British Blogger Opinions: Cover Variation

 

Hey Book Nerds! :D How have you all been? I hope you've all had a great week so far. :3 Today, I wanted to do a segment that's completely different from what I usually do - although it’s still related to books, don't worry! This segment I'm now going to be featuring on my blog is going to be called the British Blogger Opinions (or the BBO!) where I can voice some of my more *ahem* exuberant and more colourful opinions. I know this is foreign territory for me, but I wanted a post where I can branch out a bit more, and touch on some subjects that are slightly different from what I usually talk about. :) You'll have to let me know what you think of this type of post, and if you're all enjoying it, I'll be sure to do more in the future. Now, on with the post! ^.^

 

Cover Variations

So, I'm on Good Reads the other evening looking for the correct cover for the book I was reading at the time (Nightshade by Andrea Cremer) - and what do I find on closer inspection? No I'm not talking about just a random cover change - but cover VARIATION. By this I mean; a perfectly good book cover for a copy in the UK, but when you go to the US edition, the cover is VERY similar, however quite a few aspects of it have changed (and vice versa). Sometimes these aspects are very small and barely noticeable, like a font change - others the cover art is the same, but they've completely edited the colouring.

 

Examples

UK edition | US edition

UK edition | US edition

UK edition | US edition

 

I really don't understand why (the publishers, authors or cover art designers - whichever is to blame) they bother changing it in such a small way. If it was a completely different cover change, it would make more sense - but why keep them so similar? It really baffles me! Is it to do with something to do with copyrights? If so, why aren't all book covers slightly different from country to country? A lot of the time, I find that where they edit the original cover to change it, it ends up looking like crap in comparison to the original.

I also understand that different publishers may want to change the cover - but once again - I still can't seem to comprehend why they don't create a completely new cover. To me, it seems like they're taking someone else’s graphic work, and editing to their own liking and changing what they want. Isn't this a form of plagiarism in its own sense? There are definitely some issues going on in this whole field if you ask me. Please, don't think I'm being prejudiced! I love all the different publishing companies, and I'm not saying anything bad against them. Of course they have every right to change whatever they like; it's just something that personally annoys me. That's all I've got to say on the subject for now, but I'm pretty darn sure there will be more posts like this one in the future!

 

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What are your opinions on this matter? Does the whole thing bother you as much as I? Let me know. ^.^ Happy reading! (:

Review: The Drowning by Rachel Ward

Title: The Drowning.
Series: The Drowning, #1.
Author: Rachel Ward.
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2013.
Publisher: Chicken House.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 274 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

When Carl opens his eyes on the banks of a cold lake, his brother is being zipped into a body bag. And a shovering wet girl is being helped nearby.

What happened in the water?

He can't remember. All he knows is that he must find out - before the truth comes back to drown him...

 
 

Review

The Drowning has to be one of the strangest books I’ve read this year, and that’s saying something! I definitely don’t mean this in bad way though; The Drowning was a compelling and wonderfully written novel that I couldn’t put down. I didn’t expect anything less from Rachel Ward, who has the ability to write stories that I’m sure everyone will love. This book is very different from Rachel’s other novel; Numbers, but also very similar at the same time with a fast-paced and action packed plot line. The Drowning is just as good as the other book I’ve read by her, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Right from the first page we enter the action; Carl remembers nothing, not why he was in the lake in the first place, not who the strange girl he’s with is, or what happened in the lake to cause his brother to drown. Carl’s character was interesting to read about, but I’m not really sure if I liked him at all. I thought Carl was a little bland and immature. I know he’s only fifteen, but I would have imagined his brother’s death would have matured him slightly. Unfortunately, he was just like any other teenage boy – a slave to his hormones. I’m not saying this is bad, but it seemed like a hell of a lot of the book was centred around Carl fighting the urge to jump on Neisha. He seemed a little obsessive over her, which put me off a little bit.

Neisha is the love-interest throughout this novel, and I had mixed feelings about her character. She seemed like a nice girl; smart and funny, but she also annoyed me a little bit. Her boyfriend has just drowned, and not even a week later she’s all over his brother. I understand the circumstances, but you’d think she’d need a little longer to move on considering the fact that she never looked twice at Carl in a romantic way before his brother died. There’s nothing else really to criticize about Neisha’s character – but I do think that Rachel Ward needs to work on her character development - two bland and dry characters in one book? That’s a little too much in my opinion!

