Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult
Publisher: Atria Publishers
Published: November 10th 2015
Page Number: 310
Rating: 5/5
Summary:

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day of her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

REVIEW

 

I'm pretty sure you've all read what I've had to say about Colleen Hoover and how amazing her books are. Every book I've read and reviewed have more or less started out the same way, because the truth is she's one of the best New Adult writers this world has. No joke. Her writing is faultless, she breaks rules . Her characters are not perfect, but they're made better by the things they've been through in life like everyone you'll meet in life. And while I wish I could say that it's the romance that keeps me reading, its not. I keep reading because the book in its entirety anchors itself to my heart and unlike Rose (Sorry Titanic fans), doesn't let me go. Even now, 10 hours after I finished reading the book I want to pick it back up and reread it, mark all my favourite quotes and have them imprinted on my life.

 

And you'll never get anything else from Colleen Hoover. Ever. She'll make a stamp on your life like no one else ever can, and you'll often wonder what life was like before you ever read a CoHo book? but then realise you don't care because you get to read it as many times as you like because books are never-ending.

My absolute favourite thing about November 9 was being able to see their growth in maturity over the 5 years that they meet up. Both Fallon and Ben go through their ups and downs over the years but it makes them better, stronger people. I will admit that when got with a specific someone my heart was all over the place, not because I didn't like the girl but because he wasn't with Fallon.

Colleen Hoover is known for her gut-wrenching plot twists and I have to say that learning the reason why Ben's mother died was so heart breaking. She had two awful choices and picked the one that would benefit her children in the future. I was a blubbering mess by the end of the novel and I'm not sure if it's because of the fact she killed herself or because just like myself, she wrote a suicide note. It took me back to when I was 17 and hated life, hated living because I wasn't actually living, just existing like a blur in the background and wanted to end it all. Depression was warping my view on life, so I wrote a suicide note that told my family everything, about why I couldn't live anymore and how I hope I could find peace in the afterlife, and I know I never went through with the suicide but the feelings were all there, I experienced it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I'm honestly not sure how I'm supposed to end this review. You all know that I loved it. Obviously. But I want to assure everyone that it is as good as everyone said it was. I saw those Goodreads ratings and almost didn't want to read it because it was so high, but those expectations weren't just met, Colleen outdid herself wonderfully. So do yourself a favour and pick up the best book you'll read all year.

 

Ps, thank you so much Colleen for sending me a signed copy of the book. I'll treasure it forever.

 

 

 

Buy the book (Wordery) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

 

Interview with Author, C J Skuse | Blog Tour

Hi guys,

So I know I've been MIA for a while but today I'm bringing you something so exciting, something I'm super happy I got to take part in. As part of the 'Monster' Blog Tour being run by Mira Ink and MaximumPop Books I got to interview the author of Monster, C J Skuse. I got introduced to C J when we both followed each other on Twitter and had a few conversations with each other through tweets.

So without further ado, lets get into the interview.



Question 1. What is Monster about?

Ostensibly, it's about six girls who become trapped at their remote boarding school during one snowy Christmas holiday and an horrific murderous beast is outside trying to get in and rip them all to pieces. It's also about a girl who needs to dig deep to find out how strong she truly is - and only facing off with such a monster can bring that out.


Question 2. What inspired you to write Monster?

A few things really - seeing a news article about the Beast of Bodmin Moor. A big desire to write a story set in a boarding school. I also really wanted to write something with an all female group at its helm, like Amazon women, fighting now only to remain civil to one another but also to survive against all the odds.


Question 3. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Always keep your phone on you, don't fear the mad girl and find out where the key to the javelin cupboard is kept.


Question 4. Did you read as a child, if so who did you most look up to?

As a child I loved Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton. I really looked up to Beatrix Potter because she did all her own illustrations too. I couldn't draw at all. I still draw the way I did when I was eight, with people having arms at right angles and the sky being a strip of blue half way up the page.


Question 5. What are some of your favourite current reads?

You can't go wrong with a bit of UKYA/UKMG. Anything by Keris Stainton, Cat Clarke, CJ Daughtry, Kevin Brooks, Keren David, Holly Bourne, Jo Nadin, Emma Haughton, Hilary Freeman, Anthony McGowan, Fiona Dunbar, Louise O'Neill, Melvin Burgess, Helen Grant, Non Pratt, Zoe Marriott or Lee Weatherly gets my vote.


Question 6. We know that Monster was recently released but are you working on anything new?

I've just completed 'The Deviants', that's the next one out this time next year. It's been described as The Famous Five meets We Were Liars and it's probably the most important book I've done so far. I'm plotting Book 6 now. That one is, well, interesting. Doesn't look like it's going to be YA this time either so I'm a bit scared and probably a lot out of my depth.


Question 7. Did you learn anything from writing your books, and what was it?

I have always written for one reason - to write the monsters out of my head. It's a catharsis for me and sometimes I need it like medicine. I wrote my first book to work out how I felt about losing someone. I wrote Rockoholic to compartmentalise my obsession with an unattainable life. I wrote Dead Romantic to give Death the middle finger and to work out what I wanted from love. I've learned something new with every book I have written. With Monster, I've learned to focus my anger on an objective, rather than just lashing out all the time.


Question 8. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Choose a story to tell which you are passionate about because sometimes it's only your own passion for it that keeps you going. Start as you mean to go on. Don't write for the market because the market will leave you behind. Ignore the haters but embrace the criticism. Find a decent literary agent who loves your work as much as you do at the earliest opportunity. Don't let life get in the way - JK Rowling is right when she says you need to be ruthless about protecting your writing time. And be prepared for a long wait. Nothing happens quickly in publishing unless you're very lucky and hit a trend (accidentally) at the right time.


Question 9.  What's your favourite thing about Halloween?

When it's over.


Question 10. Would you like to say anything to your readers?

Thank you for being insane enough to take a chance on my books and sane enough to enjoy them. I'm always trying to be better for you. And stop breaking my spines. I hate that. *inserts smiley face*




ABOUT THE STORY

At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of the prestigious boarding school, Bathory would be the biggest battle she'd face. Until her brother's disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory's assorted Misfits. As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school's hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory - a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school - run wild. Yet when the girls' Matron goes missing it's clear that something altogether darker is to blame - and that they'll have to stick it out together if they hope to survive.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.J. SKUSE is the author of the Young Adult novels PRETTY BAD THINGS, ROCKOHOLIC and DEAD ROMANTIC (Chicken House) and MONSTER (Mira Ink). She was born in 1980 in Weston-super-Mare, England. She has First Class degrees in Creative Writing and Writing for Children and, aside from writing novels, works as a freelance children's fiction consultant and lectures in Writing for Children at Bath Spa University. C.J. is currently working on her second novel THE DEVIANTS for Mira Ink.
Follow her on Twitter @CeejaytheAuthor




MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT http://realitysabore.blogspot.co.uk/ TOMORROW FOR THE LAST DAY OF THE 'MONSTER' BLOG TOUR!

Review: Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

Title: Happily Ever After
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins Children
Published: October 8th 2015
Page Number: 320
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
Meet Prince Maxon before he fell in love with America, and a girl named Amberly before she became queen. See the Selection through the eyes of a guard who watched his first love drift away and a girl who fell for a boy who wasn't the prince. This gorgeous collection features four novellas from the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series, as well as exclusive, never-before-seen bonus content.

 

REVIEW

To review this in it's entirety as my usual reviews would be a little complicated, so I will be reviewing each novella on their own and also giving my thoughts on the bonus content we had. ut firstly I want to talk about the illustrations and how gorgeous they were. I really felt like they added to the story and we completely needed.

The Queen - 3/5 Stars

I've always respected Queen Amberly in the Selection trilogy but reading her Selection was completely eye-opening. Teenage Amberly was incredibly naïve and a whole lot of stupid. Prince Clarkson was looking for a wife, a Queen, someone who would obey him. And he found her in Amberly because she was like a puppy and Clarkson the dog trainer. Everything he said, she did. And it pissed off the feminist that is inside of me.

The Prince - 4.5 Stars

I've always loved Maxon. Kiera writes perfect male characters and Prince Maxon stole my heart from the first time he was introduced. Seeing some of the Selection from her perspective was very fresh and I loved it. We saw a new layer of depth to him which was missing from him in the first book in the trilogy. I will always want more Maxon. Always.

The Guard - 3 Stars

I'm not Aspen's biggest fan. At all. He's an okay character but I always felt like he was there for annoyance other than anything else. So seeing his story with America rehashed was completely annoying. I was hoping to see his love story with Lucy but we saw hardly anything of that and I had no idea why, because their story would've been nice to have read.

The Favourite - 4.5 Stars

Marlee is everyone's favourite. She's beautiful, intelligent but also incredibly selfless and her friendship with America was always nice to read about. When the drama entailed in the series about her and Carter, I was gobsmacked, mainly because it seemed unlike Marlee but seeing her story was so special. I love her and Carter so much, their love was infinite, endearing.

We then got a few scenes from Celeste's POV. Celeste was the Bitch in the series but she was always a favourite character of mine. I always saw her as misunderstood and that became clear from her progress in the series. Her façade was always on point but her character is forever my favourite.

Lucy also had a chapter in her POV, which was interesting. She's a maid and if I am honest, I'm not sure why her part was in there for. Her perspective if fun, fresh but the story we got was a little boring and certainly not satisfying.

Lastly we got a new chapter that would've taken place after The One and it was everything in life. Life has been fulfilled for me. The scene was a little short, but filled with everything that Kiera Cass does so well.

 

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

September Book Haul

This month I really contained myself on the amount of books I bought due to so many anticipated releases coming out in October (I know it's October now but this was written in September). I'm hoping not to go overboard with how many I purchase in October, but who knows?

I only received 3 books to review from publishers this month, so I'm really happy with that. I'm always so grateful on whatever I receive, so thank you guys!

 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick // Buy the book (Waterstones) PS, The UK edition comes out in January 2016

 

 

The Light That get's Lost by Natasha Carthew // Pre-order the book (Waterstones)

 

 

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs // Buy the book (Waterstones)

I also bought these books this month. I've already read all but one, so that's really positive. I didn't pay full price for them all as I got some for 20% off.

 

The Enemy by Charlie Higson // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

 

The Selection Stories by Kiera Cass //

 

 

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige // Buy the Book (Waterstones)

 

 

HIM by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy // Buy the Book (Amazon)

 

 

The Deal by Elle Kennedy // Buy the Book (Amazon)

 

 

 

So what books have you bought/received recently?

Let me know in the comments.

Review: The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Title: The Enemy (The Enemy #1)
Author: Charlie Higson
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Puffin
Published: September 3rd 2009
Page Number: 407
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Everyone over the age of fourteen has succumbed to a deadly zombie virus and now the kids must keep themselves alive. When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician - every adult fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

REVIEW

I've never read a book by Charlie Higson before but I definitely know that I want to continue on with this series. It's intense and so much fun.

After recently watching The Walking Dead I was needing something a little different to read. I remember a friend of mine saying that she loved this series, so I picked it up and was immediately sucked into the life of a different, more dangerous London.

We follow a bunch of different character, who all live in Waitrose trying to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Unlike most books, The Enemy starts off with instant action of one of the kids is taken by The Enemy. The group are trying to figure out what to do and you're met with instant panic. Your heart rate picks up, you turn the pages quicker than ever because you're dying to find out what happens. Anything could happen, anyone could die. You have no idea what's coming next and that's what Charlie Higson does so well. He writes the series with intensity and a lot of action. Surprise action. There were so many scenes that caught me off guard.

What I loved in the story is the loyalty within the gangs. Waitrose and Morrison's join together and seeing them all get to know each other was so nice. Initially they are all out for themselves, but together they are a family. A dysfunctional family but a family who will do whatever to protect each other. And that is something that really connects to you to characters.

However, I will be honest and say that it did get a little confusing. We followed so many characters that I connected too and then they were.....well, dead. And while I understand that it needs to happen, I just didn't understand why we had to connect with all of the characters before they were topped off. It's meant to be a horror book, not meant to make me cry.

But it was a very engaging story. It was filled with action and I was so happy that we explored more of London. Plus Sam really stole my heart. I feel like I'm his older brother and need to protect him and that's really warming. What I want right now though is the sequel because I need to know what happens next.

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

Monthly Reading Wrap Up | September 2015

I had an excellent start to this month with reading, in fact the first 2 books I read were both 5 Star reads and both went onto my 'Favourite Books of 2015' list. But then I started stumbling downhill after that and only ended up reading 9 books in total, with 3 of those being novellas.

 

 

The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard by Kiera Cass // 4 Stars

 

I really enjoyed The Prince. Maxon was always my favourite character in the series, so it was so nice being able to finally see what he was going through and how it affected him. And despite Kiera writing her male characters a little on the feminine side, I will forever love him. The Guard, however, started off so well and got dragged along the lines of boring. But I love his protective instincts for America.

 

 

The Enemy by Charlie Higson // 4 Stars

 

I really, really enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little so paced but it picked right up from about page 100 and I finished it so quickly after that. I can now say I officially like Zombies! If you're missing The Walking Dead, then pick this up!

 

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins // DNF'd

 

I'm so over these characters. I liked Anna, hated Lola and didn't want to know Isla. I'm fed up with YA characters being written so juvenile and Stephanie Perkins is the perfect example of that. Isla wanted to live inside Josh's dimple. Really?! Just, no!

 

 

HIM by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy // 5 Stars

 

I absolutely loved this book. It was...spectacular. I cannot recommend it enough, everyone has to pick it up and read it. The writing, characters and relationship were all so perfect. Everyone needs a Jamie Canning in their life!

 

 

George by Alex Gino // 5 Stars

 

Without a doubt the best book I have read this year, it has to been on the school curriculum because it teaches so many important life lessons. The taboo subject was handled well and I honestly just want to hand every child and parent I cross a copy of the book. Please do yourself a favour and read it. You will not regret it!

 

 

Alienated by Melissa Landers // 4 Stars

 

I was so surprised by this book. It's a very quick read that is filled with gorgeous characters, a swoon-worthy romance and lots of suspense. You'll fall in love with it the same way I did; slowly and then all at once

 

 

The Deal by Elle Kennedy // 3 Stars

 

I wasn't the biggest fan of The Deal. I liked the characters but the story was so cliché and cheesy. I wanted something a little steamy, but all I got was a little bit of nothing. It's kind of classic New Adult but there is so much better out there.

 

 

 

 

 

I also read The All Souls Real Time Companion by Deborah Harkness (Free e-book) and I did enjoy it but I didn't love it. It was nice to see some extras but I don't honestly think it was at all needed. I ended up giving it a 3. 5 Stars.

What books did you read this month?

Let me know in the comments.

Books to TV Series #2 | All Souls Trilogy

I can't believe how popular the first post of this new series on my blog was. I'm....well, speechless which doesn't happen often. I'm so happy that you guys all liked the series idea and showed me support on social media.

Today's pick is the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Now I actually have a story about this series and my love of it. This series is unlike anything I have ever read before, a lot of people, teenagers mainly compare the book to Twilight since it's their only reference but it's nothing like Twilight. And I mean nothing. It's filled with historical references, action and a lot of romance. So much swoon-worthy romance

I discovered the book in 2011, when I was 15 or 16 years old. At the time I was highly addicted to Paranormal TV shows like Most Haunted and Paranormal Witness. I may or may not have looked into learning witchcraft. I was in my local Tesco's when I spotted the book. The cover and title sucked me in and I bought it. When I got home I had tried to read it but couldn't get past the first few pages. They were kind of very mundane and so I threw the book into my bedside cabinet and forgot about it. Until a month later. I was bored one Saturday afternoon and picked it up. I got past the first chapter and before long I was falling in love with the characters and their story. By Sunday night I have read over 400 pages. And that was a whole lotta pages back then, especially with its tiny font. I had school on Monday. Did I go? Nope. I was more bothered about finishing the book, so I faked that I was ill. My mother bought it and I spent the entire day drinking tea, eating tomato soup and finishing off the last 250 pages. It's fair to say that it was the best day off I've ever had.

Anyway. Last year Deborah announced that the BBC had bought the TV rights for the series and I freaked the freak out. I was so giddy. This series was the series that got me into reading, not only that it is the one series that I have reread so many times. (No joke! I've read ADoW 23 times, SoN 8 times and TBoL once.) When Deborah announced a few years ago that the movie rights had sold I will be honest and say that I was a little annoyed. Happy but mainly annoyed. I love the series and a movie just would not work. The potential for a series and by BBC is so huge. I have faith in what they'll do and I'm sure they won't mind if I nag until I get a small role in the series myself. (Okay. That will NEVER happen, but who knows? Life is surprising) Iflist has it's own fan casting but here are some of my own fan casts.

 

Diana Bishop // Diane Kruger // Inglorious Basterds, The Host

 

Matthew Clairmont // Richard Armitage // North and South, The Hobbit

 

Ysabeau de Clermont //  Mélanie Thierry // Babylon A.D, Henry V

 

Sarah Bishop // Kathy Bates // Titanic, American Horror Story

 

Emily Mather //

 

Hamish Osbourne // Daniel Radcliffe // Harry Potter, The Woman in Black, Horns

 

Marthe // Adrienne Barbeau // The Fog, Maude, Batman (Animated Series)

 

Gallowglass de Clermont // Charlie Hunnam // Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim

 
Marcus Whitmore //  Dan Stevens // Donwton Abbey

Miriam Sherpard // Claire Foy // Season of the Witch, Wolf Hall

I am super excited for whatever the BBC does and I know that these fan castings probably won't happen, but it's been fun looking at who I think would make for a great series.

 

 

 

Who would you fan cast as these characters?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking (The Taking #1)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Genre: YA Sci-Fi / Mystery
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: April 29th 2014
Page Number: 368
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

REVIEW

 

I think everyone can agree that it's easier to write a review for a book you disliked than a review for a book you loved, so I am going to try my hardest to sell this book to you all, because it's one that everyone should read. Trust!

From the first sentence we are met with mystery and intrigue, and it grabs you in. We're learning the story of Kyra Agnew and that first sentence is not what you're going to be thinking of. And it ends up leading into the story that will have you thinking "What the heck?!" on every page.

The story, despite being a YA Paranormal/Mystery is very realistic. I felt like these characters could actually be my best friends, because they were so fleshed out. They weren't spoilt brats who got everything right. Kyra was a "normal" sixteen year old girl, who worried about her grades, sports and was obsessed with love. In fact, she even cared about if her legs were prickly from not shaving. Not one YA books I've read has ever included a problem like that. And I was really happy that Kimberly wrote entirely realistic characters.

 

After finishing the book I immediately thought that this book would make an amazing TV series. It had romance, suspense and plenty of mysterious action. It has something for everyone and it's why I think a lot more people should read it. I will admit that at first it does take a little time to deeply understand the age differences but I felt such a deep connection to every character, even the villains. Kyra's father is so understanding and you could never blame her mother for moving on with her life. She went through something that is completely heart-breaking.

 

From the first page to the last, I fell deeper and deeper in love and now I am in immediate need to read the sequel but I have to wait until it's out in paperback, but the wait is worth it. Hopefully.

 

 

 

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Title: Emmy & Oliver
Author: Robin Benway
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: July 16th 2015
Page Number: 320
Rating: DNF'd

Summary:
Oliver's absence split us wide open, dividing our neighbourhood along a fault line strong enough to cause an earthquake. An earthquake would have been better. At least during an earthquake, you understand why you're shaking.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. But now Oliver is back, and he's not the skinny boy-next-door that used to be Emmy's best friend. Now he's the boy who got kidnapped. A stranger - a totally hot stranger! - with a whole history that Emmy knows nothing about.

But is their story still meant to be? Or are they like the pieces of two different puzzles - impossible to fit together.

REVIEW

Emmy & Oliver was immediately on my radar after seeing the cover and hearing the description. It sounded like the perfect summer read to me, but sadly I never got what I wanted.

The book alternates from present time and important memories from the past, which I did like a lot because it allowed us to see the relationship between Emmy and Oliver when they were BFF's to where they are now. However, I found that going back to the past only slowed down the pace of the book. It made everything offset and made it a lot harder for me to connect to the characters, especially since they weren't entirely likeable, and that is incredibly important to me.

I have to see believable characters that I know in real life, but while the friendship between Emmy and her friends was nice, I didn't entirely like them on their own. Caro and Drew were completely annoying. They were too over the top and while I appreciate that, I just felt like there was a disconnection when Emmy was with one of her friends, just those two. Which was unusual since I loved Emmy with Oliver. They had a great connection despite the years and years that they hadn't seen each other in.

I honestly wanted to like this book but I didn't. I guess I over-hyped the book in my head and it completely flopped in the flesh. Am I happy that I read it? Yes. Because it made me realise that I need to sit out of the hype, not to get so far ahead of myself. I would recommend it for people who want a simple story about friendships, even if you're looking for a quick summer read I would recommend it.

It just wasn't for me.

 

 

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

5 Books to Read This Autumn

So I did a '5 Books to Read This Summer' post and everyone loved the idea, and so did I. I really enjoy recommending books that I think are perfectly fit for the season. For this one, I really was inspired mainly by Halloween, but I also wanted to show that you haven't got to read Horror and Paranormal for Autumn. Not that there is anything wrong with Horror or Paranormal.

These 5 books I completely recommend. I've read and adored/loved everyone of them. Do I think you'll like them? Hell to the Yes! They're fun, amazingly written and serve the perfect Autumn vibe. And PS. Sorry for the not so amazing photograph but as you can see down below, I took them in a wall in a Graveyard.

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

This is a recent release and I can honestly say that this is the perfect autumn book. It's YA Contemporary mixed with Football players, secrets and a girl who doesn't speak. I honestly couldn't find a fault with this book. Every page is utterly brilliant and so relatable.


A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This is one of my all time favourite series and I know that I will be re-reading this series this Autumn. It's the perfect blend of everything that makes for great reading. We have Witches, Vampires and Daemons. But we also have romance filled with mystery and intrigue. You'll want to pack up and move to Oxford after reading this book. Trust me!


The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Everyone likes a little bit of Action and Horror during Autumn. It's why we all love Halloween. Well it's why I love Halloween anyway. This book is perfect for teenagers and adults alike. It's action packed with Zombie attacks and the characters are so great. You have likeable characters and dislikeable characters, which is what makes it so real. I cannot recommend this book enough!


Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Okay, so not everyone is a New Adult fan and not everyone is going to want to read a book about 2 men getting together but I recently read and loved this book. It's perfect from first page to last and I only hope you guys check it out. The sexual scenes are all fresh and exciting, the transition from friendship to relationship was so thorough. I want a Jamie Canning and Wes in my life.


Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I read this book last year and really adored it. It's a story about a teenager called Jacob whose Grandfather has died, so him and his father go to this fictional island in Wales where things are like nothing you'll ever see before. This book really delivers on entertainment. Who doesn't love books with unusual, creepy photographs?



What books would you recommend people read in the Autumn?Let me know in the comments.

ARC Review: Monster by C J Skuse

Title: Monster
Author: C J Skuse
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: September 24th 2015
Page Number: 384
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:
At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of prestigious boarding school Bathory would be the biggest battle she’d face. Until her brother’s disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory’s assorted misfits. As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school’s hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory – a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school – run wild. Yet when the girls’ Matron goes missing it’s clear that something altogether darker is to blame – and that they’ll have to stick together if they hope to survive.

REVIEW

 

I requested this book from the publishers simply because of 2 things. Firstly the cover is just gorgeous, dark, creepy. Secondly I have spoken to CJ Skuse on Twitter a few times now and she's incredibly lovely.

 

I really loved a lot about this book. The characters were incredibly relatable, realistic. They are the type of characters you know in real life, whether you love or hate them. Nash, the Head Girl was one of my favourites because she reminded me of the Bitches I grew up with. She was snarky, smart. She's intimidating. Another one of my favourite character was Maggie. CJ used hilarious one liners for her and they made me laugh so much.

 

'Wake up and smell the erection."

How does anyone react to that?

The ties and loyalties made in this novel was such a refreshing thing to see in YA. Normal friendships are a must, but these characters really had to connect to find out who they could trust among them. I've always wondered what real boarding schools were like and I think CJ really tapped into that and with such precision as well. It was raw, honest but so creepy.

 

However. Despite really enjoying the writing and characters, I honestly blame myself for reading it at the wrong time. I wish I had kept it until mid/late October to really feel the eerie-ness to it. It would have added to the feelings of Halloween. But I completely, hands on heart, recommend this book. You'll love it, especially if you love anything to do with Mystery and Boarding Schools. This is a must for your craving.

 

 

 

 

Pre-order the book (Waterstones) | Pre-order the book (Book Depository)

Cover Reveal + Giveaway | Secrets in Phoenix by Gabriella Lepore

I am so excited for today because OfThomes Publishing and a bunch of bloggers and vloggers are revealing the cover to 'Secrets in Phoenix' by Gabriella LePore. This book was originally known as 'Phoenix Holt' but the author, Gabriella gave the rights to the book over to OfThomes Publishing and they've given it a brand new title and a complete and utter makeover.

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

When Sophie Ballester and her twin brothers Sam and Todd are uprooted from their home and sent to a remote boarding school run by their Great Aunt Ness, they stumble upon a hidden room that holds a secret—a secret that will change everything.

The people of Phoenix Holt are not what they seem.

In fact, nothing is.

 

 

Now are you ready to see this perfection?

 

 

 

Are you?

 

 

 

You sure?

 

 

 

Are you one hundred percent sure?

 

 

 

Really.....?

 

 

Okay.

 

 

So here is the beautiful cover.....

 

 

 

Pre-order Links

Amazon (UK)

 

Amazon (US)

Available on all Amazon sites


The cover was made by KimGDesigns and she did an incredible job. It's bold, eye-catching and mysteriously creepy. And not only do we get a cover reveal but the amazing Casey from Casey Ann Books has made a spectacular book trailer.

 

GIVEAWAY!

 

Yes, So the amazing Ben over at OfThomes Publishing has decided to do a Pre-Order Giveaway. I'll leave the details down below but definitely make sure you enter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you guys think of the cover?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Title: Alienated (Alienated Series #1)
Author: Melissa Landers
Genre: YA Paranormal / Sci Fi
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: February 4th 2014
Page Number: 344
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

REVIEW

This is one of those books that I have a lot to say about. Because while I really liked the book there was also a few flaws that I caught onto.

Melissa Landers (Macy Beckett to some readers) has a fantastic, simple writing style that drags you into the book from the very first page. She writes with precision and I honestly thought that I was living the opposite life of being a human and a L'eihr. Her characters, Cara and Aelyx are so well thought out that you will know people of their personalities in real life. Cara is head strong, has a lot to say and likes to make sure she gets to say what she wants too and I loved her for that. Not only that but she's a character I related to because she's very selfless. People want her to give up on the program but she's having none of it because she's doing what's right for her, her family and Aelyx.

Aelyx. My Dear, Aelyx. He's an Alien I would definitely like to meet. We first meet him as this almost robotic character devoid of emotion but his character growth through out the book was perfect. He grows so much more likeable but his relationship and feelings for Cara are so strange to him, but he accepts them. He's more human than he'd like to think he is.

The storyline is similar yet so different to the TV show Starcrossed. While I did spot a few similarities that I liked because I loved that TV show but there were also a lot of differences. For example the storyline was definitely more throughout and entertaining. I loved the contrast between Human and L'eihr. The ending was perfect because we got to see so much more from them and that really changed things for me.

But despite finding myself to really enjoy the book, I also thought it was heavily predictable. I had only read 30 pages and caught on that something was going to happen between Tori and Eric. It's somewhat of a YA cliché. There were also a few smaller scenes that I predicted would happen, but I mainly overlooked them because I really was so engrossed into the story. It's a bundle of fun. I need to sequel, Invaded in my life!

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

ARC Review: George by Alex Gino

Title: George
Author: Alex Gino
Genre: Middle Grade / LGBT
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: August 25th 2015
Page Number: 240
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

BE WHO YOU ARE.

When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

REVIEW

So remember when I said that HIM was my favourite book of 2015? It was only in my last review, so I'm going to guess that you do. Well, now it's not. Because George came right in and slapped it out of that position.

I will kick off and say that reading Middle Grade books is a huge thing for me, so huge in fact because I never seem to connect, relate to any of them. But George is a book that I knew I had to read, not because I received it to review but because it's on a subject that I value so close to my heart. I have friends who are Transgender. I also questioned my gender when I was 14.

George may be a Middle Grade book but the topic is so important. And when a book is on that topic you have to be very careful that it doesn't come across as "preachy". But Alex Gino has mastered it well and wrote a simple story of a girl who was born in a boys body. A girl so different to everyone else that she just wanted to be who she truly was.

This book screams acceptance. In fact I cried so much because of the amount of acceptance there was, from George's best friend Kelly, who stood by her side constantly. To her head teacher, who let me tell you, completely surprised me. It was truly a beautiful thing to read about. The story does deal with the whole confusion from family but it was so well done that it was completely realistic.

After finishing the book in a few hours the words out of my mouth were "This book needs to be on the school curriculum. There's so many lessons that children could learn from this." And I stand by what I say. A lot of people don't understand that children understand a lot more than they think and it's honestly one of those 'Oh, okay.' things when they're young.

I'm not aware of Charlotte's Web. I've heard of it but never watched the movie and read the book. But I found myself loving how the book intertwined the play into it. It was the main centre of the book and honestly the best moments happened during their performances. I loved every page, every sentence, every word. George is a novel so important. It will save lives.

 

'A Copy of the book was sent for a honest review.'

 

 

 

 

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

Books to TV Series #1 | The White Rabbit Chronicles

So 'Books to TV Series' is going to be a brand new series on my blog where I focus on a book or series that I think would be great as a TV show or series. I really want to go in depth of the books/series and also talk about who I think would be some great casts. Of course, these are all my opinions but I just thought it seemed like a lot of fun.

To start of the first series I have picked The White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter. It's a YA Paranormal series that I finds really mixes both the girly and manly sides perfectly together. If you love TV shows like Gossip Girl and 90210 or The Walking Dead then I think you'd especially love this series since it has the drama, gossip of 90210 and, of course, the action and zombies of The Walking Dead.

 

I discovered this series in 2013 after I was looking for a different take on Alice in Wonderland. Initially I was looking for a leather bound edition of the book and then came across Alice in Zombieland. The title stood out and I really loved the cover, however, I decided to read up some reviews and didn't hear the best things about it. But that did not dampen my desire to pick it up. I read it the day it arrived and quickly became obsessed. I loved the unusual take on the story and Kat had to be the most hilarious character I have ever read about. She reminds me of myself when I go into my 'alter-ego' mode. My love for the series took off from there and I am so glad I didn't let other reviews stop me from giving the series a chance.

 

People have said they'd like a movie of this series but I have to disagree. I think this would relate so much more for TV. There's a world that needs the room to expand and a movie wouldn't be able to do that. Looking at the iflist there have been some great fan casts, but I think I have fan casted some great actors.

 

Alice Bell // Skylar Samuels // American Horror Story, The DUFF, Scream Queens

 

Cole Holland // Stephen James // Former footballer, now model

 

Kat Parker // Marie Avgeropoulos // The 100

 

Kat Parker // Sarah Hyland // Modern Family, Vampire Academy

 

Frosty // Jamie Campbell Bower // Twilight, The Mortal Instruments

 

Bronx // I can't think of anyone for him, sadly.

 

Mackenzie Love // Zoey Deutch // Beautiful Creatures, Vampire Academy

 

Reeve Ankh // Daniella Monet // Victorious, Fred 2 & 3

 

Trina Brighton // Hayley Kiyoko //  Lemonade Mouth, CSI: Cyber, Insidious Chapter 3

 

Emma Bell // Mia Talerico // Good Luck Charlie

 

Justin Silverstone // Gregg Sulkin // Wizards of Waverly Place, Faking It

 

I really do think that with the right producers, directors and writers the books would make excellent TV. I can imagine it this very second, and what I imagine makes me very excited. Mainly because of the blood. A shit ton of blood.

 

 

 

 

Who would you fan cast as these characters?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: HIM by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Title: Him
Author: Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Genre: New Adult / MxM
Publisher: Rennie Road Books (Self-Published)
Published: August 2nd 2015
Page Number: 360
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?
Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

REVIEW

STOP! Put down the book you're currently reading and listen to me because you guys are going to be dying to pick this book up after you've heard how incredible it was. Because trust me, HIM is my favourite book of the year.

I'm a massive New Adult fan, I love being able to connect to the characters because they're around my age group, and I love being able to relate to certain things that they're going through, so when I saw such a huge amount of praise for HIM, I decided to take the plunge and bought myself a copy.

I'd normally stray away from M/M Romance, not because I'm homophobic (I happen to be gay myself) but because I hate it when all authors can do is write stereotypical characters that only end up insulting us gay people because they obviously didn't do their research. There is nothing stereotypical about HIM though, the characters were so real, honest, so fleshed out that I felt like they were actual real people. Wes is one hundred percent gay and has known so since he was 13 years old. Being able to see how he felt really made me connect to him a lot more because I went through the same thing when I was 10; having your first crush, not being entirely sure why you're attracted to guys instead of girls. It's such a confusing time in anyone's life, but finally knowing so and having to keep it a secret is just so darn tough. It's like carrying a million hardback books on your shoulders. It's painful and thoroughly drains you, consumes your entire mind.

What I loved more than the characters themselves was the transition from their friendship to exploration to their relationship. It's not done quickly in a chapter, but it is continuously worked on and I honestly thought I was seeing a very fleshed out relationship between them both.

Every New Adult novel tends to have sex scenes in them and honestly HIM easily had some of the hottest ones, and I'm not saying that because it's 2 men on each other and I'm gay. I say it because the sex scenes were rehashed, I didn't feel like I had just read the same sex scene after each other because each scene was completely fresh, new. And the sex wasn't used just for sex, but for the development of their characters and relationship. I was enamoured by it all.

What makes this book my favourite of 2015 for me is that every single page was perfect for me. The authors didn't shy away from anything, they wrote what they thought was right and the outcome was this fantastically, sexy novel that I will continuously reread until I get a sequel too.

Buy the book (Amazon) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

August Book Haul

This month has been a little crazy for books. I've bought a lot, received a lot and the outcome for the month was...A WHOLE SHITTING LOT! I thought I had gotten about 10 books but after counting I actually got 15. It's a little crazy, so hopefully I can cut down in the next few months.

I received all these books from the publishers for a honest review, that is exactly what you guys will get after I've read them. I know I included What We Left behind in the last haul, so just ignore that. I forgot I had included it in the Random Book Haul post.

Tempting the Best Man by Jennifer L Armentrout // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

Mosquitoland by David Arnold // Pre-order the book (Waterstones)

 

Reawakened by Colleen Houck // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer E Smith // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

 

 

I unexpectedly received a copy of GEORGE from Scholastic. They are the bomb.com.org.co.uk. GEORGE is a middle grade novel about a 4th grade transgender.

 

George by Alex Gino // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

 

 

I then went on an extreme Abbi Glines purchase and don't regret a single second. One More Chance was shown in my last book haul post as well, but I've been so down lately that I forgot.

 

One More Chance by Abbi Glines // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

You Were Mine by Abbi Glines // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

When I'm Gone by Abbi Glines // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

When You're Back by Abbi Glines // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

 

I am luckily enough to be apart of a very special Rainbow Rowell group, the lovely Kat McKenna from MyKindaBook sent me a signed copy of Fangirl. THANK YOU KAT! YOU ROCK!

 

Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

Landline by Rainbow Rowell // Buy the book (Waterstones)

 

Exclusive edition of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell // Buy the book (WHSmiths)

 

 

 

 

 

So what books have you bought/received recently?

Let me know in the comments.

 

 

Monthly Reading Wrap Up | August 2015

I thought I did quite well this month especially since I was ill a few times and got carried away with TV. A lot of my favourite shows have started back up, so I've been more bothered by them. This month I read some really good books as well as some horrid books!

Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines // 5 Stars

Woods was my favourite male character in the 'Too Far' Series, so getting to see his story was so good. I loved every moment of this book, even the slow build up in the beginning. Honestly, Woods and Della are just so.....perfect!

Simple Perfection by Abbi Glines // 4.5 Stars

This was a fantastic sequel to Twisted Perfection, but I did find some things too over the top in here that it wasn't entirely believable. Still a great book though.

Take a Chance by Abbi Glines // 3 Stars

I've loved reading about Harlow and Grant, but reading from their perspectives was a horrible experience. Grant was too possessive and Harlow is a truly weak example of a woman. Their relationship still annoys me to this day.

One More Chance by Abbi Glines // 3 Stars

Abbi Glines rehashed the storyline where the girl leaves and comes back pregnant, and I stopped reading there. A left it a while and came back to finish it off. It was okay, not good or her best.

You Were Mine by Abbi Glines // 4 Stars

Oh, Bethy and Tripp. So, so beautiful. I was crying from the heartbreak in this book and I loved seeing what happened to Bethy and Tripp when they were teenagers. Although those teenager parts were incredibly slow I still enjoyed them.

When I'm Gone by Abbi Glines // 4.5 Stars

I'm getting myself a Mase Mannings because he is perfect to a 'T'. Him and Reese were a perfect couple and I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't much sex in this book. It was laid back and I  found it to be perfect.

When You're Back by Abbi Glines // 2 Stars

YAWN! This book was an entire snooze fest. When I'm Gone should've been a standalone. The storyline turns up like 80% into the book and by that time I officially wanted to burn the book and pretend like Abbi didn't even write the book.

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway // DNF'd

I read 68% of this book before deciding that I just didn't care about the characters to see what happened to them. The awkwardness between Emmy & Oliver was cute, and I loved them so much together but other than that this book was a hot mess.

 The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black // DNF'd

The beginning was eerie and I liked the characters but nothing was entirely going on. I was literally left yawning. I do hope to go back and pick it up again next month though.

Monster by CJ Skuse // 3 Stars

I have mixed thoughts on this one. I liked the characters and the story but I felt I may have read it at the wrong time.

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher // 3 Stars

Not for me. I'm a 19 year old guy, not a 13 year old girl.

Kiro's Emily by Abbi Glines // 3 Stars

This was a quick, cute read but nothing else. Kiro was....obsessed though, literally.





What books did you read this month?

Let me know in the comments.