Friday Finds #6

 

Friday finds is a meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading which showcases the books you've recently ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list.

Hello again my fellow book lovers! :D How are you all today? Are you enjoying being in November yet? :P I had fun and games yesterday trying to record my bookshelf tour - it didn't go so well I'm afraid. So I actually had to try and record it again today - I think this time it went well, I'll have to see what it's like on my laptop. ^.^

 

Friday Finds

Skinned (Cold Awakening, #1) by Robin Wasserman.
The Download was supposed to change the world. It was supposed to mean the end of aging, the end of death, the birth of a new humanity. But it wasn't supposed to happen to someone like Lia Kahn. And it wasn't supposed to ruin her life. Lia knows she should be grateful she didn't die in the accident. The Download saved her--but it also changed her, forever. She can deal with being a freak. She can deal with the fear in her parents' eyes and the way her boyfriend flinches at her touch. But she can't deal with what she knows, deep down, every time she forces herself to look in the mirror: She's not the same person she used to be. Maybe she's not even a person at all

Hollow Pike by James Dawson.
Something wicked this way comes... She thought she’d be safe in the country, but you can’t escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she’s being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn’t believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn’t believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you’re alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown.
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets. Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Fated (The Soul Seekers, #1) by Alyson Noel.
Until now, he's existed only in her dreams - but fate is about to bring them together. I shove through the crowd, knocking into girls and bouncing off boys, until one in particular catches me, steadies me. I feel so secure, so at home in his arms. I melt against his chest-lift my gaze to meet his. Gasping when I stare into a pair of icy blue eyes banded by brilliant flecks of gold that shine like kaleidoscopes, reflecting my image thousands of times. The boy from my dream. The one who died in my arms.

 

Thoughts

Summaries from Good Reads. I think all these books look amazing and I honestly can't wait to get my grubby little mits onto them! XD The covers are awesome and my favourite is for the book Hollow Pike - I think it's absolutly stunning! (: Anyway, I haven't got much else to say to today, so I'll leave you on a positive note - it's not long 'til Christmas! :D

 

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What are your Friday Finds for this week? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (:

Review: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Title: Liar.
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Publication Date: Febuary 9th, 2000.
Publisher: Bloomsbury.
Genres: Paranormal, Mystery, Young Adult.
Format: Hardback, 341 pages.
Source: Bought.
My Rating:

Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies.

That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean. Honestly.

 

Review

Micah is a liar - a compulsive and believable liar. She has her hair cropped short and doesn't care about acting feminine. She can also run, really fast - breaking world records set by champions. Micah prefers to remain as invisible as she can wherever she goes. However, when her boyfriend, Zach, goes missing and his body is found, she suddenly becomes the centre of attention. Why? Because Micah was Zach's 'Out Of Hours' girlfriend - whilst Sarah; a pretty and very popular girl - was his 'official' girlfriend. It's revealed to the school when Zach's body turns up dead. Accusations fly around the school, rumours that Zach's best friend killed him, or Sarah or even Micah herself. Micah has a secret of her own though, and throughout the book she promises to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. But how can you suddenly come clean about everything when lying comes as easy as breathing?

Micah's character is strange, and I'm still not 100% sure whether I liked her or not. I think she shut off her emotions, so as not to get hurt by anyone, but accidental lets Zach in without even knowing it. Although she denies it, it's clear from the beginning that she's very much in love with Zach and his death affected her more than she let on. I also thought that Micah was a little closed minded and generally quite rude, but I suppose growing up the way she did could of contributed to that. Micah has her own inner fears, doubts about everything and the feeling of loneliness - that no one is there for her.

With the storyline being told by a liar, I was constantly wondering whether she was telling the truth about certain aspects, even though she promised she'd tell the truth. I noticed whilst reading this book, that a lot of the sentences were quite short and simple - which I thought was probably to do with Micah's personality and bluntness (when she told the truth). I also noticed that Micah was constantly comparing and commenting on the black and white people throughout the book, like she was a little racist herself, even though her mother is white and her father black.

The book goes back and forth to various stages in Micah's life. Before Zach's death, after his death, short glimpses into Micah's childhood and her family history so it can get a little confusing at times. Even with all this wealth of information, at the end of the book, I still didn't think I knew Micah's character very well at all. This book had so many different twists and turns but was also a little predictable at times. One major twist, where suddenly the book shifts from dark contemporary to paranormal surprised me and I'm still not sure what I thought about the change - which is why I only marked it 4/5 stars. Overall I actually really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Justine Larbalestier.

Quotes

"You were his at-school girlfriend," Brandon tells Sarah. "Micah was for after hours."
Sarah goes back to her crying. Tayshawn looks like he might kill Brandon.
I'd be happy to help. - Page 13.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm here. I was sure when I started climbing the fire escape. I try to recapture that certainty. Was I hoping to find him?
He's not here. There's only the smell of him, his sloughed-off skin and hair cells, clothes that were once pressed against him, bottles he'd drunk from. A hundred signs of what he used to be, how he used to be, but not him. - Page 68.

Nothing anyone says about Zach bears much resemblance to the Zach I knew. Everyone is lying. Everyone is creating an ideal Zach with their words. A Zach in their own image. - Page 141.

Waiting On Wednesday: The Gathering Dark by Christine Johnson

 

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

Hello my fellow book nerds! :D I hope you're all doing okay. I don't have a whole lot to waffle on about today except that I've gotten a sudden obsession with listening to 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' by Taylor Swift. I blame my sister, she's the one who got me playing it in the first place! :P

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Title: The Gathering Dark.
Author: Christine Johnson.
Expected Publication: February 12th, 2013.
Publisher: Simon Pulse.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

Keira’s hallucinating.

First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown. Until she meets Walker.

They have an electric connection, and somehow he can see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira. But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense—and frightening—her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions.

 

Thoughts

Isn't the cover gorgeous?! ^.^ I love the colours, they blend together so well.:D I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but no one does that! ^^ Plus, it looks like an amazing read. (: What do you guys think of my choice this week? Maybe some of you will be adding it to your TBR lists - I hope you do! ^.^

 

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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. (:

Teaser Tuesday #6

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. Grab your current read, open to a random page and share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - remember, no spoilers!

Hey book nerds! :) How are you all doing? :3 I'm good! I actually managed to get through the book; Liar by Justine Larbalestier - it was quite good! I thought It'd end up being in my Teaser Tuesday for this week, but I've started another one instead. ^.^ Hopefully a review of the book will be up of it within a week or so.

 

Teaser

Title: Shade.
Series: Shade, #1.
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

"I knew then that everything would change the next night. It's like time had folded in on itself, and I could remember the future."

- Page 16.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thoughts

I'm not that far into this book at the moment so I haven't got a proper opinion of it yet, although it is a bit slow so far. I heard it's supposed to be really good though! (: As for the cover, I think it's really pretty! It's not the best I've seen, but it's not the worst either. ^^; Keep an eye out for that Bookshelf Tour! ^.^

 

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What are your teasers for this Tuesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (:

Stacking The Shelves #6

 

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngas Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. Including books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Hey my fellow book nerds! :) How are you all doing today? I'm sorry this blog post and video has been posted on a Monday rather than a Sunday - but I had some trouble with my internet connection and couldn't upload my video! Can you believe it's already the 5th of November? Where has the year gone?! Anyway, I'm sure soon I'll be trying to put myself on a book buying ban again, because my books to read pile is HUGE! xD

 

Video

 

Photos And Book Information

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger.
As You Wish by Jackson Pearce.

The Declaration (The Declaration, #1) by Gemma Malley.
Glow (Sky Chasers, #1) by Amy Kathleen Ryan.

The Enemy (The Enemy, #1) by Charlie Higson.
By Midnight (A Ravenwood Mystery, #1) by Mia James.

Deadly Little Secret (Touch, #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz.

 

Thoughts

Disclaimer: All books shown here were purchased with my own money - unless stated otherwise.

Compared to previous weeks I've got quite a few books, but I'm very happy with what I've got! :D Hopefully soon I'll be posting a 'Bookshelf Tour' video and post, so I'm really excited to do that. (: Like I've said in previous posts, I don't have a bookshelf, but I do have a medium sized book collection! :3

 

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What books did you get this week? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (:

Friday Finds #5

 

Friday finds is a meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading which showcases the books you've recently ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list.

Hello again my fellow book lovers! :D How's your day been so far? Mine's been great! :D I had my friend Kiri over for a few hours, it was great for me to see her, because she's been at University and I've not seen her in months. :3 Anyway, enough about that - it's Friday and I hope you've enjoyed the week. ^.^

 

Friday Finds

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman.
I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened. Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler.
Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition. Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain.
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood—but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held. The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry, glint in his eyes. The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardises her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boys' dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey.
Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. Now that she is being haunted by the ghost of a young woman, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must discover the mystery behind this girl's violent death, to prevent the ghost's twin sister from suffering the same fate.

 

Thoughts

Summaries from Good Reads. I've found a few more this week, but I'll list them another week because I want to list only about four each week so it doesn't become a hugely long post! xD I have a question though, WHO HERE HATES STICKERS ON BOOKS?! I know I do! I recently received a book in the post from Amazon, it had a sticker on, so I carefully pealed it off, however it ripped the cover picture off with it! >.> What is the point of them?! *Sighs*

 

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What are your Friday Finds for this week? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (:

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall.
Author: Lauren Oliver.
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2010.
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 341 pages.
Source: Bought.
My Rating:

They say to live every day as if it's your last - but you never actually think it's going to be. You always think you'll have more time. That's what I thought. But I was wrong.


The thing is, you don't get to know when it happens. You don't remember to tell your family that you love them or - in my case - remember to say goodbye to them at all.

What if, like me, you could live your last day over again? Could you make it perfect? If your whole life flashed before your eyes, would you have any regrets? Are there things you'd want to change?

 

Review

Sam is just your average, popular girl, waking up one day on Cupid's day - a day most people are eagerly anticipating. The evening involves a party, which is loud and parent less. On the way home with her friends that night, the best friends; Sam, Lindsay, Ally and Elody are in a car accident and Sam is pretty sure she's dead when things go black. However, Sam wakes up in the morning to the same day, the same conversations, and the same party. Sam has seven days to make her last day on earth right, to set things straight, to change what happened.

I'd heard a lot of hype about this book and I thought it sounded really interesting so I started reading it. I have to say, at first, I wasn't overly impressed and was debating about just putting it down. I wasn't sure how I'd keep reading repetition and everything. However, the more I read, the more amazing the book got.

I don't usually like overly popular characters, because they're so full of themselves and makes me want to strangle them, and that's what Sam's and her friend’s characters are. However, Sam's character develops over the books and she begins to wonder why she's being to mean and rude to people she barely knows and judging people before she knows who they really are. She changes and grows and only when that started happening did I actually like her character.

This book plays with your emotions and had me crying at different points throughout it. I thought I knew what Sam would do next, but her character constantly surprised me and was always doing things I didn't think she'd ultimately do.

Overall, I thought this book was amazing. It's written in a way that makes you actually think about what you're reading, rather than racing your way through the book without taking in all the details about everything. It makes you realise that any day could be your final day living, and that you should make the most out of the time you have and not fritter it away being rude or dwelling on the past. I can't wait to read more from Lauren Oliver, she's an incredible writer! :)

Quotes

'How come Sam always gets shotgun?'
'Because you're always too drunk to call it.' - Page 88.

'You are so lucky your parents give you a credit card,' Courtney says, trotting after me as we leave the store. 'I've been begging mine for years. They say I have to wait until I'm in college.'
'They didn't exactly give it to me,' I say, raising one eyebrow. Her mouth falls open. - Page 167.

'Will you stop that?' Elody leans forward and presses my fingers - which have been tapping - flat against the table. 'You're driving me crazy.'
'You're not turning rexi, are you, Sam?' Lindsay gestures to my sandwich, which I've only nibbled around the edges. Rexi is her word for anorexic, although I've always thought it sounded like something you would name a dog. - Page 258.