In My Mailbox January 2015

I only got 7 books this month due to waiting for my student finance to arrive and the 3 actual books were books I won on Goodreads competitions

Books

1. Poppy Lung - Alex Caird
2. A Soul for Attonement - Crista McHugh
3. The Great Zoo of China - Matthew Riley

Kindle

1. At Any Price - Brenna Aubrey
2. Beauty and the Geek - Elizabeth Thorn
3. R.E.M: The Hidden World - Corrie Fischer and Elizabeth Mackey
4. Queen Victoria - Giles Lytton Strachey

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games
Pages: 441
Release Date: 3rd October 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Christmas Present
Format: Paperback Foil Luxe Edition

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The final book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

My Review: I really enjoyed the final installment of The Hunger Games and I am really looking forward to part two of the movie.

So at the end of Catching Fire you will remember that Katniss got rescued from the Quarter Quell and she is now hiding out in District 13 with a few members from the Quarter Quell, while Peeta was captured and is being held in the Capitol with a few others from the Quarter Quell. It was believed that District 13 was bombed and was just a barren wasteland but it turns out that the Capitol made a deal that the remaining people of District 13 could live underground as long as they keep it secret so they have been hiding underground this whole time.

While Katniss and Peeta were in the Quarter Quell President Snow bombed District 12 - there home - and Gale helped to rescue as many people as he could including Katniss' mother and sister and he took the survivors to District 13.

While in District 13 Gale and Katniss train to fight to take down the Capitol and President Snow and save Peeta and Katniss' mother and sister are training to be District 13 nurses so that they can help to cure the sick.

For a while I thought that they would never rescue Peeta and the others from the Capitol but they did it but with a massive price to Katniss' family.

I thought that the ending was great except for Primm's death - I cried so much at this - and I didn't like the fact that Katniss ended up with the wrong person.

I think the story was written perfectly and all the new characters came to life and I could just imagine everyone of them and every scene. I really hope that a spin-off comes out about Katniss' Gale's and Peeta's life after The Hunger Games and having to survive living in District 12 and the aftermath of Katniss' decision of her kill.

Paris Cravings by Kimberley Montpetit

I received this as an eBook for an honest review

Chloe try's to avoid boy trouble by escaping to Paris for her senior class trip but she only goes and falls in love with the French desserts. Chloe meets the son of the baker Jean-Paul and they have a whale of a time but she soon has to leave Paris and deal with her boyfriend drama back home.

Chloe easily falls in love with Jean-Paul its love at first sight, who couldn't fall in love with him, he is French after all.

The writing is fluid and brings the characters to life and it is fast paced and easy to follow.

Ring on Her Finger by Lisa Swinton

I was given Ring on her Finger for an honest review

This book was a fun read but not my cup of tea and I thought that some characters were under developed.

Ring on her finger is about a woman Amanda who has just graduated in Nursing who wakes up in a hotel room with a stranger in her bed and that was not all, she also had a ring on her finger and not just a normal ring but a wedding ring and was still wearing a wedding dress.

Amanda was supposed to go to teach how to help deliver babies in Africa after the summer but she wasn't expecting to get married.

Amanda had married a wealthy man Blake who knew what he was doing while planning the wedding as he was sober and she wasn't but when he tells his family they disown him until he has gotten a divorce but Amanda has no way of paying for it.

My 2015 Book List

Here is the list of books I want to read in 2015 (yes there is a reason that there is only 30) and what weeks I will be reading them so you can read along with me if you want. This list may change due to a new book being released that I forgot about or due to having to read a book to review it so keep referring back to the 'Book List 2015' tab on the top of the page.

There is one book on the list that is a repeat from last year as I read it early last year and I plan on reading book two this year and I can't remember what it was about in all that detail.

(NOTE: This order may change due to review books having to be read and new books that are released.)
WK 1 ;- Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
WK 2 :- Until I Die - Amy Plum
WK 3 :- Of Royal Descent - Ember Shane
WK 4 :- Mystic - Alyson Noel
WK 5 :- Someday, Someday Maybe - Lauren Graham
WK 6 :- If I Should Die - Amy Plum
WK 7 :- Of High Treason - Ember Shane [Review book]
WK 8 :- Horizon - Alyson Noel
WK 9 :- Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
WK 10 :- Unchanged - Jessica Brody
WK 11 :- A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton
WK 12 :- The Selection - Keira Cass
WK 13 :- Switched - Amanda Hocking
WK 14 :- Cinder - Marissa Meyer
WK 15 :- Stargazer - Claudia Gray
WK 16 :- New Moon - Stephanie Meyer
WK 17 :- A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton
WK 18 :- The Elite - Keira Cass
WK 19 :- Torn - Amanda Hocking
WK 20 :- Scarlet - Marissa Meyer

WK 21 :- Hourglass - Claudia Gray

WK 22 :- Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer

WK 23 :- A Witch Alone - Ruth Warburton

WK 24 :- Cress - Marissa Meyer

WK 25 :- Ascend - Amanda Hocking

WK 26 :- Afterlife - Claudia Gray

WK 27 :- The One - Keira Cass

WK 28 :- Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer

WK 29 :- Winter - Marissa Meyer

WK 30 :- Balthazar - Claudia Gray

WK 31 :- Enchanted - Aletha Kontis

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52 Week Challnege

52 Week Challenge is a challenge that is probable already out there but I haven't seen it so I decided that I would make this post to explain myself

I have decided to create a challenge for myself to read 52 books in 2015 and if it is successful I will repeat it every year.

Basically you write down Week 1 - 52 in a column and then next to that the date each week starts (mine starts on a Monday) so the first week of 2015 starts Monday December 29th 2014 and ends January 5th (yes I no that that starts in 2014 but its the start of the week).

Once you have done each week and the date you write your list of books next to each week and yes you can change the list around to add new books, review books or if you just want to read the next book of a series after reading the previous one but you have put it further down the list.

You don't have to fill the whole 52 weeks out (I'm not as I am leaving room for new books and review books)

If you click on my TBR 2015 tab you can see how I've set mine out although the list isn't complete yet as I haven't decided on the books I want to read.

Join in with me, if you like you can post a link to your list in the comments. If you don't want to do the 52 weeks challenge then that's fine too.

Happy Reading x

The Trouble With Flying by Rachel Morgan

I received this as an eBook for an honest review

I thought it was a small easy read and that the story was written well enough to keep me hooked until the end, this story makes a great start to a series and I cannot wait to see what is in store for Sarah and Aiden.

Sarah and Aiden met on a plane on their way to South Africa the only problem is Aiden is so nervous about flying for the first time that he doesn't stop talking but when we find out why he is afraid to fly it is emotional.

Sarah is shy and awkward which I can relate to and she goes through plenty of ups and downs during the book and Sarah meeting Aiden is just what she needed.

The story is a chic lit which I don't normally read but it sounded interesting so I decided to read it and I am glad that I gave it a chance. It is also the first Rachel Morgan I have read and her writing was spot on she knows how to keep her readers hooked.

Books Read in 2014

1. The Evenescence - Jessica Sorensen
2. Arabel's Shadow - Fleur Gaskin
3. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
4. Double Crossed - Ally Carter
5. Avenging Amethyst - Kaitlyn Price
6. The Ambrose Beacon - Alena Gouveia
7. Undiscovered - Jessica Brody
8. The Trouble With Flying - Rachel Morgan
9. Paris Cravings - Kimberly Montpetit
10. Ring On Her Finger - Lisa Swinton
11. Elfineness - Tatyana K. Varenko
12. After Life Lessons - Laila Blake
13. Doll Bones - Holly Black
14. Perfect Scoundrels - Ally Carter
15. Unforgotten - Jessica Brody
16. Echo - Alyson Noel
17. The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer
18. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Challenge

Well I didn't manage to reach my goal of 30 books but that isn't going to stop me from picking 52 books to read this year for my '52 week Challenge' that I will post about later today.

I don't know if I will be able to complete this challenge but I am going to give it a good go I am going to list 30 books on a TBR 2015 post so that any book that I buy during 2015 can be added to the list plus I get review book

I would like to be able to read more book in a year than I have been doing as I want to show my youngest siblings that reading is fun and because I will be out of Uni from around the end of March beginning of April I will be able to catch up on my reading then if I am behind because of being at Uni.

Because I can read on the train to uni as it take about an hour and a half (not including exchanges) to get there I figured that if I read for those 3+ hours I could probably read the 52 book in a year just from travelling to and from uni but I plan on reading for an extra half hour everyday and an extra hour on the days where the boyfriend is at work.

