Sunday 30 March 2014

Book Review - Arch Enemy

Title: Arch Enemy
Author: Frank Beddor
Series: The Looking Glass Wars (book 3)
Publisher: Egmont
Release Date: 1st October 2009
ISBN13: 9781405251938

Synopsis
The battle for Wonderland has come to a head and the Heart Crystal's power has been depleted thanks to King Arch's devastating weapon, WILMA. Imagination has been wiped from the land and the people of Wonderland have lost their greatest asset. Most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers as her Queendom hangs in the balance. 


My Review
I read the first two books in the series quite quickly and really enjoyed them, I started this one but for multiple reasons I haven't had much time to read over the last week or so so this got put to the side. I had a day off today so decided to finish it. 
Alyss and Redd are still at war but now they also have a common enemy - Arch. Determined to take over and make Wonderland into a Kingdom he disables the Heart Crystal rendering Alyss and Redd's powers useless. 
Alyss must try to defeat Arch and get rid of Redd before all of Wonderland is lost forever.
I was expecting great things from this book after the first two and I wanted it to answer all my questions and I don't know just be exciting. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. The plot felt very disjointed to me, it would move from one scenario and character to another, back and forth and I found myself losing interest and forgetting what was going on. I would just get into part of it and it would change to something else. Not only that but it felt more complicated than it needed to be, I started to get bored, I just wanted the book to get on with it. Normally I will sit and read a book and look at teh page numbers and be like 'wow I've read over 100 pages already' but with this one I would look and be like 'has it really only been 30 pages!' It just seemed to be really slow and at times I had to make myself keep reading.
Overall the story isn't bad and it does resolve 99% of events and character questions but I just feel like it could have been done a lot quicker and with less interruptions.
Good if you want to finish the series, but a bit disappointing in my opinion.

My Rating
     

Friday 28 March 2014

FF (157)


Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee or Alison Can Read

This week's question feature is
NJ Kinny’s World of Books

Snap it Time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything and anything. Just give us a pic.

My Answer: Last weekend I went to Rome, so I shall some photos from my visit:

The Colosseum

Gorgeous view and pretty flowers
 
The Pantheon

 

Me by the Trevi Fountain 

 Had a fabulous time, I took nearly 300 photos so this is a very small taste of them. :D

Feel like I should post a picture that's book related so here we go:

Don't forget you can order your own book hedgehog. Just follow my link here

Happy hopping and Blogging!

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Book Review - The Long Song (Audiobook)

Title: The Long Song
Author: Andrea Levy
Publisher: Headline Review
Release Date: 4 Feb 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0755359400 (book)
ISBN-13: 978-0755384006 (audio)
Read by: Adrian Lester and Andrea Levy

Synopsis 
The child of a field slave on the Amity sugar plantation in Jamaica, July lives with her mother until Mrs. Caroline Mortimer, a recently transplanted English widow, decides to move her into the great house and rename her “Marguerite.”

Resourceful and mischievous, July soon becomes indispensable to her mistress. Together they live through the bloody Baptist war, followed by the violent and chaotic end of slavery. Taught to read and write so that she can help her mistress run the business, July remains bound to the plantation despite her “freedom.” It is the arrival of a young English overseer, Robert Goodwin, that will dramatically change life in the great house for both July and her mistress. Prompted and provoked by her son’s persistent questioning, July’s resilience and heartbreak are gradually revealed in this extraordinarily powerful story of slavery, revolution, freedom, and love.
 


