Misguided angel (And I assume before Lost in time) getting bonded before heading in their seperate directions.
It's the only story of the three that sees some action mixed in with the romance and it was also the only story that had me not wanting to put the book down.
The rest of the book is a sizable chunk of Misguided Angel.
All in all I enjoyed the book and it would be good for a quick read but I don't think I'll read it again.


For more on Melissa De La Cruz visit her website: http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/
Buy the book here (UK)

21 Jan 2011

Guest Blogger - Linda Boulanger


Obsession of the BEST kind by Linda Boulanger
The shelf life of a novel writing book writer

I have a name, but you may as well call me Bookaholic!  I’m obsessed with books – so much so that I decided to start my own small press publishing company (TreasureLine Books & Publishing) to support my addiction. Now, on a daily basis, I read and promote books by new and rising authors.  You might call it a bookaholic obsession of the worst kind because working with every detail of these books - from editing to formatting to cover creation to marketing - I know I’m going to become extremely involved in their characters, almost as if they were my own.  I actually love that!  To me, it’s an obsession of the BEST kind.
 
I’m pretty sure my obsession started when I was a young pre-teen.  We lived in Alaska and trips “home” came with 12 plus hours of flying and waiting in various airports.  My mom presented me with a stack of age-appropriate novel options.   As I grew up, romance books captured my heart – I always blamed it on my February birthday.  It is also my genre choice as an author.  I can’t resist a happy-ever-after ending, though I do want a certain amount of turmoil and characters who make me route for them before they get their happy life.  That’s the type of life I enjoy reading about and also the type I created for my character Claire in my newly released Arms of an Angel. (I'm just a little excited about this book!)
 
A bookaholic obsession provides a means of escape of the best kind; one I don't want to do without.  Where else are you not only able but also allowed to disappear and live the life of another, except when you find the time to slip into the pages of a good book?!

19 Jan 2011

Guest Blogger - Jayne O'Hagan

A glimpse into the world of a Bookaholic by Jayne O'Hagan
This blog has got no name

Hi I'm Jayne & i'm a bookaholic yet i don't have any desire to be cured....EVER!!!!. When i was younger i always read, i remember my sisters buying me books, always reading & i'd also write stories, as my mum use to say living in a fantasy world. Then life sort of took over after leaving school, working, having children. I rarely read,for myself maybe the occasional true life story, i always tried to read as much as possible to my children. That all changed last year when a friend bought the same book twice by accident so she sent it to me. That book was Vampire Academy Frostbite unknown to me it was book 2. Since then i have read the whole series. I then found Morganville vampires as i'd gone into Waterstones the author Rachel Caine was doing a book signing later that week on my birthday so i searched to find out all about the series & loved what i found out.I was even encouraged to buy Twilight i was reluctant as i didn't think it was my thing but i loved it. They so are my thing Twilight isn't only for teenage girls & the same friend sent me New moon & Eclipse. My obsession as taken over everything else it's all i think about, everytime i go out i'm only happy if i come home with a book. My other half asked ''why don't you join the library?'' i looked at him with all seriousness replying ''but i'd have to give them back''. All i'm looking for is people to understand that being a bookaholic isn't anything to be ashamed of lol!! No it's something to be proud of to shout about it. Those who aren't bookaholic's are missing out on so much.

Wednesday's Worldly Covers

I've decided Wednesdays will be worldly covers day, where I'll post book covers from... wait for it... around the world.
For our first I've chosen the Hungarian covers of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton.

The first book Guilty pleasures.



And the whole series
(Montage made by Judy Beres)
















Pretty cool, and some are a little racy, I think lol

For more from Laurell K. Hamilton you can visit her website: http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/

18 Jan 2011

Guest Blogger - D.B Dean


Confessions of a Bookaholic by D.B. Dean
The girl next door's blog


Hello, My Name is Davida and I am a bookaholic.  My addiction started as a young child. My earliest memories are of my mother and father reading to me.  They exposed me to Agatha Christie and Louis L’Amour before I was old enough to hold the book myself.  My hungry young mind inhaled the second-hand words hungrily.
I remember my first book so clearly.  I carefully opened the light green cover of “The Secret Garden”.  The smell of fresh paper and book binding glue hit my nose and I felt the rush.  I would read and re-read that book until the pages were worn out.  It was the gateway to a whole other world.
We didn’t have a TV in our home, and so we would sit in the living room and read the complete works of Shakespeare. As a teenager I became a social outcast.  Normal kids could not quote whole Shakespearean Sonnets from memory. Normal teenage girls were not familiar with Kipling and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. The addiction had already begun to take its toll, separating me from my peers.
The addiction grew worse over time.  I function in society as best I can.  But there are times when the hunger for words is to strong for me to resist. I have defied authority and broken the law to get my fix.  As a child I would disobey my parents at bed time, reading underneath the covers with a flash light.  As an adult, many a traffic law has been broken as I read at stoplights and prop up my book on the steering wheel if the freeway slows to a crawl. I hide in the bathroom away from my children, jonesing for just one more page.
In my thirties the hunger grew so much that I was not happy just reading other writers words.  I began to write my own stories in the hope that I could sell them to others to support my habit.  I couldn’t wait for my favorite authors create stories, I had to make my own.  Stories began to form in my mind, and even though I begged and pleaded, I could not find others to write them.  They kept insisting I should write them myself.  Tom Schreck: Writer, Teacher, Boxer was the coldest of all.  He kept pushing me to write, insisting I had the talent.  My husband, probably wanting me to stop buying other people’s work, had always encouraged me to write.  But I think that was just to save money and free up space along our living room wall.
And so I began to cook up adventures.  Hours spent crafting the perfect mix of character, action and conflict.  I spend every waking moment reviewing the plots in my mind, obsessing over the smallest detail. And then I wait on the corner, hoping someone will come along and buy my work, always scared that the powers that be will consider it unworthy for public consumption. I write, I read and hunger for more.  The end of a book is like coming down off a binge.  I am depressed that the story is over, longing for another.  Some of my favorite authors only put out a new book in their series once a year.  I pre-order the book, waiting on pins and needles for it to arrive.  Like a kid at christmas I rip into the packing material and devour the book in a night.  Then I hit bottom, realizing that another book wont be along for a whole year.
I fear this sort of addiction has no cure. I am to far gone my friends.
I am a bookaholic, a peddler of words, an addict.

Harry Potter art director reveals new death scene for Snape in Deathly Hallows - Part two


Andrew Ackland-Snow, the art director for the Harry Potter franchise, has revealed that Severus Snape will have a death scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 which is different from what's found in the book.

SPOILER WARNING
"We wanted to change a bit where Snape dies. In the book, he dies on the Shrieking Shack, and we wanted to get him out from, not a conventional interior, but from that kind of box, to do it in a more dramatic atmosphere. We asked J.K. if she agreed for that to happen in there, because we hadn't really seen it before. We made a crystal house, and you can see what happens in the boat house from there - Are you listening Harry? -, but also the school is in flames...and she loved it. Besides, it's a very romantic place to die. Snape dies in a extremely good way, I gotta say."

You may remember set designer Stuart Craig commented on Snape's death scene last February, commenting: "The last time I cried was a few days ago when we filmed the death of Alan Rickman's character, Snape. It's quite difficult to cry in rushes -- where we watch the previous day's work -- but he is an extraordinary actor and he dies an extremely good death."

Sourced from: www.mugglenet.com

Books/word of the month - January


Januarys books of the month

The replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Mackie Doyle is a replacement - a fairy child left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago, to replace the baby when it was stolen away by the fey. So though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie's real home is the fey world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. Now, because his fey blood gives him fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably back home to the fey underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures, rescue the child, and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs.

Jane Austen
Any Jane Austen novel of your choice

Word of the month:


Suggestions:
Firespell by Chloe Neill
Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Spellbound by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Shadowspell by Jenna Black
Garden spells by Sarah Addison
The marriage spell by Mary Jo Putney

17 Jan 2011

Darkest Mercy review



Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr


What's it about?
The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.


My review:
5/5
It's always bitter sweet to see a great series end, and always interesting to see just how that series will end and if it's how you expected. I think Melissa Marr has done a terrific job with the last book in the series, I felt everything ended wonderfully with some things I certainly didn't see coming and an Epilogue that was almost poetic to the story. After reading the first four books, each centered around different characters in the series, it was great to see (almost) all of them come together for the final installment, expecially Niall, who I've been in love with since Ink Exchange! Although I was left with a couple of small questions I felt everything wrapped up nicely. And just like the other books this was as beautifully written as the cover art.


To see more of Melissa Marr visit her website: http://www.melissa-marr.com/
Darkest Mercy releases in the UK on 3rd March Preorder it here

16 Jan 2011

The Scorch trials review



The scorch trials by James Dashner

What’s it about?
Solving the maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to. In the maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety... until Theresa triggered the end. In the world outside the maze, however, the end was triggered long ago. Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated – and with it, order – and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim... and meal. The Gladers are far from done running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them. Thomas can only wonder – does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

My review:
5/5
‘The maze was only the beginning’ never have I read a truer tag line! The scorch trials was an amazing follow up to the brilliant The Maze runner. Our boys are thrown into the action right from page one and it doesn’t stop until the very end as they all battle to make it through the scorch trials. I love Thomas and think he makes a great and very brave hero, he’s loyal to his friends all the way through and always tries to do what he thinks is the right thing, and his budding romance with Theresa is just lovely to read. There are a lot of unseen twists to the plot and, like Thomas, I found myself questioning who I should really be trusting and of course what the hell will happen next! Because you really never know in this series, that’s why I’m on the edge of my seat awaiting the third book, The death cure.

For more from James Dashner visit his website: http://www.jamesdashner.com/
Buy the book here (UK)

Awakened Review


Awakened by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast
What’s it about?
Zoey and the gang are back fighting evil (well, duh, that's what being a High Priestess is all about) but with a variety of romantic intrigues to distract them it's a wonder they can get anything done! Zoey's got some serious work to do at the House of Night if only she could concentrate ...

My review:
4/5
The house of night is one of my favourite series but after a disappointing 7th instalment with Burned I had hopes this latest addition would reawaken (pun intended) the series, which I really felt it did. I found the story slow moving as in the other books but there will still a lot of twists and shocks that I never saw coming and had me gasping out loud. There were also lots of scenes that had me close to tears, in fact I probably would have be sobbing and snotting had my kids not kept distracting me and pulling my emotions from the book! We are still seeing multiple narratives which I liked a lot and thought the adults such as Neferet and Kalona really bought on a darker tone to the book, but at the same time this made Zoey and the gang seem more like kids, I just kept feeling that after what they’d all been through so far that maybe they should’ve grown up a little more by now which would show in their dialogue. I also found myself very frustrated with Zoey and Stevie Rae for about three quarters of the book as they shied away from their responsibilities and didn’t live up to their previous kick-ass characters. But as a whole I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to the next book Destined.


For more from P.C Cast visit her website: http://www.pccast.net/
or the official House of night website: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/
Buy the book here (UK)

14 Jan 2011

Clockwork Angel review

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

What's it about?
Magic is dangerous - but love is more dangerous still... When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends, and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My review:
3/5
After enjoying The Mortal Instruments series I was looking forward to reading the start in this new prequel spin-off series but have to say I was a little disappointed. Whilst the premise is a good one along with the setting I often found myself becoming bored learning all about the world of Shadowhunters and Demons with the protag Tessa because I'd already learnt it all reading the first series, I also found Tessa and Will to be quite similair to Clary and Jace so reading a lot of the book felt like Deja vu. The main plot though was interesting and there was enough questions after a great action scene at the end that made me want to read the next book Clockwork Prince. Now that Tessa has been introduced to this new world I have high hopes the second book will include more story and defintily more action!

For more on Cassandra Clare visit her website: http://cassandraclare.com/cms/home
Buy the book here (UK)

Firespell review



Firespell by Chloe Neill

What's it about?
As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia's boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she'll have to face. When Lily's guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia's. Lily's ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she's hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building. The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout's a little weird - she keeps disappearing late at night and won't tell Lily where she's been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster. Scout's a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who've sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who've been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own - at least, none that she's discovered yet . . .

My review:
4/5
Well I'll start by saying that I liked this book, the story was great and flowed easy, but there were some parts that seemed 'to easy' for our lead character, such as the fact that her new bff doesn't seem to try very hard at all to hide the fact that she has a big secret even though it's pretty important, and later on when lily needs help from some reluctant people she doesn't have to do much to convince them, maybe it's a bit picky but I was expecting some kind of 'big speech' that would also set her up as our brave hero.
Never the less I liked lily Parker a lot, perhaps because she reminded me of myself a lot, she's overly sarcastic, loyal and has wicked awesome dress sense! And her new friend scout is also pretty kick-ass to, I also liked love interest Jason a lot to.
Overall I think the book was well written with enjoyable characters and I look forward to the next instalment hexbound
To see more of Chloe Neill visit her website: http://www.chloeneill.com/
Buy the book here (UK)

12 Jan 2011

Fantasy Casting


I don't actually do much 'fantasy casting' but whenever I read Vampire Academy Ed Westwick (Gossip girls Chuch Bass) always comes to my mind for Adrian Dashkov.
Do you agree or is there someone else you think more fits the role?
Comment here and I'll add pictures of the guys you think would be perfect for Adrian tomorrow in a new post. (just for Adrian though, I'll ask about other chracters later)

MIST

My soul to take review

My Soul to take by Rachel Vincent:

What's it about?
Being a teenager just got much more complicated. There is something very wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh: she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

My review:
4/5
Rachel Vincents easy-to-read writing style had me knowing I'd like this book within a few pages, and I wasn't disappointed.
I read a lot of fantasy books, YA and Adult, so I've read a lot of Vampires and Werewolves and such but this is the first time I've come across a book about a teenage Banshee or Bean Sidhe, this and the lack of a 'forbidden love' made for a refreshing change. Don't worry, there is a love interest for our young heroine but it's more straight forward than some other stories.
I found I liked all of the characters although none more than others, Kaylee is a nice young girl, sometimes funny, who takes the news of what she is very well and Nash is certainly great boyfriend material!
Although some of the plot was more obvious than other parts I was still guessing til the very end.
Needless to say I'm looking forward to the second book in the series My soul to save.

To see more of Rachel Vincent visit her website: http://rachelvincent.com/
Buy the book here (UK)
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