January 2014 Book Haul

 

Hey book nerds! :) I'm so sorry for my absence recently, things have been going quite awfully for me recently, and I've not had the motivation or the want to post anything. I'm so sorry! D: If any of you don't know, I suffer from depression, as well as a variety of other mental health issues - and I've just been having a crap few weeks. I will try and post some more, but I can't promise anything, and I may need to take a short break from blogging for a little while, at least until I start feeling a bit better. I hope that's okay with all of you! I'm also having concentration problems, so my reading rate has slowed right down - but I'm currently reading Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick, and I'm really enjoying it so far, it's really fun. Anyway, that's it for today, I hope you all enjoy this month’s book haul - it features an un-boxing as well, which I think is pretty exciting! :D Talk soon guys.

 

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Photos And Book Information

Red by Alison Cherry.
Darkest Fear (Birthright, #1) by Cate Tiernan.

A BIG thanks to Quercus who sent me a copy of Red for review - I can't wait to read it! Also a big thanks to Hodder who sent me the copy of Darkest Fear for review. :)

A Breath of Frost (The Lovegrove Legacy, #1) by Alyxandra Harvey.

Fracture (Fracture, #1) by Megan Miranda.
Vengeance (Fracture, #2) by Megan Miranda.

A HUGE thanks to Bloomsbury who sent me these copies of; A Breathe of Frost, Fracture and Vengeance for review. I've already reviewed Fracture and I can't wait to read the others! ^.^

Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks, #2) by Miranda Kenneally.
More Than This by Patrick Ness.

Rules of Summer (Rules of Summer, #1) by Joanna Philbin.
Dark Storm by Sarah Singleton.

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt.
The Testing (The Testing, #1) by Joelle Charbonneau.

Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara.
Unbreakable (The Legion, #1) by Kami Garcia.

My Heart for Yours (My Heart For Yours, #1) by Steph Campbell & Jolene Perry.
Rise (Eve, #3) by Anna Carey.

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1) by Katie McGarry.

The Kissing Booth (The Kissing Booth, #1) by Beth Reekles.
Thoughtless (Thoughtless, #1) by S.C. Stephens.

The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1) by J.A. Redmerski.
Bitten (Woman of the Otherworld, #1) by Kelley Armstrong.

Soulmates by Holly Bourne.
Dead Jealous (Poppy Sinclair, #1) by Sharon Jones.

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) by Maggie Stiefvater.
Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3) by Maggie Stiefvater.

Cruel Summer by James Dawson.
Misfit by Jon Skovron.

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars, #2) by Sara Shepard.
Awaken (Awaken, #1) by Katie Kacvinsky.

Fury (The Fury Trilogy, #1) by Elizabeth Miles.
Betrayal (Immortal, #2) by Gillian Shields.

I was so excited when I got this book in the post, and then I realised that it was SIGNED by the author, Elizabeth Miles and I squealed like an idiot!!! :D

Vortex (Tempest, #2) by Julie Cross.
What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton.

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6) by Richelle Mead.
Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1) by Richelle Mead.

 

E-books Bought

Comes The Night by Norah Wilson.
Spiral (Spiral Series, #1) by Jacqueline Levine.
The Bane (The Eden Trilogy, #1) by Keary Taylor.
No Turning Back (Full Circle, #1) by Casey Peeler.

Of My Own by Mary Ryland.
Emerge (Evolve, #1) by S.E. Hall.
Beautiful Mess by Jennifer Preston.
Vampire Shift (Kiera Hudson Series One, #1) by Tim O'Rourke.

Deeper by Blue Ashcroft.
Heiress of Lies (Bloodtruth, #1) by Cege Smith.
Starbright (Starbright, #1) by Rachel Higginson.
Dominion (Guardian Angels, #1) by Melody Manful.

