20 September 2013

Friday Finds #34


 

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! :D I'm so sorry that I've been AWOL for so long, I've been having a bad week and I just needed time to myself. I'm feeling a bit better now though and hopefully will have things back on track for my blog and YouTube channel very soon! :) I am currently reading The Hollow by Jessica Verday, I'm not that far into it yet, but I am really enjoying it so far. :3 There isn't a whole lot else to say today - but keep an eye out for my review of Icons by Margaret Stohl (4/5 stars!), my September Book Haul (I have lots of books to show you!) and hopefully my updated Bookshelf Tour! :D I hope you're all having a great week and I'll talk to you guys again soon. ^.^


 

Friday Finds




Tempest Rising (Jane True, #1) by Nicole Peeler.
Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.
Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new 'friend', Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever-rub the genie's lamp.


Briar Rose by Jana Oliver.
For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. She's stuck in a small town in deepest Georgia with parents who won't let her out of their sight, a bunch of small-minded, gossiping neighbours and an evil ex who's spreading nasty rumours about what she may or may not have done in the back of his car. She's tired of it all, so when, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she's actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes . . . And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of. Now Briar must fight her way out of the story that has been created for her, but she can't do it alone. She never believed in handsome princes, but now she's met one her only chance is to put her life in his hands, or there will be no happy ever after and no waking up.




Falling to Ash (Moth, #1) by Karen Mahoney.
You can't choose your family . . . living or dead.
Trapped between two very different worlds, newly made vampire Moth is struggling to find her place in either. Not only does she have to answer to her strict Irish-Catholic Dad, but her over-protective maker, Theo, is intent on making her the star attraction in his powerful Boston vampire clan. Moth will have to pull off the double-act of the century to please both of them . . .
Adding to her problems is the dangerously attractive Jason Murdoch, a trainee vampire hunter who loves to play cat and mouse in his spare time (Jace = cat; Moth = mouse). But when the young and gorgeous teenagers of Boston's wealthiest families start to disappear, it forces Moth and Jace into an uneasy truce. Will they be able to solve the mystery behind the disappearances - before someone winds up undead?


Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick.
Inner beauty wants out.
When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s summoned from her Missouri trailer park to meet Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer. He makes her an impossible offer: He’ll create three dresses to transform Becky from a nothing special girl into the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Becky thinks Tom is a lunatic, or that he’s producing a hidden camera show called World’s Most Gullible Poor People. But she accepts, and she’s remade as Rebecca. When Becky looks in the mirror, she sees herself – an awkward mess of split ends and cankles. But when anyone else looks at Becky, they see pure five-alarm hotness.

Soon Rebecca is on the cover of Vogue, the new Hollywood darling, and dating celebrities. Then Becky meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne, and everything starts to crumble. Because Rebecca aside, Becky loves him. But to love her back, Gregory would have to look past the blinding Rebecca to see the real girl inside. And Becky knows there’s not enough magic in the world.


 

Thoughts


Summaries from Good Reads. I think all of these books look really fantastic! I'm seriously considering paying out full price to buy Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick - it looks incredible. I'm also thinking I'm going to choose the others as presents to myself for Christmas! :D My favourite covers are probably Gorgeous and Falling to Ash - although I do love the font on Briar Rose and the misted effects on Tempest Rising. ^.^ Have you read any of my finds this week? Let me know! :)


 


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! (:

13 September 2013

Review: Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend
Title: Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend.
Series: Confessions, #2.
Author: Louise Rozett.
Publication Date: June 25th, 2013.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 279 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:
After a disastrous first year of high school, Rose Zarelli is determined to become an all-new and improved version of herself.
Improved how?

Well, Rose is setting some ground rules.
This year she absolutely most definitely will NOT:
1) Do things just because other (cooler) people tell her to.
2) Randomly shoot her mouth off.
3) Worry about whether she’s someone’s girlfriend – or not.
4) Let infuriatingly gorgeous Jamie Forta get to her – even if he might just have broken her heart last year.
After all, she’s older and smarter now. She can totally pull this off.
How hard can it be? Right? RIGHT?

 

Review


There is always this little flicker of doubt in my mind when I start reading a sequel to a book I really enjoyed. I’m usually worried that the next book would not compare to the first, but I’m really glad to say that Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend was just as good, if not better than Confessions of an Angry Girl! I usually read a few contemporary books, and then move onto another genre, but I always come back to contemporary, because there are so many fantastic books and they’re also really quick and easy to read. So after reading a few paranormal/supernatural novels, I was more than happy to pick up Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend. And once I started to read it, I didn’t realise how much I’d missed the characters from this series and was really eager to find out what would happen to Rose in this book.



Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend

Rose’s character has developed so much in the space between the first book and this one and I thought that was great. She’s much more mature, open-minded and tries her best to keep a level-head throughout the book. I also thought that Rose was a lot more interesting to read about, it was great to see her trying to figure out who she really wants to be – and when she finally does, seeing her accept it and be happy about it. At the end of the day; Rose is just a teenager - teenagers mess up and make mistakes – and I believe that this book was great in portraying this. I loved how Rose’s attitude has changed since the first book as well; there was barely any of the bitchiness, like how she was towards her friend Robert in the first book. She actually seemed to take time to consider what she was going to say, rather than to let her mouth run away from her.



I’m pretty sure I mentioned in my review of the first book in this series, about how irritating I found Jamie’s character. Jamie seemed just as, if not more so annoying in this book – and I really felt like I really just wanted to attack him with a stick. In Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, we learn a little more about Jamie’s background and past, which I thought was great and I enjoyed reading about it, because there wasn’t much mentioned in the first book. However, he was also more brooding and unattached – don’t get me wrong, I love a bad boy just as much as the rest of you – but Jamie’s character just seems irritating and a big pain in the butt. It’s not fair of him to go around kissing Rose one minute, and then the next telling her she deserves better – make up your mind!



Overall, I really enjoyed reading Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend and I thought it was a fantastic book. I love Louise Rozett’s writing – as I must have said lots of times before – it’s funny, interesting and quirky, but she can also create an air of seriousness. In the first book in this series, Louise was trying to get the message across about safe sex, and in this book I believe she was trying to let people know about the affects of psychical abuse, both physically and mentally. There are so many ways that Louise Rozett could have gone wrong with writing about these sensitive subjects, but she does so in a way that actually makes you stop to think about what you’re reading. I can’t wait to find out what happens to Rose in the next book; do Jamie and Rose get together? If not, does she find someone better (and in my opinion) more suited to her? I’m sure the next novel in this series will be just as good! I believe the 4/5 star rating was well and truly earned; Louise Rozett is going to go far with her writing, I can tell! I’d highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good contemporary romance series. Keep an eye out for it!



Quotes


Standing in this parking lot with Radiohead blasting out of a stereo and the sun reflecting off car roofs so intensely that everyone seems to be vibrating in time to the music in their own personal bubble of silver light, I feel like maybe – just maybe – I could actually make something of myself this year.
Rose 2.0. - Page 80.


After a moment, he brings my hand to his mouth and kisses it.
Jamie lets himself out and disappears into the dark as I stand in the quiet kitchen, listening to the ticking of the clock, memorizing what it felt like to have Jamie Forta’s hands on a part of my body that no guy has ever touched before.
I feel like I’m his. - Page 192.


I did the wrong thing, and I lost him for real.
But did you do the wrong thing? Jamie thinks it was the wrong thing. But do you?
No. I don't.
I didn't do what Jamie would have wanted me to do, but that doesn't mean it was wrong. - Page 278.


10 September 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show


 

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


Hey Book Nerds! ^.^ How are you all doing today? :) I think I'm probably going to be absent from blogging for a few days, mainly because I've just not been feeling very good lately and I just need some time off doing things to recuperate. I know you'll all understand, and hopefully within a week or maybe less, I'll be back with more posts and YouTube videos! I've not been able to read much recently, so I'm still reading Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, but when I finish that I'll try and write my review and post it when I take. Until then, please enjoy this Top Ten Tuesday post!


 

Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show




  • 1. The Immortal Rules by Julia Kagawa.

  • I want this to be turned into a movie SO BAD! I am fan-girling just thinking about this book, and series so far. I think they'd make incredible movies - and I'd really love to see Alison come to life on the big screen. I'd also love to see the post-apocalyptic world and the rabids - it'd be amazing. If you're a film producer and you're reading this - MAKE THIS IN TO A FILM, PLEASE? :D




  • 2. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

  • I'm not sure I've heard anyone who has read this series, who hasn't said they'd like this book/series to be turned into movies/TV show. I'm not sure which I'd prefer they do - but I think doing the books as individual movies would be fantastic. I love Tally, and I'm sure she'd be such an interesting character portrayed on screen. This is another series I can't wait to finish.




  • 3. Gone by Michael Grant.

  • This is another series that I'm sure lots of people want to be made in to movies. Personally, I think it'd be a great TV show - mainly because they there are so many books and they're really long. It'd be amazing to see all the powers that the different characters have! I also need to continue on with this series ASAP!





  • 4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

  • I know that this was originally going to be a TV show, but unfortunately the pilot they made was turned down by Fox. I was really disappointed about this, because I think it would have made an incredible show. The entire storyline is so unique and I'd have loved to of seen it acted out! I really do need to get on and read the final two books in the trilogy though...




  • 5. Wither by Lauren DeStefano.

  • I just think that this book and the series would make incredible films! The whole concept of this book is fantastic, and I'd be amazing to see it acted out by people. I don't know what else to say about this, I just really wish it could be turned into a movie - I'm sure it would be incredibly popular! That's all.




  • 6. Partials by Dan Wells.

  • The world building in this book is great and it would be so awesome to see how film producers would create it! The Partials, which are the genetically engineered soldiers, would be fantastic to see, especially with the special effects we have now days. I believe, because the books are so long, that it’d do really well as a TV show, but movies would work fine as well!




  • 7. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting.

  • I think this book, and the rest of this series would make a fantastic and intriguing TV show! It's basically a murder mystery TV series with a twist and staring a teenage lead! I have no doubt I'd be jumping at the thought of this book being turned into a show, it'd be really fun and interesting. Yet another series I can't wait to finish...




  • 8. Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts.

  • There aren't enough post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows in my opinion! This book would work really well as either, and the big plus is that the characters are teenagers and that it swops from their perspectives. Imagine the fun the fun producers could have turning this book/series into footage? I'd be incredible! Add the fact that this isn't your normal Zombie eating your brains book - the scary men are smart and clever and you've got yourself some awesome takes.




  • 9. Eve by Anna Carey.

  • I'm thinking this one really doesn't need to be explained that much, the reason I think I'd make a great movie is the same as the one above - minus the Zombies/Mad Men. I'd love to see how the post-apocalyptic world and how it's fallen into disrepair, especially when the main character travels through it. I mean, a large sum of the population has died, and now the kids live in schools/camps designed specifically for certain reason. I can't stress how cool this would be to watch.




  • 10. My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent.

  • I don't have an explanation for why this would make an incredible TV show, I just think it would. Let's just hope, if they do, they maybe make Kaylee's scream a good scream for the audience, but not for the humans around her. I don't really want my ears deafened from the film. :P But yes, incredible book, incredible series - Rachel Vincent, you're amazing!


 
 
 
 


What are your Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (:

7 September 2013

E-Book Haul #6


 

Hey book nerds! :D It's been AGES since I last posted an e-book haul, and I thought, seeing as it's the weekend and I don't have anything else to post - that I would! :) I finished reading Abandon by Meg Cabot last night - and I really enjoyed it. It was a bit confusing at times, but I loved the characters - I gave it 4/5 stars. :) As for what I'm reading now, I picked up Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett after I finished Abandon, and I'm about 77 pages in. I love it so far as well. :) I haven't got a whole lot to say today, except that I posted another YouTube video if any of you are interested, it's my Favourite Book Covers. So if you've got time I'd appreciate it if you could go check it out? :) That's it for today, talk again soon! ^.^



 

E-books For Review




Sia by Josh Grayson.
Lash (Broken Angel, #1) by L.G. Castillo.
Monsters (Ashes Trilogy, #3) by Ilsa J. Bick.
Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones.

A big thanks to Josh Grayson, Josh Grayson, Egmont USA & Julie Patra Publishing who sent me these eGalley's via NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews! :)


 

E-books Bought












Sapience by Bret Wellman.
Thin White Line by J.A. Templeton.
Endlessly (Endlessly, #1) by C.V. Hunt.
Run With Me (Discovery Series, #1) by Christy Major.




Only In Dreams by Tonya Fitzharris.
Long Black Veil by Jeanette Battista.
Blood Pact (Blood Pact, #1) by Sharon Rose Mayes.
First Kiss (Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips, #1) by Cindy M. Hogan.


 

Thoughts


I'm very, very, very excited about all these e-books! :D I love finding new e-books, even though I've only read a few of the ones I've brought over the last year. I just love having them there, so if I feel in the mood to read an e-book, I have hundreds to choose from! XD My favourite covers are Thin White Line and Witch Magic; I think they're both so pretty! ^.^ I'm really excited to have First Kiss in my collection, as I did a Book Blitz for the book the other week. :) All of these e-books were freebies on Amazon at the time of purchase. I'm sure a lot of them still are, so go check them out! :D Have you read any of these e-books, or have you heard of them? Let me know! ^.^


 


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! (:



4 September 2013

Waiting On Wednesday: Six Months Later by Natalie Richards


 

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


Hey Book Nerds! ^.^ How are you all doing today? :) I'm good, but I'm really tired for some reason - I'm not sure why! x3 I recently posted my Document Your Life video for August 2013 on my YouTube channel, so if you're interested, don't forget to go check that out. ^.^ I also reached over 100 subscribers on YouTube the other day, I'm so thrilled! :D As a thank you, I WILL be doing an updated Bookshelf Tour; I just need to choose a day with good lighting and when I have the time to do all the filming and such. :) Keep an eye out for that over the next few weeks. :3 I'm also going to be posting a Favourite Book Covers video over the next few days. Lastly, I'm currently reading Abandon by Meg Cabot and I REALLY love it so far! It's a great book; I can't believe I've been putting off reading it for so long. ^.^ Anyway, that's it for today - talk to you guys again soon! :D


 



Six Months Later

Title: Six Months Later.
Author: Natalie Richards.
Expected Publication: October 1st, 2013.
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire.
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult.

Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her?
And why can't she remember?



 

Thoughts


I only heard about this book a few days via Maji Bookshelf's YouTube channel, and I can't believe I hadn't beforehand! This looks like a really fantastic book, I love the whole amnesia aspects in books. (Not in real life though...) I've not heard of Natalie Richards before, but I'm really eager to read her writing and see what she does with the story! :) As for the cover; I like it, but it's not amazing. I think it's a little boring, but it looks like it'll relate to the story - which is good! What do you guys think of the looks of this book, have you heard of it before? :) Let me know! ^.^


 


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. (:

3 September 2013

Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Boyfriend
Title: Anatomy of a Boyfriend.
Series: Anatomy, #1.
Author: Daria Snadowsky.
Publication Date: September 23rd, 2008.
Publisher: Ember.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 272 pages.
Source: Provided By Author.
My Rating:
Before all this happened, the closest I’d ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Then I met Wes, a track-star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too.

I couldn’t believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing – and touching – parts of the body I’d only read about in my Gray’s Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring.

It was scary. It was fun. It was love. And then came the fall.

 

Review


I would like to start off this review by saying, Anatomy of a Boyfriend is definitely not a book for younger readers – or for people in general who just don’t like sexual scenes. This is probably already obvious because of the title (and cover for that matter), but I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. I really enjoyed reading Anatomy of a Boyfriend; it’s a sweet and lovely story about first love and discovering sex. By the end of Anatomy of a Boyfriend, I was actually crying; not overly obsessive sobbing, but tears that trickled down my cheeks. I’m sure everyone remembers the first person they fell in love with – whether you’re still together or not, you know what it feels like; to feel you’re flying above the clouds and that nothing else matters but that person. But can you remember the feeling of losing the person you love? If not, I’m not really sure how you’ll be able to identify with the emotions in this book. But if you do, it’s sure to bring up some emotions about how it felt when you did.



ReviewImageMutantCityBySteveFeasey2

Dominique is our main protagonist and plans to be a premed student in the fall when she goes to college. She has her entire life planned out in front of her and didn’t think anything could distract her from her path – until she meets Wes. I really loved Dom’s character; she was funny, kind, caring, interesting and really smart. All of these qualities I find really great to read about in characters. All of the emotions that Dom felt, were so raw and fresh that you could almost feel them radiating off the page. Even though Dom is seventeen in this book, I didn’t really feel like she was. To me, she seemed much younger throughout the book, maybe even about fifteen years old. Although there were times where she acted more her age, mostly she seemed very young. I don’t have any issues with this though, because so many people are like Dominique – and I believe that love has to ability to make someone seem younger or older than they are. It’s just the way it goes.



Wes is the love-interest in this novel, and quite frankly, I didn’t really like his character very much at all. I thought he was a little bland and dry, with not much personality. Sure, we learn that he’s shy and is a track runner – but that’s pretty much it. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a little more depth to his character, as I really couldn’t see what Dom saw in him. However Wes’s and Dom’s relationship was lovely and the chemistry between them was fantastic. They didn’t seem to do anything but make-out or sleep together in the book, but they’re teenagers – what do you expect? The only reason this book didn’t receive a 5/5 star rating, was because of Wes’s character, I’m not sure whether this is because he’s just not my type – or whether it’s to do with the fact that he wasn’t developed enough in my opinion. Either way, I thought his character let the book down quite a bit.



Even though I’m no longer a teenager and have been ‘of age’ for quite some time now, I found myself quite worried about leaving this book alone in the same room as my mum. Of course I’m not embarrassed about reading a novel with sexual scenes in, but I am embarrassed about the idea of having a conversation about these matters with my mum when it really isn’t necessary. My mum is an open adult and I’m sure she’s come across her fair share of sexual scenes whilst reading her own books – so why was I worried about leaving it alone? I honestly have no idea – maybe I just don’t want my mum thinking I’m constantly reading erotica. (Which I don’t – not that it matters though) As I have no experience in reviewing books that fall into this category, it’s hard to give my opinion on them. The sexual scenes in Anatomy of a Boyfriend were a little dry, but overall were pretty good. However, they did seem a little clinical, like they were written for a textbook – but giving the fact that the main character, Dom, is a premed student – it doesn’t seem that strange at all.



Overall, I thought Anatomy of a Boyfriend was a great read with some interesting and unique characters that I thought were really relatable. Daria Snadowsky’s writing is fun and quirky, but she can also create an air of seriousness when she needs too. I don’t believe this book should be read just by teenagers, I believe even older adults would probably enjoy it and identify with it – mostly because of the rawness of it. Daria Snadowsky is definitely an author to keep an eye on, I’m sure she’ll continue to grow and become an even more fantastic writer than she is now.



Quotes


On the second day of no reply, I ask Dad to time me as I play Operation in a feeble attempt to rekindle my interest in medicine and forget about Wes, even if just for a few seconds. But my hands are shaking so much I can’t even tweeze out one piece without sounding the buzzer. I never realized before that this red-nosed patient is suffering from unrequited love too. He has a butterfly in his stomach, and his plastic heart is broken. My god, I’m actually identifying with the man in Operation. How much lower can I go? - Page 71.


“Does he try to have intercourse with you?”
“Grandma” I gasp. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no!”
“Good. Remember, no ring, no ring-a-ding-ding. Because once you spread your legs for him, do you know where he’ll race once he’s done? He’ll race to another woman, that’s where.” - Page 92


“I love you, Dom.”
There, the final piece of the jigsaw.
He shakes his head. “It’s insane how much I love you. I never knew I could feel this way.”
“I love you too,” I say quietly, holding back my tears. I feels so good to have said it, finally, and to be this honest and exposed. It’s like I’ve discovered the meaning of life – to love and be loved. Sure, my parents and I love each other, but we have no choice. We’re family. Love seems so much more special when it comes from someone who has no obligation to feel it. - Page 154.


2 September 2013

Wrap-Up: August 2013


 


Hey book nerds! :D Can you believe it's September? Where the hell did August go?! It feels like only yesterday that was I reading some of these books, but apparently it was actually the beginning of August. Crikey! I have two things I want to mention today; first of all, I hit over 100 subscribers the other day on YouTube! :D I'm so excited; I never thought I'd have that many people wanting to watch my videos. As a celebration I will be doing an updated bookshelf tour for all of you that are interested. :) Let me know whether you think it'll be best to move the rest of my books onto my bookshelf and film just there, or shoot them when they're in my cupboard. And secondly, The British Book Nerd is going to be turning 1 in just a few weeks time! :D It's so strange knowing that I've been blogging for a year already. Would you guys be interested in a giveaway as a celebration? Let me know! That's it for now; I hope you all had a great August - see you guys again soon!


 

Video


 

Books Read In August 2013



 
Total: 9 books read.
Click on the link to be taken to the review.

What books did you read in August 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! (: