Saturday 30 April 2011

In My Mailbox (29)

In My Mailbox is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren :D



I couldn't do IMM last week because I wasn't at home, so this is all I got over the past 2 weeks :)

Review:
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han (YAY! Already read and it's awesome. Review'll be up soon)
Wish Me Dead by Helen Grant (Thanks to Puffin for those two)
Super-Awesome-Droolworthy-Shiny-Finished-Copy of Divergent by Veronica Roth (seriously, it's so shiny. Also, UK people, it's out here now. Buy it. It's AMAZING.)(Oh, and THANK YOOOUU HarperCollins. You are awesome.)
2nd proof of Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton. (If you live in the UK and you want it, tweet me about it. Can't post internationally atm... Sorry. Thank you Random House)
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd. (This book is visually beautiful. The illustrations are stunning. Thank you Walker)

Bought:
Last Chance by Sarah Dessen (Keeping the Moon in the US. Going old school Sarah Dessen ;D)
Della Says OMG by Keris Stainton (reading this now and it's brilliant! Very funny :D I wish you guys in the states could read it. I'll probably review this this week too.)

So that's all I got the last two weeks! What about you guys?

Friday 29 April 2011

The DUFF review



The Duff
Kody Keplinger
September 7th 2010
Little Brown
(I got this as a RAK from Ivy Reads, so thank you very much!)

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.


But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I've been wanting to read The Duff ever since I heard about it. It sounds right up my street, and I really enjoyed it! I can really see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea though. If you don't like strong language or sex in books (there is no actual sex described in the book, though, only lead-up to sex and after-sex, just thought I'd point that out. Sex *immature giggle* ;P) But I did really like it, despite all that.

Bianca is the sort of person I would get along with. I do like a bit of cynicism every now and again, plus I love it when main characters have character, you know? Because usually I like the side characters a lot more than the main characters, but in this case, I really liked Bianca. Even though I do kind of want to slap her. She could've, like, read a lot or something to distract her instead of all the sexytimes. But whatever...

I loved Wesley too! I mean, he was kind of an arrogant ass at first, but he's actually a pretty cool guy. Not to mention a lot of his and Bianca's conversations made me laugh. They just had good chemistry, y'know. They had a lot of good banter, plus Wesley was a good guy at the end of it.  And he did end his man whorish ways! ;D

I also really enjoyed the more serious aspect of the book, what with all of the parent problems, and the characters reactions to them, and that it showed a whole different side of the characters. I felt so bad for Bianca's dad,  but he was also kind of an douche... But I get why, I mean, just having gone through a surprise divorce and all. but he should've thought about his daughter a little bit!

The Duff was a great YA book that might put some people off, but whatever. Not every book can be everyone's cup of tea, so if you like fairly edgy YA that you'll also get a good laugh from, this is the book for you :) 4 stars

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #29

Tighter
Adele Griffin
May 10th 2011

When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead. 

Brilliantly plotted, with startling twists, here is a thrilling page-turner from the award-winning Adele Griffin.




I lovelovelove ghost stories, and this one looks brilliant. I adore this cover too! So creepy!


What are you waiting on?

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Mean Girls




Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers make lists about books and other suitably bookish things. This time we're picking our favourite mean girls from books, so without further ado!

1. Elodie from Hex Hall. I love Elodie. I love that she was a bitch, but then she sorta turned out to be a good-guy, and then some stuff happened (I'm not gonna spoil it for you) and now she's back to being a bit of a bitch again. But in a good way. ;)

2. Kendra from Leaving Paradise. Kendra's here for a completely different reason. She is horrible, controlling, and just Bitchy McBitcherton (I am going to use to word bitch a lot, sorry 'bout that). She had no redeeming qualities. At all. Just evil!

3. Madison from Rules of Attraction. Simone Elkeles is just an expert at writing mean girls, what can I say?

4. Tiffany from Clarity. She sleeps with Clarity's boyfriend and continually takes pleasure in rubbing it in her face... What. A. Bitch.

5. Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice. Caroline is a cow. She's so mean to Lizzie, but at least she takes it all in her stride, so I guess it's okay... But I still don't like her...


Those were all I could think of this week... What are your top ten (or five...) Mean girls?

Monday 25 April 2011

Divergent review

Divergent
Veronica Roth
April 28th (UK)/May 3rd (US)
HarperCollins/HarperTeen

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.



Divergent has sufficiently BLOWN MY MIND. I could tell from page one that it was going to be amazing, and what with all the hype, but it was EVEN BETTER THAN THAT. I wanted to give HarperCollins a big sloppy kiss on the face when it fell through the door. But I didn't. Because that would be weird. And slightly awkward. So we shall refrain form big sloppy kisses for the time being.


And let me tell you who DIDN'T give big sloppy kisses in Divergent! (Yeah, I just KNOW you guys are jealous of my segue skills.) FOUR. That's who doesn't. (At this point, you may be wondering 'Four? Who the heck is Four?' Well, let me explain. Four is the amazingly amazing male lead of the book, who you will undoubtedly fall in love with. That's who Four is. And he is good enough reason ALONE to want this book. Not to mention the absolute awesome that is Tris. And the plot. And the world. But we'll get to that.)


So, as I said before. Tris. Tris is probably one of the best main characters. EVER. I loved her. She was strong, but not in a over powering way, and it was great to see her learn about her world, and the darker side of it. As she begins to feel like she belongs in a world, how she makes friends, a boyfriend, even. How she started having FUN. And how it nearly all got taken away from her.


Divergent was incredibly fast paced, yet so damn good I had to try and pace myself, to try and savour it, I wanted it to last, yet it just kept drawing me back in. It has been 2 days since I finished it, and I already want to read it again. I stare longingly at it on my shelf wondering 'why can't all books be THIS good?!' But I know the answer to that. Because if they were all that good, we, as human beings, would not be able to think properly for the amazing that we read all the time. You probably think I'm exaggerating, and I probably am, but I sure as hell LOVE THIS BOOK SOMETHING FIERCE. And I hope you do to.


Divergent is one of the best dystopians I've read (even though I sure as hell am not a dystopian expert) and completely lives up to the hype. If not more so. I think you should read it. If not just because we can squee about it afterwards. Then again, sometimes I just get immensely enthusiastic about books. But still. Read it. You know you want to... 5 stars! :D:D  



Friday 22 April 2011

Leaving Paradise review

Leaving Paradise
Simone Elkeles
April 1st 2007
Flux 


Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.
After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.
Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

Simone Elkeles is a genius. I don't know, for the life of me, how she writes such darn good teen books. How she captures that angst and tension so perfectly. It's irresistible. I am just compelled to read her books all in one go, whilst still wanting to savour everything I'm reading. But the thing I also loved about Leaving Paradise was that it wasn't all about the romance. It was about their lives too, and they didn't even talk properly until about halfway through the book.

But their personal lives were so interesting I didn't care. Both of Caleb and Maggie had been messed up by the accident, but I think that the families were a lot more affected by the accident. Maggie's mother turned overprotective to the max, whilst Caleb's family took the complete opposite approach and while Caleb was in juvie developed a total denial of the accident. And they were pretty darn messed up. At the end of the book, I wanted to just slap his dad for what he said to him, especially once the truth had been revealed, that Caleb was the selfish one! So everyone turning their back and not facing the accident isn't selfish at all. Placing all the blame on the son and not even trying to make amends to him, or even discuss the accident isn't being selfish. Completely ignoring the situation until his nearly explodes from the stress of it all and not even bothering to notice isn't being selfish?! Ugh, sorry,  it just really irked me. His parents behaviour was despicable.

Caleb and Maggie got over the accident far better than their parents managed too, whether or not it was with their supposed 'enemies'. They were, at the end of it, the only chance they had of starting to move on. And they were really good together, dare I say it. Despite the arguments, the disputes, the accident, they made such a great couple. All thanks to Mrs. Reynolds ;) (Which, I think sucks that she's not even mentioned in blurb, but I guess she's not THAT relevant to getting people to read the book. But they wouldn;t have even started to talk to each other without her!) She was so lovely, and stubborn. She would be an awesome grandma!

I loved how Maggie's relationship helped her to become more confident, to not be deterred by her limp, to not get other peoples snide comments get her down. Particularly Kendra's. Boy, was Kendra a bitch or what?! Going around hanging on to Brian's sleeve and then sneaking around his smitten back to go fool around with Caleb, and being so darn selfish, saying that she wants Caleb as well as Brian, and going around being a bitch to other people i.e Maggie who like Caleb, and are sort of kinda in a relationship with him, that Kendra is not, and tormenting them... *adds Kendra to list of people who are desperately in need of a good ole' slap.*

*takes a deep breath* *calms down* Leaving Paradise is a brilliant book, with Elkeles trademark tension and an ending that will leave you a tiny bit (but not devastatingly) heart broken and in desperate need of the next book. I feel so bad for those who read it 2007, having to wait 3 whole years... I couldn't do it! 5 stars :)



Thursday 21 April 2011

Rockoholic review

Rockoholic
C J Skuse
March 7th
Chicken House

Jody loves Jackson Gatlin. At his only UK rock concert, she’s right at the front. But when she's caught in the crush and carried back stage she has more than concussion to contend with. Throw in a menacing manager, a super-wired super-star, and a curly-wurly, and she finds herself taking home more than just a poster. It’s the accidental kidnapping of the decade. But what happens if you’ve a rock-god in your garage who doesn’t want to leave? Jody’s stuck between a rock-idol and a hard place! 

From the pen of C.J. Skuse, author of last year’s super cool debut Pretty Bad Things, comes a tale of rock star obsession gone nuts. Hilariously and sharply explores the fantasy and reality of celebrity obsession through a teenager’s eyes. C. J. Skuse has been billed as the new Nick Hornby for teens.



Rockoholic was pretty darned awesome. It was funny, sweet and full of the west-country ;) Who wouldn't want to read a book about a teen who accidentally kidnaps her favourite rockstar?! It's such a great premise, and it really lived up to my expectations.


I really love funny books, probably because I don't read a lot of them. They just really cheer me up. I love it when books don't take themselves too seriously sometimes. And just from the blurb, you can tell that it's going to be a bit of a laugh. And it was. But that wasn't all it was. There was a lot of stuff going on with it too, like drugs and fame and grief. But it was still pretty darn hilarious. The whole time of the kidnapping I was just sitting there with a hand over my face, cringing, like I do when I watch The Inbetweeners, or Extras (awesome British comedy shows, if you don't know them, check them out!) just anticipating the bad situation they've undoubtedly got themselves into...


I really liked Jody, even though she was a wee bit messed up, but I really enjoyed her development, and her discovering that obsession and infatuation isn't the same as love, and that celebrities are not all that they seem. And I want my own Mac. I don't want him to be fictional! He's just so great! I want a boyfriend who played Frank-N-Furter in te Rocky Horror Show! ;) Plus he has a blue streak! I love blue hair!


But my favourite character was Cree. She was absolutely adorable. And this is coming from someone who hates kids, y'know. I just want her! She's too cute :3 And Grandad, or what we got to know of him, seemed pretty darn cool. I wish my Grandad had been like that... And although Jackson was a bit of an asshat at first I really warmed up to him. I didn't want him to go in the end... But that's what he wanted, so I guess it's okay... *sniffles* ;)


Rockoholic was a funny, different book to what I usually read, and I'll be sure to pick up C J's other books! :D 4 stars :)

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #28

Lola and the Boy Next Door
Stephanie Perkins
September 29th 2011 (soo looong!)

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think. 

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door. 

When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.


So, I think we all know how much I adored Anna here, and I seriously cannot wait for Lola. I can just tell it's going to be great. C'mon, the boys and INVENTOR. It's going to be great. And if any of ya get ARCs, sleep with your eyes open...  *curses living in the UK* ;D


What are you waiting for?

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Rewind



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers make lists about books and other suitably bookish things. This week we're going back and doing one of the ones we missed, so, me being me,  I'm going to do my top 10 fictional crushes ;)

1. Alex Fuentes from Perfect Chemistry. If you haven't read PC yet, why not?! It's not only brilliant, but it's HOT. Alex is probably the best YA boy, like, ever, and that's a lot coming from me.  Not only is he gorgeous, he's a bad boy who reforms for the sake of his family and Brittany. I love him. ;D

2. Four from Divergent. Four may not be as pretty as the rest of the boys in this list, but he's pretty awesome. He treats Tris like an equal, and completely respects her and her abilities, yet really loves her. He's just so sweet :D

3. Will from Angelfire. He's handsome. He's bad ass. He's got perfect hair. What's not to love?! And again, he's not so bad ass that he doesn't let Ellie even look after herself. He lets her fully encompass her inner badass. Which is good ;P

4. Etienne St. Claire from Anna and the French Kiss. Well, what can I say about St. Claire is that he's the most perfect imperfect person I've ever met (or, well, read about...) His flaws are what make him so realistic and loveable, and he has amazing (seriously, AMAZING) hair.

5.  Conrad from The Summer I Turned Pretty. I can't help but love Conrad. I don't know why. There's just something about him that I just love, and while Jeremiah is sweet and funny, I just don't like him the same way I like Conrad... 

6. Wes from The Truth About Forever.  So, I love ALL of Sarah Dessen's boys (that I've read about) but I think Wes is my favourite, with Eli coming a close second. Followed by Dexter. And Owen. They're sort of tied.. But anyway, Wes is sweet and funny and nice, and he used to bad, but now he's good again and I just adore him...

7. Jace from The Mortal Instruments. What more do I need to say?! It's Jace. Jace is amazing. And blond. And amazing.

8. Ash from The Iron Fey series. Ice cold prince with a less than icy heart (once you've managed to thaw it out...)?! SO lovely... And he's so good with Meghan :D

9. Jay from The Body Finder. Jay is basically what every girl wants. Lovely, best-friendy, gorgeous... What's not to love about Jay?!

10. Perry from Clarity. So, I know that he isn't the main love interest... But Gabriel didn't really do it for me... I'd had enough of the sexy broody boy by then, and Perry was just great. Even though he was the MCs brother and a bit of a man-whore... But what would this list be without a man-whore ;P


Monday 18 April 2011

The Summer I Turned Pretty review

The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han
May 5th 209 (US)/ June 3rd 2010 (UK)
Simon & Schuster (US)/ Puffin (UK)

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.


Before I started blogging, I would never have picked up a book like this. I would've seen the title and scoffed at it, all like, 'I don't want to read books about summers and prettiness and boys'. But then again, before I started blogging, I was a bit of an idiot when it came to books. And I'm so glad I lost that silly part of myself that refused to read books that didn't have some paranormal/action/whatever aspect to it. Because these books are so darn good! The Before-blogging me missed OUT. ;)


The Summer I Turned Pretty was brilliant. It was so much better than I thought it would be. I loved practically all of it. I really liked Belly. I liked that she was commonly addressed by her nickname, and I liked that she was pretty childish, that she was very imperfect, that the boys weren't always falling at their feet about her (sorry, it irks me when then happens in books...) And that she had a lot to learn, that she was pretty naive. And I also liked that she didn't get with either of the brothers first, that she had a bit of a thing with someone else, and that that started to help her sort out her feelings.


And I really enjoyed the flashbacks too. I liked getting to know some of the history of Belly and the brothers at the same time as learning about how they are now, how they've changed over the past couple of years.


And I really, really loved the brothers. Jeremiah was so sweet and funny, always trying to be the peacemaker, and even though Conrad could be a bit of an arse... (okay, so he was majorly arsey at some points) I couldn't help but love him, I feel so bad for Jeremiah! But even though I love him, there's just something about Conrad... He's just somehow loveable. I can't help it. ;) And Steve, and Laurel and Susannah were all so wonderful! I nearly cried at the end (partially because I cry at, like, everything...) but it was sad! I won't spoil it for ya, but if you've read it, you understand, right? It's not just me, is it...?


The Summer I Turned Pretty is a perfect beach read, yet still has a lot of depth to it, and is one book I wasn't expecting to love as much as I did. It was totally good. 4.5 stars :D



Saturday 16 April 2011

In My Mailbox (28)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren :)





For review:
Die For Me by Amy Plum (squee!! So excited about this one! It's gorgeous. Thank you Atom!)
Duty Calls: Dunkirk by James Holland (Thanks to Puffin :D)

Library:
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (Been meaning to read this for a while...)
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (YAY! I'm reading this and it's so so good!)

Won:
West of the Moon by Katherine Langrish from the lovely Vivienne from Serendipity
The Iron Witch (signed) by Karen Mahoney from the lovely Caroline from Portrait of a Woman 
Signed sampler for Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston from Ashley and Christie at A & C Book Jumkies

Thanks so much to all those I won stuff from! :D

What did you get?

Friday 15 April 2011

Artichoke Hearts review

Artichoke Hearts
Sita Brahmachari
January 21th 2011
Macmillan Children's Books

Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her. An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life.


Artichoke Hearts is probably one of the sweetest books I've read for a while. It's full of love and family and learning more about who you are and all that, and it's just really sweet, gentle, even. It's told from Mira's POV, through a diary that this woman who runs a club she's in told them to write, and it spans the month of May, and you might think that it being told through a 12 year old would put you off, but she writes more maturely than her age, and it's really interesting.


The book, though, was a bit hard for me, personally to read. It wasn't the style of the writing or how it was told, it was just the subject of the book. It is ridiculous how much I can relate to Mira, because when I was 12, my nan died from cancer as well, and it was difficult to read, for me, but it didn't detract from the enjoyment. If anything, it helped me get over it a bit better... And me and Mira are pretty similar. She's a very relatable character. I was totally that girl in class who didn't put their hand up, or really did anything to get the teachers attention. I still am... ;)


And I cannot explain to you how much  I love Nana Josie. She's just such an incredible person, so wonderful, and she doesn't let anything get her down. She doesn't let anyone put her down. She was a former hippy, heck, she painted her own darn coffin! She was just so brilliant.


The budding relationship between Mira and Jide was  also ridiculously cute. I just want to squidge their cheeks and ruffle their hair... Aww, young love :3 I really liked Jide, too, always pretending like he didn't care about anything, but really he's just shy and likes to down-play his intelligence... And Millie and Ben were always there to lighten the mood too. Millie and Mira were such great friends, despite their dissimilar personalities.


Artichoke Hearts is a sweet, yet slightly sad, look at grief, first love, high school and family through a twelve year olds eyes, and is a really great book. 4 stars :D

Thursday 14 April 2011

Demonglass review

Demonglass/Raising Demons (UK)
Rachel Hawkins
March 1st 2011
Disney Hyperion/Simon & Schuster (UK)




(If you have NOT read Hex Hall, then I greatly suggest you avoid this review, because even the synopsis has spoilers. :D)
(And if you haven't read Hex Hall, why the hell not! It's awesome.)


Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?



So, um... Woah. Demonglass was one helluva good book. I don't think I even had time to catch my breath. It was THAT awesome. Yeah. And OMG that cliffhanger. All I have to say is WHY?! It is pure evil. I need book three NOW, but it doesn't even have a title yet... 


Demonglass starts a while after the shocking ending of Hex Hall, what with Sophie actually being a demon and what not, and so she goes off to England (yeah! ;P) with her dad, Jenna and Cal (who I embarrassingly forgot existed... Sorry Cal...) to go and start to grow into her demonness. But of course, nothing goes down easy in the world of Sophie Mercer. Her crush, Archer (who turned out to be crazy demon hunter boy) has been spotted in England several times, and Sophie isn't exactly jumping at the chance to see him again. Sort of. (What, his being a L'Oochio di Dio didn't make him any less hot... ;P) So that's sort of the beginning of the twisty-turny, wicked plot of Demonglass... Sorry if I just spoiled half the book for ya...


I realised, within the first page of Demonglass, just how much I missed Sophie. Seriously, her snarkiness is brilliant, and I really like her as a character. A lot of MCs don't really have much of a personality, but Sophie does. I feel like I know her, like we would be awesome friends, and I think she's awesome. And Jenna, I love Jenna so much! She's such a cute vampire... And Cal really grew on me in this book! I (probably) won't forget him by the time the next one comes out! ;) But he's really so nice, and stable and sweet. But, of course, he can't compare to Archer. Archer is probably one of the best YA boys... I just hope he isn't lying about everything, because that would break my heart as much as it would break Sophie's. And her dad was brilliant too. Anyone who can put the word ensorcelled into a sentence, particularly at a stressful time, gets point with me. 


Demonglass is a brilliant sequel to Hex Hall, and it definitely didn't suffer from second-book-syndrome.  It was a fast-paced, funny, roller-coaster ride of magic, the English countryside, cliffhangers, and general awesomeness. Also  I think that's the most amount of commas I've ever used in a sentence... Anyway, you should really read Hex Hall and Demonglass. They're brilliant. 5 stars :D

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #27

Vanish
Sophie Jordan
September 6th 2011

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. 

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love? 

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.


I really liked Firelight, and I can't wait for the sequel! Plus, the cover is stunning. It's such a pretty colour scheme... ;D And yay! Hopefully more Will! :D


What are you waiting for?

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Want Made Into Films



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers make lists about books and other suitably bookish things. This week we're doing books we want to be films :D

1. Anna and the French Kiss. It would be one of the only 'rom-com' type things I would willingly watch. Unless they cast St.Claire wrong... ;)

2. Divergent. It would be AMAZING. Seriously, you just wait until you see the epic fangirling I did in my review for it. Just, omg, it would be such a good film. It's amazing...

3. Artichoke Hearts. This would make such a great British film it's ridiculous. It's such a sweet book :D

4. Clockwork Angel. The Victorian era is my favourite, and I think it would be (visually) a lot better than CoB. It would just be awesome.

5. Paranormalcy. I want Tasey brought to life. And how cool would those special effects be on Lend?!

6. Angelfire. I just want to see all of that kick-buttitude that the book has on the screen. There would be epic sword fights AND hot boys. I'm already there.

7.  The Body Finder. It would make an awesome film, plus it would be pretty creepy on the screen. I like creepy films (okay, that's a bare-faced lie. But I'd still see it.)

8. Clarity. Who doesn't love a good murder mystery?! ;)

9. Hex Hall. Though I do think some of magic scenes would look a bit weird (if not made right)  I still think it's be a pretty awesome film. Plus it would be funny/snarky :D

10. The Liar Society. Okay, I think this would make a better TV show than a film, but they're like nearly the same thing, so it counts. Plus I just want that pink hair immortalised of the screen. I love it ;D



Monday 11 April 2011

City of Fallen Angels review (spoiler free!)

City of Fallen Angels
Cassandra Clare
7th April (UK)/ 5th April (US)
Walker (UK)/ Simon & Schuster (US)

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. 

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.



(N.B sorry in advance for the erratic-ness of this review. It's not easy collecting your thoughts about books this good in a series this awesome, y'know.)


 As amazing as this book is, it makes me want to scream. In a good way. But not that sort of good way. Because that's just weird. Anyways, Cassie's books are always so frustrating! Like, OMG, I just love all of the characters so so much and when I see them about to walk into a trap, I just want to shake some sense into them. I do not usually get this into books, so, y'know, kudos to Cassie. And the last 100 pages had me so on the edge of my seat, like, I had to keep on taking breaks, and during said breaks I'd just occaisonally cast a nervous glance at the book, I was so darn scared for the characters... It's just the way she has of writing that draws you in so completely into the world, and makes you care so much for everyone in it. It's pretty awesome. 


CoFA definitely raises the stakes in comparison with the first three, and I really don't know what will happen in the next one. My only guess is that it'll be mad and nerve racking, and a seemingly impossible situation to escape from, and there'll be lots of kissing. Which is always a good thing. ;)


It also really presents Simon in a different light, and a vast majority of the book is told from his perspective, and it made me realise that I like Simon more than I thought I did. Not that I didn't like him! I mean, I got the nerdy vibe and I was like, 'yeah, I could hang with you. We'd be pretty good friends'. But in comparison with Jace, who gets points just for being blonde, he sorta paled (haha, get it?! ;D) in comparison, but Jace was kind of weird in this one, and I sort of feel myself moving over to Simon's side... But we'll see ;)


And I really liked Isabelle and Maia in it too! The who situation was pretty funny if you ask me, and although I know there's some sort of love triangle going on, I think it's more of a love square ( or at least I want it to be. If you've read it, you'll know. If you haven't, I ain't saying) And the only fault I could really find with it was that Alec and Magnus weren't in it enough. They're my absolute favourite characters of the book, and they're just so darn adorable... :3 They needed to be in it more, IMO. And I hope they'll be in the next two a lot! I love their love dramas :D


City of Fallen Angels was everything I expected and MORE. It was a roller coaster that had me on the edge of my seat, plus I am just LOVING all of the love dramas going on with everyone at the moment. SO exciting! 5 stars :D

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