My Review
I have been listening to audiobooks in my car for months now and I love it, being told a story as I drive round is great. I listened to all of the Harry Potter's and then the Skulduggery Pleasant series, so mainly old favourites and books I wanted to re-read but didn't have the time for. Then I got to a point where my next book of choice hadn't arrived and I had nothing to listen to, my colleague at work pulled this off the shelf and said it was a really good book and that I should give it a go, so I did.
When I first started to listen to it I really wasn't sure, it's nothing like my usual kind of book and I wasn't sure if I would get on with it, but I decided to give it a fair try and my other book still hadn't arrived so I stuck with it.
This book follows first Miss Kitty as she works in the fields and then gives birth to a baby girl. From then on the story follows little July, who works by her mother's side in the fields until one day when she is 12 the new owner's sister arrives and decides she wants her as a house slave and takes her away. Brought up alongside Miss Mortimer, July learns to read and write and has some privileges other slaves don't have.
To be honest I didn't really know an awful lot about slave movements or Jamaica in general, but this story crafts the setting and events well and is actually quite a gripping tale. I don't know what it is that made me want to keep listening but I couldn't stop.
The book is read by the author herself on the audiobook and so she obviously knows how it should be read, she reads it in the proper accents, Jamaican being the main one but she does do quite a good English accent for Caroline Mortimer. She has one of those voices you can't help but listen to.
I certainly would never have picked this by choice and I don't think I would ever re-read it, but I did enjoy the story nd am glad my colleague recommended it. 
It does have a lot of serious issues in it; slavery, love, murder, suicide, war etc but it is aimed at adults and none of it is over the top. 
If you are looking for something a bit historical or cultural then this is a good book and a worthwhile read.

My Rating
I would maybe rate this slightly above average, so Average +
      

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Promo Blitz - Glamour


Townie. That’s what eighteen-year-old Christina Sundy is. All year round she lives in a one-stoplight town on Cape Cod and when summer comes she spends her days scooping ice cream for rich tourists, who she hates. So when one of them takes a job in the ice cream shop alongside her, she’s pissed. Why does a blonde and perky Harvard-bound rich girl like Reese Manning want to scoop ice cream anyway?

Something else weird is happening to Christina: tiny blue sparks seem to be shooting off her fingers. It isn’t long before she realizes the truth about herself — she’s actually a powerful hereditary witch. But her newfound powers are too intense for her to handle and, in a moment of rage, she accidentally zaps Reese into another dimension.

So that no one will notice that the rich girl has disappeared, Christina casts a disguising spell, or “glamour,” and lives Reese’s life while she tries to find a retrieval spell. But as the retrieval spell proves harder than anticipated, and as she goes about living Reese’s life without anyone on the outside noticing the switch, Christina realizes that there’s nothing to stop her from making the glamour permanent… except, of course, her fellow witches, a 16th century demon, and, just maybe, her own conscience.

 Guest Post

Why My Heroines Don’t Kick Ass

What would an urban fantasy be without a “kickass heroine?” From Buffy to Katniss, urban fantasy girls are tough, smart, and not be tangled with. But of course the best part about any kickass heroine is her flipside – her flaws. Whether she’s selfish, has a habit of mouthing off to the wrong people, or is obsessed with her work to the exclusion of all else, the kickass heroine isn’t any kind of super woman (or super girl) at all. Just like the best fictional heroes are also flawed (what would Rocky be without his failure? Or Rambo without his PTSD?) the best heroines are a jumble of fear, failure, mistakes, and regret. Or at least, they should be.

I’ve said before that my favorite characters to write are those who are such screw-ups, so fatally flawed, it would be almost tragic – if they weren’t so endearing about it … or if they weren’t so damn skilled. I love noir novels, where the characters are always mired in life’s perpetual bungling exercises, so I get a lot of my love of failures from that world. But I think these terrible personal qualities make a “kickass” heroine that much more appealing. How dull would a person be if all she did was run from one triumph to another?

Who are your favorite characters from fiction? Are they perfect? Doubtful. Even Katniss Everdeen, who is noble and brave, is basically a relentless, affectless, borderline sociopath… in a good way. Think of one of fiction’s most iconic characters of all time: Scarlett O’Hara, one of the world’s unforgettable heroines, is a total asshole most of the time. But we love the old bird, don’t we? (I know she’s not a fantasy or urban fantasy heroine, obviously… though she lives in a post-apocalyptic hell-scape, so maybe there’s so wiggle room). My point is, I don’t want to write a heroine who’s good, or even particularly likeable. I want to write someone who struggles, who fails, who tries, who is human.

Christina, the main character in GLAMOUR, struggles with her conscience when she discovers her newfound witchy powers would make it very easy to cheat her way through life. She gets help though, from her friend Bridget, who is a sweet person but one whose perpetual need to smooth things over leads her to pathologically avoid conflict. They in turn get help from Nadia, a brilliant firecracker of a woman who is so independent she often alienates people with her bluntness. Do you see a perfect person in the bunch? Hell, some of them aren’t even likeable. But whenever I get a note saying, “Your character’s not likeable,” I want to laugh. Likeability is a sign of blandness. Lovability is a sign of vulnerability and grit, and it’s worth about a thousand times more. 

