Wednesday, 31 October 2012

It's The Last Day Of The Month...

. . . so this is a 4 point overview of this month's books read.

Favourite Book - 'Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini'
Four words: Greek mythology, fit boys. What more could a book need? I did read 'Dreamless' and WOW this book also surpassed all my expectations and worries. Desperate for the next book in this series to come out, when I will devour it up!

Favourite Character -  Xavier - 'Seeking Crystal - Joss Stirling'
He was incredibly sweet and caring to Crystal - even before he knew she was his soulfinder! And he was really passionate, whilst being the family's favourite (without being like a spoilt mummy's boy). He charmed everybody he met, with his wit and his good looks probably helped.

Favourite Ending - 'Seeking Crystal - Joss Stirling'
My favourite book ending was 'Seeking Crystal', all of Joss Stirlings soulfinder books have been brilliant, and therefore all endings have been perfect. But this month the only reason 'Dreamless' isn't my favourite book ending is because the series isn't finished and I'm still waiting for the 'perfect' ending to that series. But 'Seeking Crystal' was another action packed romance that delivered like all other Joss Stirling books.

Favourite Book Cover - 'Queen of the Big Time - Adriana Trigiani'
It's a really pretty book cover, and is one of the main reasons I brought it.

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

When shy, awkward Helen Hamilton meets Lucas Delos for the first time, she thinks two things: the first, that he is the most ridiculously beautiful boy she has ever seen in her life: the second, that she wants to kill him with her bare hands.
 
An ancient curse means Lucas and Helen are destined to loather one another. But sometimes love is stronger than hate, and not even the gods themselves can prevent what will happen next …
 
 
Picking up the book in the store I was reluctant to buy it, I don’t exactly know why, possibly: okay I’m not going to lie it’s a big book – probably one of the thickest on my book shelf (along with Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter) but that didn’t really deter me; what put me off was when I read  the Dreamless blurb it mentioned another boy that Helen was torn between, and I hate books were a girl is torn between boys and can never make a decision.  However a trilogy of books based around Greek mythology was too good for me to miss. I love Greek mythology in books! (For example the Abandon trilogy by Meg Cabot is brilliant.) So I had to buy Starcrossed and Dreamless; I set about reading straight away.
Starcrossed was a fabulous read but once I finished I felt sad, I can gather a few reasons for this: first the amount of death; the blood for blood idea in the book was vivid and the idea of killing anybody in your own family is horrible; next was the fact that Lucas and Helen think they’re cousins that is one of the main reasons why they are apart – and I really want them to be together; lastly is the thought of reading Dreamless after the build up of Lucas’s and Helen’s relationship I really don’t want someone to just come and break it up.
All relationships in this book are great. I wish I had a friend like Claire who is very protective over Helen and cares for her deeply (so much to push her off a roof).  All relationships in this book are about control and love: the brothers in the family have to cope with the desire to use their ‘extra skills and strengths’ not to kill each other; trying to protect someone else they love, whereas Jason has to control his feelings for Claire by suppressing them and pushing her away. I love their relationship and knew they definitely should be together.  But the most control of all is Lucas’s and Helen’s, they know so much is at stake for them and they’d do anything to be together which ultimately means that fate doesn’t want them to be together. Lucas is the perfect boy and the key to Helen’s dream to get off the island and see the world; with his flying abilities he can take her anywhere.
This story is about discovering yourself and what it takes to do that; clearly the key in this book is: love, friendship, trust, family and flying lessons with the person you love most.  But with a great, big dollop of Greek mythology it has a certain twist. A great theme in this book is what goes around comes around, and through all of the fights, warnings, disguises, nightmares and lightning bolts, this message stays the same. You kill him – we kill you. You ancestors have failures – they’re your problem now. You save my life – I save yours. And this constant circle of events feel like something the characters can’t break free of, so I have an unwillingness to read Dreamless (despite the brilliance of Starcrossed) until the next book comes out, when they can hopefully be masters of their own destiny. And Helen makes an absolute decision – I just hope she chooses Lucas.
Overall a good book, that I recommend for any fans of romances, a very addictive read - so only start if you have lots of time to have your minds warped with worrying about the characters problems. It was brilliant. I just love, LOVE books based on Greek mythology!
 
4 stars out of 5




Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Books!

Have got 5 new books to enjoy, read and review:

 
 
Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
 
 
Fated - Alyson Noel
 
 
Queen of the Big Time - Adriana Trigiani
 
 
Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini
 
 
Dreamless - Josephine Angelini


Saturday, 4 August 2012

Destined - Aprilynne Pike


Laurel lived happily as an ordinary girl - until she discovered that she was a faerie.
Since then her heart has been divided between the magic realm of Avalon and the human world. Between the boys she loves the most; caring David and wild Tamani. But now a powerful enemy threatens Avalon and unless the faerie world can win out, there may be no choices left...

Laurel faces the fight of her life to save everything and everyone she loves in this spell-binding faerie tale of magic and mystery, romance and danger.

I read the first book ‘Wings’ a long while ago, but something stopped me reading any of the other books in the series; until the last book came out. And for me the books were worth the wait.
Usually books where the main character can’t choose between two people annoy me so much, that I have to say I don’t even attempt to read them. So I was glad when I finished reading ‘Destined’ that everything had come to the perfect end – especially since Tamani had always been my favourite.
The book starts exactly where it left off after ‘Wild’: Yuki trapped, David having disappeared and Avalon under threat. But then Klea arrives and things go from bad to worse. Tamani and Laurel have to flea and Yuki escapes with Klea – with devasting results for Shar. Making it to Avalon Laurel, Tamani, Chelsea and David, learn more about Klea and the fight ahead. With surprising results of humans being in Avalon and Laurel finally ready to make her choice, the fight in Avalon is hard for everyone…
The ending is brilliant and you can see that throughout the series it has been building for this big finale; overall it’s a fabulous book (and the final fight reminded me in ways of the final fight in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). This series should be read by fans of fantasy stories and those who want to read something slightly different. A brilliant page-turning book, that’s action packed and one that I wanted to never end.
4 stars out of 5



Monday, 23 July 2012

Rapture - Lauren Kate

The sky is dark with wings…

And time is running out for Luce and Daniel.

In order to stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the Fall began. Only Luce can break the curse, and it is her choice alone that will decide all of their fates.

But as Dark Forces gather, great sacrifices will have to be made in this final, epic struggle…

In the fight for Luce, and for love, who will win?


This book was much better than I ever expected it could be, and had so many different twists, the book for me was just amazing.
The book continues almost straight from where it had left off after Passion, Lucifer is at the Fall and is ready to erase all off time. All they have is nine days to try and stop Lucifer, and nine days to collect three items that will help determine the place of the fall. The plan seemed so simple and I wondered what could go wrong but then problems kept arising and some with devastating results. The plot though was well written and kept me turning the pages as fast as I could until the very end.

Luce and Daniel’s relationship is as sweet as ever and grows even more in this last novel, I think this is because Luce is starting to understand more about herself.  I love all the characters in it: Arriane, Roland, Annabelle, Cam, Gabbe… and also Dee – who I think is one of the bravest characters in the book.

After a lot of twists and unexpected events, the ending was brilliant but also kind of sad. The last line of the book to me stood out and was a happy line since it showed the happiness of all their previous lives but was also sad since it signified it was the end. It is one of the best books I’ve read in awhile and a read I’d recommend to everybody.


4.5 stars out of 5

Monday, 25 June 2012

Second Chance Summer - Morgan Matson

Taylor Edwards has made leaving things behind into an art form. When things get tough, she gets going. Then her dad gets some terrible news and the whole family decides to spend summer at their old lake house, where Taylor is forced to confront her past. She hasn't been to the lake for years and isn't keen to go back, but then she starts to reconnect with the people she thought she'd left behind - including Henry, her first crush, who's even cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve . . .

With fireworks, fireflies and midnight swims, the summer feels full of possibility and, for the first time, Taylor wants to hold on to the moment but is one summer really enough to have a second chance - with family, friends and love? 

Having read 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour' and extremely enjoying it, I was excited when seeing that Morgan Matson had another book out, and the blurb had me quite interested - possibly because it seemed like a proper summer read.

The book starts with Taylor already running away, her immediate reaction to anything bad. But she is handed he second chance to go to the summer house for family bonding. Her family never really got on before and with devastating news that has hit the family they're all unsure what to do with themselves, since it maybe Taylor's second chance, but it's her dads last summer.

Almost immediately Taylor runs into Henry, a part of her past she ran from  and tried to forget. But desperate attempts to please her family, since Taylor feels like the lesser talented member, means Taylor is meeting Henry more often - by accident. These attempts also lead to her facing her fears, and problems with ex-best friend Lucy. I think Henry is a fantastic character who is perfect for Taylor in her times of need and he is prepared to be there for her. But I do think that this relationship could of been developed deeper and I felt slightly let down. I also think Taylor's slow regaining of Lucy's trust is good, but I think could also of been developed more deeply.

I love the setting of the story, and the characters in it. I understand Taylor's predicaments and reluctance to be at the lake house, the reasons for this come clear through flash backs of months/years before. I like Taylor's whole family, I find her brother Warren amusing and think his 'happy ending' with Wendy is well deserved.

Even though it had been made clear at the start of the book Taylor's dad's fate, for some reason I wasn't expecting it and possibly like some of the characters in the book had been expecting a miracle treatment. Pressure is put on the whole family and they are put through tests, which bring them stronger together.  Each character - especially Taylor - develops throughout the book, and discovers more about themselves, and more about each other.

This book to me was very similar to books written by Sarah Dessen and would be good for fans of her books. Taylor's second chance was perfect and her ability to help others was nice. To be completely honest I don't think this book is as good as 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour' which somehow felt more real. Nevertheless this book is worth a read for fans of contemporary/romance books.

3.5 stars out of 5

Saturday, 16 June 2012

I Can't Wait To Read These Books!

Adorkable - Sarra Manning
A Girl Named Digit - Annabel Monaghan






My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick










Rapture - Lauren Kate