BooK Review - Until I Die by Amy Plum (Book 2, Die for Me)

Below is the blurb for book 1 in the series, Die for Me.  If you would like to read the blurb for Until I Die (which I have not put here as I did not want to spoil the story line) can be found in the Goodreads link here.

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.  

My Review:     8/10

I have to be honest and say that I am always very hesitant when I start to read the second book in any series, especially when I enjoyed the first book so much.  As I finished the first book in the series, Die for Me (which I loved), I was very intrigued to find out what would happen next.  This story certainly did not disappoint.  As with the first book, this had a lot of really fantastic action scenes between revenants.  There is still a lot of storyline with Kate and Vincent as well.  For me, a lot of the story was more like a waiting game, anticipating trouble but not sure when it is going to happen.  There is a lot of build up in this story, especially with Kate who goes through 'training'.

A really enjoyed second installment in this series and I am definately still left intrigued as to what is going to happen next.....


See below for my video review of Die for Me/Until I Die

Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Die for Me by Amy Plum (Revenants Book 1)

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Check out the Goodreads page here.

Release Date - 10th May 2011 

10 out of 10

My Review

(video review below) 

This story starts off on a sad note with Kate's parents having died in a car accident and her and her sister moving over to Paris to live with their grandparents. When in Paris, Kate has a hard time adjusting to her parent's death and resorts to keeping herself to herself, reading books and sitting in coffee shops alone.  

Then she meets Vincent.  There is a great romantic build up with Kate and Vincent and there was certainly a lot more to Vincent than meets the eye.  

This is definitely one of those stories that has a bit of good -v- bad, who is going to win?    There is a lot more that I could say about this story but there is a lot that I don't want to give away and spoil for those of you who have this on their TBR..  I will say that this is the start of an amazing paranormal series and I can't wait to dig into the second instalment....

Best wishes

Debs :-)

Waiting on Wednesday - The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

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

 

Expected Release Date:   7th August 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)


Goodreads link is here.

One summer chasing tornadoes could finally change Jane's life for the better

Seventeen-year-old Jane McAllister can't quite admit her mother's alcoholism is spiraling dangerously out of control until she drives drunk, nearly killing them and Jane's best friend.

Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left the problems at home years ago for college. A summer with him and his tornado-chasing buddies may just provide the time and space Jane needs to figure out her life and whether it still includes her mother. But she struggles with her anger at Ethan for leaving home and feels guilty--is she also abandoning her mom just when she needs Jane most? The carefree trip turned journey of self-discovery quickly becomes more than Jane bargained for, especially when the devilishly handsome Max steps into the picture.




Best wishes


Debs :-)

Book Review - Dark Magic by James Swain

Peter Warlock is a magician with a dark secret. Every night, he amazes audiences at his private theater in New York, where he performs feats that boggle the imagination. But his day job is just a cover for his otherworldly pursuits: Peter is a member of an underground group of psychics who gaze into the future to help prevent crimes. 

No one, not even his live-in girlfriend, knows the truth about Peter—until the séance when he foresees an unspeakable act of violence that will devastate the city. As Peter and his friends rush to prevent tragedy, Peter discovers that a shadowy cult of evil psychics, the Order of Astrum, know all about his abilities. They are hunting him and his fellow psychics down, one by one, determined to silence them forever. 

Goodreads




My Review:    6/10

I was very intrigued about this book when I read the blurb.  Magicians and secrets, that's my kind of story.  If I was to describe what type of story this is, I would have to say that it is more of a magical mystery story.  You have a great combination of a group of magicians who seem to be able to predict what is going to happen in the future and are able to 'tip off' the local police just in time.  Its only when Peter predicts something far worse than he has ever seen before that he realises that he needs to do something.  There is a mysterious character lurking around and Peter needs to stop him before many people will die  If I have to be honest, I did not warm very much to Peter's girlfriend Lisa  very much who seemed to me to be thinking of herself more than Peter in certain situations.

This was a very interesting good-v-bad story with some really great twists and turns that did keep my interest onto what is going to happen next but, for me, I did feel the story was very predictable.  I felt this story was more about Peter's journey into finding the truth about his predictions and the truth about himself. 

Best wishes


Debs

Bookshelf Tour - The Final Part Hardback Books

Best wishes 

Debs :-)

Bookshelf Tour (More Misc Books) - 23rd June 2012

One more video to come soon.......

Best wishes

Debs :-)

Interview with Chrissie Manby - Author of What I Did on my Holidays

If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?

Hmmm. This is a tricky one. There are certainly writers whose magic touch I would love to have all over my manuscript: people like my heroine Anne Tyler or Ann Patchett. But I have collaborated with other writers in the past and have to tell you I'm not good at it. I'm far happier working alone. That way I set the pace and get my own way with the story.

 What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?

I have no typical working day. I work whenever I can find the space and time since I always seem to be on the move or have a house full of waifs and strays sleeping in my office. I have even been known to work in an aisle in the supermarket (thank god for Blackberry) and I am writing this in the back of a disgusting cigarette-scented mini-cab on my way to the station.

 What is the hardest part of the writing for you?

Always the middle. It's easy to come up with a beginning and an ending. Stringing the journey between them out for 100,000 words is something else.

When and why did you first start writing?

I published my first short story as a fourteen year old. My English teacher encouraged me to send some of my work to Just Seventeen and they bought it. I didn't actually think that hard about it. I'd written the stories for my English GCSE coursework. Back then I wanted to be a fashion designer.

How did you come up with the idea for the book ‘What I did on my holidays’?

The central idea of WIDOMH (the heroine pretends to be on holiday in Majorca while hiding in her flat) is an extension of the old ruse of pretending to be the office when you're actually in the changing room at TopShop. With mobiles and laptops you can work from anywhere without anyone having to know where you really are. So why not pretend to be somewhere exotic?

Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?

I read all the time. Right now, I am reading Adam Nevill's latest, Last Days, about an evil cult that commits Manson-style atrocities. He is a brilliant story-teller but you definitely have to read him in daylight. While I was reading his 'Apartment 16', I kept having to put the book down, leave the house and calm down in a cafe full of people.

 Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

Just keep putting the words down until you have a whole novel. Aspiring writers often seem to get bogged down with editing and re-editing their own opening chapters. Finishing the whole book makes you a much more interesting prospect for agents, editors etc.

Goodreads page here

Publisher:  Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date:  21st June 2012
Purchase it at:  Amazon UK /  Amazon USA
Author Website:  http://www.chrismanby.co.uk/

Sophie Sturgeon can't wait for her annual summer holiday. Not only will it be a week away from work, it will be a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Callum.

So this upcoming trip to Majorca is a big deal. Sophie's spent a lot of time getting ready. She's bought a new wardrobe. She's been waxed to within an inch of her life. She's determined she and Callum will have the best time ever.

Then Callum dumps her, the night before they're due to leave. In a show of bravery and independence, Sophie says she'll go to Majorca alone - but in fact, she hides in her London flat. But when her friends, family, and even Callum seem so surprised and delighted at her single girl courage, Sophie decides to go all out and recreate the ultimate 'fake break' . . . with hilarious results.

Best wishes

Debs :-)

Book Review - What I Did on my Holidays by Chrissie Manby

Sophie Sturgeon can't wait for her annual summer holiday. Not only will it be a week away from work, it will be a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Callum.

So this upcoming trip to Majorca is a big deal. Sophie's spent a lot of time getting ready. She's bought a new wardrobe. She's been waxed to within an inch of her life. She's determined she and Callum will have the best time ever.

Then Callum dumps her, the night before they're due to leave. In a show of bravery and independence, Sophie says she'll go to Majorca alone - but in fact, she hides in her London flat. But when her friends, family, and even Callum seem so surprised and delighted at her single girl courage, Sophie decides to go all out and recreate the ultimate 'fake break' . . . with hilarious results.

 Goodreads page here

Publisher:  Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date:  21st June 2012
Purchase it at:  Amazon UK /  Amazon USA
Author Website:  http://www.chrismanby.co.uk/

My Review:   10/10

If you are looking for a great holiday read, one that will make you smile, laugh and cry (sometimes on their own and sometimes all at once), this is the one you need to pick up this summer.  I had such fun reading this book.

I immediately warmed to the character of Sophie.  At the beginning of the story, she struck me as someone who cared what other people thought of her and, despite being paired up with what I found to be a pretty annoying colleague, she knew how to 'handle' her office relationship with the colleague and with others.  When she is dumped by Callum (in a way that was completely cruel and the things he revealed I really was shocked about and definitely showed his true colours), I completely understood why she couldn't have gone on holiday on my own.   If I was in the same situation, I would have to admit that I would probably do the same thing.

The one thing that really shone out to me as the best part of this novel, I cannot completely reveal as do not want to spoil the story for anyone but has to do with Sophie staying at home and the close bond and friendship she discovers with someone throughout her holiday at home.  To me, that was the most moving part of the story.  There is also a great scene including Sophie's backyard and a lot of sand that made me laugh so much...

This is an absolutely fantastic summer read not to be missed...  If you enjoy reading books by the likes of Sophie Kinsella, I would definitely recommend you give this one a go....

Best wishes

Debs

Waiting on Wednesday - Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

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

 

Expected Release Date:   3rd July 2012 (not long now...)
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)


Goodreads link is here.

When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member.

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school...and be bound to Birch Grove forever?


Best wishes

Debs :-)

Book Review - The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.

For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.

Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.  

Goodreads page here
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date:  22nd March 2011
Purchase it at:  Amazon UK /  Amazon USA 

My Review:   10/10
(video review at bottom of post)

There's something about a Sarah Addison Allen book that screams magic, oozing magic from each page.  Many of you may know that I also co-host a You Tube Channel called Brewing Tea Bag (channel can be found here) and this is the book we have chosen to read in the month of June.   As a very good girl, I started this at the beginning of the month and I could not put it down.  It is now halfway through the month and I have already finished it.  At 273 pages, I did wish that it could have been longer but, as they say, quality not quantity and this book is full of plenty of magical quality.  

Willa and Paxton would have to be my favourite characters in this story, following each of their stories, especially how they interacted with each other and discovering the secrets that they uncover.  The story centres on the Blue Ridge Madam that for many years has been left to ruins.  Once a beautiful family home owned and lived in by Willa's family many years ago, disaster struck and it was left abandoned.  Paxton decides to renovate the Madam but little does she know she is going to be uncovering truths that were thought long forgotten. 

This story is so rich with family history and secrets that I just could not put it down.  There are also some great romantic elements in this story as well.  I absolutely loved this book and would very highly recommend it...

Video Review




Book Trailer

Best wishes

Debs

Bookshelf Tour (Misc and Chick Lit Books) - 18th June 2012

Best wishes

Debs :-)

Book Review - The Gilly Salt Sisters by Tiffany Baker

The author of the "New York Times"-bestselling "The Little Giant of Aberdeen County" returns with a magic-tinged tale of dreams, family secrets, and betrayals on a New England salt farm.

In the isolated Cape Cod village of Prospect, the Gilly sisters are as different as can be. Jo, a fierce and quiet loner, is devoted to the mysteries of her family's salt farm, while Claire is popular, pretty, and yearns to flee the salt at any cost. But the Gilly land hides a dark legacy that proves impossible to escape. Although the community half-suspects the Gilly sisters might be witches, it doesn't stop Whit Turner, the town's wealthiest bachelor, from forcing his way into their lives. It's Jo who first steals Whit's heart, but it is Claire--heartbroken over her high school sweetheart--who marries him.

Years later, estranged from her family, Claire finds herself thrust back onto the farm with the last person she would have chosen: her husband's pregnant mistress. Suddenly, alliances change, old loves return, and new battle lines are drawn. What the Gilly sisters learn about each other, the land around them, and the power of the salt, will not only change each of their lives forever, it will also alter Gilly history for good.

Goodreads page here

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Release Date:  14th March 2012
Purchase it at:  Amazon UK /  Amazon USA

My Review:   10/10

The Gilly Salt family are outsiders in the town running a salt farm, salt which seems to have a magical quality to them which seems to be casting a spell on the town.  Each year the town holds a bonfire where a member of the Gilly family throws salt into and it predicts the future for the town for the following year.  Blue means the town is going to prosper.  Yellow means change is in the air.  Black means something horrible is on the horizon. 

Jo Gilly is the oldest sister who is very responsible and takes care of the family and the business.  Claire, on the other hand, really does not want to be there and does everything in her power to leave her family and the farm behind, despite whose feelings she hurts.  This story is very much about the interaction between the Gilly Salt Sisters and unearthing family secrets that could either tear them further apart or bring them closer together.

This is such a great family drama I have to admit that I found it very hard to put down.  I just had to find out what was going to happen next and what family secrets would be unearthed.  What made the story more enjoyable was the flash backs to the past that gives a bigger picture of what the Gilly sisters have to face.  If you like a good family drama, I would highly recommend this one.

Best wishes

Debs

Book Review - Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . .

Goodreads page here

Publisher:  Bloomsbury

Release Date:  19th June 2012 

Purchase it at:  Amazon UK /  Amazon USA

My Review:    9/10

All I had to hear was the word 'witches' and I knew I was definitely wanting to read this book as soon as possible.  I absolutely love witch stories and this one definitely did not disappoint.  Immediately I was catapulted into a world where witches were second rate citizens below humans.  In this new world, you have witches and humans without powers are split up into different communities and very much keep to themselves.  If you are a witch, you have a 'devil's mark', which I can probably best describe as a birth mark but more distinguishable. 