So, no, my heroines don’t kick ass. They do fall down a lot though. And not in a Bella Swan way, either.

Andrea Janes writes horror, dark comedy, thrillers, and historical slapstick. She is the author of Boroughs of the Dead: New York City Ghost Stories. She is also a licensed NYC tour guide, and offers a variety of ghostly tours around the city. Her many obsessions include New York City history, old photographs, Mabel Normand, all things nautical, and beer. She maintains a personal blog over at Spinster Aunt, where she discusses these obsessions in more detail than is probably healthy.

Guest Post - Brina Courtney

Title: Reveal (Cryptid Tales #1)
Author: Brina Courtney
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

You think seeing ghosts is weird? Tell me something I don't know.
Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the
dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too, she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life.

But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids.  But can she?

Quotes
"So here I am with a dead girl in my car, in a super creepy forest, stalking a potentially dead father…yeah, not one of my brightest moments."
"She sighs, “Shay you can’t live your life in fear.  If you do there’s just no point in living."
"He turns and leaves, heading towards the math building and though I hate to see him leave, I do love to watch him walk away."
 About Brina Courtney
5295520
Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.
Links

Guest Post

Why have ghosts become this scary object we’re supposed to fear? I’ve never been afraid of ghosts, I’ve just always felt that they’re spirits who have unresolved business. I had never thought they wanted to hurt us until I started to watch scary movies. Then I, and I deduce you, became fearful of these translucent beings. 

So here is what I have to say about that, don’t fear ghosts. Think about all the wonderful people who have died, I really don’t believe they’d be haunting you in such a horrible way. Ghosts have been turned into these gruesome monsters, by television and movies when really I think they’ve been misinterpreted.  But Hollywood is what it is and we can’t deny the American public seems to like watching people be chased by bloodied figures flying down the hall in the dark chasing the victim to their untimely death. We like the gore and the spooky feeling it gives us. Why? I really can’t tell ya. But how many times have you hidden under the covers because of a ghost story?

I think our biggest mistake is we consider demons and ghosts the same entity, but really they’re totally different. Demons are evil spirits or fallen angels and trust me, those are people I would be afraid of. Get your blankets friends, and keep the lights on if you have a demon attached to you! 

But for now, light a candle and welcome the ghosts into our world.

Monday 17 March 2014

Book Review - Seeing Redd

Title: Seeing Redd
Author: Frank Beddor
Series: The Looking Glass Wars (book 2)
Publisher: Egmont
Release Date: 3 Sep 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1405209885

Synopsis
Alyss of Wonderland's rules has only just begun, and already those who prefer chaos to peace are threatening to destroy everything worth imagining. Trailed by newly appointed royal bodyguard Homburg Molly, Alyss is doing her best to keep pace with the non-stop demands of being queen while attempting to evade Molly for a few private moments with Dodge.
Alyss' life is a challenging mix of duty, love and tough decisions, and then a series of phantom sightings set fire to an urban myth of Her Imperial Viciousness' return and have everyone...Seeing Redd.
Has Redd somehow freed herself and her chief assassin, The Cat, from the confides of the Heart Crystal? If not, then who has resurrected Redd's brutal foot soldiers the Glass Eyes and set them loose to attack Wonderland on all sides?


My Review
After finishing book 1 I had to move straight onto book 2, I couldn't wait. 
This picks up right where we left of, Alyss is rebuilding Wonderland after Redd's cruel reign. She is still discovering who she can trust but trying to be a good and fair Queen, whilst at the same time trying to find out if Dodge is the man she remembered him to be. BUt thinks barely start to come back together before Wonderland is attacked once more by Glass-Eye's and everyone starts to panic the Redd is back, once more into battle, Alyss never knew being Queen was such hard work.
What I loved about this book is that it actually splits into quite a lot of side stories and follows other characters - but each of these insights into others lives all add up to the main story. You get to follow Redd and the Cat, Hatter Madigan, Alyss herself and characters such as Jack of Diamonds. This gives you a wider view of the story and the world and I found this much more exciting as you could watch it all come together from every side. 
I would say this book was a bit slower than the first but still a gripping read and very exciting, it also has some unexpected twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 
For a second part of a trilogy it does a great job, it moves the story on nicely, develops the characters well then sets the ending up that leaves you with an explosive storyline for the next book.
I am so glad I finally got round to reading this book and am only cross with myself for not doing it sooner!

My Rating
   

Book Review - The Looking Glass Wars

Title: The Looking Glass Wars
Author: Frank Beddor
Series: The Looking Glass Wars (book 1)
Publisher: Egmont
Release Date: 2 May 2005
ISBN-13: 978-1405219761

Synopsis
When Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, must flee through the Pool of Tears to escape the murderous aunt Redd, she finds herself lost and alone in Victorian London. Befriended by an aspiring author named Lewis Carrol, Alyss tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Alyss trusts this author to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere will find her and bring her home. But he gets the story all wrong. He even spells her name incorrectly!
Fortunately, Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan knows all too well the awful truth of Alyss' story and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may eventually battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.
The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly challenges our Wonderland assumptions surrounding mad tea parties, grinning Cheshire cats, and a curious little blond girl to reveal an epic battle in the endless war for Imagination.


My Review
I know I read this book about 5 years ago, I then bought book 2 and 3 but never got round to reading them. I decided now was the time to finally read the whole trilogy, something was calling to me so I picked up book 1 and got stuck in. 
After so long I really didn't remember much of this book, in fact mere fragments came back to me, so this was almost like a completely new book to me. 
I have a thing about anything to do with Alice in Wonderland, it's always been one of my favourite stories so I will always go for things that are adaptions of it. I have been disappointed in the past though, but I am pleased to say this is not one of those series.
Here we meet Alyss, 7 years old and the Heir to Wonderland. Playful and naughty with no real thoughts of ruling in the future, her parents are there and she doesn't have to worry. Until her Aunt Redd makes an appearance, forced to run for her life with their trusty bodyguard Hatter Madigan, Alyss flees through 'The Pool of Tear's and ends up in our world. Her parents are killed and Queen Redd takes over Wonderland. 
Hatter and Alyss get separated on their way through the Pool of tears and end up in very different parts of our world. Alyss in Oxford where she meets the legendary Lewis Carroll who becomes famous with her story (though he changes so much it's just lies!).
Hatter must track down Alyss and try to get her back to Wonderland where she can resume her rightful place and banish her evil aunt.
This world is so detailed and amazing that it really feels like you are walking through Wonderland and meeting all the enchanted characters, the words seem to lift of the page and envelop you in their magic. Not your traditional happy fairytale this book is a lot darker, but it's not particularly scary - just action packed and very exciting. 
I love Alyss as a character and seeing how she grows and develops as a character. The rest of the 'cast' are great too, I love Hatter, and the representation of 'The Cat' is probably my favourite. 
I read this in about half a day and found myself desperate for more. It is really addictive and captivating, I strongly recommend it. 

My Rating
    

Saturday 15 March 2014

Adopt a Hedgehog?

Hi everyone, I am writing this post to see if anyone would be interested in adopting a Hedgehog?

What am I talking about you may wonder? Well lately I've been feeling crafty and we had some old books at work that were going to be thrown out, so I decided to see what could be made from them and I discovered the joy of Book Hedgehogs.

I made about a dozen of them and put them all round the library as decorations, and lots of people have commented on how cute they are and how much they would love to have one which got me to thinking.

If I was to make some Hedgehogs would anyone be interested in buying one. I would have to sell them as I would need to buy the old books from the booksale of old stock and then purchase sequins etc for eyes and noses and then the postage would cost as well. Not to mention the time it takes to make them- it's quite a lengthy process.

Maybe you want to see what they look like first? Well here you are:
Aren't they adorable?

So what do you think, would anyone be interested in owning one? A little mascot for your bookshelves or computer desk?

I have looked up prices of similar things online (book trees and book letterings etc) and they seem to sell for about £12-£15.
I so far haven't seen any other hedgehogs online and I would only be asking for £6 per Hedgehog.

Free postage within the UK and £3 postage to the US.
Other countries I would have to price individually for postage.

Each hedgehog would be made as standard but I would offer you the chance to pick nose and eye colour.
Size of hedgehog is average length of a paperback book. 

If you wanted one- payment would need to be made via paypal through the 'donate' button on the top right of my blog. Once the money was received your Hedgehog would be sent within 5 working days.

This is a hobby and just a way to raise a little bit of money, (mostly to fund my book buying) but I would also donate 10% of each sale to charity (Cancer Research)

Leave a comment below to let me know if you are interested.

Book Review - The Grimm Legacy

Title: The Grimm Legacy
Author: Polly Shulman
Series: Grimm Legacy (book 1)
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Release Date: 6 Sep 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0192793102

Synopsis
Elizabeth's new job is very unusual. The building where she works might not look very interesting but behind this ordinary Manhattan façade lurks a very special place indeed. Because here you can borrow anything your heart desires . . .
And in the basement is something so special, so secret, that Elizabeth can't believe her eyes. The Grimm Collection.
Powerful and mysterious items that must be kept safe and can't be lent out to just anyone. So when these objects start disappearing Elizabeth must investigate. But who can she trust? One way or another she has to find out who is stealing from the Grimm Collection . . . and for what dark purpose.


My Review
I've never heard of Polly Shulman before or of this book, but I was tidying the library shelves a while back and saw this. The cover was the first thing to grab me, it was unusual, busy and really eye catching. I also tend to enjoy things based on old fairytales so I was immediately pulled in by the 'Grimm' reference. I decided to give it a go, it looked like quite a short book and rather interesting so I took it out. 
I have to admit it has then sat in my locker for the past month, but I wanted something fairly light to start of my weekend so I grabbed this and got stuck in. And I have to say I was pleased I had picked it up. The writing is quite easy and teh storyline starts off fairly simple and I have to admit quite slowly but it's intriguing enough to make you want to read more. The more you then get to know Elizabeth and discover the workings of the magical 'library' with her the more into the story you get. After writing a paper for her teacher on the history of the Brothers Grimm, he recommends her for a job at 'The New York Circulating Material Repository' what she finds there is beyond belief, floors and floors of magical items that can be borrowed and checked out by people just like a library. They have everything from shoes to fabrics and clothes, umbrellas, chess boards - the lot, and then down in the Basement something even more amazing and very highly treasured - the Grimm collection, items of note from the famous fairytales. 
This sounds like such a cool place to work and I love that we as readers get to discover it along with Elizabeth, it felt like I was stepping into the library myself and seeing the wonders. Now that really would be an awesome job!!! (I think I would miss the books though)
The book really picks up when you start to learn of the strange goings on, people disappearing, strange creatures lurking outside and one by one magical objects vanishing. Elizabeth and her new friends must try to work out who is taking the precious items and why before all the magic is lost.
At 330 pages this book isn't too long and is a nice quick read, it hooks you in and enchants you within the story. I would say it was aimed at slightly younger teens as the language and storyline are fairly simple, but still awesome enough to keep you hooked.
I would recommend this book to fans of fairytale stories, it's great fun. I really enjoyed it. Have now ordered book 2 in the series, I want to know more about this world. :)

My Rating
 

FF (156)


Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee or Alison Can Read

This week's question feature is
Sylvia Hubbard from The Literary World of Sylvia Hubbard

Spring is in the air! Show off yoru favorite outdoors reading spot. If you don’t go outside…well where else do you read that isn’t inside your house? We want pics!

My Answer: I think we have had one or two nice days here so far but it's still far too cold for me to sit outside with a book and even then I don't tend to read outside much, I find the glare of the sun off the pages or screen makes my head hurt, and sitting in the shade is too chilly. Goodness, I sound like a right moaner! 

I don't have a specific spot, but one place I could visualize myself with a book would be in Ampthill Park. This is one of my favourite places, it's got hills with terrific views, woodland areas to walk through, play parks, and little nature trails. It's beautiful there. So maybe sitting on the bench at the top of the hill looking out over all the landscape - gorgeous!

  Lovely hilltop views

You can see for miles!

Or maybe sit under this tree.

