Waiting on Wednesday (46)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

Release Date: June 18, 2013

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong? 

In the Bermuda Triangle—a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question—how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

A Bermuda Triangle story... HOW COULD YOU NOT WANT TO PICK THIS UP?!?! It sounds so cooool.

I really like the idea for this story. I know of the Bermuda Triangle, I just don't know about the details, which I'm sure this book will explore. Bonus: There's a romance. Wooop. I think I'm going to enjoy this book.

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments and I'll check it out!

Have a good week,

Sam :)

100,000 Pageview Giveaway

Hey!

I don't think you guys would have noticed, but my blog reached 100,000 visits over the night and... I have no idea what to say!

It's incredible! And all I can do is sit here with this ridiculous smile on face with the occasional squeal of delight.

I would like to say a ginormous thank you to all of you who continually check out and comment on my blog, read my reviews... Damn, it blows my mind that there are people who are interested in what I have to say and so many others that share a passion for reading. I love you all and... yeah... THANK YOU SO MUCH OMG ASDFGHJKL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To celebrate and say thanks to all of you who have supported my blog, I've decided to host a giveaway and have two winners. They will be able to pick any book from the list below. This giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships to you!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer 

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

****ENDED****
Thank you to all that entered!! 
Winners:
Rena
Kerri
Reply to my email ASAP!! 

Good luck to you all and thank you again for all of your support!

Best,

Sam :D

My review of When You Were Mine

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
Release Date: April 26, 2012
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository


In this intensely romantic, modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told, Romeo's original intended--Juliet's cousin Rosaline--tells her side of the tale. "What's in a name, Shakespeare? I'll tell you: Everything.

"Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her--and when he finally does, it's perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose's best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn't even stand a chance.

Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet's instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob's heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends....

When You Were Mine is an irresistible and tender novel, retelling the greatest love tragedy Romeo and Juliet in a modern and heart-breaking way. Get ready to read from the point of view of Rosaline, the girl Romeo loved before he met Juliet.

When you hear "Romeo and Juliet" you are probably reminded of a perfect romance that could have lasted forever if not cut short by a devastating incident. But does anyone really know what happened before Romeo met Juliet? Does anyone really know what happened to the girl he left behind? 

In this modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, we meet Rosaline. She's in love with her best friend Rob, and when they finally break the line of friendship, Rosaline is hooked. But then her cousin Juliet moves back into town and stirs everything up. Rosaline and Juliet were once best friends until a family argument separated them. Juliet is beautiful and intriguing, and Rob can't stay away. Rosaline is left hurt and betrayed, but she slowly comes to realise that being alone isn't the worst fate in fate in the world.

I am in love with Romeo and Juliet. I've read the play, I've watched the old movie, I've watched the newer movie (with Leonardo DiCaprio, yum), annnnd I also know that there is a new film adaptation coming out later this year with Douglas Booth starring as Romeo. Oh my goshhh. My excitement levels are all over the place. Douglas is a great choice and I cannot wait to see him on the big screen as Romeo.

When I watched the films and read the play I never thought much of Rosaline, she was simply a background character who never appeared, but was brought up in many discussions. This book has opened my mind to her side of the story; how she must have felt, what it must have been like for her, etc. Can you imagine the boy you loved moving on to your own cousin? It's heat-breaking. And that's exactly how Rebecca Serle tells the story. Keeping Shakespeare's devastating plot line, but creating a whole new story for a girl who was never given an ending.

When You Were Mine has a bunch of crazy and lovable characters, well, a few anyway. Rob, aka Romeo, is portrayed as a sweet and lovable boy at the beginning of the book. He is Rosaline's best friend, and when they finally decide to go on a date everything seems perfect. I wanted with all my heart for them to end up together even though I knew that he would move on to Juliet. Everything was fine until she shows up. Juliet, in this novel, is evil. Yes, she is portrayed as the bitchest girl you'll ever meet. I think she even rivals Regina George (from Mean Girls). But Rob sees something in her, and in the books this is never specified or explained, which is slightly frustrating because I WANT to know why he left Rosaline hanging!

Nevertheless, Rosaline does manage to cope with the help from her best friends Olivia and Charlie, who are two absolutely crazy girls with bubbly and quirky personalities. There is also Len. A boy that Rosaline sits next to in bio, who she's never really noticed until now. Len is funny, sarcastic and a completely unique character. I immediately warmed to him and thought: Eh, who cares about Rob when Rosaline can have this guy?

As for the plot, it follows in Shakespeare's footsteps, but with modern twists. Of course this makes the novel more intriguing. Rebecca Serle keeps you guessing, swooning, smiling, and even crying at some points, as the novel progresses. 

Overall, I think that When You Were Mine is a brilliant novel that has given the play Romeo and Juliet a whole new perspective. It's just as heart-breaking, just as beautiful, and just as romantic, Rebecca Serle has done a wonderful job at telling Rosaline's side of the story in a modern day tale. Romeo and Juliet fans must read this!

