2012 Book Challenge - Off The Shelf

2012 Book Challenges

Challenge : Read 10 Books From My Shelf

Challenge run by : Bookish Ardour

Reason :  I haven't read a book from two my bookcase/shelves for over a year now! Most of the books I have had for over 2 years so my aim is to read 10 of these!

2012 Book Challenge - Debut Authors

2012 Book Challenges

Challenge : Read 12 Books By Debut Authors

Challenge run by : The Story Siren

Reason : I always love discovering new authors! =)

2012 Book Challenge - 350+ Pages

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2012 Book Challenges

Challenge : Read 10 Books With 350+ Pages
Challenge run by : My Own Challenge (Unless someone can tell me someone who runs this?)
Reason : I often put books which are over 350ish pages to the bottom of my TBR pile
* No particular reason for that particular picture.

2012 Book Challenge - Male Authors

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2012 Book Challenges

Challenge : Read 10 Books Written By Male Authors
Challenge run by : My Own Challenge
Reason : I have really enjoyed all the books I have read which are written by male authors so in 2012 I want to read more books by male authors.
* No particular reason for that particular picture.

Paperback or Hardback? (#33)

The Statistical Probability .. by Jennifer E. Smith

>> Hardback <3

Paperback >>

I like both of these. I like the different colours used in the title on the PB and how it's a colourful cover but I prefer the HB. I like the HB as it looks much more grown up and I straight away feel it will be a book I will enjoy. Love the heart around the couple and the read in the title =)

Someone Else's Life - Katie Dale

 << Hardback 

Paperback <33 >>-

I think you will all agree that this one isn't that hard, it's most definitely the PB!
When I first saw this cover it straight away grabbed my attention. The HB is a bit too plain and weird (where's her neck?). The PB cover is awesome! I love the tagline, the font of the title and position. It seems to really suit the storyline too. 

Legend - Marie Lu

<< Hardback

Paperback <3 >>

I haven't ever seen the PB cover before? Don't know if it's just me!
I haven't ever been intrigued by this book because of the HB cover. It's very plain and boring and doesn't really tell you anything about the book itself. I much prefer the PB and I am now more interested in reading this book (Bad, I know!) 

Please note, some covers l feature are also in other formats. For example a HB cover is usually also in PB and a PB cover is also sometimes on a HB etc.

Also sometimes the PB may be a UK one and the HB may be USA.

It's just a way to compare covers.

</3 - Meh
<3 - Like

<33 Love


Sorry for the wrong titles of the books! 
I copy the template from the previous week and sometimes forget to change the title!

Cover Crazy #49

Hosted by The Book Worms 

When You Open Your Eyes By Celeste Conway
I don't love this cover but when I saw it I did straight away think I would like this book and it did it's job with making me intrigued.

I love this cover because :

- I love how the title along with the cover make you really intrigued
- The colours used are great colours for this sort of cover (soft colours).

- The tagline is a bit too small?

- It's a really mysterious cover but also tells you what sort of genre it is.

- It's simple but does enough to grab your attention 

Dislike :

- I don't really have anything that I dislike but there isn't really anything that I really love about this cover.
- It's not the sort of 'WOW' cover but still like it!

Lies Beneath - Anne Greenwood Brown
Wow! I really like this cover, I love the red in it and how the colours have been used =)

I love this cover because :

- I like the position of the title and how it's clear

- The guy looks really attractive ;)

- Love the red eyes, totally draw you in

- Love the tough look of the guy, makes me want to know who he is!

- The flames look good

- I like that this cover is unique!

Dislike :
- I like the flames but do feel they are kind of badly edited in?
- Not so sure on the swords, I feel like it makes the cover look less professional

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope you get lots of new books!

Lacey and Joey

Niece and Nephew

*Review* : Stay With Me By Paul Grifftin

  Stay With Me - Paul Griffin

Series : No

Released : 8th September 2011

Publisher : Dial

Format : Hardback

Source : Borrowed

Buy : Amazon (UK/USA)|Book Depository

Overall rating

 .................................... The Blurb  ....................................

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

 .................................... My Thoughs  ....................................

In Short 

- Stay With Me has two strong characters that are put in numerous difficult situations. 

- The characters actions are never predictable but are also very real. 

- What brings the characters together also rips them apart – I loved this! 

- Paul took this book in different directions with other authors would never think about, let alone do. 

Stay With Me was a book I wanted to read as soon as I saw the cover. I can’t really tell you why, maybe it’s because I love relationships which are based in the ‘real world’ aka a place where they are actual problems instead of petty little things. Anyway, as soon as I read the blurb I couldn’t wait to read this one. Thanks Lesley (http://mykeepershelf.blogspot.com/) for letting me borrow this one!

When I picked this book up I had made some assumptions and I kind of  got what I was expecting, kind off. The writing was the sort of writing which I can never explain but I am finding this in more and more books and slowly liking the style of writing more. It’s kind of from the point of view from the characters while also being a bit more distant and letting the reader see properly into the characters world. By that I mean both the main characters feelings are always clear, whether it’s because of their actions or feelings but it’s not simple and clear, you have to actually think and judge how the character is feeling, like you need to with a real person. Sometimes I found this sort of writing really suited this book whereas other times I just wanted their feelings laid out ‘on a plate’ for me instead of all the mumble jumble.

Stay With Me then took a big turn which I never saw coming. I never saw it coming because Paul took a risk which a lot of authors don't do. I tend to think that sort of thing would put an ending to the book and if it didn’t then the book would be boring from then on it. Well it wasn’t. Paul did a great job of keeping the relationship between the two main characters both interesting and also intriguing. I never knew what either of the two main characters were going to do or think next.

After about ¾ way through the book I could see what was going to come next, I felt like this was done on purpose by Paul though and I was meant to see it coming. What I didn’t know is how the characters were going to react; the characters actions were never predictable. The unpredictability of the characters was made even better with how they were always real. I never felt like a real person wouldn’t act in that way. In fact I thought all actions were justified (well nearly all) and possible!

Final Thoughts

Paul is a talented author who has written a thought provoking book with meaningful characters and an intriguing story line that is both heart warming and real.

*Review* : Blood Oath by Belinda Boring

Blood Oath - Belinda Boring

Series : #3 Mystic Wolves

Released : 20th November 2011

Publisher : Moonstuck Media

Format : Ebook

Source : Author

Buy : Amazon (UK/USA)|Smash Words

Overall rating

 .................................... The Blurb  ....................................

Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Plans are made but when the enemy strikes another painful blow by entering into the heart of pack property and kidnapping Darcy, Mason declares war. There’s nothing he won’t do to keep his future mate and pack safe.
Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason’s commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she’ll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength – once given, a blood oath is unbreakable … even if it means risking it all.

 .................................... My Thoughs  ....................................

In Short

- Don't let my rating put you off, this is a good series

- Belinda is a great author and shouldn't be over looked

- The storyline didn't grip me until the end of the book

- I found it hard to get into the steamy scenes.
- The ending is such a big cliffhanger! 

In Long

I was excited to read Blood Oath, Belinda has always ended her books with big cliff-hangers so I was eager to see what was going to happen next. I was also looking forward to spending more time with Darcy as I really like her character.

I guess my first disappointment with this book was that I felt like I didn’t get to know Darcy any better which was something I really wanted to be able to do in this book. The second was that I sadly wasn’t as drawn to this book as I was with the first in the series. I really enjoyed the first book because it was so action packed but I felt Blood Oath just didn’t have enough action to keep me entertained at the beginning of the book. Towards the end I felt things picked up much more and I really enjoyed the last 20 or so pages. I felt this really made up for the rest of the book which I felt wasn’t really necessary to the book and storyline.

Another thing, which was an issue for me in Cherished too, was the scenes which were a bit steamy. I just feel like these sort of scenes don’t suit this type of book. I read paranormal books for the paranormal factor, I guess I just don’t like the two things mixed together (paranormal and erotic – Although it’s nowhere near as steamy as proper erotic books). I can see that other people would enjoy this factor as it may help you to get to know them as a couple more!

As I said above, the last 20 pages got my attention and the last page or so totally shocked me. I have to say that even the last page was worth it all for me! I can NOT wait to read the next book! I need to know what is going to happen! What a WONDERFUL twist to the story – Can’t wait!

Final Thoughts

Blood Oath was a good book but quite slow for me. After reading the end I am guessing this was more of a fill in book for what’s about to come next. If you haven’t read this series definitely do so, Belinda is a talented author.

The Time Will Come #48

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The Time Will Come - 

Every Thursday l am going to list a book which l really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! 

~

Want to join in?

- Pick a book you have been meaning to read

- Do a post telling us about the book 

- Link the post up in the linky

- Visit the other blogs!

Sloppy Firsts - Megan McCafferty
This book was/is quite expensive to buy to buy in the UK so I tried to resist getting it until it went down a bit. Anyway I remember seeing second hand on Amazon and jumped at the chance of buying it. When I got it it was in quite bad condition and I was gutted but still excited to read it!
Since then it has just sat on my shelf, along with Bumped which is also buy Megan! 
I really need to read both of her books. I have heard mixed things about Bumped but Sloppy First's is really popular! (Or so I believe) Hopefully in 2012 ;)
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The Blurb

“My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”
When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

Read the rest of the blurb here

Waiting on Wednesday (#48)

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

Hollow - Richard Denney
Published : 8th May 2012
Publisher : Createspace
Well first off this is a dystopian, that isn't enough? Ok well it's written by a male! They are the two main reasons that I want to read this book. Firstly because I have loved the few dystopian books I have read but for some reason I just haven't read that many and I really need too! Secondly in 2011 I didn't read many books by males so my aim in 2012 is to read at least 10 books written by males. All the books I have read in 2011 written by males were books which I loved!
Oh and this cover is pretty and the book sound awesome, ofc! =)

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The Blurb :

Welcome to the house of Hollow. 

In a dystopian future, sixteen year old Leah Munro has been sold to a rich woman in a crippling mansion. Soon Leah discovers that there is something mysterious going on around the home, and with the help of three other girls, she attempts to uncover what is truly happening... what lies beyond all of the plexiglass windows and the hideous screams in the middle of the night? Leah will soon find out.

Cover Crazy #48

Hosted by The Book Worms 

Shifting - Bethany Wiggins
I think the snake really makes this cover and although there are a few covers like this, it's still unique.

I love this cover because :

- I like how it's black and white and the snake is a colourful 
- The font, really like this sort of font and suits the cover.

- I love the girls hair! So pretty =)

- The snake and how it 'grows' out from her hair is really intriguing and also grabs your attention

- It's simple but does enough to grab your attention 

Dislike :

- Not too sure about the colour of the authors name?
- A tagline would suit this cover well and inform the readers more as to what it's about
- I feel like something is missing?

Lies Beneath - Anne Greenwood Brown
This isn't the prettiest or best mermaid cover ever but I do like it and it adds a little twist on normal mermaid covers. I think the colours are so pretty!

I love this cover because :

- I love the colours in this cover!

- The cover shows clearly what the book is about (mermaids)

- Love the effect of the sun shining through the water and the red on the surface.
- Love the pretty seabed!

Dislike :
- The font is really too simple for this cover and really spoils the picture 
- It's not really that unique, I guess?
- This title does really annoy me, I know I have already said it but it really ruins the picture :/

This Week's Round Up

Reviews

I am Number Four -  Pittacus Lore

 The Faerie Ring - Kiki Hamilton

Posts:

Cover Crazy

Paperback or Hardback?

Waiting On Wednesday

This or That With Dani

The Time Will Come

Teaser and Giveaway of Blood Oath

Excerpt and Giveaway of The Faerie Ring

*Review* : The Faerie Ring - Kiki Hamilton

The Faerie Ring - Kiki Hamilton

Series : #1 The Faerie Ring

Released : 27th September 2011

Publisher : Tor Teen

Format : Hardback

Source : Author

Buy : Amazon (UK/USA)|Book Depository

Overall rating

 .................................... The Blurb  ....................................

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

 .................................... My Thoughs  ....................................

In Short

- Although I don't like historical books I found that it was an advantage to The Faerie Ring that it was in the past

- All the characters were very easy to like

- The main character, Tiki, was someone I connected with straight away

- I finished this book with a smile on my face

In Long

When I was asked to be part of The Faerie Ring UK Book Tour I was so excited! I have had my eye on this book for a while. I have to admit that I was first drawn to it by the cover, which is gorgeous and really suits the story. When I read the blurb I was pleased to discover that it not only looked good but judging from the blurb, it also sounded good!

Let me just mention that I am not a big fan of historical books, I like knowing about historical things but not from books. Therefore I was a bit unsure of this side of The Faerie Ring. Luckily it was the sort of book which is in the past but not all about the past, Kiki didn’t focus too much on the history factor but instead of the characters and storyline. The fact that the book is written in the past is always addressed but in a subtle way, not in a way where the book almost becomes a history lesson. This therefore didn’t spoil the book for me but in fact added to it.

Kiki is a great author and this is apparent from very early on in the book. She quickly made me feel connected to the main character, Tiki. I really enjoyed getting to know Tiki and loved how Kiki went back in time so I could learn about Tiki’s past. The other characters were all unique and added to the storyline in their own way. Rieker, another main character, was a character who I became to have a ‘soft side’ for. Although some of his actions kept me guessing what they meant.

A little thing which I did pick up through this book (I may be being a bit picky) is that sometimes things were repeated on the next page. For example when explaining Tiki’s hard past it was often repeated/referred to later on when explaining something else, I felt I could have ignored this if it was a one off but it happened throughout the book.

The storyline is one which intrigued me throughout the book and I was always excited about picking this up and reading it again. I do think that is more credit to Kiki’s writing than the actual twists in this book, which I felt were lacking a little. I wasn’t really ever left guessing and when something was revealed I often felt a bit confused as to what it actual meant to the storyline and characters. Because of this at the end I wasn’t really in a ‘rush’ to find out how things had ended.

Final Thoughts

The Faerie Ring was a nice surprising read for me. I really enjoyed ‘meeting’ all the characters in this book and felt Kiki really did a great job with making all the characters easy to like. The storyline was an imagination one and although it never truly ‘gripped’ me I finished this book with a smile on my face.

The Faerie Ring Swag Giveaway

Book Tour - Excerpt + Giveaway of The Faerie Ring

The Faerie Ring Book Excerpt

She eyed the item that Leo had tossed under the desk.

It was a burnished band of rich gold, capped by an intensely

red stone the color of blood that almost seemed to

beckon to her. Mesmerized by its beauty, Tiki reached for

the ring.

Tiki stared into the ruby red depths, turning the stone

this way and that to catch the light. Something fl ickered,

and her heart caught in her throat as she peered closer.

Deep within the heart of the stone, fl ames burned.

She crawled out from under the desk and tilted the

ring under a lamp on the desk. How could there be fl ames

inside a ring? A tiny bit of writing inside the band caught

Tiki’s eye.

Na síochána, aontaímid— For the sake of peace, we agree.

Links

Kiki Hamilton Blogspot|The Faerie Ring Trailer|The Faerie Ring Website

Book Passion For Life has their review up today, make sure you hop over!

Giveaway

- International

- Two Winners 

- Ends 23rd December

- Prizes will be sent on 6th January! *

1st Winner -

Three Bookmarks|Postcard|Badge

2nd Winner -

Two Bookmarks

* Due to delays in the post service because of Christmas and New Years. Many things go missing in the post so to avoid this they will be posted 6th January (Date MAY change)

Fill in Rafflecopter Below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big Thanks to Megan and Kiki!

Book Tour - Teaser + Giveaway of Blood Oath

Free copy of Blood Oath to every commenter!!

Leave your name and email below and Belinda will send you a free smashwords code!

Teaser

“What is it about you that I can’t resist?” he asked, inching painstakingly lower until he hovered just about my mouth, barely touching. His breath was hot, seductive, and it caused a ripple of excitement to course through me. 

“Must be my sparkling personality,” I whispered back, struggling not to close the distance between us. Electricity charged the air, the chemistry of our connection wreaking havoc on my hormones.
He feathered his lips lightly over mine, just the ghost of a touch and I whimpered as he retreated without fully claiming my mouth. “Must be because I can barely remember my name when you look at me like that.” His fingers drew a soft line down the side of my cheek.
“And how is that?” I purred softly, a sultry tone to my voice. My body felt as if it would explode from the way he seemed to drink me in.
“Like the world doesn’t exist, but for the two of us. How did I deserve you?” He kissed me again. This time a little slower, pressing harder, and I followed him involuntarily as he moved back. He was teasing me and driving me crazy with it. 

Buy 

You can buy the whole series for just under $3!

Smashwords

Amazon (UK/USA)

Click here to read the blurb of Blood Oath and find out about the author!

The Time Will Come #47

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The Time Will Come - 

Every Thursday l am going to list a book which l really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! 

~

Want to join in?

- Pick a book you have been meaning to read

- Do a post telling us about the book 

- Link the post up in the linky

- Visit the other blogs!

Daughter of Darkness
I remember getting this on holiday. There is this book shop which sells newish books for £2 each!! I was really disappointed when I saw all the good ones were ones I already had. Any way, I decided to read the blurbs instead of judge by the cover. When I read this blurb I straight away really liked the sound of it. It's not like anything I have read before and I am really trying to read books which I wouldn't usually read.
I knew when I brought it that it would probably take me years to read, it's a bit bigger than an average size book and although I like the sound of it, it's one I can wait to read.

The Blurb

When I was a little girl, Daddy told me never to fear the dark. “We exist because of the darkness,” he told me. “All of you are daughters of darkness.” Beloved bestselling author V.C. Andrews’s passion for vampires comes to spellbinding life in a long-awaited novel of dark desires as all-consuming—and forbidden—as in Flowers in the Attic. One night, with the sound of a young man’s scream, high school senior Lorelei discovers that her stern but loving father, who adopted Lorelei and her sisters as infants, is no ordinary man. He has raised his beautiful girls for one purpose: to lure young men into their world of shadows. Like her sisters, Lorelei has been trained in the art of seduction and warned never to fall in love. But when she meets a handsome and charming classmate, she boldly defies her family and follows her heart—even if love is a poison. . . .Dangerously enticing and deliriously intoxicating, V.C. Andrews’s Daughter of Darkness will leave readers thirsting for more.

This or That With Dani

I am so glad to finally be able to put Dani's This or That post up (Sorry Dani ;])

Dani is such a lovely person and has a lovely blog, definitely visit her at Pen to Paper!

Hi! This is Dan from Pen to Paper! I'm a 20 year old, second year English and Creative Writing Student from the UK. I also work as a bookseller at my local branch of Waterstone's and I've been an avid book blogger since the beginning of September 2011. Although it's been a relatively short amount of time since I started blogging, my blog has developed and grown very quickly, and I now have a wonderful following of around 700 in total!
I've always loved reading - I can't remember a time when my nose wasn't stuck in a book - but over the past 3 years, this has become a complete obsession. I've always known that I've wanted to work in the publishing industry somewhere, and now I'm on my way to realising this dream. But my biggest dream is to be an author, and to have my books published - this is something I'm working on for my degree, and then I have a couple of ideas brewing that I shall start writing as soon I've graduated in 2013!
I enjoy reading and blogging about any kind of books, but at the moment I'm really into Urban Fantasy and YA fantasy novels. I also love the opportunity to be in contact with so many authors, interviewing them and helping to promote their wonderful novels - it's a really wonderful feeling. I love hosting other events on my blog too - like giveaways and blog tours (the first of which I shall be taking part in over the 29th & 30th of December, so look out for that!
So I'm completely hooked on book blogging. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy writing them!

What do you prefer in books/what sort of books do you prefer?

Romantic Relationship or Friendship? I'd say Romantic relationship (usually), but sometimes romance can be a bit soppy in certain books.

Scary or Funny Books? Funny! I do like a bit of scary, but not all the time.

One Main Character or Lots of Main Characters? One, or sometimes two, but I don't usually like more than that. You want to be able to get to know the main character, not have to turn back pages to work out who's who!

Fast Paced or Slow Paced? Fast paced every time!

'Mind Boggling' or 'Easy Going'? Depends on what I've just finished reading. If I've been doing a lot of Uni work, then I'll go for an easy one, but if I've had time off recently, I might go for something more challenging!

Long or Short Chapters? Shortish chapters. I don't like it when they get over 20 pages long!

Random

Money or Time? That's a difficult one! Can I just say a nice, moderate mix of the two?

Snow or Sun? Sun, but I don't like it too hot. I think a sunny Autumn day is just perfect!

Train or Airplane? Train. I always feel sick on planes for some reason.

Quick or Slow? Between the two again, I'm afraid haha. Go too quickly and things pass you by, go too slowly though and you don't get much done!

Flowers or Chocolates? (As a Gift) Just between those two? Chocolates! They don't last as long as flowers, but they definitely taste better! :P

Thanks Dani, totally agree about the chocolates ;)

Do you want to take part in This or That? 

Please email me at booksforcompany@gmail.com