I am also going to have surgery in a few days so I won't be able to do much so I will be able to sit and read each day between doing my essays for semester 1 plus due to the operation I will have to have physio so I can read on the train to the hospital for my physio session and on the way back.

I am not taking part in any other challenges other than read 52 book in 2015 so I can concentrate better on the challenge. I am counting Mockingjay as a book read in 2015 as I have almost finished it even though I read most of it in 2014 so when it comes to saying that it is complete on goodreads I will mark it down that I finished reading it on 4th Jan which will be my Week 1 book for my 52 week challenge.

So what have you set as your goodreads challenge for 2015? And do you feel confident that you can complete it?

Good Luck.

In My Mailbox November and December 2014

I haven't been able to buy many books this last few months but here are what I have bought or had for Christmas

Paperbacks:
Gods and Warriors - Michelle Paver
Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Mass
Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Mass
Heir of Fire - Sarah J. Mass

Geek Girl #3 - Holly Smale

Kindle:
Beg: The Submission Series - C.D Reiss
Bound - Brenda Rothert
Sex With the Lawyer - Kelly Young
The Neighbour (Box set #1-3) - Abby Weeks
The Arrangement - Abby Weeks
Say You Will - Kate Perry
Seduction Secrets - Colleen Connally
The Savage Series (#1-3) - Tamara Rose Blodgett
Shadows on the Snow: A Flipped Fairy Tale - Starla Huchton + Jennifer Melza
A Pretty Mess - Carla Caruso
The Offer - Jayne Blue
A Taste of Power - Cassia Leo
Rushed - Brian Harmon

52 Week Challenge

I am starting a challenge in 2015 called '52 Week Challenge'. This challenge involves me reading a book a week but I will only be putting 30-35 books on my TBR 2015 list so that I can add review book that I receive and I can add new releases. I hope you join in with me :D

There will be more details about my challenge in next few days as I have a load of book reviews to go up.

Happy Reading

Currently Reading: Mockingjay Suzanne Collins

Currently Reading: Until I Die - Amy Plum

Read In 2015: 0/52

Working on a WIP and Author Advice

Since Friday I have been working on a Work in Progress (WIP) story that I have been writing for a while, I have been changing it every time I go on it but I have managed to write 2000 words since Friday which is more than I can write when I am doing an essay.

Because I kept opening the document and reading through what I had written the day before and changing it before continuing writing so I asked two authors (who won't be named) who I know well enough to ask questions and know I will get an answer back about how they stop themselves from reading though there work and they both gave me some fab advice.

The Advice:
Author 1. Author one told me that they were guilty of doing exactly the same as I do so to stop them self they put a distinctive mark where you want to begin the next time you put it on something like a hash or anything you've not used in your work or what you don't plan on using I have started using the hash because I have used the star (*) to separate the beginning from the main story.

Author 2. Author two told me that they use a technique called fast drafting which means no matter what just keep writing and never go back because it all about moving forward like you do with a story you want the story to move forward not back. They keep a separate list of things that they want to change in the story and then change them in the revision only after you have completed the manuscript. The author also said that it would make a great blog post so they can write more on this.

Cover Reveal

The long awaited cover for Rising by Lisa Swallow is finally here.

Cover Designed by Najla Qamber Designs

Rising is book 4 in The Blue Phoenix Series and it is in stores in December 2014.

Rising is a contemporary romance/young adult novel.

Synopsis:

"Our demons don't want to play but they sure as hell recognise each other"

Three attempts at staying clean after rehab and Jem Jones, Blue Phoenix guitarist, is determined this time he’ll succeed. Haunted by his recent past, Jem throws himself into the one addiction he still has left: music. With Blue Phoenix on a break, he looks elsewhere for a place to channel his creativity and discovers up-and-coming band Ruby Riot.

For lead singer, Ruby, breaking into the music scene could break the cycle of abuse that’s controlled her life since she was a child.  Finding release through music, the growing success of the band has set Ruby on the path to regaining her identity and self-esteem.

Ruby Riot brings Jem and Ruby together, but Ruby's tangled personal life pushes her closer to a reluctant Jem. Living and touring together, Jem and Ruby discover they have more in common than their passion for music. Can this understanding break down the carefully constructed barriers they’re trapped behind? Or is loving somebody too big a risk to take?

When Jem’s past slams into his present, he has to face the reality behind what made him the man he is and why he hurts the people he wants to love.

And as Ruby reaches out to help Jem, she discovers trying to fix somebody comes with the risk of getting cut by one of their shattered pieces.

Jem and Ruby’s story is the fourth book in the Blue Phoenix series. It can be read as a standalone but contains minor spoilers for the other books in the series.

This book includes scenes of domestic violence that are not gratuitously graphic, but may be disturbing to sensitive readers.

Cover Art Reveal Coming Soon

Tomorrow I am uncovering the new cover art for Lisa Swallow's upcoming novel Rising which is book 4 in The Blue Phoenix Series at 9am EST US time and 2pm GMT UK time.

But before I post the cover here is some information about Lisa Swallow.

Lisa is a romance author and writes both paranormal and contemporary, including the bestselling Blue Phoenix series. In between running a business, looking after her family and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. Lisa is originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2001 and now lives in Perth in Western Australia with her husband, three children and dog.

I have a quote here from Rising.

Other books in The Blue Phoenix Series

Summer Sky & Falling Sky are currently on SALE until November 19^th

In My Mailbox September and October 2014

I haven't bought many books in the last two months as I was waiting to be paid
Books

1. The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer

Kindle

1. Taken - Emma Knight
2. The Ruth Valley Missing - Amber West
3. Vampire World - Rich Douglas
4. Dress up Day - Tina Marie Kaht + Hatice Bayramoglu
5. Beautiful Demons #1-3 - Sarra Cannon
6. Romeo and Juliet: A Vampire and Werewolf Love Story - H. T. Night

Review Book

1. A Timeless Romance Anthology: Silver Bells Collection - Lucinda Brant, Sarah M. Eden et. el
2. Saving Grace - Michele Paige Holmes
3. Twist of Fate - Rachael Anderson
4. My Own Mr. Darcy - Karey White
5. Discern - Andrea Pearson
6. Cinder and Ella - Kelly Oram
7. Owlet - Emma Michaels
8. Blurring the Lines - Mia Josephs

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games
Pages: 448
Release Date: 3rd October 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Christmas Present
Format: Paperback Foil Luxe Edition
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The second book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. 

Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

I read Catching Fire because I liked the films and Mockingjay Part 1 is out in the cinemas in November so I want to have read all the books before I watch the final films because I don't like reading a book after seeing the film because it ruins the book for me.

Through out the book I found myself thinking but why hasn't such and such happened yet it didn't seem to take this long to happen in the film but then a chapter or two later it happens.

In Catching Fire Katniss and Peeta are touring after winning the Hunger Games and are forced to get engaged by President Snow because districts in Panam are starting to cause riots and just when Katniss thinks everything is over - other than the wedding - the guy I believe she is really in love with even if she hasn't admitted it to herself Gale gets whipped for hunting in the woods which is against the law. Before the Games, Gale and Katniss used to go into the woods and hunt all the time but since the uprisings started the laws are now being followed and this is why Gale gets punished.

Not long after Gale's punishment Katniss has to do a wedding dress photo shoot and the next day it is shown on the TV as well as the 3rd Quarter Quell announcement (a Games that happens every 25 years to make everyone remember what happened 75 years before), after the wedding dresses are revealed there's an announcement telling you that this years Quarter Quell theme is putting 24 previous winners into the games to compete again to see who is the best of all which means that for district 12 either Peeta or Haymitch and Katniss must go back into the games.

The book is written really well, the characters are lovable and the plot is gripping, the pace of the book is constant throughout it doesn't drop at anytime and it is a great read and I am looking forward to reading Mockingjay and I think everyone who hasn't started the series yet they really should.

Currently Reading: Until I Die by Amy Plum
Read in 2014: 12/30

Echo by Alyson Noel

Title: Echo
Author: Alyson Noel
Series: Soul Seekers Series
Pages: 396
Release Date: 13th November 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Amazon
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:
She inherited a magical destiny—and a mission to stop a powerful family of dark sorcerers. She never expected to fall in love with one of them.

There’s still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker….and about herself.  As her magical training becomes more intense, so does her relationship with Dace.  But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined, she begins to question if love really can conquer all.

Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the Richters’ dark magic—and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him.  Dace is willing to sacrifice anything to protect the girl he loves —including his own life.  But will Daire allow it?  And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life, but his soul too?

Enchanting, haunting, romantic, Echo is the second book in the Soul Seekers series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël!

When reading Fated I wasn't really impressed by it because I kept comparing it to The Immortal Series so when I started reading Echo I said to myself "don't keep comparing it to The Immortal Series, because it's not The Immortal Series", once I did that I actually realised that the series was good.

The only thing about the series that I really DO NOT like is switching the character point of views with each chapter, I feel that more could be told if it was in just one persons point of view - because half of each chapter is telling you what happened in the chapter before but with a different character - or if it was just told as a story and I gave it 3 stars because of this.

The story was a bit slow to start off with but once it got going I found myself gripped and wanting to cheat and skip to the end to see what happened but I managed to stop myself and it gain the extra star to make 4 because it gripped me after 3/4 chapters.

Even though my connection to the two main characters Daire and Dace aren't as strong as it is for Ever and Damen I kept hoping that they would find a way to stop Cade from destroying the Lower, Middle and Upper worlds but I guess we won't find out if they can stop him until the final book in the series.

My favourite character has to be Xoilich because even though she is blind she know's how people are feeling and that there is something wrong, and I loved the way that she predicted that it was going to snow and everyone except her boyfriend bet against her saying it wasn't going to snow because it never snows in Enchantment.

As always the book is written beautifully, and there is a lot that happens and I felt that I was in the book and could see everything that was happening through out most of the book but especially the final fight scene.

When you found out that Dace and Cade are as one so that if you kill one the other dies, I kind of predicted during Dace's magical training.

I will definatly be reading Mystic after reading this because I want to know if they find a way to save Dace and rid Cade.

Well done Alyson for not making me give up on The Soul Seekers and finally gripping me to a new series.

Currently Reading: Until I Die by Amy Plum
Read in 2014: 12/30

The Dinosaur That Pooped The Past by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter

Title: The Dinosaur That Pooped The Past
Author: Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer
Series: The Dinosaur That Pooped
Pages: 32
Release Date: 14th August 2014
Publisher: Red Fox
Source: Asda
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Danny and Dinosaur are back in their third adventure and they are about to make HISTORY!

When they accidentally go back through history on a time-travelling swing, Danny and Dinosaur meet some new dino friends. But soon there's a rumbling noise; it's a volcano about to erupt! Can Dinosaur save the day by pooping them back to the future?

Find out in this hysterical historical adventure from the creators of The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas and The Dinosaur That Pooped a Planet.

The Dinosaur That Pooped The Past is the latest book in The Dinosaur That Pooped series.

This time it is Granny's 1008th birthday and she makes Danny and Dinosaur a big feast of eggs, broccoli and sprouts and she won't let them leave until they have eaten everything on their plates, Danny doesn't want his so the Dinosaur eats both of their party food.

After clearing their plates Danny and Dinosaur go into the garden to play on the swing hanging from the tree but they don't know that the swing is magic and it can turn back time if the swing loops round which is just what Danny and the Dinosaur do, they make the swing loop around.

While swinging around they pass the Romans, Egyptians and Greeks before the swing breaks and they end up in the Jurassic Period where they meet 3 little dino babies.

Soon though disaster strikes and a volcano erupts and because the swing broke when they landed they have no way of getting back to their own time, but the dino babies are really cleaver and they build a new swing to take them back home.

Danny, Dinosaur and the three dino babies climb on the swing but it is to heavy and they cannot make it swing around to get them back home, then dinosaur gets an idea, a very smelly idea. Dinosaur had to poop all of granny's party food to help them spin round to get them home.

Danny, Dinosaur and the three dino babies all make it back hom ein time for granny's broccoli birthday cake YUM!!.

The book had a fantastic story and brilliant illustrations and it had a great poetic rhythm just like the previous two books and I enjoyed it just like I did with the other two books.

These books are great and I am 26 and loving them I really hope that there are more to come.

Currently Reading: Until I Die by Amy Plum
Read in 2014: 12/30

How long would it take you?

I was sat bored in one of my lectures yesterday so I was scrolling threw Facebook and found this quiz to see how long it would take me to read Game of Thrones series.
According to the quiz it takes the average person 424 days to read the whole series.

You have to read a small paragraph, answer three questions about the paragraph and then choose how long each day you read and then it gives you your answer, your reading speed (words per minute) and then it tells you how many books you could get through in a year.

You also get a list of books telling you how many days it will take to read them at your reading speed and number of hours each day you read

Here are my results from the quiz:

I could read the entire Game of Thrones collection in 138 days (286 days faster than the average person).

My reading speed is 108 words per minute.

If I read for 2 hours per day I could get through 48 books in a year.

How quickly can I get through some of the classics and current best sellers?

I could read this entire list of 47 classics and best sellers in 2 years by reading for 2 hours a day.

Game of Thrones Series (138 days)
Harry Potter Series (83 days)
Atlas Shrugged (50 days)
War and Piece (45 days)
Twilight Saga (45 days)
Lord of the Rings trilogy (43 days)
Les Miserable (41 days)
50 Shades of Gray trilogy (37 days)
IQ84 (32 days)
Middlemarch (24 days)
The Hunger Games Trilogy (23 days) - Currently Reading
The Goldfinch (23 days)
Ulysses (20 days)
East of Eden (17 days)
Moby-Dick (16 days)
Unbroken (13 days)
Mansfield Park (12 days)
The Storyteller (12 days)
Inferno (11 days)
The Silkworm (11 days)
Gone Girl (11 days) - Only heard about this from the film
Summer at the Lake (11 days)
Wild (10 days)
Dark Places (9 days)
Pride and Prejudice (9 days)
And the Mountain Echoed (9 days)
Madame Bovary (9 days)
Lolita (9 days)
Serena (8 days)
Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography (8 days)
The Maze Runner (8 days) - Only heard about this from the film
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (7 days)
Stay Alive (7 days)
The Hobbit (7 days)
This is Where I Leave You (7 days)
The Hundred Food Journey (6 days)
Portnoy's Complaint (6 days)
The Adventure of Tom Sawyer (5 days)
The Fault in Our Stars (5 days)
Brave New World (5 days)
Lord of the Flies (5 days)
We have Always Lived in the Castle (4 days)
Slaughter House-Five (4 days)
The Crying of Lot 49 (4 days)
The Giver (4 days)
Ethan Frome (2 days)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck (2 days)

The books that are in bold I will probably actually read the other I either might or will never read and the underlined ones I have never heard of.

This test has proven to me that taking 2 hours a day I can reach my challenge even though I am currently behind

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOOK BLOG

Today is the blogs 4th birthday YEY

I can't believe that this blog has been going for 4 years now. I know that the blog hasn't been as active this year as the previous years but I am hoping that this will change over the next coming months.

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

Title: Unforgotten
Author: Jessica Brody
Series: Unremembered Trilogy
Pages: 400
Release Date: 27th February 2014
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Source: Amazon
Format: Paperback/eBook
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: 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 her 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.

Obviously, after the ending to Unremembered I had to read unforgotten and I am glad that I did although at one point the book dropped from 4 starts to 3 stars and then it made me give it 3 stars again.

Unforgotten started off with Sera explaining about how the fire she was in felt. At first I thought it was telling the reader what was happening to Sera after she jumped off the cliff at the end of Unremembered.

After the prologue we find out that Seraphina and Zen finally managed to escape from Diotech and get their happy ever after in 1609 like they had been planning for a while.

Sera and Zen have a nice life at the start of the story living with Mr and Mrs Patterson and their children Thomas, James, Myles and Little Jane.

Zen worked with Mr Patterson with the general upkeep of the farm, the plowing, sowing and reaping of crops while Sera helped Mrs Patterson with the housekeeping and looking after the animals and because Sera is genetically engineered she has to be extra careful while doing her chores this means taking her time to count between steps as she can move extra fast, bringing in firewood and the harvest bit by bit instead of in one go because she can't use her super strength while the whole time Mrs Patterson keeps a very close eye on her, Sera believes that Mrs Patterson senses that She is different.

Zen is loved by the family and they all love the stories that he makes up, while Sera pretends to Zen that everything is fine and that she does not have a problem she is really suffering from gut wrenching nightmares.

Zen tried to teach Sera how to fight instead of letting her flight instinct take over at night when the Patterson family are asleep but instead of attacking Zen, Sera's instinct kicks in and she runs, until one day when Zen changes things around and she does attack.

Not long after this their perfect life starts to go down hill when Zen becomes sick and they don't know what is wrong with him and Mrs Patterson who is already suspicious of Sera notices her 'tattoo' and screams about Sera working with the devil Zen however tells the family a story about how Sera got the 'tattoo' and everyone except Mrs Patterson believes him.

A while later Sera and Zen go into the local town to the market while at the market Sera uses her super speed and strength to save Zen from being crushed and everyone at the market see's Sera using these unnatural abilities and she gets arrested.

Once Sera is arrested she is accused of being a witch and is sentenced to death by being burnt to death. While in her cell before her last day she get s visit from a priest who later manages to save her from the fire and takes her to 2032.

After being rescued she realizes that the guy who came to her cell before her sentence was to be taken place, was the guy who saved her from the fire, he turns out to be a genetically modified person just like her only he is stronger and faster than Sera.

Kalen took Sera to 2032 because he needs her to help him get a cure to save their creator and Zen.

After spending time triggering the clues to get the cure Sera finds ends up bumping into Cody because that's where a clue takes her and he helps Sera look after a sick Zen, one of the clues takes her to Maxxer who planted the time triggered clues into Sera's brain and she manages to gets the cure which she plans to use on Zen.

Once Maxxer puts the cure down for Sera another trigger is triggered and she starts to attack Maxxer and Kalen ends up turning up at Maxxer's hidden home just after the attack and he ends up in a cell and Sera rescues him and they go back to Diotech.

I really enjoyed this book and it would have gotten 5 stars if Sera and Zen got to live happily ever after away from Kalen and Diotech but Sera ended up in the hands of Diotech and from reading the blurb for Unchanged she does not manage to escape and be with Zen who is now stuck in 2032.

Although Seraphina is stuck back at the Diotech Lab and will not be with Zen (as far as we know right now) I cannot wait until Unchanged in released next year.

In My Mailbox August 2014

Same as last month I haven't bought many books due to moving
Book

1. You're the One That I Want - Giovanna Fletcher

Kindle

1. Summer Sanctuary - Laurie Gray
2. The Dark Citadel - Michael Wallace
3. Relentless - Susan Kiernan-Lewis

Challenging Myself

I have decided that for the next 18 weeks left in 2014, I am going to read a book a week now that all my boyfriends wrestling shows have finished.

This idea came from Jessica Brody's self book in a day challenge and it is so I can get as close to my goodreads challenge as possible as I am not going to beat it as I need to read 21, maybe I will be able to read a book in less than a week and be able to sneak another in but we will see.

I will be starting my challenge on Monday September 1st as I am giving myself the weekend to finish reading the last few chapters of Jessica Brody's Unforgotten.

Here is a list of the Mondays in the year and what book I plan on reading that week some weeks it may change depending on what mood I am in and how much Uni work I have to do that week.

All these books have been taken from my 2014 reading list:

1. Sept 1st - Echo by Alyson Noel
2. Sept 8th - Until I Die by Amy Plum
3. Sept 15th - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Sept 22nd - Mystic by Alyson Noel
5. Sept 29th - If I Should Die by Amy Plum
6. Oct 6th - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
7. Oct 13th - Horizon by Alyson Noel
8. Oct 20th - Switched by Amanda Hocking
9. Oct 27th - A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
10. Nov 3rd - Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher
11. Nov 10th - Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
12. Nov 17th - Torn by Amanda Hocking 
13. Nov 24th - A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton
14. Dec 1st - Entwined by Heather Dixon
15. Dec 8th - The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald
16. Dec 15th - Ascend by Amanda Hocking
17. Dec 22nd - A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton
18. Dec 29th - Enchanted by Aletha Kontis

As you may have noticed series books have been separated as I cannot read a whole series in one go as I get bored of the characters if I do that and I would not want to finish the series so they are broken up by other series books or by single books.

This also means that the review's will now longer be posted on a Saturday but on a Sunday instead unless I manage to finish the book before then.

Currently Reading: Unforgotten by Jessica Brody
Read in 2014: 8/30

Happy reading all x

Wishlist Wednesday

The book of the week is....
Winterspell by Claire Legrand
The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. 

Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. 

If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. 

With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

This book looks amazing and sounds like a great read. Winterspell will hit stores on September 30th

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Well I haven't done a Top 10 in a while but here is one now.
This is Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet.

1. Unchanged by Jessica Brody
2. Darkness Before Dawn by J. A. London
3. Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
4. In Love With The Enemy by Bridget Scott
5. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
6. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
7. Frey by Melissa Wright
8. Hollow by Richard Denney
9. Earth Bound by Aprilynne Pike
10. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

In My Mailbox July 2014

I haven't bought many books this month as I have moved house.
Kindle

1. Paranormal Public - Maddy Edwards
2. Werewolf Love Story - H. T. Night
3. Katrina, The Beginning - Elizabeth Loraine
4. Second-Hand Jane - Michelle Vemal + Fiona Bretherton
5. Witchblood - Emma Mills
6. Wind Warrior - Jon Messenger
7. Nocturnal Academy - Ethan Somerville + Anthony Pike
8. Secrets - Liz Schulte

Monday's Movie Corner

Evermore by Alyson Noel is being made into a movie:

Ever Bloom - Brooklyn Hyland from Dance Moms
Riley Bloom - Joey King from Romona and Beezus
Damen Auguste Esposito - Kellen Lutz from Twilight
Sabine - Sarah Canning from The Vampire Diaries
Drina Auguste - AnnaSofia Robb from Bridge to Terabithia
Ava - Julia Roberts from Ocean's Eleven
Haven - Selena Gomez from Wizards of Waverly Place
Miles - Chris Brochu from Lemonade Mouth
Stacia Miller - Meaghan Martin from Camp Rock

Monday's Movie Corner

Facing up to Fatherhood by Miranda Lee is being made into a movie: (I loved this book although there are not many characters in the book I decided to do this anyway)

Dominic Hunter - Hugh Grant from Two Weeks Notice
Tina - Jo Joyner from Eastenders
Dominic's Mother - Meryl Streep from Mamma Mia

Monday's Movie Corner

Monday's Movie Corner is something I don't know if I have made it up or if someone else has has started it, it is going to be a weekly meme where I pick a book (it could be a movie already) and I list the book characters and then put who I would cast in that role as that character and what they have been in.

My Sisters Keeper is being made into a movie: (I haven't seen the movie yet as I loved the book to much and I know that the ending is different in the movie so it makes me want to watch it less but I do know that none of these characters are in the movie cast)

Anna (Main character) - Paige Hyland from Dance Moms
Kate (Anna's sister) - Bridget Mendler from Lemonade Mouth
Sarah (Anna's mum) - Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Melissa and Joey
Brian (Anna's dad) - James Thornton from Emmerdale
Jesse (Anna's brother) - Ross Lynch from Austen and Ally
Campbell Alexander (Anna's Lawyer) - Andrew Keegan from 10 Things I Hate About You
Julia Romano (Anna's Guardian Ad Litem) - Camilla Arfwedson from Holby City
Zanne (Anna's Aunt) - Marnette Patterson from Charmed
Dr. Chance (Kate's Doctor) - Alfonso Ribeiro from The Fresh Prince
Judge Desalvo (The Judge) - Amanda Donohoe from L.A Law
Taylor Ambrose (Kate's Crush) - Cody Sprouse from The Suite Life of Zac and Cody

Review - Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society #3
Pages: 349
Release Date: February 7th 2013
Publisher: Orchard
Source: Amazon
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

I love the Heist Society series but when it comes to reading books in a series I sometimes get bored with the characters after reading the second book so it takes me a while to either start reading the next book or it takes me a while to finish the next book in the series so when I finished reading Perfect Scoundrels I was surprised that it took me around a week to read this book (my normal reading rate per book).

I'm not going to lie and say that this book was totally awesome as I did prefer book 2 over book 3 and I think this was because I love Hale and he wasn't in this one as much even though the book was about him and because they didn't do a heist like they have in the previous books. Yes they talked and planned to rob a bank to get back something that had been stolen from Hale's Company but they didn't do it. Kat decided to cave and decided to let the man get away with it (yes I know the guy got arrested in the end but still no heist).

We got to get to know the Hale family and finally meet them but we get to do this under sad circumstances. I love Hale but I hate the fact that he was sad all the time and horrible to Kat. At first I was sure that Hale was dating another girl as well as Kat which made me mad because you can tell from book 1 that Kat and Hale belong together.

Even though Hale pushed Kat away after the sad news of his grandmothers death she was the perfect girlfriend and was there all the time to support him and to help him along with her "family" which shows that you don't need to be related by blood to be family.

We find out that Hale's life is more messed up than we ever thought, his family are stuck up  and only care about money after the death of Hales grandmother but Hale is genuinely upset about her death. The only person who really cares about Hale is Marcus the butler and it would seem that his grandmother also cared about him leaving him the company.

I love this series and I need another Hale fix so I am hoping that Ally decides to continue with this series.