Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.
Expected Release Date: 25th Sept 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had
anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between
one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to
tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One
heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and
loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To
avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she
must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole
has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might
just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….
I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.
Best Wishes
Debs :-)
31 Jul 2012
29 Jul 2012
Book Review - The Duff by Kody Keplinger
Seventeen-year-old
Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the
prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to
fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In
fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws
her Coke in his face.
But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it
all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener,
and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with
absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated
more than anyone.
Goodreads page here
Publisher: Little Brown
Release Date: 7th September 2010
Purchase it at: Amazon UK / Amazon USA
Publisher: Little Brown
Release Date: 7th September 2010
Purchase it at: Amazon UK / Amazon USA
My Review: 10/10
(video review at the bottom of post)
Bianca is a character that really defines this story. Of course, its based on her but just reading all about her and following her story being 'The Duff' was most definitely the best part of this book for me. At the beginning, she is very defencive, withdrawn and likes to keep herself to herself. She goes along with what others want to do. At the beginning, we see her at a bar sitting and talking to the bartender while her two friends are dancing and having fun. Bianca is, however, counting the hours until she thinks it is socially acceptable to say to her friends that she wants to go (as she is the designated driver).
However, it all changes when Wes, the local jock, comes up to Bianca at the bar and calls her the Duff. From then on things change for Bianca in ways that she never expected.
There is a lot of relationship drama in this book that I really enjoyed. We see Bianca's parents; her mother who is never at home and her father who used to be an alcoholic but is now struggling to save his marriage.
This book really made me smile and has a great romance to it. I would highly recommend it to all those who like a bit of character drama in their reading.
Best wishes
Debs
24 Jul 2012
Waiting on Wednesday - The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.
Expected Release Date: 27th September 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
What happened to the girl you left behind?
In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.
Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened...
In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most - whatever the cost.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Expected Release Date: 27th September 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
What happened to the girl you left behind?
In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.
Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened...
In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most - whatever the cost.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
23 Jul 2012
Book Review: The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
Brooklyn teens Lucy,
Cecelia and Agnes find themselves in the emergency room at Perpetual
Help Hospital at the lowest point in their lives. Lucy, the superficial
party girl; Cecelia, a drop out rock chick; and Agnes, a hopeless
romantic. All rebels running from their lives and themselves, plagued by
broken hearts and broken dreams. Enter Sebastian. Mysterious,
compelling, seductive. He seems to bring each of them what they long
for...
But in the battle for his heart, will they lose their souls?
But in the battle for his heart, will they lose their souls?
Goodreads Link here
Published: 2nd August 2012
7 out of 10
This was a very interesting and confusing story; sometimes one sometimes another and even a bit of both on occasion. You have the three main characters Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes who are introduced at the beginning at Perpetual Help Hospital. Agnes attempted suicide, Cecelia from drowning and Lucy from drugs. It is then that we meet the mysterious Sebastian at the hospital, with a hidden agenda. After then, they all have a charm bracelet with no idea of how they got it. Maybe its no coincidence that its also Halloween?
A very slow paced novel where you are fed little bits of information as the story goes along. Gradually each of the three teens are brought together in an old church as a storm rages outside. This story really did have me puzzled until and took me until nearer the end of the story to figure out what was going on. Great character build up.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
21 Jul 2012
Book Review - Carnival Girl by Sonja Herbert
The only life little
Sonja Francesco has ever known is traveling the carnival circuit and
living with her five siblings in a tiny caravan home. The family never
stays anywhere long enough for Sonja to make friends or develop roots.
The only one in her family, Sonja always believed in God and wants to
belong to a church.
At fourteen, Sonja meets the Mormon missionaries and develops a strong testimony of the truth of the Gospel. But can she live the commandments while traveling with the carnival and running one of the attractions every Sunday? Will it be possible for her to leave her family’s life behind and live the life she has always dreamed of?
My Review - 10 out of 10
What an amazing memoir. I really enjoyed reading this book. I have to admit that I am not normally one to read Christian stories and have only read one or two but there was something about this book that intrigued me. Right from the start, I was sucked into the life of a travelling family following Sonja's story living with her large family travelling with a Carnival and following her discover her religion right from the start when she was aged 8, which was the first time she leaned about Jesus. Also following the story of Sonja's Mutti and how hard she had to work to raise her family was very inspiring. Also, what made the story real for me was the little pictures that accompanied the story, which brought to live the people I was reading about, putting a face to the name.
