Gripped into Books

New books released this March

2012-03-01T00:00:00.003Z

A new month brings new books!

Now in this March 2012, many thrilling books have been released, sitting in the bookstores waiting for people like you and me to pick up and indulge!

Here they are...

(All titles linked to Goodreads)

March 1st

The Witch of Turlingham Academy by Ellie Boswell

Bunheads by Sophie Flack
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor

Raising Demons by Rachel Hawkins

Forgiven by Jana Oliver

Pariah by David Jackson
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

The Look by Sophia Bennett

Moonsong by L.J Smith

March 5th

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

March 28th

The Pledge by Kimberley Derting

What books do you want to read or need to read?

(NOTE: These are UK releases!)

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

2012-02-28T19:45:00.002Z

Saving June
by Hannah Harrington

Pages: 322
Release Date: November 22nd 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Source: Onilne ebook
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the eBook: Amazon UK | Amazon US

‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’
Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.
When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.
Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.
Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

My Thoughts
I struggled writing Saving June as a proper review. After hours of thought, I decided to take a different approach. And here I am, my thoughts as a letter. As this the best way I can completely express my ~~feelings~~ devotion.

Dear Hannah Harrington,

I have not the faintest idea where to begin but first, to express my need to say OH MY FRICKIN DAYS, you are amazing! Saving June is simply amazing. It's heartfelt, bewildering, outstanding and I am completely and undeniably in love with it.

Oh, the characters! I love how Harper's issues made her a stronger person. How she knew she could rely on her best friend Laney to do anything and go anywhere for her. But mostly, I'm thankful for Jake.

The events are simple yet extraordinary.
With settings as beautiful as the elegance of writing.
Saving June is just...
Uplifting.
Imaginative.
A M A Z I N G.

Thank you for blessing readers with this book.
I cannot possibly thank you enough.

Yours infinitely thankful,
Mia

ABC Reading Challenge: February GIVEAWAY!

2012-02-26T10:54:00.002Z

Here's to another month to the ABC reading challenge! For those of you that are unaware, it's where you read a book that begins with each letter of the alphabet from A-Z. Yes, I realise books starting with X Y or Z will be near to impossible to find but try your best! And if you do manage to hit 26 books, you're just awesome and you may just win a fabulous prize! More details of the challenge can be found here.

And here's the video April made for the challenege:

Now, for this month of February another giveaway is being held. You know you want to grab your hands on the prize... This time, it's held by the wonderful Cicely at Cicely Loves Books. To be able to have a chance to enter you need first be a participant of this challenge. To this you have to sign up for the challenge at this link.

After you've signed up just go over and fill in the form! But if you're already a participant just go ahead and fill in the form...

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the March giveaway. It would be better if you follow by email so you don't miss it! Happy reading :)

Blog Tour: J D Sharpe, Author of Oliver Twisted recommends must reads for Teens!

2012-02-24T10:19:00.008Z

Oliver Twisted
by J D Sharpe

Pages: 274
Release Date: --/--/2012
Publisher: Egmont Books

“FLESH, the woe-begotten moaned at Oliver, baring teeth which were ragged and black. “FLESH,” came another moan, and he turned to see two more woe-begottens behind. They began to shuffle towards him, barefoot – toes blue from cold, arms outstretched. The world according to Oliver Twisted is simple. Vampyres feed on the defenceless. Orphans are sacrificed to hungry gods. And if a woe-begotten catches your scent it will hunt you for ever. When a talking corpse reveals that Oliver will find his destiny in London, he sets out to seek the truth. Even if it means losing his soul.

Hi, it's great to be here on Grippedintobooks, thanks for having me! As my guest post today, I’ve been asked to recommend some teen reads.

When I started to think about this, I realised that many of the books I wanted to recommend were books that I read and loved as a teenager. I think the reason for this is that books we read when we are young have a way of shaping us and our reading tastes in ways that can’t really be appreciated until we are older.

So here are some of the teen books that shaped my reading DNA. First up is Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. This book had a huge influence on my understanding of the world and people when I was a teenager. I almost did a philosophy degree because of it! I love this story for its clarity yet complexity and urge you to have a read – you won’t see the world in the same way afterwards, I promise.

Next is the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I read the books and listened to the radio plays and loved them both but for different reason. I’ve chosen these books for their sheer delight in the English language, general silliness and its cast of crazy characters.

I was a huge fan of Lois Duncan when I was younger. She wrote Stranger with My Face and I Know What You Did Last Summer. These were fab thrillers that would stick to your fingers as you raced through the pages.

And lastly, Judy Blume was another big favourite of mine. There was something amazingly honest and comforting about her writing. It’s exactly what you need when you’re a teenage girl trying to figure out the world.

So these are some of the books that shaped my reading DNA as a teenager but here are some more recent teen books that you should definitely add to your reading double helix if you haven’t encountered them yet!

Genesis by Bernard Beckett. This is an extraordinary book that fuses the exploration of complex ideas with fantastic thriller elements. The ending of this book bothered me massively but for all the right reasons.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. This book held me like a vice from the beginning and didn’t let me go once. The story is relentless and I felt exhausted by the end of it, battered even, but I loved every moment. Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes. I read this with my book group and it really divided us. I absolutely adored it though and a lot of that is to do with the characters. I think the Rat is one of the most engaging, unique characters in children’s fiction –she’s one in a million.

15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins. I should admit right off the bat that I am the editor of this book and I’m mighty proud of that fact! Dave Cousins is a phenomenal new talent and 15 Days Without a Head will have you crying, laughing and wanting more. Happy reading....

Thank you J D for this interesting post! I haven't read any of these, so I really need to add them to my TBR list! And don't forget to add Oliver Twisted too :)

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

2012-02-21T16:21:00.002Z

The One That I Want
by Jennifer Echols

Pages: 320
Release Date: February 7th 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Online eBook
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the eBook: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken. Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?

My Thoughts
Somebody should kick me! Why have I waited so long to read a book by Jennifer Echols? No, Wait. It's not even that. I did read Forget you (which I loved just so know you). So the real question is, why after loving a book so so much by Jennifer Echols did I not grab another one of her books straight away?

Okay I'll spare you the answer but at least now you know you should if you haven't already, start reading something if anything by this amazing women.

We meet Gemma and when there's Gemma there's Addison. Her 'best friend' and so we are told. She's the very reason of the huge complication in this book. God. She's SO ANNOYING and ruins everything. And then comes Max and Conor. Ahhhhh Max! Anyways, things start to get really interesting.

You know what else is interesting... oh and pretty cool? It's this entire majorette idea that's brought in too. It's just this awesome dance that involves twirling around batons. Echols description of the routines never fails to please me!

Oh and she sure knows how to suffice my romance crave. Especially hot kissing ;)
Now to just fulfill my Jennifer Echols crave...

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

2012-02-17T17:15:00.000Z

The Future of Us

by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Pages: 356
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the eBook: Amazon UK | Amazon US

It's 1996 and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Facebook will not be invented for several more years. Emma just got a computer and an America Online CD-ROM with 100 free hours. When she and her best friend Josh log on to AOL they discover themselves on Facebook... fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what life has in store for them.
Josh and Emma are about to find out.

My Thoughts

It's no surprise I was excited to read this book! Being a Facebook fanatic and one of those people that has to check their Facebook constantly multiple amounts of the day, I just knew that I simply had to read it. It was about Facebook for goodness sake! I was very curious to see how Asher and Mackler would present us with Facebook at a time when no one knew of it's existence!

Emma and Josh are two teenagers that happened to stumble across this CD ROM that displayed something called Facebook. You can understand their perplexity when they found out about this at a time where technology was very limited and what's even more that it may relate to future events. Their future.

Emma. Emma. Emma. Two words. Annoying and whiny. Like, get a grip Emma! I wonder what Josh saw in her. But you should know that Josh is the best. I have no problems with him.

Asher and Mackler have made a seriously good plot here. It's interesting and something you can definitely get into. The things is, I liked reading it but I didn't love it. I just really think the plot could have been developed more and there were many times where there were good openings but then the idea gets dismissed!

Nevertheless, a good read and although The Future of Us didn't grab my entire liking I'm sure many of you guys would completely love it.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

2012-02-10T10:53:00.003Z

Everneath
by Brodi Ashton

Pages: 370
Release Date: February 2nd 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the eBook: Amazon

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smouldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My Thoughts
Everneath revolves around the story of Persephone and Hades. I've read one other book before alike to the concept and hence being very familiar with it all. So as I had foreseen, I completely loved reading this book. I just knew Everneath would be just as beautiful and just as simple as the cover.

We meet Nikki who's life has turned upside down with her one wrong choice that left her in the Underworld. Poor Nikki. But as always there's always someone who rubs the salt on the wound. Cole. Don't even get me started on him. As alluring and hot he may be, he just is not worth rambling about. And then there's Jack. The guy that Beck had come back for. For six months. Six months she has to say goodbye properly.

Everneath starts up with Nikki and Cole. So you'll understand why I was drawn to him at first seeing as he's the first guy we meet but whatever. Nikki knows what she wants and what she's doing and that's what I like about her. She understands how her actions have affected the ones she love and she just has to make it right some how. Like with her family, her dad and Timmy. She really makes an effort. I love reading about those moments as they're just particularly sincere.

There's a roller coaster of events and so the events are truly interesting. I loved being in that suspense of what would happen next and how the story would end. Ashton has given us an alluring and brilliant read. Now, I so eager to read the book that follows!

New books released this February

2012-02-03T11:09:00.000Z

A new month brings new books!

Now in this February 2012, many thrilling books have been released, sitting in the bookstores waiting for people like you and me to pick up and indulge!

Here they are...

(All titles linked to Goodreads)

1st February 2012

The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

February 2nd 2012

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan

Advent by James Treadwell

To Be a Cat by Matt Haig

This Is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

After the Snow by S. D. Crockett

Kiss Date Love Hate by Luisa Plaja

Fallen In Love by Lauren Kate

Legend by Marie Lu

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney
Divergent by Veronica Roth

7th February 2012

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

21st February 2012

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

28th February 2012

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Partials by Dan Wells

What books do you want to read or need to read?

(NOTE: These are UK releases!)

Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-31T11:40:00.003Z

Tempest
by Julie Cross

Pages: 432
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the eBook: Amazon

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveller. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

My Thoughts
BAAAM! We’re talking time travel here. Not the easiest idea to write about and make sure the readers understand where you’re coming from. Yet, Julie Cross has aced it completely. Tempest is a very enjoyable read. It not amazing but it sure has me craving for more.
Jackson can time travel. It’s totally different to our judgement of time travel and pretty cool. We’ll it would be wouldn’t it... time travel people! So then Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, go through a really bad experience with some bad people. Jackson doesn’t have a clue in what to do and just runs away or rather runs back... back in time. This time however, he can’t get back.

