Review: Caraval - Stephanie Garber

Remember, it’s only a game…

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

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away. 

So I am finally back reviewing books. YAY! However I have never stopped reading. While my reading has gone down some, I have still managed to read 40 books so far this year and I haven't reviewed any of them yet. But I plan to catch up on most. Starting with this gem right here. Caraval has been one of them most anticipated books in a very long time. Everyone has been talking about it, weather it was in the blogging world or on twitter. Let me tell you this! Rightly so!! This book was like no other. It was filled with magic and a unique world like never seen before. I was drawn into it in no time and was unable to put this book down. I couldn't help but fall in love with all the characters and be intrigued by the game itself. If you haven't heard of Caraval by now, you must have been living under a rock. So I wont go into much detail but I want you to know that I have loved this bool very much. And even tho its been a while since I have finished it i still remember it as if it was yesterday, even tho there was about 39 others since...

I can not wait for the second book, which by now is not too far away. So before its time for Legendary and you haven't yet dug into this one, you really should!

Blog Tour: Perfect by Cecelia Ahern

 

 

The thrilling, shocking and romantic sequel to the bestselling YA debut FLAWED is finally here. When we embrace all our flaws, that’s when we can finally become PERFECT…

Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine's life has completely fractured all her freedoms gone.

Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with the complicated, powerfully attractive Carrick, the only person she can trust. But Celestine has a secret one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground.

Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save only herself, or risk her life to save all the Flawed. And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed?

Today I have a very special post for you all. I am so happy to be part of the Perfect Blog Tour. Since the release of P.S. I Love You I have been a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern. Although my heart always belonged to Young Adult I loved her books. You can imagine how happy I was when Flawed was released. Somehow worried my expectations have been to high I have thrown myself at the book anyway. And wow, it was one of my favourite books last year. One that always stuck with me, you could always tell Cecelia's experience in writing and I was so glad to discover that she could also deliver in young adult. When I received the chance to read the seguel and be part of the blog tour, I couldn't say no, even tho my blog has been rather quiet lately. Well I am so glad I did. There has been so much going on in my life that I have fallen into a deep reading and blogging slump. Perfect has been the one to get me out. I can not put this down. Yes I am still reading it, but I had to force myself to stop to get this post ready for tomorrow. As emotional and as exciting as the first one this is a massive page turner. Once again Cecelia's incredible talent and experience shines through on every page. I am still shocked and amazed at the world that has been build. One I could visit over and over again. Celestine finds herself running from the guild in this sequel, hiding and fearing for not only herself but the people she cares about. The Flawed believe that she has the power to bring the guild down but how much will she have to risk of herlself to help everyone else. I am so excited to continue on this amazing journey. If you haven't read Flawed you need to pick it up, I believe you will love it weather you read young adult or not. And while you are at it pick up Perfect too. You will want/need it! And if you have read Flawed than you are probably just as excited about Perfect as I was, let me tell you that you will not be disappointed. I think I love Celestine even more then I did in the first book. What makes this series so extremely excited is the many characters, many exciting and complicated characters. Most of the time I have no idea who Celestine can trust, there is twists and turns at every corner. This is one of my favourite books in a long time, it made me fall in love with reading all over again. 

Cecelia Ahern continues to impress me and I hope she will continue to deliver some Young Adult in the future. 

 

As a special treat today Cecelia Ahern has told us who her top 5 literary outcasts are and I can reveal those to you right now.

 

1.The Grinch

2. Katniss Everdeen

3. Jack Reacher

4. Scrooge

5. The Second Ms de Winter

 

Blog Tour: Waking in Time by Angie Stanton

This is my first post in quite some time and I am very proud to welcome you to my turn on the Waking in Time Blog Tour. Not only have I read and loved this book very much and I can't wait for you all to read it but I also have a very special post by Angie Stanton, in which she will tell you all about how she got started writing. Enjoy! 

 

How I Accidentally Became a Writer

Angie Stanton – Author of Waking in Time

 

I get this question a lot. “How did you become a writer?”  And the answer? 

 

By accident. 

 

I never wanted to be a writer. In fact, I hated writing. I loathed English class and am terrible at punctuation.  To my credit, I did love reading, so at least I had that going for me. So how did I get to this place where I write books for a living? Well… I’m a daydreamer. 

 

Ever since I was a kid my mind has been filled with made up stories. I was the youngest of three with two older brothers, living in a renovated one-room country schoolhouse located seven miles from town. The closest friend my age lived a mile away and didn’t move in until the seventh grade. I rode the bus 35 minutes each way to school, usually sitting alone starring out the window as we passed farm houses, cow pastures, and cornfields. I became an expert at entertaining myself and imagining fabulous things happening in my otherwise mundane young life.

 

Fast forward to adulthood and that daydreaming never stopped. I guess it was a way to cope with the craziness of raising kids and juggling work and sick parents. One day I realized one of my made up stories was becoming rather elaborate and thought I should write it down. I brought out paper and pen and gave it my best effort, but it was as lifeless as my high school book reports. I tossed it all away, confirming my belief that I had no writing skills, but months later when the story in my head continued nagging me, I tried again. For some magical reason, this time what I wrote wasn’t horrible. It was just good enough to give me the courage to continue. 

 

Soon after, I joined a writers group and then a critique group. All with the goal of finishing my story, never imagining that it would lead to anything more. After several stops and starts, that story became my first published novel Love ‘em or Leave ‘em, which has been translated into German and French. My husband and I call that book the little book that could. It keeps chugging alongfinding new readers every day.

 

Now it’s years later and my eighth novel, Waking in Time, is hitting bookshelves. It’s crazy how a lonely child’s daydreaming led to a life in publishing. I wouldn’t change a thing.  

 

Waking in time will be out tomorrow! And it's absolutely worth a read. 

 

When I heard that this book is like a young adult The Timetravelers Wife I just knew I had to read this. I was very lucky to receive an early copy and to be invited on theis amazing blogtour for this book. This book follows Abbi who has just moved into the dorm at college and soon finds herself travelling through time. Every time Abbi falls asleep she travels further back. Every time waking up in the same room with a different room mate. In all her confusion she finds someone who appears to know all about her and who is helping her to find a solution for the time traveling. But every time she travels he is younger. Will she ever be able to figure it out and return home. But what will she learn through her timehopping? And who is the mysterious boy she seems to find "whenever" she goes? 

I seiosuly enjoyed this book. And I can certainly see the similarities to The Time Travelers Wife, but in no way is this just a young adult copy of the book. It has its own twists and turns. Add to this a complicated love and you have yourself a book that is impossible to put down. I adored Abbi and I admire how she just gets on with things, no matter what time she travels too. I love the idea of how friendships are sort of build backwards... but you will have to read this to understand what I mean. And reading this book is what you should do. It's all about family, friends and love, past and present included. What a beautiful book and what an outstanding unique idea. Finishing off with a surprising end this is set to be a big success. 

Please don't miss out on the rest of the Waking in Time blog tour... 

 

Why I have been absent for so long...

This is going to be my most personal and honest post. But I would like to explain why I haven't been posting and tweeting. The past 3 months have truly been the hardest in my life. At the start of December I have discovered my husband of over 11 years has been unfaithful. It broke my heart, it made me ill. I have lost all fun in life. Yet, I still wanted to make my marriage work. This wasn't the healthiest decision. Not only that it was completely pointless. One month later my husband just disappeared. Leaving behind only a letter. His things gone and his next stop the girl (much younger then either of us) he has been unfaithful with. Let me tell you I have never had my heart broken like this. It was a physical pain. I wasn't well and most of all I couldn't stay there. I have moved to the uk 11 years ago purely because I wanted to be with my husband. Without him I didn't want to stay there, I needed my family and my friends. I needed distance. My 7 year old daughter needed a sane mother. I have now been back in Germany for 6 weeks or so. Living with my mum and dad. Trying to pick up the pieces of my life. And then I got knocked down again. I got poorly, needing an operation. Nothing seems to be going my way. I didn't feel like reading or blogging at all. Forcing myself to at least read a little. I feel better now. Both physical and mentally. But the road to a new life is still a very long one. However I really want to return to my love of books and I want to review the amazing stuff I get to read. So I will be back! I promise. And soon. My first blogpost might be an amazing blogtour that I am on or even sooner. I can't wait to have all the bloggers and readers back in my life. I have missed it all so much....