Rating

Book Haul (#40)

Hey,

Since it's the holidays, I have just been chilling at home, watching random movies and TV shows consisting of: Great Expectations (BBC TV version with DOUGLAS BOOTH! YUM :D), Big Time Rush (Come on, these guys are funny) and all the Harry Potters! 

But guess what I went to see yesterday? The Host! Despite all the mixed reviews on it, I decided to go and see it with my friends. I wanted to see it, but I also wanted a glimpse of the Romeo and Juliet trailer since the producers are not releasing on the web for a while. DAMN! IT WAS AMAZING! :O Douglas Booth is playing Romeo and Hailee Steinfield is playing Juliet. Douglas is gorgeous! And getting a look at him playing Romeo... Wowza.

The movie will be out in October and until then... I will wait in agony because I have so much love for Douglas. *_* 

Oh, and I thought that The Host was pretty good, too. I hope they'll be another movie.

This week I've received/bough/borrowed:

Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1) by Debra Driza - Received -
Thank you, Harper Collins Children's Books! The cover is fabulous and I'm about half-way through and the story is very interesting.

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare - Bought -
Asdfghjkl :O I finished this book the day I received it in the post. I mean, how could I not?! It was absolutely INCREDIBLE! My review will be posted soon, and there will lots of gushing. I promise.

The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts - Received -
Thank you, Teresa! This story is based around a Egyptian prophecy. Sounds pretty cool!
Undone by Cat Clarke - Borrowed -
I read Entangled by Cat Clarke and I didn't like it much, but I'm prepared to give her books another try.

Skylark (Skylark #1) by Meagan Spooner - Borrowed -
I am not entirely sure what this book is actually about... But we'll see how it goes.

Leave a link to your book haul/stacking the shelves/in my mailbox/letterbox love in the comments so I can check it out!

Have a good weekend and enjoy your books,
Sam :D

World Book Day UK with Josephine Angelini

Hey guys!

As some of you may know, if was World Book Day on March 8th, and it is a big celebration of books and reading. 

In the UK, children get a £1 to any book they want, which I think is great (partly because I still get them). But this year I have kindly been asked to take part in the blog tour! So guess who I've got on the blog today? JOSEPHINE ANGELINI! 

If you don't know who Josephine is, then you better get reading her Starcrossed trilogy ASAP because her books are incredible. 

Starcrossed and Dreamless are available now! You can check out my review for Starcrossed HERE and my review of Dreamless HERE! Goddess will be available from the 7th of June this year. I know three months seems like a long time to wait, but they will fly by like a bullet. 

I am ecstatic to have the best selling author of this trilogy on my blog today. Please all put your hands together for the ONE and ONLY... JOSEPHINE ANGELINI!

1. What is your writing routine?
I write in shifts-- a few hours in the morning, then a break int he afternoon when I do all my errands and go to the gym-- and then a few more hours in the evening.  I keep a tight schedule when I'm working on a book because I think procrastination kills creativity.   

2. How do you build up your characters?
I write extensive character bios very early in my writing process-- even before I plot out the book.  I need to know my main characters because I think you find a lot of the story inside the choices that the characters would or wouldn't make.  Plot shapes character and character shapes plot, so right after I come up with the concept for the story, I get right to work on my characters and plot alongside their bios.

3. If you could get inside one book, which would it be?
Probably Harry Potter.  But only if I was a witch and not a muggle.  Either that or Marion Zimmer Bradley's Dragonriders of Pern series--but again, only if I could impress a golden dragon like Ramoth.  Wouldn't it be terrible to be magically transported inside your favorite book series, only to find out that you're one of the boring characters?  Like a stable girl or a squib?  Hilarious. 

4. What book/series would you like to see being made into a movie?
Mine?

5. What is your favourite book that you would recommend to other readers?
"Favorite" is a tough one for me.  I usually ask what kind of books someone likes before I recommend anything because I love a lot of books.  If you're looking for a good supernatural romance, get Die For Me by Amy Plum or The Blood Keeper but Tessa Gratton.  If you want action/adventure fantasy (still with tons of hot lovin', of course) get Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo or Graceling by Kristin Cashore.  If science fiction is more your thing, I'd recommend Across the Universe by Beth Revis.  I'm going to stop here because, seriously, I could recommend books to you all day long.  There's so much great stuff out there right now to read.

Who wouldn't want to see the Starcrossed trilogy adapted into movies?!?!?
About the Author:

Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. A real-live farmer's daughter, Josie graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Starcrossed is her first novel.
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Did you know?
You can get the FREE World Book Day YA App with bonus short stories from Dave Cousins, Will Hill, Sarah Alderson, Sarah Maas, Dawn Porter, Chris Ryan, Josephine Angelini and Patrick Ness. Sounds good, right? You can download the app now.

I hope you've enjoyed my post and that you've got to know Josephine and her books a little better.

Have a great week,
Sam :D