Saturday 30 October 2010

Book Review - Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

Midnighters 2 - Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis
Bixby, Oklahoma, is full of secrets. Some come out at midnight. Some should stay hidden.



As the Midnighters search for the truth about the secret hour, they uncover terrifying mysteries woven into the very fabric of Bixby's history, and a conspiracy that touches the world of daylight. This time Jessica Day is not the only Midnighter in mortal danger, and if the group can't find a way to come together, they could lose one of their own . . . forever.
 
My Review
I became a fan of the Midnighters series after reading  and reviewing book1(here)  not so long ago so I was eager to start book 2 but it wasn't what I expected. I felt a little let down but at the same time satisfied.

Touching Darkness is a great 2nd in the series but for me it wasn't enough and yet and the same time it was, there where times when I felt I couldn't put it down and then suddenly I was in a state of I couldn't allow myself to read anymore, its action packed and gives us more history to The Secret Hour  and maybe the history is what made my interest float a little but when that was done with and we was down tot he nit and grit I really enjoyed reading Touching Darkness.

Although this isn't a fave book of mine I would still highly recommend reading it as I feel that it is certainly an element of the novels and I'm looking forward to starting book 3 Blue Noon to see where it leads me I still have high hopes yet!!!

Friday 29 October 2010

Book Review - Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment (Fallen2) by Lauren Kate

Synopsis
How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

My Review

OH MY GOD this book was totally awesome!!!!! I can honestly say it lived up to all my expectations and more and not only has it had me reading none stop the past 3 hours from when I started it to the very last page it has left me yearning and needing more and I have officially decided the lovely Lauren Kate is no longer Lovely but a big meanie who likes to torment her readers with this tormenting but fabulous 2nd in the Fallen novel.

Torment has a few new additions but the main characters still remain Luce has grown on me tremendously in Torment , it feels like while she has grown on me she has grown as a person, shes opening up to many possibilities and is very unsure of the world around her....it gives that whole you go girl but at the same time let me just smack you up the head a little I mean hello Daniel we need him!!!! The two additional chums that get included in this Novel is Shelby the yoga mad Nephilim and Miles the I'm so in love with you Luce kinda guy they are total opposites but IMO there good for Luce and her Developing Character.

I can honestly admit that my heart and soul has been racing through this book wanting to give each character a Lil what for I mean how dare they do this to me but I must say it feels good to be on the edge of my chair in suspense needing every bit that I can consume as its been a first in a long time that I have found a book that isn't predictable, I mean I'm stunned and feel I can't even write a real review without it containing wow 1000 times I would love to give you all the gory details but I wont as I'm not that mean.... but here it goes for what I can say without giving too much away to my readers who have not read this novel as of yet - the ending sucks big time and waiting for the 3rd novel in the Fallen Series Passion is going to KILL ME.

Happy Reading xxx

Tuesday 26 October 2010

A little Rant

I have been receiving a few emails since I have started my blog which I choose to ignore, the reason for this is 'It doesn't mean ll that much too me what others think regarding a book'

OK so up until I have read a book I avoid all reviews regarding it as when I start a book I start it fresh like its the first book I have ever read, once I have read, written and posted my own review on 'the book I have just read' I like to surf and find out what others felt about the book and 9/10 I hear this

'It was too much like twilight'
'It resembles crescendo'

and so on and so forth blah blah blah...so what if there are a few similarities, I notice them but that doesn't entitle it to a bad review I judge a book purely by what I think about it not what or how others feel or felt when they read the book. You could tell me a book was really bad but I will still give it a shot and see how it is and if I don't like it then I will say so, but it takes alot for me to really dislike a book.

So the next to my readers pick up a book I advise you to think of it as the very first book you have picked up, new book, new author and nothing else matters....don't put it down because there are similarities to another story you have read if you are liking it, give it a shot and finish it you may just be surprised to how much you do like it!!!

