27 Feb 2014

Book Review / A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld.

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies.

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away?


Published:     7th January 2014
Publisher:  Walker
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Book 1, The Lovegrove Legacy
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher 
 




Best wishes

Debs :-)

26 Feb 2014

●● Waiting on Wednesday / Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas ●●



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


Expected Release Date: 11th March 2014
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)

Goodreads link is here.


Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...


24 Feb 2014

Book Review / Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

A life hanging in the balance…a family torn apart. The #1 internationally bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells an unforgettable story about family, love, and letting go.

Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.

With her father’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

Lone Wolf explores the notion of family, and the love, protection and strength it’s meant to offer. But what if the hope that should sustain it, is the very thing that pulls it apart? Another tour de force from Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf examines the wild and lonely terrain upon which love battles reason.


Published:     28th February 2012
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Not part of a series
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
Review:   10 out of 10


What I loved about this book...

As with most of the books written by Jodi Picoult, this book has a very strong emotional message/tale to tell.  In this story, we see the dilemma between two siblings; one who has not seen his father in a few years and is resonsible to make the decision on whether or not life support should continue and one who has spent the last few years with her father but is not old enough to make medical decisions yet.  Reading this book, I found myself taking the side of the son (the oldest who has not seen his father for a while) for various reasons but moving towards the end of the book I realised that I could actually see valid reasosn from both siblings.  This is definately a story to think about.

What I was not fond of with this book...

Absolutely nothing, loved this book...

If you would like to check out the video review, please see below...



Best wishes
Debs :-) 

19 Feb 2014

Book Review / The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow

It is 1910 and Maria, a talented young girl from the East end of London, is employed to work as a seamstress for the royal family. As an attractive girl, she soon catches the eye of the Prince of Wales and she in turn is captivated by his glamour and intensity.

But careless talk causes trouble and soon Maria’s life takes a far darker turn. Disbelieved and dismissed she is thrown into a mental asylum, shut away from the real world with only her needlework for company.

Can a beautiful quilt, discovered many years later, reveal the truth behind what happened to Maria?


Published:     16th January 2014
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Not part of a series
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
Review:   10 out of 10


What I loved about this story...

Wow!  Historical fiction is fast becoming one of my favourite genres.  I loved this book.  What I loved the most about this book was the fact that real life historical facts are in this book as well as fiction so there were certain parts that I recognised. 

I also loved the story of Maria, from when she started off in the orphanage and getting picked to be part of the seamstress team for the Royal Palace to later on in life.  There is so much to discover in this book, so many secrets and I loved finding out each and every one.  There were a couple of surprses along the way too!

What I was not fond of with this story...

Absolutely loved this book, there was nothing I did not like about it...


If you would like to check out the video review, please see below...



Best wishes

Debs :-)
 

●● Waiting on Wednesdays / Death Sworn by Leah Cypess ●●



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


Expected Release Date: 4th March 2014
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)

Goodreads link is here.


When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.

But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.

17 Feb 2014

Book Review / My Name is Rapunzel by KC Hilton

My tale has been told again and again, and I’ve heard each one. Except for my hair, I barely recognize the pitiful renditions. 

Muddled versions, crafted to entertain laughing children…but the children wouldn’t have laughed if they’d known the real story. It wasn't their fault. They didn't know the truth. Nobody did.

My name is Rapunzel. I will tell you my story. I will tell you the truth.


Published:     22nd November 2013
Publisher:  Createsspace Independent
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Not part of a series
Source:  Review Copy from Author
Review:   10 out of 10


What I loved about this story...

I LOVED this book.  I have to admit that this is the first book I have read that relates to Rapunzel and this was a fantatic book to start off this new obsession with!  This book has such a lot of history and background to the story of Rapunzel.  One of my favourite things about this story is actually the love interests of Rapunzel and how that fits in to the story..... 

What I was not fond of with this story...

There is absolutely nothing that I didn't like about this story....

If you would like to check out the video review, please see below...




Best wishes
Debs :-)

15 Feb 2014

Book Review / Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. 


As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. 

They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Published:     7th June 2011
Publisher:  Quirk
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Book 1, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher


What I loved about this story...

What I loved the most about this story is the history of the main character and history of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and how they are linked.  I loved how the truth about what is going on is revealed slowly and somehow I get the feeling that there is so much more to learn that I haven't yet.  I am very intrigued to find out what happens in the next book Hollow City, which I need to pick up soon! 

I also loved the fact that there were really creepy pictures throughout the book and when you are reading the story, the pictures matched in with what was happening with the story at that particular time.


What I was not fond of in this story...

If I had to pick up something, I would say that when I was reading the blurb I got the impression that this book would really creep me out and would be a book that I should read during the day(!) but the story was not as scary as I anticipated.


If you would like to check out the video review, please see below:



Best wishes
Debs :-)

12 Feb 2014

Book Review / How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.

Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then.

Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life.

But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?


 Published:     24th October 2013
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Not part of a series
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher 
 

What I loved about this story...

Cecelia Ahern is one of favourite authors of all time, so I was highly anticipating this book and had very high hopes, that were not disappointed at all.  The story started off on a bad note with both characters, Christine and Adam, are in low places in their lives.   

What I enjoyed the most was the character progression throughout the story.  The journeys that both Christine and Adam took through the story where they go through sadness in certain ways, having to face up to difficulties and seeing what they do next kept me mesmerised throughout the story.

What I was not fond of with this story...

Absolutely nothing, LOVED this book....


If you would like to see the video review, please see below...




Best wishes 
Debs :-)

●● Waiting on Wednesday / Hexed by Michelle Krys ●●



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


Expected Release Date: 10th June 2014
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)

Goodreads link is here.
If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.


10 Feb 2014

Book Review / Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

What happens when happily ever after... isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.


Published:     5th July 2012
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Not part of a series
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
 


What I loved about this story...

What I loved the most about this book is both the viewpoints and the ending (don't worry, I won't put any spoilers in this review).  In this book, there are different viewpoints.  The one that I enjoyed the most was the viewpoint of Oliver inside the story, showing what happens when you are reading the book and also what happens when the book is closed, making it sound a bit like a theatre production where the characters are playing a part and once the book is closed they go back to being their 'normal' selves.  Loved it!

The ending is one thing that, obviously, I will not talk about too much so as not to spoil but all I will say is that the ending was not something that I was expecting and was completely surprising.

What I was not fond of with this story...

I have to admit that there really wasn't anything that I didn't like in this story.  The only think that I was not keen on was the actually physical book itself.  I had the English hard cover and the way it was put together made the book so heavy to hold it really did make my arms ache lol!


To check out the video review, please see below...



Best wishes

Debs :-)

5 Feb 2014

Book Haul - 5th February 2014


●● Waiting on Wednesday / Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor ●●



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


Expected Release Date: 8th April 2014
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)

Goodreads link is here.

As the above book is book 3 in a series, below is the blurb for book 1...

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

1 Feb 2014

Book Review / Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks



Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again.

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Published:     14th September 2010
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Not part of a series
Source:  Bought
Review:   10 out of 10


What I loved about this book...
 
What can I say, it's a Nicholas Sparks book.  What I loved the most about this book is the way that Nicholas Sparks takes romance an d love and makes it real.  Nothing is straight forward, there are always obstacles that have to be overcome and sometimes it hurts.  With this book,  the character that I most connected with was actually Alex - the store owner who lives in Southport.  I enjoyed following his story throughout the book, how he changes after meeting Katie and how he feels about his past.

 
What I was not fond of with this book...

In all honesty, there is nothing that I did not like about this book....  I loved it all....

If you would prefer to see the video review, please see below...