In My Mailbox December 2012

This month has been busy for review books and I got a few Kindle books for Christmas so I haven't bought books because I didn't know what I was getting.

Books I bought this month:

1. My Naughty Little Sister - Dorothy Edwards
2. My Naughty Little Sister and Bad Harry - Dorothy Edwards
3. When My Naughty Little Sister was good - Dorothy Edwards
4. My Naughty Little Sister's Friends - Dorothy Edwards
5. The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer
6. Ascend - Amanda Hocking

Books I got for the Kindle:

1. Love Travels Forever - Jaye Frances
2. Black Moon - C. L. Bevill
3. Amber Moon - C. L. Bevill
4. Silver Moon - C. L. Bevill
5. Haunted Love - Cynthia Leitich Smith
6. Clouded Rainbow - Jonathan Sturak
7. A Witch Who Made Adjustments - Vera Nazarian
8. Switch! - Karen Prince
9. Secret - Kristen Heitzmann
10. Cinderella's Secret Diaries - Ron Vitale
11. Birth Right - R. J. Palmer

Books received to review:

1. Paris I've Grown Accustomed to Your Ways - Ruth Yunker
2. The Corner Window - Darrel Rachel
3. Political Suicide - Michael Palmer
4. A Kiss after Midnight - Marvin Amazon
5. Scars From A Memoir - Marni Mann
6. Memoirs aren't Fairytales - Marni Mann
7. A World Apart - David M. Brown
8. Fezarius Epiphany - David M. Brown
9. Sea of Crises - Marty Steere
10. Tavern of the Edge of Time - Peter Darrach
11. Shy Town Girls - Katie Leimkuehler, Jennifer Yin, Kate Clinesmith and Melissa Giovagnoli Wilson
12. Wolf Sirens Fever - Tina Smith
13. Wolf Sirens Forbidden - Tina Smith

Wishlist Wednesday

This weeks book is:

Vortex by Julie Cross
Julie Cross's Vortex is the thrilling second installment of the Tempest series, in which the world hangs in the balance as a lovelorn Jackson must choose who to save

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.

Released January 15th 2013.

Festive Literary Tag

From Loaded Shelves who got it from Misty

1. Name 5 books on your Christmas wishlist.
Ascend - Amanda Hocking
Hollowland - Amanda Hocking
Forbidden - Jana Oliver
Balthazar - Claudia Gray
Frozen Heat - Richard Castle

2. A book you like to read/would like to read for the holiday season
The Dinosaur who pooped Christmas - Tom and Dougie from Mcfly

3. Favourite Christmas book as a child
The Chronicles of Narnia

4. Which literary character do you think would give the best gifts?
Damen (before Everlasting) because he could conjure anything I wanted

5. If you could choose 3 literary characters to bestow gifts upon, who would they be, what would you give them.
Damen and Stefan Salvatore - The Vampire Diaries - I owuld give Damen Kathrine so Stefan can have Elena.
Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy - Narnia - The chance to go back to Narnia as many times as they would like.
Rosalee Hale - Twilight Saga - Her human life back :)
Found this hard I knew who I wanted to give to but could not decide what to give so I made up gifts that I thought they would all like.

6. If you could give one character a lump of coal for being bad, who would it be?
Roman from the Immortal Series

7. Which Scrooge-like character do you think would be the biggest downer during the holiday season?
Scrooge

8. Invite 5 authors and 5 characters to a festive season party!
Authors - Alyson Noel, Jenna Burtenshaw, Jessica Brody,Jodi Picoult and Danielle Steel
Characters - Stefan Salvatore (Vampire Diaries), Silas Dane (Wintercraft), Aslan (Narnia), Matilda and Lexi (52 Reasons)

Musing Mondays and Top 10 Tuesday

I have decided that from now on I wont be doing Musing Monday as next semester Monday's are going to be really busy I will be in University all day

No Top 10 Tuesday or Wishlist Wednesday this week with it being Christmas I might be back on next week but we will have to see how busy I am on New Years Day.

Wishlist Wednesday

This weeks book on my wishlist is:

Balthazar by Claudia Gray
For hundreds of years, the vampire Balthazar has been alone--without allies, without love.

When Balthazar agrees to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, he has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye's newfound psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel, seductive master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Now Redgrave plans to use Skye's powers for his own evil purposes.

Balthazar will do whatever it takes to stop Redgrave and exact his long-awaited revenge against his killer. As Skye and Balthazar stand together to fight him, they grow closer--first unwillingly, then undeniably. Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by her. . . .

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray's "New York Times" bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is Top 10 most anticipated books for 2013

1. (Unknown Title) - Jenna Burtenshaw
2. Mystic and Horizon - Alyson Noel
3. Unremembered - Jessica Brody
4. A Witch Alone - Ruth Warburton
5. If I Should Die - Amy Plum
6. Everbound - Brodi Ashton
7. Fall of Night - Rachel Caine
8. Fractured - Teri Terry
9. Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
10. Spellcaster - Claudia Gray

Musing Monday

Should Be Reading

Is there a particular book that is your nemesis – the book you’re determined to one day finish?

I'm not avoiding any book right now but I do have a list of books that I want to finish one day but I keep buying books and putting them off to read the new ones so I could say I'm avoiding all my books but I'm determined to finish them.

Cover Art - 52 Reasons to Hate My Father (paperback) by Jessica Brody

Yesterday Jessica Brody posted on twitter the US paperback cover art for her amazing novel 52 Reasons to Hate My Father. I think the cover art is great and it looks like it is going to be very sparkly.

The paperback release date in the US is February 5th 2013 and you can go here and click one of the links on Jessica's post to pre-order you copy.

You can also sign up to get the Heiress Style Guide while your pre-ordering your copy of 52 Reasons.

Cover Art (french cover) - Fated by Alyson Noel

Yesterday Alyson Noel relieved the French cover art for Fated the first Novel in the Soul Seeker Series. I think the cover art is great and whomever designed it did a fantastic job.

Wishlist Wednesday

This weeks book on my wish list is:

The Anti Prom by Abby McDonald
Popular girl Bliss Merino is ready to have the perfect prom. But when she catches her boyfriend making out with her best friend in the back of the limo, she has only one thought: revenge...Bad girl Jolene Nelson is the last person anyone expected to see at prom. Yet here she is, dressed in pink ruffles and feeling like a fool for believing that he would actually show up...Meg Rose Zuckerman is ready to stop being a wallflower and start experiencing life first-hand  But when her date stands her up, she finds herself on the outside yet again...Three unlikely allies team up for a night of rebellion, romance, and revenge in this high-stakes dramedy from acclaimed young author Abby McDonald.

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday topic is Top 10 books I wish I could read again for the first time.

1. Evermore - Alyson Noel (review)
2. 52 Reasons - Jessica Brody (review)
3. Matilda - Roald Dahl
4. Wintercraft - Jenna Burtenshaw (review)
5. Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian
6. The Sleepover Club series - Rose Impey
7. Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
8. My Naughty Little Sister - Dorothy Edwards (review)
9. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
10. Facing Up To Fatherhood - Miranda Lee (review)

As always these are in no particular order.

The My Naughty Little Sister Collection - Dorothy Edwards

4/5 Stars

Buy it

Buy it

Buy it

Buy it

Buy it

Release Date: October 2002
Add it: Goodreads

Book One: My naughty little sister is stubborn, greedy, and full of mischief. She tries to cut off the cat's tail; she bites Santa's hand; and she and Bad Harry eat all the pudding at Harry's party. How much trouble can one little sister cause?

Book Two: My naughty little sister is always getting into trouble! She gets mad at the photographer and refuses to have her photo taken! Later, she climbs onto the gate and nearly falls when she shows off to Bad Harry. Will my naughty little sister ever be good?

Book Three: It’s double trouble! My naughty little sister's best friend, Bad Harry, is just as naughty as she is! They make secret friends with a mouse and feed it bacon and cheese, and they pretend to eat their bread crusts but hide them instead. Together they cause terrible mischief.

Book Four: My naughty little sister is the naughtiest little girl in the world. She is guaranteed to cause mischief wherever she goes! My naughty little sister can be good - sometimes! She makes a Christmas pudding and she finds an extra special present for Mrs Cocoa Jones next door.

Book Five: My naughty little sister is always doing silly things. She's curious about what's in the chimney, so she sticks a feather duster up there. When all the soot falls out, she tries to hide it! But when she has measles she's itchy and sad and grumpy and has to stay in bed—and can't be naughty at all! How long before she's bad again?

I love these little tales of a little girl who is always getting into mischief and its funny to know that children are still like that now, maybe they don't bite Santa but they still manage to get into a lot of trouble. The mischievous little girl always saw the error of her ways at the end of each story which meant she wasn't always naughty. When My Naughty little sister is with her best friend Bad Harry they cause a lot of trouble because he is just as naughty if not naughtier than she is.

My favourite stories from the collection are 'My Naughty Little Sister and the Solid Silver Watch' it has been for as long as I can remember and 'Bad Harry and Mrs Cocoa's art-pot' because it is funny to see what things amuse young children.

I don't know if children in the 21st century will enjoy them as much as I did I was a child  because they are a little old fashioned. The books take the reader back to a world where children had more time to be a child and to spend with there family but I think they are totally worth a read and children will love these books even 60 years after being originally published.

The My Naughty Little Sister collection is great and every child should be given the opportunity to read them, the stories are short so children won't get bored and they will make any child giggle at the trouble My Naughty Little Sister and Bad harry get into.

Musing Mondays

Should Be Reading

What was the last book you could not finish and why?

The Last book I could not finish was Switched by Amanda Hocking. I'm not sure why I couldn't finish it I think it was because I just couldn't get into the book because I wanted to read Alyson Noel's Everlasting novel. I do plan on reading Switched again next year because I have been told the series is actually good.

Also The Chronicles of Vladimr Tod because I was busy with uni work to get round to finishing it, I decided to buy the collection so that I can read them when I get round to it.

How about you what book have you not finished and why?

Fated - Alyson Noel

4/5 Stars

Release Date: May 22nd 2012
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals, Alyson Noël, comes Fated - a breathtaking new saga brimming with magic, mystery, and an intoxicating love story that will steal your heart away. Meet The Soul Seekers.

Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker - one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead.

There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

Another fantastic book by Alyson Noel. 

After an incident in Morocco where Daire saw visions of her dead father as well as other and crows she is sent to live with her Grandmother Paloma - who she has never met - in a small barren town called Enchantment in New Mexico because her mother believes that there is something really wrong with her and the medication from the hospital are not working.

While she is in Enchantment she discovers a whole new world with magick and doesn't adapt to the place right away and runs away but she misses the bus out of town and has to wait two hours for the next one, while she is waiting she goes into The Rabbit Hole which is a club run by the Ritchers also known as 'El Coyote', Daire runs into Cade.

When running from Cade Daire gets into an accident and after the accident she learns that the Santos family bloodline ends with her and that she is destined to be a Soul Seeker and most of the book is about Daire learning about her skills and how to control them from Paloma. Daire soon discovers that Paloma is the only one who understands her.

Daire is sent on a spirit journey where she discovers that The Raven is her spirit animal and that she is the daughter of the wind and it isn't until her vision quest Daire realises that she is now a Santos and not a Lyons. After the spirit journey Daire came face to face with the two boys.

There is a lot of the Mexican culture in the book such as the 'Day of the Dead' celebration, shamans, witch doctors etc which I found really interesting and learned a lot. Daire learns how to see things threw the eyes of  animals and learns all about her spirit animal the Raven.

At the beginning of the book Daire is more concerned with herself than others but towards the end she becomes more sympathetic to others and concerned in her duty as a seeker than of herself. Dace and Cade are two totally different people and you have to read the book to find out why but Dace is nice, good and kind where Cade is Evil, bad and manipulative. They are both attracted to Daire but both have different reason as to why Dace loves Daire where Cade just wants to use her for evil.

Daire has spent most of her life dreaming of a guy named Dace who is Cade's twin brother. Dace is the one she is meant to spend the rest of her life with and Cade is her enemy. Cade tries to get Daire to join himby telling her that they can make the worlds (Lowerworld, Middleworld and Upperworld) a better place.

Fated was a great read and had a lot of interesting moments which I enjoyed. Alyson's detail throughout Fated was just as good as it was in her previous novels so I wasn't even a little bit disappointed, Fated is just as unique as the Immortals series because it doesn't have vampires or werewolves like most novels out in the world today.

I am looking forward to getting started on Echo 

If your an Alyson Noel fan you will enjoy the first installment of the Soul Seekers.

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday book of the week is:

Ascend by Amanda Hocking

Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn't surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind...even if it's the only way to save them?

The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn't the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she's about to make the ultimate choice...who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life--and now all their lives might be coming to an end.

Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands--if she's ready to fight for it.

