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2012-02-26T23:44:00.000Z

Coffee Break: The Author/Reviewer Relationship - Part 2

2012-02-20T11:47:00.000Z

Let me start with this about the past couple of weeks- I was in a permanent bad mood. Nothing majorly bad happened, it started on Tuesday 7th February when I was awoken at 5am and put in an instant bad mood. It went downhill from there and it lasted for days. I snapped at anything that rubbed me the wrong way. How I kept my temper when I saw what I'm about to tell you all is beyond me. I just knew that I had to leave it for the moment and decide on what to do with this information when I was in a better mood...which is now, two weeks on.

So here it is...

On the 7th February I had a short but very insightful Twitter conversation with an author. It all started with a tweet of his stating: Just realised something rather comforting. The negative Amazon reviews of my book have all been written by idiots.

Yes, that's right people. You did read that correctly.

Anyway, I sat there staring at my screen in mild disbelief. After everything that has been happening in the book review/blogger world, someone would still come out with this in a public forum. Having learnt from past experience of authors going on a rant before deleting, I screen capped the tweet. Then I checked his Twitter profile and low and behold- the tweet had disappeared just a few minutes after he'd put it.

I couldn't leave it. It was too late. I'd seen his reaction to negative reviews already and it was stuck with me.

Now, let me say this- I hate confrontation of any kind. I start shaking at the thought of it, my heart races, and then the Waterworks of Anger quickly arrive. However, if I feel something is wrong, I can't keep quiet, even if it means me becoming a crying mess and no one but the dogs can understand what I'm saying.

I confronted him. I merely stated: Too late, author. I saw that tweet.

He had no remorse. He replied with this: Ha!! I stand by it. Idiots!

As you can see, he really did mean that negative reviewers were idiots. Only he didn't appear to have the balls to stand by it really, otherwise why not leave the tweet for all to see and deal with the consequences?

My immediate response to him was this: Seriously?! An opinion that doesn't sit well with you makes them idiots?!

The author, before replying to me, tweeted again to the general public of Twitter saying: If you can't think people who hate your book idiots, who can you? Come on, surely you are allowed to know what your own book is about?

Right. Yeah. That got screen capped too. It too disappeared within an hour or two after our conversation.

Then the author came back with this reply to me: no, saying no book in the world can be as good as Twilight makes them idiots

Now I went through his 1 and 2 star reviews of the book (there are currently 2x 1 star and 8x 2 star reviews) and one person says, 'Books in the vampire genre have a lot to live up to post-Twilight.' If you go to the 3 star reviews, which is a respectable rating in my opinion, you can see one person mention that s/he had seen that it was being said this novel was better than Twilight, but for them, it didn't measure up to Twilight. As for the other 1/2 star reviews, I found them to be eloquent and reasoned their dislike very well.

Apparently preferring Twilight over his book when it comes to vampires makes them idiots.

Personally, I find the Twilight fan base a little intense (some do get a little bit irate when it comes to other vampire novels), and even though I enjoyed the books when I first read them, I can see the flaws of the Twilight saga, and in my opinion they are not great novels. But if the Twilight series, in another person's opinion, is better than another vampire novel, does that really make them idiots? And what justifies anyone putting the label 'idiot' on another person?

With that, came my response: Whilst I see where you are coming from on the Twilight front, it is still an opinion.

And I swiftly got his reply: Just as it is my opinion that I spy idiocy.

Even reading it again as I write this stuns me.

As you can see, I've kept the author in question somewhat hidden whilst I wrote this post, and if you really wanted know who it was you can find him in my Twitter timeline. I've now decided I'm going to make it all easier for you and let you all know who it is and show you the screen caps of his deleted tweets.

I'm not doing this to be vicious, even though him referring to the negative reviewers as idiots is vicious itself, and I'm even feeling guilty about it. I'm doing this because I think potential reviewers of his book should be made aware of how he feels about you, should you dislike his book- and God help you if you even mention Twilight in the review. However if you do like it, he'll probably retweet you.