Monday 25 October 2010

Book Review - By Midnight by Mia James

By Midnight by Mia James

Synopsis
April Dunne is not impressed. She's had to move from Edinburgh to Highgate, London, with her parents. She's left her friends - and her entire life - behind. She has to start at a new school and, worst of all, now she's stuck in a creepy old dump of a house which doesn't even have proper mobile phone reception. Ravenwood, her new school, is a prestigious academy for gifted (financially or academically) students - and the only place her parents could find her a place, in the middle of term, in the middle of London, on incredibly short notice. So she's stuck with the super-rich, and the super-smart . . . and trying to fit in is when the rest of the students seem to be more glamorous, smarter, or more talented than she is, is more than tough. It's intimidating and isolating, even when she finds a friend in the conspiracy-theorist Caro Jackson - and perhaps finds something more than friendship in the gorgeous, mysterious Gabriel Swift. But there's more going on at Ravenwood than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when Gabriel saves her from . . . something . . . . in the Highgate Cemetery, and then she discovers that a murder took place, just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on. . . . and whether or not she's going to live through it . .

My Review
When I first brought this book it called out to me from my to be read pile but due to it being on the waiting list(this book worm has dead lines):o) i didn't get to read it straight away but when I did finally pick it up I really enjoyed it, so much so that it is still fresh in my mind when I'm now writing the review a few weeks later.

By Midnight was a slow paced novel,and as many know slow paced vampy novels are not normally my thing but By Midnight left me with this sweet taste of understanding and high expectations.

The main character April is a sweet character who comes off a little dipsy shes going through all these emotions and then shes thrown into this world of murder and mystery and is left with no one to turn too. April gets strong, she gets aware of her surroundings and she becomes interesting....I really like this about her and I like that she doesn't trust too easily either.

By Midnight is a great beginning for Mia James (Tasmina & John Perry) yeah I will admit there are mistakes but don't most debut novels have those pin point mistakes, me i looked past those as they didn't really shout out at me and it certainly didn't stop me from wanting more of those day walking non sparkling vampires - roll on book 2!!!

30 Days of Gratitude(1)

So I decided to tell you all what I'm grateful for once a week every Monday.
This will be things that as a Busy Mom makes my life a little easier, allows reading time to become more often or plain old what I like to do when I sit and read

This week I'm grateful for:

Children's Books
Because if it wasn't for those little hardback pages of fun and cheerfulness I wouldn't be able to have those extra chapters read each day - especially when its an 'I hate to have to put you down' kinda book.

What are you grateful for? I would love for you to tell me or take a picture, blog it and link me up theres nothing more then a little shared gratitude

Saturday 23 October 2010

Book Review - Matched by Allie Condie

Matched by Ally Condie - Released Novemeber 30th 2010
Synopsis
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.


Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion

Review
Well, Well, Well what can I say other then WOW!!! I heart you Ally you have entered my life with a bang and I am sure left wanting a whole lot more.

Living in UK the hype for this novel was a little delayed but being a follower of many American Ladies I was down on the 'I so want that' list a long time before I could afford to as when I need a novel I need it bad, so when I was asked to review Matched I literally done a happy dance here in my living room.

Allie writes with a deep passion that engaged my attention from the first page and kept me going all through the night her characters where well thought out and where surely ones to keep you thinking about :o)
Cassie the main character gripped me by the cuff of my neck and had me loving her and the way she took on everything that was thrown her way but then the way she jumped from this innocent naive girl to a fighter after so much slowly unravels made me love her even more. I was left with this feeling that nothing is ever as it seems, there is always a hidden story and I loved every piece my mind eat up, it also left me asking what would I do if every thing I did or planned to do would be controlled? Probably the same!

Matched lived up to all my expectations and then some and if you want to know am I tempted to re-read it then be sure it wont be long before I do as I'm so eager for the next part (boohoo to cliffhangers). Its a sure addition to all my readers book shelves and many of my book club girls have already decided to reserve it as I promise it's one you will regret not reading f you don't!

And if you don't believe me, here is the trailer to leave you drooling :o)

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Well hello world, Oh how I have missed thee!

So im back after decorating and moving and waiting for my internet, phoneline and cable to get fitted I have read like crazy and wrote reviews via word which will be slowly but surely added here.

So watch this space I have lots in store <3