29 Feb 2012

Book Review - Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.



My Review  




Best wishes

Debs

March 2012 New Releases



All release dates obtained from Goodreads.


Links to all books are found below the video in the link here - CLICK HERE

Best wishes

Debs



28 Feb 2012

Waiting on Wednesday - Radiate by Marley Gibson


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.

 

Expected Release Date:    3rd April 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)




 Hayley Matthews is determined to be the best cheerleader she can. She works hardand pushes herself 110% all the time.Then Hayley finds a lump on her leg. The diagnosis is cancer. The prognosis isunclear. She could lose her leg. Or maybe her life.At first Haley is scared, terrified. In an instant, everything she’s worked for seemsout of reach. But Haley is strong. She’s going to fight this disease. She will not let ittake her life or her dreams.


I read this one at the end of last year as a review copy from Netgalley and absolutely loved it.  I can't wait to purchase my own copy and read it all over again.  Such an emotional story.


Best wishes

Debs 

Book Review - Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

MEET BECKY BLOOMWOOD, AN IRRESISTIBLE HEROINE WITH A BIG HEART, BIG DREAMS --- AND JUST ONE LITTLE WEAKNESS ...

Becky Bloomwood has what most twenty-five-year-olds only dream of: a flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is, she can't actually afford it --- not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Saving magazine not only bores her to tears, it doesn't pay much at all. Still, how can she resist that perfect pair of shoes? Or the divine silk blouse in the window of that ultra-trendy boutique? But lately Becky's been chased by dismal letters from Visa and the Endwich Bank --- letters with large red sums she can't bear to read --- and they're getting ever harder to ignore. She tries cutting back; she even tries making more money. But none of her efforts succeeds. Her only consolation is to buy herself something ... just a little something ...

Finally, a story arises that Becky actually cares about, and her front-page article catalyzes a chain of events that will transform her life --- and the lives of those around her --- forever.


My Review - 6 out of 10

I vlog regularly with another fantastic friend of mine at Brewing Tea Bag You Tube Channel (the link is on the left hand side of my blog) and we pick a book each month to read and talk about throughout the month.  For February, it was Confessions of a Shopaholic and below are the videos throughout the month...


FEBRUARY - WEEK ONE




FEBRUARY - WEEK TWO





FEBRUARY - WEEK THREE





FEBRUARY - WEEK FOUR - THE FINALE!
 





Best wishes

Debs :-)  

27 Feb 2012

Book Review - Something from Tiffany's by Melissa Hill

Doesn’t every girl dream of getting… something from Tiffany’s?

On 5th Avenue in New York City, two very different men are shopping for gifts for the women they love.

Gary is buying his girlfriend Rachel a charm bracelet. Partly to thank her for paying for their holiday-of-a-lifetime to New York. But mainly because he’s left his shopping far too late.

Whereas Ethan’s looking for something a little more special – an engagement ring for the first woman to have made him happy since he lost the love of his life.

But when the two men’s shopping bags get confused, and Rachel somehow ends up with Ethan’s ring, the couples’ lives become intertwined.

As Ethan tries to reunite the ring with the woman it was actually intended for, he discovers this isn’t that easy. Does fate have other ideas for the couples? Or is there simply a bit of Tiffany’s magic in the air…


My review - 10 out of 10




Best wishes

Debs 

21 Feb 2012

Waiting on Wednesday - Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.

 

Expected Release Date:    13th March 2012







It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.




Best wishes

Debs :-)

20 Feb 2012

Book Review - Torn by Cat Clarke


Four girls. One dead body. A whole lot of guilt.

Alice King isn’t expecting the holiday of a lifetime when she sets off with her classmates on a trip to the Scottish wilderness, but she’s not exactly prepared for an experience beyond her darkest nightmares…

Alice and her best friend Cass are stuck in a cabin with Polly, the social outcast, and Rae, the moody emo-girl. Then there’s Tara – queen of mean. Powerful, beautiful and cruel, she likes nothing better than putting people down.

Cass decides it’s time to teach Tara a lesson she’ll never forget. And so begins a series of events that will change the lives of these girls forever...