I found this story to be truly inspiring and has definitely brought up some questions for me that I want to search for answers for. For all you out there who are looking to read an inspiring story, I would definitely recommend this one. ..
Best wishes
Debs :-)
At fourteen, Sonja meets the Mormon missionaries and develops a strong testimony of the truth of the Gospel. But can she live the commandments while traveling with the carnival and running one of the attractions every Sunday? Will it be possible for her to leave her family’s life behind and live the life she has always dreamed of?
Goodreads page here
Publisher: Cedar Fort Inc
Release Date: 12th June 2012
Purchase it at: Amazon UK / Amazon USARelease Date: 12th June 2012
My Review - 10 out of 10
What an amazing memoir. I really enjoyed reading this book. I have to admit that I am not normally one to read Christian stories and have only read one or two but there was something about this book that intrigued me. Right from the start, I was sucked into the life of a travelling family following Sonja's story living with her large family travelling with a Carnival and following her discover her religion right from the start when she was aged 8, which was the first time she leaned about Jesus. Also following the story of Sonja's Mutti and how hard she had to work to raise her family was very inspiring. Also, what made the story real for me was the little pictures that accompanied the story, which brought to live the people I was reading about, putting a face to the name.
I found this story to be truly inspiring and has definitely brought up some questions for me that I want to search for answers for. For all you out there who are looking to read an inspiring story, I would definitely recommend this one. ..
Best wishes
Debs :-)
18 Jul 2012
Book Review - Broken Illusions by Ellie James
Below is the blurb for book one in the Midnight Dragonfly series. If you would like to see the blurb for this book (book 2) please see the below Goodreads link.
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.
Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.
But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.
Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.
Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.
But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.
Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.
Goodreads page here
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Release Date: 8th May 2012
Release Date: 8th May 2012
Purchase it at: Amazon UK / Amazon USA
Check out my review of Shattered Dreams (Book 1) - click here
My Review
10 out of 10
This is fast becoming one of my most favourite YA series of all time. I absolutely love the main character Trinity and her kick ass attitude of realising what is the right thing to do and doing it rather than going for the safest way or even not doing anything at all...
In this second book, we see another girl has gone missing and Trinity starts to have visions in her dreams and she has to quickly put the pieces together to find the girl before something bad happens. In this second book we learn a lot more about Trinity and her family and I am VERY keen to read the next book in the series, Fragile Darkness which looks like it is due out in November.
If you have not yet picked up this series, I would strongly recommend it... I'm hooked....
Best wishes
Debs
Check out my review of Shattered Dreams (Book 1) - click here
My Review
10 out of 10
This is fast becoming one of my most favourite YA series of all time. I absolutely love the main character Trinity and her kick ass attitude of realising what is the right thing to do and doing it rather than going for the safest way or even not doing anything at all...
In this second book, we see another girl has gone missing and Trinity starts to have visions in her dreams and she has to quickly put the pieces together to find the girl before something bad happens. In this second book we learn a lot more about Trinity and her family and I am VERY keen to read the next book in the series, Fragile Darkness which looks like it is due out in November.
If you have not yet picked up this series, I would strongly recommend it... I'm hooked....
Best wishes
Debs
17 Jul 2012
Waiting on Wednesday - Vessell by Sarah Beth Durst
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.
Expected Release Date: 21st August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love."Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana's goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god's help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god's tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate--or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Expected Release Date: 21st August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love."Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana's goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god's help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god's tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate--or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
15 Jul 2012
Book Review and Interview with the Author: Don't You Forget About Me by Alexandra Potter
After a bad break up, doesn't every girl want the same things?
* For her ex-boyfriend to stay single forever...
* Or maybe emigrate, to a remote, uninhabited island?
* Better still, that she'd never met him in the first place!
But what if one of those wishes came true?
Tess is heartbroken when Seb breaks up with her and can't help blaming herself. If only she'd done things differently. If only she could make right all her regrets... But she can't. It's over. She has to forget about him. Drunk and upset on New Year's Eve she wishes she'd never met him.
But when she wakes up to discover this dream has come true, she realises she has a chance. To do it all over again. And to get it right this time...
* For her ex-boyfriend to stay single forever...
* Or maybe emigrate, to a remote, uninhabited island?
* Better still, that she'd never met him in the first place!
But what if one of those wishes came true?
Tess is heartbroken when Seb breaks up with her and can't help blaming herself. If only she'd done things differently. If only she could make right all her regrets... But she can't. It's over. She has to forget about him. Drunk and upset on New Year's Eve she wishes she'd never met him.
But when she wakes up to discover this dream has come true, she realises she has a chance. To do it all over again. And to get it right this time...
Goodreads Link here
Publication Date: 19th July 2012
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
10 out of 10
Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book. I have always been a big fan of comedic chick lit and this one hit the spot. We see Tess at the beginning of the story really down in the dumps after being dumped by the person she thought was 'the one'. New Years Eve, drunk and alone she is flicking through the channels on the TV when she hears about a ritual where you can cleanse your life by burning things. Tess decides to rid herself of anything Seb. The next morning everything about Seb has been erased except Tess' memory of being with him, even her flatmate cannot remember him.
There are some really fantastic characters in this story, including Tess. You have her grandfather who is not a normal laid back grandfather. He's lively, loud and loves to play poker for money. There's her flatmate who is a beauty consultant who doesn't seem to take her own advice and is always trying to be false and posh when out in public. There's also Tess' box at work, Sir Richard. Despite the fact that Tess is awful at her job, Sir Richard takes her on and is very kind. He has also been acting very strange and appears to have some martial problems.
It was very interesting to follow Tess' journey through her 're-do' where she tries to do everything different to keep Seb in her life. There is a very funny scene where they go to a restaurant called Mala which serves spicy food. The only think is that Tess cannot handle spicy food but Seb loves it. In the spirit of the re-do, she goes ahead and eats at Mala and the scene afterwards did make me giggle.
I would mention that if you haven't read the book One Day by David Nicholls and is one that you want to read, you might want to read that one first as there is a spoiler in this book for it.
This was an absolutely fantastic comedic chicklit that I would strongly recommend.....
And now the interview.......
If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?
Oooh, that's a good one! Can I say Jane Austen? I know it's kind of a magical answer to your question, but I would love to hear her thoughts on my novel, Me and Mr Darcy, and also to work on some new characters. I think we'd make a great double-act!
What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?
I'm terrible in the mornings. I think not having to set my alarm clock is the biggest perk of my job. It takes a very large pot of espresso to get me going in the morning and I tend to spend the first hour or so, replying to emails, reading the papers online and catching up with any celebrity gossip. Sometimes I work from home, but I also like going to the library, or sitting in a coffee shop as I like being around people and writing can be a very lonely profession. I usually start work around 10.30, take a break for lunch, and then finish about 6. However, sometimes if I'm not going out I can work late into the night. In fact, some of my best writing has been done of an evening with a glass of wine…
What is the hardest part of the writing for you?
I'll be honest, I find it ALL hard. I'm not one of those writers who can breeze through a book in a few months, I'm a dreadful perfectionist and agonise over scenes and paragraphs for weeks! In fact, it takes me 18 months from thinking of an idea for a book, and finishing it, which is quite a long process. I think it's easier to focus on which part I find easiest and that would definitely be the last third of the book, when everything is coming together and there's a real sense of the story writing itself. I love that part and find it very exhilarating. I also find the rewriting process easy and enjoyable as once I've written a first draft it's all there, i just need to fine tune it.
When and why did you first start writing?
I've always written, ever since I was a small child. Recently my mum was clearing out her loft and I found all these novels I'd written - the first one when I was nine years old! It was called 'The Tenth Step' about a magic step that grants you all your wishes. How fortutious is that?! Considering I now write magical romantic comedies..
How did you come up with the idea for the book ‘Don't You Forget about Me’?
I had recently broken up with a boyfriend and - as women are often wont to do - I couldn't help blaming myself and wishing I'd done things differently, as maybe then it would have worked out. It was something that I talked about with friends, and i discovered that a lot of them felt the same way. So I thought, wouldn't it make a great story if I gave my heroine a second chance at her relationship If by some magical twist of fate she gets to date her boyfriend again. Imagine all the things you could do! I thought it would make for a great story, and also allow me to write some great comedy.
Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?
When I'm working on a novel, I tend not to read much - which pretty much seems to be all the time! Once I finish one novel I pretty much move directly onto the next. However, when I do get the chance to read I love autobiographies - Keith Richards was my last one. My main reading tends to be articles and features in various publications. I love reading other people's opinions on the world.
Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?
Have
a go! I think a lot of people are put off trying to write, by the fear
of failure, of not being a good enough writer. And yet writing is very
much like anything else - the more you do it - the better you become. I
definitely think I have improved as a writer, simply by writing every
day for the past twelve years and honing my skills. You realise what
works and what doesn't work. Also, a lot of it is determination. Writing
is bloody hard work. I've been known to spend a week on a scene, only
to delete it at the end of that week. That's pretty soul destroying. You
have to be able to pick yourself up and keep going. Because what I've
learned is that if you keep going, you will eventually, get to the end.
Oh, and if you're anything like me, stay out of Zara! Honestly, the time
I've spent in those changing rooms when I should have been at my desk
writing… :)
Best wishes.
Debs :-)
Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
After serving out a year
of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old
assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince
Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his
champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
Goodreads Link here.
Published: 2nd August 2012
Amazon: UK / US
10 out of 10
(video review at the bottom of post)
OMG this book was amazing... At over 400 pages long, I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down until the final page. The two main characters in this story are Celaena and the Crown Prince and there is great interactions and banter between them right from the beginning. There is also a magical element to the story, which I loved and won't mention here as I don't want to spoil the story for you.
As well as being an infamous assassin, she has a love of books and learning and the Royal Family has a library that holds thousands of books (which I am totally jealous about!).
As well as striking up an unexpected friendship with a member of the Royal Family, Caleana also strikes up a friendship with her guard, Chaol so there is definately a very interesting love triangle here.
As well as the competition to find out who will become the King's Champion, there is also something strange happening in the Royal Castle. People are getting murdered and strange symbols left on and aside their bodies. Celaena sets out to try and find out what is happening...
What a great book and I would recommend for all of you YA paranormal book lovers out there...
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
Goodreads Link here.
Published: 2nd August 2012
Amazon: UK / US
10 out of 10
(video review at the bottom of post)
OMG this book was amazing... At over 400 pages long, I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down until the final page. The two main characters in this story are Celaena and the Crown Prince and there is great interactions and banter between them right from the beginning. There is also a magical element to the story, which I loved and won't mention here as I don't want to spoil the story for you.
As well as being an infamous assassin, she has a love of books and learning and the Royal Family has a library that holds thousands of books (which I am totally jealous about!).
As well as striking up an unexpected friendship with a member of the Royal Family, Caleana also strikes up a friendship with her guard, Chaol so there is definately a very interesting love triangle here.
As well as the competition to find out who will become the King's Champion, there is also something strange happening in the Royal Castle. People are getting murdered and strange symbols left on and aside their bodies. Celaena sets out to try and find out what is happening...
What a great book and I would recommend for all of you YA paranormal book lovers out there...
Best wishes
Debs :-)
12 Jul 2012
Book Review - Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.
One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.
Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.
When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.
In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.
About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.
My Review
10 out of 10
When I first started to read this book I had thought with so many characters it might get a bit confusing but it really wasn't. You have certain main characters - Julia and Mark who have a rocky relationship and trying to get over the loss of a child, Edie and Richard who are trying to get pregnant, Livvy who is Julia's sister and has a troubled relationship with her sister since the death of her nephew and of course her relationship with her husband, Hannah and Philippe who are at the start of a divorce and then you have Madeleine who is a widower who has set up a tea shop and has had a bit of a rough past.
This is very much a family drama type of story where we see Julia receive the friendship bread from an anonymous donee with a recipe of how to bake it and pass it on. From then on we follow the bread as it flows through the main characters and see glimpses of other characters who also come across the friendship bread.
I really enjoyed this story following the various families and what was happening at the time and I have to admit that this story really gave me an uplift and a fresh perspective on how great we all can be.
Best wishes
Debs
One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.
Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.
When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.
In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.
About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.
Goodreads page here
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: April 2011
Release Date: April 2011
Purchase it at: Amazon UK / Amazon USA
My Review
10 out of 10
When I first started to read this book I had thought with so many characters it might get a bit confusing but it really wasn't. You have certain main characters - Julia and Mark who have a rocky relationship and trying to get over the loss of a child, Edie and Richard who are trying to get pregnant, Livvy who is Julia's sister and has a troubled relationship with her sister since the death of her nephew and of course her relationship with her husband, Hannah and Philippe who are at the start of a divorce and then you have Madeleine who is a widower who has set up a tea shop and has had a bit of a rough past.
This is very much a family drama type of story where we see Julia receive the friendship bread from an anonymous donee with a recipe of how to bake it and pass it on. From then on we follow the bread as it flows through the main characters and see glimpses of other characters who also come across the friendship bread.
I really enjoyed this story following the various families and what was happening at the time and I have to admit that this story really gave me an uplift and a fresh perspective on how great we all can be.
Best wishes
Debs
10 Jul 2012
Waiting on Wednesday - Blind Spot by Laura Ellen
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.
Expected Release Date: 21st August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer. This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Expected Release Date: 21st August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer. This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else
Best wishes
Debs :-)
9 Jul 2012
Book Review - School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari (Book 1, School of Fear Series)
Everyone is afraid of something...
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders.
Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying.
Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces.
Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water.
With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher, Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this just may be the scariest summer of their lives.
My Review
9 out of 10
I have to admit that when I go into a book store one of the last places I think to go and look at is the middle grade section, mainly because there is always young kids playing around there and its far too noisy! I was very kindly send this book for review and I am so happy about that because I really had some fun reading this book.
You have the four main characters, Madeleine, Theo, Garrison and Lulu who each have their own fears that are taking over their lives. Their parents send them to the School of Fear where the four main characters meet the very eccentric Mrs Wellington, her sidekick Schmidty, her dog Macaroni and her many cats.
There is a lot of build up at the beginning of the book which I really enjoyed as it helped build up a bigger picture of Madeleine, Theo, Garrison and Lulu, their fears and how they are taking over their lives. When they turn up at the School of Fear, I just loved the banter between Mrs Wellington and Schmidty and also the interaction between Mrs Wellington (being eccentric to the extreme) and the kids. There's a lot more to this story than what seems to be I did guess what would happen at the end of the story but that did not affect how much I enjoyed this book.
Do not let the fact that this is a middle grade novel put you off reading this if you are older. I am certainly not middle grade any more but I very much enjoyed this story. If you are looking for a fun read, I would recommend you try this one out.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders.
Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying.
Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces.
Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water.
With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher, Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this just may be the scariest summer of their lives.
Goodreads Link here
Publication Date: 2nd August 2012
Publisher: ATOM
9 out of 10
I have to admit that when I go into a book store one of the last places I think to go and look at is the middle grade section, mainly because there is always young kids playing around there and its far too noisy! I was very kindly send this book for review and I am so happy about that because I really had some fun reading this book.
You have the four main characters, Madeleine, Theo, Garrison and Lulu who each have their own fears that are taking over their lives. Their parents send them to the School of Fear where the four main characters meet the very eccentric Mrs Wellington, her sidekick Schmidty, her dog Macaroni and her many cats.
There is a lot of build up at the beginning of the book which I really enjoyed as it helped build up a bigger picture of Madeleine, Theo, Garrison and Lulu, their fears and how they are taking over their lives. When they turn up at the School of Fear, I just loved the banter between Mrs Wellington and Schmidty and also the interaction between Mrs Wellington (being eccentric to the extreme) and the kids. There's a lot more to this story than what seems to be I did guess what would happen at the end of the story but that did not affect how much I enjoyed this book.
Do not let the fact that this is a middle grade novel put you off reading this if you are older. I am certainly not middle grade any more but I very much enjoyed this story. If you are looking for a fun read, I would recommend you try this one out.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
8 Jul 2012
Book Review - Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.
Goodreads page here
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: 2011
Release Date: 2011
Purchase it at: Amazon UK / Amazon USA
My Review: 1000000000000 out of 10
(video review at the end of the post)
As a reader, you come across good books, ok books and not so ok books and once in a while you come across a book that completely rock your socks off you are still reeling from the adrenaline of reading that book for days after. Anna Dressed in Blood is one of those books for me. I have to admit that I scare really easily so when I decided to start this one and realised that it was starting to get in the evening, I realised that this may not be a good idea but I went ahead nonetheless. This story creeped me out in the first few pages I had to put it down and go and do something else for the rest of the evening and pick this up again in the morning.
This book has a great combination of creepy, spooky, romantic and adventure. Anna Dressed in Blood is a legend in the town as nobody knows who killed her and anyone that enters her house, dies. Its up to Cas to find out what happened. He has to send Anna off to where she belongs, but he do it?
Best wishes
Debs
5 Jul 2012
Book Review: Passionate Harvest by Nell Dixon
Nursery nurse Lucy Morgan, unexpectedly inherits half a Somerset vineyard with conditions and a co-owner attached.
Unwilling co-owner Dominic LeFevre, doesn’t want or need a new business partner, especially one who knows nothing about wine.
With Lucy having left behind her old life, and love in Tenerife, she has twelve months to convince Dominic that she’s exactly what both he, and the business, need.
Goodreads Link here
Amazon: UK / US
Published: 17th May 2012
9 out of 10
What a great mixture of romance and drama. Lucy inherits 50% of a vineyard from her godfather with the condition that she has to work on it for a year. If she does that, she gets to keep it to do what she wants with it, either keep it or sell it. Dominic owns the other half of the vineyard. At the start, Dominic realises that it would be better for him if Lucy stayed for the year and sell her share to him than having the vineyard go to someone else.
Right from the start, I enjoyed the interaction between Lucy and Dominic. Great romantic build up with a little bit if sexyness in there to but nothing too overwhelming. The story has a slow laid back pace that made me really take in the story and its surroundings as we watch Lucy settle int the vineyard way of life. This story was very predictable but that didnt' matter as the gem of this story was the character build up and intereactions.
I really enjoyed this book and would strongly recommend this to all of you who enjoy a good drama...
Best wishes
Debs :-)
3 Jul 2012
Waiting on Wednesday - The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.
Expected Release Date: 21st August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
Emmeline Thistle has always had a mysterious bond with cows, beginning on the night of her birth, when the local bovines saved the infant cast aside to die in the forest. But Emmeline was unaware that this bond has also given her a magical ability to transform milk into chocolate, a very valuable gift in a kingdom where chocolate is more rare and more precious than gold or jewels.
Then one day Owen Oak, a dairyman’s son, teaches Emmeline to churn milk into butter—and instead she creates a delicious chocolate confection that immediately makes her a target for every greedy, power-hungry person in the kingdom of Anglund. Only Owen loves Emmeline for who she truly is, not her magical skill. But is his love enough to save her from the danger all around her?
In a departure from her contemporary teen romances, Suzanne Selfors crafts an irresistible re-imagined fairy tale that will tempt readers with a delicious story of love that is sweeter than the richest chocolate.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Expected Release Date: 21st August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)
Goodreads link is here.
Emmeline Thistle has always had a mysterious bond with cows, beginning on the night of her birth, when the local bovines saved the infant cast aside to die in the forest. But Emmeline was unaware that this bond has also given her a magical ability to transform milk into chocolate, a very valuable gift in a kingdom where chocolate is more rare and more precious than gold or jewels.
Then one day Owen Oak, a dairyman’s son, teaches Emmeline to churn milk into butter—and instead she creates a delicious chocolate confection that immediately makes her a target for every greedy, power-hungry person in the kingdom of Anglund. Only Owen loves Emmeline for who she truly is, not her magical skill. But is his love enough to save her from the danger all around her?
In a departure from her contemporary teen romances, Suzanne Selfors crafts an irresistible re-imagined fairy tale that will tempt readers with a delicious story of love that is sweeter than the richest chocolate.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
1 Jul 2012
Book Review: How to Look Like You by Rose McClelland
Have you ever had a frenemy? Someone you smile at sweetly but secretly you are filled with jealousy? Meet Chloe and Ella.
While Chloe sees herself as dowdy, quiet and going nowhere, Ella is brimming with talents: acting, singing, and outward-sitting, bronzed boobs.
Yet, Ella envies Chloe’s steady relationship with Aidan, her stick-thin figure and her perfectly poised style. As a result, Ella feels overweight, over-single and over-the-hill.
As Ella begins to work alongside Aidan, she develops feelings she shouldn’t have. When he invites her to join his band, it’s no surprise Chloe reacts by slamming the door off the handle.
Then Chloe begins a strategy of her own: Operation Simon. If she starts to go out more often with the bloke from work, surely Aidan would take notice?
Will Aidan smell Simon’s advances? Will Chloe and Aidan’s shared plans go ahead?
Will Ella become a friend or an enemy?
Find out How To Look Like YOU.
Goodreads Page here.
Published: 5th July 2012
8 out of 10
This is such a great story about two people, Chloe and Ella, who seem to always be in competition with each other, in one way or another. You can see from the beginning that there is a clash between Chloe and Ella and following their journeys to see what they do. You have Chloe who is a bit of a drama queen and then you have Ella who is jealous and insecure. They both have problems with relationships.
I did enjoy the fact that as well as the normal story layout, if there is an email it was set out as an email or a letter etc and that really made me feel like I was right there in the story.
If you are looking for a really great character drama, this is definately one to pick up.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
While Chloe sees herself as dowdy, quiet and going nowhere, Ella is brimming with talents: acting, singing, and outward-sitting, bronzed boobs.
Yet, Ella envies Chloe’s steady relationship with Aidan, her stick-thin figure and her perfectly poised style. As a result, Ella feels overweight, over-single and over-the-hill.
As Ella begins to work alongside Aidan, she develops feelings she shouldn’t have. When he invites her to join his band, it’s no surprise Chloe reacts by slamming the door off the handle.
Then Chloe begins a strategy of her own: Operation Simon. If she starts to go out more often with the bloke from work, surely Aidan would take notice?
Will Aidan smell Simon’s advances? Will Chloe and Aidan’s shared plans go ahead?
Will Ella become a friend or an enemy?
Find out How To Look Like YOU.
Goodreads Page here.
Published: 5th July 2012
8 out of 10
This is such a great story about two people, Chloe and Ella, who seem to always be in competition with each other, in one way or another. You can see from the beginning that there is a clash between Chloe and Ella and following their journeys to see what they do. You have Chloe who is a bit of a drama queen and then you have Ella who is jealous and insecure. They both have problems with relationships.
I did enjoy the fact that as well as the normal story layout, if there is an email it was set out as an email or a letter etc and that really made me feel like I was right there in the story.
If you are looking for a really great character drama, this is definately one to pick up.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
Book Review: The Serpent's Head by Julian Malins
What would happen in a terrorist attack resulted in the death of the loved one of someone who could take revenge?
Set in the near future, The Serpent's Head is the story of a terrorist bomb destroying one of the City of London's most iconic buildings and killing the children of parents who decide to extract a dramatic and world changing justice.
Set mainly in China, England, Nigeria, Syria and Saudi Arabia, the plots and sub plots weave the reader around the world, as the flames of a general war between Christianity and Islam ignite in West Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia collapses into chaos. The novel will be the first of several in which the possible future course of the struggle between China, Islam and the West is traced.
The novel is written by Julian Malins, who is a British barrister with a worldwide practice in banking, fraud and money laundering cases especially in the Middle East and the Caribbean. He has had many articles published in legal journals but The Serpent's Head is his first novel and is packed with insider information and personal knowledge and experience.
Set in the near future, The Serpent's Head is the story of a terrorist bomb destroying one of the City of London's most iconic buildings and killing the children of parents who decide to extract a dramatic and world changing justice.
Set mainly in China, England, Nigeria, Syria and Saudi Arabia, the plots and sub plots weave the reader around the world, as the flames of a general war between Christianity and Islam ignite in West Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia collapses into chaos. The novel will be the first of several in which the possible future course of the struggle between China, Islam and the West is traced.
The novel is written by Julian Malins, who is a British barrister with a worldwide practice in banking, fraud and money laundering cases especially in the Middle East and the Caribbean. He has had many articles published in legal journals but The Serpent's Head is his first novel and is packed with insider information and personal knowledge and experience.
Goodreads Link here
Published: 1st May 2012
Amazon Links: Amazon UK / Amazon US
8 out of 10
I have to admit that this type of political thrillers are not usually a genre that I tend to read but this is a story that I really did enjoy. There is a lot of political business talk in this story, which, to be honest, I did struggle keeping my attention on the story. However, what made this story for me was the story of Liv Peng and his daughter. He thinks that his daughter is plain and may struggle to find a suitor. She, on the other hand, meets Jonathan in Oxford and they have a lot in common. There are a few other characters that we get to know and that was what made this story good for me.
For those of you who likes political thrillers, this is a good one to try.
Best wishes
Debs :-)
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