Wednesday 27 June 2012

(ARC) Book Review (103) Temptation - Karen Ann Hopkins


Temptation (Temptation #1)


Publication:1st July 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Pages: 383
Genre: Contemporary/Romance
Age Appropriate: Young Adult 
Your heart misleads you.  That's what my friends and family say.  But I love Noah. And he loves me.  We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. It should be  ROSE & NOAH forever, easy. But it won't be. Because he's Amish. And I'm not.
My Thoughts.
They say that forbidden fruit is the sweetest, you always want what you can't have!
A tale of two people from totally different worlds meet and fall in love, and do everything they can to stay together, they'll defy their families to be with one another, this is a Romeo and Juliet story set  in our time.
This book gives you an insight into the Amish community that you never really read about.
I'd noticed this book around quite a bit on Goodreads before I received my review copy and I was a bit hesitant to add it to my list of books that I want to read, I think it was the subject of being about Amish people, (I don't agree with their ways at all) that made me ignore it, and then I received a copy in the mail and I though alright I'll at least give it a go and I found that I loved it!
It was a case of love/lust at first sight for Rose and Noah, after moving into Meadowview with her father and two brothers Sam and Justin after the death of her mother they are greeted by their Amish neighbours and invited to dinner.
And it's at dinner that Rose realises the differences between both the families (where the Amish still think it's the 1800's, and while they say they care about their women they are treated like they don't exist, all they seem to be there for are to do housework and produce a heap of kids as they don't believe in birth -control, and are made to stand in line at meals while the men fill their plates and only then after they've sat down can they then go and eat themselves).
I can go on and on because the subject really gets me riled up, and while I can understand that Rose and Noah are in love and want to be together he expects her to make all the sacrifices and tries to get her to act as a proper Amish woman should.
 So because I was getting frustrated with all the male chauvinism I just tried to ignore the fact of who Noah was and concentrated on the romance between the two instead, after admitting their feelings to each other they both had to resort to sneaking around to be able to see each other, of course Sam finds out and isn't happy about the fact that they're together hoping that it's just a fad and that they'll break up.
As I said I did love this book for the romance only, Rose and Noah make such a sweet couple and you're cheering them on the whole way through.
I'm interested to know what happens in the next book after what happens at the end of this one, and to see how this whole relationship plays out.
I give this 4/5.
A Big Thanks To Harlequin Teen Australia.

Cover Reveal: Rise - Andrea Cremer


Rise (Nightshade Prequel #2)

Expected publication: January 2013


Tuesday 26 June 2012

Waiting On Wednesday.


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.
This week I'm waiting on....




The Summer Prince

Cover Reveal: Sever - Lauren DeStefano



Sever (The Chemical Garden #3)

In the first two books of the Chemical Garden trilogy, Wither and Fever, Rhine struggles to escape the mansion and then to navigate the brutal world outside. Now in Sever, the third and final book, Rhine uncovers some shattering truths about the past that her parents never had the chance to tell her and the alarming implications regarding her own genes. She may be the one who can save the human race.
Expected publication: February 12th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing


Cover Reveal: The Indigo Spell - Richelle Mead


The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)

Expected publication: February 12th 2013 by Razorbill


Sunday 24 June 2012

Book Review (102): Night Beach - Kirsty Eagar


Night Beach


Publication: 26th April 2012
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Pages: 324
Genre: Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that's not rational, not right, and you're becoming somebody you don't recognise, and certainly don't respect, but you don't even care.

And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing...

He lives downstairs.



Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane.

But since Kane's been back, he's changed. There's a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.

A gothic story about the very dark things that feed the creative process.
My Thoughts.
I don't know how to write this review, I didn't really understand the ending of the book, I didn't much like the characters and it was an alright story, but not really something I'd read again.
So let me explain my sentence above, I couldn't really get into the story, I understand that Abbie has a crush on Kane (more like a stalkerish obsession) but I don't understand why, I don't think there was anything at all that I liked about his character, which made me confused as to how she ended up with a crush on him in the first place, and because of her obsession of someone who was in my opinion just a waste of space it made me dislike her as well, I understand that when you're younger you have crushes on people but this was just a little too far, I mean stealing one of the condoms he kept in a pants pocket because it was in his pants pocket is just going a bit too far.
It also didn't matter that he never gave her the time of day in the first place and with the paranormal aspect in this story that affected them both I just think he's nothing but a gutless wonder!
As for the rest of the story I do feel bad for Abbie and her home life, being shafted to and fro between her divorced parents, her father who never has time for her and spends all his time working or her Mum who is cold and unfeeling and doesn't seem to care anything about Abbie except her getting good grades.
So all of that was just depressing she was all alone not really any family or friends and besides surfing (which I found really boring to read about) and her art there wasn't much else happening in the book.
And the ending, well I didn't really get the paranormal part it really wasn't explained all that well that I could understand what it was, and on the last page when she finally looked into that room in the cellar and found the things in there that she did I was like huh!!!!, how the hell did they end up there in the first place, I felt like maybe it would have helped to have an explanation for those like me who weren't maybe smart enough to figure that out.
I really wanted to like this book, the summary on the back of this book sounds fantastic and I was really excited to read it but unfortunately for me it was a let down.
I give this 2.5/5.
A Big Thanks To Penguin Australia.





Saturday 23 June 2012

In My Mailbox (33).



In My Mailbox Is A Weekly Meme Hosted By Kristi The Story Siren.



Everything Left Unsaid - Jessica Davidson (Pan Macmillan Australia)
Preloved - Shirley Marr (Walker Books Australia)
Avenger's Angel (Lost Angels #1) - Heather Killough-Walden (Hachette Australia)
Messenger's Angel (Lost Angels #2) - Heather Killough-Walden (Hachette Australia)
Storm (Elementals #1) - Brigid Kemmerer (Allen & Unwin Australia)
Between The Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer (Allen & Unwin Australia)

Surrender (Possession #2) - Elana Johnson
Flirting In Italian (Flirting In Italian #1) - Lauren Henderson
Timepiece (Hourglass #2) - Myra McEntire
My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick
Mirage (Winterhaven #2) - Kristi Cook
Shadow And Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) - Leigh Bardugo
For Darkness Shows The Stars - Diana Peterfreund
My Life In Black And White - Natasha Friend
The Sorceress Of Belmair (World Of Hetar #4) - Bertrice Small

Exiled (Immortal Essence #1) - RaShelle Workman
The Taken (Celestial Blues #1) - Vicki Pettersson
Article 5 (Article 5 #1) - Kristen Simmons
Tempest (Tempest #1) - Julie Cross
Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) - Stacia Kane
Robert Pattinson: The Unauthorized Biography - Virginia Blackburn
Twilight Prophecy (Wings In The Night #17) - Maggie Shayne
The Twilight Boys - Evie Parker








Cover Reveal: Paper Valentine - Brenna Yovanoff





Paper Valentine

Cover Reveal: The Gates Of Paradise - Melissa De La Cruz




The Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7)

Cover Reveal: Pivot Point - Kasie West


Pivot Point

by 


Cover Reveal: Altered - Jennifer Rush




Altered

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.
Expected publication: January 2nd 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Book Review (101). Dreamless - Josephine Angelini


Dreamless (Starcrossed #2)





Thursday 21 June 2012

Feature And Follow Friday (31). - I'm A Featured Blog!


Feature And Follow Friday Is Hosted By Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.Com.
This week I'm fortunate enough to be one of the featured blogs (I'm very excited)!
Have a read of my Q&A and head on over to the other featured blog Books & Blossoms and make sure also to stop by and visit Alison and Rachel.
I don't mind how you follow whether it be by (GFC, Linky or Networked Blogs).
I'll follow back even if I already follow you I'll just use a different way of following.
Thanks and enjoy!

(WHEN DID YOU START BLOGGING?)
I only started blogging October of last year, I used to visit all these different blogs and one day I thought you know what, I love reading why don't I start a blog of my own.

(WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF BOOK BLOGGING?)
I love the fact that there are so many people interested in reading that are also reading the same genre's as I do, I'm the only person who reads in my house so it's nice to be able to communicate with people that share the same passion for reading that I do.

(WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK(S)?)
For anyone that visits my site during Feature Follow Friday most of the questions are answered with using my favourite series Twilight - Stephenie Meyer, the reason I got into the paranormal genre was because of Twilight, I also love Harry Potter - J.K Rowling, The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare, The Black Dagger Brotherhood - J.R Ward I could go on and on.

(WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU BECAUSE OF BOOK BLOGGING?)
I think that there's a lot of things not just one, I love it when an author sends me a message asking me specifically whether I'd review a book for them, or people that want me to take part in blog tours it makes it even more special when it's a publisher asking you it makes me feel like I'm doing something right and I feel extremely grateful, when I started this blog I never expected it to go as well as it has especially since there are so many other blogs out there.
And all the people you meet while blogging is fantastic, but mostly it's just people care enough to leave comments on your posts, I think it's the best decision I've ever made starting up this blog.
Oh and one of the best things so far is being a feature on Feature Follow Friday!




Here is the weeks question, answer it in your post.
Q: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?
Ok I will probably have quite a few people disagreeing with me about this but the one book I would unread if I could would be "Lord Of The Rings - J.R.R Tolkien".
I really didn't like this book I found it boring and unfortunately I'm one of those people that has to finish a book, this is one case where I definitely thought the movie was way better than the book.


Cover Reveal: Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi


Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)

Expected publication: February 5th 2013 by HarperCollins


Cover Reveal: Blood-Kissed Sky - J.A London


Blood-Kissed Sky (Darkness Before Dawn #2)

Expected publication: December 24th 2012 by HarperTeen


Cover Reveal: The Nightmare Affair - Mindee Arnett


The Nightmare Affair



Wednesday 20 June 2012

Cover Reveal: Echo - Alyson Noel


Echo (The Soul Seekers #2)

The second book in the Soul Seekers series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Timesbestselling author Alyson Noël!
 

Daire Santos just saved her grandmother's life—and her soul. But at a cost. The Richters, a dark family of sorcerers, have been let loose in the Lowerworld, and Daire and her boyfriend, Dace, must once again work together to find them before they upset the balance between good and evil, and destroy not only their small town in New Mexico, but the entire world.
 
As Daire and Dace's relationship deepens, Dace’s evil brother Cade grows stronger than ever, building his power and forcing Daire to confront the horrifying prophecy that has brought them all together. One that will leave Daire no choice but to claim her true destiny as Seeker, but only by making an unthinkable sacrifice for the greater good of all.
Expected publication: November 13th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin