April 2014 Book Haul

 

Hey book nerds! :D Today I am bringing all of you the BIGGEST book haul I have ever done! :) It consists of over 70 books!! :3 Yikes! So, go and get a snack or something to drink and sit down, ‘cause this will be a long video and I'm going to try and do this as quickly as possible. ;) I've spent over two hours creating this post, from uploading the photos and inserting this in the post to finding the GoodReads links and copying the titles and authors. So I hope you all appreciate it! :P I wanted to try and get some more filming done over the last few days, but unfortunately I've come down with a cold (along with the rest of my family!), so I've really not been up to much apart from sitting around in woolly jumpers and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I brought myself the complete box set as a birthday present to myself).

As for my reading, I finally finished reading Throne of Glass the other evening, and I REALLY loved it! It took me quite a while to get into it, and I think I was actually reading it for two weeks, mostly because I only read a chapter or two a day. But once I got into it, I flew through it and I gave it 5 stars - I can see what everyone has been raving about! :) At the moment I'm reading A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke; I started it last night, and I couldn't put it down - I'm already half way through - and I'm really loving it! :3 Anyway, that's it for today, enjoy the haul and video and I'll talk to you guys again soon. ^.^

 

Video

 

Photos And Book Information

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge.
Thirteen by Tom Hoyle.

A BIG thanks to Macmillan who sent me these two books for review! :D I'm really looking forward to starting them and they look really awesome! :)

Mutant City by Steve Feasey.
The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr.

A BIG thank you to Bloomsbury who sent me a proof copy of Mutant City for review. Also a BIG thanks to Chicken House who sent me a proof copy of The Glass Bird Girl for review! I can't wait to read them. :D

A Kiss In The Dark by Cat Clarke.
The Vintage Girl by Hester Browne.

The List by Joanna Bolouri.
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.

A HUGE thanks to Quercus who sent me these copies of; A Kiss In The Dark (proof copy), The Vintage Girl and The List for review! Also a BIG thanks to Electric Monkey, which is an Imprint of Egmont, for the copy of Grasshopper Jungle they sent me for review! They all look fantastic and I can't wait to read them. ^.^

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3) by Julie Kagawa.
Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid.

A BIG thank you to Mira Ink, which is an imprint of Harlequin who sent me these two boosk for review. I squealed like an idiot when the package arrived and I can't wait to read them (especially The Forever Song)! :D

Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead & Emma Vieceli.
Frostbite: The Graphic Novel (Vampire Academy, #2) by Richelle Mead & Emma Vieceli.

The Circle (Engelsfors, #1) by Sara Bergmark Elfgren & Mats Strandberg.
Huntress by Malinda Lo.

Crash (Crash, #1) by Nicole Williams.
Bloodlust & Initiation (Vampire Beach, #1-2) by Alex Duval.

Down to You (The Bad Boys, #1) by M. Leighton.
The Night Itself (The Name of the Blade, #1) by Zoë Marriott.

The Initiation and The Captive Part I (The Secret Circle, #1-2) by L.J. Smith.
Hide and Seek (The Lying Game, #4) by Sara Shepard.

Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan.
The Chaos (Numbers, #2) by Rachel Ward.

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden (The Coincidence, #1) by Jessica Sorensen.
The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman.

The Missing by Lisa McMann.
Heaven by Christoph Marzi.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno.
Specials (Uglies, #3) by Scott Westerfeld.

Birthmarked (Birthmarked, #1) by Caragh M. O'Brien.
Blood Song (Lharmell, #1) by Rhiannon Hart.

Echoes (Fingerprints, #1-3) by Melinda Metz.
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) by Tamora Pierce.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown.
Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1) by Stephanie Perkins.

My Favorite Mistake (My Favorite Mistake, #1) by Chelsea M. Cameron.
The Marriage Bargain (Marriage to a Billionaire, #1) by Jennifer Probst.

The Book of Luke by Jenny O'Connell.
Forget You by Jennifer Echols.

Stray (Shifters, #1) by Rachel Vincent.
Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian.

Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott.
Going Underground by Susan Vaught.

Mirage (Winterhaven, #2) by Kristi Cook.
The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2) by Michelle Hodkin.

Timepiece (Hourglass, #2) by Myra McEntire.
A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark, #2) by Jocelyn Davies.

Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters, #2) by Jessica Shirvington.
The Last Echo (The Body Finder, #3) by Kimberly Derting.

Ruby Red (The Ruby Red Trilogy, #1) by Kerstin Gier.
Hostage Three by Nick Lake.

Poison by Bridget Zinn.
Never Cry Werewolf (Never Cry Werewolf, #1) by Heather Davis.

Auracle by Gina Rosati.
All These Lives by Sara Wylie.

The Way We Fall (Fallen World, #1) by Megan Crewe.
Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt.

Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1) by Kate Brian.
Dark Inside (Dark Inside, #1) by Jeyn Roberts.

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst.
My Life Next Door (My Life Next Door, #1) by Huntley Fitzpatrick.

Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly, #1) by Susan Dennard.
Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf.

Panic by Lauren Oliver.
Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) by Kasie West.

Reboot (Reboot, #1) by Amy Tintera.
Taken (Taken, #1) by Erin Bowman.

The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine, #1) by James Dashner.
The Program (The Program, #1) by Suzanne Young.

The Archived (The Archived, #1) by Victoria Schwab.
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge.

Altered (Altered, #1) by Jennifer Rush.
Splintered (Splintered, #1) by A.G. Howard.

Doomed by Tracy Deebs.
The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1) by Alexandra Bracken.

Dead Beautiful (Dead Beautiful, #1) by Yvonne Woon.
Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful, #2) by Yvonne Woon.

Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) by Rachel Hawkins.
Demonglass (Hex Hall, #2) by Rachel Hawkins.

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare.
City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare.

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) by Cassandra Clare.
The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon.

 

Thoughts

I honestly really don't know where to start with these books. There are just so many and I'm just so excited for every single one of them!! I've been buying a lot of sequels recently, even though I've not yet read the first books in the series/trilogies (well, mostly) - I know it's a bad idea, but they just look so pretty together on my shelves! I love seeing series lined up together. :) Anyone else have a thing for it? I'm SUPER excited to finally have my hands on a copy of The Forever Song, the first two books in the trilogy were incredible, and are two of my favourite books, and I can't wait to see what happens in the conclusion. :3 I'm also thinking that I might bump up a few of these in my TBR list, including Cruel Beauty and Panic - just because I've heard some awesome things about them both! :D 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! (:

Birthday 2014 Book Haul

 

Hey book nerds! ^.^ Today I'm finally bringing you my Birthday Book Haul. :D It was my 21st birthday on the 15th April, and not only did I have a great day - I got some really awesome books! I know you're all probably wondering why my parents allowed me to purchase more books, so I'll tell you. I couldn't come up with a large, special present for my parents to get me for my birthday because it's a special one. So, my mum agreed to let me have a small number of books, among a few other bits and bobs. Mostly I just got DVDs, makeup and a few trinkets. :) So yeah, that's pretty much it. I hope you'll all enjoy this special edition book haul; I'm really excited about all of the titles I got! ^.^ I'll also be posting my April 2014 Book Haul within the next few weeks, I just need to get around to editing it and what not. Enjoy!

 

Video

 

Photos And Book Information

Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy, #1) by Sally Green.
Storm Glass (Glass, #1) by Maria V. Snyder.

The Naturals (The Naturals, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
The Dead Girls Detective Agency (Dead Girls Detective Agency, #1) by Suzy Cox.

The Liar Society (The Liar Society, #1) by Lisa & Laura Roecker.
Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne.

Half-Blood (Covenant, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

The Rules for Disappearing (The Rules for Disappearing, #1) by Ashley Elston.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between, #1) by April Genevieve Tucholke.

Ashfall (Ashfall, #1) by Mike Mullin.
The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black.

 

Thoughts

The amount of excitement I have for all of these books is off the charts! :D They all look absolutely bloody fantastic, and I really can't wait to read them all. :3 I really can't decide which one to read first... they're all just so pretty! I think I may be swaying towards either reading; Truly, Madly, Deadly, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown or Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. I've just heard some amazing things about all three of them, and I've wanted to read them even before they were released! :) Have you read any of these books? Let me know! :) And if you have a preference on which you think I should read first, also let me know! ^.^

 

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

Review: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don't Look Back.
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Publication Date: April 10th, 2014.
Publisher: Hodder.
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 368 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

My breath caught and I dropped the letter, scuttling back on the bed. Heart racing, I closed my eyes, but I could still see the words...

Samantha Franco has the perfect life. Until, that is, she and her best friend Cassie disappear and only Samantha resurfaces...with no knowledge of what happened.

And Cassie stays missing. Gradually, Samantha begins to piece together her memories of that night. If she can do that, she may yet be able to save her friend. And, little by little, something begins to emerge...
Then she gets the note:
DON’T LOOK BACK.
YOU WON’T LIKE WHAT YOU FIND.

 

Review

I’ve only read one other book by Jennifer L. Armentrout before, and I absolutely adored it – so I have to say, when I first started reading Don’t Look Back, my expectations were ridiculously high. I’m so glad to say that they were not just met, but blown away by this book. When I received Don’t Look Back in the post one morning, I opened the package, not knowing what I would find, and I squealed like an idiot – and actually jumped up and down when I realised what it was. I’m pretty sure I scared my mum half to death! Don’t Look Back is a fast-paced, action-packed, pulse-racing and beautifully written book that’ll have you in tears one minute and laughing the next. There are so many twists and turns throughout Don’t Look Back that I just didn’t see coming and it has instantly become a favourite of mine. Throughout the entire book you’ll find yourself captivated and drawn head first into the gripping and mind-blowing story that Jennifer L. Armentrout has created, and you definitely won’t want to put it down!

Sam is our main protagonist, and I really loved her character! She was smart, kind, funny and a really caring person who really regretted who she was before the accident. You could really tell how disgusted she was with the person she used to be, with who her apparent ‘friends’ were and how they acted. It was amazing to see her continue to grow as a person, and slowly start not just to take her life back, but remodel it at the same time. At first, Sam really did try to fit back into her normal life, and I thought it was really great how she tried to keep things normal with her relationship with her boyfriend, Del. She really tried to fall back in love with him – and tried to be a part of her friendship group – but they just weren’t her anymore. Sam’s was a really incredible character, she was so well developed and I just loved everything about her.

Carson is the love interest throughout Don’t Look Back, and BOY did I love him! He isn’t usually the type of guy in books that I read that I fall in love with instantly, but I fell so hard that I’m surprised I’m still conscious! Carson is Sam’s twin brother, Scott’s best friend. His father also works for Sam’s and Scott’s parents – which means he’s a commoner, and you quickly learn that Sam used to think he was beneath her because he wasn’t rich. No matter how gorgeous he is. Carson has the most amazing personality though; he’s patient, kind, respectful, funny and absolutely swoon-worthy. He has his doubts about Sam’s sudden personality change, and he’s expectedly cautious. But eventually he realises that Sam has changed, and he begins to open up to her. Watching their relationship develop and unfold was fantastic, and beautiful. There wasn’t a speck of insta-love, but insta-attraction, and feelings that just developed from there. It really was amazing to read about.

Overall, I absolutely ADORED Don’t Look Back. I started it one evening, and I just could not put it down! I had to force myself, literally, to set the book aside for a while, but once I picked it up the following evening, I kept reading until I turned the very last page. Don’t Look Back is a creepy, intense and heart-racing psychological thriller that’ll keep anyone on their toes. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing is absolutely flawless and perfect in every way – I can’t find a single thing I dislike with her writing and plot lines – she has this incredible ability to create brilliant and unforgettable characters and relationships that’ll last even after you’ve turned the last page. If I could give Don’t Look Back more than 5 stars, I really would! I’d give it 5 billion stars if it were possible. I’m finding myself all of sudden feeling the urge to buy every single thing Jennifer L. Armentrout has written and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who’s a fan of thriller – you definitely won’t be disappointed!

Quotes

Trey leaned back farther, amusement dripping from his pores. The table of girls stared at me as if I’d stripped naked and done a little jig. I gripped my bottle, wanting to throw it at one of their heads.
“Jeez, that’s rude on so many levels.”

Rounding the corner, I smacked right into a rock-hard body with enough force that the poor guy let out a grunt and hit the floor. Thrown off balance, I toppled down on him. In a second, I recognized the clean, citrusy scent.
Carson.
Our bodies were pressed together in all the wrong places. Or the right places, depending on how I wanted to look at it. Not that I thought it was right. It was definitely wrong, especially the way his chest felt incredibly muscled under mine, his stomach like steel. Heat zinged through my veins.

“Are you finally going to kiss me?” I asked, dizzy with anticipation, want, and a thousand other things.
One side of his mouth tipped up. “Maybe.”
I leaned in, breathing the same air as him. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Me neither,” he teased, his chest rising unsteadily against mine. Letting go of my hand, he cupped my cheek, running his thumb along my jaw. My hand fluttered to his chest, and his heart was pounding as fast as mine.
And when he lowered his head, the sheer look of passion in his eyes stole my breath.

Wrap-Up: March 2014

 

Hey book nerds! :) I'm so sorry this post is so late this month, things have been kinda busy and I've just not felt up to filming it - so I'm really sorry, once again! I had a really great month of reading in March, I gave all but one of the books I read 5/5 stars. :3 So I'm pretty pleased with the books I read. :) As for updates for the blog, I'm so sorry, but I'm still having a crappy time, and things still aren't going well. So I'm really sorry for the lack of interesting updates on here, I am trying to come up with posts, but I keep drawing a blank! >.> It's my 21st birthday on Tuesday, and I'm kind of looking forward to it - I'm starting to feel really old though! :P So, birthday messages would be muchly appreciated. And if you're feeling generous, you can check out my amazon wishlist here. But you really don't have too - I love birthday messages, too! :) Well, that's it for today - talk to you guys again soon and I'll be back with either my Birthday Book Haul or my April 2014 Book Haul soon, whichever I decide to film first. I love you guys! :D Ps. I completely forgot to put the cover image for Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott in the video. FAIL! o_O

 

Video

 

Books Read In March 2014

• Across The Universe by Beth Revis.


• Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott.


• Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter.


• Unremembered by Jessica Brody.


• Betwixt by Melissa Pearl.


• Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott.

 

Total: 6 books read.
Click on the link to be taken to the review.

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What books did you read in March 2014? 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! (: