Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Top 10 Books I read in 2013

1. Unsaid Things... Our Story by McFly
2. Unremembered by Jessica Brody
3. The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen
4. The Underworld by Jessica Sorensen
5. The Vision by Jessica Sorensen
6. The Promise by Jessica Sorensen
7. Die For Me by Amy Plum
8. The Lost Soul by Jessica Sorensen
9. Heist Society by Ally Carter
10. Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

In My Mailbox December 2013

I got a lot of books this month The Hunger Games series of my boyfriend but mainly books for my kindle with my Christmas money and just random books I saw on Amazon that I thought sounded good.

Paperback

1. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
4. Witch Finder - Ruth Warburton
5. Morganville Vampires: Daylighters - Rachel Caine
6. Savage - Nancy Holder

Kindle

1. Therapy For Ghosts - Eric Praschan
2. The Soul of the Ships - Brian Freeman
3. Winter's Destiny - Nancy Allan
4. No Mercy - Wendy Cartman
5. Dark World - Danielle Q Lee
6. The Stat of Us - Lauren Blakely
7. Ivory - F. M. Sherrill
8. Witch Way Berds - Olivia Hardin
9. Frozen Stars - David-Matthew Barnes
10. Parched - Z. L. Arkadie
11. Karma - Nikki Sex
12. I Remember - Cynthia P. O'Neill
13. The Accidental Demon Slayer - Angie Fox
14. Inhale - Kendall Grey
15. Loving a Fairy Godmother - Danielle Monsch
16. Willow Pond - Carol Tibaldi
17. Unforgotten Chapters 1-5 - Jessica Brody
18. Sacrifice - Mayandree Michel
19. The Conduct - Stacey Rourke
20. Cinderella Wore Combat Boots - D. L. Jackson
21. High Witch - Mona Hanna
22. The Silver Collar - Kate Polcani
23. Witch Flame - Tara West
24. Dying to Forget - Trish Marie Dawson
25. A Thread of Magic - Crista McHugh
26. Deliver Me - Paige Logan
27. Witches - Phil Stern
28. Forbidden - Jana Oliver
29. The Haunted Series - Jessica Verday
30. Delirium Series - Lauren Oliver
31. Someday, Someday Maybe- Lauren Graham
32. Ethereal - Addison Moore
33. Tremble - Addison Moore
34. Burn - Addison Moore

A Present For Christmas by Shiloh Walker

 Release Date: October 30th 2010
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Faced with a choice, David has to decide what matters the most. Home…or the heart. 

After completing an assignment in Alaska, he’s about to head home, but he realizes he might be leaving behind his heart—Cris, the woman he fell in love with. Now he has to make a choice. Return home to everything he knows, or take a chance on love.

This short story was pretty good, you could feel how the characters felt through the words that were used. It was well written and I wish it was a full story because you don't get a chance to get to know the characters, they drew my interest but because it was so short you couldn't get to fully explore them.

When David's job in Alaska end's he goes back home to Ohio leaving Cris behind because she doesn't want to leave her home and family in Alaska but both of them are miserable about the decision's they make.

As David waits at the airport hoping Cris will turn up and leave with him Cris decides the best way to get threw the heartbreak, Christmas and her birthday is to spend it alone in a cabin in the woods because everything she looks at reminds her of him, she doesn't realise he has stayed.

It wasn't predictable and I was hoping the present was something different. I would like to read more about this story giving more details on how they met and what happened after Christmas.

Review - Life was Easier When Boys Were Stupid by Sarah Billington

Release Date: April 10th 2011
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Jess is at a party and girls and boys around her are locked together at the lips and hips.

When did everyone grow up so fast? She's not sure she wants to, but her girl friend Carla points out a boy across the room with eyes only for Jess.

This is the first book by this author that I have read. It was only a short story so it only had a few pages and it was pretty good.

Jess didn't want to be at the party it felt like she felt thought that she didn't fit in with all the other girls and boys locking lips, its clear that she isn't as comfortable with her appearance as her friend is and would much rather be at home maybe watching a film or reading a book.

I felt that the story could have been a little longer because I wanted to know what happened to Jess and the guy at the end and what happened with Jess and her friend Carla the next day and if Jess told her mum what was happening at the party.

I don't really know what else to say about the book because it was only short and I don't want to give the whole story away.

Wishlist Wednesday

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

Evertrue is the third and possibly the last book in the Everneath series and will be in stores January 21st

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and I hope Santa has brought you lots of books.

Goodreads Challenge

Well I have a week to reach my Goodreads challenge of 20 books read in 2013 and I don't think I am going to make it. I have read 18 books so far and its Christmas tomorrow so I won't be reading tomorrow so that leaves me with only 5 days to read 2 books and I am such a slow reader I don't think it is going to happen.

I am really thinking of reading some books I have on my kindle that have around 100 pages in because I know I will be able to finish them in a day.

Also so far this year I think I have read around 8 books of my to be read in 2013 list and there was 22 on the list haha.

Next year is going to be very busy catching up on all the books I have not read of my 2013 list plus the books I want to read in 2014 (so far there is 9 books on that list).

I hope you have all completed your challenge or are close to completing it leave a comment below and let me know if you have and some tips on how I can go about reaching my goal next year.

Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

This weeks Top 10 is Top 10 books I wouldn't mind Santa bringing me

1. In Love with The Enemy by Brigett Scott
2. Forbidden by Jana Oliver
3. The Haunted by Jessica Verday
4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
5. Of Triton by Anna Banks
6. No Escape by Anna Jones Buttimore
7. Ethereal by Addison Moore
8. Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
9. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
10. Kissed By An Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

Review Unforgotten Chapters 1-5 by Jessica Brody

Release Date: December 17th 2013
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long.

Before I start my review I have only given it 3 stars because it is only the first 5 chapters and because it was left on a cliff hanger (I hate it when authors do that) and it made me want the book NOW so I could find out what happened.

The story starts off with where Unremembered ended with Seraphina escaping from Diotech and falling to her death into a volcano and then goes to one week earlier where Seraphina is waking up after having a nightmare.

The book seems to be set before Unforgotten and during the first 5 chapters Seraphina is worrying that Diotech are going to come after her again and it doesn't seem to help that the woman in the family she and Zen are staying with doesn't seem to like her and this makes Seraphina more paranoid.

In the first 5 chapters you find out what Seraphina and Zen are doing and where they are and that they have to be careful about what they say and do so Diotech's people don't find them.

I'm not giving a long review because I don't want to give away to much encase some people are waiting until they can read the whole book. I can't wait until February 25th when I can read the whole book and find out what happens to Seraphina and Zen after chapter 5 because Jessica ended chapter 5 on a OMG moment.

Catching Fire

I went to see Catching Fire at the cinema tonight and it was awesome, it made me want to defiantly read the books as I've not read them yet. I have just added the books to my 2014 to be read list.

For those of you who haven't seen it yet your totally missing out and those of you who have read the series please let me know what you thought. (NO spoilers)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire trailer

Wishlist Wednesday

The Unseemly Education of Anna Merchant by Joanna Wiebe
So many secrets for such a small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.

One by one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father could have paid to get her in… and why.

As a beautiful senior struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is destroyed by it.

This is book one in the V Trilogy and is to be released on the 14th January.

Challenges Ideas for 2014

I've been looking on different blogs online for challenges I can do in 2014 and so far I've decided to take part in the Reread January Challenge because there are books I read a the beginning of last year and the second book is out either already or sometime in 2014 and I want to read the first one again because I either loved the book or I just want to recap on what happened before I read book two.

There are other challenges on the blog such as read 52 books in 52 weeks and Just for fun reading challenge. I would love do the 52 books in 52 weeks but there is no way I could do this challenge. maybe I will take part in that challenge in 2015 if I can complete my goal in 2014 and the challenge is still running.

I have decided to challenging myself to read as many books as I can off the BBCs top 100 greatest books as well as the 15 books I put on my 2014 To be Read list, because it is December now and I have read 17 books so far this year and I know I could have read more and I want to read at least 35 in 2014. I have made a start on my TBR 2014 list and I have 6 books on it. I am going to go threw my kindle and pick some books off there as I have over 1000 book on it and have read about 5.

This blog (novel challenges) has a lot of challenges the ones listed above are from that blog (except the BBC top 100) but they find challenges from other blogs and post them on their blog and give you the link to where you can sign up to do the challenge.

If you have any links to any challenges that you think I could cope with for 2014 please comment and leave the link to the challenge below.

Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Top 6 New-to-Me authors I read in 2013

1. Amy Plum
2. Jessica Sorensen
3. Ally Carter
4. Cat Clarke
5. Suzanne LaFleur
6. McFly

Review - The Evanescence by Jessica Sorensen

Release Date: April 23rd 2013
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

My name is Gemma Lucas and everything in my life is falling apart. Lost Souls are roaming the world, possessing people and the fey have made it their mission to torture the innocent. Death and suffering is becoming a way of life and no matter what I do, things keep tearing Alex and me apart. What’s worse is that every time I look into the future, all I see is a nearing finality for us. And I’m worried that maybe this time I won’t be able to change it.

The Evanescence is the last book in the Fallen Soul series.

It starts off exactly where The Lost Soul ends with Alex and Laylen dead and Gemma grieving and royally angry.

This book has it all with its continuous non stop drama. Took me 2/3 days to read because I was reading it between writing an essay and working on another uni project but it is the best out of the two from the spin off series.

There was a lot of action and a lot of secrets revealed at the start including more loopholes being revealed and there are a lot of things that Gemma needs to fix including rescuing Aislin and the ever annoying Nicholas.

I am glad that she didn't have Gemma leave Alex for Laylen because I love Alex and think Gemma and Aislin's friendship is great and didn't want to see that get ruined, I was surprised however that Evan and Aleesa got together though because she's a crazy nut ball and I though her and Nicholas would have made the perfect couple haha.

I don't think the ending could have been better it was great knowing that the characters I have come to love all get the happy ever after they so desperately need after everything they have been threw.

The only thing about this book that I did not like is the constant change in characters POV it's not just this book that I did not like it in I don't like it in any book as it gets a little confusing sometimes.

Wishlist Wednesday

Timestorm by Julie Cross
The battle between the Tempest division and Eyewall comes to a shocking conclusion in this final installment of the Tempest trilogy, where the need for survival stretches the boundaries of history, both past and future, and the world Jackson once knew is a place forever marked by the detrimental effects of time travel.

As Jackson recovers from his brush with death, he’s surrounded not only by the people he loves most—his dad, Courtney, and Holly—he’s also amongst a few of the original time travelers. As he learns more about their life and how this world began, it becomes apparent that they need to put a stop to Thomas and Doctor Ludwig’s experimenting at Eyewall Headquarters. What starts out as an escape plan becomes a war between time and humanity, between freewill and peace. It’s the battle Jackson was born to fight and he’s not about to back down. Not for anything. Not for anyone.

The breathtaking conclusion to the time-travel trilogy that is “both tender and electric” (Publishers Weekly) Out in stores January 2nd

Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Top 10 book on this years Winter TBR list

1. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
3. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
4. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
5. Winter Fairy - Lola Karns
6. Wintercraft - Jenna Burtenshaw
7. Perfect Scoundrels - Ally Carter
8. Echo - Alyson Noel
9. Goodnight Mr. Tom - Michelle Magorian
10. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

Review - The Lost Souls by Jessica Sorensen

Release Date: June 27th 2012
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Spin-off of the Fallen Star Series.

My name is Gemma Lucas and my life is good. Alex and I eliminated the star, along with Stephan and the Death Walkers. 

Finally I can relax and focus on freeing my father from the Room of Forbidden.

At least that’s what I thought. But things are never this easy.

Then Alex disappears without a trace. As I desperately search for him, I discover secrets I wish I could forget—secrets Alex has been keeping for me. And I’m not sure what to do. Or who I can trust.

Just when I’ve put the past behind me, Lost Souls cross over into the Real World.

This book was..... WOW it kept me hooked from the start just like the Fallen Star series. I love Gemma and Alex.

This Book introduces some new characters as well as brings back old characters - Aislin, Laylen, Nicholas and of course Gemma and Alex. They have so much to deal with in this book, The Queen of the Underworld as well as an attack by Fey (silly Aislin and her spells).

When Gemma tries to get Nicholas to help her free her dad from the Room of Forbidden she loses her Foreseers power when he is forced trick her.

Alex, Gemma and Laylen all get possessed. Alex by a lost soul which Gemma ends up getting out of him and also getting pulled into the Underworld. Laylen gets possessed by Alex and Aislin's great, great grandfather Alexander Avery who turns out to be the Queen of the Underworld and her sisters lover, and Gemma gets possessed by Lucidia. Lucidia eats her sister Annabelle before possessing Gemma so that Gemma stays dead when Lucidia has eventually escaped the Underworld and kills her.

I almost cried at the ending of the book and I am so glad that I am able to start reading the second one right away, I need to know what happens next because so much stuff happens and it doesn't get fixed.

Wishlist Wednesday

The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen
Luke Price's life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside. For Luke, meaningless relationships are a distraction-a way to tune out the twisted memories of his childhood. He desperately wishes he could forget his past, but it haunts him no matter what he does.

Violet Hayes has had a rough life. When she was young, she was left with no family and the memory of her parents' unsolved murders. She grew up in foster homes, living with irresponsible parents, drugs, and neglect, and trying to fight the painful memories of the night her parents were taken from her. But it's hard to forget when she never got closure-and she can't stop dreaming about what happened that tragic night. To make it through life, she keeps her distance from everyone and never allows herself to feel anything.

Then Violet meets Luke. The two clash instantly, yet they can't seem to stay away from each other. Although they fight it, they both start to open up and feel things they've never felt before. They discover just how similar they are. But they also discover something else: The past always catches up with you.

The Destiny of Violet and Luke is out in the New Year on January 7th

Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

This weeks Top 10 is Top 10 2014 releases I'm dying to read.

1. Unforgotten by Jessica Brody
2. Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
3. Timestorm by Julie Cross
4. Cress by Marissa Meyer
5. Shattered by Teri Terry
6. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
7. After The End by Amy Plum
8. Of Neptune by Anna Banks
9. Earthquake by Aprilynne Pike
10. Menagerine by Rachel Vincent

Book Blogger TMI Tag

I got this off my cousin’s blog (loadedshelves) who got it from Amber's Book Blogger TMI Tag which you can find here.

How old are you?
I'm 26 years old.

What book are you reading?
The Evanescence by Jessica Sorensen and I’m slowly trying to get threw Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter.

What are you wearing?
A cheetah onesie and my quilt.

OTP?
Ever and Damen from Alyson Noels Immortal series

Blogger or WordPress?
Blogger!

Going outside being active or staying in and reading a book?
Staying in and reading a book – although I do take my book or kindle with me when I go out

What is the last book you read?
Lost Soul by Jessica Sorensen

What is the book you’re going to read next?
I will probably read Echo by Alyson Noel but I don’t have a planned book

eBooks – yes or no?
Yes! I love my iPad I use it instead of my kindle most the time

Where do you prefer to read?
I don’t mind where I read as long as can read

Who is the last person you tweeted?
Alyson Noel. It’s her birthday so I wished her a happy birthday.

Who’s blog did you look at last?

Brokeand the Bookish

Who is your favourite blogger?
Caragh and Brianna over at Loadedshelves and the guys at Broke and the Bookish

Who is your favourite booktuber?
Don’t really look at booktubers but I do now and again look at The Story Sirens IMM's

What do you do when someone tells you reading is boring?
I tell them they don't know what there missing. Reading helps to escape from the problems in real world and enter the world of someone else.

Who is the last author you spoke to?
Jessica Brody, I was trying to convince her to release Unforgotten early.

Who is the last person you texted?
A friend from uni

Who is your all-time favourite book character?
There are so many its hard to pick. If I had to pick one I would have to say Gemma from the Fallen Star series because she goes threw so much and still comes out winning

UKYA or USYA?
I don't mind, I should probably say UKYA as I don't read enough of them.

What is your preferred drink whilst reading?
Whatever is easiest to do when I need a drink

If you hated reading, what would you be doing instead?
I would probably spend most my time playing computer games if I hated reading because I do like to play the sims every now and then.

How many bookshelves/bookcases do you have?
2 full bookcases and a few piles of books on the side because they don't fit on the bookcases.

If you had the choice to meet all of your favourite book bloggers or all of your favourite authors, which would you pick? You can only pick one.
Probably authors because there's so much stuff I want to know like how they come up with there ideas or when they have their idea how do they turn it into their awesome books.

Insta-love- yes or no?
No, it's better when they start off either hating each other and being forced together or just getting to know each other and then falling in love.

Favourite author?
This is a hard question but I'm going to say Roald Dahl because if it wasn't for his books I probably wouldn't be as into books as I am.

What is the number-one book on your wishlist?
Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

Do you prefer books with female or male protagonists?
As long as it keeps me gripped it doesn't matter

Which is your favourite book-to-film adaption?
I haven't really read many book-to-film books before seeing the film but I did enjoy Snow White and the Huntsman. (book was better than the film tho)

What is the last song you listened to?
Begin Again by Taylor Swift

Which do you enjoy reading more – negative reviews or positive reviews?
I enjoy both because no one has the same opinion of the same book and its interesting to see what others think of a book I really enjoy or I didn't enjoy.

Who are you going to tag?
Who ever reads this and wants to do it next

Discussion - Book Quotes

My discussion today is about authors posting quotes from their soon to be released books or prequels.

Some of my favourite authors like to post quotes from their up and coming novels. At the moment Jessica Brody is currently posting quotes from her novels Unforgotten and Undiscovered on Twitter and Facebook which is torcher because I can not wait to get my hands on a copy of them.

I was wondering how other people felt about this? Does it make you want to read the book more or does it spoil the book for you?

Here's what I think:

I'm torn on how I feel about authors quoting from their soon to be released books. Sometimes it's like please stop with quotes and let me just read the book because I don't want it being spoiled by the quotes, especially because the book isn't due out for a couple of months yet and sometimes it gives away that the character you thought died at the end of the last book is actually alive and well which isn't always a good thing. (I'm talking about Jessica Sorensen killing off Nicholas for him to reappear in the next book - I hated that half fairy, half forseer lol).

Other times I like the quotes because it gives you a little hint at what is going to happen and makes me want to read the book there and then even tho I can't because it's not out yet. Most the time I have forgotten the quotes by the time it comes to reading the book because the quote was posted four or five months before the book was released or because I have read a lot of other books between the quotes and the books release.

Leave a comment in the comment box about how you feel or just take part in the poll along the side.