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.
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.
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...
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…
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jesse cuts her own hair
with a Swiss Army knife. She wears big green fisherman's boots. She's
the founding (and only) member of NOLAW, the National Organization to
Liberate All Weirdos. Emily wears sweaters with faux pearl buttons.
She's vice president of the student council. She has a boyfriend.
These
two girls have nothing in common, except the passionate "private time"
they share every Tuesday afternoon. Jesse wishes their relationship
could be out in the open, but Emily feels she has too much to lose. When
they find themselves on opposite sides of a heated school conflict,
they each have to decide what's more important: what you believe in, or
the one you love?
When sixteen-year-old
Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself
exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and
nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid
she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she
feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like
she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things
keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their
dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the
reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her
unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact,
he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.
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.
Below is a blurb from Book 1, The Magic of Finkleton. If you would like to read more about Book 2, please click here.
Most folks say, "Mother Nature controls the rain." However this is not the case in the village of Finkleton.
In the perfect little village of Finkleton, the weather is always
perfect. Every farm grows the best, biggest, healthiest crops in the
entire world, and everyone is happy.
Soon after the Finkles inherit their Uncle Harry's shop and move to
Finkleton, they discover magical secrets hidden in his shop. One clue at
a time, Jack, Lizzy and Robert learn the town's amazing secret. No,
Mother Nature is not in charge in Finkleton!
Ever since Uncle Harry's death, the weather has not been
cooperating. Farms are starting to fail. Will the Finkle children be
able to solve all the magical mysteries before the village is destroyed?
Come along to Finkleton. A very special, magical adventure is about to begin!
Should a woman who’s unable to forget her first love give “happily ever after” one more try?
Shelby Winters’ one great love went sour. If she can’t feel that way
about a guy again, why bother? When Shelby’s best friend sets her up on
a blind date with Logan, the guy who broke her heart, he pursues her
relentlessly, forcing her to make a choice: give her heart what it’s
always desired and risk total devastation or shut Logan out and lose her
only shot at happiness. To Shelby, it’s a lose-lose situation. Or is
it?
Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.
The
orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy is quite content to stay in the
shadows and never draw attention to herself. But when she's selected
for a reality TV show to try to become the President son's prom date-a
show she didn't audition for-she's suddenly in America's spotlight.
The
lights, the make-up, the competitions, and the blogs discussing every
move she makes all make Addy incredibly uncomfortable. But through her
time at The Mansion, Addy comes to realize that first impressions aren't
always right, that hiding out may not be what God had planned for her
life, and that her faith should affect everything she does. It may just
be that her selection wasn't random at all and that she's on this show
"for such a time as this."
For seventeen years,
Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has
been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery.
Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition
dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply,
and now chaos threatens both worlds.
The only one who can break
his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt
Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife,
desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become
the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge
alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas,
and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.
Published: 5th January 2012
My Review: 10 out of 10
What an amazing book. What made this story great for me was the banter between friends Eloise, Jo and Devlin and how 'tight' their friendship is. The writing was so easy to read the story just flowed through seemlessly.
Sookie Stackhouse is
just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the
vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers
checks out....
Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.
A
fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and
mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed. (Susan
Sizemore)
Published: 1st May 2001
My Review : 9 out of 10
I absolutely loved this book. I have watched the first two seasons of True Blood on the TV so I was hoping that this book would be slightly different from that and it was. There are quite a differences between the book and the show, it was almost like I was reading a different story.
Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.
BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.
But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to
discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back
in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has
been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the
truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's
mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold
the key to her forever after.
With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages
of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again,
when your heart is still in pieces?
Below is the blurb for the first book in the series The Hunger Games. If you would like to read the blurb for Mockingjay (book 3), please click here
In the ruins of a place
once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol
surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel
and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and
one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the
annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother
and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she
steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has
been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature.
Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to
win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival
against humanity and life against love. If you would prefer to see the video review, please see the end of this post.
When I first heard about the Hunger Games and read/saw all the hype surrounding it, I have to confess that I really wasn't sure that this series was for me. After a little while, the story did intrigue me and I thought I would give it a go and I am so glad that I did. This is a series that I really enjoyed, from start to finish.
Throughout the whole series, including this final book, there were so many twists and turns that I was not expecting it kept me on my toes. Following Katniss through her journey in the Hunger Games and beyond was mesmerising. What a strong character, perfect for this storyline and a character that I was always voting for to make it through the other side.
With this final book, there are a few twists and turns, definately action packed with a few moral dilemmas thrown into the mix, I loved it.
For all of you who have not tried The Hunger Games yet and are unsure, give it a try and you might just be surprised what you think of it....
Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
Share 7 random facts about yourself.
Pass the Award on to 10 deserving blog buddies.
Contact those buddies and let them know.
7 Random Facts about Me:
I am a super organised person... I like things organised and in its place and if it is not then it has to be pretty quick!
I took Krista's typing test and got 95 wpm... Wanna try click here
My favourite colour is turquoise.
My favourite food is chocolate although I am trying to stay away from it as one of my New Years resolutions.... Ahhhhh.....
One of my most fondest reading memories was when I was a kid and every Saturday I used to take a trip down to the local library (about 5 minutes away from my house). I could have lived in that library...
My favourite TV show when I was a teenager was California Dreams...
