Waiting on Wednesday (Two)

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13 by Kelley Armstrong

July 26th 2012

War is coming to the Otherworld. A sinister cult known as The Supernatural Liberation Movement is hell-bent on exposing the truth about supernaturals to the rest of the world. Their violent, ruthless plan has put everyone at risk: from werewolves to vampires, from witches to half-demons.Savannah Levine – fiery and unpredictable – stands at the heart of the maelstrom. There is a new, dark magic inside her, granting her the power to summon spells of terrifying strength. But whether this magic is a gift or a curse, no one knows.On the eve of battle, all the major players must come together in a last, desperate fight for survival – Elena and Clay; Adam and Savannah; Paige and Lucas; Jeremy and Jaime; Hope, Eve and more… They are fighting for lives. They are fighting for their loved ones.

They are fighting for the Otherworld.

OMG!!! It's like the Avengers all over again. I'M SO EXCITED. Women of the Otherworld is my favourite series EVER. I'm so sad it's ending but I can't wait to read this - ALL OF THE CHARACTERS TOGETHER. JOINING FORCES. It really is the paranormal version of the Avengers which is pretty damn cool. Only 8 days!!! 

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The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

August 7th 2012

Emma Bannon, Prime sorceress in the service of the Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed, unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn’t much help that they dislike each other, or that Bannon’s Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery toward their Queen. In an alternate London where illogical magic has turned the Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare now face hostility, treason, cannon fire, black sorcery, and the problem of reliably finding hansom cabs.
The game is afoot…

First of all Lilith Saintcrow IS AWESOME. (Strange Angels anybody?) As soon as I saw her name at the bottom of this really cool cover I got really happy! Alternative history books set in the 19th century are something I've always loved - I've always wanted to publish a book in that world so I love everything Victorian. I don't think this will be an exception - it's got that Parasol Protectorate/Sherlock Holmes feel which is a perfect combination!! 

Both of these books are published by Orbit & I just have to say - they have very good taste. Let me know what you guys are waiting on in the comments! Are you excited for these too, or have you never heard of them before? 

Monday meme

I saw this meme over at Alison Can Read  and I got really excited, because I love memes & I especially love manga. Seriously, if I thought about what I really do on the internet all day (since I am practically on it all day - it's been REALLY rainy this year so I have an excuse) a bit fat section of it would be dedicated to mangafox.me & manga.animea.net. So now that I've found this meme, you guys are going to have to put up with all my fan girling, yay!

Anyway, I forgot to explain the meme to you *oops* - basically each week I will be showcasing a manga volume that I have read & loved. I'll do a little mini review or more likely I will babble on incoherently (can you babble incoherently on a computer?) & you will have to fish through for things that make sense. Manga is my weakness - especially the guys.

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Title: Black Bird ブラックバード; 黑鸟恋人
Author: Sakurakouji Kanoko
Artist: Sakurakouji Kanoko

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person and she want nothing to do with magical realms. She just want a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. All that changes on day when Misao is attacked by a demon. her childhood friend Kyo suddenly returns to save her and tend to-her cuts with his tongue! It turns out Misao is the Bride of Prophecy whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her. But most demons want to keep her power for themselves- by eating her! now Misao is just trying to stay alive... and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.

Okay, first off, if you're already interested in this (who wouldn't be, the summary is kickass!) but you don't like smut, do not read this book!!! It's pretty damn smutty. I wouldn't class it as an adult manga, because (as far as I've read up to) they don't go further than heavy making out which is common in most YA books, but it's kind of different when you're looking at images of it as opposed to reading about it.

Moving on to the incoherent babbling...

THIS MANGA WAS JUST HFUSHIJKHGYREUJSHFKJ. Originally I read this on Manga Fox but, it was so awesome that I had to buy it. I stopped at 4 volumes though & I've gone back to reading them online because there are now 14 volumes, each volume is £7.99 from Waterstones, I'm too lazy to do the math but, you get what I'm saying right? It's an expensive addiction...

And it is an addiction. I couldn't stop reading them. Speaking about manga generally for a minute - the main characters never annoy me. Even when they're whiny. I think because manga is such an over the top, dramatic thing, it never bothers me that the characters are over the top too. Misao wasn't really that OTT though, so I liked her even more. Plus she has the prettiest name ever. I also like the fact that she's independent too. Yes, she does get saved all the time (it's manga what do you expect?) but she does try to get out of situations herself & she's capable of doing most things on her own. I don't know though, if I were her, I may just be tempted to 'accidently' trip now again so that Kyo could rescue me ;)

Oh Kyo. Kyo, Kyo, Kyo...Why aren't you real? He has to be one of my favourite manga guys of all time. Not only is he gorgeous (is that weird to say that?) but he can FLY. AND AND AND he has magical spit. Which sounds gross but it's so hot. Trust me.

Anyway, enough Kyo talk, it's getting a little hot in here. I'll explain the storyline a bit more for you guys :) Basically, Misao is a normal high school girl, apart from the fact that she can see all the demons & monsters in the world & oh yeah, she's the bride of a demon prophecy and it just so happens that if said demons drink her blood they get awesome powers & if they decide to eat her flesh (as you do) then they get immortality. Enter Kyo. Her old friend who left when she was young. It turns out *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* that he was always the weakest of his demon bird clan & he left so that he could be strong & protect Misao and also claim her as his bride.

The Manga's mostly about Misao & Kyo trying to get rid of all these enemy demons (kind of like the Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead) & also Misao trying to come to terms & accept that she loves Kyo and he loves her. It's so sweet :}

If you love manga or if you don't (WHY?) either way you should check this one out. It might be another read to add to your shelf or the manga book that starts your addiction. Don't worry - it's a totally healthy addiction!

Hope you enjoyed this post :) Let me know if you've read this manga or if you're interested in reading it - you can find all volumes on Manga Fox!

Review - Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: CreateSpace 
Pages: 344
Source: Bought 

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

I really wanted to like this book. I tried to like it, but I just couldn't. Which was really disappointing because I've been into contemporary lately & this sounded amazing. Especially Travis ;)  Unfortunately there was just too many things wrong with it.

The writing style was okay, there's not really a lot I want to say about it because I didn't really pay attention to it, so it wasn't spectacular, but not terrible either.

It was mainly the characters that let this book down. They annoyed the hell out of me -__- Abby Abernathy was whiny & spoilt. Seriously, I know authors want to make their characters realistic but we aren't all whiny & spoilt, & not all the time. I just felt like smacking her round the head for most of the book. It was like she had NO MORALS. You would think that when she got a boyfriend that she would stop sleeping in Travis' bed. But no, she doesn't, because she NEVER backs of a bet. Then she complains that there are rumours that she's sleeping with both of them. SERIOUSLY? Her stupidity amazes me.

Not only was Abby annoying though, but Travis too. I felt really sorry for him in the beginning because of the way Abby was treating him but then, he turned all psycho. He took controlling & possessive to a whole new level. To kind of put it into perspective when she sleeps with him & leaves before he wakes up, he goes CRAZY. As in, he trashes his room, throws his stereo, takes a swing at his room mate, knocks his door off its hinges, the list goes on...

On top of all this I thought the story fell through when they went to Vegas. First of all, Abby's whole relationship with her father had not been developed at all. So it was very unrealistic when he popped up out of the blue & begged her for thousands of dollars to pay back a debt to some evil Mafia lord.

They all hop on a plain to Vegas after this and Abby tries to win all of the money at a casino. She turns into some pro and there's loads of people there that are all 'oh lucky 13, can't believe it's you!!!' Again, the fact that her past has not been developed makes it all seem unrealistic and stupid. The whole winning the money back doesn't last long either. She has 2 days to get all the money, but what does she do? She goes to this evil Mafia lord after only 1 day, without the full money, and begs for more time. WHAT THE HELL? ARE YOU COMPLETELY BRAIN DEAD?!

I got so confused at his point.

It all just seemed so rushed. In fact, after this bit, the rest of the book seemed really rushed & the plot was the only thing this book had going.

So overall, I was really disappointed with this book. It wasn't developed enough & the characters were just crazy, but I guess this is what I get for reading all the negative reviews on Goodreads and still buying it :( The only reason I read it till the end is because I liked Finch :}

Review - The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Title: The Luxe
Author: Anna Godbersen
Publisher: HarperCollins 
Pages: 448
Source: Bought 

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn. Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions. White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups. This is Manhattan, 1899. Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future. With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear... In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Reviewing is hard. There's just so much to cram into a few short paragraphs & it's especially hard when you've never written a review before. So bare with me because the verdict's still out on my reviewing skills! 

I didn't think I'd like this book. There's a little caption on the cover that says it's the 'OC of the 1800's' & I hate those types of programs. I don't like Gossip Girl or the OC, and although I used to be obsessed with 90210 I stopped watching it, because I got really sick and tired of listening to rich people complain about how much money they have. None of their story lines could hold my attention for long & I didn't think it would be any different with this book, but I bought it any way because the cover is gorgeous and I am obsessed with the Victorian period.

Boy, was I wrong about this book!

After the first few lines I was completley hooked, not only is the story line amazing, but the writing style too. I'm starting to think that it's no coincidence that Anna's name has 'God' in it. She is a writing God. Honestly, she's really talented :) I have to say though, even though I was hooked by the beginning, I was still a bit hesitant during it, because it first talks about Elizabeth's death & then goes back in time to show you how it happened. I kind of felt like this was pointless & I didn't really want to invest myself in this character if she was just going to die. 
So............I skipped to the back of the book. I get told off a lot for doing this :( but I couldn't help it! & trust me, without saying too much, it's definatley worth reading :) 

I didn't like all the characters, but I didn't hate them in the way that made me want to throw the book against a wall & never pick it up again. They were just real characters. They had their flaws & that's what made it okay for them to be annoying. Usually I don't like characters because writers make them too perfect & unrealistic. The characters I did like though, well, I really liked. 

This book was like one endless supply of yummy guys. 

But don't let that fool you into thinking there was no plot. Originally I thought most of the story lines were going to be really obvious; when I was reading it I just couldn't stop thinking 'well, we all know what's going to happen now,' but time & time again I was surprised when the story went down another route. The plot was a lot more complex than it I thought it was. 

Honestly, this book (and the rest of the series) was amazing, but if I had to say one little negative thing, it would that the book is told from different characters pov's & sometimes it would be one characters pov for five or six chapters which got a bit boring. Other than that, it was a really good series - well researched & well written. I highly recommend all books :) 

Friday Hops

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Q: Jumping Genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don’t like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place.

I'd like to say that I read books from a wide range of genres but, thinking about it, I don't really. I read anything with fantasy & paranormal in it & occasionally the odd contemporary but that's about it. A couple of months ago, however, my friend lent me a book - she'd been begging me for ages to read it & I'd been putting it off for ages. Now I'm very angry at past me for not reading this book sooner!! 

These are the types of books I usually say 'I'll wait till the film comes out.' I was just never interested in reading them, but this has got to be one of my favourite books ever now, I loved it! 

It was hilarious. 

Seriously, if you haven't already read this book, or ANY of Sophie Kinsella's ( I also recommend I've got your number) then you should. Right now. Even though the plot was very simple it had me laughing on every single page (Kinsella is a comedy genius) & it was nice because it was just an easy read :) I'll definatley be reading more in this genre in future.




Here's a little extract I found on Kinsella's website. Just to show you how awesome this book is:

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Of course I have secrets.

Of course I do. Everyone has a few secrets. It's completely normal. I'm sure I don't have any more than anybody else.

I'm not talking about big, earth-shattering secrets. Not the-president-is-planning-to-bomb-Japan-and-only-Will-Smith-can-save-the-world type secrets. Just normal, everyday little secrets.

Like for example, here are a few random secrets of mine, off the top of my head:

1. My Kate Spade bag is a fake.

2. I love sweet sherry, the least cool drink in the universe.

3. I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.

4. I weigh 9 stone 3. Not 8 stone 3, like my boyfriend Connor thinks. (Although in my defence, I was planning to go on a diet when I told him that. And to be fair, it is only one number different.)

5 I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.

6. Sometimes, when we're right in the middle of passionate sex, I suddenly want to laugh.

7. I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum, while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben Hur.

8. I've already drunk the wine that Dad told me to lay down for twenty years.

9. Sammy the goldfish at home isn't the same goldfish that Mum and Dad gave me to look after when they went to Egypt.

10. When my colleague Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day.)

11. I once had this weird lesbian dream about my flatmate Lissy.

12. My G-string is hurting me.

13. I've always had this deep down conviction that I'm not like everybody else, and there's an amazingly exciting new life waiting for me just around the corner.

14. I have no idea what this guy in the grey suit is going on about.

15. Plus I've already forgotten his name.

And I only met him ten minutes ago.

You can find the rest of the extract here. 

Waiting on Wednesday (One)

So it's my first ever post (excluding all test posts where I made up really lame limericks) & I just wanted to say hi to everyone :) Now that my GCSE exams are over *thank God* I'll be able to put a lot of time into the blog - I actually have nothing else to do, which is good news for you guys because it means more posts! The cup is half full not half empty. 

I hope you like the blog! Comment, follow & check out the memes page! 

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Earth Girl by Janet Edwards 

August 16th 2012

2788. Only the handicapped live on Earth. While everyone else portals between worlds, 18-year-old Jarra is among the one in a thousand people born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Sent to Earth at birth to save her life, she has been abandoned by her parents. She can’t travel to other worlds, but she can watch their vids, and she knows all the jokes they make. She’s an ‘ape’, a ‘throwback’, but this is one ape girl who won’t give in.
Jarra invents a fake background for herself – as a normal child of Military parents – and joins a class of norms that is on Earth to excavate the ruins of the old cities. When an ancient skyscraper collapses, burying another research team, Jarra’s role in their rescue puts her in the spotlight. No hiding at back of class now. To make life more complicated, she finds herself falling in love with one of her classmates – a norm from another planet. Somehow, she has to keep the deception going.
A freak solar storm strikes the atmosphere, and the class is ordered to portal off-world for safety – no problem for a real child of military parents, but fatal for Jarra. The storm is so bad that the crews of the orbiting solar arrays have to escape to planet below: the first landing from space in 600 years. And one is on collision course with their shelter.

This looks sooooo good! I've been in a bit of a Dystopian/post apocalyptic slump lately - nothing in those genres has interested me but this looks freaking awesome. I haven't heard anything like it before & the reviews on Goodreads are all really positive. I like the girls name as well, it's pretty cool. 

Also, is it just me or does that cover remind you of the UK cover of Divergent?? Only so much better. Can't wait. 

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Mind Games by Kiersten White

February 19th 2013

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 
Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.
In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost

WHY?!! Why do we have to wait so long?! Kiersten White is one of the funniest YA authors ever and I think it'll be really interesting to see how she goes about writing a more serious novel that's on a completely different end of the paranormal spectrum compared to the Paranormalcy series. I hope there is a teenie tiny bit of comedy in it though. Maybe some tasers. 

The cover is also amazing! Somebody definatley knows their way around Photoshop...

I have some more equally awesome books that I'm really excited for, but I think I'll leave them for next week because html is making me really angry at the moment. Anyway, are you excited for a new series by Kiersten White or worried she won't be able to pull off serious?? Let me know what you think!