Category Archives: Readings

by

5 Books that Should Be Movies

Hello gentle readers,

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl… What do these books have in common? They have all been turned into movies that will come out in 2013.

I have read them, and they are good books, which means I’ll probably go and see their movie version. However, if I had a choice in deciding which books should be turned into movies, I would have made another list. Here are 5 books I really wish were movies:

1 – The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (YA Paranormal)

The unbecoming of Mara Dyer

I have given up hope that Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw are real. Can I at least see them in a movie?

2 – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (YA Fantasy)

the-raven-boys-book-coverThose boys. This girl. This school. This story. This magic. How on earth is this book not a movie yet?

3 – Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel (YA Paranormal)

InfiniteDays

The only Vampire Book out there that should be a movie, and the only one that isn’t, for some reason.

4 – American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Fantasy)

american-gods

Neil Gaiman’s books become movies, slowly and surely. I just hope this one doesn’t get forgotten, because it’s my favourite by him.

5 – The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (YA High Fantasy)

TheThief

The awesomeness that is this book would make for an amazing movie.

Which book do you wish were a movie?

by

Book of the Week – 17

cover_ruby_in_the_smoke

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m reading a YA Historical Mystery/Fantasy. The Ruby In The Smoke (A Sally Lockhart Mystery) was written by UK author Philip Pullman. It is the first book in a quartet published between 1985 and 2004. Set in Victorian London, this series follows sixteen-year-old Sally as she investigates her father’s death and uncovers secrets that threaten her very life.

From Goodreads:

“Sally is sixteen and uncommonly pretty. Her knowledge of English literature, French, history, art and music is non-existent, but she has a thorough grounding in military tactics, can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol.

When her dear father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, Sally is left to fend for herself, an orphan and alone in the smoky fog of Victorian London. Though she doesn’t know it, Sally is already in terrible danger. Soon the mystery and the danger will deepen – and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke…”

What are you reading this week?

by

Waiting On Wednesday – 23

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster (Expected publication: 5 February 2013 by Harper Teen in the US and 26 February 2013 by HarperCollins in the UK). This upcoming release by US debut author Miriam Forster is part of a trend that sees the publication of YA High Fantasy novels inspired by non-Western cultures. After Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, the Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson or Eon by Alison Goodman (and to some extent The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo), here comes another book set outside the usual Medieval Europe setting. And I’m looking forward to reading it!

City of a thousand dolls

From Goodreads:

“An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.”

Which book are you waiting for this week? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. You can see what other bloggers are waiting for here.

by

Waiting On Wednesday – 22

Hello gentle reader,

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that one of my favourite YA books is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by the amazing Michelle Hodkin. So when Michelle revealed the cover of Book 3 in the Mara Dyer Trilogy on the Entertainment Weekly website yesterday, I was jumping up and down with excitment. Without further ado, here it is:

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin (expected publication:  22 October 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

retribution_510x510

Isn’t it perfect?! I love it, and I can’t wait to read this book…

And here is what Michelle herself had to say about it:

“I love it. I love it so much I can’t even really talk about it here except to say–it fits. It fits this book.

[…] There will not be any ARCs. Many of you have been asking why. This was a decision made by my publisher, Simon & Schuster, to make sure that the ending to the trilogy isn’t spoiled before everyone gets the chance to read the book on the same day, 10/22.

You’ve also been asking when you’ll get a synopsis/description/snippets, and the answer is that I’m not entirely sure, but I can say that it won’t be until much closer to the release date. Right now, the only thing I’ve been allowed to release from the actual book is this.

[…] Thank you all for the cover love–it makes me so happy to know that you think it’s as gorgeous as I do.   

And now, back to my book.”

Which book are you waiting for this week? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. You can see what other bloggers are waiting for here.

by

Waiting On Wednesday – 21

Hello gentle reader and Happy New Year!

I’m starting off 2013 with THE book I can’t wait to read this year: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (expected publication: June 18th 2013 by William Morrow Books).

the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane-by-neil-gaiman

It’s no secret I love Neil Gaiman’s books and I’m very excited by the prospect of reading his new Adult Fantasy book.

From Goodreads:

“THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac – as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly’s wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark, from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman.

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed – within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.

His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.”

What do you think? Are you looking forward to reading this book? Or do you have another book you’re eagerly anticipating? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. You can see what other bloggers are waiting for here.

by

The Best Of 2012 – Books by Debut Authors

Hello gentle reader,

I hope you had a lovely Christmas!

As the end of the year draws near, I am looking back at 2012… I already mentioned a few TV shows I watched this year in this post. And today I’d like to give you a list of my favourite 2012 debut authors. I have interviewed a few of them on my blog and you can click on their names to read those interviews.

Leigh-Bardugo-The-Gathering-Dark-UK

The Gathering Dark (aka Shadow and Bone) by Leigh Bardugo (YA High Fantasy)

Something-Strange-and-Deadly

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (YA Steampunk/Horror)

Throne of Glass- UK cover

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (YA High Fantasy)

Skylark

Skylark by Meagan Spooner (YA Dystopia)

Hollow-Pike

Hollow Pike by James Dawson (YA Paranormal)

The-Forsaken-UK

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse (YA Dystopia)

Struck-JenniferBosworth

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (YA Paranormal)

Cavendish

The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand (MG Gothic Fantasy)

Black City-Elizabeth Richards

Black City by Elizabeth Richards (YA Dystopia)

What did you read in 2012? Which debut author did you discover? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

by

Book of the Week – 16

Hello gentle reader,

This week I have finally been reading The Gathering Dark (Book 1 in the Grisha trilogy) (aka Shadow and Bone) by Leigh Bardugo.

This book was published in May 2012 and I was VERY excited about it. I bought it as soon as it came out, I read the first two chapters that same night… and I didn’t open it for 7 months. As those months went by, I read raving reviews about the book, I kept having people recommend it to me, and yet I couldn’t seem to find the will to dive back into it.

I’m not sure what it was.

It is a beautifully written YA High Fantasy book with a great plot and compelling characters, but I guess I had to read it at the right time to finally enjoy it. To me this was “a winter book”: a book to read snuggled under a blanket, when there’s snow outside and with a cup of tea at hand.

I’m glad I finally read The Gathering Dark. Have you ever had a book that sat on your TBR pile forever when you were initially looking forward to reading it?

Leigh-Bardugo-The-Gathering-Dark-UK

From Goodreads:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

What are you reading this week?

shadow_bone_sketch_both3

by

Book of the Week – 15

Hello gentle reader,

I realise I haven’t done a “Book of the Week” post in a while, but this is because I have been reading a series of books by YA Fantasy author Megan Whalen Turner and I wanted to finish it before I shared it with you.

Nicknamed The Queen’s Thief by its readers (MWT has no name for it herself), the series has four books so far, with 2 more announced. The first book in the series, The Thief, was published in 1996 and it won the Newbery Medal in 1997.The following books are The Queen of Attolia (2000), The King of Attolia (2006), and A Conspiracy of Kings (2010).

This YA High Fantasy series is not well known, and I came across it because Sarah J. Maas (author of 2012 debut Throne of Glass) recommended it.

And I’m so glad I went ahead and read it. Not only is this series so well written it makes me want to weep, it is also a very clever, audacious and captivating example of great High Fantasy for young adult readers. Each book plays with points of view, has a smart twist at the end and explores themes such as religion, politics and personal choices. The main character, Gen, is nothing like you’ve read before, I promise. And if you haven’t read this series yet, I suggest you get it sooner rather than later, because you’re missing out.

From Goodreads:

The king’s scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king’s prison. The magus is interested only in the thief’s abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone’s guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

What are you reading this week?

by

Waiting On Wednesday – 20

 

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

This week I’m waiting on A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard (expected publication: July 23rd 2013 by HarperTeen). It will be Book 2 in the Something Strange and Deadly series.

Something Strange and Deadly is one of my favourite books of 2012 and I’m really looking forward to reading what happens next to Eleanor and the Spirit Hunters. This sequel will take place in Paris, which sounds awesome. Also, look at this gorgeous cover!

From Goodreads:

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

What do you think? Have you read Something Strange and Deadly? Is Book 2 on your TBR list?

And what are you waiting on this week?

by

Book of the Week – 14

This week I am reading What Kills Me by Wynne Channing (published June 2012 by Jet & Jack Press). It is a YA Paranormal romance. I don’t usually read that kind of books, but I won a copy on Kayla Curry’s blog during her Trick Or Tweet Giveaway. And it’s a story about vampires, so I really couldn’t say no to reading that book!

From Goodreads:

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

What are you reading this week?