The Book Fairy's Haven

Book review: Switched

2012-03-18T20:52:00.000+02:00

Switched
Step into a world where fairytale and fantasy collide and where one girl learns that she's part of a world that she's always been destined to return to.

Switched by Amanda Hocking (Tor)
Trolls.

I know what you're thinking. Who on earth would want to read a book about a race of fey creatures that have for the most part, been much maligned as being:

a) A race of hideous-looking beings that err on the side of short and;

b) Evil little monsters who won't let you cross a bridge without paying some sort of fee.

I know this because that was my first thought when I first heard of Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy and it's what has kept me back from reading it back when I first heard of her series during her self-publishing days.

Having said that, my love of fantasy reads, especially those with a focus on anything fairytale and changeling related, prevailed over my misgivings about the book and had me picking this read up in spite of myself.

And am I'm glad I did, because Amanda takes everything we know about trolls, gives it a complete overhaul and provides us with a book that dismisses any preconceived notions that we've ever had about trolls.

Switched tells the story of 17-year old Wendy Everly.

With one of Wendy's earliest memories being that of her mother accusing her of not being her child and trying to kill her in the process, Wendy has always known that she hasn't quite fit in; that there is something that sets her apart from everyone else in the small town that she's been living in.

With her ability to manipulate and influence people's decisions, it isn't until the brooding newcomer, Finn shows up and reveals that she's a changeling and is part of a race of Trylles (trolls), that she finally begins to understand just how different she really is.

Add to that the fact that she's next-in-line to inherit the throne in the world she's really from, and Wendy's life takes a whole new and dangerous turn.

For while this new world (a place called Förening) is a place of wonder and enchantment, the dangers inside the community are no less greater than the ones outside of it.

With the help of Finn, who Wendy can't help but be attracted to, she'll have to traverse through a maze of twists and turns and learn to harness her power if she wants to save the ones that she loves.

Switched is definitely a book that surprised me. It's a quick-paced and beautifully written fantasy novel that has a lot of crossover appeal.

The world Amanda's created is a unique one filled with both beauty and treachery and the characters you meet are characters you're not always sure you can trust - something which speaks very clearly of the fickle nature of fairytale creatures.

Wendy is someone you can't help but relate to. What person hasn't at one time feel as if they didn't belong?

You can't help but sympathise with her - especially given the fact that her "mother" would go through such extreme lengths to try and harm her.

What makes this such an intriguing read is that the additional characters you meet each have their own, unique background stories.

These stories, or hints at them rather, are set up in such a way that you get the sense that there will be some explosive secrets that will be revealed in the books to come. And clearly, not everything is at it seems.

The romantic element wasn't a very straightforward one. That there is an attraction between Finn and Wendy is obvious, but there are a few big factors that come in to play and prevent Finn from acting on his feelings.

Finn himself, is such a contradiction. On the one hand, he is completely aloof towards her. Assigned as some sort of bodyguard, he often puts his duty first, which leaves Wendy feeling hurt and confused.

However, underneath that cool veneer, he cares much more than he lets on; and when he does let his guard down, well, it makes for some of the most swoon-worthy moments in the book.

One of the reasons I love books about anything fairytale related is that often the very nature of the book, settings and the characters are contradictory.

This why I love Switched so much.

On the surface, the book seems to be a light fantasy read, but Amanda is great at setting the kind of tone that speaks of the wispy, whimsy and ever changing nature of the world that she's created.

And at its very heart, is Wendy, who has to adjust and change according to the circumstances surrounding her. It's a book about metamorphosis and it's a book about growing into your skin and becoming comfortable with who you are.

I've had a sneak peak at the next instalment in the trilogy and have to say, I'm very eager to see just where she'll take this series next, especially with the introduction of a character that may either prove to be an enemy or an ally.

Do yourself a favour and pick this book up. It's worth the hype it's been generating.

Disclaimer: An edited version of this review also appears on the Women24 website, a South African Lifestyle website where I work as an online lifestyle journalist and manage our site's Books, Bridal and Community hubs.

Book review: Ashes

2012-03-11T19:19:00.000+02:00

Ashes
The zombies are coming for you... and those who haven't changed will kill to survive. Just who can be trusted in a world where everything changes in a split second?

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (Quercus)
It happens when Alex is hiking through the forest: an electromagnetic pulse flashes and destroys every electronic and computerised device in an instant.

People are dead and the landscape changes in that brief second the EMP hits the earth.

It doesn't take Alex long to realise that those who have survived, may probably have been better off if they had been struck down; because out of those that still are alive, the population can now be divided into two different categories.

The first group consists of those who have been altered in such a way that they've developed superhuman sense as a result of the pulse, while the second group are those who have suddenly developed an eerie and unnatural taste for human flesh.

When Alex meets Tom, a young army veteran on the run, and Ellie, a young girl who lost her grandfather to the shattering electromagnetic force, they can't help but notice that:

a) Most of the kids Alex and Tom's age have undergone the change from human to zombie/cannibal;

b) The older generation seem to have been spared, but some are now hunting those that are Alex and Tom's age because of the threat they pose - even though a select few of them seem to have been spared and,

c) Surviving in the wilderness is not going to be all fun and games. At all.

Between trying to stick together, scrounging for food, battling to make the best out of a situation with their own lives at stake, Alex, Tom and Ellie will live together, fight together and be torn apart.

And when that happens, Alex will need to face the possibility that sometimes finding solace and protection often harbours the most dangerous secrets of all.

Review:

There is an overabundance of dystopian fiction in the world of literature lately, and I, for one, am quite happy about this.

It took some time for me to get into this genre, but after reading books like Never Let Me Go, Divergent and Wither, well, colour me addicted.

When Ashes arrived on my desk, my curiosity was immediately piqued. At first glance, it sounded like just another one of those run-of-the-mill zombie reads. The moment I started reading it, my opinion quickly changed.

The first thing that stood out for me is that Ilsa J. Bick is a phenomenal writer. Her writing is stark and beautiful against a world reduced to ashes and dust. The world she's built is vividly frightening and leaves one with a sense of desolation.

You're struck with a feeling of hopelessness and are completely caught up in Alex's world as she struggles to make it on a day-to-day basis, while not only fending for herself, but helping Tom to look after Ellie, who, no doubt due to losing her grandfather, often behaves like a petulant brat.

The next thing that became apparent to me is that Ilse made sure that this dystopian fiction world she's created is a hostile playground for humans and animals alike - and that surviving would not be very easy for the trio.

Just when they've fought their way through a zombie attack, humans who haven't undergone the change, fight them off for their supplies.

It's a never-ending cycle of "just when will they get a break?" and it left me, as the reader, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted by it. It's also, I think, I fantastic (if rather obvious) way to keep the reader glued to the pages, especially if you make sure that almost each chapter ends with a bit of a cliffhanger.

The emotions evoked in the characters are strong, emphatic and incredibly real. Alex is a fantastic heroine. She's been taught how to survive and has some incredible fighting skills to boot. And with the supersense she's developed - she's also become gold for others who've been spared.

Along the way, she also finds herself caught between her growing feelings two boys, each of them as different as night as day, and each of them with their own strengths. Honestly, both boys are so likeable that I think Alex is in for a tough time when it comes to making a decision.

I wish I could review this novel in its entirety as there are so many complex layers that make this such a compelling read, but I'd be giving it all away.

What you can look forward to though is a deeply intricate novel where rules can either make or break you, where cult leaders may take advantage of situations and where one girl, who may just lose her heart to two very different boys, is forced to use every single survival skill she's harnassed, to make it out alive.

Oh and that epic cliffhanger at the end? It will have you begging for the next book in the trilogy. I so didn't see that one coming.

Pick it up. You'll want to read this.

Disclaimer: This review also appears on the Women24 website, a South African Lifestyle website where I work as an online lifestyle journalist and manage our site's Books, Bridal and Community hubs.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Polar Opposites edition

2012-02-22T04:03:00.001+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

Today, I'm featuring two books, from different genre spectrums, hence the title of my WoW post.

First up is When the Sea is Rising Red.

I've recently received an ARC of When the Sea is Rising Red, but thought I'd feature it as my top pick for Waiting on Wednesday this week, because not only is Cat Hellisen South African, but she lives in the same city that I do. Woohoo! Also, the book sounds absolutely phenomenal. Hoping to start it this weekend!

I'm loving the fact that SA authors are writing YA fiction and I hope that this is only the start of many more to come.

On that note, I'm also currently reading an as-yet-to-be published YA novel by Sally Partridge (another South African author) and the book is all about zombies and the dark underbelly of black magic and voodoo.

I'm really excited about it. It's fantastically written, has an interesting premise and well, is just something so very different and refreshing. I can't wait to see this book out in the wild! In the mean time, you can also check out her other YA novel, Dark Poppy's Demise.

Anyway, here's some more info about When the Sea is Rising Red. The great thing about this book is that you won't have to wait long for it. It's out next week.

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Publication date: February 28th 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Summary:
After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege.

She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind.

Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik.

Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic.

Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.

This one's been getting some rave reviews. Make sure you add it to your books-to-read list.

The second book on my WoW list, is a book called Tell the Wolves I'm Home. I first heard about this book at one of Pan Macmillan South Africa's book presentations. My first thought was that this book has one of the most beautiful titles I've ever come across.

Then of course, I read the synopsis. And fell in love. There's just something that is incredibly different about this book, and so far, from what I've heard, this book, which deals with love, loss and grief, is absolutely phenomenal.

Here's some more info about it.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Publication date: June 2012 by PanMacmillan
Summary:
In this striking literary debut, Carol Rifka Brunt unfolds a moving story of love, grief, and renewal as two lonely people become the unlikeliest of friends and find that sometimes you don’t know you’ve lost someone until you’ve found them.

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss.

Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend.

So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down.

But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet.

As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

And, that's it from me for this week. What's on your WoW list? Feel free to share your links below.

Book review: Wither

2012-02-14T21:27:00.000+02:00

Wither
When modern science fails human kind, it results in young girls being forced to breed to keep the population alive in this beautifully rendered, vividly disturbing dystopian fiction novel.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Harper Voyager)
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where all continents besides North America have seemingly been destroyed, Wither tells the story of 16-year old Rhine Ellery, who along with 3 other girls, is kidnapped and sold as a child bride to the wealthy Linden Ashby.

Time is short, and thanks to modern science, the lifespan of both men and women have been drastically cut short.

In a world where men live to the age of 25 and women only to the age of 20, these girls, kidnapped by the Gatherers (a group of people who hunt girls down solely for this purpose) are one of the many who are forced to procreate in a desperate bid to save the dying human race.

Even though Rhine is treated kindly by her new husband and is surrounded by the beauty of his and his father's wealthy estate, Rhine can't help but feel like she's trapped in a gilded cage.

Desperate to escape the house - and Linden's malicious father, Rhine employs the help of Gabriel, a servant she quickly becomes attracted to.

With the years counting against her, and a suspicious housemaster on a trail, Rhine knows that she needs to make an attempt to break free the first moment she gets.

Review:

Let me start off by saying that Wither is probably an acquired read. You're either going to love it or hate it.

With dystopian fiction, many people assume that because it's set in a post-apocalyptic world, that the actually story should be fast-paced filled with lots of breakneck action, speed and adrenalin.

My thoughts are that dystopia isn't necessarily rooted in the abovementioned factors, nor should it be.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano takes the concept of post-apocalyptic fiction, turns it on its head and focuses primarily on her beautiful storytelling skills to create an atmosphere of impending doom.

The first book in a trilogy, Lauren tackles subjects such as polygamy, the kidnapping and trafficking of children (used solely for the purpose to become brides and to breed), blending it with science in a deft and unflinching manner; creating a sinister world where young girls like Rhine are subjected to the mercy of a system that completely disregards their rights.

Beautifully written, the atmosphere that pervades throughout the novel, is one of a cruel and menacing beauty; the holograms, wealthy estate and beautiful fashion, starkly juxtaposed to the grim reasons they are there.

It's a slow-building piece of dystopian fiction, with nuances and undertones of darkness, melancholy and desperation. And yet, for all this, the author has created a strongly refreshing and defiant character in 16-year old Rhine.

A caged bird she may be, but she's wise and smart enough to know how to bide her time in order to buy her escape.

The supporting characters, sister wives Jenna and Cecily, are equally unique characters whose voices come into their own and whose stories (Jenna's mostly) are certainly as riveting as Rhine's.

What adds to an already fascinating read is Linden Ashby's character. Is he really the villain in the story or is he just another victim and pawn in a larger game? It's these questions and so much more that insidiously work its way into your system while you're reading.

The phrase, "everything-is-not-as-it-seems" is a sentiment that is echoed more than once throughout the novel.

I could go one and delve into the rest of the characters, in particular Linden's father (totally gave me the creeps), and Gabriel (who offered some much-need distraction for Rhine), but then I'd be telling you the whole story.

The one aspect of the novel I was disappointed in though, is that the backdrop to the genetic virus hasn't fully been fleshed out and there's no real explanation for the war that caused resulted in the destruction, but because this is a trilogy, I'm going to assume that these aspects will be covered in the next two books.

In an age-old battle of pro-science vs pro-naturalisation, Lauren DeStano's Wither is a book that certainly makes one think about one's own mortality. It's exquisitely written and a finely crafted tale that deserves all the accolades it's been reserving so far.

I highly recommend it.

Blog tour book review: Existence by Abbi Glines

2011-12-29T15:09:00.000+02:00

Existence
What's a girl to do when Death literally comes looking for you?

As part of the Existence blog tour (courtesy of the lovely ladies from the Teen Book Scene), today's stop on my blog is an actual review of the book.

Be sure to check out the previous stop on my blog, where Abbi gave us a glimpse into the characters and what they'd say if they each had a twitter profile.

Existence by Abby Glines (Wild Child Publishing)
For as long as she can remember, 17-year old Pagan Moore has always been able to see lost and wondering ghostly souls.

Since most can't talk and because she's the only one that is able to see them, Pagan has pretty much been able to ignore them.
At least until the first day of school, that is.

When she steps out of her car and spots the brooding boy lounging against the picnic table and smirking at her, she doesn't think much of it. Until she realises that:

a) he just won't seem to leave her alone, and
b) he actually speaks.

Despite her initial fear of him, Pagan quickly becomes fascinated with the talking soul, who is not only incredibly smart, but also has some serious music skills to boot.

What she doesn't realise is that the wicked beautiful soul she's quickly falling in love with is not a normal soul at all.

He goes by the name of Dank Walker and he is Death; which can only mean one thing: Pagan's appointed time to die is near.

But, as life goes, nothing is as clear-cut as it seems and Death is about to discover that he's willing to break more than a few rules to keep the living soul he's falling in love with, alive.

Review:

If anyone had to ask me what the first word is that comes to mind with regards to Existence, then the word I'd most likely use is: addictive.

There's something about a fast-paced novel that doesn't spend pages waffling through tedious descriptions that makes for a quick, easy and highly entertaining read.

Not that I mind descriptions (To be perfectly honest, I adore them), it's just that the sense of immediacy about Existence is what sucked me into the world Abbi Glines created within her book.

For those who have just about had enough about the vampire, werewolf and angel genre, Abbi brings a unique concept to the world of YA literature that is not only refreshing, but one that's quite intriguing too.

I don't necessarily think it's been fully explored just yet, but considering that Existence is the first book in a trilogy, I'd certainly like to see and understand more about Pagan's ability and the reason behind why her soul is so different from anyone else's.

For me, Pagan was a pretty interesting character for the most part. I often find that I get very annoyed if characters are too walk-the-straight-line perfect, but Pagan is a pretty flawed character whose actions will no doubt cause the reader to fluctuate between varying degrees of sympathy and annoyance.

Case in point: the messy love triangle situation she got herself in.

The supporting characters also made for a great addition to the book, although at times I did feel as if they were relegated to the background when Pagan went through some terrifyingly supernatural experiences.

Of course, the character that was a favourite of mine is definitely Dank (Death). I've mentioned in a previous post of mine that I'm a sucker for fictional boys who are musically inclined and Dank definitely applies here.

While not present throughout the entire novel, for me, there was a sense of omniscience surrounding him that had me aware of him, even during his absence.

He's definitely the ultimate broody bad boy sort and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in the next instalment in the trilogy.

The one thing I'd like to see more of is things from his perspective. Existence had me questioning what he was thinking when he first saw her, just how and when he fell in love with her and basically just what was going on in his mind when he first decided to bend the rules for her.

Aside from the concept and interesting characters, for me the highlight of the novel would be towards the end of the novel.

There's a refreshing twist on the idea behind sacrificing that completely caught me by surprise and has me wondering just what else Abbi has up her sleeve for the next instalment in the trilogy.

It will be interesting to see how she can top that.

More than that I can't say for fear of giving too much away but suffice to say that Existence is certainly a read that will leave you waiting with bated breath for the next instalment in this trilogy. Especially with that cliff hanger of note.

On a final note: how creeptastic and awesome is that cover? The eerie green eyes is a nice touch, don't you think?

Existence Blog Tour: Character tweets

2011-12-19T18:30:00.000+02:00

As part of the Existence blog tour, I'm happy to welcome the main characters from Existence. Today we'll be given a glimpse into what they'd be tweeting about if they were on Twitter - and I must say, that based on their tweets, they certainly sound like an intriguing trio don't they?

Before we kick off though, here's just a brief look at what the book is about. Be sure to check back in the next week or two, which is when I'll have an actual review up on my blog.

About the book:
What happens when you are stalked by Death? You fall in love with him of course.

Pagan Moore doesn’t cheat Death, instead, she falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore, has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them.

If she didn’t let them know she could see them, they left her alone.

Until she steps out of her car on the first day of school and sees an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face.

Problem is, she knows he's dead.

Not only does he not go away, when she ignores him he does something none of the others have ever done; he speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul.

What Pagan doesn’t realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul.

He is Death and he is about to break all the rules.

And now, on to the tweet-fest. Meet Death, Pagan and Leif.

Death Dank Walker
I may be enrolling in high school soon. I’ve found some entertainment.

QBKing Leif Montgomery
Who knew tutors could be so hot?

JustPagan Pagan Moore
Some people you don’t expect to talk and when they do it changes everything.

Death Dank Walker
What’s the big deal about a guy that throws a football straight? Am I missing something?

QBKing Leif Montgomery
Speech is going to be my favorite subject this year.

JustPagan Pagan Moore
What have I got myself into? #whatwasIthinking

Death Dank Walker
She’s cute when she frowns.... did I just say cute?

QBKing Leif Montgomery
When you find someone you can tell your secrets to then you’ve found #theone

JustPagan Pagan Moore
Ouch. I was waaaay off. #judgementalmuch

Death Dank Walker
I can make my own damn rules. Screw this!

QBKing Leif Montgomery
I’ve screwed up. God I hope I can fix this. #I’manass

JustPagan Pagan Moore
Near death experiences change everything.

Death Dank Walker
Welcome to high school. Freaking hilarious.

QBKing Leif Montgomery
I’ll see my girl soon. @JustPagan I can’t wait to see your face back at school.

JustPagan Pagan Moore
@QBKing See you soon =)

Death Dank Walker
I really hate blonds. It’s just an aversion to the angelic appearance I have.

QBKing Leif Montgomery
@JustPagan I’m sitting in class wishing I were with you. I’ll meet you outside the door in 5 min.

JustPagan Pagan Moore
He’s here. How is he here?

Special thanks goes out to the fabulous team over at The Teen Book Scene for allowing me to be part of this tour. Want to check out where to head on over to for the next stop? Click on the banner below.

Book review: Nightshade (The Poison Diaries Book 2)

2011-12-19T05:27:00.000+02:00

Nightshade: The Poison Diaries
Dark, lush and seductively twisted, Nightshade, the second book in The Poison Diaries series, lures you into a Gothic world of poison, romance and cruel and deadly intention.

Nightshade: The Poison Diaries (HarperCollins)
Warning: Considering that this book is the second in the Poison Diaries series, this review may contain spoilers.

You might also want to check out my review of The Poison Diaries, before you read this review.

It's been some time since Jessamine has been healed from the poison she's been dealt, yet despite her recovery, she can't help but be heartbroken.

Weed, the boy she's fallen in love with has disappeared without a trace, and her stern and unyielding father has become increasingly remote; choosing to spend most of his days studying poisonous plants and tending to his deadly garden of poisonous plants.

What he doesn't know is that Jessamine, through her heartbreak, has become a lot more suspicious about his involvement regarding Weed's disappearance and has gained more knowledge and confidence in handling the dangerous plants that has always been a part of her life.

Upon stumbling across her father's secrets and learning that Weed is, in fact, alive and in danger, a new, darker and no-longer innocent Jessamine decides that she'll do whatever it takes to find her way back to him; including both killing whoever gets in her way and turning to a far darker, supernatural and poisonous source for help: Oleander, Prince of Poisons.

My thoughts:
The thing about book series or trilogies is that one is often never sure if the second or third book in the series will live up to the expectations of the first.

Some books that are series should often be relegated to remaining standalones, while follow-ups to the first instalment in other books usually disappoint.

So you can imagine how wary I must have been when it came to reading Nightshade, the second book in The Poison Diaries series; especially considering that I had a few issues with book one (despite enjoying the read overall).

Needless to say, I was in for a fantastic surprise, because not only is Nightshade a fantastic and far superior follow-up to The Poison Diaries, but it's also the best sequel in a trilogy that I've read to date.

Everything about this book lures you in.

The beautiful writing, the Gothic and atmospheric settings, the personification of the plants and the depth, depravity and the twisted changes and growth we see in many of the characters; Jessamine in particular.

The world Maryrose Wood has created is sinister and dangerous, but at the same time is also imbued with an alluring, menacing beauty that draws you into a world of romance, venomous plants and deadly intention.

Back when we first met Jessamine, she was young, naive and very impressionable. Obedient and subservient to her father, she obeyed instruction without any question.

This time around, we see a darker, sultry and far more dangerous (and murderous) side to Jessamine.

For me, this was definitely one of the highlights of the novel.

I often love seeing how characters grow from novel to novel, and seeing how Jessamine changed, although in the most drastic and twisted manner possible, was beyond fascinating to me.

That Maryrose decided to opt for this new, wickedly provocative and no-longer innocent girl, for me, shows that she's an author that's not afraid to take her characters completely out of their and the reader's comfort zone.

And I, as weird as it may sound, was completely enthralled by Jessamine's drastic metamorphoses.

There's a new and deliberate suggestiveness to her actions that speaks of someone who is focused on doing whatever it takes to get what she wants.

She's bold, reckless, and very intense.

Most of her actions throughout the novel are certainly not something that we as readers would condone, and yet, for all that, she retains an innate inner goodness that still shines through and - at the end of the day - still had me rooting for her.

I have to say though, that as much as I love the sensitive and incredibly devoted Weed with his strange gift of talking to plants, the male character who really stole the show here, was Oleander, Prince of Poisons.

Perhaps the fact that I love this villain, speaks of my strange preference for seductive, broody characters with a bad-to-the-bone streak.

Whatever the case may be, Oleander's supernatural, mostly disembodied presence (Jessamine, for the most part, hears him in her mind), was a tangible, wickedly magnetic and deadly force that kept me captivated throughout the entire novel.

The influence he exerts over Jessamine is palpable and is a feeling that literally seeps into your own veins; making you feel as if you yourself were caught up in his lethal game.

It was case of her being the butterfly being trapped in the spider's web, and a case of me thinking: "... but oh, what a web to be trapped in.

(Ok, I have to say that at this point, I'm seriously beginning to worry that I like Oleander's character so much. Apparently my sense of self-preservation is non-existent)

Ruler over deadly plants, his capacity to drive the now hopelessly lost Jessamine further and further into the depths of depravity, will have you either wishing Weed would rescue her, or have you willing Oleander to push her just a little further to see how far she can still go.

He's the puppet master holding all the strings, and she, fuelled by her desire to be reunited with Weed, is seduced into being a willing participant in his twisted game.

And herein lies the heart of this novel. It's not just an off-kilter story featuring murder, and romance, but it's a story that speaks of the very nature of humans and about what they are capable of doing when circumstances propel the person in question to act.

Often, when you see crime stories on TV, the murderer usually ends up being the neighbour who wouldn't dare hurt a fly. Nightshade doesn't outright express this sentiment, but it does show that the old adage, "never say never", definitely applies here.

My review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Weed and the plants.

His relationship with the plants have always fascinated me and what I really loved is that we really get a glimpse into his thoughts and the way he communicates with them from his perspective.

I complained that in The Poison Diaries, we weren't given much chance to get to know him, but Nightshade certainly made up for that in more than a few spades.

Weed is as dashing as he is honourable and I, while mostly caught up in Oleander's spell, couldn't help but love him too.

His devotion to Jessamine is incredible and the lengths which he goes to in order to try find and save her, will have every single reader wishing for a boyfriend like him.

And the talking plants?

That's something special you can only experience while reading the book. No amount of description can capture just how intriguing the plants are in their capacity to heal or kill given the right dosage and their ability to communicate with Weed, in a book review.

To sum it up:

Nightshade is a book of shadows and mystery, and one of murder and romance. It's a tangled weave of sweet and sinister, and a highly concentrated dose of venomous plants and sinful seduction.

If you love romance with a sinister plotline, then be prepared to be caught up in the darkly mesmerising spell of Nightshade.

Oh, and the ending? Probably one of the best and most unexpected endings to a book I've read in a long time (although many will probably disagree with me).

Go out and get yourself a copy. It's definitely worth reading.

Better yet, why not enter the giveaway I'm hosting, here?

Disclaimer and a word of thanks: A huge, huge thank you goes out to Leanne and the Poison Diaries team for sending a review copy of Nightshade in exchange for an honest review! Please note that having received a free copy of this book, in no way affects my opinion of the book.

Of Light and Darkness blog tour: Character interview

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000+02:00

As part of the Of Light and Darkness book blog tour today I'll be interviewing Valek the smouldering hot vamp and love interest of his human charge, Charlotte.

Before we get to the interview, here's a brief overview of what the book is about:

About the book:
When one human stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of overcoming them in this coming-of-age modern fairytale may result in war between light and darkness.

Abandoned as an infant in Prague, naive and strong-willed Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by one of the last Vampires left alive.

As a human, she knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches drew spells of enchantment, Phasers threw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin.

Charlotte has lived her life in the dark with her Guardian, content to having him to herself and reveling in his attention, until she's realizes she wants more...

Resident medical doctor and Vampire, Valek Ruzik fears the day his ward would come of age and blossom into a fine woman, and he is forced to confront his own motives as time is of the essence once his past catches up to him, and their lives become endangered...

As genocide and war threatens their secret society, the dictator in power is ready to wipe out Valek's race, but Charlotte will not allow that to happen.

Fighting for the only one she's ever loved and truly believed in, she will do whatever it takes to save their love...before the sun comes up and light takes over.

Sounds fab, doesn't it?

On to the interview...

Welcome to The Book Fairy's Haven, Valek (I hope you don't eat book-loving fairies for breakfast).

Chuckles darkly:: No, no. Fairy blood doesn't sit well with me, but thanks for asking.

Beware of Mr. Trinozka, though. I never know where that spider is hiding and if he's hungry. Because, as you know, arachnids do eat flies. ::eyes Book Fairy deviantly:: Thank you for having me...

1. If we had to ask Charlotte to describe you in less than 10 words, what do you think she would say about you?

Well, Charlotte's vision of me is a little skewed. She'd probably come up with something like 'a selfless hero who is more human than monster.' However, I wish Charlotte would see me for what I actually am. I'm afraid she's lacking a reality check.

2. For those that haven't read your story yet, can you tell us a little about your Vampiric abilities. What makes you different to any other vampire out there?

I am greatly aware of the many vampires that exist in the universe. The ones that sparkle. The ones that...fang-bang ::shudders::

No, I'm afraid our kind reverts back to the original classics of Bram Stoker and even modern-classics like Anne Rice. We have fangs, we roam the night, the sun is lethal, we move without you seeing, stalk without you knowing, we infiltrate your thoughts - your dreams - your nightmares.

Once we choose you, there is no escaping, I'm afraid. We are lethal monsters that no human should ever in their right mind hang around. Luckily for me, Charlotte wasn't in her right mind since the day I found her...

3. What is it like living in a world filled with all sorts of wondrously strange and (sometimes) wicked creatures?

It's wonderful. I love that there is such diversity and so much culture between our races that live in our small, Occult city.

Of course, I could do without the Elves, but I do have my love of the fairies ;), the phasers, the ogres, the enchanted scarecrows, and sometimes, the witches. It is a fantastical atmosphere and a wonder to behold indeed.

4. You have one last day to spend with Charlotte. Where in Prague would you take her and how would you spend your final day with her?

One last day with Charlotte? Hmm...that's something I do not even wish to think about, but I'll play along.

If I had to spend one last day with Charlotte, in Prague, I would take her back to Hradcany, where I found her.

I would show her the exact spot where I first saw her when she was too little to remember. I would tell her of that night, and how it felt when I decided to keep her forever.

After that, we'd stroll along Charles Bridge, and listen to the folk musicians play for meager earnings in the night. We'd watch the water gleam under the lights that set Prague castle aglow every evening.

We'd watch the fireworks they set off over the Vltava to the West. We'd walk the castle gardens, completely alone, so I could spend those last moments telling her how much I absolutely adore the very make of her and how I will always be with her.

And then I'd wrap her in my arms, and we'd watch the sunrise together while I slowly disintegrate into ash for the final time, listening to her weep quietly next to me.

There! I've played your game! Happy? Now you've gotten me emotional...

5. If you could trade places with a supernatural being from another book for a day, who would you choose and why?

I think I'd like to be that water serpent from Beowulf for a day. That would be an interesting experience...

Special thanks to Valek for taking the time out to answer my questions. A huge thanks also goes out to the fabulous team over at the Teen Book Scene for allowing me to partake in this tour.

Want to meet Valek's maker?

You can follow Shayne Leighton on twitter here. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour stops, by clicking on the banner below.

Giveaway: Win a signed copy of Nightshade (The Poison Diaries book 2)

2011-12-04T21:26:00.000+02:00

So, it's been a while since I've done a giveaway on the blog, hasn't it? Which is why I'm so excited about hosting the following competition on the blog.

The fabulous team from The Poison Diaries have given me the chance to host this new giveaway in which you can win a signed copy of Nightshade, the second book in The Poison Diaries series.

The book is truly a phenomenal read and definitely counts amongst my favourites of 2011 so far. I would highly recommend that you enter this giveaway to stand a chance of reading this dark, twisted tale of murder and romance.

(While you're at it, you can check out my review of Book 1 here. I'll have a review up of Nightshade soon- but trust me, you'll want to read this series).

So, enough rambling from my part. If you want to enter this giveaway, all you need to do is follow 3 simple steps below.

Step 1: Head on over to The Poison Diaries website and search for the plant: Arum Maculatum. Once you've found the plant, add it to your poison diary.

Step 2: Follow The Poison Diaries team on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway and the plant that you've added to your poison diary. Make sure to include me on the tweet so that I can keep a track and tally up the entries. To make things easy for you, you can copy the tweet below:

@Tammy24_7 I've added the Arum Maculatum to my poison diary and want to win a signed copy of Nightshade from @poisondiaries.

Step 3: Like The Poison Diaries on Facebook and be sure to drop them a note and let them know what you think of The Poison Diaries books so far. And that's all there is to it.

Giveaway open to everyone and ends Monday.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Supernatural Edition

2011-11-30T04:00:00.000+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

It's been a while since I've done one of these, so to make up for it, I'll be featuring quite a few titles that I'm quite excited about.

First up is:

The Treachery of Beautiful Things
by Ruth Frances Long
Expected publication date: August 16th 2012 by Penguin Group USA

Summary from Goodreads:
The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it.

Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat.

Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods.

Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own

Why I'm excited about this: Faeries... need I really say more?

Up next is:

Darkness Before Dawn
by J.A. London
Expected publication: Expected publication: May 29th 2012 by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:
This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed.

Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles.

It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Why I'm excited about this: I know I should be tired of vampires, but this book, set in a dystopian world, definitely seems like it could offer a fresh new take on a genre that seems to have been done to death. Also, how gorgeous is that cover?

Monstrous Beauty
by Elizabeth Fama
Expected publication: August 21st 2012 by Farrar Straus Giroux

Summary from Goodreads:
In 1872, mermaid Syrenka falls in love with a young naturalist.

When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

One hundred thirty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger and feels drawn to him in a way she can't explain or resist.

For generations, love and death have been inextricably linked for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect...or a curse?

Hester's investigation of her family's strange, sad history leads her to the graveyard, the crypt, and the bottom of the ocean--but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of long ago.

Why I'm excited about this: Creepy mermaid story and an ancient curse? How awesome does this one sound. I can't wait. I'm loving the cover for this one too.

Innocent Darkness
by Suzanne Lazear
Expected publication: May 29th 2012 by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:
Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home.

On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school.

A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

Why I'm excited about this: More faeries. Except this time, it's one with a steampunk twist. Colour me happy.

This is the first book in a series and I, for one, can't wait to see how this unfolds. And again, I'm totally fawning over the gorgeous cover.

And, that's it from me for this week. What's on your WoW list? Feel free to share your links below.

Book review: Passion

2011-11-13T17:36:00.002+02:00

Note: This review was originally written for my blog, but first appeared on the women24 website (where I work as an online lifestyle journalist and write a monthly book newsletter), the (shortened version) of which you can find here.

Passion
Beautifully layered, complex and above all else, romantic, Lauren Kate's Passion manages to supersede both Fallen and Torment.

Passion by Lauren Kate (Doubleday)

Please note: This review contains spoilers for the previous books in the Fallen series.

Before they met, Luce and fallen angel Daniel have already lived thousands of lives.

Luce has died for Daniel over and over again and Daniel has waited each and every time for a new cycle to start all over again; one that would mean her return and one that has ultimately, always ended in tragedy.

But this time, things are different, because Luce is still alive.

Determined to unlock and break the curse that dooms their love every time, she now finds herself visiting her past lives, in search of clues in order to try and understand why their love is so doomed, and to see if the love they have for each other is truly real.

As she journeys through different centuries and different times, she'll discover different clues in her different lives - each of which could bring her one step closer to the truth and mystery of just why Lucy is fated to die every time she gets too close to Daniel.

Unfortunately for her, stepping back in time doesn't come without its dangers and as the Outcasts, Luce's angel friends and a frantic Daniel desperately chase her through each century in order to prevent her from rewriting history, Luce will have to rely on her wits to not only find new answers, but to avoid being captured by the ever approaching evil threatening their very existence.

My thoughts:
What an incredible, exquisite read.

I often find that book series don't necessarily get better with each new book that is released, but with Lauren Kate's Fallen series?

I can honestly say that Passion is the best in the series so far.

I think one of Lauren Kate's key strengths is that she knows what kind of tone to set for each book that she writes. Fallen was a little slow to start with but the gloomy setting and descriptions certainly set the tone for a more angsty sequel in Torment.

With Passion, well, the title of the book really says it all. Both her writing and the book's tone are incredibly romantic, lush, evocative and beautifully descriptive.

If, by any chance you were disappointed with the previous books (I know a lot who were), Passion is the book that will change your entire opinion.

SPOILER ALERT
In Torment, we last saw Luce jumping into an Announcer, following a messy battle between the outcasts and the angels.

SPOILER ENDS

Her journey takes her to strange, exotic destinations that seem at once both foreign and familiar to her.

From war-torn, snow-blanketed Russia to gloomy Prussia, from London's famous Globe Theatre to Romantic Versailles (oh how magnificently she captures the panache of the fashion style of that era); Luce's journey takes her through a myriad of fantastic places.

Along the way, with the help of a strange little companion named Bill (who also has an important part to play), she views snapshots of each and every life that she's lived with Daniel, witnessing the joy, the terror and the tragedy of their union together.

What I loved about this book is that we get to see a real glimpse of the romantic and intense relationship between Daniel and Luce.

Their romance speaks of something ancient, precious, timeless and ageless; and what enhanced this even further, was the rich descriptions of the settings and the wonderfully detailed historical background relating to each place Luce visits.

If ever Luce needed to see proof of Daniel's love for her, each and every moment in her past life certainly surpasses her expectation, and for me, this was definitely one of my favourite aspects of reading Passion.

I was swept up in a whirlwind of devotion, struck with wonder at the lengths Daniel would go to follow Lucy and left with the same sense of wonder that Lucy felt when she realised that Daniel really, really loves her.

It's clear that Lauren Kate knows her way around research, because all that effort showcases itself throughout the entire book and readers are especially in for a treat as we finally receive some major clues relating to the origin behind the curse.

The book sets itself up for an epic showdown, one of which I'm sure we'll get in Rapture, the final instalment in the series.

All in all, Passion is filled with all the ingredients a girl could want in a novel: Romance, History, Lyrical writing and characters who grow from strength-to-strength with each new book in the series.

Most of all, It's filled with the kind of grandeur that will have you sighing at every turn of the page.

Book talk: Saving me from myself. Why I read YA.

2011-10-25T05:20:00.000+02:00

Today I'm going to be talking about a subject that most bloggers have been defending over the last couple of months: Young Adult fiction.

My post though, or my story if you will, is probably not a unique one, but the feelings experienced are certainly real enough - so I hope you bear with me as I try to find the words to express just what it is that I'm feeling and just how it ties in with my post about YA literature.

Many of you may have noticed that I've been taking frequent breaks from blogging.

My blogging pattern has, in the past few months, become decidedly irregular - with me posting anywhere between 1 - 5 posts per month, whereas in the past, I easily use to manage at least 15 posts per month.

The reason for this slow down is quite simple really. I'm suffering from depression.

Now for those of you who are in the same boat, or know someone that is, you'll know that depression is about more than just feeling sad.

It's more than just crying out of the blue for no apparent reason and it's about more than just lying in foetal position whole day, struggling to muster the will to get up.

It's a label that is so universal, yet each one experiences it very differently.

My experience?

So far, it's mostly been hell in a black pit for me. It's hell because I feel like I've lost my voice (my blogging voice included), it's agony because when I cry, I can't get the words that need to be said out of my system, and it's pure emotional torture because, on the days that I'm not crying, I'm filled with a seeping black void of numbness that renders me devoid of any feeling.

And because I feel so voiceless and devoid of joy, I often simply resort to going into automaton mode; going through the daily motions of everyday life and trying to keep it together, while inside, it feels like my soul is being ripped and shredded to parts.

Want to know what's worse? It's not necessarily those very, very bad days that makes everything feel so impossibly out of reach.

It's on the good days, when I have something akin to the feeling of hope, that I convince myself I'm happy and feeling completely normal. And when I convince myself that nothing's wrong, well, my next crash is always worse than the previous one.

And then... then I'm back to where I started. Trapped in a never-ending cycle of self-loathing, hurt, self-pity and morbidity.

I have all these good intentions, but I just can't seem to follow through. I want to review, but can't bring myself to think beyond what I'm stretching myself to think in this bad space I'm in.

And I want to update, read and visit other blogs, but I don't seem to have all the energy for that lately.

In short, I can't bring myself to do anything beyond sleeping, getting up, going to work and coming home to curl up and read (the one thing that's kept me from completely going over the edge) and sleep.

But, believe it or not, my story is not one that is completely hopeless, because, besides getting professional help (gosh, I feel so shy admitting I'm on anti-depressants and seeing a psychiatrist), this is where YA fiction comes in.

Now as most of you know, over the past couple of months, there's been a plethora of raging debates surrounding teen fiction.

It seems that according to the "experts" (and as a young, online South African journalist, I use that word very loosely), fiction targeted for the youth is either too dark too depraved, too sexual or is guilty of romanticising domestic violence.

Any dark and negative connotation you can think of, it's probably been used to label and describe Young Adult fiction.

And for me, as a journalist who is an ardent supporter of YA fiction, it saddens me that people are so quick to criticise what they don't really understand.

I know I'm going to me making myself guilty of assumption, but I often get the feeling that the people who criticise this genre, have probably not read all that many teen reads.

You know why? Because if they had, they wouldn't even begin to question the value that it has brought to so many young teens.

I may not be a teen, but without YA, I would have surely resorted to harming myself. Yes, I was suicidal for a long time, and yes, to many it seems impossible that a teen read has the power to save a life, but in truth, that's what it did for me.

For me, I've always seen the voices in YA novels as being incredibly brave.

Many of them have given me the opportunity to become the girl I've always wanted to be in my teen years. Strong, brave and courageous.

To be those things, you'd certainly have to go through your share of hell to build up that sort of character right? And what many of these characters go through, are more than an echo of what's going on outside in the real world.

It's real and it's happening outside in the lives of teens and young adults alike. Which is why I can't understand all the condemnation around it.

If the teens are experiencing this and you have people criticising this genre so severely, then how can you even hope to help the teen who so desperately needs saving?

Why do you think they're resorting to these wonderful reads?

These reads that offer them voices.

These reads that (and this applies to me as well) allow them to feel.

And mostly, these reads offer them hope and understanding in a world dominated by people who constantly criticise them and don't see that beyond many young boys and girls' reckless behaviour, there's a desperate plea for help.