Glory was born into the witch community and very much wants to be a witch but unfortunately her powers have not shown up yet, despite the fact that she very much wants them to).  She is in a tough situation though because there is a hierarchy in the witch community, which a member of her extended family heads (just like a mob family) and if she does come into her powers, that member of the family will want to use her powers for his own purpose, not for good.  

Lucas was born and raised in the human community.  He comes from a very very very long line of witch hunters and there are certainly expectations.  When Lucas develops the devil's mark, he cannot hide it for long and he is soon recruited by his father.

There is a lot of build up and introduction to characters at the beginning of this book, which I thought was great as it helped me fully understand this new world and really get stuck into it.  Although this story was very predictable, for me this story was more about the journey of Glory and Lucas, what was happening to them and the secrets they would discover along the way. I believe this may be the first in a series so I am definitely looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Best wishes

Debs

Bookshelf Tour - YA Bookshelves Part Two (13th Jun...Bo

Waiting on Wednesday - Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

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

 

Expected Release Date:   13th September 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)


Goodreads link is here.


A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it's exhilarating--Vee and Ian's fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they're directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they're playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?






Best wishes

Debs :-)

Bookshelf Tour - YA Bookshelves Part One (12th June 2012)

OVERVIEW

YA BOOKSHELVES PART ONE

Book Review - Adorkable by Sarra Manning

Jeane Smith is seventeen and has turned her self-styled dorkiness into an art form, a lifestyle choice and a profitable website and consultancy business. She writes a style column for a Japanese teen magazine and came number seven in The Guardian's 30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing The World.

 And yet, in spite of the accolades, hundreds of Internet friendships and a cool boyfriend, she feels inexplicably lonely, a situation made infinitely worse when Michael Lee, the most mass-market, popular and predictably all-rounded boy at school tells Jeane of his suspicion that Jeane's boyfriend is secretly seeing his girlfriend. 

Michael and Jeane have NOTHING in common - she is cool and individual; he is the golden boy in an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt. So why can't she stop talking to him?

Check out the Goodreads page here. 
Release Date - 24th May 2012

8/10

My Review 
(video review at end of post)

 'The Adorkable Manifesto

1. We have nothing to declare but our dorkiness. 
2. Jumble sales are our shopping malls. 
3. Better to make cookies than be a cookie-cutter.
4. Suffering doesn't necessarily improve you but it does give you something to blog about.
5. Experiment with Photoshop, hair dye, nail polish and cupcake flavours but never drugs. 
6. Don't follow leaders, be one.
7. Necessity is the mother of customisation.
8. Puppies make everything better.
9. Quiet girls rarely make history.
10. Never shield your oddness, but wear your oddness like a shield'

                                                                                    Quote from First Page of Adorkable

What a great start to a book.  I could very easily follow each of these rules....

At the beginning of the book, we see Jeane standing up for what she believes in and stays true to herself and her beliefs.  We also see her very lonely with her parents having split up; her mother is abroad teaching meditation and her father also abroad owning a bar.  Although her sister did live with her, she had to go away for medical training so Jeane is very much living under her own bubble.  

I liked the banter between Jeane and Michael, having found out that their boyfriend/girlfriend have been seeing each other behind their backs.  I believe they say that opposites attract and Michael and Jeane are definitely opposites.  I liked their interaction with each other and, as time goes on, what effect they have on each other.  The chapters alternate between the viewpoints of both Jeane and Michael and it is definitely very entertaining to read about both sides of the story.   

Before I finish the review, there is one other quote that I would like to share here, taken from page 27 of Adorkable, which I just absolutely love.

'...I double-clicked on Firefox, then on Tweetdeck, and connected by iPhone to my computer so I could upload the pictures I'd taken that afternoon.
     My fingers flew over the keys as I wrote my first tweet of the evening.  The I hit return and within ten seconds someone had replied.

     And, just like that, I wasn't alone anymore.'

Best wishes

Debs :-)

 

Waiting on Wednesday - Origin by Jessia Khoury

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

 

Expected Release Date:   4th September 2012
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)


Goodreads link is here.

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Book Review - The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Elizabeth Margaret--better known as Em--has always known what her life would contain: an internship at her father's firm, a degree from Harvard, and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is, it's not what she wants. So when she gets the opportunity to get away and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em learns that her family has some pretty significant secrets. And then there's Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can't resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels that for the first time ever, she is really living life on her own terms.

Add to your books on Goodreads here.

Released - 10th May 2012

  
My Review  



Best wishes

Debs :-)