The author in question is Matt Haig and his novel is The Radleys.

Yes, yet another young adult author has spoken out in a public forum before thinking about what they're saying. He did prove one of my theories wrong though; it doesn't matter how many books you've published, even the dab-hands lose their sanity for a second over negative reviews. This is Matt's 8th book, I believe.

Like I said before, I get that moment where you get fed up and have a bitch and a moan, and say things that you don't necessarily mean (although I think Matt did mean this one), but for the love of all things books, do it to your family and friends, who will sympathise with you, not to the people you're going to alienate.

I had Matt's book on my TBR list. I had even left a page open at the weekend with a list of books I was going to order this week and his was on it. Not anymore.

Once again, I must re-iterate, negative reviews don't stop me from buying a book. This behaviour, on the other hand, does.

Book Review - This is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees

2012-02-20T11:32:00.000Z

This is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: 2nd February 2012
Genre: Young Adult

Summary:

Everyone says that Caro is bad news, but Jamie can’t help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can’t believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn’t know why, but there’s no way he’s going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro.As Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is much more to Caro than he first thought. She disappears for days on end, she has small scars on her wrists, she talks about revolutions and taking action, and then there are the rumours he hears about the other men in her life.Always in the background is Rob, Jamie’s older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect . . . but that isn’t how things work out in real life and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.

I struggled with this book a little bit due to the subject matter and so I struggled to write a review that was worthy of this book. It's not that I try to bury my head in the sand about all this or I have no interest, I just find it hard to digest some of the extreme motives of the characters, which are how people are when they're involved in these situations. With that being said, it's for these exact reasons that I think Celia Rees did a fantastic job on this novel.

We follow three characters; brothers, Jamie and Rob, and Caro. The story largely stays with Jamie with a small amount from the other two to fill in the blanks of what Jamie doesn't know. I liked Jamie, he seemed to have his head screwed on somewhat. His soft spot for Caro drove me up the wall though because I reeeeally didn't like Caro. I can never relate to that kind of character- not even a teeny tiny bit. They make me nervous just reading about them- flighty, selfish and prone to trouble. But Celia did an excellent job of rounding her out to make me dislike Caro so much. Then there's Jamie- I feel he was one of those people where genetics definitely took over from nurture. Sometimes people were just born to be cruel.

Even though the plot wasn't something I would normally read, maybe because I don't understand it (even though my dad had been in the army), I kept reading without question because Celia has this wonderful ability to write about things- habits, events going on around them, people's reactions- with such ease that you could be stood with the characters as things are happening. The images are vivid with just a few words. It's incredibly natural and I love writing styles like that.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, even if it's not your usual taste. It's thought-provoking and intense, and it should be on one of those lists of books to read before you die.

Fifteen Friday/Guest Post: Celia Rees (This is Not Forgiveness Blog Tour)

2012-02-03T08:00:00.001Z

Today we have a fantastic guest on the blog today. Celia Rees has kindly taken part in my new blog post series called '15 Friday' as part of the blog tour for her new book, This is Not Forgiveness.

Celia Rees studied history at university before going on to teach English in comprehensive schools. She has used her passion for the past and her love of literature to create much-loved novels such as the highly acclaimed Witch Child and its sequel Sorceress, as well as Pirates!, Sovayand The Fool’s Girl. Her new book, This is Not Forgiveness, is available in paperback and eBook now.

Last movie watched?

The Awakening

Favourite meal?

Peking Duck

Mac or PC?

Up to now, I’ve always used a PC, but I’ve just bought a Mac.

On average, how many books do you read a year?

It’s hard to say. I read scores of books while I’m doing research. I also review and read for my own pleasure, so hundreds probably.

Left or right handed?

I’m left handed.

What would your superpower be?

Super Intellect with X Ray Vision.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee

What’s your worst habit?

Procrastination

Earliest memory?

Falling out of the pram just before I was supposed to have my photo taken.

What noise do you love/hate?

I like the sound of falling water, hate ipods/mp3s leaking tinny music on the train or the tube.

Favourite season?

Spring

Optimist or pessimist?

Pessimist

Last song you listened to?

Waterfall – Stone Roses

What 3 items would you take with you on a desert island?

Swiss Army Knife, strong twine, Ray Mears’ survival manual

If you could interview anyone from any point in time, who would it be and why?

William Shakespeare. I’d like to ask him where he got his ideas from.

Thanks Celia for stopping by for 15 Friday and thank you to Emma from Bloomsbury.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theofficialceliareesfanpage

I have 1 copy of This is Not Forgiveness to give away, just simply fill in the form below.
It's UK only and competition will close on the 8th February.
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Coffee Break - The Author-Reviewer Relationship

2012-01-05T17:53:00.000Z

Happy New Year! Bit late to the party...but that's me, late to everything. I never used to be a 'late person', however that's another coffee break moment.

So yesterday I saw a bit of drama unfold between an author and a reviewer which shocked me quite a bit. The gist of the situation was that the reviewer hadn't liked the author's book and had said as much in her review. The author felt rather hurt by this and retaliated in the form of a scathing email to friends (name-calling was involved) asking them to click on the 'no' button on Amazon to the review being helpful. The email found its way, through an anonymous source, to the said reviewer and a big status discussion started up on Goodreads.

I understand the need to vent when a bad review has gotten to an author. I don't know anyone who wouldn't throw in a few choice names as well if they were venting to friends, with the understanding the conversation wasn't going any further. What I'm stunned at is that she would then rally her friends to ruin this reviewer's Amazon ranking. However, in her view, she wasn't messing with the Amazon voting system, she just wanted the review to stop being the first thing potential readers see. Call it what you want, she was getting people to mess with the system because the review didn't fit to her liking, and that sort of behaviour I can believe my teenage nieces would do, not a grown author with children herself.

The point of this post isn't to condescend, as we've all done some things in anger that we wish we'd thought twice about, but just to ponder out loud about the situation, as this isn't the only author to have some questionable behaviour towards a reviewer. Quite a few well-known authors' names were soon thrown around with examples of their behaviour at bad reviews. The common factor with all these authors was that they all write in the Young Adult market.

I think the problem is that a wealth of book review blogs (and social networks) came about as the Young Adult market boomed. So there are a lot of Young Adult authors who are starting out in the industry to accommodate the demand for new fiction in the market and they've not got the thick skin to go with it just yet. It appears they feel the need to retaliate or 'troll' forums because most of the reviews are not from professional reviewers but from people who do this as a hobby and want to share their book experiences. This means the reviewers are easily accessible to start a 'hate campaign' against. If a review similar to this reviewer's had appeared in a newspaper or magazine by someone who was paid for their opinion, I wonder if the author would have acted in the same manner? Would any of the authors that seem to be holding a little bit of a grudge to bad reviews do what they've been doing?

When I think about the authors I read in the adult fiction market, no matter the genre, I can't name one who has reacted this way about a bad review. I've even seen them point out a bad review on Amazon and laugh about it because they know it's an opinion and their book won't be for everyone. Some have been really scathing reviews, to the point of ripping apart the book just because they can, and even then they grumble a bit and maybe ask the question why this person would have persevered with their book if they hated it so much. They certainly never went about asking them to click the 'no' button to get the review hidden.

However, I'm happy to have my eyes opened if there have been adult fiction authors who have taken part in this kind of behaviour. I just believe that they probably aren't likely to do it because they've been around longer and had a chance to grow a thick skin when they've had bad reviews from paid reviewers (who don't hold back), never mind people who do it for a hobby. I also know many Young Adult authors who take their bad reviews with a pinch of salt too, but again, they're a bit seasoned when it comes to the book industry having worked in other areas of it and know what reviewers can be like.