 

Thoughts

Holy cow, that’s a lot of books! :D I think I'm finally ready to admit I have a problem...^^; I'm really not sure how many book hauls there will be in the future, as I've totally run out of room, but we'll see. ;) I'm really excited for all of these books. :D I've finally gotten all of the Vampire Academy books, so I can now continue on with the series and marathon it some time! I'm also so happy to have a physical copy of Pushing the Limits, I'm loving the new covers. :P I have an e-book of it, because I hated the old cover and refused to buy it, but now it can sit happily next to my other Katie McGarry books and look pretty. :3 For my favourite covers, I'd probably have to say that it's the new covers for Fracture and Vengeance! They're just so stunning... As for the e-books, you know the drill! All of them were freebies on Amazon at the time of purchase. :P I really refuse to pay lots of money for them at the moment. I think my favourite cover is probably Beautiful Mess, I LOVE the colouring and everything - it's so pretty. (: Have you read any of these books? Let me know! ^.^

 

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What books have you brought or received lately? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out. ^.^ Happy reading! (:

Review: Resist by Sarah Crossan

Title: Resist.
Series: Breathe, #2.
Author: Sarah Crossan.
Publication Date: October 10th, 2013.
Publisher: Bloomsbury.
Genres: Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 360 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

Everyone knows that life beyond the pod is possible. But they are trapped – each breath controlled by the Ministry.

The grove was the rebels’ chance of freedom. Now the Ministry has destroyed it and survivors must search for hope elsewhere. Alina leads the way to the only remaining Resistance base, Sequoia. There she uncovers a radical plot that could wipe out the Pod...and all those in it. Together with Quinn, Alina must escape Sequoia and save the people they love.

A brave new world is at stake.

 

Review

Resist is a really fantastic and interesting conclusion to the Breathe duology that I just couldn’t put down! It took me a while to get back into this series, as I read the first book about a year ago. However, after looking up some spoilers online – I soon managed to return to the amazing world Sarah Crossan has created. The whole prospect behind Resist and Breathe is really quite creepy because of how easily it could happen to us. There are a lot of things going on throughout Resist to keep anyone on their toes; a war is happening, new alliances are forming and the boundaries of friendship are being tested. The fun doesn’t stop there though, as there are also quite a few plot twists and dark secrets that you learn throughout Resist and I absolutely adored it!

Resist is told in the perspective of four teenagers, three we’re the main protagonists throughout the first book, Breathe and another is a completely new one altogether. I love multiple perspectives in books, as I think it’s really great to see the other side of a conversation, and how the other characters are feeling. I kind of feel like I mention this every time I review a novel with multiple perspectives, but that’s just my opinion – and I stand by it whole heartedly! I think you’d find it hard to find someone who doesn’t want to read a few paragraphs in the perspective of some of their other favourite characters, especially when romance is involved.

Alina and Bea are the two female protagonists throughout Resist, and I really loved them both. I thought that their characters were really well developed, and were easily likable. Alina’s character has changed so much since book one, and I loved the changes I saw in her. She became more caring and thoughtful and was just an awesome character to read about. As for Bea, I thought she had grown a lot since book one as well; gone is the jealous and frail girl from the beginning of Breathe. Bea is back in this book and she’s fighting hard for the ones she loves, and I thought that she was amazing and really brave.

Quinn and Ronan are the male protagonists throughout this novel – and they were both wonderful. I liked Quinn’s character, but probably not as much as I did in the first book. Although he finally realised his feelings for Bea in book one, I thought he seemed to take them a bit for granted in Resist – but that’s just my opinion. As for Ronan, he was a complete surprise, as I hadn’t expected to be able to read chapters in his perspective and I adored his character. Ronan is so unlike his father, and actually takes a step back and notices what’s going on around him – and it was great to see him choosing the right side – even if it meant going against his family and everything he’s ever known.

Although Resist took quite a few chapters to get into, once it got started it was full of action, adventure and suspense! I did find that everything the characters attempted to do was done so very easily – with very little trouble in doing so. At times a lot of it seemed too unbelievable and it frustrated me that our characters didn’t come across big enough obstacles to face. I also thought the ending was left way too open, and I didn’t think it answered enough of my questions – but it was still a great finale.

Overall, I thought Breathe was a brilliant and wonderfully done novel, and I love pretty much everything about this series! I believe it well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating, and if it weren’t for the points I’ve mentioned, it may have gotten 5/5 stars. Sarah Crossan’s writing is really brilliant and beautiful - and she’s able to create loveable characters and an incredibly detailed world. I’d recommend this book, and series, to any dystopian lover or post-apocalyptic fan, as they really are thrilling and wonderful books. Sarah Crossan is definitely an author to keep an eye on, and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

Quotes

It'll be better than death.
It has to be better than death.
Doesn't it? - Page 100.