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is Top 10 books I want Santa to bring

1. The Fire Chronicles - John Stephens
2. Girl of Nightmares - Kendare Blake
3. Frozen Heat - Richard Castle
4. Balthazar - Claudia Gray
5. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
6. House of Night series - P. C. Cast
7. The Hollow - Jessica Verday
8. My Soul To Take - Rachel Vincent
9. Frey - Melissa Wright
10. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

Musing Monday

Should Be Reading

How do you organize/store your books? Do you go through them often? Or do you pretty much just shelve them and then leave them alone until you need them?

I store my books on a bookshelf that is way to small for the amount of books I have so at the moment they are not really in any order. When I could fit all my books on my bookshelf they were sorted into series by author's last name and then obviously in order the books were written in that series, then the stand alone books go by author's last name.

How about you how do you organize/store your books?

Desert Island Books

I got this of my cousins blog it was a lot of fun and I’d love to know what you would take to a desert island. Please leave comments and let me know!

A book that you have read before and would like to re-read?

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This book was the book that got me back into reading again and it was amazing. I have a huge to read pile and I started uni today so I wont have much time for reading.

A book you have never read but would like to read

Twilight 

I know, I know, I should have read it already but I look at all them pages and think oh my god. I also haven't read them yet because I have seen the films and I don't want to be disappointed in the films because the books are better or the other way round.

A childhood book you would want

Charlotte's Webb

A series that you would like to have

The Immortal Series by Alyson Noel or The Wintercraft Series by Jenna Burtenshaw

I love both series for different reasons so if I was stuck on a desert island I would like to have either of these series

Random selection

Jessica Brody's 52 Reasons to Hate my Father

I have just finished reading this book and I loved it I couldn't put it down

Goodreads Challenge

Yesterday I completed my goodreads challenge.

Last year I struggled to read the 20 books I had set as a challenge and this year I managed to finish it early and read the 20 books, so next year I think I will make it harder and set myself a challenge to read 30 books instead of 20.

To Be Read December

This month I plan to read the following books:

1. Fated - Alyson Noel
2. Echo - Alyson Noel
3. Unsaid Things - Mcfly
4. Camelot's Cousin - David. R. Stokes (review book)

As the last few months I have planned to read books but I never ended up getting round to reading them because of uni this month is different I have half of December off uni so I will have more time to read and won't have to go uni or do work and stuff instead.

In My Mailbox November 2012

This was another crazy month for books but mainly because most of them were on pre-order, some I got for my birthday (mainly kindle ones) and because I have now started to receive review copies from authors :D.

Books I bought this month:

1. Echo - Alyson Noel
2. Heat Wave - Richard Castle
3. Heat Rises - Richard Castle
4. Bitter Blood - Rachel Caine
5. My Naughty Little Sister - Dorothy Edwards

Books I got for the Kindle:

1. The Underworld - Jessica Sorensen
2. The Vision - Jessica Sorensen
3. The Promise - Jessica Sorensen
4. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself - Harriot Ann Jacobs
5. A Family Affair - Mary Campisi
6. Maggie, a Girl of the Streets - Stephen Crane
7. Love Lies and High Heels - Debby Conrad
8. The Lady Paramount - Henry Harland
9. Princess Beast - Pamela Ditchoff
10. And The Shadows Dim - Pamela Carron
11. The Pet Psychic Diaries - Jeanne Miller
12. Falcon's Dragon - Luli Gray
13. Hero of her Heart - Lindsey Brookes
14. Haunted - Willow Cross, Brittany Carrigan
15. The Road to Our Daughter: A True Story of the Older Child Adoption Process - Last Mom
16. Angel Babies: And Other Amazing True Stories of Guardian Angels - Theresa Cheung

Books Received to be Reviewed:

1. The Hidden Village - Greg Krehbiel
2. Adin - David Uerkvitz
3. A Gifted Hands: Sainoo No Aru Te - Kenneth Fenter
4. Progenitor: Palak and the Sky Gods - Patrick. T. German
5. Camelot's Cousin - David. R. Stokes
6. Crossroads - Matthew. M. DeGennaro
7. The Captain's Airline - Art Samson

The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter

5/5 Stars

Release Date: October 25th 2012
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Danny wants everything for Christmas. But what he gets is a dinosaur, a very hungry dinosaur.

Danny's new dino eats up all of Christmas, but as we all know, what goes in must come out . . .

Danny is about to have the most EXPLOSIVE Christmas of his life!

There's poop, presents and prehistoric creatures in this festive feast!

I saw this book while looking at the books in Asda. I really wasn't sure what to expect for the story but I stood and it read while waiting for my mum and sister to finish shopping.

Tom and Dougie have proved that not only can they write awesome songs, but they can use their skill to write a great children's novel. It was great. It had a few lines per page and great colourful pictures that any child (or adult) would like. The story was really funny and the rhyming is great throughout. This book has a childlike humour but it appeals to people of all ages.

I think that children will learn not to be greedy which is the moral of the story.

I loved it and trust me you'll love it, your kids will love it, you will chuckle and you will pick it up again and again. I will defiantly be buying it for my 5 year old sister for Christmas.

Hopefully the guys will continue to write more stories like this.

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is here again here's this weeks book: I know it has been out for a while but I just haven't seen it in any of my bookshops.

Cinder my Marissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is Top 10 books I want to read but keep putting off.

Novels

1. Tempest - Julie Cross
2. The Karma Club - Jessica Brody
3. Lady Macbeth's Daughter - Lisa. M. Klein
4. Interview with a Daredevil - Nicola Marsh
5. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
6. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
7. Mcfly's Autobiography - Mcfly
8. Everneath - Brodi Ashton
9. Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake
10. The Blessed - Tonya Hurly

Musing Mondays

Should be Reading

This weeks musing question comes from A Book and a Short Latte

Have you ever read a book after watching the movie/television version only to find that you don’t like the book as much as the adaptation?

Yes I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and thought it was rubbish compared to the movie but I'm not really a big fan of Harry Potter but I am willing to read the whole series eventually.

Bookmarks

Well I got bored earlier today so I decided to make some more bookmarks I need to refill my inks and get some lamination pouches so I can print them and use them.

I now have Alyson Noel, Jessica Brody, Until I Die by Amy Plum, Kendare Blake, Brodi Ashton, Marissa Meyer, John Stephens, Evernight by Claudia Gray, Fallen Star series by Jessica Sorensen, Teri Terry, Meg Cabot's Abandoned, Hunger Games, Jessica Verday, Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, Maggie Stiefvater's Linger series, Richard Castle's series, Amanda Hocking Trylle trilogy, Wintercraft Series, A Witch in Love series, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and some random ones.

Reading, Uni, writing and more reading

This post isn't really all that book related but I have read a little. This week has been a pretty good week for me and my creative mind as I have done a lot of writing on my latest work in progress (I say latest because I have so many incomplete pieces of work) haha.

Over the weekend I finally got round to start reading Fated by Alyson Noel I read the first 100ish pages and I also managed to get a lot of writing done for the first time in months (which I really need to type up onto my laptop instead of handwriting)

Monday my lecture was cancelled because the tutor was ill so after I got back from shopping I sat and read some more of Fated and did some uni homework.

I had uni on Tuesday so I didn't get to read that much even thought I could have read it on the train but it was raining so I left the book at home and when I got home I was to tired to read.

Wednesday was my day off but I wasn't feeling to well so I slept most of the day but I managed to read a few more pages of Fated and got a page or two of writing done.

Today I didn't go into uni as I still felt ill so I managed to read more of Fated and get a few more pages of my little work in progress done. My work in progress is going a bit slow now because I don't know what I want to happen next.

There is no uni tomorrow because it has rained that much today that the main roads are flooded and closed and the trains have been cancelled which means I can now finish Fated and maybe look through my writing and see if I can change it and make it work a bit.

I was thinking of when I have sorted my work in progress out and know that it is working of posting a chapter or just a few pages of it on my blog so people can read it and maybe tell me what they think and what they would like to see happen next but I probably won't only one person ever reads my stuff and that is the person who runs the blog called Loaded Shelves

Hopefully by Monday I will have finished Fated and have written another chapter or two of my work in progress.

Wishlist Wednesday

The Book on this weeks Wishlist is the last in the fourth book in the Nikki Heat Series:

Frozen Heat by Richard Castle
Hot on the heels of Richard Castle's #1 New York Times best-seller Heat Rises comes the fourth novel in the Nikki Heat series, Frozen Heat. Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook are together again, facing an unsolved murder mystery that has haunted Nikki for ten years.

