Wednesday 27 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (79)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...
After the End (After the End, #1)
Release Date: May 6, 2014
World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They’ve survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she’s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! This sounds so... confusing but SO AMAZING! It's just wow. 
Hopefully they'll be some romance, cause I love a lil' bit of that. ;) Nevertheless, anything Plum writes is fine with me! Her Revenants series was fabulousssss and totally unique! (Die For Me, Until I Die, If I Should Die)

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Tuesday 26 November 2013

An Interview with Katie McGarry

Hey,

I was lucky enough to have an interview with an incredible author... KATIE MCGARRY! If you don't know who she is; where have you BEEEEN??? She's the author of Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, while also having another book called Crash Into You which is out TODAY. YES TODAYYY!!
Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)Crash into You (Pushing the Limits, #3)
Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)Crash into You (Pushing the Limits, #3)
UK Covers | US Covers
These books are so incredible and will take you on a crazy ride of emotions! Not to mention those hothothot covers. Wow. I definitely prefer the US covers. What about you?

Let's put put hands together forrrrrr Katie McGarry!
Who was your favourite relationship to write about? Noah and Echo, Lila and Lincoln, Beth and Ryan, or Isaiah and Rachel. And why?
That is difficult question. I think the best way to answer it is this way:

Noah and Echo were my first published couple and for that, they will always have a special place in my heart.

Lila and Lincoln encompass all the fears I had about leaving home at 18 and starting my own life.

Beth and Ryan are a couple that is very close to my heart. Their relationship is extremely loosely (did I mention loosely?) based on how my husband and I got together.

And Isaiah and Rachel….oh Isaiah and Rachel. To me, this couple was just born to be together. 

- The final book in this series "Take me On" is going to be told from West's POV, what will his character will bring to the table?
I haven’t ruled out continuing the Pushing the Limits series, but right now I’m focusing on my contracted books. 

Just thinking about West makes me blush. He definitely has a way with girls and he finds it infuriating that Haley sees past his moves. Their love story is hot, but writing Take Me On brought me to tears more than once. I’m extremely proud of this project. 

- Are you currently working on any new projects?
Yes! I’m currently working on a new project that unfortunately I can’t tell you much about because I’m still in the early stages. I can’t wait to share these new characters with the world! 
-------------------------------
Make sure you add all of the Pushing the Limits books to your Goodreads TBR lists! Click here!

You can also check out my review of PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO and CRASH INTO YOU.

Enjoy your week,
Sam :)

Monday 25 November 2013

My review of Deception

Deception (Defiance #2) by C.J. Redwine
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Deception (Defiance, #2)Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.




But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive. 

Deception is the sequel to the epic YA fantasy novel Defiance. It did not fail to deliver and meet our high expectations as Logan and Rachel continue to fight and protect their people, the remaining citizens of Baalboden. But problems begin to occur as they discover they are being hunted and it just may be one of their people.

Redwine certainly knows what she's doing when it comes down to writing and making sure our attention is held at all times. The action, romance, mystery and humor are all broken down to make sure that we get a taste of everything. There were also numerous times in the book where emotional bombshells are just dropped unexpectedly and I was paralysed with shock.
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I don't even think I can put into words how much I love the alternate points of view from Rachel and Logan. It was simply perfect. WE were able to see the story as a whole: Logan and his struggles being the leader and his emotions as  he tries to get Rachel to open up to him about her problems, while with Rachel we see her battling her demons and the guilt of killing a man, but also trying to calm down the need for vengeance inside of her. I could not get enough of either of them.

This book packs a big punch as the characters and plot are simply magnificent. Not only are Logan and Rachel two wonderful characters who I endlessly adored, we also get to meet a few more new characters and get to know more about the previous ones. 

All I can really say is that Deception is an absolutely mindblowing and heart-stopping YA fantasy out there. EMOTIONS, SECRETS, VENGEANCE, ROMANCE; all mixed up to create one delicious story. Everyone MUST pick up a copy of Defiance and get reading ASAP because you are seriously missing out.

Rating

Sunday 24 November 2013

Book Haul (#68)

Hey,

I've had a stressful, stressful week of too many pieces of homework and exam revision. What is my life coming to? 

How about you all? Have you had a good week in books? Been reading and living your life to the max? Well, I certainly hope that you have!
I must apologise to you all for lack of posting and... just being absent from the blogging world in general. I have been crazy busy and I know that is NONONO excuse. I will try my best to make sure that there is new and exclusive content on the blog on a weekly basis.

This week I borrowed:
The Killing of Kayla SloaneHidden (Firelight, #3)
The Killing of Kayla Sloane by Kim Harrington - Borrowed
I've read Clarity and Perception by this author and enjoyed them so I thought I'd give this a go. It's a YA mystery.
Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan - Borrowed -
I've waited a long while for this conclusion!! Firelight and Vanish were good and I loved the idea of dragons so I can't wait to see how it ends.
Teardrop (Teardrop, #1)
Teardrop (Teardrop #1) by Lauren Kate - Borrowed -
Never thought I'd pick this up as I hated Kate's Fallen series. But why not try it out? The cover is gorgeous.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/In My Mailbox/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :D

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (78)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Panic
Release Date: March 4, 2014

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Lauren Oliver has a new YA book. Lauren Oliver has a NEW YA BOOK. DID YOU HEAR ME?!?!?! LAUREN OLIVER HAS A FREAKIN' NEW YA BOOK COMING OUT! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 
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This sounds a bit like The Hunger Games, but it's probably not because Lauren Oliver is good with keeping things original. You can check out my review of PANDEMONIUM and REQUIEM, #2 and #3 in the Delirium trilogy. (THEY ARE AMAZING GO READ THEM NOW!)

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Monday 18 November 2013

My review of Pawn

Pawn (The Blackcoats #1) by Aimee Carter
Release Date: November 26, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion, #1)YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 


There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Pawn is a dystopian with an interesting concept that will intrigue those who are desperately searching for something out of the ordinary. Maybe not completely out of the ordinary because that's a bit hard to find. This book does follow the whole "female protagonist leads a rebellion against an unfair system." Carter's writing and storyline brings the book together.

In this corrupt society, every teenager takes a test when they are of age to determine how they will spend their lives giving back to the society. They are ranked from the royal's "VII" to the starving "I". When Kitty received an "III" it does not seem worth living for and when a unique opportunity for her to make something of her, she snatches it. But what she doesn't realise is that there is much more to the role she must play than was let on.

We are pretty much thrust into this strange world with not much explanation, but we manage to follow what's going on and slowly learn the way of everything works. I really liked the idea of ranks and being "masked", under going plastic surgery to replace those who are important who are needed but died a tragic death. And this is where Kitty turns into Lila Hart, a royal, also a rebel leader.


The book contains mystery, a bit of action and some romance. A good combination with a bunch of interesting and complex characters who all hold their own secrets. There were times when I got frustrated with the characters and their double personalities, but I got past that and continued to charge on!
For those who loved Carter's The Goddess Test, you will definitely enjoy her hand at dystopian! Pawn isn't the best, but it will hold your attention until the end and wishing you had the next book to see how the story goes. I will be reading the sequel, and I would recommend this book to those who love Aimee Carter's writing, or wanting a dystopian to pass the time.
Rating
A review copy was provided by the publisher

Saturday 16 November 2013

Book Haul (#67)

Hey,

How are you doing everyone? Having an awesome week, I hope! :D


I finished Deception by C.J. Redwine and IT WAS AMAZING! Make sure you check out Defiance because it is one epic YA romance fantasy.

This week I've received and borrowed:
Little White LiesShadows (The Rephaim, #1)
Little White Lies by Katie Dale - Borrowed -
I ADORED Katie Dale's Someone Else's Life and cannot wait to get stuck into this.
Shadows (The Rephaim #1) by Paula Weston - Borrowed -
I love a bit of paranormal angel books! I've heard quite good things about this.
UndeniableRolling Dice
Undeniable by Liz Bankes - Borrowed -
I've already read this and I found it super funny with plenty of great characters. A great YA/NA romance.
Rolling Dice by Beth Reekles - Borrowed -
This book looks super cute! I've read good reviews about Beth Reekles' previous book The Kissing Booth so I've 100% ready to see what happens in this one.
Becoming (Project Five Fifteen #3)
Becoming (Project Five Fifteen #3) by Samantha Summer - Received -
I've loved Summers' First Light and As You Were and I'm really looking forward to seeing how she ends the trilogy.

Leave a link to your Stacking the Shelves/In My Mailbox/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday/Book Haul in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy all your books,
Sam 

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (77)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...
What I Thought Was True
Release Date: April 15, 2014
From the author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.
Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-me-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti.

I can't even put into words how badly I fell in love with My Life Next Door (Check out my review HERE!). It was simply... perfect! One of the best contemporaries under Pushing the Limits. So, you can imagine my excitement for this FREAKIN' BEAUTY OF A BOOK?!?!? 
Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Monday 11 November 2013

My review of Rise

Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Rise (Eve, #3)How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.


Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

*This review contains spoilers*

After losing Caleb, the boy who meant everything to her, Eve has to fill her position as Princess Genevieve and keep her appearance up alongside her husband, Charles. She can't trust anyone within the palace and daily plots with the rebels that plan to kill the King - her father. Eve has to decide what's best for her, the people, and the baby she now carries.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the book right now, but one of the words I'd definitely use it: disappointed. I am very disappointed in this conclusion that Carey has given us. The trilogy has been an absolute wild roller-coaster. The first two books were great, but this one fell flat for me. 

The whole book dragged. I really loved the idea for the story line, but scenes seemed to be twice as long as they had to be. This book was not fast paced or unforgettable, unlike its successor Eve. There were some great action scenes that I must praise Carey for because I enjoyed them immensely.

Rise seems to introduce a lot of new characters, but also plenty of old ones. Now, in part of the book, Eve rescues girls from a School and decides to take them to Califia; a city with an aim to help runaway girls. The new characters? Well, I couldn't bring myself to care for any of them. We don't really get to know them at all, which made the journey to Califia seem pointless because what is the point of adding characters to the story if they have no purpose?

Eve is not one of the strongest or fiercest heroine out there, nor is she the most likable or easy to get along with. I felt that, in Caleb's absence, she just became a bit annoying. Sometimes I wanted to slap her for stupid decisions, and then others, I wanted to comfort her. Also, in this book, she is pregnant. And I felt like she was not thinking of the baby at all when she made life-threatening decisions. It's like she forgot that she was even having a baby...
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One of the things that shocked me when I was reaching the end of the book was that everything was still in chaos and nothing really had been resolved nor explained, and there was only about 10 pages left. I had no idea how Carey would pull of everything in that amount of time. And guess what? She didn't. I'm left with endless questions about the characters and the society and the rebels and... everything.

I'm unsatisfied with the way the author has decided to end the trilogy. We have no clear answers, and I can't help but feel like Rise wasn't really the conclusion, like there will be another book that will settle everything. 

FORTUNATELY, Anna Carey has posted on her blog that there WILL be an epilogue in the paperback version of Rise that will be available in December. I am very much anxious to get my hands on that extra content.
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Rise may not be the conclusion that we have all been waiting for, but I am thankful that I picked up the trilogy because it has been pretty good. Eve and Caleb are two wonderful characters and I have enjoyed my time with them. But for now, I will wait for the epilogue and hope that Carey will redeem herself by clearing everything. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to her future books!

My advice to those who have read Eve and Once: I don't think you should pick up Rise until December when you can read the version with the epilogue. I just think it'll be good not to be left in agony waiting to see how it really ends. 
Rating

Saturday 9 November 2013

Book Haul (#66)

Hey,

I'm back at school! SIGH. Just when I think I'm learning to keep up with deadlines and get work out the way, my teacher decides to spring an essay and shovel coursework on me.

Also, Malerie Blackman, author of Noughts and Crosses, has opened nominations for Writes of Passage, which is where you simply nominate a book that teens must read! Whether it made you cry, laugh or made you change the way you think, NOMINATE IT!! Simply go HERE! One random winner will be picked in March to win 50 books. :O CRAZY I KNOW.
So, this week I borrowed:
How to LoveDeception (Defiance, #2)
How To Love by Katie Cotugno - Borrowed -
I thought this sounded really good. A girl who falls in love with a boy, he disappears leaving her with a baby. Three years later, he's back and she doesn't now what to do or how to feel. I've heard amazing things, but I've also read some negative reviews as well. Let's see how I like it!
Deception (Defiance #2) by C.J. Redwine - Borrowed -
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I HAVE BEEN WAITING OVER A YEAR FOR THIS!! RACHEL. LOGAN. LOGAN. LOGAN. LOGAN. LOGAN. YESYESYESSS. I love him! But mmm, I cannot wait to see how the story continues. Defiance is an amazing high fantasy romance that I would very much recommend to everyone.
The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)She Is Not Invisible
The Fifth Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey - Borrowed -
I have in fact finished this and all I can say is: WOW! I was not expecting that! There was everything I wanted and more. Sci-fi lovers... YA lovers in general... GO. GET. THIS. NOW!
She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick - Borrowed -
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men by John Steinback - Borrowed -
I borrowed this from my teacher because he said it was good so... Hmm, I'm not too sure, but we'll see how it goes.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday/Letterbox Love in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy all your books,
Sam :)

Recent Posts:

Review - Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
Waiting on Wednesday - Into the Still Blue
Review - Crash into You by Katie McGarry

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (76)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)
Release Date: January 28, 2014

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

I ADORE THIS TRILOGY <3 I need more Aria and Perry and Roar and all the other amazing characters! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS GIVE IT TO ME NOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW.
Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Monday 4 November 2013

My review of Earthbound

Earthbound (Earthbound# 1) by Aprilynne Pike
Release Date: July 30, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Earthbound (Earthbound, #1)If love can survive death, are soul-mates eternal?

Eighteen-year-old Tavia is the only survivor of a plane crash that killed her parents. Grieving and lonely, she starts having strange visions; of a boy she's never met but feels compulsively drawn to. A boy who tells her to do things she never dreamed of.

Tavia begins to suspect that secrets are being kept from her, and that her kindly aunt and uncle know more than they are letting on. Was the plane crash really an accident? Or is Tavia part of something bigger than she ever imagined?

With only her instincts and long-time crush, Benson, to rely on, Tavia must decide where her destiny lies, and who with.

Earthbound has an interesting characters and wonderful twists that will take you completely and utterly by surprise. 

Tavia is a normal girl until the plane crash that killed her parents and left her with no one but her aunt and uncle. Then she starts seeing things that aren't there and people who sometimes flicker out of existence. No one can give her answers and the only person who will listen to her is her best friend Benson, who might be just a bit more. 

Earthbound intrigued me and I did like it, but for some reason it just lacked... something! This book is one of those soulmates-being-reborn kinda books and it lacked a bit of originality in the main storyline.

This is my first Aprilynne Pike book and I did like her easy writing style and how the book flowed nicely at a steady pace. There were some good twists and surprises at the book that made the book that bit more exciting.
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Even though I think that the plot lacked a tiny bit of originality because it's been done in books like Fallen by Lauren Kate and Transcendence by C.J. Omololu, I liked the characters, who all packed a little punch, and also the elements of magic! The main character has these awesome powers that were interesting to explore as she learnt more about them.

There was also a strange little love triangle going on that I didn't really like. It's between our main girl Tavia, her best friend Benson and a ghost boy (YES, a ghost boy) names Quinn. Though Pike manages to pull out some surprises to keep us guessing.

Earthbound is a satisfying read that will be enjoyed most by those moving into the YA genre and any person who likes a bit of fantasy in their life. I will be reading the sequel because I do want to find out what happens next!
Rating
A review copy was provided by HarperCollins

Saturday 2 November 2013

Book Haul (#65)

Hey,

It's half-term and I've spent the week sleeping, eating, and being all-in-all extremely lazy... SUCH A SURPRISE!!!

Though I have read quite a few books including Elegy by Amanda Hocking, the last book in the Watersong series, and I can safely say that it WAS AMMMAAZINNNG! The best book in the series, and also the best YA siren/mermaid book by far! 

This week I received:
Unbreakable (Legion, #1)
Unbreakable (The Legion #1) by Kami Garcia - Received -
Thank you, Leanna from Daisy Chain Book Reviews and Simon & Schuster! I've heard mixed things about this book, but the blurb definitely intrigues me. I hated Beautiful Creatures but I'm prepared to give this one a go.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy all your books,
Sam :)

Recent Posts:
Review - Crash into You by Katie McGarry
Blog tour and Giveaway - Sentinel 
Waiting on Wednesday
Teaser Tuesday