I'll have to give it a go when it gets warmer. Go for a nice long walk then settle for a rest with a book.

Happy hopping and Blogging!

Thursday 13 March 2014

Book Review - Sacrifice

Title: Sacrifice
Author: Jennifer Quintenz
Series: Daughters of Lilith (Book 3)
Publisher: Secret Tree Press
Release Date: 30 Jan 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0991522200 
ASIN: B00I5FPOY4

Synopsis
Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on her little town of Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in town, led by a charismatic old woman with more than one secret. When Cassie gets tangled up in the mystery, Braedyn realizes her two worlds are colliding. But if she’s going to stop Lilith and her Daughters from reclaiming this earth, Braedyn might not be able to protect her friends.
As her duties to the Guard become more difficult, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. They begin to wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have.
Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. No one ever told Braedyn this battle would be easy—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world?
 


My Review
I fell in love with this series the first time I picked it up. I have been lucky enough to be given each book by the author in exchange for a review, and everytime she emails with the offer of the next book I literally squeal with excitement. There is no question as to whether or not I will accept - it's a straight up yes.
So I got sent this book and I joined it to the bottom of my rather long review pile (I haven't been accepting review requests for that reason but I had to take this one) I figured I would read the otehr books and be reading this one in a couple of months, Jennifer was fine with the wait so no pressure, but once I had it in my possession I couldn't wait. I tried to read one of my other books but couldn't focus -  I had to dive into this one.
I haven't had as much time to read lately so any time I do get is absorbed as I immerse myself in a book and this one I dived in head first.
Although it has been quite a while since I read book 1 and 2 this is a story that has stayed with me, I remembered who everyone was and what was going on. This is actually quite rare for me with the amount of books I read, but this one came straight back and I had no problem being thrown back into the action. Something about Jennifer's writing just resonates in my mind and pulls me in.
This book has a perfect mix for me - a great love story, some kick-ass action and fight scenes, then the other side of her life - the 'normal' side of school and dealing with 'popular' girls. Everything is presented in a way that you know it is relevant, everything adds together to make an awesome plot. 
Braedyn is a great character - full of self doubt, but also willing to step up and fight for what she wants, she is a very 'human' character in that you can relate to a lot of her situation (obviously not the whole demon/lilitu aspect but the rest is right there!)
I love that Royal and Cassie are included more in the story, I enjoyed seeing them come to terms with the world of magic and Lilitu and see what they could bring to Braedyn's side. Cassie in particular is a great character.
I also liked the hints of confrontation and the possibility of a traitor, may sound cliche but it was actually done really well.
To me this is a fresh, unique fantasy series, different from most of the others I have read and I love it. Totally gripping, just can't get enough sort of reading. I hope there is more to come in this series because I want more!

My Rating
   

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Guest Post - Ley Hayley




Seventeen year old Rosalind Rowan was born a princess, the apple of her father’s eye. She loves the thick forests and lush meadows of the Forested Land. She is sometimes selfish and reckless, but she is also kind and loves fearlessly. Rosalind—who is known to everyone but the Queen as Rose—is desperately in love with Gavin Ashford, the dashing and intriguing son of an important lord. She wants nothing more than to marry Gavin and live in a country manor, far away from court. Because once her older sister marries, Rosalind must take up the position of Regent of the Forested Land. But things aren't always simple. When Rosalind uncovers abilities she should never have and sickness tears through the kingdom, the ordered world Rosalind thought she knew threatens to crash around her.


I am pleased to welcome Ley to my blog today, she is going to talk about Book to Film adaptions, there's been some good ones and some truly horrible ones, lets see what Ley thinks.

Guest Post:

It seems like lately every single movie that comes out is a book adaptation. And sometimes they do them wonderfully, and other times, they’re so horrible that I just can’t bear to watch them. A good book adaptation can open up the world of the book to a million more individuals and can even bring new readers to the pages. A bad one can put people off from reading for ages. Trust me.
           
So, I’m going to share with you my top ten book to movie adaptations of young adult books. I was going to do my top ten book to movie adaptations of all time, but I figured since this is a young adult blog, better stick with the theme, you know? And as an extra bonus, I’ll let you know what movies I’m looking forward to seeing that have been based on young adult books!
1.      1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2 (there’s no separating these)
2.      2. The Princess Bride (Mawwaige)
3.      3. The Hunger Games
4.      4. The Lovely Bones
5.      5. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
6.      6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
7.      7. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
8.      8. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
9.     9.  The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
10.  10. Beautiful Creatures

When it comes to movie adaptations of books, The Lord of the Rings will always stand out to me as the very best, but the Harry Potter series is a very close second. They were done brilliantly. And to me, nothing can beat the adaptation of book seven. Nothing.

Without question, the two adaptations I’m looking forward to seeing the most are The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2 and The Fault in Our Stars. John Green and Susanne Collins ripped my heart out with their books, so I know they’ll tear me apart with the film versions. And I love it when I get my feels mangled and put back together again.

And who knows, one day maybe someone will be doing a list like this and one of my books will be there. That’ll be the day…

Thanks Ley, that's a fab list. I adore Princess Bride film although still haven't got round to reading the book. Hunger Games is of course epically awesome as is Harry Potter. I'm looking forward to 'The Fault In Our Stars' too, but have to say I am most anticipating 'Divergent'! 
Thanks for featuring. ;D

Enter the Giveaway below!!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday 7 March 2014

FF (155)


Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee or Alison Can Read

This week's question feature is
Julie & Rose from ChapterBreak.net

Recommend some of your favorite back-list books – books that are at least a few years old (I’m thinking 5-10 years old rather than classics)

 My Answer: ooh this is a good question:


-1) The Singer of all Songs by Kate Constable, book 1 in the 'Chanters of Tremaris' series

-2) Dreamspinner by Bonnie Dobkin

-3) The Gift by Alison Croggon, book 1 in the Pellinor trilogy

-4) Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver, book 1 in the 'Chronicles of Ancient Darkness'

-5)  The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding, book 1 in the 'Cat Royal' series

I could do so many, but will leave it at those 5. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone else's old favourites.

 

Happy hopping and Blogging!




Wednesday 5 March 2014

Book Blitz Tour - My Name Is Rapunzel



My Name is Rapunzel - Week Blitz By K.C. Hilton


Young Adult Fantasy / Fairytale / Folklore

Date Published: 11/23/2013

My tale has been told again and again, and I've heard each one. Except for my hair, I barely recognize the pitiful renditions.
Muddled versions, crafted to entertain laughing children...but the children wouldn't have laughed if they'd known the real story. It wasn't their fault. They didn't know the truth. Nobody did. My name is Rapunzel. I will tell you my story. I will tell you the truth.



EXCERPT:

Just go, Henry. Save yourself. I tried to shout, but my mouth wouldn’t give way to sound. I was paralyzed. Was it with fear, or something else? The cackling witch at the tree line convinced me it was her doing.

I heard Henry continue to shout for me to flee, but I didn’t respond. I didn’t move. I didn’t run. I was frozen like a lifeless statue in a cold museum. With only the movement of my eyes, I pleaded with him to help me. A tear escaped one of my eyes then rolled down my cheek. That single tear managed to do what my heart and body could not. Escape. Fear, like unseen hands, gripped my lungs and tried to crush them slowly. My stomach churned and threatened to empty. Would we die here?

The gentle chill of night had turned into a mid-winter’s frost. Tiny bumps rose on my arms and the small hairs prickled to attention. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words remained trapped in my throat.

K.C. Hilton
Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois I spent my childhood playing street games with the neighborhood kids. When I wasn't outside, I spent much of my time reading and getting lost in adventurous worlds and whirlwind courtships. At the age of seventeen, I moved to Kentucky and eventually began to raise a family of my own. I have always been entranced by stories of magical adventure and I have discovered that writing is an entirely new, exciting adventure all on its own! In my spare time, I can be found updating my website or blog, finding great books to read or watching videos. Most days I crave Diet Coke, pizza and chocolate, in no particular order. I have my own pink toolbox with pink tools and secretly want to be a mechanic! I grew up a tomboy. But, when I didn't want to climb a hill, to walk through the graveyard, the boys said I turned into a girl.


Author Links:


 Buy Links:


GIVEAWAY:

Signed Copy of My

Name Is Rapunzel and SWAG!

This Blitz is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours