Book Haul - 26th February 2011

Hey guys! 

So I am really really excited about the books I found this week...   I went to the shops looking for the Libba Bray books but came back with ones that I really was not expecting to get yet as I had not realised they were out...



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely Book 2) WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Number of Pages - 352

Published by -  Harper Collins

My Review - 10 out of 10 

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow. 

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life. 

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . . 

 I absolutely LOVED this book...  I picked this book up almost immediately after reading Wicked Lovely and was completely expecting a follow on to the story of Aislynn and the Keenan but when I discovered that the main character was Leslie (Aislynn's friend) and we saw more of the story from a different point of view I thought this was such a brilliant way of doing it.

For a more detailed review, please see below



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely Book 1)

Number of Pages - 352

Published by - Harper Collins

My review - 10 out of 10 

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. 

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. 

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires. 

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. 

Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21^st century faery tale. 

This book is amazing...  Once I had read the first page, I was hooked.  This was completely different to other faery books I have read before and I think that is why I love it so much....  An amazing book and I believe this could be the start of my favourite series of the year so far....

For a more detailed review, please see below



Best wishes

Debs

Topic Video - Series -v- Stand Alone Books

Hey guys!

So I completely forgot to post this video last week......  I hope you enjoy...



Best wishes

Debs

What do you do when you can't get into a book?

Judging a Book by Its Cover

Reading Routines

Mills & Boon RIVA Book Reviews

Hey guys,

Well, a little while a go I received a 'pamper kit' with a couple of books in relation to Mills & Boon RIVA and I had made a promise that I would do the review with the mud pack on, so here we go....  Here's me looking like a right wally!

Part One



Part Two



I hope you have enjoyed this!

Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Thirteen Secrets by Michelle Harrison (Book 3 Thirteen Treasures) CONTAINS SPOILERS

Number of pages - 400

Publisher -  Simon and Schuster

My review - 10 out of 10

Red is now living at Elvesden Manor under her real name, Rowan, and trying to put her past behind her. But staying on the straight and narrow isn't as easy as she had hoped...Hounded by fairy messengers who are trying to convince her to participate once more in the changeling trade, Rowan is haunted by dreams of the Hedgewitch's cottage and the chained-up Eldritch, who threatens revenge against her. Her past is about to catch up with her - can Tanya and Fabian prevent it consuming her altogether? 

I believe this is the last in the Thirteen Treasures series and I absolutely loved it.  With this book, I devoured it in no time at all and I was actually a little bit sad when it finished because there wasn't another book in the series to pick up and carry on with.  This is an amazing series guys and if you haven't read it, I would strongly recommend it especially if you like faery stories......

For a more detailed review, please see below -



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Thirteen Curses by Michelle Harrison (Book 2 Thirteen Treasures) CONTAINS SPOILERS

Number of Pages  -  464 pages

Publisher -  Simon & Schuster

My Review - 10 out of 10

WARNING - this review does contain spoilers....

The Thirteen Treasures have become the Thirteen Curses. When fairies stole her brother, Red vowed to get him back. Now trapped in the fairy realm, she begs an audience with the fairy court where she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned - but only if she can find the thirteen charms of Tanya's bracelet that have been scattered in the human world. Returning to Elvesden Manor, Red is assisted by Tanya and Fabian and a desperate hunt begins. Soon they make a shocking discovery. The charms now have twisted qualities of the thirteen treasures they represent...and the longer they are missing the worse the consequences will be. Can Red, Tanya and Fabian find all the charms? And even if they do, will the fairies keep their promise?



I loved this second book.  It was slightly longer than the first and there were places in it where I thought there was a lot more description than needed to be but I loved the story and I loved the fact that we concentrated on seeing Red's side of the story and find out more about her as well as more about the story and the world around them...

For a more detailed review, please see below -



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison

Number of Pages - 368

Publisher -  Little Brown Books

My Review - 10 out of 10



 Tanya is no ordinary girl. She can see fairies. But not the fairies we imagine. Evil fairies who cast spells on her, rousing her from her sleep and propelling her out of bed. At wit's end with her daughter's inexplicable behavior, Tanya's mother sends her away to live with her grandmother at Elvesden Manor, a secluded countryside mansion on the outskirts of a peculiar Essex town.

There is plenty to explore, as long as Tanya stays away from Hangman's Wood- a vast stretch of forest, full of catacombs and notorious for people losing their lives. Fifty years ago a girl vanished in the woods, a girl Tanya's grandmother will not speak of. As Tanya learns more about this girl, she finds herself dangerously close to vanishing into the fairy realm forever.

Debut author Michelle Harrison weaves an intricate mystery into a beautiful and haunting fantasy that captures a rich world of fairy lore where only the color red can offer protection.


This book is really good.  I loved the style of writing and the pace of the book.  It is definately an easy read.  I would recommend this to you all but to all those who like a good faery story mystery...  

For a more detailed review, please see below -




Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Number of Pages - 320

Publisher - Algonquin Books

My Review - 10 out of 10


As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. 

 I absolutely loved this book.  The first time I heard about this one was that it was going to be made into a movie with Robert Pattinson in it.  The trailer for it looked amazing so I thought I would go and purchase the book.  If I can, I do prefer to read the book before the movie and this book definitely did not disappoint...  From the first few lines and all the way through, I loved the style of writing, the pace of the story and the world of the circus.  I would strongly recommend this book to all you guys out there, it is brilliant...

For a more detailed review, please see below -



Best wishes 

Debs

Book Haul - Gift Voucher won from HalfBloodPrincessVW

Book Haul - Second Hand Books 19th February 2011

Hey guys,

So here are the books I bought at second hand/charity shops -



Best wishes

Debs

Book Haul - Amazon Books - 19th February 2011

Hey guys,

Here are the books I bought this week from Amazon marketplace -



Best wishes

Debs

Book Haul - Book Swap Books - 19th February 2011

Hey guys,

Here is a video of the books I got through swaps:



Best wishes

Debs

Book Beginnings - Friday, 18th February 2011

Hey guys!

So here is the book I have just started reading today:




Number of Pages -  327
Publisher  - HarperCollins

 
First Line - 

'The Summer King knelt before her 'Is this what you freely choose, to risk winter's chill'

So, this is a book that I have been looking forward to getting into for a long while now, although I have only recently bought copies of them for myself.  What this first line tells me that this book could be more fantasy faery world like than, say, the books I have just finished reading (reviews being posted soon) which are the Thirteen Treasures series.  Who is the Summer King and what is his importance to the story?  What comes to mind, in the first instance is maybe the Summer King is looking to get even with winter in some way?  I am not sure yet as I have only just started but I have a feeling this is going to be a good one...

Best Wishes

Debs

Book Haul - 9th February 2011

Hey guys,

Here is my book haul for this week -



Best wishes

Debs

Mills & Book Valentines Special...

Hey guys,

I have just finished and reviews will be coming over the course of this week the new Mills & Boon RIVA books (and loving them so far....) but thought I would mention that Mills & Boon are having a Valentines Dat event where they will be running prizes and discounts from their website...  Every hour for ten hours starting at 9am (Greenwich time).  Their website is www.millsandboon.co.uk, so check them out... 

So if you’re thinking of buying some stuff from Mills & Boon WAIT! Hit it on Monday and have an even sweeter Valentine’s day!

Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson

Number of Pages : 304

Publisher : Vision

My review - 10 out of 10


Katie Wilkinson has finally found the perfect man - but one day he suddenly disappears, leaving behind only a diary written by a new mother named Suzanne for her baby, Nicholas. In it she intimately reveals the romance between herself and the child's father, her hopes for their marriage, and her unparalleled joy in motherhood. As Katie reads on, she realizes that the man she loves is Suzanne's husband. Now, filled with terror and hope, Katie must struggle to understand what has happened - and find out if her new love has a prayer of surviving

I absolutely loved this book..  It was a very short quick read but amazing.   I loved the way the story unravelled and the way the characters formed.   The format of the book was really brilliantly done as well... If  you love Nicholas Sparks, this book is well worth a try....   

For a more detailed review, please see below:



Best wishes

Debs

Night Star by Alyson Noel (Book Five Immortals Series) MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Number of Pages :  302

Publisher :  Macmillan/St Martin's Press

My Review : 3 out of 10 

After fighting for centuries to be together, Ever and Damen’s future hinges on one final showdown that will leave readers gasping for breath. Don’t miss this explosive new installment of the #1 bestselling series that’s enchanted millions across the world!

Haven still blames Ever for the death of her boyfriend Roman, no matter how hard Ever’s tried to convince her it was an accident. Now she’s determined to take Ever down…and destroy Damen and Jude along the way. Her first step is to tear Ever and Damen apart—and she has just the ammunition to do it.

Hidden in one of Ever’s past lives is a terrible secret about Damen—a secret that illuminates new facts about her relationship with Jude, but that’s so dark and brutal it might be enough to drive her and Damen apart once and for all. As Ever faces her greatest fears about the guy she wants to spend eternity with, she’s thrust into a deadly clash with Haven that could destroy them all.

Now it’ll take everything she’s got—and bring out powers she never knew she had—to face down her most formidable enemy. But in order to win, she must first ask herself: is her own survival worth dooming Haven to an eternity of darkness in the Shadowland? And will learning the truth about Damen’s past hold the key to their future?

I am afraid to say that I did not enjoy this book very much.  The main character definately bugs me and it just seems as though everything from the past books have been left unanswered and we are, yet again, having to face all the same questions throughout the story which, for me, I did not enjoy.  The final book in the series does come out at some point this year and I will probably borrow this from the library just to see what happens and to see whether it does come to an explosive end and whether we get any answers...  Sorry to say that I really did not enjoy this one as much as what I thought I would.

For a detailed review, please see below:



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Dark Flame by Alyson Noel (Book4 Immortals Series) MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Number of Pages : 320

Publisher : Macmillan

My review : 3 out of 10


Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal.  But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside.  As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions

At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch.  As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.
Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …

I did not enjoy this one as much as I did book one.  For me, the story just did not progress and I felt that it tended to repeat the same things a lot.  The main character, Ever, frustrated me a lot with this book where she keeps making wrong decisions that are really obvious.  I am continuing to read this series but only really to find out whether something explosive really does happen that might change my mind....


For a more detailed review, please see below






Best wishes


Debs

Book Review - Shadowland by Alyson Noel (Book Three Immortals Series) MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Hey guys,

Here is my review of book three in the Immortals series.  As this is book three, there may contain spoilers.  If you have not read the first two books in the series and don't want to know what happens, I would recommend not reading any further (but do come back for other reviews lol!!!)....



Number of Pages :  339

Publisher :  Macmillan

My review : 5 out of 10

Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world’s darkest enemies—so they could be together forever.  But just when their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen…one that could destroy everything.  Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into the Shadowland.   Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source…a surfer named Jude.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar.  Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past.  She’s always believed Damen to be her soulmate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true.  But as Damen pulls away to save them, Ever’s connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before…

 To be honest, I am not enjoying these books as much as thought I would.  Please see below for a full review:



Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Blue Moon by Alyson Noel (Book Two in the Immportals Series) MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Hey guys,

So here is my first review today....

Number of pages :  362

Publisher :  Macmillian/St Martin's Pres

My review:  7 out of 10


Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him.  As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

     Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

 This book was good and expanded more into what was happening and what the characters were after but in this book I felt that some things were repeated and I started to get frustrated by the fact that Ever kept making bad choices...

For a full review please see below:



Best wishes

Debs

Book Beginnings - Friday, 11th February 2011

Hey guys! 

I hope you have all had a fantastic week and are all ready for the weekend.....   There are going to be some Immortals reviews coming up this weekend as I have finally finished the series (it was a bit of a struggle....)...  Here is the book that I have now started to read :


Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen

Number of Pages - 331
Publisher - Hodder

First Line - 

'Only three people were left under the red and white awning of the grease joint; Grady, me and the fry cook.'

I was immediately hooked.  I already know the theme of the book and what it is based around but just reading these few words instantly tells me that this was a far bigger disaster than I originally thought...  It completely sucked me in and I immediately wanted to know more....

So far, this book is amazing from the way it has been written to the way the story switches from present day to the past...  I can't wait to finish this book and then watch the movie that is coming out this year...  It should be amazing....

Best Wishes

Debs    

No

Book Beginnings - Another Late Friday Post

Hey guys,

Ok so I am very late at this one, sorry........ :-(    I have had the most manic week ever but I thought I would still do the post, better late than never lol!

This was originally hosted by the blog A Few More Pages....

The book I am reading at the moment is Night Star by Alyson Noel

Published by St Martin's Griffin

Number of Pages - 302

'You'll never beat me.  You'll never win this one.  Ever.  It's impossible.  You can't do it.  So why waste your time.'

I have to be honest and say that I am really struggling with this series but I do want to find out what happens next so I have continued with it...   I have to admit that when I got to this book I was already feeling a little deflated by this series and was not eagerly anticipating picking this one up to read it.  The first line to me summed up what the book was going to be all about.  Possibly the main character has to fight someone off, again, and fight for the love of the man she loves, when she can figure out who that might be....   I am not sure whether this prediction is true yet but it would be really interesting to see whether it does or not....

I hope you have enjoyed this post...

Best wishes

Debs

Bookshelf Tour - February 2011 Update

Hey guys,

I was requested to do an update of my bookshelf, so here we go ....








Best wishes

Debs

Mini Book Haul and a bit of rambling...... lol!

Hey guys,

Just to carry on from the last post, I could not resist these books...  I haven't seen them before and don't recognise the authors.  If any of you have read them, do let me know what you thought of them...



Best wishes

Debs

Book Haul - 4th February 2011

Hey guys!

So I have mainly stuck to my word in my last book haul...  I have got some books this week but the ones that I bought were mainly to try to complete sets that I already have like the Blue Bloods series and the Wicked Lovely series...  I still have to look out for a few more but I am so glad I got what I did... 



Best wishes

Debs

Random Post - My Journals

Hey guys!

I have seen a couple of videos now where people have shown what journals they have and I thought it would be fun to share with you what I have...  I don't have too many as I tend to buy a journal when I need to use a new one but hope to get quite a collection for the future....



Best wishes

Debs