Monday 29 November 2010

100 Follower Giveaway!

Wow! I never really thought that when I started up my blog that people would follow it, and read it, and comment, and be really nice about it, Especially 100 people (well, technically 98, but it's close enough...) So, to give something back to all of my lovely followers who love books as much as I do, I decided to host my first giveaway! Yay!

So, the lucky winner will get their choice from either:





The Lost Saint by Bree Despain                         Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins





Matched by Ally Condie 


Now for the rules:
To enter, leave a comment saying which of these books you want and your e-mail address :D
It is international (books will be sent from The Book Depository, check if they ship to your country here)
Seeing that this is a follower giveaway, you will have to be a follower to enter
Giveaway ends on December 26 (I know it seems long, but it's when I'll actually be able to afford the books. :D)
Extra entries:
+2 follow me on twitter (@ciclovesbooks)
+1 tweet about it


Oh, and if I reach 200 followers, I'll pick a second winner!

So let the giveaway begin! I'm so excited!! :D

Sunday 28 November 2010

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.


Bought:
Matched by Ally Condie (I would've taken a picture but my camera broke... but it's very pretty :D)


What did you get in your mailbox?

Friday 26 November 2010

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday (8)

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop  is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!

Each week, participating blogs are asked questions to post and answer on their websites.

 "What is your favorite book cover?"
This question is, like, impossibly hard for me. I am the biggest cover nerd, so my favourite cover is forever changing, but here are some covers that I really like:
                                     
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma.
This cover is so amazing and eye- catching! I love how the red stands in contrast to the blue and the white. I love it!

                
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer.
 This cover is awesome, and everyone knows it!



Wither by Lauren DeStefano

This cover is great! I love how the person is sitting and the greenish tint to their skin, and the pink lines and circles look cool and stand out against the black and the green.






        

Book Blogger hop is hosted by Crazy For Books, and Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee.




Thursday 25 November 2010

The Body Finder review


Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself. (Goodreads)

The Body Finder was a great book! I'd been hearing a lot of good things about it, which was why I was eagerly anticipating the UK release so that I could see if it lived up to my expectations, and it most certainly did.

While there were many things that I enjoyed about this book, I have to say one of my favourite aspects of it was the romance. I have read so many books where the girls falls in love with a dashing stranger, not knowing anything about him apart from the fact that he's handsome, mysterious, and a bit mean (though it's always for the heroines good...) and I was incredibly thankful to read a book with a romance that I could believe. Violet and Jay had chemistry, and not just because Jay suddenly became good looking, but because they had know each other since they were like five. And also I love reading books where the girl is the one with the power. That's one of the reason why I love Beautiful Creatures so much.

Violet's power was creepy, and I know that if I was her, I would probably hate it. Who wants to just find random bodies of people and animals who have been murdered. Which leads me to another thing I liked about this book. That even though it is paranormal, it isn't. Violet's power is key to the plot, but there isn't any evil vampires or whatever who want to kill her. I really love books where the enemy is a human, especially in books that are paranormal and such, because I find that a murderous human on a killing spree is far more scary than a vampire, because it's something that could actually happen, that does actually happen.

The short chapters told from the killers point of view were chilling, which was why I appreciated it being told in the third person. But it made the story that much better than if it had been told all from Violet's point of view. It added another dimension to the story, and it made me like it that much more.

Overall, The Body Finder is a fantastic read, and I can understand why people enjoyed it a lot. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I know that the sequel Desires Of The Dead is going to be even better than The Body Finder. =)


And Happy Thanksgiving to all of my US followers! I hope you have a great day, and thank you so much for following me! I love you guys :D

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Burn Bright
Marianne de Pierres
March 1, 2011




Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength. 

In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute . . . 

Retra doesn’t want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom. 

But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother. 

When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion? 

Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness? 

Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.


What are you waiting for?


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Saturday 20 November 2010

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.










Bought:
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (I am nearly finished with this and I love it! review will be up on Monday :D)
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver


What did you get in your mailbox?

2011 Debut Author Challenge

It's sign up time for the 2011 Debut author challenge hosted by the awesome Kristi at The Story Siren!


I am so excited to be participating in this cool reading challenge for the first time! If you want to join in too, just follow this link


My Reading List:
Across The Universe by Beth Revis      (1/11/2011)
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand                    (1/4/2011)
Warped by Maurissa Guibord                 (1/11/2011)
Timeless by Alexandra Monir                 (1/11/2011)
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton  (2/15/2011)
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford             (2/22/2011)
The Iron Witch by Karen Manhoney      (1/8/2011)
Wither by Lauren DeStefano                    (3/22/2011)
Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker (3/1/2011)
Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard         (3/8/2011)
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes                  (3/1/2011)
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton                  (4/26/2011)
Hourglass by Myra McEntire                    (5/24/2011)         
Divergent by Veronica Roth                      (5/3/2011)
Luminous by Dawn Metcalf                       (6/30/2011)
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris          (7/12/2011)
Wildefire by Karsten Knight                      (7/26/2011)
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab        (8/2/2011)
Possess by Gretchen McNeil                     (N/A)
Witch Eyes by Scott Tracy                       (N/A)



Friday 19 November 2010

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday (7)

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop  is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!

Each week, participating blogs are asked questions to post and answer on their websites.

"Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"

I'm most thankful for my family and friends who stick with me through hard times, and for books to give me a chance to escape and to the other Book Bloggers for being so nice and helpful :D





This week’s question


How long have you been book blogging?? 


About three months.

Book Blogger hop is hosted by Crazy For Books, and Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee.

Thursday 18 November 2010

Firelight review

Firelight
Sophie Jordan
August 31st
Harper Teen


A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide. (Goodreads)

Firelight was great! I really enjoyed it, though I don't know why it took me so long to finish it. it wasn't anything to do with the book. it was just that I was reading it, and then a new book came and I was like ohh, shiny new book. Have to read it... So yeah, Firelight, sorry about that. It's not your fault that I have book ADHD.

I was so excited to start this book for two reasons, A) I am in love with that cover. It is so pretty in real life! I just sort of stared at it for a week before I even started the book and B) DRAGONS. Because Dragons are Awesome.

I really like Jacinda, though she did get on my nerves at times. But at least she acknowledged she was being selfish whenever she was. And I felt quite bad for her. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a desert while an important part of me slowly died unless  I was in the presence of a certain man. Oh, and living in a Draki hunter hotspot, when you are Draki, and still trying to hide the Draki's secret. Not exactly a great predicament to find yourself stuck in.


Sophie Jordan's writing style definitely reflects her Adult writing background, and it sometimes felt like the scenes between Jacinda and Will were gonna get a bit too steamy, but they didn't, which was good, because it's a YA novel y'know. But I really enjoyed all of the vivid descriptions, I got a really great image of Jacinda's life and her world in my head.


Firelight was really good, and definitely lived up to the hype, and while I don't agree on some peoples opinion that it was one of the best books I've ever read, it was still pretty amazing. And the ending! I will definitely get Vanish as soon as it comes out. I have to know what's going to happen next! 5 stars :D

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Waiting on Wednesday # 7

Happiness is a bloody knife. 

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around. 

It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities...


This book sounds like one of the strangest things, but it looks so interesting. What other book out there is about an axe killers daughters! I can't wait to read this one. And how much do I love that cover!


What are you waiting for?


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.




Saturday 13 November 2010

In My Mailbox (7)





Bought
Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
Kiss Of Death by Rachel Caine (I didn't mean to get this, since it's out of order and everything, but it was signed, and I couldn't just leave on the shelf when it was signed now, could I...)
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater





I also got from Netgalley:
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (!!!)
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky














What did you get in your mailbox this week?


In My Mailbox is weekly meme hosted by the awseome Kristi at The Story Siren, Inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Friday 12 November 2010

Evermore review

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch.   Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste… 


Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition.  He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets.  Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.  She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.  Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies. (Goodreads)

Hmm... What did I think about Evermore. Well, I though it was okay. I will probably read the others, but they're not at the top of my TBR list. It's not like it was a bad book, because it wasn't, it was just okay. Nothing really stood out about it for me.

I liked Ever, though I will admit I think her name is slightly silly, but I felt like she was a bit typical. And in the first half of the book, she kind of annoyed me. I know that she lost her family and all that, but she was so unappreciative of everything she did have. Its like, dude, chill out a bit. You have a great home, Awesome friends, a sexy guy is after you and you have super cool psychic powers. Why don't you stop your bitchin' and moaning for a second. Not every girl who's been in a car crash can come walking out of not dead and being psychic y'know... And Damen was a bit boring, to be honest. He was a bit of an ass in the beginning, but then he started getting nice and all 'I won't ever lose you again' and so on and so forth. And it's not like I have anything against nice, hot guys, it was just that he was just a bit boring...

The plot was a bit cheesy, for my taste (I am sounding really negative here, aren't I...) I mean when Drina died because she didn't have any love in her? And she said my taboo line "Don't ever leave me again." Ugh. I'm sorry, but that line just outs me off a bit. If I was that dude I'd be like freaking out in my head being all like 'why the hell did I want to live forever with this chick!'

As difficult as it is to believe from that review, I did actually enjoy the book, it was just that I ended up ranting about all the things that irked me about it. It was a good read, but not the best YA paranormal romance book I've read. 3.5 Stars :)

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday (6)

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop  is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!

Each week, participating blogs are asked questions to post and answer on their websites.



"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

Yes. I  don't like starting from the middle of something, I get confused. I do the same thing with T.V shows though.



This week’s question

What is you usual monthly book budget?

Well, I don't usually get more then £15 a month... It's not enough :(



Book Blogger hop is hosted by Crazy For Books, and Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Waiting on Wednesday #6

The Iron Queen
Julie Kagawa


My name is Meaghan Chase. 

I thought it was over.That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. 

This time, there will be no turning back. (Goodreads)


I so desperately want this book. The Iron Fey is one of my favourite series at he moment. And I'm so jealous hen I see other people with a copy already... But February isn't far away. Also, have you seen that she is writing another Iron Fey book, The Iron Knight. I am so hyped for it!
And also, the cover, as always, is absolutely amazing!


Sweetly
Jackson Pearce




Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful
. (Goodreads)



I really liked Jackson's other books, and the cover for this is just so cool. I love the Witch's face on the trees. So awesome.


What are you waiting for? 


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.







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