A compelling story of guilty secrets, troubled friendship and burgeoning love




My Review




Best wishes


Debs :-)

19 Feb 2012

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (Book 2, Goddess Test)


Below is an extract from Goddesss Test, the first book in the series.  If you would like to read the blurb for Goddess Interrupted, please click here

In a modern-day take on the myth of Persephone, 18-year-old Kate Winters is thrust into a mythical world, where she must pass seven impossible tests and outsmart a spiteful god in order to save the life of not just her mother but of her captor as well.


My Review:




Best wishes

Debs

16 Feb 2012

Fragment Friday - Across the Universe by Beth Revis




Book Review - The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

In a modern-day take on the myth of Persephone, 18-year-old Kate Winters is thrust into a mythical world, where she must pass seven impossible tests and outsmart a spiteful god in order to save the life of not just her mother but of her captor as well.


My Review:

 What a great book.  I have to admit that I do not know a lot about greek mythology so it did take me a bit to try and figure out who was who (a couple that I had already heard before) but after reading this book I am definately going to be picking up more greek mythology books (fiction and non-fiction).  Although there was a bit in the middle where I felt it dragged for me, it was well worth the extra concentration effort as this book as such an explosive twist at the end it definately made me stand up and pay attention.


I absolutely loved this book.




Best wishes

Debs

14 Feb 2012

Waiting on Wednesday - The Girl who Could Silence the Wind by Med Medina


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.

 

Expected Release Date:    13th March 2012







Sonia's entire village believes she has a gift, but it's only in leaving home that she finds out who she truly is. A compelling tale from a rich new voice in young adult fiction.

Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl's protective powers began. All her life, Sonia has been asked to pray for sick mothers or missing sons, as worried parents and friends press silver milagros in her hands. Sonia knows she has no special powers, but how can she disappoint those who look to her for solace? Still, her conscience is heavy, so when she gets a chance to travel to the city and work in the home of a wealthy woman, she seizes it. At first, Sonia feels freedom in being treated like all the other girls. But when news arrives that her beloved brother has disappeared while looking for work, she learns to her sorrow that she can never truly leave the past or her family behind. With deeply realized characters, a keen sense of place, a hint of magical realism, and a flush of young romance, Meg Medina tells the tale of a strongwilled, warmhearted girl who dares to face life's harsh truths as she finds her real power



Best wishes  

Debs :-)

13 Feb 2012

Book Review - Winging it by Deborah Cooke (Book 2, Dragon Diaries)

Below is the blurb for book 1 in the series, Flying Blind.  If you would like to read the blurb for Winging it please click here.

The next generation of shape-shifting dragons from the popular author of the Dragonfire novels.

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.











Best wishes


Debs :-)

12 Feb 2012

Book Review: Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke (Book 1, Dragon Diaries)

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.


Publication Date:  2011
Publisher:  Allison &; Busby

My Review:  9 out of 10 

If you would prefer to see the video review, please see the bottom of this post.





I have to admit that this is the first dragon book I have read.  Up until now, I had thought that I would not like dragon stories but I am always willing to give something a go before deciding whether or not to like or not like it.  This story was so fun to read, I really enjoyed it.  


This story was so full of information about dragons, their way of life, how they change from human to dragon etc I was so glad that this was the book I had chosen to gently guide me into the ways of the dragon.  Not only did the author describe information as it happens with the characters but also put in little lists of things such as 'Five Things the Pyr Can Do', 'Five Things about the Wyvern' and 'Five Things about Mages'.  I am not sure if this is just specific to this story or dragon stories in general but I do hope to find out.


There are some wonderful characters in this book that I absolutely loved, Zoe being one of them.  At the beginning of the story, she is unsure of herself and just waiting in the wings (excuse the pun) for her powers to come to her as she is supposed to be the Wyvern, which is a female dragon who has very special powers.  There can only be one Wyvern living at any time.  When she is sent away to a boot camp, she soon discovers she has more strength than she realised and even has more powers than she realised.  Zoe also has a great sense of humour which comes through in Deborah's writing.  I did laugh out loud at some of the things that Zoe comes out with.  

I have to admit that at the boot camp there were quite a few characters in the mix that I did have a little trouble at the beginning trying to remember each character but that really didn't deflect from the story, which was so fun to read.  






Best wishes


Debs :-)

8 Feb 2012

Waiting on Wednesday - Life is but a Dream by Brian James


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.

 

Expected Release Date:    27th March 2012







Alec and Sabrina are crazy in love. Problem is: Sabrina’s really crazy.

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.




Best wishes

Debs :-)

5 Feb 2012

Book Review: The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson

09Set against the backdrop of redwood forests and shimmering vineyards, Seré Prince Halverson's compelling debut tells the story of two women, bound by an unspeakable loss, who each claims to be the mother of the same two children. 

To Ella Beene, happiness means living in the northern California river town of Elbow with her husband, Joe, and his two young children. Yet one summer day Joe breaks his own rule--never turn your back on the ocean--and a sleeper wave strikes him down, drowning not only the man but his many secrets. 


For three years, Ella has been the only mother the kids have known and has believed that their biological mother, Paige, abandoned them. But when Paige shows up at the funeral, intent on reclaiming the children, Ella soon realizes there may be more to Paige and Joe's story. "Ella's the best thing that's happened to this family," say her Italian-American in-laws, for generations the proprietors of a local market. But their devotion quickly falters when the custody fight between mother and stepmother urgently and powerfully collides with Ella's quest for truth. 


The Underside of Joy is not a fairy-tale version of stepmotherhood pitting good Ella against evil Paige, but an exploration of the complex relationship of two mothers. Their conflict uncovers a map of scars--both physical and emotional--to the families' deeply buried tragedies, including Italian internment camps during World War II and postpartum psychosis.



Publication Date: 12th January 2012

My Review: 7 out of 10


This is a truly beautifully sad story touching on some very deep emptions. For me, this was a story that I had to sit up and pay attention to rather than one I could relax to. The range of emptions that the characters went through, I have to admit that I went through those same emptions to when following their story (sadness, happiness, despair, anger etc etc). With all that emption, I found this was a very exhausting read. Alongside the emotional characters there are some very emotional issues dealt with in this story such as the death of Joe, the father, husband and ex-husband.

There were times in this story that I sided with one or other of the characters, especially with Ella and Paige. At certain points in the story, I have to admit that I did side with one or the other character and that made for really interesting reading. I have to say that what made this story stand out for me is the character of Ella and they way that she stood up for what was right. That, in a character and in real life, is a trait that I admire.




Best wishes

Debs Smile

January 2012 Reading Update

Best wishes

Debs :-)

In My Mailbox/Book Haul - 5th February 2012


Best wishes

Debs :-)

Brewingteabag You Tube Book Club - February


This month we are going to be reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella.....


Below is the intro video.... 



If you would like to check it out, follow the book club and/or join in, the link to the Brewing Tea Bag channel is to the right hand side.

Best wishes

Debs :-)

The Kissing Tree Winner....







The winner is...

Erin Taylor


CONGRATULATIONS!




Best wishes  

Debs

Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Book 1, Delirium)

Below is the blurb for Book 1, Delirium.  If you would like to know more about Book 2 please Click Here

Lena Haloway is content in her safe, government-managed society. She feels (mostly) relaxed about the future in which her husband and career will be decided, and looks forward to turning 18, when she’ll be cured of deliria, a.k.a. love. She tries not to think about her mother’s suicide (her last words to Lena were a forbidden “I love you”) or the supposed “Invalid” community made up of the uncured just beyond her Portland, Maine, border. There’s no real point—she believes her government knows how to best protect its people, and should do so at any cost. But 95 days before her cure, Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who makes her heart flutter and her skin turn red-hot. As their romance blossoms, Lena begins to doubt the intentions of those in power, and fears that her world will turn gray should she submit to the procedure.

Estimated Publication Date:  1st March 2012



Best wishes

Debs :-)