After all that, I just want to make it clear that I'm not ranting, or having a go, I'm just pondering the situation because as a person who likes to review books when I can and share my feelings on what I thought, it has made me nervous to continue down this path for fear of offending anyone that they think I've made it personal and then become personal with me. I wholly respect all authors. Even the ones I've had my eyes open to, because they've done something I haven't done yet- they finished their novel and got it published. But please remember, a review is an opinion, it's not right or wrong, and for every negative review, there's going to be at least ten people out there who thought the opposite. Focus on that and remember that you have a book published. In this climate too!

P.S Please ignore the strange gaps in this post, Blogger has been a nightmare for some time now when it comes to adding images to posts. And text. I can't seem to fix it no matter what I do with it.

Book Trailer: Fracture by Megan Miranda

2011-12-14T13:58:00.005Z

Fracture by Megan Miranda
Release Date: 5th January
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Young Adult

Eleven minutes might as well be eternity underwater. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definite at ten. Delaney Maxwell was underwater for eleven minutes. And she’s alive.

Note: There's an extract from the book below here, if you can't see it, then click on the title of the blog post and you can read it. Blogger apparently won't play fair with these jump breaks.
Read more »

Book Trailer & Extract: This is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees

2011-11-25T16:08:00.000Z

This is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees
Release Date: 2nd February 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: YA

Summary:

Everyone says that Caro is bad news, but Jamie can’t help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can’t believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn’t know why, but there’s no way he’s going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro.
As Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is much more to Caro than he first thought. She disappears for days on end, she has small scars on her wrists, she talks about revolutions and taking action, and then there are the rumours he hears about the other men in her life.
Always in the background is Rob, Jamie’s older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect . . . but that isn’t how things work out in real life and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.

You can now read an extract here

Book Review - A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

2011-11-24T09:50:00.000Z

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 5th November 2011
Genre: Young Adult

Summary (Goodreads):

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites; like fire and ice; Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past. In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

I didn't really know what to make of this story. I liked it, it kept me gripped enough that I whizzed through the book but...I think my issue with it were Asher and Devin and Skye's barely there strength to just say, 'I have a mind of my own, now do one.' I found the two males need to have Skye do as she's told really, really frustrating to read. In fact it's probably frustrating me more thinking back on it now because I'm reading another book where the male is doing the same thing, only worse! Anyway...

In saying that, it was well written and I loved the back story that leads up to Asher and Devin being in her life. Skye was a good protagonist, if somewhat weak whenever she was in close proximity to the boys, but at least the thought process is there of how she wishes she wasn't like that and fights it more and more.

I don't want to say too much about it as I'll give too much away about the story. You should go read it, enjoy it and then be like, 'What kind of ending was that?!' then race to check the release date for the next one!

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a story about Angels and some unique ideas of what they are, and to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of damsel-in-distress moments.

Book Review - Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

2011-11-13T22:30:00.001Z

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: 4th July 2011
Genre: YA - Paranormal/Historical Fiction

Summary (Amazon):

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts, especially since her mother has worked as a fraudulent medium for a decade. Violet has taken part in enough of her mother's tricks to feel more than a little jaded about anyhting supernatural. The ghosts, however, believe in Violet and she's been seeing them everywhere. One ghost in particular needs Violet to use her emerging gift to solve her murder ...and prevent the ghost's twin sister from suffering the same fate.

I love a good historical fiction and this one definitely didn't disappoint. It was a very different style for Harvey, but it had to be with it being set in a different time and country, and she did it so well. If you'd given me this book and My Love Lies Bleeding with no author name on it, I'd never have known it was the same person.

You meet Violet when she's first taken to a seance that her mother will be holding and realise quite quickly why Violet wouldn't believe in ghosts. Then fast forward a couple of years and Violet's on her way to a major seance with her mother, which is about the time she now starts to see ghosts. She tries to ignore them, but there's one in particular that wants her attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story worked, Violet was a good, strong character and I adored her interactions with Colin. It was nice to read a story where the most scandalous thing was a stolen kiss, which was a big no-no for the time. It was all so innocent and respectful. I should've been born in those times.

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes ghost stories and historical fiction.

NaNoWriMo - Week One is Over!

2011-11-09T09:28:00.000Z

Yes, once again I'm taking part in NaNoWriMo (hit the link to find out more at their website) and I'm determined to win this year with a good, honest book that I would consider sending off. I have won before but I wrote such twaddle just to make sure that I hit 50k that I cringe every time I think about the storyline.

My word count currently stands at just under 2k. Yes, that's right, less than 2,000 words sit in my NaNo document. But that's okay. I can do this. No, really, I think I can. The novel I'm working on, the one that I absolutely feel will get published...hopefully...maybe...anyway, it currently stands at over 50k of words with the first 25k written in three days. So I know I have it in me to get this novel done this month. It's just pinning me down and getting rid of my bad procrastination habit!

How's everyone else coming along? Hitting that word count every day? Steaming ahead? Or are you like me and know what you want to write but can't get the words down? Or maybe even the dreaded Writer's Block has hit?

Happy writing everyone!

On My Radar - November Release: YA Edition

2011-11-04T21:29:00.001Z

Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough

8th November 2011

Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

8th November 2011

Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert

12th November 2011

Eve by Anna Carey

5th November 2011

The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell

8th November 2011

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

21st November 2011

Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

24th November 2011

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

24th November 2011

On My Radar - November Release

2011-11-04T21:05:00.000Z

Breakfast at Darcy's by Ali McNamara

24th November 2011

One Minute to Midnight by Amy Silver

24th November 2011

The Anti-Model Agency by Nicky Schmidt

23rd November 2011

Christmas Magic by Cathy Kelly

10th November 2011

The Jewels of Manhattan by Carmen Reid

10th November 2011

A Gift for my Sister by Ann Pearlman

10th November 2011

The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon

10th November 2011

Home for Christmas by Cally Taylor

10th November 2011

Cover Love - Until I Die by Amy Plum

2011-10-26T09:51:00.000+01:00

Until I Die by Amy Plum
Publisher: Atom (Little, Brown imprint)
Release Date: 3rd May 2012

Summary (Amazon):

Kate may have defeated her boyfriend's nemesis, showing off her sword skills in the process, but Vincent is sure that she will be at risk as long as they stay together. What's more, it's becoming clear that their relationship might prevent him from fulfilling his true purpose: saving the lives of others. They might have the romance of the century, but will that be enough?

The cover for Until I Die was revealed this past week and already I'm in love. And what I love more is that it's in keeping with the look Die for Me had. Nothing worse than having mismatched covers for a series. I would totally have the covers as posters on my office walls.

Bout of Books Read-a-thon Take 2

2011-10-25T23:36:00.001+01:00

A bit late in the posting of this (again) but this week I'm taking part in the second Bout of Books read-a-thon over at On a Book Bender. You basically read as many books as you can in the week. It's not a race and you go at whatever speed you're comfortable with.

My goal is to read at least 7 books. I'd really like to aim for maybe 10.

The books I plan on reading are:

A Beautiful Darkness (40% remaining to read coming into the start of the read-a-thon)
Hourglass
Haunting Violet
The Replacement
The Spook's Destiny
The Iron Witch
Spook's: I am Grimalkin
The Ghost and the Goth

If I'm doing really well then I hope to tackle these:

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Past Perfect
The Perfect Hero

Monday
Books read: 0
Currently Reading: A Beautiful Dark
Pages read: 10% (It's on the Kindle)

Tuesday
Books read: 0
Currently Reading: A Beautiful Dark
Pages read: 20%

Wednesday
Books read: 1
Currently Reading: Haunting Violet
Pages read: 136 + last 10% of A Beautiful Dark

Thursday
Books read: 1
Currently Reading: Haunting Violet
Pages read: 102

Friday
Books read: 2
Currently Reading: Hourglass
Pages read: 114

Saturday
Books read: 2
Currently reading: Hourglass
Pages read: 56

Sunday
Books read: 2
Currently reading: Hourglass
Pages read: 142

31st October - update
So once again I didn't read as much as I intended to. Work was stressful this month so my mind was constantly elsewhere whilst trying to read. Maybe next time I'll actually get a book a day read. I remain ever optimistic that I can do better than this!

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-Thon Roundup

2011-10-25T22:44:00.000+01:00

Just a quick round up, and a late one at that, of my reading for the read-a-thon. When I signed up, I didn't realise that it would coincide with a trip to London, so I wasn't here to participate in the chats and whatnot with everyone else, but 4 hour car journeys means a good chunk of reading can be done. In theory. I'm distracted easily and always fall asleep at some point, even when I was perfectly wide awake not two minutes ago.

Anyway, I'm going on, my reading consisted of:

Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey (Car journey to London)

60% of A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies (Evening reading, car journey home)

So not a great deal done, but I'll be sure to check my calendar next time :D.

Waiting on Wednesday: Breakfast at Darcy's

2011-10-19T10:30:00.002+01:00

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Breakfast at Darcy's by Ali McNamara

Publisher: Sphere (Little, Brown imprint)

Release Date: 24th November

Summary (Amazon):

When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn't expect any sort of inheritance - let alone a small island. Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn't been lived on for years, but according to Molly's will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit, and she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too. Darcy has to leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, Darcy meets confident Conor and ever-grumpy Dermot - but who will make her feel really at home?

I absolutely adored From Notting Hill with Love...Actually. It's just the cutest, feel-good book and I definitely feel this one will be the same :).

Book Review - Fury by Elizabeth Miles

2011-10-13T19:41:00.000+01:00

Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: 1st September 2011
Genre: Young Adult

Summary (Amazon):

In book one of the Fury trilogy, Em Winters and Chase Singer discover that a little guilt isn't the only consequence of doing wrong. After Em hooks up with her best friend's boyfriend and Chase's secret harassment of a social outcast spirals out of control, three mysterious Furies-paranormal creatures that often assume the form of beautiful women-come to town to make sure that Em and Chase get what they deserve. Not everyone will survive-and those who do will discover there are worse punishments than death.

For some reason I didn't know what to expect from the book, and probably because I went in to it with no expectations I ended up loving it. The writing had a pace that was just right. It didn't rush through the story but it didn't drag on either. You got to know the characters and the storyline at a steady pace.

I wasn't a fan of anyone in this, but I think that's the point. These people are making mistakes that are sometimes unforgivable, except for JD, and I loved the way the Furies were showing up every so often. The way they were written just made the experience so creepy. There was even a couple of shocks that came into the book that I didn't see coming, but really, with the Furies around, anything is possible.

My only gripe with this book, and it's a personal thing more than anything, was the way the characters were for their age. Some of their actions came across as more university student than high school student. Maybe that's how today's teens are in America, probably here in the UK too, but I just felt some of the thought process and actions were those of an adult. That's just me, I never appear to be happy with the way characters behave for their age.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a bit of a scary story with a hint of Greek mythology thrown in. This very much reminded me of my Point Horror reading days- oh how I miss Point Horror!

Book Review - The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

2011-10-09T15:14:00.001+01:00

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Release Date: 2nd August 2011
Genre: Young Adult

Summary (Goodreads):

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

For some reason I had it in my head that this book was a contemporary paranormal book, so it threw me a bit when I started it to find it's historical, but I feel that made the book so much better. I love historical fiction anyway, but it's nice to read something that doesn't have all the mod-cons and teenagers worrying over shallow things.

This story was beautifully crafted, like every sentence was thought about before Schwab put it down. The creepiness was just the right amount and you could almost imagine the Near Witch story being real with it being told to children through the generations within the town.

The characters were like you could really imagine them existing at the time. They were really well-rounded with such different personalities and flaws. I loved the protagonist, Lexi- she was so strong and never gave in to anyone, even when it meant she would be in serious trouble. I wasn't sure about the strange boy, I didn't warm to him, but even he was fantastically created.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good storytelling, just like they used to be told.

Book Review - Lola and the Boy Next Door

2011-10-08T12:44:00.001+01:00

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin Imprint)
Release Date: 29th September 2011
Genre: Young Adult

Summary (Goodreads):

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

This is probably the first book in a long time that I couldn't wait for. Literally. I had it on pre-order for 6 months and when it arrived, I pushed everything else to one side and read it in about 3 hours. It definitely didn't disappoint!

I loved that Lola wasn't an Anna clone and Cricket wasn't a St. Clair clone. These very different characters and I loved them just as much with their own stories and chemistry. Though I must admit, I love Anna and St. Clair's chemistry more, but that still doesn't take away from this amazing story.

I also loved that this had some very real subject matters that people deal with every day and it wasn't all fairytale stories. They were handled really well without bringing the lightness of the book down. Not a gift many authors can get away with (Marian Keyes is the only other author off the top of my head that I can think of doing that.)

Stephanie Perkins has a writing gift. Her writing is effortless to read and has you racing through to know what happens to the characters. You feel like they're real and can relate to them all in some way. It's not often that I read a book and within the hour I'm halfway through (I'm not the fastest of readers, I just make a lot of time for books.)

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good contemporary romance- no matter what age you are!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Time of my Life

2011-09-28T13:14:00.000+01:00

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Time of my Life by Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: 13th October 2011

Summary (Amazon):

Lying on Lucy Silchester’s carpet one day when she returns from work is a gold envelope. Inside is an invitation – to a meeting with Life. Her life. It turns out she's been ignoring it and it needs to meet with her face to face.
It sounds peculiar, but Lucy’s read about this in a magazine. Anyway, she can’t make the date: she’s much too busy despising her job, skipping out on her friends friends and avoiding her family.
But Lucy’s life isn’t what it seems. Some of the choices she’s made – and stories she’s told – aren’t what they seem either. From the moment she meets the man who introduces himself as her life, her stubborn half-truths are going to be revealed in all their glory – unless Lucy learns to tell the truth about what really matters to her.
Lucy Silchester has an appointment with her life – and she’s going to have to keep it

I love Cecelia's magical themes in her novels. So can't wait for this one!

Book Review - How to be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith

2011-09-26T17:47:00.001+01:00

How to be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: 26th May 2011
Genre: Creative Journaling

Summary (Amazon):

Artists and scientists analyze the world around them in surprisingly similar ways, by observing, collecting, documenting, analyzing, and comparing. In this captivating guided journal, readers are encouraged to explore their world as both artists and scientists.
The mission Smith proposes? "To document and observe the world around you. As if you've never seen it before. Take notes. Collect things you find on your travels. Document findings. Notice patterns. Copy. Trace. Focus on one thing at a time. Record what you are drawn to."
With a series of interactive prompts and a beautifully hand-illustrated two-colour package, readers will enjoy exploring and discovering the world through this gorgeous book.

How to be an Explorer of the World needs more than one review to show how fantastic this book is! Just like with Finish This Book I'll be doing a few reviews of my progress.

Keri Smith is the master of encouraging you to see things you usually wouldn't see in life. Just flicking through this book I wanted to race out and start doing everything she tells me to do in it.

There are 59 exploration ideas/activities from creating a survey and documenting peoples answers to experimenting with different items as a writing utensil. It takes you out of your box and makes you think like a child again, when creativity had no boundaries.