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified woman stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left on a Manhattan street. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Paired once again with her romantic and investigative partner, top journalist Jameson Rook, Heat works to solve the mystery of the body in the suitcase while she is forced to confront unexplored areas of her mother's background.

Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Nikki's search will unearth painful family truths, expose a startling hidden life, and cause Nikki to re-examine her own past. Heat's passionate quest takes her and Rook from the back alleys of Manhattan to the avenues of Paris, trying to catch a ruthless killer. The question is, now that her mother's cold case has unexpectedly thawed, will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years? 

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is Top 10 books that I bought just because I liked the cover art. I have read one but the others are still waiting to be read.

1. Ash - Malinda Lo (review here)
2. Fallen Star - Jessica Sorensen
3. Switched - Amanda Hocking
4. The Emerald Atlas - John Stephens
5. Everneath - Brodi Ashton
6. A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton
7. Shiver, Linger and Forever - Maggie Stievater
8. Die For Me - Amy Plum
9. Tempest  - Julie Cross
10. Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

Musing Monday

Musing Monday is a weekly meme which comes from Should be Reading


This weeks question is. Do you read the ending before you start a book? Do you ever skip ahead to read the ending?

I don't normally read the ending before I start to read the book and I never skip ahead that just spoils the whole book.  But I have to be honest I have done it twice this year. I read the few pages of Jenna Burtenshaws Wintercraft: Blackwatch book before I started the book and I read the first few paragraphs from the last chapter of Everlasting by Alyson Noel. I don't plan on doing it again because it just spoils the book.

World Book Night 2013

I got an email last week to sign up to world book night 2013. World Book Night is on April 23rd 2013 and their are 20 books to choose from but you have to become an applicant first. Applications are open until January 23rd.

Here is the list of the 20 books you get to choose from:

1. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
2. Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman
3. Girl with a pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
4. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
5. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming
6. The White Queen - Philippa Gregory
7. A Little History of the World - E. H. Gombrich
8. Little Face - Sophie Hannah
9. Damage - Josephine Hart
10. The Island - Victoria Hislop
11. Red Dust Road - Jackie Kay
12. Last Night Another Soldier - Andy McNab
13. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
14. The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
15. The Reader - Bernard Schlink
16. No I Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
17. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
18. The Road Home - Rose Tremain
19. Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? - Jeanette Winterson
20. Judge Dredd: The Dark Judges - John Wagner

What is world book night? 
World Book Night is a celebration of reading and books which sees tens of thousands of passionate volunteers gift specially chosen and printed WBN books in their communities to share their love of reading. 

Each year we recruit 20,000 volunteers to hand out 20 copies of their favourite book from our list to members of their community who don’t regularly read.  By enlisting thousands of passionate book lovers around the country World Book Night reaches out to the millions of people in the UK who have yet to fall in love with reading in the hope that we can start them on their reading journey. In addition World Book Night distributes half a million books directly to the hardest to reach potential readers in prisons, care homes, hospitals, sheltered, supported and social housing, the homeless and through partner charities working throughout the UK. World Book Night is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don’t regularly do so.  But it is also about more than that: it’s about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and touching lives in the simplest of ways, through the sharing of stories.

For more information about WBN and to apply visit the WBN website here.

Wishlist Wednesday

It's that day of the week again its Wishlist Wednesday and this weeks book is:

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

It's been six months since Kate, Michael and Emma confronted the Dire Magnus, but the trail to their long-lost family remains cold. Then Michael and Emma find the man who was the last person to see them. He knows about a secret map of a distant, mysterious land - maybe this is the clue that will lead them to their parents...

Meanwhile, Kate's connection to the Book of Time grows ever stronger, and when a dangerous trick traps her in the past, she must find new friends to help her return home. 

Once more the children must embark on a daring and perilous quest to find the second Book of Beginning and harness its power. But will it be enough to save them all?

Top 10 Tuesday

This Weeks Top 10 Tuesday's topic is My Top 10 Favourite Books I Have Ever Read:

1. My Naughtly Little Sister - Dorothy Edwards
2. The Vampire Stalker - Allison Van Diepen (review here)
3. Matilda - Roald Dahl
4. Evermore - Alyson Noel (review here)
5. Wintercraft - Jenna Burtenshaw (review here)
6. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
7. Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
8. 52 Reasons to Hate My Father - Jessica Brody (review here)
9. Willow - Virginia Andrews
10. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis

Everlasting - Alyson Noel

4/5 Stars

Release Date: January 1^st 2011

Buy It: Amazon

Add It: Goodreads

Everlasting is the sixth and final installment of the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen have spent centuries facing down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears-all in the hope of being together forever. Now in Everlasting, their destiny is finally within reach.

Will they be united-or torn apart forever? Readers will finally discover the truth in this anxiously awaited conclusion!

I read this book last month but with starting University I didn't have time to write my review because I had a lot of reading for University to do.

Everlasting is the final book in the Immortals series and I though it was great. I wasn't expecting the ending that Alyson gave the book as I thought Damen and Ever would be together forever as Immortals and not humans which is the way the book ended after Ever and Damen's journey's.

The best thing about Everlasting is that it answered the unanswered question about Lotus. Who she was and what she wanted from Ever and Damen. I also liked that it had a happy ending after bringing everyone from the series dead and alive back together and that there was no hard feelings between Roman, Haven and Drina.

I was disappointed that Ever and Damen didn't use Romen's antidote after Roman gave them the recipe to make it so that they could be together properly forever. I am glad that they will be together for as long as they are alive.

I could see where Ever was coming from when she decided that she wanted to give up being an Immortal and I can also understand why Damen didn't want to give it up because he had spent the last few centuries as an Immortal and being an Immortal is all he knew how to be but I am glad that they didn't break up because they couldn't agree on what they wanted.

All in all Alyson has made the Immortal Series the best series I have ever read and I will defiantly be reading them again but maybe this time it won't take me so long to actually read the whole series.

Musing Mondays

Musing Monday comes from Should be Reading

This weeks question was sent in by I'd rather be reading at the beach 

Name a book that you thought you wouldn't like much, but you ended up loving?
This is probably going to sound bad to Jenna because she know how much I love the series and it is now one of my favourites but at first i didn't think I would like Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw. When I first started reading it I was thought mmm this is probably something I won't enjoy because it isn't my usual type of book but I was totally wrong I loved it and I have read the series twice and I am really gutted that the series has come to an ended.

Guest Review - A Baby's Cry - Cathy Glass

This months guest reviewer is my sister Sarah. Sarah isn't a very big reader so she doesn't have her own book blog, but when she does read it is normally a true story. The following is a review of a book she read a few months ago.

Release Date: March 15th 2012
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

When Cathy is first asked to foster one-day old Harrison her only concern is if she will remember how to look after a baby. But upon collecting Harrison from the hospital, Cathy realises she has more to worry than she thought when she discovers that his background is shrouded in secrecy.

She isn't told why Harrison is in foster care and his social worker says only a few are aware of his very existence, and if his whereabouts became known his life, and that of his parents, could be in danger. Cathy tries to put her worries aside as she looks after Harrison, a beautiful baby, who is alert and engaging. Cathy and her children quickly bond with Harrison although they know that, inevitably, he will eventually be adopted.

But when a woman Cathy doesn't know starts appearing in the street outside her house acting suspiciously, Cathy fears for her own family’s safety and demands some answers from Harrison’s social worker. The social worker tells Cathy a little but what she says is very disturbing . How is this woman connected to Harrison and can she answer the questions that will affect Harrison’s whole life?

There is only one thing I can say about this book is it was amazing.  I have never ever cried at a book before in my life, but I did near the end of this one.  It was so sad, with having a young daughter myself I found it so sad n hard that I could not imagine what Rhianna must have gone threw as well as Cathy and her two children at the point of giving away her baby and Cathy having to give up baby Harrison to his birth mother but such a good ending to a sad story.

Cover Art - Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Jessica Brody has finally announced the UK cover art for her next novel I have been waiting to see this for a while now.  Check out the Unremembered US vs UK cover and ARC giveaway that Jessica is hosting here the giveaway is open to all countries. It closes on November 16th so don't wait and enter now.

US Cover Art

UK Cover Art

Synopsis:
The only thing worse than forgetting her past... is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author, Jessica Brody comes a mesmerizing and suspenseful new series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

This is the first book in the brand new sci-fi/romance/suspense trilogy.

Unremembered is due to be released in March 2013

I am undecided which cover I like most but I am sort of leaning towards the US cover, my mum and sister however like the UK cover the most. Leave a comment and leave your opinions on which cover you like the most and why.

Wishlist Wednesday

This weeks wishlist Wednesday book is a book that is currently in the mail:

Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine
For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires.

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news… or worse.