‘Am I finally being made a dame? If so, I’d like to request a transfer to the royal chambers and a servant to do my gardening for me,’ Maude says. ‘Also, I need a foot rub.’ - Page 182.

I just run. I run as fast as my lungs and legs will carry me.
The voice comes at me again. It’s Silas. ‘Run, Alina! ALINA!’
But he doesn’t need to worry. ‘ALINA!’ he shouts.
And I smile. - Page 346.

Wrap-Up: December 2013

 

Hey book nerds! :) I've finally managed to film, edit and upload my wrap-up for the last month of last year. ^.^ I apologise if the editing is a little choppy, I've recently gotten a new editing software, and I'm still learning how to use it properly! :P I'm afraid I haven't really gotten a whole lot else to say to you today, things are pretty much exactly how they were yesterday, especially with my reading! I've been procrastinating, even though I really should be reading my review book.. ^^; Oh well, that's it for today - I hope you all have a great week and I'll chat to you again soon. ^.^

 

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Books Read In December 2013

• Crash Into You by Katie McGarry.


• Pawn by Aimee Carter.


• Shift by Em Bailey.


• Obscura Burning by Obscura Burning.


• Trapped by Michael Northrop.


• Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler.


• Easy by Tammara Webber.

 

Total: 7 books read.
Click on the link to be taken to the review.

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What books did you read in December 2013? Don't forget to leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy Reading! (:

Waiting On Wednesday: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hey Book Nerds! :) Happy New Year! Even though this is 8 days late... ^^; my bad! I've been so distracted with various different things this year that I have been, once again, neglecting my poor blog. My wrap-up for December 2013 is also, once again, late this month. I'm sorry! >.> I feel like I'm apologising every time I post on here, and I hope you don't think badly of me. I'm going to try and film my December 2013 Wrap-Up today, and see if I can have it edited and uploaded by tomorrow - if not then, then hopefully Friday. :) On another note, I reached 200 YouTube subscribers the other day - and I want to take a quick moment just to thank you all for all of your support, I really appreciate it. ^.^

And FINALLY, as for my reading, I've read two books this month already! After I finished reading Stella by Helen Eve (Reviewed), I then picked up Frostbite by Richelle Mead, which is the second book in the Vampire Academy series, and oh good god, it was fantastic!! :D Everyone is right when they say that the series just keeps getting better and better. :3 As for what I'm reading right now; I've finally managed to pick up Resist by Sarah Crossan, I'm not that far into it yet, but I am enjoying it so far. So keep an eye out for that over the next week or so. Well, that's it for today - I hope you all have a great week! :D

 

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Title: The Taking.
Series: The Taking, #1.
Author: Kimberly Derting.
Expected Publication: April 29th, 2014.
Publisher: Harper Collins.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

 

Thoughts

Okay, so first off I want to say that I absolutely ADORE Kimberly Derting's writing, she really is a fantastic and wonderful author. I read another one of her novels some time last year (I think), called The Body Finder and it was bloody incredible! I'm really interested to see how Kimberly will write this sort of paranormal/sci-fi book series and how it will compare to her Murder Mystery/Thriller series. :D Secondly, what a GORGEOUS cover it has! I just can't seem to stop staring at it - the effect of clouds and the colouring and text is really beautiful and so unique. It's simple, yet really effective and I just love it. :3 Anyway, what do you guys think of the looks of this book, have you heard of it before? :) Let me know! ^.^

 

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What are you "Waiting On" this Wednesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (:

Review: Stella by Helen Eve

Title: Stella.
Author: Helen Eve.
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2014.
Publisher: Macmillan.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 362 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

Seventeen-year-old Stella Hamilton is the star blazing at the heart of Temperley High. Leader of the maliciously exclusive elite, she is surrounded by adulation, envied and lusted after in equal measure. And she is in the final stage of a five-year campaign to achieve her destiny: love with her equally popular male equivalent, and triumph as Head Girl on election night.

By contrast, new girl Caitlin Clarke has until now lived a quietly conformist life in New York. With the collapse of her parents’ marriage she has been sent across the Atlantic for an English boarding-school education, only to discover that at Temperley the only important rules are the unwritten ones. It’s a world for the beautiful and the dangerous, and acceptance means staying on the right side of Stella Hamilton, the most beautiful and dangerous of them all.

Not everyone is happy under the Hamilton rule. But fighting the system means treading the same dark path as Stella – and if Caitlin puts a foot wrong, it’s a long way to fall...

 

Review

Stella is a really fun, interesting and fascinating debut novel that I just couldn’t put down. It reminded me very much of an up to date Mean Girls, with a pretty similar storyline – although Stella was much, much better! Stella really reflects the bitchiness, cruelty and shallowness of today’s society of teenagers – well, most of them. I really had no idea what would happen next whilst reading Stella, and even though I kept guessing what was around the next corner, I was never right. There are so many different twists and turns throughout this book, and an ending that will leave you wanting more, even after the last page has been turned.

Stella is our first main protagonist and to be honest, when I first started reading this novel, I wasn’t sure what to think of her. Of course, Stella is the most popular girl in school and very cliché at that – she’s also very self-centred and is usually rude to everyone, including her friends. However, I found myself becoming very absorbed by her character and personality, and thought she was really interesting to read about. Although she was selfish, I thought that she had a different side to her, one that she didn’t want anyone else to see. A side that’s still grieving for her older sister, and worried about how quickly her younger sister is growing up and how she will turn out. A side where she is able to love passionately, even though she’d never show it. I thought Stella was a really well developed character that I just couldn’t help but love.

Caitlin is the second main protagonist and I very much liked her character at the beginning of the novel. She was very smart, kind and seemed like generally a very nice, decent and honest person. However, as the novel progressed, Caitlin begins to change. It’s really subtle at first, but when you look back over the previous pages – it’s weird to see how different she became in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, I really didn’t like the person she ended up as. She was rude, too full of herself and quite frankly, she annoyed the hell out of me. I hoped that she’d eventually see the type of person she’d become, but unfortunately she didn’t – and she was just as self-obsessed at the end of the book, which I thought was a real shame. I just didn’t feel like I connected with her character, and if it weren’t for the fact that I liked Stella’s character, the book may have received a lower rating.

I didn’t particularly care for either of the love-interests, Luke and Edward, in Stella either. I thought they were both rather boring and very un-developed. They also both seemed to lack personality and acted like jerks a lot of the time. I was hoping there would be more romance throughout the book, but I realised too late that love is definitely not the main focus of Stella. I did also feel like it was slightly misleading with the statement that it had thriller aspects in the book, because in my opinion – there weren’t any at all. Don’t be deterred by this though, there’s plenty enough of a back-story and mean girl drama to keep anyone occupied whilst reading Stella!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Stella – it was fast-paced and intriguing novel that kept me enthralled until the very end. Although it was a little confusing at times, mainly because I didn’t realise that Stella had two sisters, it was great read that I’d recommend to any contemporary lover who loves a bit of mean girl action! I believe it well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating – and I think Helen Eve has some amazing writing skills. Although they could be fine-tuned in places, Helen really has a quirky, fun and beautiful writing style. I definitely can’t wait to read more from this author in the future as she really is remarkable.

Quotes

‘Surely someone told you?’ Lila said. ‘You can’t just join the Stars, you know. It’s called earning your Stripes.’

I once believed that I didn’t exist except as a projection of Siena’s part and Syrena’s future; that I were merely an intersection of their characteristics, suspended in time. Now we merge and mesh into one sister until our duplications don’t invalidate us, but bind us in an endless constellation. My sisters show me that beauty doesn’t have to be our destruction; it can be our inspiration. And all the time I’ve been painting my inspiration, I haven’t been painting myself.
I’ve been painting what we are to each other.

I see Luke, my one rebellion, who showed me that I could have something more than the rigid path I’d chosen. Luke, who shattered my careful plans into beautiful oblivion. Luke, who hardly saw the girl I could have been, but who never gave up on the girl I was.