Feature and Follow Friday #4

This weekly meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. It is a great way to make new blogger friends whilst promoting your blog! If you want to join in then head over to there blog for more details! 

This weeks Question:
Best cover? What is the best cover of a book you have read and didn't like?
There are sooo many gorgeous covers! But i think ALL the covers in the Halo series, US and English are absolutely Beautiful! I love everything about these covers! Especially the light and wings of the angel! 

I only read the first book in this series and if I'm honest found it very cliche and boring, evan if the cover is pretty i wont be buying the next few! 
What about you? Put a link below so i can see what you think and i will be hopping around!:)

Showcase Sunday #2

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted  by Books, Biscuits and Tea. For more information about how this feature works and how to join, click here.
This week i got two books out of the library:

Synopsis (From Goodreads) 

BE WARNED, SECOND BOOK IN A SERIES IF YOU DONT WANT SPOILERS DO NOT THIS SYNOPSIS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.There's been no sign of the Beautiful Dead for weeks. Darina achingly misses Phoenix all over again. But surely he will return with the rest of the Beautiful Dead as so much still remains unresolved. It's been ten months since Arizona drowned in Hartmann Lake. Suicide, it would seem. But something doesn't add up.

Drowning herself in a hidden - away lake does not sound like strong, confident, Arizona: Ellerton High School's high-maintenance drama queen. Darina needs to help Arizona the way she helped Jonas. But time is running out...

Synopsis (From Goodreads)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her friends—before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s...

Beautiful Dead, Arizona  I read the first book in the beautiful dead series ages ago, but i didn't like it enough to buy the rest so i thought i might as well give the second book a go if its free!

Everneath I have seen this book everywhere recently, but was hesitant to buy it because it sounds very similar to abandoned by Meg Cabot, but i decided to try it out. No harm in that!

What about you? Leave a link in the comments below and is shall check out what you got this week! happy Reading!

Book Review: Second Chance Summer By morgan Matson

Title: Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson
Series: N/A Stand Alone
Publication Date: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Length: 468 pages
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult

Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US |The Book depository

Synopsis(Goodreads)

From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak. Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

     Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

     As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

Review:

This is one of those books which makes you feel everything. While reading this book i felt all the feels. I cried, laughed, smiled, got angry and all within the space of 468 pages. I was a huge fan of Amy and Rogers Epic detour, Morgan's first book, but i was worried that Second Chance Summer wouldn't be as good in comparison or would be ver similar. But i was wrong because this book blew me away.

The Synopsis definitely doesn't do the book justice. It makes it out that Second Chance Summer is just a fluffy, romantic read when its so much more than that, so much deeper. There were so many issues brought up in this book, family, confronting your past, friends, romance and hard devastating news.  

Evan though there were some sad moments Morgan Matson managed to balance these with happy ones. The characters were fun and quirky, individual and complicated in a good way. Creating much more depth to the story and providing interesting relationships. I really liked that a main theme of this book was second chances. About mending mistakes, re-building friendships and re-kindling love. I also loved how Morgan made a point of showing that rebuilding all these relationships would take time and that it wasn't something to happen quickly. 

The character development in this novel was also terrific, there was nothing fake or unbelievable about this book and something i want to emphasis a lot is how well Morgan showed the growth of every character gradually, through baby steps. Each character would progress, slowly to become better people and to learn lots of things about themselves.

It was little things in this book, details, which made it special, like the author had thought out everything about the characters in this book. Down to why Taylor loves her favourite stuffed toy so much, to why she runs away when thing get tough. Everything had been thought out.

It will make you cry, laugh and compel you to tell your family that you love them. I cannot praise it enough, a definite 5 stars.

Feature and Follow Friday #3

This weekly meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. It is a great way to make new blogger friends whilst promoting your blog! If you want to join in then head over to there blog for more details! 

This weeks questions:
Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you've read and loved?

Okay so this one should be obvious right? But i actually found it hard to find a cover i didn't like, i just love them all and if the book is good then it normally improves my judgment of the cover anyway. 

But in the end i did find one and that is:

 

The UK cover of Angel (Angel Burn in the US) By L.A Weatherly 

I really don't like this cover..i love the background and the font but then theres the girl and if i am honest she looks pretty damn creepy and scary. So when i saw the US cover i was pretty annoyed because that is infact gorgeous. 

What about you? Put a link below so i can check out what you think!

Showcase Sunday #1

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted  by Books, Biscuits and Tea. For more information about how this feature works and how to join, click here.This week i only bought a few books, here they are

-Second chance summer by morgan Matson
I adored Amy and Rogers Epic detour, so i was so excited to pick this up! I have already started reading this and HOLY MOLY its amazing so far, i cannot put it down.




-Angel Fire By LA Weatherly
I loved, loved, loved Angel so i am really excited to read it! And Alex..i cannot wait to read more about him *swoon*, evan though the size of it is HUGE.

As i am on a book buying ban i shouldn't of bought any books at all! But they looked so lonely..and pretty on the shelf they were on so i just couldn't resist! 
Hope you had a good week, post a link to your showcase sunday below and i will check it out! Happy Reading!

Book Review: Shiver By Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Series: #1 The wolves of mercy falls trilogy
Publication Date: August 1st 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Paperback
ISBN:  0545123267

Length: 392 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age group: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US |The Book depository

Synopsis(From Goodreads)

Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.

Review:

This was my first ever 'wolf' book and i had my doubts. First off, it seemed very similar to 'Twilight'...there was the girl absolutely fascinated with the supernatural being (in this case a wolf) and the guy who seemed completely entranced..slightly stalkerish, towards the girl. So obviously i was unsure about reading this book, i just didn't want it to be another copy of twilight, which luckily it wasn't.

There were times when the whole 'i would rather die than never love you' thing annoyed me, but thankfully Maggie Stiefvater didn't mention this too often and so i did begin to rather enjoy Shiver. There was much more to it than just a love story which i was glad to find out. 

One of the great things about this book is Maggie Stiefvater's writing style. I found it a breath of fresh air for some reason and i think the varying POV's helped that. I especially loved the POV of the wolf, it was so interesting to read something i hadn't seen done before and the way Maggie wrote it was just so descriptive and expressive that it constantly had my attention.

Something which i did not expect was grace's family and friends involvement in the plot line. I loved how Maggie focused on Grace's family in some parts and the issues surrounding them. Making this more than just a love story. When we find out that Grace's father is helping kill the wolves this really adds a plot twist and another hurdle within the story.  She also included her life with friends which i liked a lot, as i was excepting her to just ignore them how Bella did in Twilight. 

Grace's character was headstrong and independent, something i admired a lot. She didn't just suddenly give everything to Sam, who she hardly knows and was her own person. Sam i just loved, he wasn't as obsessive as excepted and i could tell he had a kind heart. He's got his own issues and i liked that he had a more vulnerable side to him, rather than him just being the hero all the time. The side characters were described really well, i felt that they really meant something to the book and that they all had there part to play. Which each character Maggie intertwined there backstory, which helped you get to know them more and meant you weren't just focusing on Sam and Grace all the time. 

Overall this was a great book and much more than i expected. I your looking for a werewolf book, with some love, mystery and drama then this is for you.  I would be lying if i said i didn't love it so Four Stars!

Feature and Follow Friday #2

 This weekly meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. It is a great way to make new blogger friends whilst promoting your blog! If you want to join in then head over to there blog for more details! 

This weeks question:
What Bloggers inspire you? I can be any kind, it doesn't have to be a book blog.

Lets start with the non book bloggers first, these include Zoe from Zoella and Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter. They seem such lovely,sweet girls and if you watch their videos you will know what i mean when i say they are hilarious too. Plus their fashion/beauty blogs are inspiring in every way. There friendship is something that also makes me seriously jealous because i wish i could have something as special as that. One day i would love to meet them, because evan though I'm not a beauty blogger, hell do i want to be one of their friends.

Now on to book bloggers, there are thousands of blogs i want to mention but have had to narrow it down to these beauties:

1. Joy from Joie De Lire. Her book blog inspired me to keep going with mine when i nearly gave up on starting one. She has helped me and given me advice on this book blogging world, when I'm sure she could be doing other things and just seems so bubbly and lovely that i really wish she was my friend. 

2.Danni from Pen to paper. It's always nice to find a fellow English book blogger, so when i found one of her 'showcase sunday' videos on youtube i immediately went to her blog, which might i add is just gorgeous, and has now become one of my many inspirations. My goal is for my blog to become like hers, her being older than me she is the blog i look up too. I just wish i had the guts to say hi! 

3. Finally Kristi from The Story Siren. This was the first ever book blog i found and i am constantly going back to her blog for some sort of guidance and inspiration. Her ever-growing bookshelf is something i set out to have one day myself and her opinions on books are ones i consider highly. 

What about you? Leave me a link so i can check out what you think!

Book Review: Looking for Alaska By John Green

Title: Looking For Alaska
Author: John Green
Series: N/A Stand Alone 
Publication Date: March 3rd 2005
Publisher: Speak/Harper Collins Children's books
Format: Paperback
ISBN:  0142402516 
Length: 221 pages
Genre: Contemporary
Age group: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US |The Book depository



Synopsis (from goodreads)

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

Review:

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. It made me cry, it made me smile and it made me shout. As a debut novel for John Green it was exceptionally good, but at times whilst reading i would ask myself: Where is the plot in this book? Now i wonder if it really was a book just to question some philosophical debates and to portray modern culture in honesty.

But John Greens writing really was brilliant. Witty, dynamic and full of sarcasm, his writing still managed to hold undertones of seriousness in it which really made you think. Some passages i would read and be so overwhelmed by their brilliance that i would just stop and think "John really is an utter genius." 

I think part of the reason i had a love/hate relationship with this book, was down to the fact that Pudge or 'miles' really did annoy me at some points. Partly to the fact i didn't relate to him at all and partly because i found his character a bit boring or 2-dimensional compared to The Colonel and Alaska. The Colonel and Alaska i thought were so alive and vibrant  compared to Pudge who i found a bit dull. Maybe that was purposely done or maybe I'm just being picky, but whatever the reason it made it damn hard to read the 200 or so pages in the head of someone i didn't really like. 

What made up for this however was the complete honesty of how the world is today. Im not saying everyone drinks, smokes and has sex but it is certainly a big part of culture and this really made the book real for me. There was no sugar covered literature but just the raw, however gritty,good old truth and it really sent this book in the right direction.

After thinking about it for a long time, i have come to the conclusion that, for me, its faults add to the raw honesty of this book and that with its imperfections it strides to brilliance. It made me laugh and cry at the same time and i think its safe to say, that evan with my doubts, it would be a crime not to read this book. Four stars!

Book Review: Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal devices #1
Publication Date: August 31st 2012
Publisher: McElderry Books
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 1416975861 
Length: 479 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Age group: Young Adult
Source: Gift
Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book depository




Synopsis (From Goodreads) 

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Review:

As a big fan of The Mortal Instruments Series, I was naturally curious to see if Cassandra Clare could deliver once again, i was excepting to be disappointed but now, after reading clockwork angel i have come to realise that Cassandra Clare is one of those rare gems of an author who is always consistent, in the greatest way possible. Not once have i been disappointed in any of her works and i honestly hope it will stay that way.
In clockwork angel Cassandra Clare produces yet another swooning, fast paced, action packed adventure which will keep you reading into the early hours of the morning.

Tessa Gray, our main protagonist is thrust into a dark world right at the beginning of the book, after being tricked, in her search for her loving brother. So when she meets Shadowhunters, Will and Jem, Tessa joins them on a quest that will challenge herself and others around her more than she can imagine. Tessa grew as a character so much throughout the book. She becomes more bold, more sure of herself which, if she had stayed with her sheltered life, she could of never been.

I loved almost ever single character introduced in this book. Cassandra Clare made each individual so alive, all with complex personalities, strengths and faults. Which really helped you believe they were actual  people. They were relatable and the way they described and acted was so real.

The contrast between Will and Jem, as brothers, was played out cleverly. Leaving us readers and poor Tess tied between each. Will was the dashing, mysterious and more complex brother who every lady set her heart out to win. But having his faults; a bad temper and a snarky attitude, his brother Jem would occasionally steal the limelight. His kind heart and loving attitude dazzling all. I adored the relationship between the two brothers, who, as much as Will denied it, needed each other and with both opposite personalities they kept the other balanced. It seemed to me that what one of them lacked the other thrived and this i just loved.

Set in London and in the victorian Era, it surprised me that Cassandra Clare didn't seem to be challenged at all by the new culture, attitudes of the people and landscapes in this age. She wrote so vividly, that i felt as if i had been transported, back in time to the 1800's. It was as if she was unveiling a picture in front of my eyes rather than writing a book and I was glad to find that he writing  still included the wit and charm like all her other novels.

Overall this book blew me away no question and i feel honoured to have read it. If you have not read this book then i can't urge you enough to do so, because this was truly a wonderful ride. Five stars!

 

Friday Feature and Follow #1

 This weekly meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. It is a great way to make new blogger friends whilst promoting your blog! If you want to join in then head over to there blog for more details! 

This week's question:
What would you do over if you were to start your blog again from scratch?

Seeing as i am very new to blogging and have only recently started this blog this is kinda a hard question...so far i am happy with everything i have done! Maybe i slightly wish i had a 'cooler' 'personalised' template..but i suck at HTML so that won't happen! But i am happy so far:) 

Leave a link in the comments and i shall check out each of your blogs and your answer to this weeks question! 

Book Review: The Maze Runner By James Dashner

Title:  The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Series: The Maze runner Trilogy #1
Publication Date: October 6th 2009
Publisher: Delacorte books for young readers
Format: Paperback
ISBN:0385737947
Length: 374 pages
Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Post Apocalyptic, Apocalyptic
Age group: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | The book depository




Synopsis (From Goodreads)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Review:
If your looking for a fast paced, action packed, dystopian book then this is for you. It certainly was for me. I defiantly didn't except the amount of twists and turns James Dashner delivered in this book, to what was definitely a roller coaster ride. 

I loved how this book kept me guessing, how it kept me wondering what would happen next. Everything was unexpected, the ending revealed answers which i could not of predicted and evan more questions. The whole book was fast-paced up to the very last page, meaning that taking my eyes of the book was very hard. Evan at the end there was still some mystery, suspense and action. 

The world James Dashner created around the Maze and The glade was described amazingly, I got such a clear image in my mind of what Thomas' surroundings were, what he felt, heard, smelled. James Dashner wrote with such clarity and passion that it really brought the whole book to life. In some ways it was like reading in some form of 3D.

I thought that Thomas, the main character really was a sweetie. He was the typical good guy: Brave, Always trying to help, Just wanting everyone to be happy etc. I admit I do think the 'good guy' character type has been overused, but because there was so many other things going on, i wasn't really bothered by it. Although i am curious to see if it does start to annoy me in the next two books, but hopefully not.

I have to say though that my favourite character was in fact Chuck, Thomas's first friend in The glade. Chuck was so insanely human it really did warm my heart, his desperation but hope to survive no matter what the odds just screamed human! In a way i think he represented human kind in general and in the book. If you have read The Maze Runner then you will know what i mean when i say Human kind is doing anything to save themselves and at whatever the cost.

Overall this was an exciting, great read and i cannot wait to read The Scorch Trials! However it wasn't a complete WOW for me so I have given it 4 stars!

 

Until next time- Happy reading!