Category Archives: Readings

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Waiting On Wednesday – 32

Hello gentle reader,

If you’re here for my Gratitude Giveaway 2013, please click on the image below:

gratitude 2013

This week, I’m waiting on The Madness by Alison Rattle (expected publication: 6th March 2014). It’s a YA Historical novel set in Victorian England. I really enjoyed reading The Quietness by the same author: her books always portray teenage girls in late 19th Century England, in a very realistic way.

The Madness Alison Rattle

From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Marnie lives in the idyllic coastal village of Clevedon. Despite being crippled by a childhood exposure to polio, she seems set to follow in her mother’s footsteps, and become a ‘dipper’, escorting fragile female bathers into the sea. Her life is simple and safe. But then she meets Noah. Charming, handsome, son-of-the-local-Lord, Noah. She quickly develops a passion for him – a passion which consumes her.

As Marnie’s infatuation turns to fixation she starts to lose her grip on reality, and a harrowing and dangerous obsession develops that seems certain to end in tragedy.

Set in the early Victorian era when propriety, modesty and repression were the rule, this is a taut psychological drama in which the breakdown of a young woman’s emotional state will have a devastating impact on all those around her.

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Have you heard of The Quietness? Is The Madness on your TBR list? What are you waiting on this week?

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Gratitude Giveaway 2013! (closed)

Hello gentle reader,

today I’m taking part in the 4th Annual Gratitude Giveaway hosted by Kathy @ I am a reader, not a writer. It’s a giveaway to thank you, my lovely followers…

gratitude 2013

I’m giving away ALLEGIANT (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth (UK Hardcover edition).

allegiant-uk-cover-veronica-roth

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent (Goodreads).

Giveaway information:

The giveaway is open until Saturday 30th November 2013 at 9am (BST time).

To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name and email. If you follow my blog by email or WordPress, if you are a Twitter follower, if you like my page on Facebook, if you follow me on Pinterest or Tumblr, or if you tweet about the giveaway, this will grant you an extra entry. Mention it below.

Entrants must be at least 13 years of age.

This giveaway is open Internationally, as long as the Book Depository ships to your country.

The winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.

I hold the right to end the giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.

I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

This is a blog hop! Check out the other giveaways here.

Good luck and feel free to leave me a comment below!

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Waiting On Wednesday – 31

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on Guardian (Proxy #2) by Alex London (expected publication: 29th May 2014 by Philomel). It’s a YA Science-Fiction sequel to Proxy, which came out in July 2013. It’s no secret that I loved Proxy (one of the best YA books of 2013, in my opinion) and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the second book.

Guardian

Since I don’t want to post any spoilers in case you haven’t read the first book, I’m pasting below the blurb from Proxy (from Goodreads):

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Have you heard about Proxy and Guardian? Are they on your TBR list? What are you waiting on this week?

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Book of the Week – 24

Hello gentle reader,

last week I finished reading the Bright Young Things trilogy by Anna Godbersen (published between 2010 and 2012 by Harper Teen). It’s a YA Historical series set in 1929 in New York City. I enjoyed reading Book 1 (Bright Young Things) and Book 2 (Beautiful Days), but I loooved Book 3 (The Lucky Ones). It was wonderful to see everything coming together and falling into place at the end. So if you like stories set in the Roaring Twenties, I recommend this trilogy!

Bright Young Things

From Goodreads:

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: Flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York’s glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star….

Cordelia is searching for the father she’s never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined — and more dangerous. It’s a life anyone would kill for…and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is ­Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia’s brother, Charlie. But Astrid’s perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the ­illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls’ fortunes will rise and fall — together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of THE LUXE comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.

Have you read Bright Young Things? What did you think? And what are you reading this week? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

 

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Waiting On Wednesday – 30

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton (expected publication: 2d January 2014 by Hodder Children’s Books). It’s a YA Historical Fantasy set in Victorian London and the first book in a planned trilogy.

Witch Finder

From Goodreads:

London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches.

Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Have you heard about Witch Finder? Is it on your TBR list? What are you waiting on this week?

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YA New Releases – November Edition

Hello gentle reader,

There are A LOT of YA books coming out this month! Here are the ones I’m most eagerly anticipating… they’re all coming out on 5th November 2013 (blurbs are from Goodreads).

palace of spies

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Historical Mystery

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don’t.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she’s impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love…

 

Cold Spell

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Fairytale retelling

Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Jackson Pearce, author of the acclaimed SISTERS RED and FATHOMLESS, returns with a unique vision of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen”.

Daylighters

Daylighters (The Morganville Vampires #15) by Rachel Caine (Allison & Busby)

Paranormal (vampires)

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…

(NB: this is the last book in the series!)

Which books are you looking forward to reading this month? Let me know below!

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Book of the Week – 23

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m reading Insatiable and its sequel Overbite by Meg Cabot (published in June 2010 and June 2011 by Harper Collins). It’s an Adult Urban Fantasy with vampires and romance.

Meg-Cabot-Overbite-and-Insatiable

I enjoy Meg Cabot’s books and I love vampire stories, so the only reason I waited this long to read this series is that Insatiable received bad reviews when it came out. I now wish I hadn’t paid attention to those reviews, because I really loved these books!

Meg Cabot cleverly re-tells Bram Stoker’s Dracula and sets her story in modern-day New York City. Her heroine, Meena Harper (!) is tired of fictional vampires invading her bookstore, her TV screen and her day job (she’s a writer for a soap-opera). She meets a Romanian prince and falls in love with him, until she realises he harbours dark secrets, like the fact he’s on the run from Vatican vampire-hunters…

Obviously, this isn’t your usual paranormal romance. Meg Cabot references the entire vampire mythology, from Vlad The Impaler to Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. She mixes elements of a thriller (dead girls turn up in Central Park) with fun comedy moments.

It’s a truly enjoyable read, and I recommend it if you like well-written vampire stories.

What are you reading this week?

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YA Halloween Reads 2013

Hello gentle reader,

Halloween is coming up! Last year I shared with you my October reads and I thought it could be interesting to do it again this year. So if you’re looking for Halloween books suitable for Young Adults readers, here are a few suggestions…

Ghosts: The Shades of London series

(The Name of the Star and The Madness Underneath) by Maureen Johnson

nameofthestarseries

Vampires: The Blood of Eden series

(The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure) by Julie Kagawa

julie-kagawa-immortal-rules-eternity-cure-book-covers-2

Steampunk supernatural extravaganza: The Parasol Protectorate series

(Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and Timeless) by Gail Carriger

Soulless

Gothic / Post-apocalyptic Fantasy: The Masque of the Red Death series

(Masque of the Red Death and Dance of the Red Death) by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death

What are you reading this Halloween? Feel free to share your recommendations below!

And stay tuned for an ALL HALLOWS’ READS giveaway, coming up next week…

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Waiting On Wednesday – 29

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on Strange And Ever After (Something Strange And Deadly # 3) by Susan Dennard (expected publication: 22d July 2014 by HarperTeen). It’s a YA Historical Fantasy and the last book in a trilogy. I have loved the first two books in this series (Something Strange and Deadly -set in Philadelphia – and A Darkness Strange and Lovely – set in Paris) and I can’t wait to find out how it all ends – in Egypt!

Strange Ever After

From Goodreads:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late. Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

You can read my interview with Susan Dennard here.

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

What are you waiting on this week? Is Strange and Ever After on your TBR list? Have you read Something Strange and Deadly?

Feel free to leave me a comment below!

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Book of the Week – 22

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m reading Masque of the Red Death, and its sequel Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin (Published in April 2012 and June 2013 by Greenwillow Book). I won both those books in a giveaway hosted by Hannah at Once Upon A Time. 

These books were inspired by a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1842 and entitled “The Masque of the Red Death”. In this retelling, the story takes place in steampunk/post-apocalyptic world. It has a very gothic atmosphere, an interesting heroine and a compelling plot. I’m loving it!

Masque of the Red Death

From Goodreads:

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Have you read Masque of the Red Death? What did you think? And what are you reading this week? Feel free to leave me a comment below!