January Wrap up!

January started off to be a very good reading month for me. Normally I'm always a little behind, especially since my goal is only 40 books for the entire year, so it means I can slack a little and watch crappy Netflix films. Anyhow, this month I've surprised myself by reading Ten books. Two of those were DNF's, but the other 8 I read right through until the end.

Here is what I read:

The Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier - 4.5/5

I loved this trilogy. It was such a fun, quick series and I loved the characters of Gwendolyn, Lesley and Gideon. There were a few errors with translating and the pacing wasn't perfect in Emerald Green, but I had the best time reading it. A great way to start the new year!

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover - 3.5/5

I loved Slammed so much and thought it should've been a standalone, but I was eager to continue on. However, Point of Retreat was a really messy, cliché piece of fiction and I was just read upset that I had decided to read it because it's affected the way I see Slammed. I still love Colleen Hoover though and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the release of Confess.






Tempt Me by Isabel Morin - 3/5

I somewhat enjoyed this book, but there was a lot of work needed to improve it. There were grammar and spelling errors in the book that stood out, the characters were a little flat and the ending wasn't satisfying.








Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell - 5/5

I loved this book so much. It was a gorgeous read that opened my eyes to life and how short a lifespan can be if you don't live it to the fullest. The writing was beautiful, the characters were very real and flawed. My only slight critique would be the insta-love for one of the characters, other than that it was pretty perfect.






A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Mass - 4.5/5

I received an ARC copy of this from the publishers and de
spite not liking Throne of Glass, I really loved A Court of Thorns and Roses. It was a beautiful, action pact fantasy novel that had me compelled from page 1. I didn't want to put it down and the fact that it did that shows just how good a book it is. I seriously can't wait for you all to meet Tamlin because he is everything you'd want in a Book Boyfriend. Or Book Husband.




Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book. It was a super fun read with witches, vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and faeries. Paranormal has really become a favourite genre of mine lately and I cannot stop reading it. I am currently reading the sequel, Demonglass and I can say that I'm not enjoying it as much as Hex Hall.

 

Books I DNF'd

 

 

 

 

How many books did you read this month?

Let me know in the comments.



#BookishWISHES with The Darkest Part of the Forest

To celebrate the upcoming release of The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, we were asked to come up with some ideas for a tag called #BookishWISHES

‘IN THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR’

 

We were given examples of what we could do, but it all came down to what we wanted. Our bookish wishes. Some of the examples included :

 

. The book you wish you had written

. A book you wish an author would write

. An author you'd like to meet

 

Some people have two #bookishWISHES for this year, but I only have one. My wish is to hopefully write a Non-Fiction/Self-help book directed at teenagers based on Depression and Suicide. There are books out there, but none of them are directed at teenagers, for teenagers. I think it's important to get the message out there in a way that isn't so mumble jumble. I want it to be straight to the point, but also very simple.

 

FAIRY GOD MOTHER HAS.....ARRIVED!

 

I, the team at Indigo Publishers and Holly Black are passing on the magic to one of you readers. To be in with a chance of winning your very own copy of The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black [UK Only] all you have to do is tweet me @GayMonst3r with your #BookishWISHES and also tag @FierceFiction and then leave the link of the tweet in this blog posts comment section.

Good luck!

 

[Giveaway runs until 11th February 2015]

 

 

The Darkest Part of the Forest

 

 

 

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the centre of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointy as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does… As the world turns upside down and a hero is needed to save them all, Hazel tries to remember her years spent pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST by Holly Black will be published by Indigo on 5 February 2015 9781780621739/ Hardback at £10.99 and ebook at £5.99

 

 

 

About HOLLY BLACK:

Holly Black is the bestselling author of YA and children's books including being co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles, a NEW YORK TIMES No.1 bestselling phenomenon and hugely successful film. She has been a finalist for the MYTHOPOEIC AWARD, the EISNER AWARD and a recipient of the ANDRE NORTON AWARD and a NEWBERY HONOR. She currently lives in New England in a house with a secret door.

 

 

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: March 2nd 2010
Page Number: 323
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

 

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag-along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Review:

I wasn't too sure what I was to expect as I went into this book. I love anything to do with Witches and magic, but Young Adult Paranormal isn't exactly a favourite genre of mine. Until Recently. All I want to do is read Paranormal books and this one was absolutely perfect. I felt like I was reading a less cheesy version of a Disney Channel Movie.

Normally I wouldn't compare movies to books, but if you did like the Disney Channel movies Twitches and Halloween Town then you'd definitely like this. It's a fun, quick read with pure action. The main character Sophie is a fresh voice in YA Paranormal. She's spunky, but also very vulnerable and I connected with her so much.

Rachel Hawkins' writing was pretty much flawless and she definitely knew her characters. My absolute favourite was Jenna, Sophie's Vampire best friend and roommate. Jenna was hilarious and the book would not have been the same without her in it, even in parts that she weren't in you could tell that there was a presence missing.

Through the journey of self-discovery, secrets and love, Hex Hall really packs a punch into your gut. Romance is scarce, but that's what built this book up.

I just loved it and I'm so pumped to read books 2 and 3, Demonglass and Spellbound.



 

I Still Haven't Read...

Hello everyone,
Welcome to my fourth post of this meme. My friend Kayleigh over at K-Books created this amazing Meme that I think will have a positive effect on my TBR pile. (I have a post coming soon that could help you all with that.)

Here is this week's pick...

 

 

 

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

 

The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

 

 

Have you read this book?

Let me know in the comments

I Still Haven't Read...

 

Hello everyone,
Welcome to my third post of this meme. My friend Kayleigh over at K-Books created this amazing Meme that I think will have a positive effect on my TBR pile. (I have a post coming soon that could help you all with that.)

Here is this week's pick...

 

 

 

The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

 

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

 

 

 

Have you read this series?

Let me know in the comments

 

 

 

Meme created by K-Books



Top 5 Wednesday: Series I Want to Start in 2015

5th - Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - YA Paranormal

I own the first book and I really like the idea of being tempted to Sin. It's a whole different spin on Paranormal and I've heard nothing but good things about it from my friends. I also happen to adore the covers.


4th - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - YA Paranormal

Stiefvater takes on Welsh Mythology in this 4 book series and I'm so excited to see what she does with it. The final book comes out sometime this year and I'm hoping to have read the first 3 before the last books release date. I will note that Steifvater changes Owain Glyndwr's name to Glendower, which I find a little offensive.


3rd - Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout - YA Paranormal/Mythology

I've read Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout and really enjoyed them, so I want to see what her other series are like. I'll also be starting White Hot Kiss this year as well.


2nd - The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa - YA Paranormal/Dystopian

I tried to read this book last year and really loved what I read. I was engrossed for those first 90 pages...until my fingers started to swell up. However, I'm so tempted to read them this year that nothing will stop me. I need to start somewhere with Vampires and I think this is my best option. I'll also be starting Talon and The Iron King by Julie Kagawa this year.


1st - Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers - YA Historical/Fantasy

This trilogy follows three different characters and each character has their own book. If you don't know what they're about then buckle up because you're in for a surprise. The series follows 3 girls who are trained to be assassins by....Nuns. Yes, Nuns! I started to read the sample of this on iBooks and liked what I read.


What series do you plan on starting this year?
Let me know in the comments.

 

 

Tag created by GingerReadsLainey

ARC Review: Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell

"Each page was a Gem, I simply adored this book."

 

Title: Three Amazing Things About You

Author: Jill Mansell
Genre: Chick Lit
Publisher: Headline
Published: January 15th 2015
Page Number: 384
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

 

Hallie has a secret. She's in love. He's perfect for her; he's even single. But he's out of bounds. And her friends aren't going to help her because what they do know is that Hallie hasn't got long to live.

Flo has a dilemma. She really likes Zander. But his scary sister won't be even faintly amused if she thinks Zander and Flo are becoming friends - let alone anything more...

Tasha has a problem. Her new boyfriend is the adventurous type. And she's afraid one of his adventures will go badly wrong.

THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU begins as Hallie goes on a journey. She's about to get a new heart. But whose heart is it?

 

Review:

 

I finished Three Amazing Things About You late last night and it's still very much focused in my mind. I remember every emotions the characters went through, I remember all the little details that most people missed, because the truth is, I adored this book.

 

This is my second Jill Mansell book (Her last one, The Unpredictable Consequences of Love was amazing!) and I sincerely loved it. Jill has a way of writing very easy connecting characters that you fall in love with from the first word and you get eager to know what's happening to them. Hallie was disabled, but one of the strongest, freshest characters I've read. Flo was strong-minded and easily loved, Tasha was everything, but most of all, sassy!

 

We don't just follow those three characters, but we also follow their love interests and I have to hand it over to Jill. All three male characters were easy to connect with and they were so swoon-worthy. I loved them all for different reasons.

 

I've never read a Chick Lit book that takes you on such a journey. It starts off all very cute and then drags you down to the pit of hell. Emotions go running and so do your tears. I completely remember having myself re-reading specific scenes that made my mind go crazy because I had to make sure that what I read was true.

 

It was.

 

And it broke my heart.

 

We follow every character on a journey of life, love and loss. Unexpected twists turn up out-of-the-blue, but the end result was utterly beautiful and enchanting. I'd recommend this to everyone who's looking for something fresh in a book.

I Still Haven't Read...

 

 

Hello everyone,
Welcome to my second post of this meme. My friend Kayleigh over at K-Books created this amazing Meme that I think will have a positive effect on my TBR pile. (I have a post coming soon that could help you all with that.)

Here is this week's pick...

 

 

The Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer (My all time favourite actor!)

 

Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.
"The Land of Stories" tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.
But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

 

 

Have you read this series?

Let me know in the comments

Blog Tour | Frozen Charlotte and Sleepless by Alex Bell and Lou Morgan

Red Stripes Publishing are bringing out a new YA Series that's going to be hot! So be quick to pick up a copy and let me know (And the Authors, Publishers) what you thought of them!

Title: Frozen Charlotte

Author: Alex Bell
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Red Stripe Publishing
Published: January 5th 2015
Page Number: 368
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind… Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lillias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there’s her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn’t be there. The girl that died.

Review:

 

Frozen Charlotte is a book like no other. Literally. It's very rare to find YA Horror, but Alex Bell has delivered something that I think could contender with Queen of Teen Champion, James Dawson.

 

When the post man handed over this parcel and I ripped it open, I knew I had to start it there and then. I ran upstairs, turned off the lights and read, read, read. I couldn't put it down. I was introduced to the (if I say so myself) generic dark creepy house that's in any horror movie/book, but the truth was, that made me love it so much more. I felt like I was at the cinemas watching a premiere to a new movie.

 

The writing is brilliant, the pacing was non-stop and I swear I got chills down my arms on way too many occasions and my book now has tea spills from one specific scene that creeped me the hell out.

 

However, I must also say that I'm not someone who's scared. Maybe that's because I have a weird personality and have dreamed to see a live exorcist since I was six years old. Who knows. I just wished that Alex took some scenes that little bit further, creep everyone else the hell out and give them an experience to never forget.

 

 

About the Author

 

Alex Bell always wanted to be a writer, but embarked upon a Law Degree as a back-up plan, writing no fewer than six novels during her time at university. Now the published author of The Ninth Circle and Jasmyn, Alex happily dwells in an entirely make-believe world of blood, madness, murder and mayhem.

 

 

 

THE SECOND NOVEL IN THIS YA HORROR SERIES

 

Title: Sleepless

Author: Lou Morgan
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Red Stripes Publishing
Published: January 5th 2015
Page Number: 352
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

 

Young, rich and good-looking, Izzy and her friends lead seemingly perfect lives. But exams are looming – and at a school like Clerkenwell, failure is not an option. Luckily, Tigs has a solution. A small pill that will make revision a breeze and help them get the results they need. Desperate to succeed, the group begin taking the study drug.

It doesn’t take long before they realize there are far worse things than failing a few exams

 

 

About the Author

 

Lou Morgan is an award-nominated fantasy and horror author, whose short stories have appeared in several anthologies. Her first novel, Blood and Feathers – an adult urban fantasy – was shortlisted for the 2013 British Fantasy Awards in both the Best Newcomer and Best Fantasy Novel categories.

 

 

 

Check out the Trailer for this series!

 

http://youtu.be/ITntAVyx0ps

 

 

I still haven't read...

 

 

Hello everyone,
Welcome to my first meme of 2015. My friend Kayleigh over at K-Books created this amazing Meme that I think will have a positive effect on my TBR pile. (I have a post coming soon that could help you all with that.)

Here is this week's pick...

 

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.
1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH.
It's a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.

ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES.

 

 

Have you read this book?

Let me know in the comments.