Waiting.....

Hey,

It's been a great week but I've run out of books to read. So I've ordered lots more:



Okay, so you may be wondering what happened to the first two? Well, I'm still working on the review for them, you can read them sooooooon.

I'm COMPLETELY in love with the Iron Fey Series and I have just ordered this on book depository, can't wait!

I'm looking for some more books to read, anyone want to suggest some?

Sam :D

An Interview with Lauren Oliver!

Hey,

You've all heard of Lauren Oliver, right? Of course you have! She is the best-selling author of Delirium and Before I Fall.

 

And not forgetting her upcoming books......

 

They look great!!! Now here is the interview!

- Where did you get the idea for Delirium?

I had read an essay written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez where he said that all great books are about death or love. Since I had already written a book about death, I started toying with the idea of writing about love. The next day I was at the gym and saw that all the TV's had been displaying news of the swine flu as though it was the worse epidemic in US history. The two ideas merged in my head, and Delirium was born.

- Are anyone of your characters based on real life people?

I don’t exactly “base” characters on real people—I more base them on my understanding of how people behave. When I write, I take mostly the details from real-life—the quirks and the habits, the little behavioral details, like loving the color green or collecting cow salt shakers. The big things I fill in with my own imagination.

- How did you feel when you were told that Delirium would be published?

Well, Delirium was actually my second book to be published, so I kind of knew it would make it to the shelves. When I was told my first book, Before I Fall, would be published, I think I went into shock. It was one of the proudest and happiest days of my life.

- What is your dream cast for your book?

There are so many talented young actresses right now, which makes it a great time to be looking for a teen cast. I love Hailee Steinfeld, Emma Watson, Dakota Fanning and Mia Wasikowska, just to name a few.

- Who are your favourite authors of all time?

Roald Dahl, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jane Austen, just to name a few.

- If you could have one superpower what would it be?

Easy one. I'd love to be able to fly!

- Romance or Horror?

Romance, for sure. Except in movies. Then horror.

- What is your favourite quote?

I have so many. Everything brilliant has already been said. :) It’s not exactly a quote, but I love the concept of finding freedom in discipline. Writers need a LOT of discipline.

- What books do you wish you had written?

So many! I have book-envy for all of the books I love, from Matilda to The Virgin Suicides to Harry Potter to Pride and Prejudice.

- What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? 

I have the simplest, most effective advice: just WRITE every day! Make it a habit to devote some time to your writing on a daily basis, and read as much as you can, too.

- In 15 words describe Pandemonium.

Split time-frame; new characters; world teetering on revolution; Lena is reborn.

About the Author:

Lauren Oliver comes from a family of writers and so has always (mistakenly) believed that spending hours in front of the computer every day, mulling over the difference between “chortling” and “chuckling,” is normal. She has always been an avid reader.

She attended the University of Chicago, where she continued to be as impractical as possible by majoring in philosophy and literature. After college, she attended the MFA program at NYU and worked briefly as the world’s worst editorial assistant, and only marginally better assistant editor, at a major publishing house in New York. Her major career contributions during this time were flouting the corporate dress code at every possible turn and repeatedly breaking the printer. Before I Fall is her first published novel.
Her website: http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/

Hmmm, after reading all that, I'm sure you're itching to read Lauren's books! So get down to Amazon/Ebay/Book Depository or what ever you buy your books on, and buy them! I garantee you will love her books. Oh, and don't forget that PANDEMONIUM is releasing next month! If you haven't read Delirium then you should! Right now.

Check back soon,

Sam :D

Giveaway? Box of 16 books!

Hey,

I've got some really exciting news!!! Evie-Bookish's blog is giving away SIXTEEN BOOKS! AND THEY'RE MOSTLY ARCs! :O

Oh my good god....

It's amazing! Lucky for all you guys IT'S INTERNATIONAL! So go on! ENTER! (Not here, on Evie's website)

Check back soon,
Sam :D

My review of Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley 
Release Date: 14th February 2012 (First published 1st August 2010)

Brilliant. Amazingly funny. Stunning.

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Wow, I completely fell in love with this book from the first page. Reading this book makes me want to be a graffiti artist! They way the art work was described was really inspiring. I found all the characters in this book very enjoyable and extremely fun to read about.

I loved how the story was told; from different points of views. I loved the humour! God, the humour! It was just hilarious. You have to read this book to understand what I'm talking about!


Lucy, Ed, Leo, Dylan, Daisy and Jazz. They have such a wonderful journey in one night. They find love, they find friendship, they find the truth. Lucy has been dwelling on one boy. One boy who she's never met. Just seen his art. His art speaks to her soul, touches her heart and makes her more determined to find this boy named 'Shadow'. But somethings come when you least expect it?


Ed, Leo and Dylan, hahahaha, what brilliant boys. Full of mischief and secrets. They were just looking for a good time but things don't turn out the way you expect?


I LOVED THIS BOOK! I LOVED IT, I LOVED IT, I LOVED IT, I LOVED IT, I LOVED IT. When I write a book I want to write one like this, it was written so brilliantly, you couldn't help but get lost in the story, the romance, the characters, the fun, the journey, etc.


I can't wait to buy this book and proudly put it on my shelf. I also can't wait to see what Cath Crowley has in store for us in the upcoming years/months.

Rating

My review of Where She Went

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman 
Release Date: April 5, 2011

One of the best series I have ever read.

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Where She Went isn't the kind of book you can forget about easily. It's a book that can teach you about hard hitting situations, about fame, about relationships and, most importantly, about love. This book will break your heart, yet give you an ending that's so perfect, so right.

I've become attached to the main characters, Mia and Adam, they are amazing, and I admire the love they share. At the start of this book, I hated Mia. I hated her so much. I couldn't even bare to see her name. She broke Adam's heart, and as I was reading this book I could feel his pain. I could feel how confused and devasted he was. Imagine how that must feel for a boy? Not knowing why the girl you loved with all your heart dumped you? Three years. Waking up every single day, confused and lost.

Forman does a brilliant job telling the story from Adam's point of view without sounding like a tormented girl. I think Adam is one of a kind, you can't find many boys in the world like him. But after reading If I Stay and Where She Went, I realise you have to be patient, you don't have to look so hard, be yourself, like Mia was doing when Adam first saw her.

When Adam and Mia bumped into each other, I could feel how awkward it was. But when they started talking about their relationship, they let their feelings out. Three years worth of pain and loss. They replayed the accident that ruined everything, they talked and when they finished talking on that boat. There was no hope left in me. I was in tears. But then Mia came back, she explained everything to Adam. And that little ounce of hope for them getting back together got me through the book, without putting it down and getting a tissue.

I'm heart broken. This is book was the final book in the If I Stay series, I would have loved a third book but I guess the ending to Where She Went is so powerful you don't really need another book. But it would have been nice if there was.

I have to stress how much I love Forman's books. They are absolutely stunning. If I Stay and Where She Went are two of the best books I have ever read. It tops Harry Potter for me. They will stay with me for a long time.

Rating

Giveaway!

Hey,

Tara Fuller, author of Perigee Moon, has generously agreed to giveaway one e-copy of Perigee Moon and an AUTOGRAPHED postcard of Perigee Moon! Doesn't that sound great? You don't know who Tara Fuller is? Keep reading!

About the author:

Tara Fuller writes books for teens. Some about witches. Some about grim reapers. All about kissing. Check out her upcoming YA novels INBETWEEN (Entangled Publishing) August of 2012 and PERIGEE MOON (Crescent Moon Press) January of 2012.

You can find her:

At her website: http://tarafuller.com/

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Tara25Fuller

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/tara25fuller

On Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3471272.Tara_A_Fuller

Here is a summary of Perigee Moon:

After a horrific fire claims the life of her mother, seventeen year old Rowan Bliss finds herself in the miniscule town of Ipswich, Massachusetts. It’s here that she meets Alex, a deliciously mysterious boy who holds the key to unlocking her family’s dark secret.

As Rowan falls helplessly over the edge for Alex, the secrets that he insists on keeping refuse to be contained, and the truth that she uncovers challenges everything she has ever believed. Alex is a witch. And now he’s awakened something within her she never even knew existed. But out of all of this, the one thing Rowan won’t accept is the fact that Alex is destined to die.

Now Rowan must unearth the buried power she harbors within to escape a deadly prophecy, defy the very laws of time, and prevent the hands of fate from taking yet another person she loves

You can read my review here.

And here is the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I wish you all the best,
Sam :D

My review of Perigee Moon

Perigee Moon by Tara Fuller 
Released Date: January 12, 2012

After a horrific fire claims the life of her mother, seventeen year old Rowan Bliss finds herself in the miniscule town of Ipswich, Massachusetts. It’s here that she meets Alex, a deliciously mysterious boy who holds the key to unlocking her family’s dark secret.

As Rowan falls helplessly over the edge for Alex, the secrets that he insists on keeping refuse to be contained, and the truth that she uncovers challenges everything she has ever believed. Alex is a witch. And now he’s awakened something within her she never even knew existed. But out of all of this, the one thing Rowan won’t accept is the fact that Alex is destined to die.

Now Rowan must unearth the buried power she harbors within to escape a deadly prophecy, defy the very laws of time, and prevent the hands of fate from taking yet another person she loves.

This book was lovely. All the characters; full of life, love and passion. The plot; full of mysteries and twists. It was so easy to get into the book, yet so hard to get away from.


Rowan, such a strong and passionate character. She was extremely interesting, she has a way of thinking that intrigues you and makes you want to stay inside her head. She was the perfect little girl, until she met her soulmate. Alex. Wow, Alex. I love him. I can't get enough of his black hair that slightly hangs over his piercing-blue eyes. I can't get enough of his smiles. Damn, I want Alex. Hell, everyone who reads this book will want an Alex! But he has some secrets of his own, something dark and truly dangerous. Something he is too afraid to share with Rowan...


Bevlin! Rowan's best friend. She was a fun and entertaining character, who I really connected with. She was just so funny. She knows how to lighten the mood, she knows how to make you feel better and most important fact is..she's the best friend every girl wants.


One thing I'm upset about, is the fact that there is no sequel. I would have loved to read about Alex and Rowan's future, but I guess sometimes you have to use your imagination a bit more.


I enjoyed the romance, the humour and the mystery in this book. Perigee Moon was more than I expected, and I loved every single minute of reading it. This is Tara Fuller's debut novel and I beleive that she will be amazing in the future. I can't wait to see what she has instore for us next! I think she's working on her upcoming series Kissed by Death. Sounds great right? I'm excited....soooo excited.


You can buy Perigee Moon on kindle here.

Rating

- Many thanks to Tara for providing me with an e-copy!

The Winner!!

Hey,

As you know, last week I participated in my first ever blog hop! And it is time to tell you all who won.....

*DRUM ROLL*

And the winner is...................Rea! She picked My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent! I hope you enjoy it! :D

I would just like to say a massive big thank you for everyone who entered! I got 200 more followers onmy blog! And 200 on my Twitter account! Thank you so much! You guys are amazing! I'll make sure I host a giveaway soon! But for now, you can enter this giveaway.

Check back soon!
Sam :D

My review of Twisted

20/01/12 - Twisted (Intertwined #3) by Gena Showalter - Released 3rd January 2012 (UK Edition)

Action packed! Aden and the gang are back!

His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.

Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.

Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?


I don't know what to think. I've ALWAYS loved the Intertwined series (Intertwined & Unraveled), I give them full marks! I waited a long time for Twisted and I had extremely high expectations. Sadly, this book let me down...just a bit.

Characters

I felt that it was important to talk about the characters first. I was extremely dissappointed to see that every single character in the book had changed. Including my lovely Riley.

Aden; he started off as a beautiful, loving boy but that all changed in this book. He turns into a cruel, cold hearted king. I was upset to see this character lose one of his qualities that I liked best.

Mary-Ann; I really liked her! She was such an innocent girl! I loved reading chapters and paragraphs about her, but in this book, she's not the same. It's like someone sucked her inner soul out and replaced it with someone else.

Riley, my lovely, lovely Riley. WHAT HAS GENA DONE TO YOU?! Once upon a time, Riley was the best boyfriend ever. He had a big heart and a great sense of humour. In Twisted? Well, he changed. I hate to say it, but he hanged. Not in a good way at all. At the beginning of Twisted I was so eager to read about him and Mary-Ann, but everything just went down hill. Straight down the hill. All the way into a ditch.

Victoria; I've never liked her. I guess I still don't like her. She's never come across to me as a nice or kind person. To me, she was just some pretty girl who never said or did anything interesting.

Chapters
This is an odd heading, but I felt the need to express my opinion.

The two books before Twisted, were based in Aden and Mary-Ann's heads. But in this book we get a few chapters from Victoria, a few chapters from Aden, a few from Riley and none from Mary-Ann. I didn't mind being in Riley's head. I found it really interesting, but being inside Victoria's head was an absolute nightmare. To have parts of the book told by the character you dislike, isn't great.

Riley and Mary-Ann
When I started reading Twisted, I was excited! So, so excited! I pratically skipped all the pages just to see a scene with Riley and Mary-Ann in it together, but I wasn't satisfied. I felt that their relationship wasn't the same any more, and I hated it. I wanted the old Riley and the old Mary-Ann back. Actually, if I could have it my way, I would want the whole book series to be about Riley and Mary-Ann! I think they are an amazing couple and I wish we could have had a few more chapters about them because I'm having a serious Riley with-draw.

Overall, a good book, but it wasn't what I expected or was hoping for. Too many changes to the characters. And, of course, not enough RILEY AND MARY-ANN!!!!

I rate this book:

My review of The Iron Daughter

19/01/12 - The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa - Released 1st August 2010

Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The Iron Daughter had me crying, laughing, smiling, irritated, annoyed and so completely messed up I couldn't get to sleep!

The characters. Wow, the characters...They were brilliant! I fell in love with all of them. Meghan, she's definitely got stronger as a person and as a fey! I'm incredibly jealous of her. She's got such a nice boy, who loves her and would do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING for her! Now, everyone who's read The Iron King knows who I'm talking about, right? ASH! PRINCE ASH! PRINCE FLAMING ASH, OF COURSE! Sigh, he's such an amazing character to read about. Totally swoon-worthy. Unfortunately, (My darling) Ash had some competition. You want to know who it is? Read the book. Sorry guys, I can't tell you, it would be spoiling it for you.

I fell in love with some unexpected characters. Iron Horse? Wow, I never expected him! As you read about him, you realize that he does have a heart, that just because he's made of iron doesn't mean he's unbreakable. Puck, Meghan's best friend, was charming and funny as usual, always trying to lighten the mood with his jokes and opinions! But...we saw a different side to him in this book, he showed more emotion, but they all seemed to be negative? Anyhow, I want Puck as my best friend.

The Iron Daughter's plot was a little more dangerous. We saw some good heart ache from Meghan, but she pulled through. We saw some pretty good action from (My) Prince Ash and Puck. Damn, it was just so good! There were extreme twists and hard-hitting situations for the characters to deal with. I never expected what was just around the corner!


Absolutely breath-taking.


I rate this book:

5 Falling Books!