Both Holly and Jackson are amazing characters. They make the book interesting- especially whenever they’re around each other. Talking of interesting, Adam is sure that too! He’s Jackson’s best friend and my favourite character out of the entire book! A cute science geek that’s extremely intelligent, how could I resist? You’d think I’d love the moments between Holly and Jackson the most but noooo. It has to be whenever Jackson’s sister, Courtney was in the picture. It is seriously cute and real and heartfelt.

The action was okay. There was excitement and the feeling of what on earth is going to happen next, but sometimes it just didn’t click. Tempest was however, very very very cool to read.

And now, I have come to a conclusion...
1. Time travel is so underrated
2. Julie Cross rocks my socks
3. I want the movie! And I want it now! :D

Blog Tour: Cynthia Hand dishes her thoughts on Angels!

2012-01-26T11:55:00.003Z

Unearthly

by Cynthia Hand

Pages: 403
Release Date: January 2nd 2012
Publisher: Egmont Books
Buy the Book: Amazon

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.
Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

As part of the Hallowed blog tour, the lovely Cynthia Hand has written an exciting post on Angels. What's fun and what's hard about writing about them. Hmmm, Lets find out shall we?

The Angel Angle:

What’s fun and what’s hard about writing about angels

I started writing about angels by accident. When the idea of Unearthly first came to me, I knew that Clara was special in some way, that she had powers and abilities beyond that of a regular human being. But I didn’t know what she was, exactly. None of the run-of-the-mill paranormal creatures seemed to fit.

She definitely wasn’t a vampire, or a werewolf, or a fairy, I knew that. I wanted her to feel like a normal teenager, with a tiny element of the extraordinary. It was a real dilemma, trying to figure Clara out, until from some distant corner of my brain, I remembered a passage in the Bible I once read about the “sons of God” and the “daughters of man”: the Nephilim, the offspring of angels and men. This was perfect, I realised immediately. It meant that Clara wasn’t a supernatural creature so much as she was a human with a touch of the divine thrown in. I also loved the way that the angel angle learnt a whole new layer of moral and spiritual questions that Clara would be forced to deal with. The idea of destiny is hard enough, but the idea of destiny when you find out that you’re part angel? Brutal.

That’s what we call a goldmine, fiction-wise.

Here’s what else is fun about writing about angels:

• There’s a wellspring of rich, textured mythology that a writer can draw from, not only in the Christian religion, but in many other religions, far and wide. I do loads of research for every book I write, which is huge fun; I dig research. For Unearthly I did a lot of investigation into the idea of the Nephilim, taking the elements of that mythology that I liked and making up the rest. In Hallowed I went more in depth into specific characters, and researched the characters of Semyaza (Samjeeza) and Michael in angel mythology, in particular. There’s so much good stuff out there to work with, and I ended up using only the smallest tip of the massive iceberg of angel mythology, but as a writer it’s awesome to have so much to draw on.
• Angels are beautiful. When you write about angels you get to write about wings and flying off into the wild blue yonder, seeing the world from above. I’ve always loved the idea of flight, so this was great for me. Angel mythology also deals with the contrast of light and dark, the halo around the angel’s head-- comae celestis, as Angela calls it (a Latin phrase I mangled to make suit my purposes), the idea of glory, flaming swords and arrows, all good stuff as far as imagery goes.

• There’s a sense of redemption and hope that’s implied in angel mythology, of falling from grace and being redeemed. I love this dynamic. The stakes are naturally higher in fiction about angels, since it is not only the body at stake, but the soul. The problems that Clara faces always operate on two separate but intertwined levels for me: the surface problem, i.e., someone I love is going to die and that is going to suck, a lot, and the spiritual problem-- is it my fault that this person is going to die? Am I being punished? Can I fix it? Stop it? Am I supposed to accept my fate or fight it? All good questions that lead to good storytelling.

But writing about angels also has its pitfalls. Sometimes I feel like I am a tightrope walker when I write, struggling to balance as I slowly and carefully follow the line of my story across a high wire. Here’s what’s hard about it:

•People will think it’s too religious. It’s very difficult to extract angels from the idea of God. I didn’t try to do that; I wanted Clara to live in a world where there is a definitive God, but I also wanted my story to be friendly to people who didn’t believe in God or people who believed in vastly different things than I do. I am not a preacher, and I don’t have any kind of religious agenda underneath my writing, but because of the subject matter there are always going to be people who think I am trying to influence them, religiously speaking, and who are going to resist my story because of that.

•People will think it’s not religious enough. I’ve found that there are actually more people who are offended that Clara doesn’t go to a specific church than there are people who are offended that Clara believes in God. To which I can only say, I didn’t want Clara to ascribe to a particular religion because I wanted the book to be friendly to people of all religions (see what I said above about not being a preacher), and because I wanted the spiritual questions of the book to operate under the surface, not on the surface. If you’re religious I think my books can work on a different, metaphorical level, but I don’t want to shove the reader’s face in it.

•People will think your characters should be perfect. This is similar to what I wrote about above, but it works in a different way. There’s an argument that’s made that if Clara is part-angel and therefore a representative of the divine, she shouldn’t make mistakes. She shouldn’t act selfishly or complain too much or consider doing things that a fine upstanding angelic being shouldn’t do. But this would make for very dull fiction, in my opinion. Characters need flaws, and those flaws, those conscientious mistakes, are what produce the kind of conflict that drives a good story. I don’t want Clara to be a representative of the divine. I want her to be a realistic, flawed-but-growing person. I want her to be wrestling with the idea of the divine inside of her. I want her to make mistakes, sometimes huge mistakes, that have both real and metaphorical consequences.

Sigh. Sometimes I think it would have been easier to write about vampires.

But that brings me back to one of the best things about writing about angels, which is that it’s a thought-
provoking subject. It’s something people can interpret a bunch of different ways, and argue about, and feel passionate about, and have complicated reactions to, based on their individual notions of
spirituality and history.

Which. I happen to think, is the best kind of subject matter there is.

An amazing post right? A great insight into the mind of Cynthia! A great big thank you to Cynthia for this post...

Let us know your thoughts!

Fated by Sarah Alderson

2012-01-25T11:04:00.003Z

Fated
by Sarah Alderson

Pages: 320
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Buy the Book: Amazon

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?
When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.
But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.
If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Read FATED!

1. It's by Sarah Alderson Guys! Come on!
I was instantly WOWed by her debut novel Hunting Lila not only that but Fated definitely went on my hit list too. You have just gotta love her writing. It's so believable and amazing.

2. LUUUUCCCCAAAASSSS :D
The main hottie! Ahhhhh he's so hot. Seriously, I love reading about him. He's one of the main reasons I carried on reading. Evie is a lucky girl! Though, I'm more head over heels on Alex from Hunting Lila. So that shows you should so so read Hunting Lila too. OK!

3. A hot hot hot romance.
Lucas and Evie! You can see the chemistry. It is going and going. Evie is one lucky girl and a hell of a protagonist too. Ohh, Can't miss a good romance can you now?

4. Shapeshifters. Demons. Vampires. Do I need to say any more?
Talk about a whole lot of paranormalcy! And when there's paranormals there's always some kick ass. You got it! Action that reaches you to the very core. So exhilarating and especially when there's some Lucas involved. *sigh*

5. The whole 'I love you but I have to kill you' idea!
This never gets old does it! Like come on, just sitting there and reading and seeing how everything would progress. Do they kill each other? What happens! The uncertainty kills you. I was most definitely on my toes with Fated you never knew what was going to happen.

Character Interview: Fated by Sarah Alderson

2012-01-14T16:49:00.005Z

Fated

by Sarah Alderson

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it? When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends. If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

Evie, how does it feel being a kick ass demon hunter?
Let's see - high odds of being eviscerated, drained, burnt, clawed or sliced to death, no boyfriends, no future, no choice whatsoever, limited travel opportunities unless I want to travel to other realms and no job benefits other than an endless supply of bullets. How do you think it feels?

But to answer your question, I'd rather be a kick ass one than a lame one.

Lucas, let's just say that you weren't a half human, half shadow warrior that worked for the Brotherhood. What do you believe you would have been working as instead?
I'd be working with horses, probably on a ranch somewhere.

What do you both like the best in each other?
L: Like you said, she's kick ass. Like no other.
E: He has so much belief - in the choices he makes, in me, in us. He never chooses the easy way, always the right way.

Spill the beans, Lucas! How many girlfriends have you had?
A few. Nothing long-term so strictly speaking I'm not sure they count as girlfriends. I moved around a lot when I was growing up and was training too hard to think about girls. Before Evie and just before I joined the Brotherhood I dated a friend of my sister's, back in LA. It was short lived, seeing how she was a Sybll and could see everything coming. Including me breaking up with her.

How does it feeling knowing your lives won't be the same as before?
L: Sometimes you have to choose the path that isn't the easiest but you know is the right one to take. And right here, by Evie's side is where I'm meant to be. I was always going to die - being in the Brotherhood you get used to that fact pretty fast, but at least now I know exactly what I'm dying for. Is it worth it? Yes. It will end this war.

E: It took a while to get over that - to come to terms with being a Hunter and then with what Lucas did. Now we're committed to this ..thing - but finally I feel like I get to choose and that I can actually make a difference. And he's here - Lucas is with me. It makes it easier.

Let's go behind the scenes! What do you think Sarah has in store for both of you?
Knowing Sarah I'd say it's a safe bet that we'll be encountering a lot more unhumans in the near future and we'll be kicking their asses. I hear tell that there's a whole new host of characters headed our way - both good and bad - as well as some favourite old ones (the few that are still alive) showing up to make trouble. There's even rumours of rogue Hunters who may be able to help us, if only we can find them. Also, Lucas should be prepared to reconnect with family. But we're also guessing that this path we're on isn't going to run too straight - we might need to prepare our goodbyes.

Hmmm. It sure ends in an ominous note. I don't want to see any characters leave! Okay so you guys have to read Fated, now right? My review will be posted very soon so make sure you look out for it! Also, a big big thank you to Sarah for stopping by!

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

2012-01-11T15:14:00.006Z

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith

Pages: 240
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Headline
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy the eBook: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

My Thoughts
You know that gut wrenching feeling you get when there's such an amazing meal right in front of you, that looks so delicious, so appealing and smells so uplifting that you can't possibly wait to get into it? All you want to do is pick each bite as slowly as possible savouring the taste and simply willing it to last forever though at the very same time you can not wait to finish it entirely so that you can sit there in complete satisfaction and let your thoughts revolve around just how GOOD really it was.

You got it! This is exactly like what I got before I read TSPLFS, as I was reading TSPLFS and after I read TSPLFS. Doesn't this just show my complete adoration and affection for this completely awesome, awesome book? I didn't believe I would love this book so much.

It's a completely normal story. Nothing special but the way it was written was oh so very special. We meet Hadley and Oliver, two people that meet at a airport and spill their worries of their life and talk about everything. In this 24 hour journey we get to see how everything is not about love at sight, how fast relationships can progress and how much we crave for everything to go to our liking.

