Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #9

Weekly Wrap Up...

I have once again read 2 books this week. The first one was These Days of Ours and the second one was Into the Dim. I have enjoyed both very much even tho they couldn't be more different.

Blurb: A novel about love. Raw important love. Small, beautiful love. And what happens when the person you love cannot be yours… Perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman, Jane Green and David Nicholls.

Kate and Becca are cousins and best friends. They have grown up together and shared all the most important milestones in their lives: childhood birthday parties, eighteenth birthdays, and now a wedding day as they each marry their childhood sweethearts, Charlie and Julian.

Kate has always loved Charlie - they were meant to be. Then she discovers that life never turns out quite how you expect it to. And love doesn't always follow the journey it should.

But best friends are forever, and true love will find a way, won't it…?

Blurb: When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.      Addictive, romantic, and rich with historical detail, Into the Dim is an Outlander for teens.

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

I have been lucky enough to add 3 books to my shelves today. All very very exciting. The first one was probably the most beautiful book post I have ever gotten! Look at this!!! I am in love already. The Girl of Ink and Stars looks and sounds amazing. And the inside of this book! wow! Thank you to Kiran Millwood, Jazz Bartlett and Chicken House for this copy.

Blurb: Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped.

When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart.

But the world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a legendary fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

The second book was a complete surprise!! I have this on my kindle and I cant wait to read it! Karen at Orenda Books you are an absolute star once again, thank you so so much!

Blurb: A perfect life … until she discovered it wasn’t her own.

A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella’s comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where hidden truths, past betrayals and a 25-year-old mystery threaten not just her identity, but also her life.

Chilling, complex and profoundly moving, In Her Wake is a gripping psychological thriller that questions the nature of family – and reminds us that sometimes the most shocking crimes are committed closest to home.

I have requested the third book on bookbridgr as soon as it was posted and I almost gave up on it, so I was totally pleased that it has turned up after all. This sounds so beautiful and the cover is so so stunning. Thank you Bookbridgr for another superb book post delivery.

Blurb: For fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, a gripping novel that follows the extraordinary life of young Lucrezia Borgia, the legendary Renaissance Pope Alexander’s beautiful daughter. Was she the heartless seductress of legend? Or merely an unsuspecting pawn in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and her own survival?

Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias became Italy’s most ruthless and powerful family, electrifying and terrorizing their 15th-century Renaissance world.

To this day, Lucrezia Borgia is known as one of history’s most notorious villainesses, accused of incest and luring men to doom with her arsenal of poison.

International bestselling author C.W. Gortner’s new novel delves beyond the myth to depict Lucrezia in her own voice, from her pampered childhood in the palaces of Rome to her ill-fated, scandalous arranged marriages and complex relationship with her adored father and her rival brothers—brutal Juan and enigmatic Cesare.

This is the dramatic, untold story of a papal princess who came of age in an era of savage intrigue and unparalleled splendor, and whose courage led her to overcome the fate imposed on her by her Borgia blood.

Blogtour / Extract / Giveaway: Jihadi: A Love Story by Yusuf Toropov

A former intelligence agent stands accused of terrorism, held without charge in a secret overseas prison. His memoir is in the hands of a psychologist with her own agenda, and her annotations paint a much darker picture. As the story unravels, we are forced to assess the truth for ourselves, and decide not only what really happened, but who is the real terrorist. Peopled by a diverse and unforgettable cast of characters, whose reliability as narrators is always questioned, and with a multi-layered plot heaving with unexpected and often shocking developments, Jihadi: A Love Story is an intelligent thriller that asks big questions.

I am very happy and proud to be part of this blog tour, this book just looks and sounds amazing. And I have an extract of this beauty here for you. Not only that but I am having a giveaway for you over on my twitter, where you can snap up one of these stunning books.

I have to be honest here, I haven't finished this book, not YET! This book is huge, its intelligent, its a book that needs my full attention and not a quick read between schoolruns, work and housework. I will finish it as soon as I can give it my full attentions, only this way will I fully understand everything that is happening. It deserves so much more then having parts of it going over my head. It is very complex and complicated in a delicious kind of way. If you are a fan of literary reads then this one is certainly for you.

And I have a little taster just a click away!

Enjoy...


Jihadi: A love story



This post is part of the Jihadi blog your, here is all the information on all other posts!

Last but not least I have not one but two competitions for you. The first one is your own copy of Jihadi: A love story. Head over to my twitter, follow my account @AggiesLibrary and retweet the relevant tweet.

To finish this post off I also have two free tickets for readers to see Yusuf at the Orenda Roadshow event on 12 May 2016, Waterstones Piccadilly! All you have to do is comment on this post and tell me why you want to go to this amazing event, which also includes a signed copy of the book.

GOOD LUCK!

Review: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

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Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Holy cow!! Now this is how you write young adult books. It had all the ingredients to make this book perfect.

Jaycee has lost her brother some time back in a freak accident. A brother that was always taking risks and doing crazy stuff. Now Jaycee is almost stepping into her brothers steps. While she is doing something reckless, on the anniversary of her brothers death, she is stopped by her former best friend Nat, her boyfriend Zach and their friend Bishop. They end up going into this old hospital together, looking for her brothers mark. But they are not alone, Mik is there too. Her brothers former friend always meets Joycee on the anniversary of his death. They have one intense night in the hospital and it starts something special there, without any of them knowing just yet.

After finding her brothers journal the group wants to go and visit more places that he has visited in the past. Every adventure is as intense as the last one. Slowly truths come out... why are Nat and Jaycee not friends anymore? Why have Mik and Jake stopped being friends? What other secrets will come out?

Everyone is connected in a way, which is the best part in this book for me. Seeing it all come together and connecting people that already have something in common.

This book is rather intense. Its about friendship, its about loss and about grief. But its also about love. And not just any love, but your first love. The one that kind of feels impossible but is more intense then anything you have experienced before.

I have absolutely adored this book. The characters are amazing and I loved them all. The love blossoming here is so sweet and intense I couldn't get enough. This book is heart breaking and so so real. It was an intense, emotional rollercoaster. I could not put this down and I almost didn't want it to end at all. Well done on getting it just right. Love love love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

You Were Here will be published 1st March 2016.

WWW Wednesday (24th Feb)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

Blurb: When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.      Addictive, romantic, and rich with historical detail, Into the Dim is an Outlander for teens.

I have recently finished...

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Blurb: Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Blurb: A novel about love. Raw important love. Small, beautiful love. And what happens when the person you love cannot be yours… Perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman, Jane Green and David Nicholls.

Kate and Becca are cousins and best friends. They have grown up together and shared all the most important milestones in their lives: childhood birthday parties, eighteenth birthdays, and now a wedding day as they each marry their childhood sweethearts, Charlie and Julian.

Kate has always loved Charlie - they were meant to be. Then she discovers that life never turns out quite how you expect it to. And love doesn't always follow the journey it should.

But best friends are forever, and true love will find a way, won't it…?

I plan on reading next...

Blurb: How far would you go to protect your child? When her daughter is bullied, Laura makes a terrible mistake...

Laura loves her daughter more than anything in the world.

But nine-year-old daughter Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless.

When Autumn fails to return home from school one day, Laura goes looking for her. She finds a crowd of older children taunting her little girl.

In the heat of the moment, Laura makes a terrible choice. A choice that will have devastating consequences for her and her daughter...

Blurb: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Review: The Shadow Hour by Kate Riordan

Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

Now it actually pains me to write this review, I wanted to like this book so much, I really did, but it didn't happen for me.

Grace is send to the Fenix House to be the new governess, just like her grandma before her was 50 years ago. She grew up hearing stories about this amazing house and its family, its almost as if she knows it herself already. But when she arrives there nothing is like her grandma has described. The house is run down and dark and only one servant remains.

We switch between Graces story and her grandmas Harriet's. Trying to make sense of why Harriet left the house after just one year. Grace meets many of the family members that her Grandma remembers from 50 years ago...

I don't really know what else to say about how this book starts, I feel like not much is happening. We hear all about the house and its surroundings, meet all the family members. But even almost half way through the book I wasn't really sure what the point was of what I was reading. There is no easy way to say it, other then I was bored by the story. I had to force myself in the hope that it will get better somehow. And I don't really think it did, other then revealing why Grace was send to this house in the first place and why her grandma left the house so quickly all those years ago.

I must admit, had I not been reading this along with my friend I might have not finished it. I feel that the cover, the title and even the blurb almost suggest that this turns paranormal at some point, but it doesn't really.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it and if you enjoy the more scenic reads that don't involve constant action or drama then you will love this one. But I also didn't love it, I suppose it just wasn't for me.

It does all come together in the end and makes you go: aaaah I see now!! But it wasn't enough to make up for the very slow and long start.

Thank you to Penguin Books for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Shadow Hour will be released 25th February.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #8

Weekly Wrap Up...

I have read 3 books this week, which is due to it being half term and me being at home all week too. Wish I could have done more but have been trying to entertain a 6 year old little girl all week.

The first book I have finished is Shadow Hour, I wasn't a fan to be totally honest but I will be telling you why in my upcoming review,

Blurb: Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

The 2nd one is the 5th wave. I am rather late to this party and I have been wanting to read it since I saw the trailer for the movie. I planned to read it before I watch the movie in the cinema, which is a complete fail on my part because it is now done in the cinema. I loved the book so will have to wait for the dvd now.

Blurb: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My 3rd book was You Were Here, I love a good YA and this one didn't disappoint. My review will be up very soon.

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Blurb: Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

I have added 3 books to my shelf this week. The first one was a tread for myself. I have received the 2nd one from Titan for review so I need to catch up on the first one.

Blurb: Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

The 2nd book came from Bookbridgr! And OMG look at this stunning cover. I am so so in the mood for a New Adult read. I cant wait!

Blurb: Crazy how eight years can disappear in an instant. One look at Katie Watts, and I’m a fifteen-year-old again—the one who risked everything to save a terrified girl from her twisted kidnapper. She’s grown-up now—beautiful, quiet, composed—and telling her story to the world. A story that involves me in more ways than you can imagine. She used to call me her guardian angel. Sure, I risked my life, but she was worth dying for.

I need to make contact with her. Just to ensure that she’s safe.

Somehow we reconnect. We become friends . . . but I want more. I want to make her mine. And she wants me too. Does she know who I am? Has she figured me out? Not yet. But she will. In the meantime, I need to make sure that whatever hold that animal had on her is gone.

So, yeah, I’m stealing these moments with her. Savoring them. Knowing, dreading, that she’ll soon find out who I really am. And everything will fall apart. All because of that twisted, perverted monster sitting on death row. Her kidnapper. A convicted serial killer.

My father.

My 3rd book was a complete surprise... Thanks to Headline Books! It sounds amazing and its so so so pretty. I do love a good surprise!

Blurb: Miss Ona Vitkus has - aside from three months in the summer of 1914 - lived unobtrusively, her secrets fiercely protected.

The boy, with his passion for world records, changes all that. He is eleven. She is one hundred and four years, one hundred and thirty three days old (they are counting). And he makes her feel like she might be really special after all. Better late than never...

Only it's been two weeks now since he last visited, and she's starting to think he's not so different from all the rest.

Then the boy's father comes, for some reason determined to finish his son's good deed. And Ona must show this new stranger that not only are there odd jobs to be done, but a life's ambition to complete . . .  

Blogtour / Excerpt: The Silent Girls by Ann Troup

What an honour it is to not only be on this Blog Tour but also kick it off today.

I am delighted to have an excerpt from The Silent Girls for you today on this blog tour. Hope you enjoy it!

What if everything you knew was a lie…
This house has a past that won’t stay hidden, and it is time for the dead to speak.

Returning to Number 17, Coronation Square, Edie is shocked to find the place she remembers from childhood reeks of mould and decay. After her aunt Dolly’s death Edie must clear out the home on a street known for five vicious murders many years ago, but under the dirt and grime of years of neglect lurk dangerous truths.

For in this dark house there is misery, sin and dark secrets that can no longer stay hidden. The truth must come out.

Finding herself dragged back into the horrific murders of the past, Edie must find out what really happened all those years ago. But as Edie uncovers the history of the family she had all but forgotten, she begins to wonder if sometimes it is best to leave them buried.

Excerpt

At first glance Coronation Square didn’t seem to have changed much in over thirty years; it still had its postage stamp patch of green in the middle and still boasted its tall Victorian houses on all four sides. It still looked blowsy and overdone, and it still had a baleful air that marked it out as somewhere to be wary of. On closer inspection, Edie could see that things had altered – the square had faded like an old rose and its previously respectable veneer had degenerated into a flimsy, fragile facade.

As she walked past the buildings she noticed the addition of new doorbells, up to six per house, each one bearing a flimsy weather faded label that left people none the wiser as to who might live there. Old family homes had been carved up, mutating into flats and bedsits to house a cheapskate, shifting population. The street drinkers and off duty prostitutes made a desultory change from the sherry sipping matriarchs who had twitched their net curtains and traded in gossip. Edie remembered them well and shuddered at the thought.

Number 17 was just as it always had been, and as familiar to Edie as looking back at her own childhood face in photographs. The house stood out like a rotten tooth, seedy and discoloured from neglect, ancient blue paint flaked from the window frames and peeled in curling sheets from the front door. The brass knocker hung precariously from a single remaining screw, the metal pockmarked and dulled by years of inattention. Edie regarded the whole place with a reluctance that sat like a brooding gargoyle at the centre of her being. This was not a visit she would have chosen to make had she not been forced to by circumstances, and the state of the house represented everything that she felt about her extended family – neglected, old-fashioned, out of kilter and more than a little embarrassing. The Morris family would never have been singled out for the voracity of their housekeeping or their ability to embrace change. Edie doubted that the Morris family would have been singled out for much, though she might have won the prize for most inept midlife crisis, most acrimonious divorce and person never likely to amount to much (if anyone had held a competition).

Not that any of it mattered, she had arrived and there was work to do. To her surprise the old key worked perfectly and gave her easy entry into a cluttered, dingy, pungent past.

WWW Wednesday (17th February)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

Blurb: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I have recently finished...

Blurb: I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?

Blurb: Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

I plan on reading next..

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Blurb: Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Blurb: A novel about love. Raw important love. Small, beautiful love. And what happens when the person you love cannot be yours… Perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman, Jane Green and David Nicholls.

Kate and Becca are cousins and best friends. They have grown up together and shared all the most important milestones in their lives: childhood birthday parties, eighteenth birthdays, and now a wedding day as they each marry their childhood sweethearts, Charlie and Julian.

Kate has always loved Charlie - they were meant to be. Then she discovers that life never turns out quite how you expect it to. And love doesn't always follow the journey it should.

But best friends are forever, and true love will find a way, won't it…?

Blurb: How far would you go to protect your child? When her daughter is bullied, Laura makes a terrible mistake...

Laura loves her daughter more than anything in the world.

But nine-year-old daughter Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless.

When Autumn fails to return home from school one day, Laura goes looking for her. She finds a crowd of older children taunting her little girl.

In the heat of the moment, Laura makes a terrible choice. A choice that will have devastating consequences for her and her daughter...

Sneak peak review: The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

London, April 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation to the Queen. Her life should be about gowns and dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's housemaids goes missing, Lady Helen is drawn to the shadows of Regency London.

There, she finds William, the Earl of Carlston. He has noticed the disappearance, too, and is one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of powerful demons that has infiltrated every level of society. But Lady Helen’s curiosity is the last thing Carlston wants—especially when he sees the searching intelligence behind her fluttering fan. Should Helen trust a man whose reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her headstrong sense of justice lead them both into a death trap?

In The Dark Days Club, internationally best-selling author Alison Goodman introduces readers to a heroine who is just as remarkable as Eona—and yet again reinvents an establlished literary genre, making it her own.

I have heard so much about his book already and I have seen the cover for it all over the internet, so when NetGalley mad a sneak peak available to download I just had to get it. I had to see if it would explain why its getting all this attention already.

And I wasn't disappointed, I have only read the first two chapters and I am already hooked. Good job I have also purchased the book now. Helen lives in London in 1812, she is now of age to be married and is just awaiting her presentation. She is the daughter of Lady Catherine who  has betrayed Britain and who has died alongside her husband. Helen now lives with her Aunt and Uncle who desperately want her to find a husband. But you can already tell that Helen wants a lot more from live. Not just that but  you can slowly feel the paranormal sneaking in.

When one of her friends does something unthinkable and out of character and then a maid disappears I am already hooked and want to know what is going on.

Well done on creating a book that grips me from the start. I know cant wait to pick my book up and read the rest.

Lets not forget to mention the cover of this book. Its an absolute beauty, well beauties, because I actually like both, the uk and the usa cover very much. Its one of those books I would buy without even looking at the blurb.

Thank you to Net Galley for my little sneak peak.

The Dark Days Club is out now.

Review: 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?

Natasha is found by a dog walker, floating in the ice cold river, he saves her just in time. However she was dead for 13 Minutes before she could be saved. Its a miracle she has survived at all. When Natasha wakes up in the hospital she cant remember what happened. She is a very popular girl at school, together with her friends Hayley and Jenny, people even calling them the Barbies. Her frends are by her bedside all the time. But they are not the only ones to visit, Rebecca who used to be best friends with Natasha also turns up.

While Natasha cant remember what happened and is trying to puzzle things together she gets closer to Rebecca and distances herself from her other friends. But what really happened the night Natasha fell into the river?

This reminded me of a mixture between Mean Girls and Pretty Little Liars. I couldn't stop reading, I was totally intrigued and I really wanted to know what has happened that night. This book has managed to change my mind so many times, taking so many turns and twists. Just when you think you know what happened there is someone else who could be a suspect.

This book shows the horror side of high school. The divide between the rich and beautiful and the ones that are not. It takes bullying to another level. It shows what could happen when people go that little bit to far and how much that can affect others around it too.

In the book we skip between Rebecca's point of view, newspaper reports, police reports, interviews with a psychiatrist, text messages and diary entries which makes it even more interesting. I quite enjoyed the fact it showed us things from a different perspective and almost allowed us to make our own opinion.

What is a little worrying is how casual drugs and alcohol are mentioned and how I can imagine that its a normality in many teenagers life. But there is many serious topics in here that will make you think.

In this book nothing is as it seems and it will have you wondering from the start to the finish. I enjoyed this book very much and I think anyone who either likes a good YA or even a thriller will like this one. It never got boring and kept me interested all the way through. The characters are all very different and intriguing. And I for one enjoyed a YA that wasn't filled with undying love.

Thank  you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy.

13 Minutes will be published on 18th of February.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #7

Weekly Wrap Up...

I have once again finished my usual two books this week. The first one I have one on twitter and it was a lovely surprise to me at how much I have enjoyed it. The second book I have finished is one I have of NetGalley, what a page turner. I have also read a sneak peak of The Dark Days Club which is a book I am really excited about.

So my first book was a sort of reimagining of the character Louis Lane from Superman. What a breath of fresh air.

Blurb: Blurb: Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy.

The second book I have finished is 13 minutes. That is one I couldn't put down at all. I can not wait to write my review on this one. It was almost like Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars. Loved it!

Blurb: I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Thank you to Orenda Books for this absolute gem, I have been eyeing it up for ages anyway. Cant wait to loose myself in this one.

Blurb: A perfect life … until she discovered it wasn’t her own.

A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella’s comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where hidden truths, past betrayals and a 25-year-old mystery threaten not just her identity, but also her life.

Chilling, complex and profoundly moving, In Her Wake is a gripping psychological thriller that questions the nature of family – and reminds us that sometimes the most shocking crimes are committed closest to home.

I am so so excited about this one here. I haven't read the first one just yet and its currently on the way to me but I hear so many good things about it and I believe there will be a tv show based on this. How exciting. Thank you to Lydia at Titan Books for this copy.

Blurb: Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

Now I have only just signed up for Bookbridgr and this is my first ever book I have received through them. And wow!!! Look at this book post. How stunning is that? The books blue edges are just to die for and I love those postcards. Stunning. It already has a special place on my shelf.

Blurb: Daniel Sullivan, a young American professor reeling from a failed marriage and a brutal custody battle, is on holiday in Ireland when he falls in love with Claudette, a world-famous sexual icon and actress who fled fame for a reclusive life in a rural village. Together, they make an idyllic life in the country, raising two more children in blissful seclusion—until a secret from Daniel’s past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. What follows is a journey through Daniel’s many lives told in his voice and the voices of those who have made him the man he is: the American son and daughter he has not seen for many years; the family he has made with Claudette; and irrepressible, irreverent Claudette herself. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Place is a powerful rumination on the nature of identity, and the complexities of loyalty and devotion—a gripping story of an extraordinary family and an extraordinary love.  

Another one from Titan Books, these guys to publish some amazing stuff. And I just cant get enough of it. This little beauty looks and sounds incredible. That cover alone has my full attention alone. Once again, thank you for this one!

Blurb: Dawn breaks and no one in the world has slept the night before. Or almost no one. A few people, perhaps one in ten thousand, can still sleep, and they’ve all shared the same mysterious dream. A handful of silent children can still sleep as well, but what they’re dreaming remains a mystery. Global panic ensues. A medical fact: after six days of absolute sleep deprivation, psychosis sets in. After four weeks, the body dies. In the interim, a bizarre new world arises and swallows the old one whole. A world called Nod

So on Valentines we went on a stroll through town, husband getting himself some comics, my little one chose a new book she can try and read herself (The Ugly Ducking) and it would be rude not to choose one for myself. But how can you grab just one when you get the 2nd for half price? So here is my little treat to myself. As already mentioned at the top I read a sneak peak of The Dark Days Club and it got me incredibly excited for the rest of the book. And I have purchased The Sin Eaters Daughter last wee, now I have the 2nd book too.

The Sleeping Prince

Blurb: Return to the darkly beautiful world of The Sin Eater's Daughter with a sequel that will leave you awed, terrified . . . and desperate for more.

Ever since her brother Lief disappeared, Errin's life has gone from bad to worse. Not only must she care for her sick mother, she has to scrape together rent money by selling illegal herbal cures. But none of that compares to the threat of the vengeful Sleeping Prince whom the Queen just awoke from his enchanted sleep.

When her village is evacuated as part of the war against the Sleeping Prince, Errin is left desperate and homeless. The only person she can turn to is the mysterious Silas, a young man who buys deadly poisons from Errin, but won't reveal why he needs them. Silas promises to help her, but when he vanishes, Errin must journey across a kingdom on the brink of war to seek another way to save her mother and herself. But what she finds shatters everything she believed about her world, and with the Sleeping Prince drawing nearer, Errin must make a heartbreaking choice that could affect the whole kingdom.

The Dark Days Club

Blurb: London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

Review: Fallout (Louis Lane #1) by Gwenda Bond

Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy.

I have been a little unlucky with my choices of books lately, so I was worried about picking this one up. I have won it, for review, on twitter from @mazimumpopbooks and @maximumpop and I had to get onto it as it was due my review in a short while. Well let me tell you, I am so glad I won this. At a time where I have lost a little bit of faith in my own reading, this has really perked me up.

Growing up around superman really, weather it was the movies or the original series or even the more recent one Smallville, I have always been familiar with the character of Louis Lane. Don't get me wrong I wasn't a huge fan or anything, but for many years you couldn't really miss superman. So I have expected something very similar. But what I got is something rather different.

Louis Lane moves about a lot because her dad is in the military. She finds herself in some kind of trouble in most schools, while her heart is always in the right place her ideas are always a little risky. On her first day at her new school in Metropolis Louis finds herself questioning her new school principle and lands herself a little job. Its a project, giving young journalists a chance to work for a paper. After witnessing a really strange group of kids bullying a girl and the principal not doing anything about it, Louis things she has just the right story to report.

However the group that calls themselves Warheads aren't your average group of bullies. Not only do they bully this girl in real life but also in a very high tech videogame. But that's not even the strangest thing, they all seem to know what the others think, moving in sync, finishing each others sentences and basically looking alike. What else will Louis discover?

This book isn't just about bullying but also about making new friends, about finding something you love and are good at. Its about uncovering the truth no matter the cost.

It is lovely to get to know a very young Louis Lane, to discover how her love for journalism started. I really enjoyed her being the hero and not being in superman's shadow for a change. That was a great twist and I think it made for a great main character. However I also loved how the author has managed to sneak superman in there.


All in all this has been a great read, it flowed nice and easy and I found myself picking this book up as much as I could. Weather you are familiar with Louis Lane or not I am sure you will enjoy this, especially if you like YA anyway. I must admit I haven't heard about this book until I have won it, so I really hope it will get a little more hype and sells lots. Most of all because I really want to read the next one.

Thank you @maximumpopbooks and @maximumpop for this amazing prize in exchange for my honest opinion.

WWW Wednesday (10th February)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What I am reading now...

Blurb: I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?


I have recently finished...

Blurb: Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy.


I plan on reading next...

Blurb: Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

Blurb: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Blurb: Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Now this is strange... I have had a extended extract of this book a while back and I have reviewed this part of the book already. So all I can add now is how I feel about the rest of the book. And if you like you can look up my other review of this book on my blog.

There is no way to tell you how much I have enjoyed this book. This had so much hype I was worried it was overpraised and didn't quite reach my expectations. But it even exceeded those. The Witchlands are a new and exciting world, taking the topic on witches to a completely new level, one that has never been done before. What exceptional world building skills, wow. I cant even begin to imagine where else this story might take us.

I love the characters so so much. I love how this isn't about just the one normal and boring girl that ends up being the heroin, but about two girls who have a friendship/sisterhood like no other. Two girls, amazing in completely different ways, that would die for each other.

I am also a huge fan of the very gentle and slow way of a bit of a love story building in this book. Its not one that's right in your face and that takes over the whole book. But one that happens in a adorable way and allows the story to continue in an undisturbed way. I am absolutely giddy to read more about this in the coming books.

This book is not only magical it is incredibly stunning. Its a page turner, with every chapter filled with a different adventure, it never gets boring or slows down. A must read for any YA or phantasy fan. I am proud to have this stunning hardback on my bookshelf now.