On days when I couldn't even bring myself to speak, it was this genre that grounded me. It was this genre that brought out a tentative smile and it was this genre, that against all odds, brought out the bubble of laughter, that I had thought was long forgotten.

A dear blog friend of mine has said often said that people don't choose books, but that books have a way of finding and choosing you.

In my darkest times, the books that have always found me, is the Young Adult fiction genre.

Before you pass judgement on books that take on tough subjects like drugs, teen pregnancy, suicide, abuse and the big forbidden topic of all, teen sex (criticising the nature of the books won't change the fact that these things are happening), consider for a moment how many young girls and boys have started reading again.

It's not just for the romance, although there's plenty of that deliciousness to be found.

It's for the voices that offer hope and a sense of belonging; it's for the voices that don't offer judgement, and it's for the voices that above all else, relate to them and are an echo of their own souls.

There've been many of these reads that have saved my life and in the next few weeks, I'll share a few of them with you. For now, I thought I'd share my story with you in the hopes that someone finds hope in this in some way.

Because that #YAsaves hash tag on Twitter? It's not just a hash tag.

I, as an almost 27 year old online journalist (with the heart and soul of a newly reborn 16-year old), can testify to this.

And you know what? After this post, I think I'm finally ready to start getting back into gear with my blogging again. You can expect lots of reviews and bookish ramblings a little more often now.

To all the readers who are still reading this blog, I know that I've got a lot of catching up to do. I'm sorry I haven't been around, but now you know why. I'll be doing tons of catching up during the course of the week, so will probably post by the weekend again.

It feels good to be back.
Until next time,
xoxo
Tammy

P.S. I know this post was long, rambly and not perfectly written, but to be quite honest, perfection wasn't what I was aiming for.

Forbidden blog tour: Q & A with Jana Oliver

2011-09-23T06:04:00.002+02:00

As part of the Forbidden blog tour, allow me to welcome Jana Oliver, author of The Demon Trappers book series to my blog today.

In today's interview she introduces us to Forsaken, the first book in The Demon Trappers series and tells us a little more about the world-building process, her characters and why she chose to write about demons as opposed to other supernatural beings, so prominent in today's YA fiction.

Thank you so much for joining me on the blog and for taking the time to answer a few questions.

Set in the year 2018, Forsaken introduces 17-year old Riley Blackthorn, an apprentice demon trapper living in a world filled with demons and necromancy.

1. With vampires, mermaids, werewolves and fairies all currently being the rage in YA fiction, what was it that made you decide to write about demons?

I figured demons needed some love too. ::laughs::

Actually, I wanted to write about the endless struggle between Heaven and Hell and that meant there had to be demons and angels involved.

Add in the complicated life of a young teen longing to follow in her father’s demon trapping footsteps and that where the story began.

At present there’s a trend to make demons supernatural hotties.

I wanted to return to the old hardline sort of Hellspawn, the ones that were smoking but only because of the brimstone. Angels, however, can be devastatingly hunky.

2. For those who haven't read any of your books in the Demon Trappers series yet, can you tell us a little more about the demons that we can expect to encounter?

Demons in my world are graded according to how smart they are and how dangerous.

They range from Grade Ones (Biblio-Fiends who tear up books and Klepto-Fiends who steal shiny objects) all the way to the Grade Five Geo-Fiends who can create windstorms, tornadoes and earthquakes.

Those can level a city. Because Riley is an apprentice, she’s still learning how to trap the smaller fiends. As she gets better, she moves up the ranks of demons and the danger increases.

While the Biblio-Fiends are nasty, foul- mouthed little dudes, the Magpies (Klepto-Fiends) seem to be the most popular with my readers. Nicknamed Hell’s cat burglars by the trappers, they’re not nasty, just obsessed with bling. A lot like some folks I know (LOL).

3. Quick character question posed to Riley:

3.1 Riley, please describe yourself in less than 10 words?

Addicted to chocolate.

3.2 What do you love most about being a demon trapper?

It’s always different and I really have to keep my head in the game. Just because a demon is supposed to act in one particular way, that’s not always the case.

And where I’m trapping the demon (in a house or an office or out in public) can make the job harder or easier. So I guess like the challenge of being a trapper because its never boring.

3.3 Let's talk about boys (Oh, don't pretend you didn't see this one coming).

Since some readers haven't yet had a chance to read Forbidden or Forsaken yet, please tell us about Simon. We hear you have a bit of a crush on him?

I really do like him! He’s cute and he’s a really nice guy. I mean, he’s the kind of guy who opens car doors for you and is always polite even if you’re being a jerk.

He’s really religious, which doesn’t bother me, but he’s so serious sometimes. I think I’m good for him because I can get him to laugh. I’m hoping this works out with us.

End character questions

4. The Demon Trapper series is set in the not-too distant future. For me, great characters and fantastic world building go hand-in-hand.

What would you says are the key ingredients to creating settings that not only draw the reader in, but are above all else, believable?
The key element to world building is to make it believable.

That world can be set on a star ten light years from here or in 1930’s London, but it has to have enough depth that the reader can immerse him/herself into that environment.

For the Demon Trappers Series, 2018 Atlanta is much like the current version, only darker and grittier. I played a game of “What if?”

I took some of the currently depressed economic system and took it one or two steps worse.

The school system is bankrupt so Riley and her friends are attending classes in abandoned buildings. Folks are finding new ways to make money, be it legal or illegal.

The city is raising taxes and cutting services. If, as the author, I’ve done my job correctly the reader will readily accept there are four-foot tall hairy demons running around Atlanta. Which they are. At least in my stories.

5. Can you tell us a little about how you approach and implement your research into your novels? How do you decide what works and what doesn't?
I start with basic research. In the case of the Demon Trappers Series I dug into the history and folklore of demons, angels and Lucifer’s fall from heaven.

I read Christian, Muslim and Jewish texts to get a feel for how the major religions view Heaven and Hell. Once I had a feel for the subject, then I checked out Atlanta.

Just because I live here doesn’t mean I know everything about the city. I went on photo tours of Oakland Cemetery (an 1850 Victorian cemetery on the east edge of the city) and trudged around the area of town called Five Points.

That portion of Atlanta became Demon Central, as the trappers call it. I took lots of pictures and notes because I have to stoke up my brain with information before I begin the actual writing process.

Not everything I’ve learned goes into the novels or they’d be huge. A goodly portion of what I’ve learned is for my benefit, not the readers’.

That’s the tricky part for authors: don’t include all the fiddly bits that you discovered during research. Herman Melville is a classic example: he knew a lot about whales and, by heaven, he was going to ensure his readers did as well.

6. What are some of your favourite scenes you've written in the Demon Trapper series so far?

I’m very fond of the Riley and Beck trapping scene in FORSAKEN where they go after a Pyro-Fiend in a parking garage.

Any scene that involves a snowball fight ranks high with me. I’m also partial to a particular scene in FORBIDDEN where Riley learns one of Beck’s deepest secrets over a meal of BBQ.

7. If you could have any character from any book, guest star in your books, who would it be and why?

I have two characters I’d love to do a walk-through in my series.

The first would be Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher’s totally amazing wizard, and the other would be Kate Daniels, the kick butt heroine of Ilona Andrews’ urban fantasy series. Both would be so cool!

8. And finally… what do you hope readers take away with them after reading Forsaken and Forbidden?

Besides enjoying the books, I’m hoping my readers dig a little deeper into the questions that those stories pose. Riley, Beck (and some of the other characters) have difficult choices to make.

These are both life and world-altering choices. Nothing is truly black and white, good and evil.

I’d love for my readers to search inside those the layers that even I might not know exist. Each reader brings his or her own personal history to my books and that partnership of author and reader is what brings added depth to any story.

Thanks to Jessica Dean and Macmillan UK for inviting me to be part of this tour.

For more about Jana you can:
Visit her website here:

Check out the Demon Trappers website here.
Follow her on twitter here.

To view the Forbidden blog tour schedule - head on over here.

Forbidden blog tour schedule : Jana Oliver

2011-09-23T05:16:00.002+02:00

As part of the Forbidden blog tour, it's a huge pleasure to welcome Jana Oliver, author of Forbidden and Forsaken (The Demon Trappers series) to my blog today. Before I post the Q & A, here's a quick look at the tour schedule below.

A special thanks to the publishers for inviting me to not only be a part of this tour, but to kick start the tour with the interview. I should have a review up on the blog sometime next week, so be sure to be on the look out for that too.

Update: Read my interview with Jana here.

Waiting on Wednesday: Ocean worlds

2011-09-07T05:06:00.000+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

This week's I've decided to go with a sea theme.

I've been looking for some reads that feature any read with a ocean setting and have stumbled upon Wrecked and Of Poseidon, both of which I think will make for some fabulous reading.

First up is:

Wrecked by Anna Davies
Expected publication date: May 1st 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Summary from Goodreads:
Miranda has lived on Whym Island since the death of her parents.

She has taken comfort in its seclusion and in the folklore that claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and its surrounding waters.

It's just been easier to believe that things are out of her control.

But when a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy that haunts her dreams.

As the guilt of the accident consumes her, she finds refuge in her late night swims.

Then, she meets Christian, a boy who seems so familiar, but won't tell her where he is from and why they can only meet at the beach.

As Miranda falls for Christian and begins to put the accident behind her, she discovers that there are secrets that Christian is keeping to protect her that may only end up bringing her nothing but harm.

Admittedly not a huge fan of this cover, but how awesome does Wrecked sound? I can't wait for this one.

Up next is:

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Expected publication: May 22nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
Summary from Goodreads:
Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena.

Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts.

He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom.

Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

I'm very curious about this one and would certainly be interested to see what gifts Emma, the protagonist of the novel has.

That's it from me for this week. What's on your WoW list this week? Feel free to share below.

Book talk: That book is still sitting on my shelf

2011-08-28T21:25:00.002+02:00

Besides actively reading as often as I can, where I can and whenever I can, one of the things I most love doing, is buying new books. There's nothing that beats that feeling of adding a shiny new paperback to one's bookshelf and watching your collection of literature growing day by day, year after year.

Let's face it though. There are two sides of the coin to being an avid bibliophile, especially if you're a book glutton severely addicted to buying books (yeah, I think I've described every single book blogger. Cue major face palm moment).

Inevitably, the amount of books you've bought, become the books you still need to read. And the books that you still need to read?

Well, that eventually outweighs the amount of books that you have read. And at the end of the day, those books become shelf gatherers - books you've bought months (maybe even years) ago, that you've had every intention of reading, but somehow STILL haven't gotten around to yet.

Oh don't look at me like you don’t know what I'm talking about. :) I'm pretty sure most of you can relate to this right?

I'm certainly one of those people who have many books sitting on my shelves. And having browsed through my shelves, I've once again become aware of just how many fabulous books that are still waiting to be read.

In no particular order, here's a list of books that I've bought, received or won, but that are still sitting, unread, on my shelves (and that I really am planning to read soon).

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Yes, despite recently winning a copy of Forever, courtesy of the lovely Aisle B, I STILL haven't read Linger yet.

It's been sitting on my shelves for months and was one of those books that I've been incredibly keen to read.

I have to admit that my enthusiasm died a little when people hyped this book to the point where I just felt like I didn't wanted to hear about the book anymore, let alone read it.

Now though? I find that I've changed my mind and now feel ready to read this (Does that make sense?).

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I'm convinced that I must be one of the last remaining few souls who has yet to read this. Want to know what's weird?

I got Divergent long after I bought this and read through that first, while this book is STILL sitting, unread on my shelf (and has been for months already).

I am, however, moving this up my TBR pile because I want to read this before the movie is released.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Um yes. Another biggie that has been hibernating on my shelves for a good couple of months.

I am actually dying to read this series, but can't for the life of me figure out why I just can't seem to find the time to read this one (Ok, actually I can, but let's not talk about my poor time management skills right now, ok?).

Again, I feel like I'm one of the last few people on earth who hasn't met Rose and Dimitri yet... and I've heard so many fantastic things about them, the story and well, the entire series really.

And with Bloodlines, the spinoff series, that has just been released, let's just say that I've got some serious catching up to do.

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
I can't remember the first time I first heard about Laini Taylor, but when I stumbled across Lips Touch Three Times, a collection of 3 stories all revolving around the gift/power/curse of a kiss, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

The book, which I took a sneak peak at, contains the most beautiful illustrations I've seen in a book yet. And the little I've seen of the writing so far? Lyrical, beautiful and vividly imaginative.

One thing is sure, I'm definitely going to be reading this before I get around to reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone (yet another book I'm excited about reading).

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
I love fairies. Anything fairy-related (especially literature)? I do everything in my power to get my hands on it.

So why The Iron King is still sitting, unread on my shelf, is a huge mystery to me.

Perhaps I was waiting for the rest of the books in the series to be released, or perhaps I was just distracted by other reads.

It's probably just as well, because when I do eventually get around to reading Iron King, at least I won't have to wait for the rest of the books.

The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
This book is at the top of the list of books I really need to read next. For one, he's an award-winning author whose Chaos Walking trilogy has been receiving accolade after accolade over the past couple of years, and two, he'll be in Cape Town for the Open Book fest.

It goes without would dearly love to get the chance to meet and interview him.

Somehow, with work commitments and other YA paranormal reads, this one has completely slipped under my radar, but no more. Over the next two weeks, I'm going to catch up and read this series.

And even though I may or may not get an opportunity to interview him, I'd at least love to meet him having actually read his books.

Of course, I have many other fabulous reads also still sitting on my shelves, but mentioning them all, would make transform this post into an actual novel.

I'm sure you all can relate to this.

I'd love to hear what books are still sitting on your shelves that you're dying to read, but just haven't gotten around to it. Feel free to share below.

P.S. Sorry I haven't been around all that much. It's been a busy month. I'll be catching up shortly. Also, Alyson Noel giveaway winners - stay tuned, winners have been contacted, but I will be doing a formal announcement shortly.

Giveaway: Alyson Noel goodies

2011-08-05T23:56:00.000+02:00

It's been ages since I've done a giveaway, which is why I'm excited about doing this giveaway, along with the girls over at It's a book thing blog.

Here's what you can win:

2 Evermore t-shirts (Small)
2 Immortals series bookmarks

A few sample chapters of Evermore, book 1 in the Immortals series

I've actually been meaning to post this giveaway, along with the Alyson Noel interview, which I've done previously (and which you can find here), but since, Kelly, one of the fabulous half of the duo over at It's a book thing blog (the other fabulous half being Tarryn), is sponsoring most of the prizes (I'll be throwing in a little something of myself, I thought it would be a great idea if we hosted the actual giveaway form on her blog.

So, rules of the giveaway are as follows:

2 winners will each receive a t-shirt, a bookmark and a sample chapter of Evermore.
First prize will include a copy of any book in the Immortal series, which I'll then order via Book Depository and have it shipped it off to you.
Giveaway is open internationally and runs until the 25 August, upon whereby we'll announce the winners on both the blog and contact them via email.

All you need to do now is:

Simply fill out the form here, and become a follower of It's a book thing's blog. You absolutely don't have to be a follower of mine, but it's always welcome and appreciated. Good luck!

In my mailbox (20)

2011-07-31T02:29:00.000+02:00

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Kristi from The Story Siren. In this meme, we highlight books we received, bought or took out from the library.

Haven't done one in ages, so I've built up quite a backlog of reads that I've recently received. Here are the most recently received (and bought) reads that I'm really looking forward to reading next.

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
I've heard some incredible things about this book and first fell in love with the book when I stumbled across the trailer. The premise sounds so incredibly different and I love the cover. Can't wait to start reading this one.

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck
This is the second book in the series. Again, looks awesome, has an awesome cover and the world sounds like a world worth diving into. I think I'm pretty sure that I'll be starting these books next.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Have had my eye on this book ever since I first saw it on goodreads. Love the premise and the rave reviews this one has been receiving has only further convinced me that I need to read this ASAP.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Ah yes, I'm probably one of the last remaining few that hasn't read Nightshade yet, but must admit that I'm kind of glad I waited this long. With Wolfsbane out, it means I don't have to wait for the next instalment in the Nightshade saga.

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin
Another book that I've been dying to read for quite some time. Bought it not too long ago, but have yet to start reading it.

I must confess that I haven't read all that many werewolf books, so this was a major motivating factor when I decided to get myself a copy of this book.

I Heart You, You Haunt me
I'm very excited about reading this one. I haven't read a novel in verse form yet (yes, which means I've yet to read all of Ellen Hopkins's books) and have heard some great things about Lisa Schroeder.

Also, I saw the trailer a couple of years back and fell in love with it (along with the title) back then, but kept on stalling for some or other reason.

Glad I got a copy now though as I took a sneak peak and what I've read so far, well, you can call it instant book love. Definitely looking forward to reading the rest.

What's in your IMM this week. Feel free to share your links below.

Author interview: Alyson Noel

2011-07-31T00:28:00.000+02:00

I'm so excited for today's post. It's not every day one gets to interview a best-selling author of one of the most popular YA book series out there to date.

I'm sure many of you must have been following the recent blog tour stops that Alyson has been featuring on, but for those of you who haven't - well, I've been fortunate enough to get the opportunity to interview her.

Also, for those of you who are huge fans - watch out for a special giveaway which will be hosted by the lovely Kelly & Tarryn from It's a book thing blog. Kelly's been wonderful enough to send me some Immortals swag (2 t-shirts, bookmarks and Evermore book samples), so please make sure you head on over to her blog and look out for that giveaway (Don't worry, I'll be sure to post about the giveaway as soon as it's gone up on their blog).

In the meantime, here's the interview as promised:

Hi Alyson

Thanks for joining me and for taking the time out to answer some of my questions.

1. Everlasting is the sixth and final instalment in the Immortal series.

What were the most predominant thoughts and feelings that went through your mind when you wrote the very last word?

Writing the final scene in Everlasting was emotional in a way I didn’t expect.

I’d spent so much time with these characters over the last few years that they became very real to me, so the realization that our time together had come to an end was very bittersweet.

Though I’ve enjoyed watching Ever grow from a grief-stricken, insecure young girl into a confident young woman ready to embrace the destiny she was born for.

2. Did you know from the onset that there would be six books in the series?

When I was writing Evermore, I was so immersed in that particular story that I didn’t see it as the start of a series.

It was only when I’d reached the end that I realized it was really just the beginning, and I was about a third of the way through Blue Moon when I knew exactly how the series would end.

3. How did the writing experience differ for each book and which storyline did you find, was the most challenging to write?

Each book presented it’s own set of challenges, but Everlasting was probably the most challenging of all. Every event in the previous five books happened for a reason, nothing was random, it was all leading to the finale, and so the challenge was to make sure that all those events were addressed.

And though I’d kept notes along the way, I still did a quick read of the prior books just to make sure I got everything. That said, Everlasting was also the most fun to write, as I finally got to give Ever the ending she’d earned.

4. Ever and Damen have been on an emotionally and physically intense journey throughout the entire series. Can you give readers a little insight into what we can expect in Everlasting?

In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I’ll just say that in Everlasting, Ever not only learns the true origins of her relationship with Damen, but she also faces her biggest challenge yet—one that will put everything she knows and loves—including her future with Damen—at risk…

5. How do you feel now that Ever and Damen's story has come to an end?

I miss the characters, I miss their world—especially Summerland!—but I feel really good about the way it all came together in the end.

6. I've always thought that Ever is such an unusual name for a character. Is there a story behind why and how you chose her name?

I love unusual names and I’ve been collecting them for years in a file called: The Unusual Names File, which is neither unusual nor original!

So each time I start a new book, I flip through the file in search of ones that will fit my new cast of characters, and while I don’t remember where I first heard the name Ever, I do know that it had been in the file for a while and I was thrilled to finally have the chance to use it.

7. For me, Damen is certainly one of fiction's most swoon-worthy crushes. Can you share some of your book character crushes with us?

Oh, I have a lot of old school literary crushes, namely Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre!

8. I was very excited to hear that The Immortal series has been optioned for film. If you could cast any roles for the characters of Ever and Damen, who would it be and why?

I’m just terrible at this question—I have no idea who I’d cast! I guess because I can see the characters so clearly in my head it makes it difficult for me to replace them with real people.

Though, if they need me to sit in on the casting call for Damen, Roman, and Jude, I would definitely clear my schedule to be there!

9. Over the last few weeks there has been raging debate about YA fiction becoming too dark. Foxnews.com has even condemned some YA fiction for romanticizing domestic violence. What are your thoughts on this?

I think the books we read tend to mirror the times that we’re in, and there’s no doubt that we’re living in some very dark times of war, financial crises, and increasing violence.

As one who went through a very difficult adolescence, I can honestly say that these so called “dark books” were a beacon of light for me.

Not only did they make me feel less alone in my struggles, they also provided me with the hope that things would one day get better. Banning books that deal with heavier subject matter only serves to keep them from the kids who need them the most.

10. There have been some great YA fiction that have been emerging throughout the years. What are some of your favourite books that you've read over the last couple of years?

I have so many favorites—it’s a great time to be a reader of YA!—a few I read this year were: Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann, Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs, and The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda, which will be out this fall.

11. What can readers expect from you in 2012? Are you working on any new books at the moment?

The Riley Bloom series—a spin-off of The Immortals series—will continue with Radiance, Shimmer, Dreamland, Whisper, and more.

And I’m currently working on a new paranormal YA series, Soul Seekers, set for a simultaneous debut in the US and UK in spring/summer 2012!

You can follow Alyson on Twitter: here
Visit her website: here
Follow her blog: here

Everlasting is available now. You can click here to buy your copy.

Waiting on Wednesday: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

2011-07-27T06:15:00.000+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

This week's choice is Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

Let me start off by saying that I'm so incredibly jealous of everyone who has early reading copies of this book. I've heard some pretty awesome things about this book and about Laini's gorgeous writing, and definitely want to read this.

The premise sounds fantastic, the description was enough to reel me in completely and I'm loving the cover as well.

Here's a brief description from Goodreads:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou.

She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color.

Who is she?

That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

That's it from me for this week. What's on your WoW list this week? Feel free to share below.

Book talk: My favourite book quotes

2011-07-24T19:13:00.000+02:00

Part of the reason I love reading so much (besides the fabulous characters, wonderful book worlds and intricate plots), is simply for the beautiful thoughts contained in the book through the author's beautiful writing.

Let's face it, writers aren't just writers because they can write - they're writers because they interweave, intertwine and thread new ideas and thoughts into their writing in ways that leave readers breathless with wonder

Naturally, over the past couple of years, there have been some fabulous passages from books that have stayed with me and still have me going back to rehash, relive and re-experience them in all of its beautifully phrased splendour.

Here are a few of my favourite book quotes:

1. "Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah we need to start a new philosophical movement: messessentialism instead of existentialism: For those who revel in the essential mess that is life.

"Because Gram's right, there's not one truth ever, just a bunch of stories, all going on at once, in our heads, in our hearts, all getting in the way of each other.

"It's all a beautiful calamitous mess.

"It's like the day Mr. James took us into the woods and cried triumphantly, "That's it! That's it!" to the dizzying cacophony of soloing instruments trying to make music together. That is it." — Jandy Nelson (The Sky Is Everywhere)

You can read my review here.

2. "Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can't strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help.

"In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches." — Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate)

I've reviewed this on the blog too.
You can check it out here.

3. "I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much.

"The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart.

"That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever."— Kazuo Ishiguro (Never Let Me Go)

Review can be found here.

4. "Write to me Emmi. Writing is like kissing, but without lips. Writing is Kissing with the mind". ."— Daniel Glattauer (Love Virtually)

Check out my review here.

5. "You know not, yet, the sort of love that strikes like a lightning bolt; that clutches hold of you by the heart, as irrevocably as death; that becomes the lodestar by which you steer the rest of your life.

"I would not wish such a love on anyone, man or woman, for it can make your life a paradise, or it can destroy you utterly." — Juliet Marillier (Daughter of the Forest)

Yep, I've reviewed this gorgeous, magical fantasy tale over here too.

6. "My name is Eva, which means 'life,' according to a book of names my mother consulted.

"I was born in the back room of a shadowy house, and grew up amidst ancient furniture, books in Latin, and human mummies, but none of those things made me melancholy, because I came into the world with a breath of the jungle in my memory." — Isabel Allende (Eva Luna)

I read this book years ago, but am planning to read it again and will probably review it at some stage. I've always been a huge fan of Isabel Allende and Eva Luna is certainly one of my favourite reads.

7. "Live each day as if it's your last', that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that?

"What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and courageous and bold and to make a difference.

"Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Go out there with your passion and your electric typewriter and work hard at...something. Change lives through art maybe.

"Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance." — David Nicholls (One Day)

Another one of my favourites, I reviewed this one quite some time back. Definitely looking forward to watching the movie, which is coming out this August (I think) and stars Anne Hathaway.

8. "Allure goes beyond appearances to the way they grace the world. Some women propel themselves by means of an internal gyroscope.

"Others glide through life as if on ice skates. Some women convey their tortured lives through their eyes; others encircle you in the music of their laughter." — Keith Donohue (The Stolen Child)

Another one of my favourites which I'm planning on re-reading and reviewing.

9. "Although you may not stumble across a Martian in the garden, you might stumble across yourself. The day that happens, you'll probably also scream a little. And that'll be perfectly all right, because it's not every day you realize you're a living planet dweller on a little island in the universe." — Jostein Gaarder (The Solitaire Mystery)

Jostein Gaarder is one of my favourite authors. His writing is beautiful, philosophical and never fails to make me think. The Solitaire Mystery? It's one of my favourite reads of all time.

10. "We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another." — Veronica Roth (Divergent)

One of my recent favourite reads, Divergent is one of those books that I can't even begin to stop praising.

I've reviewed the book not too long ago, but I don't think that my review is worthy of capturing just how spectacular this book is.

Anyway, that's it from me.

Have any favourite quotes to share? I'd love to hear them - after all, what better way to discover a new, intriguing book through a wonderful passage that captured your imagination....

Book review: The Chosen One

2011-07-17T20:37:00.000+02:00

The Chosen One
What do you do when you're forced to make the one decision that could cost you everything that you've ever known and loved?

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (St. Martin's Griffin)
Kyra is a 13-year old teen living in an isolated and polygamous community.

In all the time that she's been living in the enclosed district, she's never thought much about the fact that her father has three wives, or that she has twenty brothers and sisters.

She's grown up adhering to every rule that the Prophet (the leader of the community) has imposed on them and has learnt never to ask any questions or challenge the community about the iron-fisted manner with which it is governed.

... at least not until she discovers the wonderful world of books that are forbidden to her community.

And when she starts developing feelings for boy within the community, a boy she meets in secret and hopes to choose for her own by own free will one day, Kyra knows that it's only a matter of time before her luck runs out and both secrets are discovered.

When the Prophet pays her family a visit and decrees that Kyra has been selected to become the seventh wife of her cruel, sixty-year old uncle, suddenly her secrets don't seem half as important as the decision that she may be forced to make - a decision that could mean her freedom, but could also mean losing everything she's always held dear.

Review:
I'm not entirely sure where to begin with a novel that I've put off reviewing for so long. For one, the content of the book is rather harrowing, and the fact that the protagonist of this book is merely 13-years old, certainly got to me more than I expected it would.

The subject of polygamy; polygamy cults exploiting women and children in particular, is something that certainly doesn't make for easy or very light reading.

As someone who doesn't necessarily consider herself to be an ardent feminist, having to read about how Kyra and the women in this community were treated, definitely brought out varying degrees of emotions that ranged from blistering rage and heartbreak, to complete and utter despair.

I think if I had to start somewhere, the best place I would start, is by saying that this book is an acquired read.

I, for one, certainly had trouble connecting with the story at first. The writing is stark, simplistic and accurately reflects the bleak settings described in the novel.

It's also writing that won't necessary appeal to fans of lyrical prose, which is why it took some time for me to get used to it.

I first thought Kyra's voice sounded rather stilted and had trouble connecting to her character and plight.

After reading so many YA novels with characters that are much older than Kyra - it took me a while to realise that, actually, Carol actually does a fantastic job capturing the voice of a 13-year old without it coming off as being pretentious. Kyra is an incredibly brave heroine.

Trapped in an environment not of her choosing, we bare witness as she comes to the realisation that living in such a stifling community, despite the fact that she's with her family, is not all that it's being made out to be.

Her voice is young, curious and strong - and watching her come unto her own, developing her own voice in spite of all her fears, and being brave enough to try and pursue what she wants, knowing what she could lose - endeared her to me on a very deep level.

We as readers get to witness her falling in love for the first time and have to suffer through the pains she has to endure trying to hide her blossoming feelings for Joshua, the boy in the community she lives within.

The religious leaders in the community don't make this any easier for her, and even though her loving family do all they can to help, at the end of the day, the Prophet's word is law.

This aspect of the novel is another aspect that I found disturbing and drives home the fact that there are so many people out there who use religion as a tool to justify their own perverted and twisted reasoning behind doing what they do.

The leaders are cruel, especially Kyra's Uncle, who firmly believes in beating women into submission and there is one scene in particular which left me reeling with the utter cruelty of the action.

Reading books like these are not very easy, and even though it's only 213 pages long, this novel has so many layers to it, that trying to highlight one is a difficult feat because each new point, brings up another.

What I can say though, is that this is not only a book that will take you out of your comfort zone and leave you reeling with the sheer force of all that unfolds in the novel, but it's also a novel that is hopeful in the midst of the darkness that Kyra is forced to endure.

It's a novel about not only overcoming fear but about being brave enough to take the risk in making a decision that could lead you to unknown paths, even if it means leaving behind everything you've ever known.

Most of all, it's a novel that will stay with you for a good couple of days after you've read it.

Waiting on Wednesday: Darker Still and Arcadia Awakens

2011-07-13T05:46:00.000+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

First up is:
Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Why the book lust?
The blurb describes it as The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice. Um, yes please. I've always been a fascinated with the concept of The Picture of Dorian Gray and reading the book description has definitely piqued my interest. I'd be interested to see how this novel pans out. Plus, have you seen the magnificent book cover?

Am definitely in cover and book love.

More about the book
Summary:
New York City, 1880. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury.

Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her.

As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums.

He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Publishing date: November 1, 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire (I know, still a long wait for this one)

My next pick is:
Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer

Why the book lust?
Actually, the summary and the exotic cover speaks for itself, so I'm just going to shut up and let the book do the talking, even though it must be said that I really, really can't wait to read this - it sounds so intriguingly different, don't you think?

More about the book
Summary:
To Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic and wholly unknown.

But when her life in Brooklyn begins to fall apart, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where centuries of family secrets await her.

Once there, Rosa falls head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both fascinate and unsettle her.

But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan.

And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.

Hidden caves, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a history of familial bloodlust mean that Rosa can’t trust anyone.

Torn between loyalty to her family and love for their mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love…or run as far and as fast as she can.

Publishing date: Apparently this book was first published back in November 2009, but is set to be released in February, 14 2012 by Balzer + Bray.

That's me for this week. What books are you looking forward to? Feel free to share below.

Book review: Divergent

2011-07-10T19:49:00.000+02:00

Divergent
A nail-biting, (well-deserved) best-selling dystopian fiction novel that will leave you teetering on the edge of your sanity; leaving you breathless with the sheer force of wonderful character development, fantastic world-building and its intense and highly original storyline.

Note: A shortened version of this review appears on women24.com, the link of which appears here.
Divergent by Veronica Roth (HarperCollins)
In the aftermath of war, the dystopian world that Beatrice Prior lives in has been divided into 5 different factions; each faction created with the sole purpose to promote and cultivate a harmonious society in a world previously ravaged by war.

The factions have been divided into the following groups:
- Candor - for those who value honesty
- Abnegation - for those that dedicate themselves to living selfless lives

- Dauntless - the brave and unflinching
- Amity - the peaceful
- Erudite - those in constant pursuit of knowledge

Every year, all 16-year olds members must undergo aptitude tests and select the faction which they'll join and dedicate the rest of the lives to. For 16-year old Abnegation member, Beatrice, the decision is a hard one.

Born into Abnegation, she'll have to decide whether staying with her family is what she wants or whether she wants to stay true to herself by choosing the group that most reflects the person that she is.

Unfortunately she ultimately cannot have both - and makes a choice that astonishes everyone, including herself. But, making the choice, although a hard one, is only the beginning, because what follows next is an intensive, brutal and highly competitive initiation rite, and not everyone who goes through the gruelling tests will necessarily make it.

Changing her name from Beatrice to Tris, she, along with her fellow initiates have to undergo extreme tests of physical endurance, psychological simulations and learn to harness her newfound skills in the most trying of circumstances.

As the initiation shapes and changes her and those around her's lives, Tris has to decide who she can trust and whether or not she can trust those with the dangerous secret that she's harbouring.

Between life and death situations, a burgeoning romance with an enigmatic boy and the growing discovery that all is not well in the perfectly created faction-based world, she'll have to rely on all her wits and the very dangerous secret that may just be what is needed to save them all.

Let me start off by saying that this book is, hands-down, the best book I've read this year and the best dystopian fiction novel I've read to date.

It's currently sitting on the New York Bestselling Times list and deserves every accolade that it has been receiving so far (And to think the Veronica Roth, author of Divergent is only 22 years old).

The concept is sheer genius and the world that Roth has created is utterly captivating for all (and in all) of its bleak, grey and desolate exterior. The direct contrast between the dystopian settings and the lively, intense, engaging and unapologetically alive characters will bring you to your knees with the sheer force of the entire book in all of its divergent splendour.

The characters are blisteringly superb and Tris, as a protagonist, is just absolutely phenomenal.

I've read a good amount of books where I've seen some fantastic character development, but never on the level that I've experienced with Tris. It's an absolute joy watching her grow from being the selfless, timid and reserved girl to the strong girl with an inner core of strength that not even she knew she had.

Her character development is realistic, real, compelling to watch and utterly believable and being witness to her ever-changing interactions with the secondary characters, including the antagonists, will keep you glued to the pages.

Speaking of which, if you think that Tris is a phenomenal character, then you'll be in for a fantastic surprise when you discover just how well-developed and engaging the rest of the cast in Divergent are.

Veronica has created an interesting dynamic between the characters who come from different factions and who clash over their different belief systems. It's a dynamic that accurately reflects the real disparity between people who come from different backgrounds in our world today, and because of this, makes the book even more relatable for the reader.

And of course, this review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the romance factor. I think I may just have a new fiction crush. The romance between Tris and Four ( I can't say more about his important role) is absorbing, thrilling and has a sizzle factor of about a hundred.

Four is incredibly intriguing and such a contrast unto himself. He's ruthless, but kind. Unapologetic but fiercely protective and above all else, flawed but alluring. I loved that the relationship between Tris and Four unravelled gradually and experiencing the build-up of romantic tension between them certainly made for a page-turning and crackling read.

The book is also filled with a labyrinth of unexpected twists and turns and will force you to sit up, drop every other book you're reading just so that you can finish this. I don't want to reveal any more for fear of spoiling it for you, but if there's one book you should read this year, make sure it's this one.

This book has the perfect combination of excellent storytelling, character development and sizzling romance.

It's about being brave and learning to jump without any predefined knowledge of what may happen when you do, or knowing that there is a safety net to catch you. Mostly, it's about the choices you make and how it transforms you, regardless of whether the choice was the right or wrong one.

Even if you're not a fan of dystopian fiction, you will love this book. It's one of my favourite reads of 2011 so far. I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

Book review: Love Virtually

2011-06-21T20:17:00.001+02:00

Side note: A slightly edited version of this review originally appears on the women24 website, which you can find here.

Additional Note: Not a YA novel, but I reckon that lovers of YA fiction will love this one as much as I did. Tons of YA reviews to follow after this. :)

Love Virtually
A modern, witty, comedy-of-errors look at just what happens when two people connect through a series of accidental email exchanges.

Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer (Quercus)
Favourite quote from the book: "Write to me Emmi. Writing is like Kissing, but without lips. Writing is kissing with the mind."
It starts in an unexpected, but not completely uncommon manner.

Emmi, a happily married woman, sends a few e-mails to a subscription service with the intent of unsubscribing to a magazine.

By chance, these e-mails inadvertently somehow always manage to end up landing in Leo Leike's inbox.

And thus begins a daily exchange of conversation filled with witticisms, simmering romantic tension and the sharing of inner most longings between two people who are, in essence, virtual strangers to one another.

As with most people who meet online, the inevitable subject of meeting each other outside the virtual realm crops up. Will they meet? And if they do, what happens when the reality isn't as grand as the web-spun fantasy?

Is Emmi really prepared to risk her marriage? And what if Leo can't reconcile fantasy Emmi with real Emmi?

What happens then?

Many readers have said this, but if you're a fan of David Nicholls's work (particularly One Day, which happens to be one of my all-time favourite reads), then you will love this epistolary novel by Austrian author, Daniel Glattauer.

The entire book is written in e-mail format and is a fast-paced, witty and wonderfully relatable novel which was translated to English by Husband and wife duo Jamie Bulloch (Leo's voice) and katharina Bielenberg (Emmi).

I must confess I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but the easy, relaxed writing style (so reminiscent of what most of us would sound like on e-mail), won me over pretty quickly.

Daniel Glattauer has a way with words and writes such fabulously snappy, clever dialogue that you can't help but wish that you were on the receiving end of any one of the e-mail responses conducted throughout the entire novel.

There's an immediate rapport between Emmi and Leo, who each, seem to try and outdo each other in the sharp, spunky, quick-witted comeback stakes.

That there's a virtual chemistry becomes apparent pretty quickly, but with that online attraction, comes a whole new set of emotional issues, jealousy, insecurities and harsh accusations which stems from the fact that the two of them haven't met face to face.

Strangely enough, the roles seem to be reversed and Leo seems to be reluctant to meet, while Emmi, despite the fact that she's happily married (or so claims to be), is dead keen on meeting the face behind the E-mail based persona (Somehow, I've always thought that women are more reluctant to meet their online "friends").

I thought that Glattauer was pretty accurate in his portrayal of how easy it is to make assumptions when you're not face to face with someone and adeptly showcases how people become trapped in their own perception of what they think is being said as opposed to what they're reading.

He drives home the fact that reading people online is no easy feat and that what people perceive as being real, could be the opposite of what they've initially thought.

It's this that makes the characters so interesting.

Both are not without their flaws; Emmi especially tends to be abrasive and jealously possessive, while hypocritically enough, often refuses to open up about her family life. In fact, Emmi reminds me a lot of Emma from One Day, who was also not all that likeable.

Leo, on the other hand, is often restrained and selfishly persists in holding on the image of the fantasy Emmi that he's carved in his mind.

Yet, for all that, there's an inherent likability about both of them; two lost souls, who accidentally discovers what it means to be virtual soul mates. But how that translates itself into real life and whether they actually end up meeting is something you'll have to discover for yourself.

What I can say is that you should be prepared for a few unexpected twists and an unexpected ending that leaves room for a sequel, which I believe is already in the works.

It's a wonderfully addictive novel which can be read in one sitting, and which I believe will appeal to everyone who has ever tried and succeeded and tried and failed at the online dating game.

You may probably end up inevitably feeling like you're invading the intensely private and intimate liaison between two illicit lovers, but don't let that stop you from reading what I consider to be one of the most cleverly written and incredibly romantic (despite the virtual settings) novels of this year so far.

Book trailer: The Faerie Ring

2011-06-07T21:24:00.001+02:00

To round up my previous post, here's the trailer for The Faerie Ring. Definitely very excited for this one as it's not only features one of my favourite supernatural beings, but it's also set in Victorian London - which is one of my favourite eras for a book to be set in.

Check it out below.

P.S. I'm sorry I haven't been catching up on comments lately - I'm rather busy at work (it's my book club newsletter week this week - you're more than welcome to sign up for it here, if you want) and only seem to have time to prep a post over the weekend and post it week nights.

I promise to get around to doing catch ups as soon as my time allows.

Author interview: Kiki Hamilton

2011-06-07T20:59:00.000+02:00

Today I have the absolute pleasure of featuring Kiki Hamilton, author of debut novel, The Faerie Ring on my blog today.

Being a lover of all things fae, I immediately fell in love with The Faerie Ring when I first stumbled across it.

In today's post, Kiki answers a few of my questions and tells us what we as readers can expect from The Faerie Ring.

On to the Q & A:

Thanks for joining me on my blog today Kiki.

1. Describe The Faerie Ring in 5 words.

London, Faeries, Mystery, Romance, History

2. There are currently a host of YA reads dealing with vampires, werewolves, mermaids and ghosts. Why choose faeries?

I kind of felt like vampires had been done a million different ways, werewolves don’t interest me personally, mermaids are so limited and ghosts are a whole different sort of entity.

But I like the idea of another world existing side by side with the real world, and the world of Faerie exists in the same airspace, just in a different dimension – one that often intersects with our own world – which was perfect for the story I wanted to tell.

Plus, I grew up with the idea of faeries being these small little glittery things like Tinkerbell, and I loved turning that idea on its head and considering that they could motivated by greed and lust and revenge.

2. Can you tell us a little about your road to publication?

I think it was pretty typical. I completely re-wrote my first book, like, THREE times, then revised it several more times after that. I’ve only ever had a handful of editors look at it, then I pulled it from submission because I felt like it still needed work.

So, that one is still waiting to be ‘fixed’. THE FAERIE RING was my second book and there were a couple of close calls before my agent sold it to Susan Chang of Tor Teen. That took about 9 months. However, from the time it sold to the time it releases will be two years.

3. Your book is set in Victorian London. What made you decide to choose this setting and what kind of research did this entail?

I love Victorian London. It is a magical and mystical time in history with tremendous technological change but where people still believed in magic and mysticism.

I also love stories about orphans and pickpockets. So – I wrote the story I wanted to read.
I had never been to London when I wrote the book.

To be honest, I knew NOTHING about the City when I first started writing. I did a lot of reading and research to get the historical details correct in the story. Liza Picard has a very informative book on that time period and there’s another book by Daniel Pool that was helpful.

After I had sold the book, I did get to go to London and walked in my character’s footsteps from Charing Cross to Buckingham Palace to St. James Park. Let me tell you – that was surreal!!

4. What was the writing process like for you? Did you have a specific writing structure or plan that you adhered to?

I write in a linear fashion, which means I start at the beginning of the book and write straight through to the end.

I don’t write scenes out of order, but I do go back and forth adding details as necessary. For THE FAERIE RING the story just sort of flowed out – I wrote the book in a very short amount of time. Unfortunately, I don’t outline so I had to keep writing to find out what was going to happen next.

5. What can readers expect in terms of the world within The Faerie Ring?

The world in The Faerie Ring is very much embedded in London 1871. Most of the characters and the places are based on reality. I hope readers feel like they’ve gone back in time.

6. The characters in the Faerie Ring sound absolutely fascinating- especially Tiki, who happens to be a pick pocket and an orphan living in an abandoned clockmaker's shop. Where did the inspiration for your characters come from?

Well, I wish I had a great answer for that one. I started the story knowing I wanted to write about a girl pickpocket and Tiki just appeared.

I had her living in the abandoned clockmaker’s shop and as I was doing my research I found out that there actually had been a clockmaker’s shop in Charing Cross back in the 1860’s.

After Tiki had stolen the Queen’s ring I started wondering what would happen if somebody else wanted the ring.

Then Tiki told me what happened next. However, I have to say, Larkin is another of my favorite characters. That girl is complicated. :)

7. Which of your characters are based most on people that you know?

None of my characters are based on anyone I know. There might be phrases or items pulled from real life, but the characters are wholly fictional, with the exception of the royals, who are based on Queen Victoria and her two youngest sons.

8. The Faerie Ring is the first in series of four books. Did you know right from the start that there would be more than one book?

No, when I wrote The Faerie Ring it was just a story I was writing. I had no intention of making it a series.

But when I got to the end, I realized the story wasn’t over – it was just beginning. I’m not totally sure if the series will be three books, four books, or more – stay tuned!

9. What do you think makes your book different to any other YA historical fantasy novel out there?

I hope the historical aspect will make my faerie book a bit different than some of the others out there. How the world of Faerie is tied in with real history.

10. And finally, what books would you recommend to lovers of faerie books?

I know I should be this fountain of information on YA books, but sadly I’m not. I only started reading and writing YA a few years ago with the publication of Harry Potter, so I’m always trying to catch up with all the great books out there.

However, I did read IMPOSSIBLE by Nancy Werlin and enjoyed that. THE HUNTER’S MOON by OR Melling is beautifully written and I’m sure everybody knows about THE WICKED LOVELY series by Melissa Marr. Julie Kagawa has a series on faeries too.

I just read the ARC of THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern, and while it’s not about faeries, it is about magic set at the turn of the century and it is beautifully written and totally takes you into another world.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions for me and for joining me on my blog today. I had a lot of fun coming up with the questions.

About the book:

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London.

Their only means of survival is by picking pockets.

One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace.

With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be.

Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

For more information about Kiki, you can:
- Follow her on her blog
- Find her on twitter
- Visit her website
- Find her on Goodreads,

Finally, Kiki is also giving readers a chance to win an ARC of The Faerie Ring on Goodreads as well as on her blog, the details of which you can find here.

Book trailer spotlight: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

2011-06-02T21:34:00.000+02:00

I don't do book trailer spotlights very often (even though I adore them), but when I do, I usually try to make sure I'm featuring one that I haven't yet come across on the blogs.

Today's one is no exception - i stumbled upon Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and, without having read the synopsis, immediately fell in love with the gothically atmospheric trailer.

It's also one of the most beautifully produced book trailers I've seen to date and one which I think will definitely give this book a huge sales boost. Based on the trailer alone, I'm definitely going to be picking this one up. It's not necessarily a YA novel per say, but I think adults and teens will love both love this one.

Have you stumbled upon any new, interesting trailers lately? I'd love to see them, so please feel free to share your blog links below. 

In the meantime, check out the trailer and a synopsis teaser below.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

About the book (teaser synopsis):

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience.

I can't wait for this one...

The top 5 fairytales I'm looking forward to reading

2011-05-29T20:01:00.002+02:00

Note: This post was originally featured on Michelle's blog as part of her fairytale week feature.

For as long as I can remember, fairytales have always played a huge part in my life. Whether it was through TV, or through books, these (often) romantic tales of yonder, have perhaps caused me to view the world around me with rose-tinted goggles. Not that I mind really. Nor am I making excuses for it.

In fact, naive as it may be, these fairy tales still have me believing in:

- the power of strong, forthright and virtuous heroes and heroines,
- happily-ever-afters that keep me dreaming and believing in the potential of finding my own personal fairytale ending;
- and the wonderful storytelling that has always and will always keep me believing in a world where magic, mayhem and anything wonderful is often prone to occur.

In the spirit of Michelle's fabulous fairytale week (thank you so much for having me feature on your blog Michelle), here are 5 fairytale reads (not necessarily new reads) that I can't wait to read.

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier
I first discovered this author when a colleague of mine lent me a copy of Daughter of the Forest (a retelling of The Six Swans).

I fell in love with Marillier's writing almost immediately. Her heroines are absolutely incredible and she writes with a beautiful infusion of magic, myth and her own unique spin on folklore.

Because of this Daughter of the Forest is without a doubt, one of my favourite fairytale retellings.

One of her most recent books is Heart's Blood, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Considering that Beauty and the Beast is my favourite fairytale, I have no doubt that Marillier's take on it will be an absolute sensory feast for the eyes and the imagination.

The book focuses around a young man named Anluan who has been crippled since childhood as part of a curse that has been running in his family and his home for years.

Shrouded in doom and gloom, Caitrin, a young scribe is sent to sort through old family documents at his home. Through this, she unexpectedly brings about changes that brings hope to a household despairing and living in dark shadows.

But, in order for Anluan's true freedom, young Caitrin must unlock the mystery behind the web of sorcery woven in the past before Anluan loses his life - and they lose their love.

I can't wait to immerse myself in Juliet's magical worlds and can highly recommend her novels to anyone who genuinely loves a good fantasy romance with strong, resilient heroines who know who to survive against all odds and the incredibly well-rounded men who complete them.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
A companion novel to Sisters Red (a novel which I enjoyed even though I did have a bit of a problem with Scarlett's character), Sweetly is a modern adaptation of Hansel and Gretel.

I love Jackson Pearce's writing and would really love to see just how she puts her unique spin on this timeless classic.

The book tells the story of Gretchen and her brother Ansel who, along with Gretchen's twin went looking for a witch in the forest and found a little more than they bargained for.

Whatever it is they found, they lost along with their twin sister, who was never to be seen again.

Years after the incident, brother and sister find themselves moving into an almost ghost town into the heart and the home of a beautiful chocolatier who welcomes them with open arms.

When signs that the witch is still lurking around become more and more prevalent, with the help of Samuel Reynolds (wonder if he's related to a certain Reynolds in Sisters Red), Gretchen decides that it's time to fight back.

I can't wait for this one. Adventure, sinister activities and a little romance thrown into the mix? Oh, Yes please.

Plus, how creeptastically beautiful is the cover of Sweetly? I get the feeling this one's going to take us on one spookily atmospheric ride. And I've always been a fan of novels with a slightly sinister edge to it.

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
I've had this book on my list of to-reads for years.

It's a darker, gothic, violent, sensual and feminist take on classic fairytales which features retellings of classic tales like Bluebeard, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots (amongst other fairytales).

I'm not normally a fan of books that could in some ways be considered erotic fiction, but I do love dark, sensual and atmospheric tales and this one has been described as having all those elements and more.

The Bloody Chamber contains a collection of short stories that each explore women in different and often subversive roles (which many have claimed) - something which adds a whole new slant on the innocent fairytales that I've come to know and love.

I wish I could go into more detail about how the fairytale storylines each differ, but that would spoil the book for both you and me. One thing I have been warned about that it makes for grizzly reading in some parts, but the beautiful and alluring word imagery is what has made this novel a winner for many people who have read this book.

Perhaps I'm giving away the fact that dark, twisty tales appeal to my inner being, but I really can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book.

Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by Debbie Viguié, Mahlon F. Craft
And now, for something a little lighter. Next to Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid would probably be my second favourite fairytale of all time.

This YA retelling of The Little Mermaid caught my attention with its beautiful title (I'm a sucker for book with beautiful titles).

This book was released way back in 2006 and tells the story of a lone fisherman and his wife who raise a girl named Pearl, rescued from the sea.

Pearl is an unusual girl with silver hair, and wide, dark blue eyes - and as a young woman is shunned by most villagers.

The one person she does find a companion in is Prince James - but that friendship and budding romance is about to be tested when trouble emerges, an evil enchantment is unleashed and hints about Pearl's past threaten to come to the forefront.

Not a huge fan of the book's actual cover, but I must admit that I'm smitten by the sound of this book. I haven't actually read too many retellings of The Littler Mermaid and this one seems as good as any place to get back into the swing of LM retellings.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
I was hugely disappointed with Sarah Beth Durst's retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, novel Ice.

I remember loving the fantastic world of glistening ice, her lyrical writing, but thought her story was structured in a way that was too fast-paced and not realistically portrayed enough for me (You can read my review here).

Of course, I do love the story of East of the Sun and West of the Moon, so I really am looking forward to reading Jessica Day George's offering.

I haven't read too many reviews of this one, so am not quite sure what to expect, but I am optimistic and am hoping for the same kind of world building in Durst's Ice, but just with better storytelling execution.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is about a girl known to her family as Lass, who is gifted with the ability to understand animals. When a polar bear seeks her out and promises wealth to her family if she'll accompany him to his castle in return, she doesn't hesitate.

Of course, the bear and his castle of ice is not all that it seems and soon, Lass discovers that the bear is really a prince who's been enchanted by a troll queen and who might be forced to marry a troll princess unless she can come up with a way to free him.

Snow and Icy-landscape settings have always been some of my favourite kind of books to read so I'm really hoping that this one will not be as disappointing as I found Ice to be.

There are just so many beautiful fairytales (original and modern adaptations) that are out there, that it's really difficult to narrow them down to just these five. One thing I can say though is that as long as these stories are told, I'll always keep reading.

And mostly, I'll always keep believing. Such is the power of those enchanting tales.

So, what fairytale adaptations have you enjoyed recently? And which ones are you looking forward to reading? Would love to hear some of your recommendations below.

Book review: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece

2011-05-21T18:08:00.000+02:00

Side note: A slightly edited version of this review originally appears on the women24 website, which you can find here.

Women24.com is a South African women's lifestyle website where I work as an online journo and where you can check out a host of other book reviews that we feature regularly.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
A terrorist attack which took place 5 years ago, a family's ongoing struggle in dealing with the tragic loss and the precocious 10-year old battling to make sense of it all.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher (Orion)
10- year old Jamie hasn't cried since his older sister Rose was killed in a terrorist attack 5 years ago.

To him, Rose is just a girl who has become nothing but a hazy memory belonging in a past that he has little to no recollection of. Yet, despite not remembering the events of long ago, living in the present proves to be no easy feat.

The ghost of his sister still haunts his family and her un-scattered ashes reside prominently on the mantelpiece in their living room area.

Ever since Rose died, nothing has been quite the same. His mom has run off with another man, his older sister Jasmine (who is Rose's twin) has dyed her hair pink and stopped eating, and his father... his father has since resorted to the numbing effects of alcohol to drown away the sorrow.

And still Jamie doesn't cry.

Instead, Jamie is more preoccupied with trying to fend off the bullies at school, while trying to hide the fact that he's friends with Sunya, a sparkling brown-eyed Muslim girl. And in between, he still harbours and unshakeable belief that the mother who abandoned them will come back to the family she walked out on and left behind.

Review:

When I first heard about My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, something told me that this book with its unusual title, would be a book that would surprise me with its unique brand of special.

And surprise me it certainly did.

I don't often read books where the protagonist of the story is so young, but Annabel Pitcher has created a character whose voice truly and realistically reflects that of a 10-year old.

Jamie is charming, adorable, precocious and incredibly inquisitive. He speaks with the voice of a boy who knows that his family is broken, but is also still on the verge of discovering and understanding the psychology behind his family's grief. In short, he is a character that is easily loveable and gains the reader's sympathy right from the start.

I normally find it very hard to relate to child protagonists, but Jamie catapulted his way straight into my heart.

I was rooting for the boy who was trying so hard to be brave in the face of being bullied and my heart ached for his unwavering, if somewhat misplaced belief that his mother would return.

The wealth of emotions that I felt throughout reading this beautiful story was, for me, an accurate reflection of just how much insight Annabel Pitcher had into the various characters and their stories. I raged at the drunken father and wanted to strangle the mother who abandoned her two children without a second thought.

The sense of parental neglect is incredibly poignant, but, shows an accurate understanding of just what people do when they're drowning in the whirlpool of their own grief.

Still, it isn't all doom and gloom.

There are some wonderfully touching and humorous moments between Jas (Rose's twin who survived) and Jamie.

Jasmine was another character I came to adore and I loved how, in spite of her becoming the caretaker of their household, looking after Jamie wasn't a chore for her, but an act of a sister who truly loves her little brother.

The bond between the two of them is incredible and will definitely have you choking back a few tears. And despite her goth-girl exterior, it soon becomes obvious that Jas is just a 15-year old girl who is confused and bewildered by the responsibility that she has to assume, when it becomes obvious that their father is in no position do to so.

Of course, this review wouldn't be complete without me mentioning his forbidden friendship with Sunya, the twinkly-eyed Muslim girl.

As you can guess, the fact that Rose was killed in a terrorist attack didn't go down well with his parents, especially Jamie's father, who harbours a deep-seated hatred for all Muslims.

Jamie, as he gets to know Sunya, comes to learn that a parent's prejudiced indoctrination can often lead to one missing out on wonderful friendship of his/her life - and watching the growing and beautiful bond between two souls who are both bullied at school come to life, adds to an already exquisite and intricately layered book that every mother, father daughter, sister and brother should read.

A beautiful, hopeful and altogether wonderful read.

Book review: The Killing Place

2011-05-15T13:13:00.000+02:00

Every now and then, I branch out of my usual genre and find myself reading books I normally wouldn't read. The Killing Place is one of them. Also, please note, that the American version of this book is titled, Ice Cold.

Side note: Side note: This review originally appears on the women24 website, which you can find here.

Women24.com is a South African women's lifestyle website where I work as an online journo and where you can check out a host of other book reviews that we feature regularly.

The Killing Place
A fast-paced and bone-chilling new offering from the best-selling author of the Rizzoli and Isles series.

The Killing Place by Tess Gerritsen(Bantam Books)
Forensic pathologist and medical examiner Dr Maura Isles is at a medical conference in Wyoming when she joins up with an old acquaintance and his group of friends for a spontaneous getaway.

Not being the sort to usually be so impulsive, she quickly ends up regretting her decision when their SUV stalls and lands in a ditch in a snow-blanketed and mountainous area.

With no other option but to seek refuge, the group of 5 stumble upon the village of Kingdom Come. But something is wrong here.

For one, the locked-in and isolated village seems to be an abandoned cluster of 12 uncanny and eerily identical homes. Even more peculiar about it is that the houses show no signs of any outward forces of violence.

But meals sit untouched, animals left for dead and cars are parked in the garages of these houses with no signs of any people living there. What happened to the people of Kingdom Come?

And are they destined for the same fate?

Because unbeknownst to them, there's someone out there aware of their presence. Someone whose intentions may not have their best interests at heart.

When detective Jane Rizzoli receives word that her friend, Maura is missing, she and her husband head to Wyoming to investigate.

Determined to discover what has happened to her, the investigation soon plunges Jane into a world of a twisted, religious cult, where gruesome facts come to light and shocking discoveries lie buried beneath the snow.

One thing is certain, Jane will need all her wits about her if she wants to even have a hope of finding Maura alive ever again.

Thoughts:
it's been a good while since I've read a crime thriller, so I was rather intrigued when Tess Gerritsen's latest novel, The Killing Place, arrived on my desk a while back. Having never read any of her previous novels (she's got quite a few in the Rizzoli and Isles series), I wasn't sure what to expect.

Surprisingly enough, I loved the book.

As far as book series' go, my obvious concern was how well I'd be able to relate to the characters considering that they probably wouldn't be as fleshed out in this novels in comparison her previous and earlier works.

Yet strangely enough, even though I didn't know the characters that intimately, it never detracted from the actual reading experience. In fact, the plot line was such an interesting one, that the book kept me glued to the pages in spite of any initial reservations I may have had about the book.

Also, the book progresses at such a level, that you actually find yourself not bothering to want to know the ins and out of their personality traits, but rather more about their actions and how they respond when they are in fight, flight and survival mode. And for me, that's usually the mark of a fantastic crime/thriller author.

Tess easily sweeps you in and takes you on a rollercoaster ride of fear and suspense, toying with your emotions even while the characters in the book are the ones who are forced to make decisions that may save their lives or kill them.

What I especially found interesting was how this was emphasised during the group's stay at one of the abandoned houses.

Not only were they forced to rely on each other to survive, but they were forced to hold onto their sanity while doing so too.

There's this sense conveyed that something as simple as the low moan of the wind will have someone's back up and the creak of the door will bring out the full force of paranoia - and you as the reader are forced to feel these feelings along with the characters every single step of the way.

The religious cult aspect of the novel added an extra creep factor to the novel that surprised, horrified and left me feeling sympathetic to the victims who were part of this cult, but even more so for those who were cruelly cast out and left to fend for themselves.

The most surprising aspect of all though, was the ending and who the actual villains of the story ended up being. I got the sense that even though the ending boiled down to a confrontation between 1 person and Rizzoli and Isles, there was more than just one villain in this story.

What is clever about this is that you're lulled into a false sense of complacency about just who the villain is, and end up being completely blindsided by the final confrontation, that you're almost disappointed at who the actual villain is.

Still, I can hardly complain. This novel had so many twists and turns it kept me entertained throughout the entire novel. And has renewed my love of crime thrillers.

I'll be going back to read the rest of the books in her series - there's not doubt about that.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Night Circus

2011-05-04T06:06:00.000+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

This week's pick is:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Publishing date: September 2011
I'd go on and on about the many ways in which I'm looking forward to reading this, but I really think the book just speaks for itself.

Here's some more info about it.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it.

It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors.

Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Sounds breathtakingly magical doesn't it? I can't wait for this one.

How about you? What's on your WoW list this week?

Book review: The Sky is Everywhere

2011-05-02T13:54:00.000+02:00

The Sky is Everywhere
And then grief was captured and bottled in the soul of a beautiful companion pony who was more of a racehorse than she ever thought she was.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Walker Books)
17-year old Lennie Walker is a Heathcliff-obsessed bookworm and music geek.

She's also younger sister to the vivacious and sparkly Bailey - and is more than content to follow and live in the shadow of the sibling she adores.

When Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie's world loses its safety thread... and the girl, who has always been happy to be backstage, is suddenly thrust into the central hemisphere of her own life.

Weighed down by the gravity of her grief, Lennie doesn't know which way to go and in the midst of her confusion, she suddenly and unexpectedly finds herself having to deal with the attentions of two very different boys.

Toby is the boy who was Bailey's boyfriend. He's also the boy whose grief is an echoing symphony of her own.

Joe, on the other hand, is the new boy (from Paris) in town with a heartbreakingly beautiful grin, gorgeous long lashes and a musical talent that makes Lennie's soul sing.

For Lennie, the two couldn't be more opposite to one another. One serves to take her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it.

And in the midst of all the chaos, confusion and resounding notes of desolation, the paths of Lennie and both boys will impact and collide, sending Lennie on a journey of new awakenings and discovery; teaching her that moving on doesn't necessarily mean letting go.

Review:
How do you review the world's most beautiful book?

And how do you find a way to capture the fragile essence, the melancholy nuances and the heart and soul of a girl so crippled by her grief that it robs you, the reader, of every single word you've learnt and uttered throughout your entire life?

How do you capture that on paper?

The truth is you can't. You can't because Jandy Nelson already has.

I should have realised that when I purchased the book in its beautiful, bound journal format (which is the UK edition by the way) that I would be dealing with an extraordinary book.

When I first opened the pages and saw that the font was blue and that there were random and interspersed notes of scribbled and handwritten poetry scattered throughout the book (on pages that were made to reflect what Lennie's thoughts were written on at a specific point in time), well, I was in instant book love.

Never in my entire life have I been so swept away by such tremendous feelings of raw and uncensored grief.

The rush of sweet affection, tangled lust and achingly tumultuous emotions made me weep with the sheer force of the beautiful characters, the phenomenal writing and the poignant themes of love and loss that is captured so spectacularly within this book.

I rarely say this about books, but if there is one book that I wish I had written, then it is this one.

It's the book that I can't believe I've only read now and it definitely has earned itself a top spot in my favourite reads of all time list.

Lennie is a character I love very deeply.

She's a bookworm, a music geek, a die-hard romantic and beautiful poet at heart. She's the kind of character that I wish I was and like to pretend to be.

Most of all, she's the kind of character whose remarkable soul is so big that trying to recapture her in a book review is just too small of a place for her to live in.

From the very beginning of the book, her beautiful voice lures you in and compels you to remain with her as she journeys her way through her:

- devastating loss,
- her various different relationships with the people just as affected by Bailey's death as she was, her sexual awakening and confusion about her feelings for two different boys and;
-learning to come to terms with the fact that Bailey's no longer there.

Her grief is a tangible and visible force that grips you, shakes you to the core and refuses to let you go.

You'll ache for the girl who has always seen herself as a companion pony to her sister's racehorse status and you'll weep for the girl who says that "the world is not a safe place" and who scatters poetry in the wind in order to keep the wild and untamed spirit of her sister alive.

And then?

Well your heart will just break a little more when, Toby, sweet Toby with his Leonine features, makes her confused heart thump just a little louder and whose grief serves as a magnetic force that she can't help but gravitate towards.

And you'll swoon when she meets Joe Fontaine - the boy who bat.bat.bats his long luscious lashes at her and whose guitar notes change the colour of the flowers.

He's the boy whose music takes her out of her sorrow and who makes her mouth curve into a smile even when it's the last thing she wants to do.

What makes this book so wonderful, is the fact that the emotions and the love-triangle were both captured in such an authentically realistic manner.

I've really started to abhor the kind of love triangle where the ultimate choice is made rather obvious, but The Sky is Everywhere really keeps you guessing for a good while. It's just that authentic.

Of course, being a sucker for musically talented fictional boys, Joe certainly earned himself a spot amongst my top favourite fiction crushes. But that's not to say I didn't love Toby - because i did.

And yes, Lennie probably makes a few mistakes that she really could have avoided, but it those things only served to show what an immensely vulnerable, hurting, grieving and songbird soul she is.

And it's those moments that really show how her grief has thrown her for a loop and a half.

This marvellous book also boasts a host of wonderfully eccentric characters (namely Lennie's whimsical garden-keeper Gran and her pot-smoking Uncle Big), who are each trying to deal with their grief while trying their best to reach out to the girl who is determined to isolate her emotions from all of the world.

I wish I could tell you in a detailed account how much these characters, each in their own way, crept in my heart, but I believe that The Sky is Everywhere really just speaks for itself.

In essence, this book isn't just about loss - it's about love, it's about the life-giving force of family ties and it's about embracing life in all its glorious, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching and colourful splendour.

At the end of it all, I think this quote (It's my new favourite quote) sums it up best:"Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah we need to start a new philosophical movement: messessentialism instead of existentialism: For those who revel in the essential mess that is life.

"Because Gram's right, there's not one truth ever, just a bunch of stories, all going on at once, in our heads, in our hearts, all getting in the way of each other. It's all a beautiful calamitous mess. It's like the day Mr. James took us into the woods and cried triumphantly, "That's it! That's it!" to the dizzying cacophony of soloing instruments trying to make music together. That is it." - Jandy Nelson, The Sky is Everywhere

Blog tour: This or that with Janet Gurtler (Author of I'm Not Her)

2011-04-25T08:00:00.002+02:00

It's a pleasure to welcome Janet Gurtler, author of the up and coming debut contemporary YA novel, I'm Not Her to my blog today.

About the book:
“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place.

Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer.

Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates.

There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying.

Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

In today's tour stop, I've asked Janet to pick out some of her preferences in a this-or-that duel. Check out her responses below.

1. Facts or fiction?
Fiction all the way baby.

2. Hardback or paperback?

Paperback.

3. The hot, broody bad boy or the sweet and charming surfer dude?

Bad boy. Sigh. Do we ever learn? It’s like choosing chocolate layer cake over a nice fruit salad with low fat yogurt. I know what I should want, but I know what I do want.

4. Beach side resort or lakeside retreat?

I had a pathological fear of bathing suits when I was younger, which surprisingly disappeared after I was pregnant. I guess now I’d pick beach side because I’m old and I don’t care what I look like in my bathing suit. And I do like the feeling of sand between my toes.

5. Notepad or laptop?

I love me my Laptop.

6. Beautiful book covers or beautiful book titles?

Hmm. Good question.   I’ve never really thought about it before, but I’d have to go with titles. Hmm. Interesting.

7. Picnics or fancy restaurants?

Depends what’s in the basket, but assuming I can pick my own picnic food I’ll go with that. I’m not really into paying boatloads of money for fancy food.

8. Boat trip or road trip?

Oh. Another hard one. I love boats, but I’ll go with road trip. Lots of napping and reading time.

9. Reading or writing?

Hee. Depends on the day. Most days it’s probably writing.

10. Sweet or salty?

Sweet. Preferably covered in chocolate.

11. The power to be invisible or the power to travel back in time?

Invisible. I would have some serious fun. And I might be naughty.

12. Board games or outdoor games?
Board. The sports gene skipped me.

13. Fruit juice or fruit?

Fruit

14.   Dusk or Dawn?

Dawn

15. Fantasy or reality?

In my head or what I read? I prefer a little of both but if forced to pick I’d have to go with reality.

Thanks so much for stopping by on my blog Janet. I had a lot of fun doing these questions and loved your answers. Hooray for the bad boy! Swoon. And I would so go with invisibility as a power too.

Also, thanks to the team over at the Teen Book Scene for a spot on this tour. I really can't wait to read I'm Not Her. The book is being published around the 1st May, so be sure to be on the look out for it then.

For more information on Janet, you can:
- visit her blog and/or.
- follow her on twitter

Be sure to check out all the rest of the tour stops, by clicking on the banner below.

Book review: Amber Frost

2011-04-24T17:24:00.000+02:00

Amber Frost
A girl shackled by the expectations of her wealthy parents, an intricately tattooed boy who is as intriguing as he is mysterious and a burning love steeped in ancient Celtic lore.

Amber Frost by Suzi Davis (ireadiwrite publishing)
18-year old Grace Lynn Stevenson has it all. She's wealthy, gorgeous, hangs out with the elite crowd and is dating the school's most popular guy. Every girl's dream, right?

Yet for all that, she's plagued by strange dreams and a desperate and suffocating sense of loneliness that she would like nothing more than to escape from.
Enter Sebastian Caldwood.

Quirky, handsome and charming - Grace - in spite of her reluctance to get to know him, can't help but be drawn to the enigmatic and intricately tattooed boy.

But... Sebastian is hiding secrets.

He's older than he looks, never ages and gets what he wants simply because he wills it. In spite of his ability, he has little to no recollection of his past and no matter how much he wills it into being, remembrance continues to elude him.

When he finds himself inadvertently beginning to remember (these moments of remembrances occurring more and more when he's around Grace), he realises that both he and Grace are tied together in more ways than one; and that there are dark, dangerous forces who would like nothing better than to destroy the powerful love and bond between them.

My thoughts:

I first fell in love with this book when I stumbled across this on a fellow book blogger's blog. The book's beautiful title, Amber Frost, certainly brought to mind visions of beautiful snow-frosted landscapes, powdery white beauty and glistening icicles (I told you I was a sucker for books with pretty tittles).

Once I read the synopsis, I really began to have high hopes for the book. I admit to being especially curious about Sebastian and his ability as I had the feeling that his story was certainly going to be an interesting one.

And I was definitely right about that.

Unfortunately, aside from that, I thought that the novel fell just a little flat for me.

As much as I don't mind characters being described as being beautiful, the problem I found with this novel, is that from the very beginning, we as the readers, are told and then constantly reminded of Grace's awe-striking beauty.

Paired with the fact that she is made to be aware of her beauty, but at the same time is shown to portray that she's just so tired of being seen as the beautiful, marble statue who is only appreciated because of her beauty, I personally felt that her "I'm tired of being beautiful attitude" did not really ring very true for me.

And here's why:

I think if the author had rather shown this instead of just adapting a description based narrative for this, then I might have found it a little more believable. It would also probably have influenced me to like Grace a little more than I did.

In the same way that I believe less is more, so too do I believe that in many instances showing is better than telling. And I would have definitely like to have seen more showing instead of just telling.

But, that's not to say that Grace is an altogether unlikeable character.

Because she's not.

I couldn't help but sympathise with her coming from the rigid, wealthy and loveless household that she comes from. Frankly, her parents - especially her mother - are both horrible souls who expect Grace to live out dreams that were set out for her, instead of allowing Grace to make her own choices.

She's pretty much forced into a society that she does not want to be part of and is even dictated to about who she can and can't date.

I have to commend her for growing a little throughout the novel - something which becomes rather obvious when she meets the charming Sebastian (For me character growth and development in a novel is important, so this was something that I really enjoyed and appreciated seeing and experiencing).

I thought that I would enjoy Sebastian's back story much more and I did. In fact, his story is one of the reasons that certainly kept me reading.

I also thought his character was in some ways, a lot stronger than Grace's character and was one of the main reasons that motivated me into continuing this novel.

There was such a wealth of mystery around him and his tattoos, that it kept me on the edge of my seat and certainly kept me reading. When I eventually found out what they really meant, I was quite astounded as I definitely wasn't expecting it to be something so wonderfully unexpected.

There is one other aspect of the book that did bother me and it's a problem I recently had with Deadlands.

The use of repetitive vocabulary.

As I've said in my Deadlands review, this doesn't become an issue until it becomes so noticeable that you can't help but pick up on it. For me, having to read about Sebastian's voice being constantly described as lilting, musical and melodic was very bothersome for me.

But, for all this, there were some moments that really did shine through for me, and what did save the novel for me, was the twist near to the end.

Suzi Davis also has a remarkable gift for bringing settings alive and one of other my favourite aspects of the book was the beautiful, beautiful descriptions of powdery, snow-frosted settings that had me wishing I was in the book and not just outside of it.

Throughout the book, there are hints of magic, but it's really only towards the end that the Celtic element really comes out to play in a wonderfully intriguing manner that certainly makes me want to give the next book in this series a chance.

I'm a huge fan of Celtic magic, myth and legend, and admit that in spite of the various issues I had with this book, I'm definitely intrigued enough to want to give the second book in this series a chance.

All in all, I think Suzi has brought an intriguingly different aspect to the Young Adult genre, and one that I'd really like to see explored more.

A note of thanks and disclaimer: Special thanks to the author, Suzi Davis and her publishers for providing me with an e-book copy to review. The fact that I received this through the publishers in no way affects my opinion of the book.

Book review: Deadlands

2011-04-17T13:39:00.000+02:00

Side note: A shortened version of this review orginally appears on the women24 website, which you can find here.

Women24.com is a South African women's lifestyle website where I work as an online journo and where you can check out a host of other book reviews that we feature regularly... for those curious, I'll do a more in-depth post about what it is I do for a living very soon.

Deadlands

Young Adult satirical zombie fiction has a new home. And it's right here in South Africa. And yes, you should get a copy.

Deadlands by Lily Herne (Penguin Books SA)
17-year old Lele and her brother are stuck and living with her parents in the city enclave.

It's one of the few safe places following both the war and the appearance of the Zombie menace that has been ravaging the Deadlands (the area designated as unsafe and outside of the enclave) ever since.

Beneath the so-called veneer of safety, Lele can't help but notice that there's something sinister about the Guardians who keep a strict lockdown on the people who live within the enclave.

Stuck in a school run by the Ressurrectionists, a fanatical cult who worship the Guardians, Lele doesn't seem to have a way of escaping…

… At least not until, by some fluke (or is it luck?), she ends up being one of five aspiring teens that end up being selected by the Guardians in a staged human Lottery (which takes place every year). No one knows why the Guardians want these teenagers so badly or what they do with them, but Lele is certainly about to find out.

My thoughts:
As a huge fan of the Young Adult fiction genre, I've always wondered why our fabulous South African authors don't plug into a genre that is so hugely popular around the world right now.

Thankfully, my book prayers were answered and mother-daughter duo, writing under the author name of Lily Herne, have both written a phenomenal new offering for lovers of Zombie fiction; adding a uniquely South African twist that is sure to make this book a hit with everyone.

Set in post-apocalyptic Cape Town (as I'm from Cape Town), this book is remarkably easy to relate to.

One of the most surprising things about the novel, is that in spite of it having a zombie focus, it was a rather light-hearted read with plenty of amusing moments in between. And as someone who isn't a big fan of gore, this ended up being quite a plus for me.

What makes this novel really unique though, is the clever and no-holds barred, satirical barbs about South Africa's past and current political infrastructure scattered throughout the book.

To international readers, you don't necessarily have to have an understanding about South Africa's history, but if you do, then you, like me, will find the satire very, very clever.

With references to the very controversial Julius Malema (Lele's forced to go to a school called Malema high -) and political party, ANC (Lele joins the ANZ (Anti-Zombians) movement - an ode to the ANC before it became what it is today), it becomes obvious that there are two opposing sectors that will no doubt be heading for battle.

On the one hand, you have the Guardians and the Ressurrectionists who believe that they are doing the best for the people and giving the people what they "need" - just as long as people don't rebel and question them (Sounds like the ANC today doesn't it?) .

On the other hand, you have the ANZ movement - a resistance movement that are fighting for the people's rights and are forced to use violence as a method of trying to get their message across.

In a way, there is an underlying sense that almost feels as if you have the same faction fighting against itself and all it used to stand for. Again, this relates back to just why I think adults will probably also enjoy reading this.

The writing of the novel, for the most part, flowed quite seamlessly.

One thing I have to address, is the criticism that chapters are structured in such a way that it employs that age-old tactic of ending off with a line that forces you to continue on to the next page.

People seem to have a problem with this, and while I, agree with them in terms of some of these lines being relatively cheesy, I think it's an effective strategy to keep the reader reading. It certainly kept me reading and wanting to find out what would happen next.

What did bother me though was the use of repeated vocabulary. I understand that words often do get repeated, but for me, it does become bothersome when I actually start noticing it.

Still, I thought the characters were incredibly strong, and Lele in particular, has a can-do, and don't-need-a-boy-to-take-care-of-my-problems kind of attitude that is incredibly refreshing to behold in the Young Adult genre spectrum.

The secondary characters and the introduction of the Mall Rats (I can't reveal more without spoiling for you), gave this novel an added kick in what really transformed itself into not just a zombie novel, but an action-packed zombie novel filled with a lot of adventurous moments.

There's also a potential love-triangle, which, although wasn't a major focus, gives us an idea that we might just get to read more about it in a possible sequel.

For all of the action though, there were and are still a lot of questions that I would have liked to have seen answered. For example, we know that there was a war, and that there was a zombie plague, but there's no explanation as to why the war took place, where the zombies came from and how they were formed from the start.

But, in spite of these minor plot holes, I think that this is a great start in a genre that more South African authors should look into. And as a reader who certainly doesn't enjoy zombie fiction, I myself was quite taken aback by just how much I enjoyed it.

Waiting on Wednesday: All you desire

2011-04-13T06:18:00.001+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

Here's my pick for this week

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller
This is the sequel to The Eternal Ones - which was a book that I really, really enjoyed. This time around, All You Desire sees Haven inflitrating the awful Ouroboros Society where she has to seduce and charm Adam (remember him?) in order to find out where her best friend, Beau has disappeared to.

I must also add that I do like the cover and think it's far better than the cover for The Eternal Ones.

Here's a full summary of the book:
Haven Moore and Iain Morrow have been living a blissful life in Rome, an ocean way from the Ouroboros Society and its diabolical leader.

But paradise is not to last.

The mysterious disappearance of Haven's best friend, Beau, sends the pair running back to New York, where they encounter the Horae, an underground group of women who have spent centuries scheming to destroy Adam Rosier.

Only they can help Haven uncover the secret to Beau's whereabouts in one of her past lives. But their help comes at a price: Haven must infiltrate the Ouroboros Society, charm Adam Rosier, and lure him into a trap.

It's a plan the Horae believe will save the world-but Haven and Iain fear that it may destroy the happiness they've been chasing for two thousand years.

What's on your WoW list for the week? I'd love to know.

Book talk: Writing negative reviews

2011-04-10T16:11:00.001+02:00

I had every intention of posting up a book review or two this week, but for some reason (and because I'm busy writing a review of a book that, while I enjoyed, could have been a little better), I thought I'd write a post about negative book reviews.

I'm sure most of you must have come across that link that recently went viral on twitter and across the net.

Without linking to it (as I think it has already been given enough air time and because I'm pretty sure the author has by now realised just what a grave, grave mistake she made in the process), the link is a 2-star review of a self-published author's book written in a fair, constructive manner which I thought was well thought out and by no means written with the intent to hurt the author.

Unfortunately, the author took such extreme offence to the review, that she ended up lashing out at the reviewer and proceeded to barrage the reviewer's comment stream (and the people who proceeded to defend the reviewer's right to his opinion) with hate-filled comments.

To say that I (and fellow book reviewers) were shocked and a little more than taken aback would probably be the understatement of the year.

So, it's in the light of the recent events that today's subject is dedicated to navigating the precarious terrain that all of us are highly familiar with: negative reviews.

Honest but fair
I think, I can state on behalf of most book bloggers/ reviewers, that most of us don't like giving negative reviews.

I know that I certainly don't.

My policy on reviews has always been to make a point of trying to point out both positive and negative aspects of a book and to always try and back up my claim and the reasoning behind why I feel a specific way about something that I didn't like in the book.

Honest, but polite and fair. That's always been and always will be my philosophy and it's not something that I'll change anytime soon.

You see, like the reviewer who had to deal with the negative backlash, the one thing I understand and respect is that writing a book takes a lot of hard work.

And because of that, I commend every single author for plotting their stories, developing their characters and churning out word after word and page after page in order to form and shape the book that's taken them months (or even years) to write.

I respect that and do not want to take that away from the author.

Still, I do have to emphasise that for all this, I believe in pointing out aspects in a novel that bothers me. I believe that it gives me insight into what I'm looking for in a novel and I believe that this form of constructive criticism helps the author to refine and hone his or her skill as a writer.

Also, as a reviewer and a book buyer, I myself would not like to be foiled into buying a book that may or may not be as fabulous as everyone claims it is in reviews.

Not everyone will like the book
This brings me to my second point.

For every honest, constructive and fair review out there, you will find someone who will dislike the book. Books are, have been and always will be a subjective experience. It's reflective of just how many different people with different personalities are out there in the world.

There's a book for every person and just because the one person likes the book, it certainly does not mean the next person who reads it will. This is not just a point that is meant for authors, but for reviewers as well.

I've seen many reviewers get upset with the next blogger simply because they didn't love the book in the same way that they did. Now I don't want to be mean, but let me state the obvious here: there's no book law that states that I, or others are required to love the book that you love.

It's unnecessary and blatantly immature to attack a blogger/reviewer just because he or she didn't like the book that you loved. If you're an author and you're doing this, then it's certainly a sure way to commit career suicide.

And if you're a reviewer who is doing this to other reviewers, then you shouldn't be allowed to review books. It's that simple.

Being mean vs constructive criticism
Of course, there's another aspect to reviewing that one also needs to consider and that is that there is a MAJOR difference between writing an honest and constructive critique in comparison to a review that blatantly slates the author as a writer.

As a reviewer I'm always conscious of making sure that I never, ever attack the author.

Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of bloggers/reviewers who blatantly bash the author and focus on talking about the author's lack of writing skills as opposed to talking about what they didn't like about the book. Calling the author names is definitely not part of the reviewing process.

For me, you discrediting the author in such a boorish and disrespectful manner, actually just shows that you as a reviewer don't have anything constructive to say that will back up your claims as to just why you don't/didn't like the book.

It also shows that you as a reviewer don't understand or respect the writing craft and all the hard work the author has put into getting their novel out.

By all means, if you're going to write a negative review, then go ahead.

But be classy about it.

Don't be bitchy. Don't be mean. And don't hate others just because they loved the book that you didn't like. Most importantly, keep the review about your experience with the book and the book itself, not about how much you hate the author for wasting your time.

Yikes... that was quite a lengthy post wasn't it?

Anyway, what are your thoughts on negative reviews? How do you approach them? Or do you avoid them entirely. I'd be very keen to hear what you have to say.

Books people keep shoving down my throat

2011-04-03T19:29:00.000+02:00

Yep, I'm back.

It's certainly been a while hasn't it? Still, I must admit that I am rather glad I took a bit of a breather from blogging.

I've missed being here of course (and I've certainly missed all my regular blog visitors, that's for sure), but I felt like I really just needed to take a step back and focus on things in my life that I've unwittingly been neglecting.

I've got a lot of catching up to do (which I will get to throughout the course of the week), but in the meantime, I thought I'd do a quick post about books that people keep trying to shove down my throat.

As a rule, I love having books recommended to me and I love hearing what other people have to say about the books that they're recommending...

Yet, I think there's a fine line between recommending and just downright trying to shove a book down my throat. Unfortunately, people in their enthusiasm, don't get that it's often their over-the-top excitement about a book that end up being one of the very things that can put people off reading a book for good.

Yes I know. That's book irony in its purest form.

But, without further ado, I've compiled and divided my books into two separate lists of books people keep trying to shove down my throat, the first being:

a - The wanted to read, but no longer want to because of incessant insistence that I should read it and...
b - The still want to read, but am waiting for the bad feelings surrounding the forced recommendations to go away.

A: Wanted to read, but no longer care or want to read

1. Shantaram
I'll never, ever, EVER read this.

Not even if all the world's books burnt down and this one was the only one left standing

(You can tell by that sentence just how badly I was being harassed into trying to read this).

On some level, it pains me that I feel this way because I can remember a vague feeling of actually wanting to read this before people just constantly started throwing this in my face and trying to force this book down my throat.

That vague feeling of wanting to read that book? Forever gone.

2. The Da Vinci Code
Yes, can you believe it - I still haven't read this book. Nor have I watched the movie.

Nor am I going to ever want to.

Because, as much as I realise that there are people who wanted to and genuinely have read this book because they wanted to, I myself. don't want to be part of the crowd that has just read this book for the sake of being able to say that they've read the book (and so that they can join in the pseudo-intellectual debates surrounding this).

Unfortunately, I've come across quite a few of these people and this, besides the actual book hype, was a driving force behind me not wanting to read this book.

Books are meant to be read because you want to read them, not because you don't want to be left out of the discussion and hype surrounding the book.

3. House of Night book series
I remember a time where I actually wanted to read this series. Now, well, every time I see these books on the shelves, I walk by as quickly as I can.

I suppose, people were pretty much still in Twilight high mode, but I think I already reached that point long before most did and frankly just wanted to move on.

I still love a good vamp story, but this one is one series I probably won't ever read.

There are many more that I could put under this list, but I suspect I look as if I'm just a horrible person who enjoys slating the books that other people probably loved or still want to read.

So, moving along to the next list, which I've titled the:

Still want to read, but am waiting for the bad feelings surrounding the forced recommendations to go away list.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
I really, really, really want to read this.

In fact, this book is sitting on my shelf and just waiting to be read.

People have either been loving this or hating it and the fact the there is such an obvious divide (besides people trying to get me to read it at that moment) has made me hesitate a little.

When I find myself hesitating about a book, I put it on the back burner for a while - that way my opinion is not influenced by any reviews or by what people keep telling me about it.

I really hate it when people put an opinion in my mouth even before I've actually read the book - and I've found that way too many people have been trying to do this for Crescendo, which is why I haven't read it yet.

The good news is that this is definitely not a book I'll be putting on the don't-want-to read list, because I love Becca's writing and I loved Hush, Hush.

The next book on my list is:

J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Many, many readers out there adore this adult book series.

I've started the first book, but somehow lost interest - not for lack of loving it, but probably because I felt like that specific time I was reading it just wasn't right for reading it.

Unfortunately, a couple of months and a few years later, I still feel this way.

Again, trying to shove this series down my throat also didn't help much.

I'm not quite sure when this feeling will go away, but I do know that I want to read it at some stage.

Matched by Ally Condie
A dystopian fiction novel that I've been seriously looking forward to reading.

Yet again, the hype proved to be a major off-putting factor.

I've pretty much decided to read as little reviews for this book as possible and do think that I've now managed to reach a point where I'll be picking this up in the next month or so.

It really has taken me forever to get around to the point where I was ready to get over my issues with the hype surrounding this book, but I think I'm finally finding it in me to become excited about reading this.

That's me for now...

I'm of course quite interested in hearing about the books you won't be reading / the books you'll be putting on the back burner, so please feel free to share below.

P.S. It's good to be back.

Taking a step back

2011-03-14T19:27:00.001+02:00

Hi everyone

I've decided to take a bit of a break from blogging (I won't be gone for too long, but just enough time to sort out some personal areas in my life that need attention).

I just realised that blogging has become such a central focus of my life that I have been neglecting other areas in my life. As much as I do love blogging about books, I just feel that taking a step back is something I need to do in order to "regroup" myself again.

I think this break will be good as it will give me time to pause for thought and will allow me to write at a more leisurely pace while also focusing on other things in my life that need my attention right now.

I'll surely be back and when I do, will focus on bringing some really great content to my blog as well as doing some serious catch ups!

In the meantime, if you want to chat, you're more than welcome to mail me or to follow me on twitter (I'm there quite often).

See you on the blogs soon again.

~Tammy ~

Book talk: The fabulous girls from Pan Macmillan SA - Part 1

2011-03-08T14:09:00.002+02:00

I'm very excited for today's post. I've wanted to do this for ages, but could not find anyone willing to do what I've been planning to do. And then I met bloggers Kelly and Tarryn and yay, my book blogging prayers were answered

And lucky for me, these two lovely, lovely bloggers were more than willing to be featured on my blog.

They're not just any bloggers though - they're both in the publishing industry and work for Pan Macmillan South Africa.

In today's post (which is the first of 2-3 parts), they're here to talk about their jobs, publishing trends, up and coming books we can look forward to and all sorts of fabulous book related topics.

I've developed a great relationship with them as they are a bunch of bubbly and vivacious souls who ADORE chatting to their followers about books.

They also host fabulous giveaways, participate in memes (not many publishers do that) and are gluttonous book sluts who adore what they do for a living.

Without further ado, please welcome Kelly Ansara and Tarryn Talbot from Pan Macmillan South Africa to my blog.

Firstly, thanks for joining me on The Book Fairy's Haven today. I'm very excited to have you here. Let's kick off the interview by asking you both:

1. What position do you both hold at Pan MacMillan and what does your job description entail?

Tarryn: I am the Local Adult and Children’s Titles Publicist. My job is to formulate and maintain relationships with the media to reach the reader.

This includes reviews; print, radio or television interviews; blog mentions; Twitter mentions; Facebook mentions, etc. Part of my position is also getting the author and his/her book out there through events, such as book launches. When successfully used, its effects are long-lasting in helping to build up a reputation for the book and the author.

Kelly: Product Controller & Publishing Assistant
(Kelly elaborates a little more below)

2. How long have you been working in the book/ publishing industry?

Tarryn: I started at Pan in November 2009 as the marketing assistant so it will be two years this November

Kelly: I started in the “Book industry” in 2008 (first year varsity) at Exclusive Books and started temping at Pan in 2009 on my off days then was hired when my degree ended in November 2009 and as they say the rest is history…

3. Describe a day at the office.
Tarryn: In a word: busy.

(Tammy's meddlesome comments: Yes, just look at how busy they are. *grins*)
In a short paragraph: In order to at least be able to vocalize, I grab a coffee with Kelly at around 07h00. Laptop on, eyes widen at the e-mails coming through *gulps big sip of coffee*.

My day is then a flurry of replying to e-mails, answering phone calls, running to meetings and smiling throughout. Every now and then, I take a break and look at our shelves full of books; stop to “smell the roses”.

Kelly: I start at 7h30 am, I check my emails and see if there is anything urgent then I work on our publishing schedule and assist in compiling the sales dept Order Forms and sales packs (which contain the Books cover and Advanced information).

After am I post a status/Link/Photo on Facebook and Twitter for a relevant book or campaign we are running and this is checked every 1 hour and a half. Then I move on to loading titles onto our system and categorising them by imprint, publisher and category.

After lunch is Manuscript time – I sit and wade through as many as I can unless something else comes up that needs attending. I also have to send Legal Deposits which are copies of every book we publish locally to the National Libraries so they have a record, this involves filling out extensive forms

4. What's the best part of your job?

Tarryn: That every day I get to not only do something that follows my passion, but help enhance the writing and reading fervour of book-lovers everywhere.

Oh, and make them jealous too, of course ;)

(Tammy says: Tsk. Tsk. Now that's just mean Tarryn)

Kelly: Watching a book forming, hearing thoughts, and watching the process coming alive.

There are days when I ask why and then I read Amanda Coetzee’s new manuscript or Chris van Wyk’s books and I fall in love with books again.

5. The worst part?

Tarryn: Realising that there are never going to be enough hours in a day.
Kelly: No coffee when I have a pile of Manuscripts on my desk

6. What made you decide to venture into the publishing industry?

Tarryn: I was still doing my undergrad, been the student who needed to find a part-time job to fund her book-and-coffee habit when I received a call from Kelly who told me about a newly-available position at Pan Macmillan that she thought I would enjoy.

I applied and voila! Here I am. Pretty sure there was a four-leaf clover or rabbit foot stuck to my dress that day…

Kelly: I remember walking with Tarryn on UJ campus in our second year and I said to her “Imagine if we could be paid to sit and read books all day on a beach – How great would that be?”

I have always loved books but never really knew about publishing until varsity. I worked in a bookstore and when my deputy manager recommended me to someone at Pan I decided to try it out and haven’t regretted my decision to go into publishing since.

7. Which genre do you consider to be huge in South Africa right now? And why?
Tarryn: In my opinion, I think that political biographies always do well in South Africa.

Our history is full of political colours that have gone so far as to create International interest.

We are a diplomatic country that wants the knowledge of our country so that we can make sensible decisions and have a say in the way South Africa is governed.

Kelly: Non-Fiction is a really big seller locally.

Fiction does well (Deon Meyer is a great example) but local fiction doesn’t really stand out next to a Jodi Picoult, John Grisham and Stephanie Meyer.

We have some really great non-fiction titles that tell stories of our history during Apartheid and great biographies of people in that error as well as books on improving SA (Moeletsi Mbeki is the top Must have in a genre like this).

Conversations with Myself is proof that Non-Fiction is a huge seller locally.

8. And worldwide?
Tarryn: Twilight anyone?

Kelly: Worldwide is definitely Young Adult fiction. The Paranormal romance is the fad unlike any I have seen. Thanks to the Twilight phenomenon the world has been bitten by the demon.

It is really great to see older, pre-Twilight, “Vampire” stories standing their ground as well as local authors now taking charge of this genre, ie Deadlands by Lily Herne.

(Tammy says: I'll be chatting about Deadlines very soon - it's a South African YA title that I'm very excited about. This one is going to be huge!)

Kelly continued: I have to admit Young Adult titles are not my personal favourite, but I cannot criticise a genre that is finally getting teens to read, interact with the books and finally get excited about books!

End of Part 1.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed interviewing them. Part 2 will be coming up soon, but in the meantime, please go check out their blog and their twitter profiles (Kelly and Tarryn) -they're chatterboxes. I promise :D

Don't they sound lovely?

Thanks Kelly and Tarryn - I've had a lot of fun doing this and hope to feature you on my blog on a regular basis. :)

Book review: You Against Me

2011-03-05T20:10:00.000+02:00

You Against Me
A brother intent on defending his sister's honour, a sister intent on defending her brother's name and an unasked for love that could be the undoing of them all.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham (David Fickling Books)
When Mikey's sister claims to have been sexually assaulted, the world as he knows it, comes crashing down.

When Ellie's brother is accused and charged with the crime, the perfect family life she's always known slowly starts falling apart.

Of course, if you're any kind of man, the first thing you'd do is risk everything to try and take revenge right?

And if you're the sister of the boy who is accused of the crime, then surely your job (considering that you're the main witness) is to push aside your own emotions, defend him and banish any form of reasonable doubt, correct?

Yet, when Ellie and Mikey meet, 2 polar opposite worlds collide and set them on a path that will affect not only them, but those around them too.

Their journey and their story is a story that will not only test their loyalty, but it's a story that will affect the very choices that they need to make… choices that could bring restoration for one family, and tear another family further apart.

And in between, they'll need to discover whether a love so seemingly impossible is a love still worth pursuing.

Review:
The synopsis of this book sounds as if it's just another run-of-the-mill, been-there-done-that before concept doesn't it? And yet, Jenny Downham's You Against Me is anything but that.

Is it a love story?

Well, yes it is, but my recommendation and review of this book is not going to be based on telling you that you should read the book because it's a forbidden love story about 2 people from 2 opposite sides of the spectrum who are not only divided by their different social spectrum, but also by an accused crime tearing both of their families apart.

Rather, what makes this novel so incredibly moving, powerful and really worth reading is how choices are made and how the backdrop of their love story forms and shapes the decisions that Mikey and Ellie make based on their situation.

And what really struck me about this novel is that Jenny Downham has an effortless knack for conveying this throughout her novel.

The story starts at the point where a crime has already been committed and charges have been pressed.

When we're introduced to Mikey, we get an immediate sense that while he's popular boy with plenty of girls at his beck and call, he's also weighed down by the knowledge of his sister's assault.

From the poorer side of town (he and his family live in a council house), he's left with the burdensome task of taking care of his family.

Karen, his younger sister drops out of school and refuses to leave the flat because of the assault, his mother has resorted to numbing the pain and escaping reality through alcohol and he's left with:

a) taking his youngest sister to school every morning,
b)cleaning the house,
c)buying the groceries and
d)trying to hold onto his job at the local pub.

In between all of this, his rage against Tom Parker for what he's been accused of doing to his sister dominates his thoughts so much that he and his friend spend hours trying to come up with a plan to hurt Tom.

Then he decides to gate crash a party being hosted for Tom. And it's here that he meets Ellie Parker.

Ellie's family in comparison have all the wealth to speak of, yet there's no denying that the fact that the accusations against Tom are affecting her family in more ways than one.

Surrounded by a father who is hell-bent on throwing parties for Tom in order to convince the town of his innocence and flanked by a mother who is quietly as desperate as he is to prove his innocence, Ellie is the one who left feeling out of place and burdened by the responsibility her parents place on her for her role as impending witness for her brother.

When Ellie and Mikey inevitably find their way to one another, they are like 2 pieces of driftwood moving together.

Both with the knowledge of what they're doing is wrong, but unable to pull away from one another. Inevitably, their moving together, changes mindsets and changes alliances... and when new events come to surface, the families both find themselves in a new kind of hell.

This novel is such a wonderful read. As mentioned before, it's not just a love story, but a story based on and influenced by their love story.

What adds to the beautiful complexity of this novel is the notion that truth is often a concept that's blurred, suppressed and hidden between the groves and left to fester until a wrong moment avails itself in order for it to be revealed.

Is Karen (who has a bit of a reputation with the boys) lying about the assault? Or does Tom Parker hide a far more darker side to him than his family is aware of. It's these questions that will run through your mind as you read this novel.

And what's more, Jenny has a remarkable way with creating characters that are so easily accessible that when you're reading the book, you can see yourself or anyone else in their situation.

Her writing is powerful and exquisite in its simplicity and through a mere thought, gesture and suggestion, she manages to convey a sense of guilty desperation between the main protagonists.

The interactions between the characters and their reactions to the drama that surrounds them are incredibly realistic and definitely something that I could see happening between families. This book may be a work of fiction, but it's written with a deep and psychological insight into families that are torn apart by real events such as these.

Some incidents that come to mind stand out quite vividly: Mikey for being questioned about hanging out with the sister of his enemy and Ellie being targeted on a daily basis at school by Karen's friends.

The repercussions of the crime, both families' reactions on how they each deal with the assault and accused crime respectively are handled in an achingly authentic manner that makes this book more than just a forbidden love story.

I did have one issue though and that is that are a few loose ends that I would have liked to have seen tied. But this, perhaps, is me simply being subjective.

Perhaps Jenny wanted to leave certain situations open to interpretation and if you as a reader prefer being open-ended situations, then you'll love it even more than what I did.

And goodness knows that I already do.

Booktalk: Swoony, dreamy titles

2011-02-28T19:21:00.000+02:00

Time for another book talk session on the blog today...

One book I'm really excited about reading is The Empress of Ice Cream by Anthony Capella. It's an historical fiction novel that boasts a gorgeous cover featuring a model with luscious russet locks and coral red lips.

Admittedly the cover was a major drawcard for me, but what really grabbed my attention, was the actual title that conjured up an immediate image of high court intrigue during the Renaissance and imagining the taste of ice-cream flavours in a different time period screamed instant must-read for me.

For me, choosing a book is not something that is based on choosing a favourite author (although when nothing else appeals to me, I do revert to what I know best). Rather, I go by on the title and the words on the book jacket.

Being a word nerd, I tend to be attracted to quixotic and swoony titles that convey atmosphere. For example, I was looking through my list of books to-read and realised that there are many of the books that I chose based on its title.

I haven't read any of these yet, but I thought I'd highlight a 3 books that I've selected simply because the title appealed to me:

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
(This is not kind of book I'd normally read, but this title just makes me think of milky coloured moons made of glass and memories)

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
(This title makes me think of bittersweet, otherworldy, lingering songs of melancholy. From what I've heard about this book, I'd say Maggie couldn't have picked a better title for a book. I really can't wait to read this one. I also love her titles Shiver and Linger but couldn't put all of them here).

Nocturne by Syrie James
(Nocturne is usually a piece of music that is inspired by nightfall. And music and night often form and combine to create a dark symphony of supernatural romance and clandestine splendour. And the supernatural here is a vampire. Apparently he plays the piano too.

And you know how much I love hot boys/men who play musical instruments. And if they're hot men of the night? Well, even better. See, how book titles can make you instinctively guess at something before you read the book?)

Of course, I have found that sometimes the book with simple and seemingly ordinary titles end up being some of the best books I've ever read.

Some of my favourites include One Day by David Nicholls and Forbidden (Ok, ok... I think that at the end of the day, Forbidden is a title that will appeal to most people, but simply because it represents something that is taboo - the title itself is a common one, if that makes sense to you) by Tabitha Suzuma. (I've linked to both reviews so that you can see just how much I've been gushing about these two books).

And finally, there are of course the books with gorgeous titles that end up being massive disappointments. I've had qutie a few bad experiences, but the most disappointing experience I've had was with Wicked Lovely.

Gorgeous title, beautiful cover but man, what a hell of a disappointing read for me. My fairy soul nearly died of disappointment because it was one of those books I really wanted to love, but JUST couldn't. The world created was beautiful, but I never could connect with any of the characters, especially the main ones.

But I suppose that it's the price one has to pay for judging a book based on its title. Books, like life, is very much a hit and miss thing. Sometimes you get it right. Sometimes you don't.

Anyway, that's it from me for this week. What I'd love to know is do you choose books based on its title? Have you had similar experiences to mine? And which book, based on its title, has disappointed you the most?

P.S. I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to visiting any of your blogs lately. Insanely busy (SIGH) - I will be catching up soon though and not only that, but I'll have a surprise up on my blog very soon too. Expect a new giveaway and some special guests on my blog soon. :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Angel and Dark Heart Rising

2011-02-23T09:27:00.001+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

This week's choices are Dark Angel by Eden Maguire and Dark Heart Rising by Lee Monroe.

I haven't read any of their books yet, and I have the first book in Lee Monroe's series on my TBR list. I adore the covers and love the premise of both novels.

Here are some brief summaries about the books.

Dark Angel by Eden Maguire
Tania's heart belongs to Orlando.

Nothing can rip them apart.

Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains.

And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?

(I know, I know... it doesn't give much away, but it doesn't it just make you curious?

I must add that the Dark Angel cover kind of reminds me of the cover for The Vespertine, but I love it anyway as the colour of the dress is very striking.)

Next up is:

Dark Heart Rising by Lee Monroe
I haven't read the first book in this series which is called Dark Heart Forever (and which I really want to by the way), but I'm still looking forward to this one anyway, as it looks like it's a great series.)

Summary:
Jane and Luca's story continues ...but not quite as they had planned.

When challenges and threats from the immortal world of Nissilum rip the young lovers apart, Jane is bereft. Without Luca's dancing green eyes, and gentle smile, Jane feels lost, sad and alone.

But then a trip to Paris with her grandmother thrusts her in the path of the amiable Soren - a kindred spirit who may be just the distraction she needs ...

Meanwhile in Nissilum, Luca struggles with the loyalties and expectations that come with being a part of the immortal world.

A world that is about to be shaken at its very core: rumblings of mounting unrest are spreading, and with rumours of an angel rebellion growing no creature is safe -- especially not a mortal girl who has fallen in love with a wolf boy.

That's it from me this week... What's on your WoW list this week?

Book review: Wind and Fire

2011-02-22T21:03:00.000+02:00

Wind and Fire
One girl's magical awakening will bring about a whole new adventure and test the limits of her strength like she's never known before.

Wind and Fire by Cheryl Landmark (Asylett Press)
19-year old Tenya does not have it easy.

With her mother being missing for more than 16 years, Tenya finds herself stuck in the day to day drudgery of doing household chores, with a melancholy father who barely notices her and a step-mother who treats her like the dust of Cinderella's shoes.

All her life she's been plagued by mysterious and strange visions, all the while yearning for the presence of the mother she's never forgotten.

What she doesn't realise is that life is about to abruptly catapult her into a new adventure.

When she's kidnapped in the middle of the night, she suddenly finds herself on a strange, new, exciting and dangerous journey that will unleash powers she's never known she'd had and will test her strength and character.

Somewhere, out there, Zardonne, ruler of the Dark Rift (a place desolate, barren and devoid of life - barring the presence of hideous demons), is plotting to invade every corner of the surrounding villages in search of power, authority and mastery over all.

It's up to Tenya and her new companions to discover the magic within her, search for the mother she always felt was alive and together, defeat the devious and demonic master of darkness.

Review:
I am really surprised that I actually ended up enjoying this novel.

The one thing that always makes me nervous is when an author asks me to review a book and I end up not liking it. I do love writing honest reviews, but rarely post reviews on books that I feel have no redeeming quality at all.

I have to admit to being a bit reluctant to read this book as I do think that the cover of the novel is uninspired and doesn't give off that "must-read" feeling that it should. I know one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in one way or another, i do think that everyone is swayed by lovely cover artwork.

Luckily for me, my eagerness to become acquainted with a relatively unknown author's work overwhelmed any reluctance I felt towards reading the actual book. And even though the book has its flaws, I am really glad that I ended up reading it.

At the beginning of the novel, we meet a rather unhappy Tenya. Currently residing with her father and stepmother, Tenya is forced to endure hardship under the iron-fisted rule of said stepmother.

She immediately gains our empathy as she is forced to endure the awful treatment at the hand of her stepmother while her very absent father is rarely at home. Of course, even while she labours away, the sweet, dutiful and sheltered Tenya obviously wishes for freedom.

The old saying, "Be careful what you wish for", applies here as Tenya gets her wish, but just not in the way that she expects.

One night, after standing up to her stepmother, she is kidnapped by two minions of a Dark Lord whose nefarious plans involve getting rid of her, along with the mother that she's always sensed was alive.

What I really liked about the novel is that Cheryl does an incredible job of creating a sheltered character whose growth throughout the novel is set at a realistic and very believable pace.

From living in a sheltered and relatively quiet village, to travelling on a quest to find her mother, Tenya is forced to adapt to circumstances and to adjust whatever perils are thrown her way.

Luckily for her, she's rescued along the way by one of her mother's oldest companions and who quickly becomes a trusty side-kick and friend.

The growing friendship was something that I could easily believe and I thought that it was really great that the trusty sidekick proved to be as great of an alley as he did.

I also liked the fact that when her magic finally revealed itself, she wasn't instantly sure of herself and her ability to use it. It was great to see her being tried and tested and made me root for her even more. I also enjoyed the world-building in this novel, although I did find it overly descriptive at times.

I did have 2 major issues with this book though and the one is that the final confrontation dragged out a little too long for me.

At 232 pages, the novel isn't all that long, but reading a long and drawn-out battle like the one in this novel, made me actually just want to rush through the novel to get to the end.

My second issue with this book (and it's probably the one issue that prevented me from enjoying the novel in its entirety) is some of the dialogue. For me, one of the important things about enjoying a novel is that when I read the novel and its dialogue, I don't actually want to feel as if I'm reading a story.

For me, the dialogue needs to be so convincing, that even though I'm reading a book, the book needs to sway me into believing that this story has actually happened. I realise that this is somewhat paradoxical, but when I'm escaping into a fantasy novel (or any other novel for that matter), then the fantasy needs feel and real for me.

Which means, the dialogue needs to be believable enough for me to be convinced that the whole fantasy world is real in all of its fantastical glory. Does that make sense?

But, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the novel, because I did.

I think it's a solid effort on the author's part and I think the novel will appeal to a broad range of people, especially younger readers. The book is filled with tons of adventure, a brave and very likeable heroine, and a lot of interesting allies who all serve to make Tenya's quest all the more interesting for it.

It's a book that definitely deserves the chance to be read!

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Wind and Fire in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Cheryl Landmark. This has in no way influenced or affected my review and opinion of the book.

Drought blog tour (author guest post): When I'm not writing

2011-02-18T08:11:00.001+02:00

I don't know about you but one of the things that fascinate me most about authors (published or in the process of being published), is how they manage to find the time to write. As someone who works as a full time online book journalist (which is just a part of my job description), I barely have time to blog and juggling my time tends to become a rather tricky feat.

Yet, somehow these fabulous authors not only manage to get their writing done, but they also manage to balance it all out by finding time to do and participate in all the things that they love, apart from writing ('Tis an art that I have yet to get right)..

This is why I'm very excited to be hosting Pam Bachorz, author of the recently released YA dystopian fiction novel Drought on my blog today as part of the Drought blog tour arranged by Jessica and Kari over at The Teen Book Scene.

In today's blog tour stop, Pam tells us what she does when she's not writing. I really enjoyed reading this as there are many of the things she lists that I love doing as well. Especially the bit about board games and word games.

Without further ado, here's Pam's list of things that she loves to do when she's not writing.

When I'm not writing by Pam Bachorz

Well, I'm the mother to a kindergartener and I also work full-time for a textbook publisher, so that tends to take up a lot of time!

But when I can make some time, I have developed an obsession for what I call "flail fitness": aerobics classes with a lot of dance moves.

My ultimate favorite is Body Jam but I also love Zumba and have gotten hooked on the Kinect dance game for the days when I can't get to a "flail" class.

I also am the mostly symbolic leader of a Bunco group--a bunch of women who meet up once a month to play a dice game and gossip.

I love it; I started the group when we moved to DC three years ago and I've made some of my closest DC friends through that group.

We try to make a point of getting out and exposing our Little Dude to culture regularly, so we visit DC's amazing selection of museums pretty often. Most recently we went to see a special Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Smithsonian.

And I love to travel wherever, whenever, even if it's just an overnight to the next closest city. My sister lives outside of NYC so she and my brother-in-law are frequent victims of our love of travel! Not frequent enough, though.

Finally, I adore board and word games. The minute someone says "Monopoly", "Bananagrams" or "Dominoes", I am THERE!

About the book:
Drought by Pam Bachorz

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power.

But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong.

He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world.

Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

Doesn't it sound fabulous? I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

Thanks to Kari and Jessica for having me host Pam on my blog today and to Pam for stopping by on my blog today. Be sure to check out the rest of the blog tour stops here.

Additional author info:
-Follow Pam on twitter here.
- For more info on her books, bio and any news relating to her books, you can also visit her website here.

Waiting on Wednesday: After Midnight

2011-02-16T08:39:00.000+02:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea behind this meme is to highlight up and coming releases that we just can't wait to read.

This week's choice is After Midnight by Lynn Viehl. I stumbled upon this one quite by accident and even though it is another vampire story, it did pique my interest enough to add it to my TBR pile. In fact, I think this is one of those books that will maybe just end up surprising me.

After Midnight (The Youngbloods #1) by Lynn Viehl
Sophomore Catlyn Youngblood is used to the nomadic existence she and her two older brothers have shared since the death of their parents.

When they settle down for good in the sleepy backwoods town of Lost Lake, Florida, Cat thinks they might finally fit in. Instead, they're shunned by the locals.

While riding her horse late one night, Cat meets an enigmatic and handsome boy named Jesse Raven.

Even more strange than her overpowering attraction to him is Jesse's apparent aversion to the sun. As their attraction intensifies, long-kept secrets come to light.

Cat learns that the Ravens are a centuries-old vampire clan . . . and worse still, that she and her brothers are descendents of Abraham Van Helsing, the world-famous vampire hunter. Mortal enemies by blood, the two families do all they can to keep them apart. But Cat and Jesse will risk everything to be together—including death.

That's it from me for this week. What's on your WoW list this week?

Book talk: The book that wouldn't end

2011-02-13T13:37:00.000+02:00

Today is a start of a new feature on my blog. As most of you know, I tend to post reviews and do a few memes with the odd book post or two. I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and do more regular book discussion posts.

I haven't set out a set time for these Book talk features yet, but I do know that I want to do more of them regularly.

So without further ado, here's my first book talk discussion post. Feel free to join in on the debate. I always love hearing from you. The column below, is one I've originally written for the monthly newsletter I send out (Michelle, I promise to tell you more about this in a future post), but I thought I'd rework it and post it here as well.

The book that wouldn't end.

Not too long ago, I read a book called Angelology.

It was one of the most interesting books that I've had in my hands over the course of last year, but I have to confess that I found myself wishing throughout the novel that the book would just come to a friggin' end.

As an avid bibliophile, I can happily (and easily) immerse myself in the world of a thick, juicy novel. And yet, the fact that I actually enjoyed Angelology but secretly hoped it would end made me wonder:

At what point does a book become too long of a read?

Before Angelology, I was convinced that only boring books were excessively long, but the fact that I enjoyed the book and still found it excessively long suddenly had me questioning all my previous notions.

It usually never takes me all that long to finish a novel, but with Angelology, I suffered through the book for a good 3-4 months max.

Of course, I realise that I could have just ditched the book, but there's this nagging, persistent voice that always insists on giving the book a decent chance (there are a few exceptions to this rule though, but that's a post for another day). Besides, as mentioned previously, I actually did end up enjoying the book to an extent.

Still, I can't help but ponder on the question: If the book was a good book, then surely the reading experience should by default be a great one too? Apparently not so for me.

I suppose it may boil down to the fact that there are various degrees of comparison as to just how great a good book is, but it somehow all just seems so unlikely that there are boring good books. It's all such an annoying paradox to me.

I asked some of my colleagues at work what they thought - and besides receiving the rather obvious answer, here's what they had to say.

My friend Robyn: "A book becomes way too long for me when I've reached chapters 3-4 and the author is still introducing characters to me. It's an absolute pet hate of mine."

Another colleague said that when she finds herself having to spend more time going through a dictionary than reading, then the book loses its appeal.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this though. When does a book (good or bad) become too long of a read for you? And which books (although you've enjoyed them), did you find ended up being a laborious read of note?

(A Classic) Book review: Like Water for Chocolate

2011-02-08T21:51:00.000+02:00

Since Michelle from Fluttering Butterflies is hosting love month on her blog, I thought I'd post a review paying homage to my favourite love story of all time. It's not a YA fiction novel, but it is a novel that introduced me to magic realism - a genre that I adore to this day.

So what makes for the perfect love story? Here's my humble opinion and my recipe for...

... The perfect love story:

(Warning: This recipe may induce plenty of gushing. See notes below to see how severely affected this reviewer was... and still is)

1. Take one book
2. Add a few sumptuous recipes
3. Infuse with touches of magic realism
4. Add a heap full of fragrant flavours
5. Pour in a cupful of earthy, human emotion
6. Mix in a healthy dose of unresolved lust, tension and heated gazes

Pour in a bowl, mix them all together and watch as the perfect love story unfolds. Allow it to simmer, heat and send your system into a seductive frenzy that will leave you feeling dizzy with its luscious writing and mouth-watering recipes.

Side notes: Be sure to flush out all superfluous ingredients such as jealous sisters, forbidding, spiteful mothers and outdated, traditional rules that threaten to spoil and get in the way of a happy ending.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Chained to Mexican tradition at the time, Tita, the youngest of three daughters is gifted with an exquisitely unique cooking skill.

Confined to a dreary future of serving and attending to her mother's needs till her death, she is forbidden the right to marry (according to the staunch rules amongst traditional Mexican families at the time).

Naturally tradition finds itself flailing in mid-air upon the arrival of the forbidden - which just so happens to come in the form of the very delicious Pedro.

Enchanted by the utterly beguiling Tita, it doesn't take him long to fall in love with the extraordinarily talented cook.

When he tries to win her hand in marriage, his request is vehemently refused by Mama Elena, Tita's staunch, unyielding and spiteful mother. To try and soften the blow, Mama Elena offers her older daughter Rosuara to him instead.

Out of sheer desperation Pedro agrees to marry her - only doing so to remain close to Tita.

For the next 22 years, Tita and Pedro are forced to move in the same circle, swathed in their unconsummated passion for each other – and kept apart by ensuing events which affects everyone in the family…

Review:

As I've mentioned before, this book is the book that introduced me to a genre that to this day still leaves me enchanted. I actually read this years ago, but the contents of it are still as vividly imprinted into my mind as if I just finished it yesterday.

One has to marvel at a book with the capacity to instantly transport you into its earthy, vibrant and voluptuously decadent world, even though you haven't read it in years.

The element of magic is a very strong feature in this novel and is written in monthly instalments of magical and sumptuous recipes – each of which plays a pivotal part in the events that follow within the story.

Each dish that Tita prepares speaks of the emotions that she cannot always express when around her family and is used as a means to express her love to Pedro and often has comic and heartbreaking effects on everyone else who consumes her dishes.

The writing, the characters - everything about this novel has a sensuality about it that always leans on the precipice of something greater. It's not what is said that makes the novel so fantastic, but how the author invites you to use your imagination with her sensual, decadent words.

Every word is smooth as velvet chocolate, melts on your tongue and lulls your system into a drug-induced state of hazy, hedonistic pleasure.

In short, the book is an aphrodisiac.

And if you don't quite believe me, I'd highly recommend reading that shower scene. (*Tammy pauses to recover from a bout of swooning*)

I'd love to reveal more about the characters, but for once, I'm going to just tell you that this is a book where the characters, their emotions, interactions and connections need to be experienced firsthand - especially the electric chemistry between Tita and Pedro.

What I can say though, is that their love story is a story I would want for my own... except with the horrible mother and evil sister of course.

Part mythical and partly historical, Like water for chocolate is an enchantingly magical, sumptuous feast of a novel touched with a quality of earthiness and idiosyncratic grandeur that makes for a delicious read…

[Tammy would like to apologise for making any of her blog readers gag on this review. And for abusing the word earthy. She couldn't help it. It's the book's fault.

She also thinks that it's a good thing that she's all the way in South Africa - if she was anywhere near her blog readers, she'd probably force you to read it in some way or the other. *grins*

Finally, Tammy shall now proceed to stop referring to herself in third person mode. Gosh, how annoying am I? ]

Trailer highlights and contest winner

2011-02-06T00:05:00.000+02:00

Wow! A whole week has passed by since I've done an update on my blog. So sorry about that as work deadlines took priority and left me with no time to do any blog posts. Boo!

Anyway, first up, is a contest winner announcement. Thanks to everyone who entered the So Shelly giveaway. I thought I was the only one who was looking forward to reading this book, but judging from the fantastic responses to the entries, there are quite a number of you who are also keen on reading this.

Without further ado, the winner of this giveaway is Aisle B!

Congratulations! A copy of So Shelly will be making its way to you very soon,For everyone else, don't worry, I've got a new contest coming up soon, so stay tuned for that!

Moving along to some trailer highlights. I haven't done this in quite some time and thought I'd share a few trailers that I've stumbled across.

First up is:

Book:
Of Light and Darkness: The Vampire's Daughter by Shayne Leighton

About the book:
Abandoned as an infant in Prague, Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by Valek, one of the last Vampires left alive. Genocide and war conflicts their secret society nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe.

But when the dictator in power becomes threatened by evil lurking in Valek's past, Charlotte must find a way to fight for the only one she's ever loved and the only thing she has ever truly believed in...and all before the sun comes up...

... I have to admit that I'm absolutely not loving the book's actual cover, but do think that the premise of the story sounds interesting.

Also, the book is set in the Czech republic, so I'm keen to see just how the story plays itself out, especially against a backdrop that sounds so different. Love the book trailer.

Up next is....

Book:
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

About the book:
The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.

But that's exactly what happened.

Face-to-face with dark forces, spell-binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

.... I've been pretty excited about this book for a while now. I don't think many people really know about this book, but I love the idea that the shape shifter is something other than a wolf.

Also, the magic and mystical worlds? Pretty much had me sold. The book trailer is certainly an interesting one too...

And finally.... a trailer taken from the book I'm currently reading:

Book:
You Against Me by Jenny Downham

About the book:
When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.

... I'm not all that far into this novel yet, but am really enjoying it so far. Jenny writes with a remarkable understanding and insight into the lives of the teens who are affected by a traumatic event and writes in such a way that so far, this book has just been keeping me on edge.

That's it from me for now...

Will do some catch ups tomorrow. Both my contact lenses have broken, so I'm taking quite a bit of strain as my glasses haven't been helping me much.

In the meantime, have you stumbled upon any fab new trailers lately? Let me know... I'm always on the hunt for new book trailers.

In my mailbox (20)

2011-01-30T07:58:00.000+02:00

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Kristi from The Story Siren.

I’ve had another fantastic book week this week as I not only won a book on the blogs, but also received some lovely books that I was not expecting at all (both of which I'm really looking forward to reading). Finally, I also bought 2 new books (actually bought four but still waiting on 2 to arrived), which I'm just as trigger-happy excited about.

Here's this week's IMM.

Amber Frost by Suzi Davis
Special thanks to ireadiwrite publishers for sending me a copy of Amber Frost to review. This one is an e-book, which I'll be reading this week.

I'll also be interviewing Suzi Davis, the author of Amber Frost once I've read the book, so be sure to check that out when you have a moment. Sounds like a really interesting paranormal fantasy romance so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Belladonna by Mary Finn (ARC Copy)
Won this one from Jan at Eating YA Books. I'm sure you must have seen me raving about this one in previous posts before, so I don't need to mention how happy I am to have received this.

Love the name, love the idea of enchanting tales of circus life and of course I love the gorgeous cover that goes with this.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
This is one of those books that I haven’t been expecting. I recently attended Pan Macmillan's 2011 Children's book Presentation where we had all the UK representatives from the various publishers presenting their catalogue of books that we can look forward to for this year (Yup, the lovely folks flew all the way to South Africa to speak at the Pan MacMillan (The South African offices) presentation.

We each received a goodie bag filled and Starcrossed was one of the many fabulous surprises that we received. *excited squeal* Starcrossed romance and Greek tragedy all rolled into one? Yay!

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Bought this via the Book Depository. I've heard that her latest book has been getting a lot of flack, but apparently her vampire series is awesome.

Besides, I've wanted to read this one for quite some time now, so I went ahead and bought a bind up of the first three books all in one.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
I have wanted this book for ages upon ages now. Edgar Allen Poe? Dark seductive worlds? Gothic boy? Romance? I really don't think I need to tell you how excited I am about finally having this book.

Besides, every review I've seen for this book has been nothing short of glowing, so who am I not to get myself a copy of this book. Planning on reading this before the end of February, so should have a review up sometime in mid-Feb! Can't wait.

And finally, the cherry on top of the ice-cream....

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Again, another book from my books I'm looking forward t o in 2011 that I've received. This one has also been receiving a lot of raving reviews, so I'm hoping that it really does live up to its hype.

I adore the cover and am very intrigued by Grace - who happens to be the main character that wakes up in a white room with no clue as to how she got there. I instantly want to know the how, what, why's and when of this book, so will also make this one a high priority read.

That's it from me for this week though. What’s in your IMM this week? Feel free to share in the comment box below.

P.S. Wil be announcing the winner of the So Shelly giveaway by tomorrow, so stay tuned to find out if you're a winner.