Hadley has a great personality. She’s a fun character but let’s forget about her and move on to... how I love Oliver! He's just so real you know. No perfect smoochness. With problems of his own, insecurity, he has genuine and real feelings. Don’t see that much often in YA now do we? OMG. He’s British too. SWOON. I wanted so much more of Oliver. More of Hadley. More of Hadley and Oliver together! Though TSPLFS was just so freckin short. I’m talking about 240 pages dude :O

What else is there to say than just go buy the book. Really, experience it all for your self. Oh and one more thing... I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. In case you didn't know already :D

Angel by L.A Weatherly

2012-01-10T12:00:00.001Z

Angel
by L.A Weatherly

Pages: 506
Release Date: October 1st 2010
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Buy the ebook: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Angels are all around us: beautiful, awe-inspiring, irresistible.
Ordinary mortals yearn to catch a glimpse of one of these stunning beings and thousands flock to The Church of Angels to feel their healing touch.
But what if their potent magnetism isn't what it seems?
Willow knows she's different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars.
Willow has a gift. She can look into people's futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. But she has no idea where she gets this power from.
Until she meets Alex…
Alex is one of the few who know the truth about angels. He knows Willow's secret and is on a mission to stop her.
The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible.
In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

My Thoughts
Angel is an awesome book! Seriously. I didn't think that I'll like it much so you can tell I sure was surprised. It was everything I could of asked for in a YA book! Kick ass action not forgetting a hot romance that can't be missed with a forbidden edge.

In Angel, angels are not what we really think they are. Here, they're the bad guys! Seriously. However, Williow is part angel and so she's got some powers within her. Something that can prove to be dangerous and so attracting others. In other words, ALEX! And so the fun begins...

The main reason I was uncertain with Angel was the whole idea with angel's not actually being good. It was quite confusing at the start. I didn't really get everything but eventually it picked up so I enjoyed reading it. It was really different and gave a whole new edge to the book.

With Williow, you can tell she's totally different from everyone else. I enjoyed reading about her but not as much as I enjoyed reading about Alex. Brooding Alex. Hmmmm. He made the story so much lively. And I always love a good romance and we definitely get some of that here. Their conflicting relationship proves to be even better. Very exciting!

The action is also exciting and enthralling. I hate the bad guys. Well, that's bound to happen. Duh. Hats off to Weatherly she surely has me greatly anticipating the sequel. Angel Fire!

In My Mailbox (36)

2012-01-08T09:55:00.001Z

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a great way to showcase the books you've gotten over the week, whether they are bought, borrowed or free.

I haven't done a IMM for quite a while, so there will be a quite a few books seeing as they're books for an entire month. Anyways, here's what I received!

Review

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Raising Demons by Rachel Hawkins

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Caroyln Mackler

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

Tempest by Julie Cross (ARC)

This is not forgiveness by Celia Rees (ARC)

Wonder by R.J Palacio (ARC)

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin (ARC)

Crossed by Ally Condie

Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie

Oliver Twisted by J D Sharpe

Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly

What did you get in your mailbox?

Blog Tour: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler exclusive content!

2012-01-06T17:24:00.003Z

The Future of Us

by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Pages: 356
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

It's 1996 and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Facebook will not be invented for several more years. Emma just got a computer and an America Online CD-ROM with 100 free hours. When she and her best friend Josh log on to AOL they discover themselves on Facebook... fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what life has in store for them.
Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Chapter 5
Emma

“HEY,” JOSH SAYS, pushing open my door. I look up from my bed. He’s standing at the edge of my room, holding the spare key we hide under a rock by the garage. It has a Scooby-Doo keychain that lights up when you press the nose.

“Sorry I took so long. My parents made me load the dishwasher.” Josh pushes his hands into his pockets. “So what’s going on? You found something bad?”

I’m worried if I open my mouth I’ll start crying again. As it is, Josh already looks uncomfortable being up here. It’s kind of sad, because we always used to be there for each other. He went on so many bike rides with me when my parents were splitting up. That was back in fifth grade. When Josh broke his leg skating, I hung out in his back-yard even though everyone we knew was swimming at Crown Lake. Josh sat with me at my mom’s wedding last September, pinching my arm every time I succumbed to inappropriate giggles. And here he is again, yet things feel like they’ll never be as easy between us as they once were.

“I was able to get back to that website,” I say, wiping my eyes. “Only it was different.”I catch Josh glancing at the wilted roses on my dresser. Graham gave them to me before prom, when we were taking photos in my yard. I make a mental note to chuck them as soon as Josh leaves.

“It still says Emma Nelson Jones went to Lake Forest High,” I say, “and it’s still says ‘Facebook’ at the top. No matter where you click, it always says that.”

“Do you think Facebook is the name of her company?” Josh asks.

Maybe.” But that’s not the point. The point is what the website says about her. Thinking about it makes my

chest hurt.

“Emma, you still don’t know what this thing is, or whether it’s even real,” Josh says. “Somebody’s probably just screwing with—”

“No, they’re not!” I sit up and touch the necklace resting against my collarbone. “Emma Nelson Jones was wearing this necklace in her photo.”

Josh looks at the gold chain I always wear, with the del-icate E pendant dangling from it. “The woman’s name is Emma,” he says. “What other letter would she put on her necklace?”

“And she said it’s Thursday, May nineteenth.”

Josh’s forehead wrinkles in confusion.

“Today is Sunday, May nineteenth,” I say. “That means she’s writing all this from another year where May nine-teenth is a Thursday.”

Josh shakes his head. “If someone is trying to prank you, they would’ve thought of all that.”

“But everything was different! When I checked just now, it was a brand new picture of Emma. And there were different people saying things to her. You think all that could change with one corrupted CD-ROM? Don’t you get it? This thing . . . Facebook, or whatever it’s called . . . it’s from the future.”

Josh sets the key chain on my desk and sits down. When he jiggles the mouse, the brick wall disappears and everything’s right where I left it, with Emma Nelson Jones writing about macaroni and cheese.

“Why does it say she has three hundred and twenty friends?” Josh asks. “Who has that many friends?”

“Scroll down,” I say, peering over his shoulder.

Emma Nelson Jones You know why I need comfort food? JJJ hasn’t come home for three nights. His trip was only supposed to last one day. I feel hopeless.

12 minutes ago · Like

Josh looks up at me. “Who’s JJJ?”

“My husband. Jordan Jones Junior. The guy with the fish. I never say why he hasn’t come home, but obviously I’m suspicious. When I saw that, it made me sick.”

Josh rubs his forehead with the tips of his fingers. “Maybe he went on another fishing trip.”

“keep reading,” I say, reaching past Josh for the mouse.

Emma Nelson Jones

Hit my sixth month of unemployment. They say it’s the economy, but I’m starting to believe it’s me. Thirty-one is too young to have a failed career.

Tuesday at 9:21am · Like · Comment

“Thirty-one,” Josh says. “So this is supposed to be fifteen years from now.”

I point to the next sentence.

Emma Nelson Jones

Can’t even afford a decent therapist.

Monday at 8:37pm · Like · Comment

Josh turns to me. “I can’t believe she’s writing these things.”

“Not she,” I say. “Me.”

“Why would anyone say this stuff about themselves on the Internet? It’s crazy!”

“Exactly,” I say. “I’m going to be mentally ill in fifteen years, and that’s why my husband doesn’t want to be

around me.”

Josh leans back in the chair and crosses his arms against his chest. When he does that, he looks like his brother. I haven’t seen David since last year, but he was always a fun person to have in the neighbourhood. Guys wanted him to be their older brother, and girls had a crush on him.

“Listen, Emma. I think . . .” Josh says, but then he pauses.

“Just say it.”

Josh points toward the screen. “We don’t know for sure who Emma Nelson Jones is or what we’re looking at. But even if it’s real, you’re still reading a lot between the lines.”

The front door closes. Josh and I jump back from the computer.

“Emma?” my mom calls. “Marty says he locked the door when we left, but—”

“It’s okay,” I shout. “Josh is here, that’s all.”

“Are you ready to help us get email addresses?” she asks.

“Can we have another minute? Josh is helping me find something . . . an assignment.”

“That’s fine,” my mom says. I hear her footsteps climbing the stairs. “But you need to finish up soon. It’s a school night.”

She cannot see this. I reach over and click the X on the top right corner of the screen. The cheerful voice chimes, “Goodbye!” My mom walks by, waving as she continues on to her bedroom. Josh picks up the Scooby-Doo key chain. He stops in the doorway and looks back at me.

“What is it?” I ask.

“I don’t think you should look at this thing alone,” he says. “It’s either a mean prank or it’s . . .”

I feel the tears coming on again.

“Let’s make a deal to only look at it together,” he says.

“So you’ll come over again?” I ask. “You don’t mind?”

Josh stares at the key chain in his hand, pressing the Scooby nose on and off. “No, it’s cool.”

“How about tomorrow? After track.”

“That’s fine,” Josh says. “Maybe Tyson and I will even stop by the meet.”

I smile for the first time all evening. Last year, Josh used to come to all my home meets just to wave and cheer me on. It makes me want to be honest and tell him what else I saw on the website, before he came over. But I can’t bring myself to say it. I look down at my new white carpet. What I saw would make things even more awkward between us. And for one night, I want to feel like things can be normal again.

“What is it?” Josh asks.

I’ll have to tell him eventually. “Tomorrow,” I say, “we should see if you have one of those web pages, too.”
--

I haven't read The Future of Us! Though, after reading this extract I sure want to. What do you think? Oh and don't forget to stop by The Story Siren on the 8th January for the next part of the blog tour!

Cover Alert: Insurgent by Veronica Roth!

2012-01-03T18:48:00.002Z

Guys! The INSURGENT cover! *happy dance*

I love both the US covers for Divergent and Insurgent so I was really excited to discover how the UK ones will look!

As soon as I saw the cover, I instantly thought ' The US cover is waaaaaay better' because it is. That's what I think anyways. Not that I don't like this one. I DO! It's really pretty. Especiallyy with all the purple, and I believe that's Tris but anyhow I lover her stance. And look at those burnt leaves, how pretty! Divergent and Insurgent look alike too.

What do you think?

New books released this January

2012-01-02T17:10:00.001Z

A new month brings new books!

Now in this new year of January 2012, many thrilling books have been released, sitting in the bookstores waiting for people like you and me to pick up and indulge!

Here they are...

(All titles linked to Goodreads)

January 2nd

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

January 5th 2012

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Tempest by Julie Cross
Fracture by Megan Miranda

Stolen Away by Alexandra Harvey

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Crossing Over by Anna Kendall

The Future of Us by Jay Asher

Fated by Sarah Alderson

Night School by C J Daugherty

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Blink and Caution by Tim Wyne Jones

What books do you want to read or need to read?

(NOTE: These are UK releases!)

My Blogging Goals for 2012!

2012-01-01T18:41:00.000Z

Happy New Year everyone!

Wow. 2011 has completely flew by. It's just a year and a few months that I have been blogging. I have accomplished many things, I'm really pleased about how things are going with my blog. Though, now it will have to slow down a notch seeing as college is overwhelming and I really need the extra time to study.

