Paranormalcy by Kiersten white
The wit and the humor of Kiesten White, really keeps this afloat. Even though the story is relatively predictable, there are two large twists that happen mid-way along the in the story. What I really enjoyed about this story was the humor, as I said it kept it afloat but it is a very specific type of humor, and if you don't share that humor, very dry and sarcastic the book would become less enjoyable. One thing that was glaringly frustrating to me, was Evie's obsession with Pink, and being overly girl. To me it came across that Evie couldn't possibly be a strong female character without enjoying pink, it made her overly girly and it was completely unnecessary, it didn't add to the characterisation of Evie I'd even go so far to say that it was actually detrimental to her characterisation. But there are many saving graces to this story. The lore behind each of the supernatural characters was very well researched, which is always appreciated because nothing will stand out more to supernatural readers, than incompletely formed lore, or characters that follow the existing lore incorrectly, it really is one or the other with us, and I was honestly impressed with the imagination and use of lore by White. What I would liken this too is the SyFy TV show, Sanctuary with an evil twist, the only thing it is really lacking is Samantha Carter (with an English accent).
Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
Think Mortal Instruments, but less Harry Potter esqu. When reading the Mortal Instruments series, because of the authors history writing Harry Potter Fanfiction the way it is written reminds me constantly of Harry Potter, but to be honest I loved Harry Potter, so I always enjoyed that from Cassandra Clare. And Back to the topic, Embrace is great. Lots of action and mythology, and the eternal struggle of Good and Evil, with the popular theme of a young girl trying to decide whose side she is really on. What I really enjoyed was Violet, I find that when I read a book it is really the character that makes or breaks it for me, (even just last week I gave up on a book because I hated the main character) and Violet who is a non-bella, (major plus) but also questions everyone around her and everything. Sure there were moments where I thought the character was being daft, BUT I made my normal mistake of reading the ending before I finished the book, so I kind of knew the ending whilst reading it. For Shirvington the best decision she could have made was to keep Violet indignant, angry and upset, which leads her to make some not so great decisions, but the trade off is that she is a very real character which girls will connect with.
So I liked Embrace and connected with the characters and REALLY like the twist at the end, (there may have been a vocal expression at the reveal). Embrace is Definitely worth a read.
So to wrap it up! If you want humor read Paranormalacy, if you want realism tempered with the supernatural than read Embrace.
Bonjour I am writing from my brand new kindle! its kind of fantastic. Although I cant seem to sort out the zoom and the keypad is too wide and its vhard to type. In any case the first book Im reading on my fablous kindle is Royal Assasin by Robin Hobb. I am very much enjoying the characters espically Fitzchivarly and Verity. Ill update later with full reports of my reading over the last few months once exams are over look forward to full reviews and updates.
The dreaded time of year has come again, EXAM TIME. Oh dear I'm not looking forward to being me for the next few weeks. On top of this I have hit a rut, not a life rut (I'm working to hard to have a rut there) a Book rut, I have spent hours in the last few weeks wandering around the store at work desperately looking for something to read, and I just couldn't find anything that interested me. I mean sure I walked past books like Torment by Lauren Kate, or MockingJay by Suzanne Collins, Troilka Dolls by Miranda Darling, Lights out in Wonderland by DBC Pierre and hundreds of others all of which I COULD read, but I just cannot. I'm in a rut, eventually I'll find inspirtation, but not yet.
So in lue of telling you what I will read. Here's a uber quick wrap up of the books I have finished in the last month:
Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Once Bitten Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin
Another one bites the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin
Haunting of James Hastings by Christopher Ransom
Mortal Coil by Derek Landy (Skullduggery Pleasant Series)
Clockwork Angels by Cassandra Clare
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (due out November 2010)
Unholy Ghosts, Magic, and City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane (Downside Ghosts Series)
So sooner or later, I'll get around to reviewing some or all of these ones, in particular I loved the Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller, I am Number Four by Lore, and the upcoming The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. Each one is very different but all three are from the YA genre and are particularly good reads that have stood out for me last month.
So Adios for now, its exam time so ill appear back here a little bit later.
Adios Amigos
A few weeks ago I wrote a post on the importance of book covers, which draw the readers in and get us past the bad blurb on the back; the covers are also used by the publishers to package a weak book into a pretty looking package to convince the reader to try it, whilst attempting to cover the myriad of failures within the book. Unfortunately Halo is one of these books.
My Co-worker and I were dying to read Halo, we’d both had it on our lists for months waiting for it to come out because honestly we were enchanted by the cover of this gorgeous book. Sadly once we’d opened our copies we soon realised that it left a lot to be desired from an author with multiple titles already on the market. Alexandra Adornetto is only 18 years old, she wrote her first book at the age of 13, unfortunately her age does nothing for her here, and contained within the most gorgeous book cover of the year is the musing of a teenager. Admittedly this is a YA novel, it is written for teenagers but nothing annoys me more than reading passage after passage of internal musings while the main characters personality is being leeched away by the author using her or him as a device to allow them to question the world around them. If I wanted to read this type of novel, there is a whole section of them called Literature novels, and invariably they are done better. Another perpetrator of this crime is Christopher Paolini, and I’m sure he isn’t the only one, but he is also a young author who is still growing up in the world and maybe this inexperience is what has lead to playing out their issues with the world in print.
Hello Twilight fans! I’m sure there are some of you out there, isn’t there? And let me guess you LUVED HALO. It doesn’t surprise me is the slightest, Halo out twilights twilight. Not only is the main female character a vessel of nothingness without a personality, it is a void which lets the reader fill herself into Bethany’s shoes. Beth is an Angel, so naturally she had just fallen to earth to begin her mission in making the humans in Venus Cove better people (I’m intentionally ignoring the Pink Elephant in the room with this one, yeah its religious, yes that is something I cannot stand in a book, but it was to be expected with this one, only deserves a mention there are bigger issues with it) which makes her an empty vessel, who has to learn about the human race from scratch, something she apparently didn’t study for (that should teach the kids not to cram before an exam). This leads to Beth musing constantly about the human race, boring us with her opinions of how humans behave.
Enter Xavier, school captain, with a dark past. Of course he is also Beth’s love interest, and that dark past, psh Beth is an angel that dark past isn’t worth mentioning. Completely glossing over the potential for a story out of his past, Adornetto speeds into creating an Edward and Bella dynamic. Portraying Beth as falling madly in love with Xavier, (for no discernable reason, she just saw him and loved him, after only saying 2 words to him) forsaking any type of sense in her pursuit of Xavier, after the token struggle they’re in love. Yay love! How nice except it is the only story line for well over 200 pages, on how much Beth loves Xavier and he her, completely with the puke inducing lines and sickly comments. A curious aside to this, which adds lovely to the dynamic of Edward and Bella, Xavier becomes Beth’s protector, because inexplicably she cannot look out for herself at all, not even able to make sure she eats enough. This here was enough to almost make me put it down, Beth isn’t just a vessel she is a weak supernatural figure, an angel who is suppose to be strong or at least capable, but no she is weak female more suited to looking more beautiful than any of the other girls and possibly cooking, but Adornetto didn’t even give her that, she can’t cook- at least Bella could cook.
Sadly Halo cannot match its cover; it cannot even come close to matching any of the recent realises in this genre. Reminiscent of Evernight, Fallen and Twilight, this is a weak read with no real storyline or thought behind it, not only is every possible opportunity to create a riveting story line passed by, it is done in favour of insipid lines and pathetically weak female characters. I wouldn’t recommend this to any young females, with Bella running around we only really need one horrible example of femineity in popular literature, and authors shouldn’t be adding to this, we want strong capable females in the future, inspired by the books they read, inspired by Elizabeth Bennett’s, Valkeryie Cains, April Dunnes, Alannas, Katniss Everdeens. NOT inspired by the females who are only completed by the males who are they’re protectors and ultimately their controllers.
Here is just a quick link to the competition that is currently running for the New book by Alexandra Adornetto called 'Halo', and this one has an amazing cover.
So heres the link to haper collin's writing competition: http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/44069
Its Coming... 25th of August 2010
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not ...more Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
Posted by
Sadie
8:20 PM
So how about some up and coming new releases to give you something too look forward too? Fantastic Idea! yeah I thought so too, so here are the two most asked for and anticipated releases in the next few months, Torment and Crescendo.
Torment
28th of September 2010
Is the second book to Fallen.
The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine? Description is from
Goodreads - Cresendo
Posted by
Sadie
8:10 PM
So, ever been told not to judge a book by its cover? Well don't listen, the covers are designed to draw you in, it is the first thing that you see when you pick up a book, and the last thing you see when you put it down. A Large part of the job in a book store is displaying books to show of their amazing covers, and in some respects hiding the awful ones, because the books with the covers that are amazing will always sell.
So by all means judge them by the covers, often for me a spectacular cover not only tells me where in the store I'll put it, but if the cover is awful I may not even bother to read the blurb, but for the really artful covers I will always read the blurbs.
In the images above, are some of my favourite books covers, and yes even Twilight is in there, all of these the publishers have put money time and effort into presenting a cover that is directed to the target market, that will pull people in to turn them over and read the blurb. In the case of Twilight that book is terrible, but the cover is amazing, and for the books like Fallen, personally I didn't like the story line overly much but I loved the cover and it is still one of my favourite covers, and for Hush Hush, I picked that up because of its cover, something which I didn't regret at all, it only took me 4 hours of reading it was so good that I couldn't put it down.
When it comes down to it, the books with the bad covers, the romancey novel covers, aren't being endorsed heavily by the publishers, there may still be gems in them, but the publisher has already chopped off its legs and limits its ability to sell to a visual culture. Case in point, the Billionaires Curse by Richard Newsome, it is a fantastic book which for a children's fiction title, it is one of the few I could compare in the pacing and the speed to a cross of Mathew Reilly and Enid Blyton. But the cover of the Billionaires Curse is not doing it any favours, to sell it to parents, even when I adore this book, it is a fight tooth and nail to look past what the cover is, to get them to listen to what I'm saying about the book or even read the blurb. It's wasn't just the parents either, even I was hesitant to read it and if the guy from the publishers hadn't sold it too me I wouldn't have ever picked it up.
The Billionaires Curse is the 2010 Winner of the NSW Premiers Literary Award
So the moral of my ramble, judge by the covers by all means, we are after all living in a visiual culture but remember that is the publisher backing its winning horse, the winning trend, but don't discount the ugly and less entrancing covers because there are some real gems there even if the publishers don't endorse them as readily as the Twilight Franchises.
Posted by
Sadie
7:30 PM
Hey Guys!
Copied this idea from Jess, her blog is The Tales Compendium which I love and check at least once a week to stay ahead of the new books coming out in the YA genre.
Using only books you have read this year, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!
*Describe Yourself: Sideways (by Patrick O'Neil)
*How do you feel: Nearly Departed (by Rook Hastings)
*Describe where you currently live: Caressed by Ice (by Nalini Singh)
*If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Looking For Alaska (by John Green)
*Your favourite form of transportation: On the Road (by Jack Kerouac)
*Your best friend is: Gaceling (by Kristin Cashore)
*You and your friends are: The Secret Ones (by Nicole Murphy)
*What’s the weather like: Shadows (by Amy Meredith)
*Favourite time of day: By Midnight (by Mia James)
*What is life like to you: Raised by Wolves (by Jennifer Lynne Barnes)
*Your fear: Dead as a Doornail (by Charliane Harris)
*Thought for the Day: Skullduggery (Pleasent, By Derek Landy)
*How I would like to die: Hush Hush (by Becca Fitzpatrick)
*My soul’s present condition: Fragile Eternity (by Melissa Marr)
Ello There!
Been very busy few weeks, I was looking forward to a relaxing holiday where I got to to very little of anything and lots and lots of sleeping, but apprently life had other plans for me. Such has stickering books and drinking lots of coffees. But its not all bad infact most of it has been a brillant holiday, although I'm chomping at the bit to get back to uni :D.
So, as promised here are some of my older reviews, admittedly some are just wrap ups of books because they were destined to sit on the shelf next to the book to sell it, not so much to review them. With some of these I didn't add anything new to them because I honestly couldn't remeber enough to make up a decent comment, or review on it. For the first few I have added some of my thoughts today cause they're have been new books added to the series or my thought have changed on it over time. Also I'm super excited for the release of Mockingjay the new and finial :'( addition to the Hunger Games series, I was the first person in my store to put my name to a copy and only a month to go!
So lets get started with a review dump :D.
Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Katniss and Peeta are the Tributes, to the reality TV show Hunger Games, a fight to the death. Thrown in to combat where each new challenge puts their lives on the line, in a reality television show designed to make the populace submit to the control of the central government, the all knowing and powerful rulers of the post-apocalyptic America. At face value Hunger games is a fast pasted science fiction thriller. As a literature student, it also brings up multitudes of messages and raises questions all of which kids should be asking about the control over that television has over them and how the limiting of information affects each of us. Taken into the extremes of what could happen, but with more approachable this is the more fun version of 1984 by George Orwell (I loved the ideas in that book, I thought it was brilliant, but I couldn't ever actually finish it). Hunger Games is apart of a Trilogy that is just about to finish with Mockingjay which is out on the shelves on the 25th of August, and is a must read! (For Dymocks Australia Customers it is now marked at 9.99 for a pre-order campaign)
Want to see other peoples opinions of the series and all the awards each book has won head to:
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/catching_fire_88086.htm
Ink Exchange- Melissa Marr
Lesile is searching for a way to regain her control, to feel safe. After getting her tattoo, one that she simply couldn't resist, things begin to change, no longer is she scared. What she doesn’t know is that her unique tattoo has bound her Irial the leader of the dark Fae court. With gripping romance, love triangles and intrigue this book is perfect for fans of Stephanie Meyer and Cassandra Clare.
This one is apart of a now 4 book series, of Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity, and the newest Radiant Shadows. Each book is set in Melissa Marr's world of urban fantasy, although they don't all follow the same character lines, although they do cameo in other characters story lines. This was the one aspect I didn't enjoy because while each story is fantastic, when waiting for the continuation for my favourite fairy/human pairs it can get a bit frustrating. I particularly loved the underground urban fantasy aspect of each novel, where as I found the romance especially in Ink Exchange slightly lacking, perhaps this was due to the relationship between Irial and Lesile isn't exactly a typical romance, in any case I much preferred Aislinn and Keenan interactions.
The Mortal Instruments Trilogy- Cassandra Clare
Is the ultimate book to follow on to after Twilight. These books are perfect for those, who loved, or hated twilight. Set in New York’s, other side, Clary finds herself thrown into a world of mystery and danger, as she discovers her past with the Nephlim, the Shadowhunters, and the threat that they all face, especially her. Another Urban Fantasy, I loved this series, it was in fact the book series that I read straight after I finished Twilight while I was still Jonesing for Edward and Bella (yes I really WAS a fan). I was a while ago when I read these but I do remember really enjoying them on the recommendation of my other book store friends. The writing it self reminded me alot of Harry Potter, which isn't at all surprising as Cassandra Clare's name was made as a fan fiction writer for Harry Potter; which once she branched out to her own story line worked in her favour. I was also a huge fan of the relationship between Jace and Clary, the strong and tough Jace, while Clary was still trying to find her feet in Jace's world. This series really is as addictive as Twilight, the Vampire Academy series, the Anita Blake series, all the big names in vampire/ supernatural fictions.
Wings- Aprilynne Pike
Laurel has just moved from her childhood home, from being home schooled to high school. But as if this wasn't hard enough, she has got her first pimple, but Laurel isn't like all the other kids, this pimple keeps on growing and suddenly one day it is replaced with a flower, scared and not know what to do she turns to her new friends, to find that it is a real flower. With the help of her new friends Laurel has to struggle with the truth of her true nature, she is a Faerie, but not the faeries that are so common in books for young girls, Aprilynne has given her own spin on the cannon faeries. More organic then mystical the faeries are enticing and new for seasoned faerie fans. Not only does Laurel have to struggle with being a Faerie, she also has to balance her human and faerie life especially in the second book Spells, she is completely torn between her two loves from each world and the ties she has to each.
Laurel is a very real character she is strong and stands up for her self and her ties to both her worlds, something which I am sure I have said many times before is a major plus for any book that the female character is strong and uncompromising in her strength, even if she is unsure; compared to the serial offender Twilight where the female character, Bella, is basically an empty personality so girls can pretend to be her, and be exactly like her to get Edward. For Wings there is no Mary-Sue/ Bella character instead Laurel is a character to emulate and try and be like with her strength of will, she is an example which is why this book is great for the pre-teen age group rather then the older teens. (and after my lovely rant about the faults of Twilight the cover quote is "wings is a remarkable debut" - Stephanie Meyer)
Furnace- Alexander Gordon Smith
Alex is an innocent boy who was framed for murder and thrown into a hell on earth, the Furnace Penitentiary, deep under the earth. Alex is desperate to escape and has to fight for his life against the gangs and the terrifying Wheezers and Blacksuits. One part that I particularly loved in this book, was Alexander Gordon Smiths style when describing the 'symphony of screams', it is a image that was so heartbreaking that even after 7 months it still sticks with me. Furnace and its two follow up books Solitary and Death Sentence, are fast paced, dark and thrilling reads.
14+
The Graveyard by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard is a coming of age story, much like the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling the Graveyard is a critic’s favorite 18 month old, Nobody Owens is adopted by the grave yard ghosts, after he escapes the death of his family, finding a home and a family with the resident ghosts. Learning the life lessons from the dead, readers watch Nobody grow up in the Gothic surrounds of the Graveyard and all the fears and joys it comes with, Critic’s praise each chapter as its own gem; Suitable for children from 9 – 12.
The Curious incident of the dog in the night time- Mark Haddon
Offers a rare insight to the life and reality of autistic children for adults and children alike, Christopher and autistic boy, sets about solving the mystery of the dog in the night time, while combating his own quirks and nuances that come with his autism, the language in this book make it extraordinary allowing the reader to understand what is happening when Christopher and his heavily mathematical mind, cannot. Now on many high school reading lists, this is a book recommended for general readership.
39 Clues Series (10 books in total)- Various authors
Mapped-out and set up by author Rick Riordan, 39 clues follows the discoveries of the Cahill siblings Amy and Dan, about themselves and their pasts as well as the clues to the fortune of the families’ matriarch. Competing against other Cahill relatives, this 10 book set, is bound to be a wild ride of adventure, each book is penned by different big name authors, backed up with card sets and online games featuring $100,000 dollars worth in prizes scholastic.
I’d Tell you I love you, but then I would Have to Kill you- Ally Carter
Cammie Morgan goes to Gallaghers Academy, where instead of handball she learns martial arts, where espionage is on the daily timetable. When Cammie meets Josh a local boy, she cannot tell him who she is, but she can use her spy skills to accidentally on purpose bump into him, but how can this not so ordinary girl, date an ordinary boy? Age 11 +
Book of Shadows – Cate Tiernan
Morgan Rowlands is ordinary, she has an ordinary life, and looks ordinary next to her friend Bree, that is until Cal comes to town, the darkly handsome senior, he notices her. This is just the beginning for the changes Cal stirs up, he is Wicca, with Morgan and her friends he creates a Coven, but when Morgan is bursting with magick and her friend’s aren’t, what is she to do. Part of a set of short stories, which unfortunately I didn't know this when I first read the series, which made it slightly less enjoyable, but once I treated the segments as short stories the ordering and set out made much more sense to me.
Magic Thief- Sarah Pineas
Rule number 1, never steal from a wizard, but what happens when you do? Conn did, sending him on a whirlwind adventure with his wizard Nevery to save the city Willmet from loosing all its magic. Irresistible to readers, Conn pulls us in as he tries to survive the dangerous city and become a wizards apprentice. Written both in the point of View of Nevery and Conn this book is suitable for children over 11
Rebel Angels- Libba Bray
Apart of the ever poplar group of young adult fantasy writers Libba bray delivers another stunning addition to Gemma Doyle Trilogy. It's now Christmas time for Gemma and her friends, and they are heading to London to the balls, but how can they enjoy them selves while the Realms are falling into darkness; after reuniting with their lost friend Pippa, they must search for the temple in order to save the realms from the dark influences threatening to take over, all the while attending balls, and dealing with the mysterious and threatening Rakshana.
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley will be released August 2010, and has no cover art as of yet.
Lucy is looking for Shadow, the anonymous artist who decorates Melbourne's city in his art, with his partner in crime Poet. On the last day of year 12, Lucy, Jazz and Daisy decide to join Ed, Leo and Dylan on a hunt to find Shadow, the man of Lucy's dreams. Jazz and Leo hit it off right away, and he tells her poetry, Dylan and Daisey have been dating for years, and Lucy and Ed, well... Lucy once broke his nose on a date. For these six, can one night, one lie and a whole lot of art help them find what they are looking for?
First things first... Its set in Melbourne!! As a Melbournian this means Graffiti Moon gets a bit more love then books about any other city. I have read two books set in my home town, Beatle Meets Destiny by GabrielleWilliams, which is still one of my favourite books, and now Graffiti Moon, which is another stand out. Unique to Graffiti Moon is that it all takes place over just one night, and for this to work, it has been very well planned out and the plot is fantastic. There are three speakers, Lucy, Ed and Poet, personally I loved Poets interludes of poetry at random points. The over laying of moments as well was a highlight, as Lucy would describe an event to us and then we would hear Ed's version of events, it was nice to see a boys point of a view of their issues as so often it would only be the girls point of view and opinions.
What I really loved about this novel is the use of art, and Ed and Lucy's descriptions of how art makes them feel and how Shadows work affects Lucy, and how much Ed loves and is affected by art no matter how he hides it. Unfortunately I can't really go to much further into the story with out removing your opportunity to read and love this book for yourselves. Suffice to say that each of the six main characters have a great deal of depth, and after reading serial offenders of the one-dimensional-character, to have 6 fully developed characters with an array of faults and a real since of personality was truly what made me enjoy Graffiti Moon so much more.
In a word, this book is Real.
Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams, is available anywhere that sells books.
Posted by
Sadie
3:37 AM
By Midnight by Mia James will be released September 2010
When April Dunne's family gets uprooted from Edinburgh to London, she is not impressed. Now April has to go to the impressive and imposing Ravenwood, for students who are gifted, financially or academically, but April is neither, making it all the more terrifiying. On top of this are 'the Faces' the rich and impossibly beautiful clique at the school, which for an inexplicable reason want to be friends with her, making many enemies for April in the process. After the murder of the rock star Alix Greaves, and being saved by one of the Faces, Gabriel from another murder, April and her new friend conspiracy theorist Caro start to sense something hinky is going on. But the real question is will they solve the mystery before the killer comes for April?
Make no mistake this isn't a supernatural romance, despite its cover, By Midnight most definitely is closer to a murder mystery then Twilight or the other stock-standard supernatural romances. There is romance hidden in there, it just doesn't take precedent over the murders and the mystery that surrounds them and April herself. I really enjoyed the relationship between Caro and April, and as someone who has moved from school to school, it was very believable especially when the appearance of her Edinburgh best friend Fiona is entered into the mix. The lore the author used to back up and support her version of fictional supernatural lore, along with historical facts and murders, really was the point that pulled me in and grab ahold of me for the ride, but to be honest, there were some parts that felt like they were added in to appease the fluffy supernatural fans.
By Midnight is written by a husband and wife team, and by having a male and a female point of view it helped round out the characters of April, Caro, and Gabriel. I also found the periphery characters to be engaging and loved April's quick humour. In short I will be buying the next installment when it comes out, but for the mystery, and scooby-doo factor, not the romance.
I have recently come upon a break in my work schedule, (uni is out!) which means I will finially have the time to move old posts from my other blog relating too books, over to this one. Hopefully I will also be able to start going through the hundreds of books I have written about and read before and making comments on each perhaps with 5 books a post, at the moment I'm not sure how I will get through them all but I will certainly try.
Also on the note of trying something, at the moment I am looking all over the internet for new books, I have noticed a lack of bright and colourful childrens picture books in the store, it is looking decidedly pastel. So I'm on a mission to get some bright colourful and hopefully funny books to fill the dreary shelves (they're not really that dreary but they could be brighter)
Lastly I thought I should note the upcoming full reviews. Soon I'll have one up for Jekel Loves Hyde, by Fantaskey, Love Bites by Claire Hooper, Raised by Wolve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Angels Blood by Nalini Singh, Grief and Solace by Foz Meadows and the Prince of the Mists by Carlos Ruiz Zafron. Also from my friendly neightbourhood publishing representative, I have been given By Midnight which is by Mia James and is due to be released September 2010 for $22.99, and I have also got Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley which will be releasd for $16.99 august 2010 so I will have reviews up before they're respective release dates.
so stay tuned
Posted by
Sadie
3:35 AM
Soo, Currently I am trawling the Internet looking for the latest up and coming new releases from the major children's and adult publishing companies in Australia.... So hold on to your hats its time for "coming at atcha"
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins, 1/7/2010 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid, with vampires, I sense hilarity on its way
Reality Check, by Peter Abrahams 1/7/2010- a footballer, a girl and mystery, could be fun. Written from the male perspective it has the potential to be similar to Looking For Alaska by John Green, my favourite book.
The Poison Diaries by Jane Northumberland, 1/7/2010- Supernatural mystery, but not as you know it. With a malevolent father, and a very talented love interest, this has the potential for good romance, with lots of twists.
Once Dead, Twice shy by Kim Harrison 1/7/2010- who doesn't want a second chance with death? Madison gets one, if she can keep it. Murderers Guardian angels, Reapers and crushes, it has the ingredients to be alot of fun... also notice there is a lack of vampires in the write up for this one, so this will be good for those girls trying to get off the vampire kick.
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe 1/7/2010 - the blurb provided from Harper Collins Australia is quite sparse, its a murder mystery where our hero, is the villain.
A kiss in Time by Alex Flinn 1/7/2010 - another from the Beastly author Alex Flinn, which is just about to come out in the movies, with Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen and Vanessa Hudgens, due out in the USA on the 18th of March next year. In keeping with the formula which worked for Beastly this is a new take on the Sleeping beauty tale with a modern teenage twist.
Love you Hate you Miss you 1/7/2010- could you live with out our BFF, well Amy has too after her best friends death. About how to keep moving after deaths of your love ones, and giving the future a chance.
Smiling Jack by Ken Catran 1/7/2010 - a new teen mystery thriller, for the boys. Robert has to learn more about his father then he ever new if he is going to save him self from the man with the smiling jack playing card who killed his father.
Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn- Childs 1/8/2010- I saw this on Goodreads about 3 months ago, and have been keeping my eyes out for it ever since. In the supernatural romances there has been, vampires werewolves, fairies, pixies, wizards, shafeshifters, but as of yet this the first in the latest craze with mermaids, and not just any mermaid, a half human half mer living among us humans.... sounds interesting right?
Stay Tuned Bibliophiles, a update to this list is on its way
Currently Reading: Love bites by Claire Hooper
They're three brothers, Cassel Baron and Philip. Cassel is the odd one out, he isn't a worker, which means can't do magic with his hands like his two brothers. For Cassel this means that he has no place in his families world, where they never tell him anything of their 'worker' lives. So when he is sent to his brothers house; he starts to notice something is missing, there is something that everyone knows but him, not that this is new to him, his entire family are mobsters and con-artists. This time is different though, for Cassel it starts to look like his sleepwalking and his brothers secrets are coming together; now he has to use all of his Con-artist talents to try to out con his family, and solve the puzzel around the the girl he murdered.
Diffinately for the older range of young adults (15+), this tale is very well put together and is a compulsive read. Holly Black some of you may remember is the co-author of the beloved Spiderwick Chronicles Series for younger readers (7+) and also the Tithe, Valiant and Ironside, A Modern Faerie Tale (15+). To be honest I haven't read The Modern Faerie Tale set, but I loved White Cat.
In White Cat it is clear that Holly Black has in vested a lot of time into developing the emtions in this book, the is a lot of anger, grief, shame, and this time has paided off, the feelings of the characters make them more real, and easier to connect with. While reading about halfway through I became concerned that this was going to turn out to be a clear cut teenage romance, where everything ends and everything is okay, thankfully I was wrong. Holly Black is more realistic then some authors (s-meyer) with the characters feelings, they are not just happy or sad, they are written to show a full range of emotions, with a lot of hate, none of which takes away from the story. I felt that they rounded it out into a way which I could relate to Cassel and how I would be feeling in his place.
Besides finding a common emotional ground with the main character other point I loved, was the use of a almost all male cast, and when the females were present they were strong, creative, fiery characters who never let the men take over (when they could help it). I also liked the ending but be warned, there is a massive Twist in the end, one I didn't see coming, after all the twists that came before it. It broke my heart but made me really love all the characters in this book despite their wicked natures.
In one word this book was, Engrossing.
Age: 15 and above, be aware there are torture scenes, murder, and death. None of which are glorified nether the less one of the major arches deals with these, so it isn't for the mature 10 yr old.
Score: 9 out of 10, only because my heart broke for Cassel multiple times, (not a bad thing, I'm just not over it yet)
Read more about White Cat by Holly Black at: http://thecurseworkers.com/
My personal favourite books are ones I grew up with, or I have recently found. For the youngest of us, (and I'm talking 1- 3) I love Bonton's 15 Animals, as well as the classic Hungry Caterpillar by Carle, more obscurely I love Anton Can Do Magic by Konnecke and Fly me to the moon by Roberts. For the children a little bit older, and better with their books authors like Babett Cole, Graham Base, Colin Thompson, Stephen Micheal King, Mem Fox, Giles Andrea and Ian Whybrow (for the Dinosaur fans), cannot be looked past, every child should have seen at least one of these authors growing up . I got a copy of Graham Bases Animalia and Eleventh Hour when I was about 5 years old, and 15 years later I am still trying to find the little boy and all the mice, his books transcend the age barrier, and I could never speak more highly of them.
Now for my personal Favourite for the first readers, I am a big fan of the Usbourne first readers series, not only does it get them into reading early with simple and easy to read books with large font, but they start with the classics all the parents know. No longer is it a chore to teach a child to read (and believe you me i know a few people who think it is) but pleasure, as the adults know all of these stories and can enjoy them with their child while introducing them into the world of adult classic stories, and let us not forget these are Classic stories, for a reason people!
Once they get over that last hurdle there is the larger and longer series (now up to 91 books in some cases) for the younger readers so as they pick up speed and it gets easier and easier for them to read, they can read a set of books that they are comfortable with, without making them feel like a baby. These are full chapter books, and most of the schools in my area award points for every chapter read, so not only are they learning to read and enjoy the world created within a book, but they are being rewarded for it.
Series like the Zac Power series from H.I Larry, are graded similar to the Usbourne series so the younger boys have something particularly boyish to read, but also for them is the Spiderwick Chronicles, and the Beast Quest Series. For the little girls, there is the Rainbow Magic series from Daisey Meadows, The Tiara Club by French, The Magic Ballerina by Darcy Brussel (who was a real ballerina!), Judy Moody is also there for the girls who want something more down to earth like the Go Girls series, which is done by a group of different authors all of whom have books for older children or in the same age range.
Well this is it for now, but never fear we have 3 more age ranges of my personal favourites to get through before I even think of reviewing anything yet.
So what do you do when you get transported from your room and wake up in the Royal Palace, under a sofa, 160 years out of place?
Katie Berger-Jones-Burg has been transported, but why is she under a sofa in Buckingham Palace? with her two new friends Princess Alice (daughter of the queen) and James O'Reilly (son of the queens doctor) they go on a wild ride to find out. Starting with magic sofas and twists even my crazy mind couldn't think the reader ends up transported along with her.
What stood out to me in this book was the characters, Katie doesn't automatically fit in 160 years out of time, she has to work at it which makes her a believable and realistic heroine which I can like. Also her supporting characters, who aren't all that supporting all the time, I loved Princess Alice, she is the perfect mix of princessy and mothering behavior of that girl we all knew as a child who wanted to play teacher and student and always wanted to be the teacher.
And the plot? well it is kinda fantastic, like one of my other favourite authors Richard Newsome (see: Billionaires Curse) this has the right mix for the young fiction/Young adult level of mystery and pace. Not only is Katie running from everything, she cannot be seen by any of the household members, but she is being hunted and there is the mister DuQuelle sinisterly watching her when on one else should has spotted her yet, so the question is, is he a friend or foe? While hiding Katie and her new friends need to find away to get her home and back to Mimi (her mum), and when all hope seems to be lost and Katie starts to settle in, the pace picks us back up again and sets us on a roller coaster before we get to the end.
The Queen Must Die isn't too young or too old for children from the ages of about 10-16, there is no content in this which screams inappropriate, quite the opposite in fact. The Queen Must Die, proves to be a nice bridge between the younger fiction for those girls who want to go into the older young adult but are still to young to follow the twilight supernatural craze. The Good news is that is also a part of a series The Chronicles of the Tempus, so we can watch out for more by K.A.S Quinn
My Score: 7/10
(why: in my copy, which happens to be an advanced reading copy, there are a few factual errors here or there, which hopefully will be sorted out before it goes to print)
Woo, first post.
So I guess you want to know a little about my dear self. Well, I'm a humble seller of Children's books, who loves her customers dearly, so much so that I have to date read every vampire novel on my selves, and every action adventure story I could afford to buy. So why am I blogging? good question I'm glad you asked ;).. Well basically I'm sick of hearing people in my store not know about a book, and then having to send them on to amazon, or another of the multitude of impersonal websites, and naturally it would be infinitely cooler if I could send them to my own. And the Name, well is from this lovely little quote: Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind. ~James Russell Lowell
