tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42958354853062791512024-03-13T13:10:37.463-07:00Ashers' Book ReviewsA crazy obsessive book lover telling you what I'm reading as of now & why I like itAshershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-10490547616112330142015-07-14T05:24:00.003-07:002015-07-14T05:24:56.439-07:00A wild reader appears back, and talks about rereading books.<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Rereading books is one of those things that people either do or don’t do at all. You either find people who are in love with the world and want to dive back in, find out new things that you don’t remember or you never noticed, and you have people who think rereading is boring and the world will always be the same and why should they reread a book when there’s nothing new about it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I fall into a category of I reread books when I love them so much I feel as though I need to dive into it again. Lately I’ve not been reading a lot, and that kills me. I’m a huge fan of books, I love reading. And yet as of late I just haven’t wanted to pick up a book and read it cover to cover. So, I took the advice of multiple people, of rereading a favourite book.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Can you guess what I chose?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">What I found interesting about this process was that it really really worked. I mean, I had read six books up to the point when I started rereading. And then I picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone last week, and now I’m onto Prisoner of Azkaban. And I’m remembering why I love the world so much, I remember why these books got me into reading desperately in the first place. I have memories of reading them, I have memories of my first spoiler (amazingly at that point I wasn’t aware spoilers were bad, and still cried when the spoiler came true). But what I found the most interesting was, even though I could probably recite passages from these books, and I knew which bits were coming next, I was still so invested in the next part, and then the next, and I didn’t care how much I’ve read these books, I just love reading them.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">And I get that nostalgia has a huge part to play in this. We reread these books because when we were younger we made a connection with the characters. Sometimes when we reread a book, we realise how juvenile they are, how much we used to love them but the writing style is so bad. Sometimes we reread them and just feel like we’re home. And I love rereading books that make me feel happy and comfortable.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So, here’s my blog, it’s about the fuzzy feelings we get when we read books, it’s reviews, it’s talking about childhood books. I read primarily Young Adult fiction because I want to be Peter Pan and never grow up, and staying in the happy phase of more exciting teenaged years than mine. So get ready world, because I have no idea how this thing is going to go.</span></div>
Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-30491756579023245612013-06-07T09:38:00.000-07:002013-06-07T09:38:55.144-07:00Review: Last Chance (Blog Tour Stop)<!--StartFragment-->
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Warning, this is a review of a sequel. The
first one, The Last Keeper, is an amazing book but if you don’t want spoilers
please don’t read this review, I cannot promise this won’t have spoilers.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Author: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michelle Birbeck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Publishing Company: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Smashwords<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Blurb:
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With her
race saved from the brink of extinction, Serenity’s life could not be better.
Married, finally, to Ray, and back in London for the first time in a century,
retirement isn’t coming easy. Being a housewife was never in her make up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But when Lizzy calls to say the
Keepers’ records have been stolen, retirement is preferable over the danger
they now face. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Targets once more, Serenity’s
isn’t inclined to sit back and let her brothers and sisters face the losses she
witnessed, but the order to move an entire race comes at a price. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whoever is behind the threat,
they show none of the mercy The Seats once did. No broken families left to
suffer the loss of parents, aunts, uncles. This time they’ve gone too far, and
when they take the lives of the race’s children, Serenity’s mind is made up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This time they will be no
threats, no mercy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This time
there’ll be no survivors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Review:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first
book, The Last Keeper I read last year. I was more than happy to read this for
Michelle when she asked me to be part of the blog tour. I have to admit that it
took a while to get into, but I think that was more about the crazy stuff I’ve
had to do with classes and assignments and everything like that. So, when I
actually got time to get into this book, it was just such a nice thing to do to
actually get reading again!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The book is
set a good chunk of time after the first one, so we’ve missed Serenity and Ray
and how their relationship has worked together. The characters in this book
still have the same spark and fun and light in them, and it was lovely to be
reintroduced to these characters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I loved
the characters, I know I’ve just said that, but the sassiness, the bitchiness,
but the way that they work together. You can see the reality that they are
family and that they fight together and with each other. It’s so interesting to
see these dynamics together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The bad
guys in this (I’m not spoiling) are freaking awesome. The way that it all came
out, I didn’t expect what happened, and when everything kicked off. Oh my
goodness I was in tears at one point (if you’ve read it then you know what I
mean, if not go read it).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The only
thing was, I felt like it was a little stop and go at a few points. The first
major fight that happened in the book, I wanted to find out what was going on,
and then after Serenity had gotten better from the fight, it was only mentioned
in passing right at the end. I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also, just
to say Michelle, if you’re reading this, which I hope you are. WHAT THE HELL
WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING?! SERIOUSLY?! I need the next book ASAP please. Thank
you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My rating:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Setting: </span></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Characters: </span></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4.5 out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Plot: </span></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Writing: </span></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3.5 out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you read
the book, I hope you enjoy(ed) it, and I’ll talk to you guys later! Bye x</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-19105590528632978812013-05-08T08:39:00.002-07:002013-05-08T08:39:30.818-07:00Review: The Hallowed Ones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Author: </b>Laura Bickle</div>
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<b>Publishing Company: </b>Graphia</div>
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<b>Blurb: </b>If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?</div>
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Katie is on the verge of her <i>Rumspringa, </i>the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before <i>Rumspringa </i>arrives, Katie's safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.</div>
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Unsure why they haven't yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can't leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elders' rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community - but what else is she bringing in with him?</div>
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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I picked this one up with some pretty high hopes. The blurb sounds fantastic, it's a different culture, end of the world, fiery helicopters. Sounds awesome right? Wrong.</div>
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It's unbelievable how disappointed I was with this book. The start I was really hoping for something good. Instead I got a book where so little happened! Katie was a good character, but sometimes she was lacking something. I was in love with Elijah at the beginning, and as the book went on he just made me angrier and angrier and angrier. There was so much that I wanted from the characters, and yet they lacked it, they weren't pushed far enough, and they changed so drastically.</div>
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The evil things that destroyed the world were really not as well explained as they should have been, in my opinion. You hear biochemical warfare, zombies is what you leap to. Then they come out to be vampires. Okay. Wasn't expecting that. But these vampires aren't the normal vampires, they're cunning, evil, smart, animalistic. Great! Thank goodness it's not some flowery vampire that we always see. Then again, they weren't in it that much. How can we be excited about a bunch of vampires who aren't in the book too much.</div>
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Oh, and there's one part that's so predictable that it's unreal. I'm not going to say what it is until I get to the spoiler bit, but I really saw it coming from a mile off. It was ridiculous.</div>
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I think one of my problems with this book was how content Katie was with her life. She was dead excited for Rumspringa, but there was so much that she just took. And I get culture differences and everything, it's just...weird though.</div>
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This book made me angry more than anything, I have to say. I got angry with the characters, I got angry that the vampires weren't in it enough, I got angry at how confusing it got with everything. Some bits were overkill, and I was so annoyed that I got bored. This book looked amazing, and it turned out to be blah. More than blah.</div>
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<b>FROM HERE ON UNTIL YOU SEE BOLD WILL BE SPOILERS PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK</b></div>
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Prepare for a rant. So, you know Elijah's brothers? How they went missing at the very start of the book? And then you're told that the enemy is vampires? Yeah. Just. Predictable. I was so annoyed at that because you knew it was coming from a mile off.</div>
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And what was with Elijah's constant changing mood? He was a nice guy at the start! And then he was mourning, I get that. But then...he was suddenly all like 'yep, I'm getting baptised, you should do it as well, God will save us, and I'm now a man so you should just get over it'. Gah, I just wanted to punch him (and quite a few other characters) in the face! And then at the end when he was trying to...just, he was supposed to be a good guy, and he turned into something horrible and disgusting and out of character from what he'd been set up to be at the start.</div>
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<b>SPOILERS DONE</b></div>
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I'm not sure if I'll pick up the second one. I know, I've ranted about how I hated this book and I'm considering picking up the second, weird huh? But the second one seems like it could be decent, it's a chance to see more action and violence, and throw some new things at us. I may have to kindle sample it first and see what I think.</div>
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<b>My rating:</b></div>
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<i>Setting: </i>3 out of 5</div>
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<i>Characters: </i>2 out of 5</div>
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<i>Plot: </i>2 out of 5</div>
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<i>Writing: </i>3 out of 5</div>
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If you read the book, I hope you enjoy(ed) it, and I'll talk to you guys later! Bye x</div>
Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-21091413427058938752013-03-30T17:14:00.000-07:002013-03-30T17:14:17.134-07:00Update!So I haven't finished any books lately (in fact I'm annoyed at myself because my friend who doesn't read that much has read more than me this year) but I have a few books on the go at this point that I'd like to give a few updates on so you guys aren't left reviewless and postless.<br />
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<u>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling</u><br />
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This is just a lovely wonderful nostalgia filled read that I'm so happy I'm reading. It's strange because I'm currently sitting in my room at home, in my bed, reading a book I remember so many memories of reading at school and when I was younger. It's pretty amazing to be reading it again. I'm taking this one pretty slow though. Harry's only just gotten onto Platform 9 3/4 so yeah. It's awesome to read though.<br />
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<u>The Vampire Stalker by Allison von Diepen</u><br />
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This book just takes me back to my badly written, fanfiction obsessed days. The days when I genuinely couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if this happened or this happened or this. It's one of those books that I'm really enjoying quite a bit, but not because it's anything spectacular. It's a stupid read but it's one that you can kinda enjoy if you don't take it seriously.<br />
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<u>Last Chance by Michelle Birbeck</u><br />
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This one is an ARC that lovely Michelle sent me. It's the sequel to her first book The Last Keeper. I won't be reviewing this until very very later. I'm helping with her blog tour, so that's exciting! I'm taking this one slowly so I can write up a concise and fun review. But I have to say, I'm already getting excited to see the same characters popping up and being so fun and similar and everything.<br />
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<u>Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux</u><br />
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Surprisingly, yes I am reading a Gothic Classic! I know crazy. Basically we're doing a big Gothic Conference at my University, and my friend and I are helping with a big opening to the Phantom Overture, and with the day in general really. However, to get myself in the mood for this big Gothic Conference, I wanted to actually read the book. I'm five chapters in so far and I'm really enjoying it! I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying it to be fair, I'm not a Classics girl and I will openly admit that. However, I have a love of Frankenstein, and this is kinda reminding me of my love for that. I'm also planning on reading Dracula. I'm interested in going to some of the roots of some of the horror films we see today (I'm quite a big Horror film buff, though a lot of them make me laugh). So you might be seeing a big list of Gothic fiction reviews coming up in the next few months.<br />
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And right now that's all that I'm obsessed with book wise. Unless you count the Zombies, Run! app as a story. Because seriously that app keeps shocking me and making me want to run more just to hear what'll happen.<br />
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Okay I'm going off on a tangent. Hopefully I'll have a review up of The Vampire Stalker and get a few more review up of other things. Unfortunately I don't think I will I'm apparently doing a lot of rereading/reading of books I can't review as of yet. Sorry guys. I will get to it I promise!Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-36125468452028738542013-03-11T03:25:00.001-07:002013-03-11T03:25:50.328-07:00I keep being bad at book clubSo I was planning to read Cloud Atlas, but as it turns out its a ridiculously big book and I don't have time this month to read it. I'm sorry but classes come first.<br />
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Instead, I'm rereading a classic, a childhood favourite, and a book that already has almost made me cry three times in chapter 1 (mainly from nostalgia)<br />
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I'm rereading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling.<br />
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It still fits in with my book club requirements, but it's something quick and easy to read as well as something nice to remember. Last year was the first time that I didn't read a single Harry Potter book all year since I was eleven.<br />
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So now we've established how bad I am at picking a book, let me promise you this. I will finish reading this book by the end of March. Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-34877184317829236162013-03-03T14:39:00.000-08:002013-03-03T14:39:51.629-08:00Yup. I didn't finish it.Were you expecting much from me? I went to see a film with an old friend and when I got back home, my flatmates were going out to play pool. It was a chance for actual human interaction, it doesn't happen that often.<br />
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So yeah, I haven't finished Uncommon Criminals yet. I PLAN TO FINISH IT THOUGH. I will be reading it and reviewing it later on in the month. Basically Uni comes first and then sometimes when I really need to go out and just relax from Uni work, books are left. Yeah, I'm sorry I'm a bad bookworm.<br />
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This month's theme is now up on <a href="http://everymonthbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/new-challenge-020313-3003-13.html" target="_blank">Once A Month Book Club</a>, and the theme is <b>a book that has been turned into a film/tv series. </b>And I have loads of these. Seriously, I have so many. However, I decided to pick up a book I wouldn't usually read, and that I'm excited for the film. And that is:<br />
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<a href="http://www.hachette.com.au/cover/large/9780340822784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hachette.com.au/cover/large/9780340822784.jpg" width="208" /></a> Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell</div>
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Goodreads Summary: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">A reluctant voyager crossing the Pacific in 1850; a disinherited composer blagging a precarious livelihood in between-the-wars Belgium; a high-minded journalist in Governor Reagan’s California; a vanity publisher fleeing his gangland creditors; a genetically modified “dinery server” on death-row; and Zachry, a young Pacific Islander witnessing the nightfall of science and civilisation—the narrators of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><em>Cloud Atlas</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">hear each other’s echoes down the corridor of history, and their destinies are changed in ways great and small.</span></div>
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Now, since buying this book, I've been told by a fair few people that it's hard to read. However I'm determined to read it. So I've decided if I read 20 or so pages a night and leave it at that, then I can probably get through it.</div>
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As always if I finish it I will try to post a review on here, and I'll try to do a few updates throughout the week. If you'd like to participate let me know below what you'd want to read, or go visit the blog and tell us there. We also have a Goodreads bookclub up too! There's no excuse for you not to join one of them. Go on. It's not crazy pressure, it's a lot easier than you'd expect. We don't bite promise!</div>
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If you've read Cloud Atlas let me know, tell me what you thought too I'd love to hear!</div>
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Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-83251345456894883982013-03-01T03:34:00.000-08:002013-03-01T03:34:10.676-08:00One day until the end of the book club and.......yeah I haven't finished my book. To be fair the past week has been crazy busy, I have barely had time to sit down and think never mind read.<br />
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I'm now up to Chapter Ten and about a quarter of the way through the book. I'm not going to give up though! I'm going to read as much of this book as I can in the next twelve hours and hopefully I'll have a review up by tonight of it. Maybe tomorrow.<br />
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So far what I think of it:<br />
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It's very typical Ally Carter, very fun quick reads that you can enjoy reading and don't have to worry too much about understanding them. The characters still work the way they do, Hale and Kat are still having their little weird thing. Gabrielle is having her normal bored tone. I was really interested to see how she'd move on from Heist Society, because bar the Visily Romani part, it could be a stand alone book, and really even if you have that element, you could just read Heist Society and leave it like that.<br />
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I think overall so far I'm really enjoying it, I'm just annoyed I've been so busy with essay writing and helping people out with Medieval Extravaganzas and Radio dramas. Don't get me wrong, I've had some awesome fun times in them, it's just left me a bit more than stressed out.<br />
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So yeah, no more updates on this months book until I finish it (and yes I'm aware it's technically March, but the book club blog says the new challenge goes up Saturday, so that's fine with me)<br />
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Comment below if you've read this book (no spoilers please, I'm still in the process of reading it) and I'll talk to you guys later<br />
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Happy reading!Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-35477902916320654812013-02-17T13:04:00.002-08:002013-02-17T13:04:42.039-08:00Book Club UpdateOkay, so I said I was going to reread Perks of Being a Wallflower for this months book, but in truth, I decided that it was probably more worth while if I read a completely new book. So instead, I'm now reading Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter instead. This is book two in the Heist Society series, and I enjoyed the first one and thought it would be a quick read.<br />
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The trouble is, I have a lot of work to do for all my classes this semester, so I'm reading a lot of stuff and doing a lot of work each week. It kinda eats into my reading/reviewing time. However, I'm going to try to get some done, at least a few chapters a night.<br />
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So right now I'm onto Chapter 4 (page 17), and I'm going to do a little update on what I'm thinking about it.<br />
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So far it's very simple, Kat is finding herself with a reputation, there's a bit of sexual tension between her and Hale (come on you knew from reading book one it was there, that's not a spoiler) and she's up to her old tricks again. All I can think is 'if she tried her hardest to get out of this world, why has she gone back so quickly?' but you know. There's a saying about new tricks and an old dog or something like that.<br />
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It's a quick fun read. Plus, I'm really into the whole heist genre right now (I watched the Ocean's Trilogy the other day, so not good for my learning, but really good for certain muse).<br />
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If you have any good heist books that you think I'd enjoy, let me know, until then, I'm going to go back to reading. I will update at Chapter 8!Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-51086151841832370762013-02-08T02:49:00.003-08:002013-02-08T02:49:42.807-08:00Heist Society<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b>Author: </b>Ally Carter</div>
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<b>Publishing Company: </b>Orchard</div>
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<b>Blurb: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. But now her dad's life is on the line, and Kat must go back to the world she tried so hard to escape...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Review: </b>I read <i>I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You</i> last year and thought it was pretty good. So I went into this book with similar hopes, I wasn't expecting anything perfect, but I was hoping for a quick fun read. I have to say I wasn't disappointed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Ally Carter has these quirky fun characters who can fit into her worlds so perfectly, and are contemporary but at the same time something that the normal people like me wouldn't expect. I would never ever think about what it's like to be a master thief at the age of fifteen/sixteen. It's so easy to get caught up in this world of crime and heists and seeing all of the terms used for what they do. If I didn't know any better I think that Ally Carter is both a spy and a thief and is hiding out somewhere and pretending she's just an innocent author.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I love how easily you can love the characters, how easy the plot is to get into, and yet how you can still see the complexity of the whole thing. So Kat is a thief, but doesn't want to be, but has to be to save her dad. That in itself is kinda crazy, throw in an art collecting villain who's basically made his mind up as to who stole his paintings and you have this insane plot that's intricate, yet you can actually follow along pretty easily.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The characters are really interesting too. Most of them you instantly fall for, Kat and Hale being the two main ones. Some you kinda grow to love, like Gabrielle. They were simple yet had enough complexity to keep them interesting.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">My rating on goodreads for this book was only a 3/5. I did this because though I enjoyed the book, I can't remember half the characters' names, and it was a book that I can say I've read but it didn't blow me away with how amazing it was. If you're looking for a light fun read with humour and action, this is your book, for me there was something missing to give it a top rating though.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My rating:</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Setting: </i>4 out of 5</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Characters: </i>4 out of 5</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Plot: </i>3 out of 5</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Writing: </i>3 out of 5</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21px;">If you read the book, I hope you enjoy it, and I’ll talk to you guys later! Bye x</span></span></span></div>
Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-61116077815860383762013-02-06T06:46:00.001-08:002013-02-06T06:46:20.269-08:00Sooo....this is awkward...BUT HERE'S A BOOKCLUB!Hello fellow readers, I have not done a blog post in a long time, but that is (hopefully going to change). I have been swamped with work over the past year or so, and really went into a reading rut over the past year or so.<br />
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But now I want to get out of that. The best way to do that? Do some form of reading challenges with friends.<br />
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My friend Becky and I were in Waterstones today (don't judge me), and we were talking about how many books we own that we haven't read. To be honest, the amount of books that I own but haven't read is well into the 100s. Which is ridiculous. So, while also doing a 'tbr challenge' of reading ten books this year that are from at least a year ago, we thought we'd do another thing.<br />
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So we have a bookclub, <a href="http://everymonthbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Once A Month Book Club</a> is an idea that we came up with where it's a very informal, very simple, and fun way to get these books read. Every month we're planning to read a book on our tbr pile and be able to start a discussion up about it.<br />
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We're basically going to make it really simple, so each week we'll have a sort of theme or one particular book. If you'd like to join along, you might want to follow her blog, and expect posts regularly on here too. I want to do a progress of it every week.<br />
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I will be commenting on her posts so that it's interactive, and fun.<br />
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This month we are planning to read:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5sXZqpbnvog/T19Krg-uLaI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Hxksr0Dsi_M/s1600/perks_of_being_a_wallflower_book_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5sXZqpbnvog/T19Krg-uLaI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Hxksr0Dsi_M/s1600/perks_of_being_a_wallflower_book_cover.jpg" /></a> Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky</div>
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Goodreads Blurb: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.</i></span></div>
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I have actually read this before, I read it last May and absolutely adored it. So much so that I'm willing to read it again. So my month isn't really going to be reading a book I haven't gotten around to yet, but getting back into the swing of reading.</div>
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So, if you would like to check out the book club blog, please do, and if you want to participate let me know. Also, expect quick updates every few chapters on here, it may not be anything crazy insightful, but I want to get back to reviewing.</div>
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Reviews to come: </div>
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<li>Beautiful Creatures (Film & Book comparison)</li>
<li>Sweet Evil</li>
<li>Heist Society</li>
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I AM GOING TO GET BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS. I promise. Hopefully.</div>
Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-18988245910284492892012-04-08T05:23:00.000-07:002012-04-08T05:23:31.414-07:00Book Challenge Update (March Books)Okay! So, I have done pretty well last month for my book challenge, not great, but it could have been worse. I am going to lay out the categories I have read books for, and then write a brief summary of the books and all of that.<br />
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Number of books read: 8<br />
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Categories completed: 2<br />
To Be Read<br />
Kindle Books<br />
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Categories not completed but started: 3<br />
Bookclub Frenzy Month 1<br />
Rereads<br />
Golden Oldies<br />
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Books read:<br />
Grave Witch by Kalayna Price<br />
Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder<br />
Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder<br />
Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder<br />
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins<br />
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins<br />
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller<br />
The Culling by J.C. Andrijeski<br />
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Summaries:<br />
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Grave Witch: This was a good interesting start of a book, very much followed the structure for a paranormal investigation style adult novel, but it was a good book to read, I enjoyed it.<br />
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Storm Glass: This was a reread, I wanted to read it before I read the second and third one. Still don't like the series as much as I enjoyed the Study Series.<br />
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Sea Glass: I really didn't enjoy this book, it was boring and suffered from 'middle book syndrome'. It didn't really hold my attention well.<br />
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Spy Glass: This one was ten times better than Sea Glass, this was my favourite of the series.<br />
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The Hunger Games: Had to reread it for the film coming out, do I need to explain how awesome it was?<br />
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Catching Fire: Again rereading for the movie.<br />
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Death of a Salesman: This was a class book, American Literature, I'm not a fan of the play.<br />
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The Culling: Far too short, seemed like it was literally just a first few chapters, so yeah.<br />
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That was it for March, I'm slowly slowly slowly getting out of my reading lull, hopefully I'll be reading more soon.Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-85265835777858148732012-04-08T05:01:00.001-07:002012-04-08T05:01:35.814-07:00Spirit Fighter<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327932418l/12362454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327932418l/12362454.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
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</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author: </b>Jerel Law</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Publishing Company: </b>Thomas Nelson Publishers</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blurb: </b>Seventh-grader Jonah Stone discovers that he is one-quarter angel—his mother is the daughter of a human and a fallen angel—and after she is kidnapped, Jonah and his sister, Eliza, must try to rescue her, with the help of prayers and a guardian angel.<br />
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<b>The Review:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before I start this review, I’d like to say that I’m definitely not the target audience of this book, so I’m going to tell you all of the things I’ve enjoyed about this book, and then explain the things I didn’t, and why I didn’t, but mainly it will be because I’m not the target audience. So I did have a few problems with this book, but I don’t think that the people who are likely to pick up this book will have the same problems.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s hard not to compare this book to the Percy Jackson series, because of a few things. One, same target audience, two, it’s mentioned to be what the book is supposed to be a replacement for, three, there are a lot of similarities in the series and characters. I can definitely see some of the same characters in the two books. I’m not saying that’s bad, but it’s unexpected to see so many similarities.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think for what the book is aiming for, the author has definitely achieved what he wanted, you have a good adventure story, with a lot of Christian background, so it’s educational and interesting to read as well as having enough action to keep you invested in the story.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think one of the things I would have to say about it though, is that I don’t really feel much for the main characters. Jonah and Eliza are two kids who are the good kids in the school. You can see that, they obviously love their parents, one of them is really smart, the other tries out for the basketball team, you see these amazing kids go into this fantastical mission from a higher power. But throughout the book you don’t get this emotion and feeling that you’d expect. You see them go from one thing to another and you don’t get enough of their thoughts and feelings. We get their thoughts and feelings on religion and God, which is fine, but you only see this slight panic at the beginning when everything goes bad, and they just seem to go through everything else.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I can’t be sure if this is done on purpose, because I know that this is about faith in God, and they might not have the emotions the same because they’re putting all their trust in God, but it didn’t feel right to me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I liked the contrasts between the good and the bad, and how you could never really tell when something was good or bad. It gave you a lot of times where you did want the characters to pull through and realise what was going on. It kept you thinking that something bad was going to happen all the time, and it’s interesting to see how they’d get out of the predicaments they were in. Plus, it’s telling you all of these Bible stories that you might not have known before you read this book, and gave you an insight to all of the interesting things that are in the Bible.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have to admit I loved the idea of corruption that oversaw the story. You got this idea that anyone at any time could become corrupted because of the Fallen, and it was interesting to see how it was achieved. I think that because the underlying message of how anyone can lose their faith was there, it was interesting to look into this world of complete faith from someone who isn’t religious like myself. The end of chapter 22 is an example of this that is very alien to me, but at the same time you can admire it for someone being so invested in what they believe.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think my main problem with this book was the fact that I’m not overly religious, and because of this it seemed very pushy when I was hearing about all of this faith that the characters had in God. However, I think that people who are religious and who do follow the Christian faith will be able to read it and understand this faith that the characters have, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing about the book, I just think it’s something that should be taken on board if someone who isn’t religious picks up this book.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I do have to say that the end of this book, the way it wrapped up was very cool. I did definitely enjoy it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Over all I have to say it’s not something I would have picked up by myself, it’s not something I’m used to reading, but it was a pretty good book to read.</span> <br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Thanks to net-galley for letting me review this, and if you guys check this book out I hope you enjoy it.</span></div>Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-90148686162377191182012-03-08T14:07:00.001-08:002012-03-08T14:08:57.612-08:00Spy Glass<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NOTE THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL BOOK IN A COMPANION SERIES. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE OTHER TWO GLASS BOOKS, OR THE STUDY SERIES, I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW, SPOILERS HAVE BEEN KEPT FROM THE REVIEW, BUT THERE ARE A LOT IN THE BLURB ALONE THAT COULD SPOIL THE REST OF THE SERIES!<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://bookyurt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Spy-Glass-U.K..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://bookyurt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Spy-Glass-U.K..jpg" width="206" /></a></div><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maria V. Snyder<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Publishing Company: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mira Books<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blurb: </b>An undercover mission leads to danger, adventure and an impossible choice…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After siphoning her own blood magic in the showdown at Hubal, student glass magician Opal Cowan has lost her powers. Immune to the effects of magic, Opal is now an outsider looking in, spying through the glass on those with the powers she once had. Powers that make a difference in the world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Suddenly the beautiful pieces she makes begin to flash in the presence of magic and Opal learns that someone has stolen some of her blood. Finding it might let her regain her powers or discover that they’re lost forever…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The review:<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So diving into this book I was so apprehensive and so worried that it would be awful and one of those books where it wasn’t needed to finish the series, I expected to be disappointed. I was extremely wrong. From the get go you could tell that it was going to be something so extremely different to Maria V. Snyder’s other books that it was interesting and unique. I think it was more that some of my favourite characters were in this a lot more as well, it was just something that you can get excited about. I mean, Valek was in it so much, wow, I was very happy with that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Again I want to stress that this book is different. In the Study series and the rest of the Glass series we have a protagonist who has magic. In this book, we see the protagonist without magic and how she deals with it. So from the start you know that we have such a different view point and it’s interesting to see this standing and also how much the characters have developed, for better or for worse.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The plot was so richly dense you genuinely don’t know what to do about it. You have so much going on that you can’t help but get swept up and spouting out ideas of what could happen or where the plot could go. And what’s wonderful in this book is just as you think you’ve got it figured out, you’re swept in an entirely other direction. And I think to see Opal’s character growing, but growing in a different way, is amazing. You see her completely change and you see how she’s grown as a person, as a fighter, as everything really.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I understand I’m gushing, but I don’t actually know what to say about this. I think that it has to be said that I probably enjoyed this book more because I was so disappointed with the previous one, but that doesn’t bother me. This was such an amazing way to end a series. And the way that the plot went, the differences in the book, the way the characters went, the plot twists, the scary moments, the sad moments, the hilarious moments (I was laughing for the first couple hundred pages at some of the writing because it was so witty).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think that this book is definitely worth it, though the second book wasn’t great, this definitely compensates for it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My rating:<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Setting: </i>5 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Characters: </i>4 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Plot: </i>4.5 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing: </i>4 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you read the book, I hope you enjoy it, and I’ll talk to you guys later! Bye x</div>Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-66298398595135550482012-03-04T16:48:00.000-08:002012-03-04T16:48:14.671-08:00Ashers' Personal Three Month ChallengeOkay, if you've ever been on goodreads you'll know they have groups, and on these groups they can have some pretty awesome challenges. I took part in the Winter Challenge on goodreads and got 9 books read. Now I am going to do my very own challenge that I can create, edit, and talk about on this blog. Suggests are welcome.<br />
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Please note this is still in the first stages of creating, it's most likely going to change. But! Let's get on with it. And I shall show you the categories!<br />
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1. Bookclub frenzy- I am on four goodreads bookclubs, and each one has one or more books we read a month. So in each month I want to read at least <b>TWO BOOKS</b> that have been chosen for the monthly read.<br />
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2. Friend's request- Recommendations from friends, or borrowed from friends, I want to read at least <b>THREE BOOKS</b> recommended or borrowed from friends in the next three months.<br />
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3. TBR- I have the worst case of buying books I don't need (check out my IMMs if you don't believe me) so in the next three months I want to read <b>TWO BOOKS</b> that have been on my shelf for at least a year.<br />
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4. Creature Feature- This is a very broad category of any form of creature (examples: zombies, vampires, werewolves, trolls, fairies etc) I want to read <b>FOUR BOOKS</b> in the next three months to do with creatures.<br />
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5. Realistic- I'm not the biggest realism fan, and I want to change that. So, I am aiming to read <b>TWO BOOKS</b> without any form of paranormal or fantasy or horror in them.<br />
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6. Rereads- I'm a massive fan of rereading books, like a lot of the times I like rereading books over picking up a new book, because if I've enjoyed it enough to want to reread it, then I know it won't disappoint me when I pick it up. With this in mind I want to reread <b>ONE SERIES</b> in the next three months.<br />
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7. Golden Oldies- I'm not a big fan of classics, but I know that they're supposed to be appreciated. Which is why I want to read <b>TWO BOOKS </b>that are not contemporary.<br />
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8. Kindle Books- I have over a hundred books on my kindle, and most of them I've wanted to read for a while, therefore I want to read at least <b>THREE BOOKS </b>that are on my kindle.<br />
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9. New Releases- I love new books, but I often get them, put them on my shelf, and wait til they're old releases. I want to read at least<b> ONE BOOK</b> that has just been released in the next three months.<br />
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Those are the categories, and if you think about it, that's a bucket load of books I'm wanting to read, I mean, at least twenty books in three months. That's a lot. I'm not saying that I will get through them all, but I'm going to have a good try at it.<br />
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Rules:<br />
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No overlapping books: if you have one book representing one category, it cannot represent another one as well. You can change the category it's in, but you can't have it double worth.<br />
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No cheating: Read the books.<br />
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Reviews: This hopefully will give me incentive to review more. Each book I read will have a review of it up on the blog.<br />
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Monthly check in: I will come in at the end of the month and tell you how I am doing.<br />
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If you want to take part then please do so, help me along with it, if you don't that's fine, this is just a bit of fun for me to be honest. But yeah, this is hopefully going to get me more read this year and get me out of my reading slump!Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-5767374543786893832012-03-04T16:25:00.000-08:002012-03-04T16:25:00.931-08:00Sea Glass<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b>NOTE THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN A COMPANION SERIES. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ STORM GLASS OR THE STUDY SERIES I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ, SPOILERS HAVE BEEN KEPT FROM THE REVIEW, BUT THERE ARE A LOT IN THE BLURB THAT COULD SPOIL THE FIRST BOOK!</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fu4GI_Yk9l0/TRJW1oJDE7I/AAAAAAAAAZY/r9AtsIglqiA/s1600/Sea-Glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fu4GI_Yk9l0/TRJW1oJDE7I/AAAAAAAAAZY/r9AtsIglqiA/s320/Sea-Glass.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Author: </b><i>Maria V. Snyder</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Publishing Company: </b><i>Mira Books</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Blurb: </b>Her abilities remained hidden- Until challenged by enemy forces.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Student glass magician Opal Cowan's newfound skills to steal a magician's strength make her <i>too</i> powerful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kept under house arrest, Opal dares defy her imprisonment to search for Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. <i>Thinks</i> because she is sure another man- now her prisoner- has switched souls with Ulrick.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn't sure whom to trust. And now everyone is after Opal's special powers for their own deadly gain...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The review:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I only picked this book back up after remembering that I was supposed to lend it to a friend a while ago and I hadn’t actually read it. I hadn’t read the Study series for a while, and hadn’t read the first one since I bought it, I picked the book up rather nervously, I mean I hadn’t gotten far through it before I’d put it down last time so I was worried the plot wouldn’t entrap me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Compared to the Study series, this one is no where near as good, I have to say it right off the bat, however I think most people realise that when jumping into a companion series. Usually (not always, but often) the original series is a lot better. Also seeing different characters in different lights because you’ve got a different character’s point of view, it’s very odd.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I started reading this I was apprehensive. The thing with Maria V. Snyder’s writing is that you don’t ever know where her plot is going to go, and though most of the time that is a blessing because you’re continuously guessing, at the end of quite a few of these chapters I was thinking ‘JUST GIVE OPAL A BREAK!’ because Opal always seemed to be getting into worse and worse trouble, and everyone was out to get her. It was annoying. I did think some of the twists were cool, and some of the book was just funny and kept me reading on and on, but sometimes I was just thinking ‘can we just have some more of the nice cosy scenes or funny scenes’.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will say that I loved how the end of this book all came together, it was dead interesting to see how everything would be resolved and how everything had happened. I’m pretty nervous for the next book though, because in my eyes Opal’s plot could just be left at the end of Sea Glass, and now I’m venturing onto Spy Glass, I’m worried about the turns this will take.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>My rating:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Setting: </i>5 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Characters:</i> 4 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Plot: </i>2.5 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Writing: </i>3 out of 5</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you read the book, I hope you enjoy it, and I'll talk to you guys later! Bye x</div><!--EndFragment-->Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-20969969407559547142012-02-24T06:46:00.000-08:002012-02-24T06:46:54.381-08:00Recommendations?Okay, I've been doing this blog for a while now (well you know here and there with intervals when I don't have time), and I'm wondering what books you guys want from the blog. I want to make it better for everyone to read and experience.<br />
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So, this includes what books you want me to review, when you want me to post, if there are any weekly memes you want me to include, layouts, anything and everything.<br />
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I know I haven't been very good at posting lately, and I do want some feedback of what you want because I want to get back into reviewing and blogging. So if you want to help, please let me know what you want from the blog :)Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-85321077786017599522012-02-21T16:00:00.000-08:002012-02-21T16:01:11.219-08:00Furnace: Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.faber.co.uk/site-media/onix-images/thumbs/9179_jpg_280x450_q85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.faber.co.uk/site-media/onix-images/thumbs/9179_jpg_280x450_q85.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Author: </b><i>Alexander Gordon Smith</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Publishing Company: </b><i>Faber and Faber (Kindle Edition)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Blurb: </b><i>(taken from goodreads)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries.<br />
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Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.<br />
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Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The review:</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></b></span></div><b></b><br />
<b><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Okay, I am finally back, I’m sorry that I disappeared, but I have a few reviews coming up. So here is my review of Furnace: Lockdown. I’ve wanted to read this book for a couple of months now, ever since a Goodreads book club put it up for a vote for Halloween read. I finally started reading it after Christmas, and just finished it now. Didn’t get far in the first month (I’ve really been in a reading rut lately!), but I swept through it today like crazy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First thing about this book, it is very much like the Maze Runner, I saw a lot of parallels in these stories. Not a bad thing. Second thing I want to say about it, I honestly think this book does it better. It is definitely more of a boys read, mainly boy characters, bar the mention of one or two girls, so it’s very much centred around all these boyish problems. Yeah, I don’t know how to word that.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The book starts off introducing Alex Sawyer as this ‘I’m not an innocent kid, I’ve done my own bad things’ which is different because it’s nice to see characters being instantly thrown out as not perfect, and you can see that even though he’s the main character of the book, he isn’t a perfect little angel either. Alex gets framed for a murder he didn’t commit after he did something pretty bad to begin with. I have to admit before Alex got put into Furnace Penitentiary, I wasn’t that interested, in fact it was the main reason I didn’t pick up the book for so long.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you get into the depths of the prison though, that’s when the fun begins. We meet interesting characters, find out that many of the “new fish” have been framed too, and we find an escape plan. Lots of fights, and horror, and things that go bump in the night too. Wheezers and Black Suits and Hell Hounds. It’s very Darren Shan meets James Dashner in a prison with unknown monsters.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don’t want to give much away though. I mean, the book is packed with things that you have to explore yourself, if you want a new and interesting book, I’d definitely say pick this one up though.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Donovan was definitely my favourite character. You can tell that though he has done bad in his past, he’s definitely not a bad guy. You find out how long he was in there, what he did to get in there, and I really felt myself sympathising to him over all of the other characters. He’s definitely an interesting character and I cannot wait to find out what happens to him in the next book (which I’m going to have to pick up because of the horrible horrible horrible cliffhanger ending, it wasn’t nice!).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m keeping this review short, because I don’t know exactly what to say about this book, I enjoyed it, and yet at the same time I didn’t feel like it was one of the best books I’ve read. It was a bit of a let down because it does sound like a really good book, but it wasn’t the best one I’ve read. But I recommend it for people who are fans of Darren Shan or James Dashner.</span></span></span> </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"></span></span></span></span></b></span></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div class="MsoNormal"><b>My rating:<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Setting: </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">3.5 out of 5</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Characters: </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">4 out of 5</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Plot: </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">4 out of 5</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Writing: </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">3</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">out of 5</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">If you read the book, I hope you enjoy it, and I’ll talk to you guys later! Bye x</span></div></span></b>Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-77427377072522806312012-01-21T09:35:00.000-08:002012-01-21T09:35:30.508-08:00More posts after 25thYeah I keep trying to write blog posts, but I've been doing a lot of homework/studying. I have an exam on the 25th and then I have a week free of lessons/studying/homework so I will do a lot of posts then and just upload them in the coming weeks.<br />
<br />
If you have any requests or reviews you'd like to see, any recommendations for books or what I could do with the blog or anything please let me know below!Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-37093865889305400732012-01-09T04:05:00.000-08:002012-01-09T04:05:09.042-08:00Books I'm reading - January 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wDcREPKCugM/TpMfeZs1PVI/AAAAAAAAA3A/t1acqSkh5d8/s1600/River%20Cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wDcREPKCugM/TpMfeZs1PVI/AAAAAAAAA3A/t1acqSkh5d8/s320/River%20Cast.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10442127-river-cast" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Cast-Tale-Lunarmorte-ebook/dp/B004NSV9M8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326110053&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the second book in the Tale of Lunarmorte. The first one was fantastic, and I wanted to read this one as soon as I'd finished it. I'm just over half way through this and it's pretty good so far. I definitely recommend them if you haven't checked them out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.transitionelement.com/img/book/1847245455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.transitionelement.com/img/book/1847245455.jpg" width="206" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2732977-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Dragon-Tattoo-Millennium-Trilogy/dp/1847245455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326110311&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I tried to read this a couple months ago and I couldn't get through it, I watched the new movie and it was awesome, so I'm trying to read it again. The film was amazing, I'm hoping the book is as good.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://willallpreorderedcopiesofthefaultinourstarsbesigned.com/tfios_cover_sticker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://willallpreorderedcopiesofthefaultinourstarsbesigned.com/tfios_cover_sticker.jpg" width="211" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326110517&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't wait for this book and I'm keeping it until after my exam at Uni so I have something to look forward to after exam prep.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are the three main books I want to read, however I don't know if I'll definitely get to all of them this month, I have lots of work to do. But yeah, I'm hoping to get through these and more.</div>Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-90591196819185390012012-01-05T04:18:00.000-08:002012-01-05T04:18:08.106-08:002011 Favourites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_octcMMtXiY/Tje9skthUHI/AAAAAAAABGU/3PqC2Bo_kjM/s1600/Hunting+Lila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_octcMMtXiY/Tje9skthUHI/AAAAAAAABGU/3PqC2Bo_kjM/s320/Hunting+Lila.jpg" width="207" /></a>Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was a book I wasn't going to pick up, but the woman in my bookshop just handed me it and said 'that looks good' and I decided to pick it up. Very glad I did, the story was amazing, the characters were phenomenal, and it was so fast paced from the first line.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://media.sfx.co.uk/files/2010/06/feed_350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.sfx.co.uk/files/2010/06/feed_350.jpg" width="194" /></a> Feed by Mira Grant</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have never really been a lover of zombie books, but seriously this one blew me away. The characters and the writing were amazing, and the way you see blogging and how media has changed and how it could change if there was a zombie apocalypse. This one I picked up because it sounded pretty interesting, but I wasn't expecting much from it. It was amazing, and I recommend anyone to pick it up and read it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ANbYhCBANE0/TLVdhGo5xiI/AAAAAAAAAEE/1AMuVsye5jg/s1600/5n64jo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ANbYhCBANE0/TLVdhGo5xiI/AAAAAAAAAEE/1AMuVsye5jg/s320/5n64jo.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't have a clue why I took so long picking these up, but I'm so glad I did. The world is so well thought out, the characters have such a great mix of humour and seriousness. The plot keeps you desperate for more, and just then ending is amazing. I haven't picked up City of Fallen Angels yet, but I plan to soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7h9xpMclUk/TgD_lV7-4PI/AAAAAAAABAg/i1ziyTaG8vw/s1600/Miss-Peregrines-Home-for-Peculiar-Children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7h9xpMclUk/TgD_lV7-4PI/AAAAAAAABAg/i1ziyTaG8vw/s320/Miss-Peregrines-Home-for-Peculiar-Children.jpg" width="208" /></a> Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book is amazing because of how different it is. The blending of the story with pictures, the way you book showed you all of this amazing story as well as these interesting characters and this wonderfully different way of how it was put together. It was just a stunning read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.inismagazine.ie/files/cache/a4aa7e6b25b8f522d9b5835fcdfe49817b79eaea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.inismagazine.ie/files/cache/a4aa7e6b25b8f522d9b5835fcdfe49817b79eaea.jpg" width="209" /></a>I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book was fun and just a nice fun read. The characters were funny and interesting, the book is amazing and interesting, it was just a nice fun read. It wasn't like a life altering book (though I must admit for a few days I was pretending to be a spy...come on...you can't say you haven't before!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/CH/vlarge/9780062026774_0_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/CH/vlarge/9780062026774_0_Cover.jpg" width="211" /></a> Hereafter by Tara Hudson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was just...I dunno. I just loved reading it, and I loved the writing, it just read so beautifully. The story was still simple enough that it was easy to read, but it had enough mystery and fun that made me love reading it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278653923l/7800188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278653923l/7800188.jpg" width="212" /></a> Virals by Kathy Reichs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book was just such a different book, it was something I wasn't expecting. I've tried to read Kathy Reichs books before and failed because of the science jargon and stuff. This was definitely a way to ease your way into her writing. The book was interesting and fun, there was enough mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Just a good book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These aren't all of my favourite books from last year, but they are the main ones that stand out. I'm gonna do a post soon on the books I'm looking forward to for 2012, and yeah, I'll talk to you guys later.</div>Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-81085088091173465262012-01-03T07:15:00.000-08:002012-01-03T10:27:21.860-08:00In My Mailbox (5)- October, November & DecemberI didn't post any of these in the months they should have been posted, so here is a massive haul. I don't blame you if you don't want to watch the 22 minute video so the list of the books are below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ITu35n8NiWQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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<ul><li>Palace of the Damned by Darren Shan</li>
<li>The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern</li>
<li>Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor</li>
<li>The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen</li>
<li>City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare</li>
<li>Blood Trail by Tanya Huff</li>
<li>Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead</li>
<li>The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff</li>
<li>The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan</li>
<li>The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan</li>
<li>By Midnight by Mia James</li>
<li>Darkness Falls by Mia James</li>
<li>Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephenie Perkins</li>
<li>Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow</li>
<li>Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick</li>
<li>Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce</li>
<li>Sweetly by Jackson Pearce</li>
<li>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs</li>
<li>The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson</li>
<li>A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin</li>
<li>The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories by Tim Burton</li>
<li>My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent</li>
<li>Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry</li>
<li>Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver</li>
<li>Blood & Ice by Robert Masello</li>
<li>One Day by David Nicholls</li>
<li>The Rapture by Liz Jensen</li>
<li>Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon</li>
<li>World War Z by Max Brooks</li>
<li>Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon</li>
<li>The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan</li>
<li>Steampunk Anthology</li>
<li>Across the Universe by Beth Revis</li>
<li>Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke</li>
<li>Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe</li>
<li>Dark Angel by Eden Maguire</li>
<li>Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman</li>
<li>Gone by Michael Grant</li>
<li>Angel by L.A. Weatherly</li>
<li>Magyk by Angie Sage</li>
<li>Perfect Chemistry by Simone Ekleles</li>
<li>The Missing by Lisa McMann</li>
<li>Runelight by Joanne Harris</li>
<li>Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt</li>
<li>Consequences by Michelle Birbeck</li>
<li>Seizure by Kathy Reichs</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
Non book things- Kindle<br />
The Elder Wand<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div>If you want a review of any of the books above please let me know!Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-49348563120994419402012-01-02T15:52:00.000-08:002012-01-02T15:52:13.056-08:00Kindle vs Real BooksOkay, so a couple months ago I was definitely pro books down with kindles/e-readers etc. I mean, there's so many things you can have with a book that you can't with an e-reader, the smell, the little scratches & cracks in the spine, everything about it is a way of enjoying and reading a book that's an experience.<br />
<br />
However, for Christmas I couldn't think of anything I wanted, so I got myself a Kindle. And I've read a few books on it (reviews to come, I'm gonna get into the swing of reviews after my homework craziness is done) and I can't say that I find it as bad as I did.<br />
<br />
Okay, so we don't have the book smell. The book smell isn't in it, but there's something amazing about having over 100 books in my bag that I wouldn't be able to have if I had them in book form. There's something amazing with being able to instantly share with the world via twitter or facebook that you've finished a book. There's something that is new and different about reading from a Kindle that I enjoy, but I don't know what it is.<br />
<br />
And this is not saying that I'm all 'go Kindle down with books' because I'm not. I don't think I'll ever be. I've promised that any books I own that are in a series I'm going to buy the rest of the books in book form. Same goes with my favourite authors, same goes with books I just want to pick up. I don't think I'd ever be able to replace a physical paper book, but I think it'll be easier to get to books I wouldn't usually buy through a Kindle. Like right now I'm reading the Sherlock Holmes books which I wouldn't have if I couldn't have them on my Kindle, because I wouldn't carry around a massive book filled with the complete works, and I don't think I'd be willing to buy each one separately.<br />
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I know this is a bit of a weird post, but to be honest, I just wanted to write it to have something on the blog early in the year to say yes I am coming back, I promise, just not sure when the reviews will start. I have exams and stuff to worry about first!<br />
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So tell me what you think on the Kindle vs Books things, you pro Kindle? Pro books? All of the above? I'd love to hear.Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-12995241438367490842011-12-26T08:27:00.000-08:002011-12-26T08:27:53.594-08:00New YearHey guys, I know I haven't been on much but I've been taking a break because of personal reasons, sorry about this, I will be posting at least once a week after the New Year, I have a lot of books I want to talk about, I have a massive haul that I'm gonna do.<br />
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If you have any recommendations please let me know. If there are any books you'd like me to review please check out my read shelf on Goodreads and tell me, I'd be happy to start a review. :)<br />
<br />
Sorry again I just disappeared, I needed a break, but I should be good after the New Year, hope you guys had an amazing Christmas and all goes well for you in the New Year :)Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-72176789476804393982011-10-23T14:07:00.000-07:002011-10-23T14:07:32.820-07:00Sorry for the Non PostySo I have been awful with posting on my blog this month, I've had some really hard stuff come my way, I've had to organise a lot of stuff I don't want to, and my brain is all over. I promise that I will be posting a lot of reviews next month, but I think for October I've really needed to calm down a little.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry for the sudden disappearance but I couldn't cope with this plus everything going on in my personal life, so expect a new IMM at the end of this month, and reviews for The Goddess Test, Haunting Violet, The Name of the Star, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Palace of the Damned. Next month I will be going back into the swing of things (hopefully)Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4295835485306279151.post-85794649307017375372011-10-02T10:44:00.000-07:002011-10-02T10:44:08.361-07:00In My Mailbox (4) - September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PgPzCXnCTN0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Books I got:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler</li>
<li>The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter</li>
<li>Fury by Elizabeth Miles</li>
<li>Cross My Heart & Hope to Spy by Ally Carter</li>
<li>Heist Society by Ally Carter</li>
<li>Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson</li>
<li>The Truth About Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne</li>
<li>Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan</li>
</ul><div>If you've read the books tell me what you thought and I'll talk to you guys later! Bye x</div>Ashershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202175129249055526noreply@blogger.com5