Teaser Tuesday 21

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The idea is to:
Grab the book you are currently reading.
Open it up to a random page.
Share two teaser sentences.

Give the name and author of said book.

And remember No Spoilers!

I started reading What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen earlier today - loving it.

"Odd how it was so easy for a stranger to assume such familiarity. Especially when those who were supposed to know you best often didn't, not at all."

Page 90.

Mclean never lets herself get too attached . . .

After the scandal of her mother’s affair, Mclean and her dad chose life on the road. But since losing her family and home, Mclean has lost herself too; she’s been Eliza, then Lizbet, then Beth - changing her name as often as she changes towns. Until now. Her new neighbour, Dave, is like no one she’s met before. Is it finally time to stop reinventing? Or will Mclean turn her back on the new life she loves, without even saying goodbye?

That's all for now.

In My Mailbox 21

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

Books I received this week.

In The Post:

So Much Closer - Susane Colasanti
Love the sound of this one can't wait to read it.

Corsets & Clockwork - Trisha Telep
I love anthologies - steampunk anthologies even more so.

Brilliant - Rachel Vail
Final book in the Avery Sisters trilogy, I can finally start reading them.

All Unquiet Things - Anna Jarzab
Love a good YA mystery.

The Little Women Letters - Gabrielle Donnelly
I loved Little Women when I was a kid this looks like a good spin on things.

Magic Slays - Ilona Andrews
I am sooooo excited to read this I just wish I had the time right now.

That's all for now.

Booking Through Thursday 19

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme which asks a bookish question which you have to answer. This weeks question is:

Do you ever feel like you’re in a reading rut? That you don’t read enough variety? That you need to branch out, spread your literary wings and explore other genres, flavors, styles?

Yes I feel like I'm in a reading rut all the time. Don't get me wrong I read all kinds of books and there's no genre I won't read but I do have phases where I will only be reading one type of book for weeks on end and end up getting tired of it.

I feel bad for not reading more classics and literary books but I just tell myself that I read for pleasure and if the books I read make me happy then what does it matter. There are some weeks where I can't find anything that interests me and I end up reading nothing - those are the worst weeks. I usually have to go back to an old favourite to get me into the reading mood again.

I do however have one permanent rut that I wish I could get out of and that is is that I only like books with happy endings yes I know it's stupid but I can't help it. If I am going to get invested in these characters lives like to know that it all ends well for them.

That's all for now.

Waiting On Wednesday 20

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights an upcoming book release that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I have chosen Hexed: The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. It's released on the 7th June 2011. I am currently reading and loving the first book in this series, Hounded, so I thought it would make sense to feature the second book in my WoW post this week. Especially considering that it is coming out in just a few days and even better the third book in the series, Hammered, is due out at the start of July - I love back-to-back release dates.

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II. With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

That's all for now.

Teaser Tuesday 20

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The idea is to:
Grab the book you are currently reading.
Open it up to a random page.
Share two teaser sentences.

Give the name and author of said book.

And remember No Spoilers!

I started reading Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne this morning so my teaser is going to come from there today. I almost missed my bus stop earlier because I was so in to it.

"Thank the Goddess I don't look like a guy who met Galileo-or who saw Shakespeare's plays when they first debuted or rode with the hordes of Genghis Khan. When people ask how old I am, I just tell them twenty-one, and if they assume I mean years instead of decades or centuries, then that can't be my fault, can it?

Page 1.

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

That's all for now.

In My Mailbox 20

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

Books I received this week.

In The Post:

Summer At Seaside Cove - Jacquire D'Alessandro

Seemed like a nice light summer read.


The Shelters of Stone - Jean M Auel


The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M Auel

Bought these two for a friend.


Netgalley:

Legacy - Cayla Kluver




Simon & Schuster Galley Grab:

I love the GG so much!!!

Love Story - Jennifer Echols
Read this one already - loved it.


Wildefire - Karsten Knight



Sometimes It Happens - Lauren Barnholdt



Dreams of Significant Girls - Cristina Garcia




No photo this week as I only got one real life book and it didn't seem worth it so I just used pictures instead. I have been controlling my book buying pretty well lately which is good as I need to save money for the massively expensive car insurance. That is if I ever actually pass my driving test and get a car.

That's all for now.

Booking Through Thursday 18

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme which asks a bookish question which you have to answer. This weeks question is:

In contrast to last week’s question–What do you think of censoring books BECAUSE of their intended age? Say, books too “old” for your kids to read?

Well I don't have any children and don't intend to have any in the future so I am not really sure I am the right person to be answering this question but I will give it a go. I suppose I think it's up to the parents to limit what their children read if that's what they feel is necessary, but I only think this applies to their own individual children. I don't believe in blanket bans or general censorship on anything and I do not believe anyone has the right to tell other people what they can or cannot read.

Personally my parents never had a clue what I was reading and it never did me any harm. I don't really think it's a good idea to censor something just because it is uncomfortable or difficult to explain, generally speaking openness and honesty is best.

That's all for now.

Waiting On Wednesday 19

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights an upcoming book release that we are eagerly anticipating.


This week I have chosen And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky. Released on the 26th July 2011.

Keek’s life was totally perfect.

Keek and her boyfriend just had their Worst Fight Ever, her best friend heinously betrayed her, her parents are divorcing, and her mom’s across the country caring for her newborn cousin, who may or may not make it home from the hospital. To top it all off, Keek’s got the plague. (Well, the chicken pox.) Now she’s holed up at her grandmother’s technologically-barren house until further notice. Not quite the summer vacation Keek had in mind.

With only an old typewriter and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar for solace and guidance, Keek’s alone with her swirling thoughts. But one thing’s clear through her feverish haze—she’s got to figure out why things went wrong so she can put them right.

Sounds like there is a lot going on in this book and I am really looking forward to reading all about it. Loving the cover (no picture of a girl in a dress - woo hoo!) and the main character's name is awesome - Keek!

That's all for now.

Teaser Tuesday 19

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The idea is to:
Grab the book you are currently reading.
Open it up to a random page.
Share two teaser sentences.

Give the name and author of said book.

And remember No Spoilers!

Today I am going to give you a teaser from The Lucky Kind by Alyssa B. Sheinmel. I finished reading it last night and it was awesome just as good as her debut The Beautiful Between which was one of my favourite books last year.

"I walk Eden to the subway, and the whole walk there, I know I'm going to kiss her good-bye, and I know she's going to kiss me back. I feel the kiss coming up from my stomach, as though that's where every kiss originates, waiting in your belly, growing stronger as it climbs up your rib cage, fluttering a bit when it passes your heart, and waiting, patiently in your throat, until you tilt your head and move you lips, and it knows it's time to come out from inside you."

Page 58.

High school junior Nick Brandt is intent on getting a girlfriend, and Eden Reiss is the one that he wants. He has exactly four semesters to get the girl, but when the phone rings on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday night, life for Nick and his parents will never be the same. What had been a seemingly idyllic home life has become something else entirely. But with this shake-up comes a newfound confidence for Nick; he's become a bolder version of himself, no longer afraid to question his parents, and no longer afraid to talk to Eden. Alyssa B. Sheinmel has written a powerfully gripping story about family secrets, falling in love, and finding luck in unexpected--and sometimes unwelcome—circumstances.

That's all for now.

In My Mailbox 19

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

Books I received this week.

In The Post:

The Ghost and the Goth - Stacey Kade
I have been meaning to get this for ages and now I have the second book from netgalley I thought it was time.

The Lucky Kind - Alyssa B. Sheinmel
I have been looking forward to this book for months as I loved her first novel soooo much.

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me - Kristen Chandler
Another book I have been wanting to get for ages.

Something Like Fate - Susane Colasanti
Her new book just came out and I realised I hadn't got her last one so I had to get it.

Twenty Times A Lady - Karyn Bosnak
It's just been made into a movie and it looks hilarious so I thought I would give the book a try first. Recommendation from a fellow blogger - ames @ Thrifty Reader.

Hard Bitten - Chloe Neill
The fourth book in the Chicagoland Vampire series. I have the first three in my tbr pile. I think I will wait until the fifth book comes out in November before reading them.

The Mammoth Hunter - Jean M Auel
The Plains of Passage - Jean M Auel
Not pictured as they were bought for a friend.

Well I hope you all had a better week than me because mine sucked. Work has been pretty hard and I have been exhausted this entire week. All I managed to do in terms of reading was finish up Moonglass which is so not like me, I can usually read two or three books a week but I just haven't had the energy. I have however watched the first 20 episodes of The West Wing, one of my all time favourite shows so that's cheered me up some. Here's hoping next week will be better.

That's all for now.

Booking Through Thursday 17

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme which asks a bookish question which you have to answer. This weeks question is:

Do you read books “meant” for other age groups? Adult books when you were a child; Young-Adult books now that you’re grown; Picture books just for kicks … You know … books not “meant” for you. Or do you pretty much stick to what’s written for people your age?

I definitely read books meant for other age groups but it's not something I ever really think about too much. I read what I want to read no matter who it's aimed at. Right now I read a mixture of adult and young adult books. Sometimes I go through periods where I will only read one of these then I get a little burnt out and have to mix it up. But usually I just pick up whatever book I feel like reading at the time whether it be adult or young adult.

When I was younger I was obsessed with the library. I went through most of the children's and young adult books (the library was quite small) by the time I was about eleven but you had to be 13 to get out adult books so I had to use my Mum's card. My Mum only reads romance novels so when I was younger and had run out of things to read I used to read her books too.

I don't really read children's books (except when I am feeling nostalgic and want to read some Enid Blyton - my favourite childhood author) or picture books but I'm hoping that might change as my one year old niece gets a little older and I start reading with her.

That's all for now.

Waiting On Wednesday 18

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights an upcoming book release that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I have chosen Never Sit Down in a Hoopskirt and Other Things I Learned in Southern Belle Helle by Crickett Rumley. Released on 18th August 2011.

Expelled from thirteen boarding schools in the past five years, seventeen-year-old Jane Fontaine Ventouras is returning to her Southern roots, and the small town of Bienville, Alabama, where ladies always wear pearls, nothing says hospitality like sweet tea and pimento cheese sandwiches, and competing in the annual Magnolia Maid Pageant is every girl’s dream. But Jane is what you might call an anti-belle—more fishnets and tattoos than sugar and spice. The last thing on her mind is joining the Magnolia Maid brigade and parading around town in a dress so big she can’t even fi t through doors. So when she finds herself up to her ears in ruffl es and etiquette lessons, she’s got one mission: Escape. What’s a hipster to do? Will Jane survive Bienville boot camp intact or will they—gasp!—make a Southern belle out of her yet?

I know this book doesn't come out until August which is ages away and usually I hate to pick books that have far off release dates but it sounds so funny and quirky that I had to choose it. Besides it has the best title I've heard in ages and the authors name is super cool.

That's all for now.

Teaser Tuesday 18

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The idea is to:
Grab the book you are currently reading.
Open it up to a random page.
Share two teaser sentences.
Give the name and author of said book.
And remember No Spoilers!

I just finished Moonglass by Jessi Kirby late last night. I loved it so I thought I would give you all a teaser from it today.

"She'd been all those things, all at once, and we'd tiptoed around her even then. And now, here, she'd stirred up the placid surface of my life and thrown me into rough, dark water-a deep ocean of secrets."

Page 148.

When Anna was little, she and her mother used to search for sea glass, but since they looked at night, they called it moonglass. Now, ten years after her mother's mysterious death, her father is working as head lifeguard on the same beach where her mother grew up and her parents first met and fell in love.

Reluctant to get close to anyone (including her father) and not pleased about having to start at a new school, Anna begins to spend more time alone, running the length of the beach and wondering about who her mother really was. After meeting a lifeguard named Tyler, she slowly lets her guard down and together they start exploring the abandoned houses that dot the beach.

But when learning more about her mother's past leads to a painful discovery, Anna must reconcile her desire for solitude with ultimately accepting the love of her family and friends.

That's all for now.

In My Mailbox 18

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

Books I received this week.

In The Post:

Tangled Threads - Jennifer Estep
Read it. Loved it. Can't wait for the next book.

Moonglass - Jessi Kirby
Reading right now.

Hounded - Kevin Hearne
Next up.

The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch

Irresistible - Susan Mallery

I'm Not Her - Janet Gurtler

Kindle:

Maid for Love (The McCarthy's of Gansett Island) - Marie Force
I love Marie Force and I love the fact that she keeps releasing books.

Netgalley:

Guarding A Notorious Lady - Olivia Parker

Simon & Schuster Galley Grab:

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma
I'm not to sure about this one, it can't possibly have a happy ending, I don't think I should have downloaded it.

Possession - Elana Johnson

For Review:

Between - Cyndi Tefft
I think it's the first book in a new YA paranormal series. Looking forward to reading it.

I got a few more books this week than I thought I would but it's no where near as crazy as it has been. I think this whole self-control thing is working out quite well for me.

That's all for now.

Booking Through Thursday 16

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme which asks a bookish question which you have to answer. This weeks question is:

And–the reverse of last week’s question. Name one book that you hope never, ever, ever gets made into a movie (no matter how good that movie might be).

Without a doubt anything in the horror genre. I can't specify one book but if it ends up as a horror movie I'm not watching it. I used to be able to watch horror movies when I was younger but I had a few bad experiences and now I just get too freaked out. I once watched The Hills Have Eyes late at night and ended up having to watch three hours of the shopping channel until the sun came up before I could go to sleep. And that movie Jeepers Creepers - scared the crap out of me, anytime I hear the song of the same name I have horrendous flashbacks. Scary books don't really bother me but movies - not good.

As for books so awesome it would ruin them if they were made into movies. I would have to go with any book written by Tamora Pierce. Her books, to me, are so perfect I can't even imagine them as movies. That said if anyone did make them into movies I would so be there - but I really hope they don't.

That's all for now.

Waiting On Wednesday 17

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights an upcoming book release that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I have chosen What Happened To Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. Released on the 2nd June in the UK and on the 10th May in the US.
I have been a big fan of Sarah Dessen's work for years. Just Listen and The Truth About Forever are my favourites and if you've never read any of her books I suggest you go do it now.

Who is the real McLean? Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out. Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.

That's all for now.

Teaser Tuesday 17

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The idea is to:
Grab the book you are currently reading.
Open it up to a random page.
Share two teaser sentences.
Give the name and author of said book.
And remember No Spoilers!

I am currently reading The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross on my kindle. I've only just started it so I will be taking the teaser from where I have read to.

"The thought called to mind a vision of blood and smoke. Of a broken body close to death, held in the clutches of a metal man."

5% Location 195.

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

That's all for now.

Review: Mostly Good Girls - Leila Sales

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales.

The higher you aim, the farther you fall….

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.

When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?

OK so while it's not the best book I've ever read it's certainly not the worst. The main problem I had with this book is it's narrator she was whiny, naive and pretty much a total snob. Maybe I am being a little harsh but this is how she came off to me. And seriously how many times did she have to say that she was useless and her best friend was perfect, it just became so annoying and repetitive. In the end Violet claims to have learnt a lesson about being judgemental and a poor friend but I just wasn't feeling this. It would come as no surprise to me if a few weeks later she just reverted to the same judgemental, school work obsessed, clueless girl she was before, I'm doubtful that any real change has taken place. It is so hard to like a book when I find the narrator so unlikeable. Perhaps others would be able to relate to Violet better than I could, maybe it is a lack of empathy on my part.

Alright enough of the bad stuff I really did enjoy the writing style it was very easy to read and there were some funny moments in the book that actually made me laugh. I really liked Violet's best friend Katie, honestly I didn't feel like she did was doing anything that crazy it just felt to me that she was changing things up and Violet couldn't really handle it.

Just because I didn't love Mostly Good Girls it won't put me off wanting to read Leila Sales's next book. I enjoyed the writing just not the main character and I'm willing to give her next book a try.

That's all for now.

Review: Dead Is Not An Option - Marlene Perez

I received Dead Is Not An Option by Marlene Perez from netgalley courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

There are four previous books in the Dead Is series Dead Is the New Black, Dead Is a State of Mind, Dead Is So Last Year and Dead Is Just a Rumor all of them are fantastic and the latest Dead Is Not An Option is no exception.

The Dead Is series is about Daisy Giordano and her crazy little town called Nightshade. As the name suggests Nightshade is not your normal town. It is populated with all sorts of paranormal creatures from vampires and werewolves to witches and mermaids. Daisy, her sisters, and their Mother are all psychic and they use their abilities to solve mysteries. Their father was kidnapped by a shadowy group called the Scourge who exist to rid the world of paranormals. Daisy, her family and pretty much all her friends are paranormals so this means they fight the Scourge.

This book centres around a brewing Vampire werewolf fight, Daisy’s boyfriend Ryan is a werewolf and her sister’s boyfriend is a vampire so there is a lot of tension. Running parallel to the mystery aspect of this book is the fact that Daisy has come the end of high school and she must figure out what she is going to do now and what is going to happen with her relationship with Ryan.

Dead is Not an Option flies along at a really fast past as there is so much action which is probably why I read it in one sitting. While there are many different aspects to the story which could make it complicated Marlene Perez makes it very light and easy to read.

I love the fact that everyone is aware of all the mysterious happenings in Nightshade, there are so many other books where everything is kept a secret which makes things unnecessarily difficult, the Dead Is series is not like that. Instead everyone is in on the secret and is willing to help each other out.

I don’t want to give to much away but there is an incident near the end of the book that I did not see coming and if I am being honest the book would have been better with out it. However the incident was used in a way to keep two characters together so I suppose I can live with it.

I didn’t realize going into this book that this is the last book to feature Daisy as the main character, at least I assume it is because it seemed that way in the end. I got the feeling that there maybe other books set in Nightshade with a new lead character, I don’t know for certain but I really hope so.

I recommend you read the first four books in the series before reading this one because a lot of past plot lines are involved in this book. But it would be totally worth your time. This is definitely a series I will be re-reading.

That's all for now.

NetGalley Month Wrap Up Post

Emily over at Red House Books declared April NetGalley Month. For those who don't know what netGalley is I suggest you go to the website right now and check it out because it is the greatest thing ever!

Emily created an awesome challenge where you had to try to read as many netGalley books in April as you could. This was perfect for me as I had a huge backlog of netGalley books to read. Check out this post to learn more, she generously offered prizes too.

Now that April is over it's time to take stock and see how I did.

I managed to read six netGalley books.

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale - Christine Bell
The Dark Enquiry - Deanna Raybourn
Die For Me - Amy Plum
Putting Makeup On Dead People - Jen Violi
Wherever You Go - Heather Davis
Girl Wonder - Alexa Martin

Reviews will be posted as the books are released.

I wanted to read way more than this but I suppose six is OK considering I was reading other books in April too.
Of course I still have a massive backlog of netGalley books to read. I've already started reading The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross. However Emily is going to do this all over again in July so I will for sure be taking part again.

That's all for now.