As for Rob, Carl’s brother who drowned – god I hated him. I think you’re supposed to hate him, but my hate grew stronger and stronger throughout the book! To be perfectly honest, if he wasn’t already dead – I think I would have killed him myself. Rob was an abusive, rude, obnoxious asshole with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. As much as I enjoyed reading The Drowning, I was put off by how much of a jerk Rob’s character was. Even though hating him has a lot to do with the story, I just wish he was a little better so I could at least feel a little remorse for him. I thought the ending of The Drowning was really quite confusing – I have a feeling, due to the fact that I’m already familiar with Rachel Ward’s writing, that I know what happened - but at the same time I’m really not sure. I don’t know whether the doubt and confusion was deliberate on Rachel’s part or not, but either way I kind of wished it’d had been a slightly clearer ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Drowning – it’s a fascinating, past-paced, creepy thriller that will have you constantly turning the pages to find out what will happen next. Although Rachel Ward’s character development needs a little fine tuning, her writing style is fabulous and such a pleasure to read. The entirety of this book is quite disturbing in a way and definitely freaked out in certain places. I believe The Drowning well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating I gave it – if it weren’t for the few flaws that I’ve mentioned, I’m sure it would have gotten a higher rating. All the same, The Drowning is an amazing book, and I’d highly recommend anyone who loves a good thriller novel to pick this up. I can’t wait to read more from Rachel Ward in the future; she’s definitely an author everyone should know about!

Quotes

But it's not him. There's a girl in here now. She's looking right at me. Her make-up's smeared down her face from her eyes, like she's melting, but her lips are blue, her arms are covered in goosebumps and she's shivering. She's staring too, staring at me, then she blinks – once, twice – and starts screaming. - Page 2.

I open my eyes a little way, so there’s a narrow slit to see out of, and he’s there, half a metre away. White face, streaked with mud. The face that got zipped into the bag. My eyes open wide. My breathing goes shallow and fast.
I close my eyes again. I’m not seeing this. This isn’t real. - Page 71.

I kiss the top of her head, her temple, her cheek. She’s warm, so warm. She moves a little, tipping her face towards mine, and I find her lips. They’re soft and wet and taste of salt tears. I press my mouth against hers gently, ready to pull back at the first hint of rejection, but after a second of two she responds to me, angling her head a little more, kissing me back. - Page 142.

Waiting On Wednesday: Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

 

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

Hey Book Nerds! ^.^ It's been quite a while since I participated in a Waiting On Wednesday blog post, so I thought today I'd do one! :D I'm hoping by tomorrow I'll have my review of The Drowning by Rachel Ward up and posted, so keep an eye out if you're interested in that - I finished it the night before last and I thought it was a fantastic book. It was creepy and weird and I gave it 4/5 stars! :D My 1 Year Blogoversary giveaway ended yesterday, so thank you to all of you who entered - I wish I could give you all a prize - but I just don't have the money. The winner was Sarah, and I've already contacted her and hope to be able to have her book posted soon. :) I don't have a whole lot else to say today, but I hope you're all having a great week so far. :) Talk to you guys again soon! ^.^

 

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Title: Anything to Have You.
Author: Paige Harbison.
Expected Publication: February 7th, 2014.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.

Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. ESPECIALLY not boys.

Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be.

Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means.

 

Thoughts

Although I already own two of Paige Harbison's books, I have yet to read them. But this book looks just as fantastic as her others, and I really want to read this one as well! :P Although I'm not a huge fan of cheating in books, and I can't understand how anyone would hook up with their best friends boyfriend, I really want to see how this book will end up. :D As for the cover, I LOVE it! The colouring is gorgeous, and the girl on the cover is really pretty - I love her lipstick colour as well! xD I also love how the font is semi-transparent, so you can still see some of the picture beneath. :) 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. (:

Wrap-Up: September 2013

 

Hey book nerds! :D I feel like I say something very similar to this at the end of EVERY month, but where the hell did September go?! o_O I didn't read as many books as I planned to this month, because I got into a bit of a reading slump about half way through September. However, I still think I did pretty well! :D I had a really awesome day yesterday, I met up with my friend and we went to our town’s special market that is only around on the first Sunday of each month. It was really fun just looking at the stalls and just hanging about with him. :) Anyway, that's it for today! I'll talk to you guys again soon. ^.^

 

Video

 

Books Read In September 2013

• Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky.


• Abandon by Meg Cabot.


• Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett.


• Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey.


• Icons by Margaret Stohl.
• The Hollow by Jessica Verday.


• Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky.

 

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

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What books did you read in September 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! (:

E-Book Haul #8

 

Hey book nerds! :3 Two posts in a row, aren't you all lucky?! :D I needed to post this e-book haul because I've went a little crazy with buying them recently. I still have more to show you, but I'll include those in my October book haul, which will probably be posted sometime over the next week or so. :D Also, my September wrap-up will be posted probably on Monday - hopefully my internet will upload it! :) If any of you do follow my YouTube channel, then you should go check out my Document Your Life video for September, I uploaded it the other day. ^.^ Anyway, that's it for today - talk to you guys again soon!

 

E-books Bought

Into the Deep (Into the Deep, #1) by Lauryn April.
The Kiss Off (The Kiss Off, #1) by Sarah Billington.
Ashes and Ice (Ashes and Ice, #1) by Rochelle Maya Callen.
My Favorite Mistake (My Favorite Mistake, #1) by Chelsea M. Cameron.

Wisteria (Wisteria, #1) by Bisi Leyton.
Hopeless (Hopeless, #1) by Colleen Hoover.
Significance (Significance, #1) by Shelly Crane.
Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths, #1) by K.A. Tucker.

Bad Rep (Bad Rep, #1) by A. Meredith Walters.
Perfect Regret (Bad Rep, #2) by A. Meredith Walters.
Find You in the Dark (Find You in the Dark, #1) by A. Meredith Walters.
Light in the Shadows (Find You in the Dark, #2) by A. Meredith Walters.

When Summer Ends by Isabelle Rae.
Allusive Aftershock by Susan Griscom.
Choices (Choices, #1) by Annie Brewer.
Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann.

Full Count by C.A. Williams.
Fool Me Once by Sandra Lee.
Frozen Past by Richard C. Hale.
The Boys of Summer (Summer, #1) by C.J. Duggan.

Crushed by Dawn Rae Miller.
Vain (The Seven Deadly, #1) by Fisher Amelie.
Recalled (Death Escorts, #1) by Cambria Hebert.
Flight (The Crescent Chronicles, #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy.

Charade (Games, #1) by Nyrae Dawn.
Facade (Games, #2) by Nyrae Dawn.
What A Boy Wants (What a Boy Wants, #1) by Nyrae Dawn.
Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding, #1) by K.A. Linde.

 

Thoughts

Okay, so maybe I did go a little overboard buying e-books...^^; Please don't judge me! You have no idea how much I'm so excited to have all of these e-books in my collection! :D They've all been on my e-book wish list for months, so recently I thought I'd just have a little e-book spending spree. :P The only e-book that was a freebie this week is Significance, which is one the ones I can't wait to start and will probably do so very soon! :) As for my favourite covers, they're all so gorgeous - I can't decide! Some of the best ones in my opinion though are; Ashes & Ice, Ten Tiny Breaths, The Boys of Summer, Vain and Recalled. ^.^ Have you read any of these e-books, or have you heard of them? Let me know! ^.^

 

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What e-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 #35

 

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.

Hey Book Nerds! ^.^ How've you all been? :) I bet a lot of you are glad it's finally Friday! :D I have some awesome news to tell you guys; we (my mum and I) are getting two new kittens! :D My mum, sister, dad and I went to see them the other day and they're so cute. They're only two weeks old, but we already love them! It's such a shame we have to wait seven weeks to take them home. Oh well, we're really looking forward to it - I'm getting a little girl I'm calling Violet and my mum a little boy she's calling Ambrose. :) As for my reading, I finished reading Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser yesterday afternoon, and picked up The Drowning by Rachel Ward in the evening. I'm so excited to read it; I've heard some amazing things about it. ^.^ Anyway, that's all I have to say today - I hope you all have a great day! :D

 

Friday Finds

Thirsty by M.T. Anderson.
All Chris really wants is to be a normal kid, to hang out with his friends, avoid his parents, and get a date with Rebecca Schwartz. Unfortunately, Chris appears to be turning into a vampire. So while his hometown performs an ancient ritual that keeps Tch’muchgar, the Vampire Lord, locked in another world, Chris desperately tries to save himself from his own vampiric fate. He needs help, but whom can he trust? A savagely funny tale of terror, teen angst, suspense, and satire from National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson.

Warrior (Doppelganger, #1) by Marie Brennan.
When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. But what happens when the doppelganger survives?

Mirage, a bounty hunter, lives by her wits and lethal fighting skills. She always gets her mark. But her new mission will take her into the shadowy world of witches, where her strength may not be a match against powerful magic. Miryo is a witch who has just failed her initiation test. She now knows that there is someone in the world who looks like her, who is her: Mirage. To control her powers and become a full witch, Miryo has only one choice: to hunt the hunter and destroy her.

Furious by Jill Wolfson.
Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.
We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world. We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

Misfit by Jon Skovron.
Inner beauty wants out.
Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help.

But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much.

 

Thoughts

Summaries from Good Reads. EEK! All of these books so look so good! Why have I haven't I come across them before? I really want to pick up a paperback copy of Warrior, because it looks so incredible! However they only sell it in mass market paperback form, which I hate! D: I've heard some great things about the other three of these books as well, I'm sure I'm going to be picking up at least one of them hopefully soon. :) As for my favourite covers, it's a toss-up between Furious and Misfit! I love the way Furious is set out, but I also love the simplicity of Misfit's cover and the colouring on both. :) Decisions, decisions! :P Oh well! :3 Have you read any of my finds this week? Let me know! :)

 

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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! (:

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Turn-Offs

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Hey Book Nerds! ^.^ How're you all doing? Are you enjoying the start of the week? I can't believe it's already the 1st of October. O_o It's so strange! I still need to film, upload and post my September 2013 Wrap-Up, so it's probably going to be a little late this month. ^^; Anyway, I'm back again this week to do another Top Ten Tuesday post, I think this week’s topic is really interesting. :) I can't wait to see what some of the other bloggers find unappealing in books. I could only come up with 7 today, but I think that's still pretty good if you ask me. ;) Anyway, enjoy! :D

 

Top Ten Book Turn-Offs

• 1. Obsessive Use Of Slang



I don't know about any of you guys, but I find it extremely annoying when characters are constantly using slang words. Most of the time, even though I'm still young, I have no idea what they're talking about! Normal, correctly spelled and punctuated speech is better in my opinion.




• 2. Selfish Characters.



I don't think I even need to explain this one - selfish characters irritate me no end. I hate it when they will stop at nothing or hurt anyone to get what they think they deserve or want. You’re not the centre of the universe, love! We can't always get what we want.




• 3. Animal Cruelty.



I have no problem what-so-ever with the author killing off characters, but when they start to kill off animals - it makes me bawl like a baby. I don't know what prompts people in real life to be cruel to animals; it’s sick - so please don’t write about it! Usually If there is a lot of this going on in a book, I put it down and don’t want to finish it.



• 4. Insta-Love.



I don't believe people can fall in love at first sight. Of course you can have a crush on someone when you first see them, but love needs time to grow and develop - so I always find it a turn-off when the characters in books fall in love with a guy/girl they've just met. It's just not realistic!



• 5. Cheating.



Another one I don't feel the need to explain much. If you're with someone, why on earth do you feel the need to cheat? If you don't want to be with that person and what to be with another - TELL THEM! I just hate cheaters in general, as well as in books. I try my best to steer clear of books that contain anyone like this.




• 6. Love Triangles.



Some particular love triangles are okay, I’ll grant you that. However most of the ones I read about are particularly annoying - especially when the main character is messing both of the characters around because she 'can't decide'. Just CHOOSE for gods sake!




• 7. Obsessive And/Or Controlling Partner.



Ugh. I just HATE it when a character, usually the boyfriend, is so controlling and obsessive over the protagonist! I find it so annoying to read about the boyfriends who never let their girlfriend talk to other guys, or ALWAYS has to be with her, even when she's around her friends. It's irritating and I don't like reading about it!

 

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What are your Top Ten Book Turn-Offs? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (: