Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #31

Weekly Wrap Up...

So I have spend the last 2 days at the YALC in London and I literally had the best time ever. Obviously a dragged lots of new books back home but i wont include those into my normal Stacking the Shelves but will make a separate post about those. I still managed a 3 book week. YAY!!! About time, it did help that i have had a 3.5 hours journey to London and the same on way back. Lots of undisturbed reading. This week I have finished Always Emily, Lament for the Fallen and The Creeper Man. All very very different. I haven't yet written my reviews but those will follow very soon.

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.

'Father, tell me a story?' asks Isaiah, moments before a strange craft falls from the sky and smashes into the jungle near his isolated West African community. Inside the ruined vessel the villagers find the shattered body of a man. His name is Samara and he is a man unlike any the villagers have seen before - a man who is perhaps something more than human.

With his city home of Achenia hiding in the rubble left by a devastating war, Samara has fallen 35,000 km to earth in order to escape the automated hell of an orbiting prison called Tartarus. As he struggles to heal himself, he helps transform the lives of those who rescued him but in so doing attracts the attention of the brutal warlord who rules over this benighted, ravaged post-21st century land. He is not a man to be crossed, and now he threatens the very existence of the villagers themselves and the one, slim chance Samara has of finding his way home and to the woman - and the world - he loves.

And all the while - in the darkness above - waits the simmering fury that lies at the heart of Tartarus .

A spine-chilling psychological thriller from stunning YA talent and author of THE DEAD HOUSE, Dawn Kurtagich.

When Silla and her little sister, Nori, escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath's country house feels like a safe haven. Leaving the smog and fear behind, the girls have the love and freedom they never had in their violent home. But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.

Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing; every day the surrounding forest inches slowly towards the house; a mysterious boy appears from the enclosing wood offering friendship, and Nori claims that a man watches them from the dark forest. A man with no eyes who creeps ever closer. . .

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Its been a really really good week for my shelves and that isn't even including my YALC haul. Whooops! But i love books and you can never ever have enough. I have had the most amazing box delivered, just look at aaaaall those goodies...

This is all from an amazing twitter competition by @ScribeUKbooks that i have won the week before and omg I cant even mention them all. But thank you so so much fot this, my daughter and I will be sharing these between us.

I have then received The Unseeing from my best friend Daniela who ended up with two copies of this, thank you lovely! I have been super lucky to receive Songs About A Girl not only on NetGalley but also from Laura at Hachette Children and I can not wait for this one. To top it off I have a competition right here on my blog, where you can win a signed copy and some amazing Miss Sporty Make-Up. But that's not all, I have had the great honour to meet the author Chris Russell and Laura too at YALC which was amazing. Both are super lovely. Thank you for everything.

The lovely Georgia has send me a copy of Children of Icarus, thank you so much! I absolutely looooove that cover and its Greek Mythology which is something i would love to see more off in books. Really looking forward to this.

Last but not least Moon Chosen! I am a huge fan of P.C. Cast, just love her stuff! So when i saw this on netgalley I couldn't resist. So happy this is a new series, I have never been disappointed by Cast. Thank you so much NetGalley.

Set in London in 1837, Anna Mazzola's THE UNSEEING is the story of Sarah Gale, a seamstress and mother, sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown on the eve of her wedding. Perfect for any reader of Sarah Waters or Antonia Hodgson.

'With this intricately woven tale of trust, self-trust and deceit, Anna Mazzola brings a gritty realism to Victorian London. Beautifully written and cleverly plotted, this is a stunning debut, ranked amongst the best' MANDA SCOTT

After Sarah petitions for mercy, Edmund Fleetwood is appointed to investigate and consider whether justice has been done. Idealistic, but struggling with his own demons, Edmund is determined to seek out the truth. Yet Sarah refuses to help him, neither lying nor adding anything to the evidence gathered in court. Edmund knows she's hiding something, but needs to discover just why she's maintaining her silence. For how can it be that someone would willingly go to their own death?

Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance.

Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs...

It is Clara who is desperate to enter the labyrinth and it is Clara who is bright, strong, and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It is no surprise when she is chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end."

#1 New York Times bestselling author, P.C. Cast, brings us a new epic fantasy set in a world where humans, their animal allies, and the earth itself has been drastically changed. A world filled with beauty and danger and cruelty…

Mari is an Earth Walker, heir to the unique healing powers of her Clan; but she has cast her duties aside, until she is chosen by a special animal ally, altering her destiny forever. When a deadly attack tears her world apart, Mari reveals the strength of her powers and the forbidden secret of her dual nature as she embarks on a mission to save her people. It is not until Nik, the son of the leader from a rival, dominating clan strays across her path, that Mari experiences something she has never felt before…

Now, darkness is coming, and with it, a force, more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen, leaving Mari to cast the shadows from the earth. By forming a tumultuous alliance with Nik, she must make herself ready. Ready to save her people. Ready to save herself and Nik. Ready to embrace her true destiny…and obliterate the forces that threaten to destroy them all

Review: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles #1) by Jay Kristoff

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

This is one book I just had to own and read asap and I have been very lucky to have received an ARC. How beautiful is the cover?? And how big is this amazing thing? I am not going to lie to you, the first 100 pages have been rather hard going. The fact there was to narrators was a little confusing but what was even more distracting was the foot notes. I was being taken away from the story very often at first and had to find my way in again. But this does calm down after a while until it gets to the point that foot notes are a rarity and all is good.

This is the story of Mia Covere who has seen unfair death way to early in life and at an very early age promises herself  to revenge her fathers death and the destruction of her family. Mia who has a shadow like no other is being raised to be a weapon and her only goal is to kill the people who have destroyed her family. To get close to the people on her hit list she must prove herself against many murderers in a murder cult, the red church. At the red church she will not find not only enemies but friends too. But will Mia be able to beat them all and revenge her parents?

Again while the beginning of the book was a little hard I am very glad i haven't given up on it. Once it gets really going its an amazing read. While at times this book felt like the never ending story it got to the point where I literally didn't want it to ever end. The story reminded me of a mixture of The Dark Towers, Throne of Glass and an evil Hogwarts.

Kristoff has delivered something very very unique and evil. The world building is outstanding and I am already looking forward to the next book. Mia is absolutely badass! I freaking love her. Not only her, the many different characters make for a very interesting read.

Full with twist and turns at every corner it never failed to have me sitting at the edge of my seat. It is filled with dark magic in a way i have never read before. Kristoff has a insanely sick imagination, just how I like it.

With a little twist to our language here and there to add that extra touch this is one book that will be flying off the shelves for sure.

Nevernight has the power to become huge and build fandoms that will stick for years to come.

Unforgettable, intriguing, magical, dark and utterly unique.

Nevernight will be released on 11th August.

Thank you to HarperColling for my copy!

Review: The Trouble with Henry and Zoe by Andy Jones

Henry and Zoe have more in common than they realise. For a start, they both have pasts they'd rather leave behind.

After jilting his childhood sweetheart on the eve of their wedding in the small town where they both grew up, Henry runs away to London, planning to reinvent himself and start afresh.

Zoe has her own healing to do and so she plans to leave London, travel the world, and figure out just what it is she wants out of life. She doesn't know where she's going, but she is determined to go there alone.

If Henry and Zoe had met one year ago, perhaps things could have worked out differently. But that's not the way it works; they meet seven months after their worlds have been turned upside down. And four months before Zoe is due to climb on a plane...

I have been approached by the publicist about this book and while its not my favourite genre i do sometimes like to read a good chick lit. I haven't read one in a while so it was certainly the right time. The Trouble with Henry and Zoe is the story, of well Henry and Zoe. Starting with two separate stories really. Henry's story begins on his wedding day, where he finds himself really unsure weather he really loves his childhood sweetheart or not. Making a tough decision he runs away to London. Zoe's story begins with her questioning her relationship too. But fate has other plans for her and she finds herself planning to travel the world. They couldn't have met at a more inconvenient time, but they do anyway...

I am not going to lie I have a few little issues with this book, one being that I didn't really feel any real connection between Henry and Zoe. Which is a bit of a bummer as i like to fall in love along side my book characters. The other being a lot of their conversations, they was almost to much like insider jokes, I didn't always get it. Not only that its as if they was all constantly interrupting each other and finishing each others sentences. It seemed like they always knew what the other one wanted to say before they even did and I wasn't able to always see why.

But I still rather enjoyed this book. It was very real and honest. It paints a very realistic picture of relationships in a way that is believable and not to soppy. With two very likable characters it was an easy book to pick up at every opportunity. During the story we are going through all the emotions, with many sad parts and equally many that made me laugh out loud. The book left me feeling that anything is possible no matter what life throws at you, it is possible to start again. And it is never to late to find and reinvent yourself. Quite the opposite actually, it inspires to try something new if you are unhappy with something, be it your love life or be it your job. You never know what you may find.

It is not a book that will haunt me for a long time but nevertheless it is totally worth a read. This would be perfect on a holiday in the sunshine somewhere... even if it takes you back to rainy London.

Honest, funny and inspiring.

The Trouble with Henry and Zoe is out today, 28th July.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for my copy.

WWW Wednesday (27th July)

 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?

Currently reading...

'Father, tell me a story?' asks Isaiah, moments before a strange craft falls from the sky and smashes into the jungle near his isolated West African community. Inside the ruined vessel the villagers find the shattered body of a man. His name is Samara and he is a man unlike any the villagers have seen before - a man who is perhaps something more than human.

With his city home of Achenia hiding in the rubble left by a devastating war, Samara has fallen 35,000 km to earth in order to escape the automated hell of an orbiting prison called Tartarus. As he struggles to heal himself, he helps transform the lives of those who rescued him but in so doing attracts the attention of the brutal warlord who rules over this benighted, ravaged post-21st century land. He is not a man to be crossed, and now he threatens the very existence of the villagers themselves and the one, slim chance Samara has of finding his way home and to the woman - and the world - he loves.

And all the while - in the darkness above - waits the simmering fury that lies at the heart of Tartarus . . .

Recently finished...

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.

Reading next...

A spine-chilling psychological thriller from stunning YA talent and author of THE DEAD HOUSE, Dawn Kurtagich.

When Silla and her little sister, Nori, escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath's country house feels like a safe haven. Leaving the smog and fear behind, the girls have the love and freedom they never had in their violent home. But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.

Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing; every day the surrounding forest inches slowly towards the house; a mysterious boy appears from the enclosing wood offering friendship, and Nori claims that a man watches them from the dark forest. A man with no eyes who creeps ever closer. . .

Givaway: Songs About A Girl / Miss Sporty

I am incredibly happy to be able to have this Giveaway on my blog today, here is your chance to win Songs About A Girl and some amazing make-up!!

Hachette Children's and Miss Sporty have teamed up together to create one amazing prize for you. Not only can you win a signed copy of Songs About A Girls by Chris Russell,  provided by Hachette Children's, but on top of that there is a random selection of some amazing Miss Sporty make-up up for grabs, all provided by Miss Sporty.

What are you waiting for? Enter the giveaway below and best of luck!!

And once you do make sure you have a look at this amazing book that everyone is talking about at the moment. songs about a girl will be published tomorrow, 28th July, and i for one can't wait for my copy to arrive so i can finally make a start on it.

Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance.

Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(UK only)

The Giveaway will end Sunday night at midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday, once again GOOD LUCK!

Review: Soul Crossed (Of Demons and Angels #1) by Lisa Gail Green

One Demon.

One Angel.

One Soul.

Josh lived a reckless, selfish life, so upon his death, escaping the eternal torments of Hell by assuming the role of a powerful, soul-corrupting demon is an easy choice. His first soul assignment doesn’t seem too hard: the mortal Camden is already obsessed with weapons, pain, and torture. If only Josh wasn’t distracted by Cam's beautiful friend, Grace.

Grace never expected to die violently at age sixteen, but now she’s an Angel, responsible for saving a soul. She can already see past Camden’s earthly flaws, so the job should be be easy. If only that handsome, playboy Josh would stop getting in the way.

It’s forbidden for an Angel to be with a Demon, so if Josh and Grace stop resisting each other, the results would be disastrous.

And only one can claim Cam’s soul.

OMG!!! Look at that cover!! It is stunning, one of the prettiest ones I have seen this year. And that is exactly why I needed to have this book of Netgalley. Forever having a soft spot for beautiful covers pays of sometimes and goes wrong sometimes too. This time its been a bit of both really. While i still loved the concept of this book, I just feel like it could have been so much more.

This is the story of Josh and Grace, both have died and while Grace ends up in heaven with the chance to become an Angel, Josh ends up in Hell where Lucifer has a job for him. Unbeknown to them both they both have to 'work' with the same person. Grace is charged with saving Camden's soul and Josh with pushing him over the edge. Working agains each other they will soon discover their attraction towards each other. But how will Camden choose and what will happen when Josh and Grace discover the truth about each other.

The plot sounds amazing and personally i love the idea so much. But it fell a bit flat in places. I seemed to have flown through this book because it was such an easy and short read. It wasn't deep enough to really connect with the characters. But that wasn't my only issue, there was things I didn't like about Josh, in a way I can only hope that young girls don't fall for boys like this. No boy should treat a girl like that. Boys like him just make me angry.

I didn't completely dislike this book, I was on the way to Ireland reading it  at the airport and on the plane and by the time i returned home it was finished. It fitted right into my travels and I managed to read it even with many distractions. Its one of those books that doesn't need your full attention and it was nice to read after some heavy books in the past.

It comes to a rather satisfying end with the promise of more books to come. I strongly believe that it is aimed at much younger audience. While I am in general to old  for YA fantasy, it has never stopped me from loving it, but this one was just that bit to young even for me?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Soul Crossed.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #30

Weekly Wrap Up...

So i have finally managed to finish Nevernight!!! Wow that has taken me some time but I got there in the end. YAY! Beside that I have managed to finish one more and that was The Trouble with Henry and Zoe. Which was a chic lit, not my usual stuff at all but I do like it now and then. So i am back to my 2 book weeks, which is fine. I am hoping to finish 3 next week as I am off work. But it wont be easy as i am spending two days at the YALC. Oh my gosh i am so excited... Altho I still have to figure out how to take my books home after haha. But here are the two I have finished this week.

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Henry and Zoe have more in common than they realise. For a start, they both have pasts they'd rather leave behind.

After jilting his childhood sweetheart on the eve of their wedding in the small town where they both grew up, Henry runs away to London, planning to reinvent himself and start afresh.

Zoe has her own healing to do and so she plans to leave London, travel the world, and figure out just what it is she wants out of life. She doesn't know where she's going, but she is determined to go there alone.

If Henry and Zoe had met one year ago, perhaps things could have worked out differently. But that's not the way it works; they meet seven months after their worlds have been turned upside down. And four months before Zoe is due to climb on a plane...

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

This week i have receiver two amazing books. The first one was a total surprise!! Thank you so much Corvus books i do love a surprise very much. This book is so so cute too, i love the shape and size of it, it will very much stand out on my shelves. The second book is The Creeper Man, woah, it does sound creepy and i cant wait to read it, but first of all thank you to Sarah at Hachette Children for my copy which i will be taking to YALC and hopefully get signed.

Two former lovers reconnect in this beautiful and haunting tale of great lost love from the critically acclaimed author of The Headmaster's Wife

Deeply affecting and compulsively readable, The Headmaster's Wife was a breakout book for Thomas Christopher Greene. Now, Greene returns with a beautifully written, emotional new novel perfect for his growing audience.

Twenty-one years after they were driven apart by circumstances beyond their control, two former lovers have a chance encounter on a Manhattan street. What follows is a tense, suspenseful exploration of the many facets of enduring love. Told from altering points of view through time, If I Forget You tells the story of Henry Gold, a poet whose rise from poverty embodies the American dream, and Margot Fuller, the daughter of a prominent, wealthy family, and their unlikely, star-crossed love affair, complete with the secrets they carry when they find each other for the second time.

Written in lyrical prose, If I Forget You is at once a great love story, a novel of marriage, manners, and family, a meditation on the nature of art, a moving elegy to what it means to love and to lose, and how the choices we make can change our lives forever.

When Silla and her little sister, Nori, escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath's country house feels like a safe haven. Leaving the smog and fear behind, the girls have the love and freedom they never had in their violent home. But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.

Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing; every day the surrounding forest inches slowly towards the house; a mysterious boy appears from the enclosing wood offering friendship, and Nori claims that a man watches them from the dark forest. A man with no eyes who creeps ever closer. . .

Review: Demon Road by Derek Landy

Full of Landy’s trademark wit, action and razor sharp dialogue, DEMON ROAD kicks off with a shocking opener and never lets up the pace in an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers: they’re all here. And the demons? Well, that’s where Amber comes in...Sixteen years old, smart and spirited, she’s just a normal American teenager until the lies are torn away and the demons reveal themselves.

Forced to go on the run, she hurtles from one threat to another, revealing a tapestry of terror woven into the very fabric of her life. Her only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…

I have had this book on my kindle for ages, which I am really sorry about. It was one of the very fist books I have received on NetGalley and then I have gone a bit crazy on there and it was left forgotten. I have finally managed to pick it up but unfortunately its bad news, I couldn't finish it. Normally I wouldn't even write a review for a book I couldn't finish, but I have read half of it, really pushing myself but I got to a point where I just had to give it up.

The story alone was a bit of an odd one, obviously it would be, its about demons, but demons that eat their children.... wow. But that didn't stop me reading, I was hoping it can only get better. And I suppose for a while it did and I almost got into it. Then a character appeared that was just really grinding on me. He just kept going on and on and on! The more I read the more I disliked him and it really spoiled the book for me. I wanted to like it, very much so. Its my sort of genre and normally it never fails to deliver.

This book just wasn't for me and I feel awful when I don't like a book, even more so because I have made the publisher wait so long for this review. I am really sorry for that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of Demon Road. 

WWW Wednesday (20th July)

 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...

Henry and Zoe have more in common than they realise. For a start, they both have pasts they'd rather leave behind.

After jilting his childhood sweetheart on the eve of their wedding in the small town where they both grew up, Henry runs away to London, planning to reinvent himself and start afresh.

Zoe has her own healing to do and so she plans to leave London, travel the world, and figure out just what it is she wants out of life. She doesn't know where she's going, but she is determined to go there alone.

If Henry and Zoe had met one year ago, perhaps things could have worked out differently. But that's not the way it works; they meet seven months after their worlds have been turned upside down. And four months before Zoe is due to climb on a plane...

I have recently finished...

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

I plan to read next...

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.

Review: Caramel Hearts bt E.R. Murray

Liv Bloom’s life is even more complicated than that of your average fourteen-year-old: her father walked out on the family when she was young, her mother is in a recovery centre for alcoholics, and her older sister is struggling to step into Mum’s shoes. The only person she can turn to is her best friend Sarah, who gets out of scrapes at school and is a constant source of advice and companionship. One day Liv discovers a book of recipes written in her mum’s handwriting, which sets her off on a journey towards self-discovery and reconciliation – but a theft, a love rivalry and a school bully are just some of the many obstacles on the way.

Structured around real cake recipes, Caramel Hearts is a coming-of-age novel about love, disappointment and hope, and discovering the true value of friends and family, no matter how dysfunctional they are. 

Can I just say that the Author is one of the loveliest ladies on twitter only with her help did I get hold of a copy of Caramel Hearts!

Caramel Hearts tells the story of Liv a teenager currently living with her older sister while her alcoholic mother is in rehab. In the mothers bedroom Liv discovers a book, one filled with recipes that her mother has written. She instantly feels the need to try and bake one of the delicious things in the book to get to know her mother better, the real mother, before the alcohol. Money however is one thing Liv and her sister haven't got spare so Liv has to come up with ideas to get the stuff that she needs, those ideas however aren't always her best ones. After some bad decisions Liv's relationship with her sister Hatty struggles more then ever. But when a boy shows interest in Liv her life spirals out of control even more...

This is such a realistic view on the problems families face when a member is struggling with alcoholism, its very touching and heart breaking. But this is far from being the only topic in this book, its also about bullying, not fitting in, about family and friendship and about finding something you love doing! This book is just so real and raw. The relationship between Liv and Hatty is just the right dose of love and annoyance and I cant help but love both of them.

But wait up, this isn't all of it, on top of all that you get actual recipes... yay!! And let me tell you they all sound delicious. Made my mouth water and I certainly want to try them all.

This book gave me all the feels. And I mean all of them. There was people I loved and people I really disliked. I was angry and sad and happy. And I cant say this enough but it is just so relatable and believable. I think especially for the younger readers this is something they can relate to in one way or another.

This has been a really well written story which I found myself picking up at every opportunity. I enjoyed it very much and I am looking forward to reading more from Murray in the future.

Relatable, real, touching and eye opening!

This is one book that shouldn't be missed.

Thank you very much to Alma Books for my beautiful copy.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #29

Weekly Wrap Up...

Sadly I haven't finished anything this week. I have been out most days and I have had a poorly little girl. Also I have started Nevernight which is a huuuuge book. I am hoping to finish that either Monday or Tuesday because there is still lots left. But also I have only 3 days left at work before 6 weeks off. I hope I can manage lots of reading during my time off.



Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

I have been so so lucky this week. Two absolutely incredible and extremely beautiful books have arrived at my house this week. The first one being Lament for the Fallen and the second one is Caraval. I couldn't be more happy about either of those and I cant thank the publishers enough! Lament for the Fallen will be out at the end of this month and Caraval early 2017. Let me tell you the future of books looks amazing.

'Father, tell me a story?' asks Isaiah, moments before a strange craft falls from the sky and smashes into the jungle near his isolated West African community. Inside the ruined vessel the villagers find the shattered body of a man. His name is Samara and he is a man unlike any the villagers have seen before - a man who is perhaps something more than human.

With his city home of Achenia hiding in the rubble left by a devastating war, Samara has fallen 35,000 km to earth in order to escape the automated hell of an orbiting prison called Tartarus. As he struggles to heal himself, he helps transform the lives of those who rescued him but in so doing attracts the attention of the brutal warlord who rules over this benighted, ravaged post-21st century land. He is not a man to be crossed, and now he threatens the very existence of the villagers themselves and the one, slim chance Samara has of finding his way home and to the woman - and the world - he loves.

And all the while - in the darkness above - waits the simmering fury that lies at the heart of Tartarus . . .

Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever. 

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly.
Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

So I have clearly done this all very very wrong. I have read A Court Of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury before I have started this one and of course I can't help but compare the two. And lets be honest this one isn't as good as the other two! BUT I still liked it, don't get me wrong, I just wish I have had read it first, so i could have grown with the books, instead of going back to the beginning.

This is the story of Celaena, an Assassin that has been caught and has spent a year in extremely tough conditions in the salt mines of Endovier. But one day she is given the chance to leave and take part in a competition to become the kings champion, offered by the Dorian the crown prince himself. She accepts the offer and travels to the glass palace. There she will have to go through several stages of eliminations, where she will have to win against other criminals. Celeana finds herself enjoying the lavish life at court in a strange way. But its her friendship with Captain Westfall and the prince's attention that is really interesting. Her competitors start turning up dead, what else is going on at court?

There is many things I rather enjoyed about this book. The touch of magic for example, Celeana's friendship with Captain Westfall too. But there was also some things that annoyed me, like the fact that Celeana is meant to be the most dangerous assassin in the  country and all I got is a girl that liked her fancy dresses and never did anything that would suggest she is a murderer. Quite the opposite, she was rather good and soft at times. Which is totally not what I expected at all and I find that in a way the book is being slightly miss sold.

But I still had good fun reading this and it certainly made me want to continue with this series. I have big hopes for the second book because I know how much Maas has raised the bar from A Court of Thorns and Roses to A Court of Mist and Fury. So if that's anything to go by...

I always feel rather strange when I read a book and don't love it as much as everyone else. But I'd rather be honest  then just go and follow the masses.

But once again, I didn't hate it, it's not the best one I have every read but it wasn't all bad.

All in all if you love this genre then I believe there is a very high chance you will love this one too. And I will pick up the next one hopefully in August and let you know what I think of this one.

WWW Wednesday (13th July)

 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...

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

I have recently finished...

One Demon.

One Angel.

One Soul.

Josh lived a reckless, selfish life, so upon his death, escaping the eternal torments of Hell by assuming the role of a powerful, soul-corrupting demon is an easy choice. His first soul assignment doesn’t seem too hard: the mortal Camden is already obsessed with weapons, pain, and torture. If only Josh wasn’t distracted by Cam's beautiful friend, Grace.

Grace never expected to die violently at age sixteen, but now she’s an Angel, responsible for saving a soul. She can already see past Camden’s earthly flaws, so the job should be be easy. If only that handsome, playboy Josh would stop getting in the way.

It’s forbidden for an Angel to be with a Demon, so if Josh and Grace stop resisting each other, the results would be disastrous.

And only one can claim Cam’s soul.

I plan on reading next...

I don't actually know! For the first time in a long long time I haven't planned one yet. Will pick up one depending on what I fancy. But tbh Nevernight is going to take me some time so next week Wednesday I could still be reading that.

Review: Under Rose Tainter Skies by Louise Gornall

Agoraphobia confines Norah to the house she shares with her mother.

For her, the outside is sky glimpsed through glass, or a gauntlet to run between home and car. But a chance encounter on the doorstep changes everything: Luke, her new neighbour. Norah is determined to be the girl she thinks Luke deserves: a ‘normal’ girl, her skies unfiltered by the lens of mental illness. Instead, her love and bravery opens a window to unexpected truths …

An important and uplifting debut from a British author, which tackles mental health issues such as agoraphobia and OCD. 

Let me start by telling you that this has been the best book that I have read in some time. I have loved every second of it. This is the Story of Norah who is trapped in her house by her fears and OCD. She never  leaves the house unless its totally necessary and even that turns into her absolute nightmare. When her mother has to go away for a little while Norah meets her neighbour right at her door due to a rather strange chance encounter. She is fascinated by the new boy next door straight away, who also appears to keep finding reasons to come back, pushing her fears beyond her limits. Soon Norah finds herself questioning her own actions and changing routines she never thought would be possible to change one bit. Not only that, but for the first time ever Norah wishes she  could be out there having fun with Luke and everyone else...

This book has been absolutely outstanding! I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed it. It was eye opening and charming and in some parts even funny. It has completely warmed my heart. Norah is probably one of the most interesting characters I have had the pleasure of reading about. Complicated but completely good and likeable. Until this book I haven't known anything about Agoraphobia and I think this book has told me a lot, in a way that was never uncomfortable or judgemental. I feel like I completely understood how Norah was feeling at all times.

Luke is just dreamy, i mean come on who doesn't love a boy next door that treats you right and doesn't run away when you completely freak out on him. He is the perfect bookboyfriend!

If you don't know which book to pick up next, make it this one and i promise you, you will not regret it. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and there is literally nothing i could fault about it. It was perfection from the very fist page to the very last one.

Full of heart, totally eye opening and utterly charming, a must read!

Thank you to Chicken House for my copy of this incredible pink book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Under Rose Tainted Skies is out NOW and you need it in your life!

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #28

Weekly Wrap Up...

This week I have finished 2,5 books, yep one of the books I have only managed to get half way before I had to put it down. Tbf that is still pretty good considering I have spend 2 days in Ireland with my friends. Before I have left I have managed to finish Caramel Hearts and started Demon Road, which I then had to put down half way through and just could not go on. On my way back from Ireland I have then started Soul Crossed which I have finished today. I quite liked Caramel Hearts but not had much luck with the other two. But I am not letting it get me down and can only hope that I will seriously love the next book.

Liv Bloom’s life is even more complicated than that of your average fourteen-year-old: her father walked out on the family when she was young, her mother is in a recovery centre for alcoholics, and her older sister is struggling to step into Mum’s shoes. The only person she can turn to is her best friend Sarah, who gets out of scrapes at school and is a constant source of advice and companionship. One day Liv discovers a book of recipes written in her mum’s handwriting, which sets her off on a journey towards self-discovery and reconciliation – but a theft, a love rivalry and a school bully are just some of the many obstacles on the way.

Structured around real cake recipes, Caramel Hearts is a coming-of-age novel about love, disappointment and hope, and discovering the true value of friends and family, no matter how dysfunctional they are.

Full of Landy’s trademark wit, action and razor sharp dialogue, DEMON ROAD kicks off with a shocking opener and never lets up the pace in an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers: they’re all here. And the demons? Well, that’s where Amber comes in...Sixteen years old, smart and spirited, she’s just a normal American teenager until the lies are torn away and the demons reveal themselves.

Forced to go on the run, she hurtles from one threat to another, revealing a tapestry of terror woven into the very fabric of her life. Her only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…

One Demon.

One Angel.

One Soul.

Josh lived a reckless, selfish life, so upon his death, escaping the eternal torments of Hell by assuming the role of a powerful, soul-corrupting demon is an easy choice. His first soul assignment doesn’t seem too hard: the mortal Camden is already obsessed with weapons, pain, and torture. If only Josh wasn’t distracted by Cam's beautiful friend, Grace.

Grace never expected to die violently at age sixteen, but now she’s an Angel, responsible for saving a soul. She can already see past Camden’s earthly flaws, so the job should be be easy. If only that handsome, playboy Josh would stop getting in the way.

It’s forbidden for an Angel to be with a Demon, so if Josh and Grace stop resisting each other, the results would be disastrous.

And only one can claim Cam’s soul.

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

This week I have only had one book arrive at my door, but not only was it a good one but it was also a surprise... The amazing Lydia at Titan Books has send me the sequel to Alice which is called Red Queen. Thank you very much, I am rather excited about this one.

The land outside of the Old City was supposed to be green, lush, hopeful. But the verdant fields are nothing but ash and hope is nowhere to be found. Still, Alice and Hatcher are on a mission to find his daughter: a quest they will not forsake even as it takes them deep into the clutches of the mad White Queen or into the realm of the twisted and cruel Black King. The pieces are set and the game has begun, and each move brings Alice closer to her destiny.

Review: Sing by Vivi Greene

America’s most famous pop star flees the spotlight to recover from her latest break-up in Maine—only to fall for a local boy and be faced with an impossible choice at the end of the summer: her new guy, or her music.

Multiplatinum pop icon Lily Ross’s biggest hits and biggest heartbreaks (because they are one and the same):


1. AGONY. (That feeling when her ex ripped her heart out of her chest and she never saw it coming.)
2. GHOSTS. (Because even famous people are ghosted by guys sometimes. And it sucks just as much.)
3. ONCE BITTEN. (As in: twice shy. Also, she’s never dating an actor or a musician ever again.)


But this summer’s going to be different. After getting her heart shattered, Lily is taking herself out of the spotlight and heading to a small island in middle-of-nowhere Maine with her closest friends. She has three months until her fall tour starts-three months to focus on herself, her music, her new album. Anything but guys.


That is . . . until Lily meets sweet, down-to-earth local Noel Bradley, who is so different from anyone she’s ever dated. Suddenly, Lily’s “summer of me” takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself falling deeper and harder than ever before. But Noel isn’t interested in the limelight. She loves Noel-but she loves her fans, too. And come August, she may be forced to choose.

This book has been exactly what I needed. I haven't read anything contemporary in a while. Its all been either really dark and heavy or fantasy. Which, don't get me wrong, I do love, but this has been such a breath of fresh air. And so so much fun.

Lily Ross is a pop icon, but she isn't very lucky in love. Having her heart broken countless of times its happening to her again. This time she wants to handle things differently and when her friend suggests spending some time at her house on a small Island, Lily is convinced its the right thing to do. She wants to write new music ready for her upcoming tour. Together with her two closest friends she is loving her time on the Island, most of all because it appears to be the only place where she can be truly herself. When Lily meets Noel she finds herself falling for him, fast and hard. He couldn't be more different from all the boys she has dated before. But what will happen when Lily's life will catch up to her. Can Noel handle everything that comes with dating a pop icon? Lily will have to make a hard choice between her music and the new happiness she found on the island.

This has been such an enjoyable read. It was light, easy and quick to read. I have liked all the characters very much, most of all Noel, of course. But what I really enjoyed the most is the friendship between Lily and her two closest friends.

I don't think its ever a bad think to fall in love a lot, quite the opposite. It takes courage to fall again after you had your heart broken, time and time again. But also what better feeling is there then falling in love with someone for the first time. That is one reason I have really enjoyed Lily. Greene has captured falling in love in a really heart warming and believable way.

I love the idea of the Island, it sounds like the perfect place for me. All I would have to take with me is my kindle packed with books and I could be very happy in this idyllic place.

What I also loved about Lily is how down to earth she is even tho her success is so huge.

This has been an adorable book about falling in love, music, home, friendship and finding yourself.

Great fun that will put a smile on your face and warm your heart.

Thank you to Maximumpopbooks for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

WWW Wednesday (6th July)

 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...

Full of Landy’s trademark wit, action and razor sharp dialogue, DEMON ROAD kicks off with a shocking opener and never lets up the pace in an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers: they’re all here. And the demons? Well, that’s where Amber comes in...Sixteen years old, smart and spirited, she’s just a normal American teenager until the lies are torn away and the demons reveal themselves.

Forced to go on the run, she hurtles from one threat to another, revealing a tapestry of terror woven into the very fabric of her life. Her only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…

I have recently finished...

Liv Bloom’s life is even more complicated than that of your average fourteen-year-old: her father walked out on the family when she was young, her mother is in a recovery centre for alcoholics, and her older sister is struggling to step into Mum’s shoes. The only person she can turn to is her best friend Sarah, who gets out of scrapes at school and is a constant source of advice and companionship. One day Liv discovers a book of recipes written in her mum’s handwriting, which sets her off on a journey towards self-discovery and reconciliation – but a theft, a love rivalry and a school bully are just some of the many obstacles on the way.

Structured around real cake recipes, Caramel Hearts is a coming-of-age novel about love, disappointment and hope, and discovering the true value of friends and family, no matter how dysfunctional they are.

I plan on reading next...

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.