July 2014 Book Haul

 

Hey fellow book lovers. :) How are you all doing? I've finally made the plunge into the deep end, and I'm moving to Wordpress! :D I've already brought my domain and hosting, and I'm working on the blog and all the coding now. It'll probably take a few weeks to get everything how I want it, but I'm really excited about the whole thing. :) I'm no longer going to be called The British Book Nerd, but something completely different, but I'm not going to reveal it just yet. ;) I'm probably going to be pretty absent for a few more weeks; at least until I've finished the new blog, and have moved everything across. Then I hope to be posting more frequently, and have some different, more interesting posts up! You guys have been amazing about my rather long leave of absence, and I love you guys. So for now, enjoy the book haul - I got some amazing looking books! ^.^

 

Video

 

Photos And Book Information

Secret Society by Hannah Jennings.

A MASSIVE thanks to Hannah Jennings, who emailed me asking whether I'd like to review her recently released book, Secret Society. Of course I had to say yes, so I got sent a copy in the post. I'm really looking forward to getting into it! :D

Take Me On (Pushing the Limits, #4) by Katie McGarry.
The Rain by Verginia Bergin.

A HUGE thank you to Mira Ink who sent me a copy of Take Me On for review! :3 I'm so excited to finally start it. :D Also, a BIG thank you to Macmillan for the finished copy of The Rain, I've yet to read it, but I've heard some fantastic things. :)

Water Born (The Drowning, #2) by Rachel Ward.
The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones.

A HUGE thank you to Chicken House, who sent me Water Born for review. I participated in the blog tour not long ago - so go check it out if you're interested. :) Also, a BIG thanks to Headline who sent me these The String Diaries via Book Bridgr for review! :3

Eversea (Eversea, #1) by Natasha Boyd.
Forever, Jack (Eversea, #2) by Natasha Boyd.

A HUGE thanks to Headline who sent me these two books via Book Bridgr for review! :3 This series looks so cute, and I'm looking forward to starting it and sharing my opinions. :)

Flirty Dancing (The Ladybirds, #1) by Jenny McLachlan.
Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor.

A HUGE thanks to Bloomsbury who sent me these two books for review! :) They both look awesome and I can't wait to read and review them. ^.^

The Assassin’s Curse (The Assassin's Curse, #1) by Cassandra Rose Clarke.
Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young.

Reckoning (Silver Blackthorn, #1) by Kerry Wilkinson.
The One (The Selection, #3) by Kiera Cass.

Be with Me (Wait for You, #2) by J. Lynn.
Beautiful Oblivion (Beautiful, #3) by Jamie McGuire.

Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth.
The Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines.

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein.
Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill.

The Last Princess (Last Princess, #1) by Galaxy Craze.
Impostor (Variants, #1) by Susanne Winnacker.

In Honor by Jessi Kirby.
Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall, #1) by Shannon Messenger.

Every Day (Every Day, #1) by David Levithan.
Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle.

Earthbound (Earthbound, #1) by Aprilynne Pike.
Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman.

The Falconer (The Falconer, #1) by Elizabeth May.
Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1) by Jennifer Donnelly.

 

Thoughts

SO MANY PRETTY BOOKS!!! :D I really don't know where to start; I'm at a bit of a loss for words. I honestly can't say which one I'm most excited about, as I'm super excited about them all! :P A huge thanks to my good friend Tina, who gave me a book voucher for my birthday earlier this year - I brought The Assassin's Curse and Just Like Fate with it. :D I've heard so many amazing things about all of these books, and I'm so thrilled to have them in my collection. Hopefully one day I'll get round to reading them. :3 Gosh knows when that day will come though! ;) 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! (:

Wrap-Up: July 2014

 

Hey fellow book lovers. :) I'm so sorry, for, once again being so absent recently! July was a bit of a busy month for me. I had another ear infection (the 5th one this year!), and I've also been started on a new medication - so I've been trying to adjust to it. My reading last month was pretty bad, as I only managed to read two books - which I know, I know, isn't awful - but I wanted to read more! On a happier note, I've finally decided I'm going to move to WordPress! :D I may try and do a post about this sometime soon, but for now I'll just tell you a little bit. Today, I'm going to be purchasing a domain name and hosting from BlueHost, and although It's going to take a little while to get everything set up - I'm really looking forward to it. :3 I'm also going to be changing my blog name - which I'll reveal once I've brought it. I'm just tired of The British Book Nerd, and I feel that it's too long and I'm kind of embarrassed by it. (Don’t ask me why, as I really don’t have a clue!) So yes, I'll try and keep you all updated with everything, and I hope to have my July 2014 Book Haul up soon as well, as I filmed it right after I filmed this video. ^.^ So yes, that's it for now, talk to you all again soon.

 

Video

Books Read In July 2014

• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.


• Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black.

 

Total: 2 books read.
Click on the link to be taken to the review.

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What books did you read in July 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! (:

Blog Tour: Water Born by Rachel Ward

Title: Water Born.
Series: The Drowning, #2.
Author: Rachel Ward.
Publication Date: August 7th, 2014.
Publisher: Chicken House.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

Purchase

Amazon UK Amazon US Book Depository

Nic’s always loved the water, so being chosen for the swimming team means everything.When she begins to hear a disembodied voice in the pool, she turns to her dad for answers from a past he might not want to remember.

And when girls her age begin mysteriously drowning, Nic may be the only one who can uncover the murky truth...

 

About Rachel Ward

Website Good Reads Twitter

I'm a fortysomething author of books for young adults. I live in Bath, England, with my husband, two teenagers, dog, cat and chickens. I've had 'sensible' jobs for 25 years, and now I'm a writer too. I've been writing for about 10 years, and have published the Numbers trilogy. The first book came out in the UK in 2009 and the USA in 2010.

My Numbers books explore the gift of being able to see death dates. If you looked in somebody's eyes and saw the date of their death, would it change the way you felt about people? Would it change the way you lived your life?

 

Writing As A Boy by Rachel Ward

The Drowning was recently shortlisted for the Sussex Coast Schools Amazing Book Award. Sadly, circumstances conspired against me and I wasn’t able to go to the presentation evening, which was, by all accounts a great ‘do’. However, I was sent a question and I emailed my answer which was read out on my behalf. The question was, ‘What made you decide to narrate The Drowning from a boy’s point of view?’ It’s a good question, particularly as I’ve written five books in the first person (usually first person, present tense).

My answer was: 'I'm not sure I actually decided this! When I knew what the story was, it was clear to me that Carl was right at the centre of it, and when I started writing an exploratory chapter, he was the one telling the story. I wanted to show his journey from amnesia to understanding, and really that could only be told from his point of view. I liked having him as an 'unreliable' narrator – so that the reader isn't quite sure whether Rob is really haunting Carl, or whether he is a product of Carl's guilty and tortured mind...’

Carl is a boy with amnesia, a boy who has to put the pieces of the past back together and doesn’t necessarily like what he discovers. In the sequel to The Drowning, Water Born, my narrator is Nic, a talented swimmer. She finds out that her parents aren’t who they say they are and has to unpick the web of secrets and lies that her life is built on. Again, I don’t think I chose Nic as my narrator. It was very clear to me that Water Born is her story and I wanted the reader to see it through her eyes (although if you’ve already read The Drowning, you know a great deal more about her parents’ history than she does).

I think it’s almost true to say that I’m equally comfortable writing from a male or female viewpoint. In two books (The Chaos and Infinity), I have alternated chapters, male and female. Maybe it is marginally easier for me to write as a female. I remember struggling when I was trying to write The Chaos as I couldn’t seem to find an authentic voice for Adam. I wondered then whether Jem in Numbers had actually been me, or at least an expression of part of my character. Now I’m not sure.

If you write in the first person, you are in effect writing a sort of monologue and in that respect writing is a lot like acting. You need to understand your character, inhabit their skin, learn to think and react like they would. You don’t need to be (like) the person you are writing about, you just need to use your imagination, fed by all the observations you’ve made over the years of other people and the way they speak and act.

Starting to write a book is quite daunting, and so at the beginning of a book, I usually do a bit of ‘exploratory writing’. I tell myself that I’m writing something, anything just to test the water, get a feel for the book. Quite often this turns out to be the first chapter, but if I sat down at a blank screen and wrote ‘Chapter 1’ at the top of the page, I think my mind and body would be frozen until someone came to tuck a blanket over my knees and turn out the lights at the end of the day. Usually the voice I use, and the character I inhabit, for that first bit of writing sets the tone for the rest of the book.

For my next book, I’m experimenting with writing in the third person. Again, this decision sort of chose itself, but it took a bit of getting used to. I kept getting in a muddle and automatically switching to ‘I’ even though I didn’t want to. However, now I’m finding that there’s something liberating about taking a step back as a narrator and being able to see the bigger picture, which you can’t do if you are writing in the first person. I’m enjoying it, which is a good sign. I wonder if readers will even notice, and if they do, if they’ll like it. Anyway, that’s a question for some time in the future. For the moment, I’m wondering whether readers will enjoy getting to know Nic, in Water Born, and whether they will share her confusion and alarm when she starts to hear a voice in the water...

 

Wrap-Up: June 2014

 

Hey book nerds! :) I'm sorry this video and post is so late this month! If you'd read my last post update, I've been having some problems with my bandwidth for my photo hosting and everything on my blog looked horrendous! I've managed to switch hosting serves, and re-uploaded some of my layout images so everything looks much better. However, I can't re-upload all my review images and book haul images, as it'd take years - so I'm hoping everything will just go back to normal next week - fingers crossed! I am also debating about moving to wordpress and paying to host my blog, I've wanted to for a while, and I've been looking into it - so I think I may do it. However it won't be for a little while yet, as I need to actually create my blog from the ground up and switch all my content across. Has anyone else successfully moved to wordpress from blogger? Let me know how it went for you. :) That's it for today, I hope you all enjoy my June wrap-up, and I'm sorry once again that it's so late! ^.^

 

Video

 

Books Read In June 2014

• Divergent by Veronica Roth.


• Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead.


• The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.



• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.



• The Selection by Kiera Cass.


• The Elite by Kiera Cass.


• Fool Me Twice by Mandy Hubbard.

 

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

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What books did you read in June 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! (:

Review: Fool Me Twice by Mandy Hubbard

Title: Fool Me Twice.
Series: If Only..., #1.
Author: Mandy Hubbard.
Publication Date: June 5th, 2014.
Publisher: Bloomsbury.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 272 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

Mackenzie is determined not to fall for Landon all over again. Not after he dumped her and got back together with his ex. But they are both at Serenity Ranch and Spa for the summer and she can’t just ignore him – especially after he takes a nasty fall and doesn’t remember ever breaking up with her! Now it’s her turn to dump him. And not without a little bit of fun first...

 
 
 

Review

Fool Me Twice is a ridiculously cute, sweet, funny and light-hearted book that’ll have anyone grinning like an idiot whilst they’re reading it. It’s full of hilarious scenes, practical jokes and romantic encounters – and although some of the scenes were a little cheesy at times, I didn’t really mind. Mandy Hubbard has a really bubbly writing style and outlook and I just loved her style of writing. Fool Me Twice is fun and quick read, and I’d really recommend any contemporary lover to pick it up and give it a go.

Mackenzie, or Mack, is our main protagonist throughout Fool Me Twice, and I really loved her character! She’s smart, witty, upbeat, funny, and caring. She has this ridiculously quirky personality and sense of style; she even dyed her hair red and blue for Independence Day! Mack was just a really loveable character that you can’t help but laugh along with, and I think if I met her in real life, she’d be someone I’d really want to be friends with. Overall I thought she was a really strong and interesting character and I was rooting for her to be happy right from the start.

Landon is the love interest throughout Fool Me Twice, and the guy Mack wants to get revenge on for breaking her heart. At first, I really didn’t like his character – he seemed too full of himself, and didn’t seem to care what so ever about how much he’d hurt Mack in dumping her the way he did. However, the more the novel progressed, the more I started to like him. It turns out he has this complete other side to him, and can be really sweet and fun. By the time I was nearing the end of the book, I was desperate for a happy ending and for the two of them to work things out and to be together. Talk about a change of opinion!

Although the majority of the characters acted and seemed much more like 16 year olds, rather than 18 (or nearly 18) year olds, it surprisingly didn’t faze me much what so ever. I have a bit of a pet peeve about characters that act stupidly, or if they really don’t act their age – but Mack, Landon and Mack’s best friend, Bailey don’t act like little kids at all - just slightly younger versions of themselves, trying to enjoy their last summer before they go off to University. As for the relationship between Landon and Mack, it was so sweet and beautiful. As much as she tried not to fall back in love with Landon, she just couldn’t help it, even after all did to her. She was willing to forgive and mostly forget the things that happened between them the year before, and at first that frustrated me, but as I read more and more, I found out I really didn’t mind so much after all.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Fool Me Twice. It’s definitely not a book to be taken too seriously, but was generally a really beautiful and kind of heart-warming tale with a lot of humour mixed in! Mandy Hubbard’s writing is fresh, funny and quirky, with a lovely ability to create a lovely backdrop to the story – I could picture the Ranch really clearly in my head! I flew through Fool Me Twice, reading it in just two sittings, and although it’s not perfect, I believe it well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating I gave it. I can’t wait to read more books in this series and from Mandy Hubbard in the future – she’s definitely an author to keep an eye out for!

 

Quotes

“Is his horse always that hyper?”
Storm is dancing at the end of the reins, but Landon just maintains his solid grip and walks as if it’s no big deal that a thousand-pound horse is hopping around like a bunny on crack.
“Yeah, pretty much. He’s got his roping saddle on and Storm knows it. He’s such a hothead for roping.”
“Oh.”
“Should we bail?” I ask. “I mean, I don’t know the rules of engagement. Without the aid of explosives or whatever.”
“First, no, you do not let him run you off, and second, dude, explosives! We could blow up his junk!” - Page 39.

It’s out here on the trail where sometimes I think I see deep inside his soul, those moments he’s utterly content, and somehow I finally get him. It doesn’t mean we’re meant to be, doesn’t mean he won’t break my heart.
It just means deep in his heart, he’s something different. The guy who would gallop to the edge of a cliff to save you [...]. He’d share his last drop of water with you, or if your horse went lame, he’d offer you his own and then walk, even if his boots made his feet blister and the sun dang near killed him.
He might still dump you for another girl, but out here, under the never-ending sky, he’s mine. The guy I fall for over and over and over again. - Page 194 & 195.

My reverie is broken when Landon touches my knee, and I turn to him. He leans across the space between our horses, and my eyes slip closed just as his lips touch mine.
As the sun rises over the desert, we kiss. - Page 235.

June 2014 Book Haul

 

Hey book nerds! :D I'm feeling like I may need to come up with a more interesting way to start these posts. If any of you have some funny suggestions, let me know and I'll try them out. :P I hope you're all doing well! I've been reading like crazy lately, I read one and a half books yesterday - I couldn't believe how fast I zoomed through them. :) I've also started reading and writing Fanfiction again! I used to read Fanfiction constantly, but haven't for a while. I've also written a lot in the past, but it's been years since I posted anything. I've just started a new Harry Potter Fanfiction and I've gotten two chapters posted, I'm very pleased with myself. :3 Anyway, that's it for today - I hope you all enjoy this post and video and I'll talk to you guys again soon! ^.^

 

Video

 

Photos And Book Information

Fool Me Twice (If Only, #1) by Mandy Hubbard.
Take Back the Skies (Take Back the Skies, #1) by Lucy Saxon.

A BIG thanks to Bloomsbury who sent me these books for review! :D They look really fantastic and I can't wait to start them. :3

Boy21 by Matthew Quick.
Masquerade (Games, #3) by Nyrae Dawn.

A HUGE thanks to Headline who sent me these two books via Book Bridgr for review! :3

Louder Than Words by Laura Jarratt.
Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill.

A BIG thank you to Electric Monkey, which is an imprint of Egmont for sending me Louder Than Words for review. Also, BIG thank you to Quercus who sent me a proof copy of Only Ever Yours for review. They both look awesome and I can't wait to read them! :)

True Fire by Gary Meehan.
The Elite (The Selection, #2) by Kiera Cass.

Faking It (Losing It, #1) by Cora Carmack.
Far From You by Tess Sharpe.

Her Best Friend's Brother by T.J. Dell.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott.

Lockdown (Escape From Furnace, #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith.
Unwind (Unwind Dystology, #1) by Neal Shusterman.

I brought Unwind used online, and It came SIGNED! Isn't that so awesome?! :D

The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window by Kirsty Moseley.
When Summer Ends by Isabelle Rae.

Lost Girls by Ann Kelley.
Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1) by Fiona Paul.

Unite Me (Shatter Me, #1.5 & #2.5) by Tahereh Mafi.
Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2) by Tahereh Mafi.

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer.
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) by Marissa Meyer.

The Gathering Dark by Christine Johnson.
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

Burning Blue by Paul Griffin.
The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy, #1) by Mindee Arnett.

Immortal City (Immortal City, #1) by Scott Speer.
What the Spell? (Life's a Witch, #1) by Brittany Geragotelis.

Scorched (Scorched, #1) by Mari Mancusi.
The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth, #1) by Stacey Kade.

Article 5 (Article 5, #1) by Kristen Simmons.
Timeless (Timeless, #1) by Alexandra Monir.

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn.
Renegade (The Elysium Chronicles, #1) by J.A. Souders.

Possession (Possession, #1) by Elana Johnson.
The Turning by Francine Prose.

The Rules (Project Paper Doll, #1) by Stacey Kade.
Purity by Jackson Pearce.

Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz & Ron Bass.
Born of Illusion (Born of Illusion, #1) by Teri Brown.

Crewel (Crewel World, #1) by Gennifer Albin.
Possess by Gretchen McNeil.

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1) by Jessica Spotswood.
Shards and Ashes by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong.

Hemlock (Hemlock, #1) by Kathleen Peacock.
The Pledge (The Pledge, #1) by Kimberly Derting.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier.
These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner.

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1) by Morgan Rhodes.
The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) by Robert Galbraith.

House of Secrets (House of Secrets, #1) by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

 

Thoughts

Books, glorious books! :D Does anyone else get creepily excited about the thought of showing off their new books? Or is it just me? :P Either way, I love to show you all the books I've gotten recently, it's so fun. I think it's probably one of my favourite posts to do. :3 I'm so excited about all of these books, and I've heard nothing but awesome thinks about all of them. I really can't decide which I'm most excited to read. However, I have already read The Elite! I read The Selection, the first book in the trilogy the day before yesterday, and I just HAD to continue on with the series and pick up The Elite, even though it's really supposed to be at the bottom of my TBR... ^^; I finished it already last night, and loved it - and I NEED to get my hands on the third and final one. I feel so blessed to have been able to get all of these books, and for so cheap as well! (only a few pounds each, bargain!) They're all so pretty as well, I mean, LOOK at those covers! :D I just can't seem to get enough of them. 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! (: