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.