Bout of Books 9.0 ~ Book Buying Spree Challenge

It took a little while and I struggled but I finally managed to come up to £99.95 which included 13 items.
I am excited for all the books I put in my basket and would have no idea which one I should choose to buy first should I win the challenge, because they're all so pretty and beautiful and gorgeous...yeah ok I can shut up now lol.
This is the final list I decided on:

1* The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
2* Neverfade by Alexandra Bracken
3* Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi
4* Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
5* Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
6* Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson
7* The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
8* The Distance between us by Kasie West
9* The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
10* The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
11* Legend Trilogy Boxset in Hardback! (That's 3 books!)
12* Pivot Point by Kasie West
13* Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

That (with the trilogy boxset) makes a total of 15 books, Woo Hoo!

Please leave a link in the comments below as I would love to see the lists you have compiled.

Happy Reading 
~*Zoe*~

Bout of Books 9.0 TBR

1. The first and current book I am reading is Looking for Alask by     John Green. I am currently 86 pages into this book and really loving it. Even more so than The Fault In Our Stars I believe.


                                                  
2. The next book I plan to read is Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, this will complete the "book I've had on my shelf for a long time" challenge. I have the whole boxset and really want to make a start on it and hopefully complete it all in 2014.

 3. For my "Read a book from the library" challenge I want to read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. I've been meaning to buy this book for some time and then when I found it in my local library I squealed...and then checked it out. Can't wait to get to it.












4. The book I would like to read for my "ARC book coming
out on 28th January is And we Stay by Jenny Hubbard.
I was sent a e-copy of this by the publishers and can't wait to get to it. Here is a little synopsis:

Award winner and critically acclaimed writer Jenny Hubbard's riveting account of a teenage girl whose boyfriend brings a gun to school and shoots himself. This is her story before, during, and after the tragedy.
When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.

This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.

 As for the last challenge, the "If there's anytime left I'll read as much as I can challenge" I'm going to first:
*1. See if there is more time left
*2. Pick up what I really want to read at the time
*3. Will be mentioning it in my Bout-of-Books wrap-up post

I will also be posting reviews up after the Bout-of-Books of all the books I managed to read during this read-a-thon, and would like to take this opportunity to wish all the other participants:

Good Luck!

Happy Reading
~*Zoe*~

Bout of Books 9.0 - Goals

Hello again, as promised here is the list of goals I will be setting myself for this years Bout of Books 9.0. I will also be participating in some of the challenges from the official Bout of Books blog which you can find HERE

*Challenge 1 ~ To read at least 1 books from my shelf, that I've had for some time
*Challenge 2 ~ To read a book I purchased Recently
*Challenge 3 ~ To read an ARC of a book coming out in February
*Challenge 4 ~ To read a Library book

If I managed to complete all of those challenges..I challenge myself to read as much as I can in the time-frame I have left.

Please link your challenges and video's in the comment section below

Thank-You
Happy Reading

~*Zoe*~

Bout of Books 9.0

 

Hoorah! Another Read-a-thon!

This is the first time I will be participating in the Bout of Books read-a-thon. I found out about Bout of Books last year when everyone on Youtube were posting up their wrap-up video's and sadly I had missed out, but this year I am ready to take on the challenge.

I recently did the Youtube Christmas Booktubeathon hosted by Ariel Bisset which was only a three day event and managed to get one book read (didn't help that I was very busy) so I class that as a trial run for a week of marathoning books back-to-back!

I will be putting up a post of my Bout-of-Books goals so be sure to look out for that too. Here is some more information should you wish to partake in this years event...

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

 Linked below will be my Goals and my daily updates so be sure to come back everyday to track my progress along with me. 

* My Bout of Books Goals

* Day 1 Update

* Day 2 Update

* Day 3 Update

* Day 4 Update

* Day 5 Update

* Day 6 Update

* Day 7 Update

* Bout of Books Wrap-Up

Happy Reading :D

Books I'm getting for Christmas...

It is that time of the year again, Christmas is making another appearance!

The winters months, for me, are the best times to read books. Curled up in a chair by a roaring fire, relaxing and unwinding in a long hot bath or snuggled up in bed with your cat purring in your ear. There is nothing like a good read to take your mind off all the Christmas shopping you have to do, or arranging how the actual day itself will plan out. One thing I do know though is: I always get at least 1 book for Christmas, and who doesn't love free books?

This year I am getting 3 books from my parents (I know I've got them, I put them in the basket at the supermarket lol)
I am also getting book vouchers..yaaaay!

The books that I have chosen for Christmas are...

The 3rd installment in the Bridget Jones Series..
I haven't actually read the first two, but I'm assuming (and hoping) that like the other two books this too will be turned into a film and cannot wait to see what it's about so am going to throw myself into the book. A nice light and fluffy read, and time to catch up on Bridget, Mr Darcy and my fave Daniel (scumbag but devilishly handsome) Cleaver!

My Story the Autobiography of Pasha Kovalev, best know for being a pro dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr Handsome himself on 3 occasions now, two of which I got to meet and greet, and get the programs and merchandise signed (YAAAAAAY!)
So when I found out Pasha had released a book it was a must have!
I am hoping to see Pasha with his former Strictly partner Katya Virshilas (lovely lady) again in 2014 and hopefully he will kindly sign my book for me :D

As a fan of the TV show Mrs Brown's Boys, I knew I had to have this when it came out. I saw it in a supermarket and then again in my local bookstore and couldn't help but flick through some of the pages and chuckle to myself.
Can't wait to get this on Christmas Day as I don't think it's going to take me long to read it, a book with lots of laughs!

Review #8 Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

Released: 5th December 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Age Group: New Adult/Adult Fiction
Pages: 74
Buy the book here: Amazon

Synopsis

When a storm strands Claire Hanlin in Chicago on Christmas Eve, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Logan Dawes, the man she almost married two years ago. The chemistry between them is dangerously potent, but with nowhere else to go, Claire accepts Logan's offer to stay with him for the night.

Back in the home they shared, surrounded by reminders of Logan and his young daughter, Claire begins to realize how much she misses the family she almost had. After a few cups of Christmas cheer, she falls right back into her ex's arms—even though she knows it means setting herself up for heartbreak all over again.

The magic of the season has thrown him together with the woman he's never stopped loving, and Logan's not about to pass up this gift. He's not the workaholic he was two years ago—his family comes first. Now all he has to do is prove it to Claire, before the snow stops and she flies out of his life for good.

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Review

I received this book as an advanced E-Copy Via net galley early December, and with it coming out on the 5th, had to jump straight into it. I didn't really know what to expect as Net Galley marked this book in the "New Adult" genre, and after doing a little research on this new genre I discovered "New Adults" is aimed at 18-25 year olds. (Later I went on to contact the Author via Facebook to see if this is being published in a physical copy and was informed it's not actually "New Adult")

I began to read the book and started learning about the two main protagonists, Logan and Claire and their troubled past. As I kept reading the book jumped from world building and character development to rather raunchy scenes, and thinking back to the age bracket (although I am not a mother) thought I wouldn't want my eighteen year old reading this material...I however (at age 27) was enjoying it. I did have a little bit of negative criticism but hate that word and would rather class is as "constructive" from a reader's POV.
As the book is only 74 pages long I can't give a full review and go into too much detail without giving away the whole plot...and that is one of my criticisms.

This book/novella needs to be taken back to the bare bones, stripped and made into a full blown novel. It has the beginnings of something rather fabulous but as a reader I always wanted more. I wanted more in depth knowledge about the characters, not just the main ones, but even about Sophie, Logan's daughter. I wanted to learn more about their past, not just why they broke up, and I wanted their rekindle romance to move at a slower pace..it felt a little rushed.

That aside, this book had me hot under the collar at times and it's just as well I don't have a physical copy of it as it would have pink pages rather than white, because of all the highlighting I did of favourite parts. I breezed through 9 chapters in an hour and the book only has 13, so if your looking for a quick and easy read on a cold winter's night I would recommend this book. Pick it up and it will soon have you reaching for some ice to cool you down.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars...Smokin Hawt!

Update of my life

Hello fellow book lovers I am back!

My life over the last 6 months or so has been manic with work and unfortunately no time for play but...I have still been reading as you will know if you've been following my Goodreads.

Over the next few weeks I will be uploading reviews for all of the books I have been delving into whilst I've been gone so fear not you won't be missing out...and there were a lot of books. I am currently reading The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. The last books I read was John Green' s The Fault in our Stars which I have given 4.5 stars stay tuned to find out why I didn't think it deserved the full 5!

Other review coming include The Hunger Games trilogy, A monsters Calls and many more.

Posted via Blogaway

Review #7 Rapunzel Untangled By Cindy C Bennett

Released: 13th February 2013
Publisher: Sweetwater Books
Age Group: YA
Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale
Pages: 304
Buy the book here: Amazon

Synopsis

Fab Fane Fannigan: Are you saying you live at GOTHEL MANSION??? The Gothel Mansion?
RG: My mother calls it Gothel Manor,so maybe that's different?
Fab Fane Fannigan: No, Rapunzel, there is only one that I know of. It has to be the same. Are you telling me the truth here?
RG: Yes, of course. Is it weird that I live here?
Fab Fane Fannigan: No, not weird, just...never mind. So you live in the tower?
RG: Uh, the tower? I don't know. Is it a tower?
Fab Fane Fannigan: Yes, It is. I know where it is. I'll be there Friday at 8

Rapunzel sensed the difference in his tone. Something wasn't right.

Fab Fane Fannigan: Rapunzel, promise me one thing.
RG: Okay.
Fab Fane Fannigan: Don't Google your house.

Rapunzel is not your average teenager. For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she's also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction.

But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she's ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is.

Filled with romance, adventure and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won't want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

I received this book as an ARC on my Kindle from NetGalley. After reading the synopsis of the book I was immediately drawn into the plot and requested to read it. When I got my confirmation I was thrilled. 
I jumped straight into this book with no knowledge or understanding of Rapunzel whatsoever. I had never read or heard the story of Rapunzel as a child so this was a brand new world for me. The only thing I knew of the original fairytale was Rapunzel was trapped in a tower and had very long, golden hair...that was it.

I LOVED this book. From the very first page it pulled my attention and captured my imagination drawing me into the world the author Cindy Bennett had created. Her characters were relate-able, and as soon as I read about Fane, I found myself with a little crush. He seemed the perfect guy you would want as a friend and maybe more...

The use of the modern world was handled brilliantly and make the story lighthearted and funny, but with some dark undertones further into the book where we start to learn more about Gothel Mansion and the twisted-ness of Gothel herself. A villain you can really learn to loathe.

I really hope Cindy Bennett creates more modern fairytale retelling's as this one was amazing. I could not put it down. When I did I felt compelled to pick it straight back up again.

This book is released on the 13th February 2013, go out and pick up a copy for yourself or even better pre-order it on Amazon and get it delivered to your door on launch day (see link above). You won't be disappointed.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.. Absolutely Brilliant!

One last comment...Film companies, if you are reading this snap it up! I want to see this made into a film.

I'm Back!....

Hello EVERYONE!

Yes I am excited to be back. It has been soooo long, but I am back and I have my reading buzz back..WOOT!

Ok so let's pick up where we last left off. It was about a year ago in January when I read my last book. Yep 1 whole year and I didn't pick up 1 book in that time. As shameful as that is, in a strange way I think it made me a better person. I was due to read authors books, do author interviews for the blog and I think it just all became too much pressure and I forgot what my main purpose was...to read because I love to read.

I completely lost my buzz, I have gotten into reading slumps before but that is completely normal. Summer I always find a hard time to settle down with a book because I don't cope well with the warmer weather...BUT that being said...because I live in England, when we do get hot weather I want to be out enjoying it, not lying down reading a book.

Now I have my buzz back it will be interesting to see how I cope this summer with my reading. I think, If I managed to find the right books..I should be ok...Time will tell.

But anyway, enough of that I am back and raring to go. I have set myself a Goodreads challenge of 25 books to read in the year 2013. In January I read 1 book and started a 2nd which is actually an advanced reader's book which comes out in mid February, so a review will be posted about that soon. The book that I read and completed was Earth by Shauna Granger. This was a free book that was available on the kindle market, so expect a review for that soon as well.

Last but by no means least, I will be updating my February TBR pile and you will find this on the main page within a couple of days...

But for now guys, until next time...Happy Reading :D

Review #6 Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

Released: 18th February 2011
Publisher: Atom
Age Group: YA
Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale
Pages: 352
Buy the book here: Amazon
To read the BONUS chapter: click here

For the start of my review I like to put the synopsis of the book here, to give the reader a teaser insight as to what they will be reading. I went into this book without reading the synopsis because I bought it for my Ereader, and I'm glad I didn't read it as it gives away too many spoilers. And me, not wanting to spoil you, have left the synopsis out of my review. One thing I have included though is the bonus chapter the author leave you gagging for at the end of the book. It says to go to a website for the final chapter, but after visiting it, and to my great dismay, finding the link doesn't work I thoroughly searched Google and managed to find a PDF link of that final chapter.

As I already said I had gone into this story with an open mind, I had heard so many negative reviews on Youtube, but was desperate to see the film. And as always with me I refuse to watch the film until I have read the book. I was thrilled with the book from beginning to ending and the way in which Sarah Blakley-Cartwright wrote the book was fabulous. I love the fact she stuck to the main fairytale concept but added her own modern twist to the book. I was never a great fan of fairy-tales but knew all the stories. Lets just say they don't seem so dull now. She kept me guessing to the very end about the cliffhanger, she left me wanting to see more action halfway through the book between two of the main characters, and then after the bonus chapter left me wishing there was a second book as a follow-up.

After reading so many books that scored three stars out of five, and for me is an "average" read I was so pleased to having something that drew me in and kept me guessing. That for me is the best thing that can happen in books, not knowing what is coming next. It keeps me excited and intrigued. Unfortunately very few books are unable to do that in today's market but this was not one of them!

About the bonus chapter... I'd also heard many bad things about this bonus chapter, which I didn't realize was missing until the very end of the book. They were complaining on how the bonus chapter was "rushed" and "didn't tie in with the rest of the book." For me this wasn't the case at all. I was definately surprised at the outcome but as Sarah was explaining it through the words of the story I thought back through the book and found it tied up all the loose ends and explained everything well. The only downside is it leaves you wanting more, she leaves it open for a second book but sadly one hasn't been developed yet :(

I have awarded this book 4 stars out of 5 - Fantastic mystery & plot ~ Can't wait to watch the film!