ANYWAYS! These are some things that I really hope in accomplishing this year.

1. Download my blog weekly- Lately, I've been hearing that many bloggers have been losing their blog. Seriously? I do not want that happening with me! I spent so much time and effort with my blog that I just cannot stand the thought of losing everything!

2. Reply to comments and comment on other blogs- I rarely reply to comments on the blog. The main reason being that blogger hasn't got a reply button but I should let that be a problem now seeing as I've worked my way around it. And in commenting in other blogs, I thought that I'll do if I just read the blog posts but nopee.

3. Be more sociable- I do go on Twitter. I reply to my mentions as much as possible and emails but I don't really approach other bloggers that often which I really think I should.

4. Write more reviews!- I do read. This year I actually managed to read 142 BOOKS. Yes! But I really cannot be bothered with reviews. To write and think and write and think! Actually, I think I should find another way in expressing my love for reviews, like a video or something? I have no idea. More thinking!

5. Make Gripped into Books more popular- The blog has around 1600 followers and I get around 300 readers a day. So, I think that I should continue getting more readers and share my love of books more!

6. Stalk authors-I really have a limited amount of author posts on the blog so that should be changed. And, I need to meet more authors, I really lack that!

7. Make a YouTube channel - I haven't got YouTube channel and I do think I should make an account as it can be very useful in blogging. Only then I think would I make videos and actually watch some book trailers.

Okay. I 'll stop there and I just hope I actually can achieve them! Have you got any goals for this year?

Let me know your thoughts :)

Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012!

2011-12-30T20:24:00.008Z

I've decided to join in the blog event at the end seeing as this is the most exciting post of them all. Anyways here are the Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012!

(All books linked to Goodreads)

Incarnate
by Jodi Meadows

I have to admit, one of the main reasons I want to read this is because of the cover! It's GORGEOUS! I hope it lives up to the book! I really like it and plus its by a debut author so it can count towards my reading challenge :)

Insurgent

by Veronica Roth

So, I've read Divergent and absolutely fell in LOVE with it. It was one of the best books I read in 2011! The ending was amazing and so it kept me captivated in the series wanting to read more. I need Insurgent!

The Golden Lily

by Richelle Mead

I am a MAJOR Vampire Academy fan! After reading Bloodlines and loving it oh and the ending? Was a total OMG moment. I crave more Adrian! I cannot wait until this is released! Richelle Mead's books are simply the best seriously, gotta read em :D

Pandemonium

by Lauren Oliver

Ahhhhh Delirium! That was another great book. Gotta love dystopian novels! I love the characters, especially Alex! I need more of him. Yet again, the ending of this one was also a stunner. I have to know how this series will continue.

Everneath

by Brodi Ashton

OMG. cover to this one too! Definitely pine worthy! Not only that, I've heard many great things about this one and it sounds so good! I hope it lives up to my expectations, oh and it would look so pretty on my bookshelf!

Tempest

by Julie Cross

Tempest sounds exactly my type of book! It's the start of a new series that I can't wait to get into. It sounds really really good and just look at the cover as well. How graceful...

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi

Hmmmm. One of those books, where the protagonists are star crossed lovers! I always love a good romance. I can't wait to get stuck into this one!

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E. Smith

One heck of a title don't you think? Very clever, indeed! It makes you think of what the book can actually be about. The synopsis also leaves you wanting more. Another love book. YAY!

Enshadowed

by Kelly Creagh

I read Nevermore right at the start of 2011 and since then I've been craving for the book that followed. A dark romance with an exciting plot. What more could a girl ask for? *sigh*

Out of Sight, Out of Time

by Ally Carter

First of all can I just say how much I disapprove of the UK cover! All the other ones rock and this one... bleughh. Though, I AM DYING TO READ THIS! Did you guys realise long we had to wait to read this book! UNFAIR. So, I really have to read this, quick, quick, quick to see what Cammie gets up to next!

There are SO many more I cannot wait to read! So many book, so little time... Leave a comment to your post if you have joined in too.

Let me know your thoughts :)

2012 ABC Reading Challenge

2011-12-28T18:10:00.005Z

With many blogs hosting fabulous challenges for the new year it got me thinking. This year, rather than just participating in challenges, I should host one too! So, me, Cicley from Ciecly Loves Books and April from Book Geek Central after a lot of thinking we came up with...

2012 ABC Reading Challenge

Basically, it's where you read a book that begins with each letter of the alphabet from A-Z. Yes, I realise books starting with X Y or Z will be near to impossible to find but try your best! And if you do manage to hit 26 books, you're just awesome!

You should join definitely join this challenge. It's fun and a great way to discover new authors and books. The challenge will run until January 2013.

Here are some buttons I made!
Make sure you save them on your computer first before posting it on your blog.

How to enter
Create a list on your blog or Goodreads with your list of books. You can create a list of books that you want to read or start a blank list and add the books as you read them. Once you have created your list come back here and add it to the linky below! Make sure that you post it on the same blog/Goodreads that you are going to post your reviews on throughout the year.

UPDATE!
Prize packs are to be won each month. All participants are instantly entered for a chance to win!
We are still in the process of deciding the prize packs ;D

Rules:

You need to be a book blogger or have a GoodReads account.
Any book fictional book released in 2012 will count towards the challenge. MG, Young Adult or Adult.
Make a blog post/Goodreads list on the books you plan on reading and then link back here.
Sign ups end at June 2012

Any questions? Just comment below :D

My Favourite Books and Moments of 2011

2011-12-28T12:45:00.000Z

I thought it'll be great if I join in with this awesome end of year book survey hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner in taking a look back at my favourite books and moments of 2011!