You're highly encouraged to write/draw/paint in the book and glue things you've collected in to it. I love this idea, but I have such a bad notebook obsession that I couldn't help but open up a new one for my 'explorations'. For me, that means I can keep coming back to some of the ideas and do them again, but some people might prefer to just throw caution to the wind and get stuck in gluing everything you find into the pages of the book. Whatever floats your boat.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is ready to be a child again and start exploring the things in the world we'd forgotten to look closely at. Join me in exploring as I add more and more posts on here!

Waiting on Wednesday: Silence

2011-09-21T13:00:00.002+01:00

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: 4th October 2011 (UK)

Summary (Goodreads):

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Patch. Nora. Angels. That's all.

Book Review - Finish This Book by Keri Smith

2011-09-21T12:39:00.001+01:00

Finish This Book by Keri Smith
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: 6th September 2011
Genre: Creative Journalling

Dear Reader,
One dark and stormy night, I found some strange scattered pages abandoned in a park...
I collected and assembled them, trying to solve the mystery of this unexpected discovery, and I am now passing the task on to you.
Your mission is to become the new author of this work. You will continue the research and provide the content. In order to complete the task, you will have to undergo some secret intelligence training, which I have included in this volume.
Since no one knows what lies ahead, please proceed with caution, but know...
This book does not exist without you.
Yours truly,Keri Smith

This book is not one you can review in one go. So this is the start of a few reviews for this one.

Finish This Book is something for all those people who never really grew up. You have to start from the beginning and not skip ahead. Throughout the book, you'll become a detective of sorts and explore your world like a child would.

Throughout the book you make observations, notes and create secret codes- and yes, you write in the book. I know, right?! As a person who can't even break the spine of a book when reading, this took some getting used to, but it's so much fun once you get going.

Now what I've said isn't much about the book, because it needs more than one post to really get the idea of how it works. So I'll be updating every so often with progress on how I'm getting on. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to be a child for a few hours and unleash their creativity. The beauty of it is that you don't have to be amazingly good at anything creative- just do, don't think.

So I have my coffee, some of my favourite pens and now I'm going to continue with my ~~exploring~~ detection of the world. There's a mystery out there and it needs solving! Go get this book, guys and join me!

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweetly

2011-09-14T12:09:00.000+01:00

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Release Date: 6th October 2011

Summary (Amazon):

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch-like monster in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too. When their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out as teens, they stumble upon a sleepy Southern town and are invited to stay with Sophia Kelly at her sweet shop. Sophia moulds candied magic: coveted treats that inspire confidence, bravery, and passion. Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel finally start to forget their haunted past - until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel, who gives Gretchen a reason to fear Sophia: girls have been vanishing at Sophia's annual chocolate festival, taken by the insatiable 'witch' of Gretchen's nightmares. Can Gretchen save herself, the girls of Live Oak, and Sophia? Of one thing, Gretchen is certain: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

I really enjoyed Sisters Red and I have a weakness for fairytales retold, so I definitely can't wait to get my hands on this one.

Top 100 YA Books

2011-09-10T14:41:00.000+01:00

I've seen this on quite a few blogs today and I can never resist going through it myself. No one seems to be sure where this is from, but I can agree with most of these being there :).

Bold means I've read it.
Italics means I own it, but have not read it yet.
Bold italics means I have read it and own it.

Alex Finn – Beastly
Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
Ally Condie – Matched
Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
John Green – Looking for Alaska
John Green – Paper Towns
Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
M.T. Anderson – Feed
Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Mary Ting – Crossroads
Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Meg Rosoff – How I live now
Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
Neal Shusterman – Unwind
Neil Gaiman – Coraline
Neil Gaiman – Stardust
Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)
Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3, 4)
Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
Stephanie Meyer – The Host
Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

Not read as much as I thought. I need to remedy this.