You can find her original post here.

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

ONE BOOK? HA.HA.HA. Here's my top 5 (in no particular order) :)

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Naked by Kevin Brooks

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Divergent by Veronica Roth

2. ~~Most Disappointing Book~~/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

Ten Things We Did by Sarah Milowski.

NOT DISAPPOINTING. At all. I just really expected it to be extremely extremely good. And even though I enjoyed reading it, it wasn't as good as I thought it'll be.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?
Hereafter by Tara Hudson

I should have known I'll love this book. It's about ghosts, I just love fictional ghosts =L

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS! Ahh. I read Anna back in 2010, but I still made all my friends read this. And, they ended up loving it as much as I did. Who wouldn't? I thoroughly recommend this book guys!

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

Not one. come on! Two. I am so fangirling over The Hunger Games (1,2,3) by Suzanne Collins & The Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. They both rock my socks! I cannot wait to watch The Hunger Games movie and read the next book in The Gallagher Girls series!!!

6. Favourite new authors you discovered in 2011?
Sarah Dessen, Lauren Henderson, Ally Carter, Suzanne Collins, Jenny Han, Lauren Oliver, Veronica Roth. Seriously. This list can go on. FOREVER. :)

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone ~~or was a new genre for you~~?

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

About MERMAIDS! Come on. It's total Disney stuff. BUT, I gave it a go and I surprisingly enjoyed reading it. It was just SO CUTE.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

After Anna, I NEEDED to read LOLA. It was soo good, I read it all in one sitting. It was just THAT good :)

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

Forever by Maggie Stievfater
I really wanted to know how the series would end seeing as the ending of Linger was OMG.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2011?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I'd hang this on my wall and FRAME IT if I could.

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

MARCUS!! from the Jessica Darling books! I LOOOOOVEEEE HIMMM ;D

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

Shatter Me by Taharah Mafi

I was entranced. It was magnific!

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

It just really made me think a lot. Even when I would be reading other books. I'd just be thinking about it.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?
Afterlife by Claudia Gray

First book was amazing. Exciting series. Though, I have to say how much I didn't like how the series ended off in this installment.

15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011

The last last line in Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. I'd be spoiling if I'd told you what it was!

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?

I actually re-read a lot of my favourite books. LOL. But, The Jessica Darling series would definitely be the first on my list.

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it?

Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead

Things really did get graphical! :O If you've seen the graphic novel and know what I mean, we should really talk!

I can't believe this year has been over SO SOON. Oh and with so many amazing books! Let me know your thoughts :)

The Hunger Games Soundtrack!

2011-12-27T17:08:00.000Z

Okay, so I'm pretty sure most of you's haven't watched this. When it was released you guys were probably busy opening presents and chugging down turkey? Yep. I thought so! Better to post it today when all the hype of Christmas has settled, well anyways I get to the point, YOU GUYS HAVE TO TOTALLY CHECK THIS OUT.

"Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift, featuring The Civil Wars, straight off The Hunger Games movie soundtrack. OMG.

I've always been a fan of Taylor Swift! Her songs never fail to please me. So, yeah I love this. Though, some may hate it but whatever. I just had to to share it!!

Let me know your thoughts :)

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

2011-12-24T16:58:00.004Z

Mad Love
by Suzanne Selfors

Pages: 336
Release Date: June 6th 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy the Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother-and she needs one fast.
That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth-that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

My Thoughts
What can I say about Mad Love? As soon as I saw the title, I knew that I just had to read it. I wanted to see how 'Mad', 'Love' can actually get. Mad Love wasn't amazing or anything like that but I did enjoy reading it. It was a fun, light yet quick read.

Alice's mother is famous. She's known as the Queen of Romance because of her exceptional romance novels. Though, she's now in hospital and her next novel has to be written for publishing. Alice is now in a very sticky situation but then someone emerges, with the name Errol and he may possibly be able to help her out.

When I started reading Mad Love, I really enjoyed it. I love the pace. The new characters that were introduced and the problems that had arisen. Though, after a while, I felt that the story lost a bit of its touch for me. I should have known, seeing as the title is Mad Love so it would definitely relate to that!

Alice is bubbly and childish. She does some really funny things whilst crushing on a guy called Tony she sees very often. Their romance is very cute! Oh and Errol is quite nice too. He's kind of weird but that's to be expected when he claims to be something you wouldn't even imagine someone would actually claim to be.

Mad Love is truly a funny and amusing read!

Author news: Hana (A Delirium Story) by Lauren Oliver!

2011-12-20T17:25:00.006Z

Are you a Lauren Oliver fan?

Well, then listen up! Hodder & Stoughton, Lauren Oliver's publishers have an amazing Christmas treat!

Whilst you're eagerly awaiting its sequel, Pandemonium, out in March, you can read Lauren's amazing short story, Hana. It's told from the point of view of Lena's best friend (who, you might have guessed, has some secrets of her own…) There's a shocking twist to her tale that will leave you with your heart in your mouth. The short story is out exclusively in eBook this Christmas - it's available to buy for just 99p for a limited time only over the festive season.

Now, we know you'll be desperate to order it immediately, but we have a favour to ask you. We'd love to give Lauren the best Christmas present ever: seeing Hana at number one in the eBook charts on Christmas Day.

Will you help us get it there by joining in on one big Christmas Eve push? If we all buy it on the 24th December, that will propel it up the charts into (hopefully!) the top spot.

SO. Lets all support Lauren Oliver. Buy Hana and hopefully it number one on the eBook charts!Happy holidays! :)