April Review Book #3

Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale by Tamra Torero


Expected Publish Date: 8th May 2012
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Pages: 312
Pre-Order Here: Amazon


A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace's lifeless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose - possibly paralyzed - and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I'd envisioned my first kiss - me invisible, him unconscious.

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First of all, she's spent her entire life being homeschooled, travelling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there's the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie.

But now that she's starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what's coming.

In her latest novel Tamra Torero spins a magical tale filled with laugh-out-loud sarcasm, surprising twists, and spell-binding romance. Perfect for fairytale fans of all ages, this is one story you won't want to miss!

I will be reading this in April and the review for it will be on my blog on May 1st.
I was thrilled when Cedar Fort accepted me to read this magical fairytale. It fits perfectly into my Magical May theme and the synopsis alone draws you in. I can't wait to lose myself in Shayla's world!

April Review Book #2

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis


Expected Publish Date: 8th May 2012
Publisher: Brilliance Corporation
Pages: 305
Pre-Order Here: Amazon
Pre-Order Audio Book Here: Amazon
Authors Website: Alethea Kontis

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sister's named for the other six days of the week. Sunday's only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an Enchanted Frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland - and a man Sunday's family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

I will be reading this book in April and the review for it will be on my blog on May 1st.
I cannot wait to read this and was elated when Alethea said I could. It fits in perfectly with my theme for May which is Magical May. Magical May will consist of fairytales, dragons, mythical creatures, faeries...the list is endless. If I consider it to be magical, I will try and read it in May. Alethea has also agreed to an Author Interview. This will also be posted in May!

April Review Book #1

Felinian by M. Clifford


Published: 10th September 2011
Pages: 454
Buy the paperback here: Amazon
Buy the Kindle version here: Amazon

The next book in the series Fertile Crescent...Coming Soon!
To grab yourself a FREE copy of The Book, another novel by M.Clifford visit HERE

Katherine Luna lives in Sleepy Hollow. And she is upset with her life. She is being forced to go to a different high school than all her friends, the creepy cat lady who lives in her neighborhood is getting stranger each day and she has just been humiliated at a senior party on Halloween in the worst way possible for a teenage girl. As her body suddenly begins to change in the most unexpected way, forcing all the boys to fawn over her, she is confronted with the realization that she can communicate with cats and that a mysterious man is following her.
All starts to make sense when she learns she has become a Felinian and that she has been quickly gifted with the fabled nine-lives of a cat, tied somehow with Ancient Egyptian lore, and empowered with the ability to control the passions and minds of men. As Katherine fights her lustful, Felinian nature, attempting to stop herself from stalking the boys of her school, the man stalking her begins to reveal his purpose.
With the help of her neighborhood friend Hector, a boy that seems more connected to this haunted world than he lets on, Katherine tries to manage her new life and struggles to strike a balance between monster and girl, all the while hoping and wondering, will she ever be a regular girl again?

I will be reviewing this book in April as soon as I receive it. It's my first review book from an Author and will always hold a special place in my heart. I was so thrilled to be entrusted with the review of this book and I can't wait to sink my claws into it. M. Clifford has also agreed to do an Author Interview with me. This will be posted hopefully soon after my review of Felinian, so watch this space!

Update

Hello everyone.

To those of you reading this that, like me, live in England I hope you are enjoying this glorious sunshine and making the most of it. Lets hope that it lasts. The garden is a amazing place to relax and grab your favourite read. Whether your sunbathing at the same time, or sitting in the shade listening to the twittering of the birds - it just makes me happy to be an avid reader.

I thought I would give you a current update of what's been going on in my world of books. I am currently reading Red Riding Hood, about 60 pages in and really liking it so far. It's full of intrigue and suspense, just hoping the film won't let it down when I get around to watching it. I haven't posted for a few days as I have been contacting authors and they have been contacting me, which is fab!! During April I now have three review books which I will be reading, and the reviews for those will all be on the blog in early May, as this is when they are released. I will write a post about each book so you can get a feel for what to expect. Also I will be contacting the authors after reading their books for Author Interviews, so be sure you don't miss those! They will also be posted on my blog in May.

During the month of May I have a few books that I own that I'm really excited to get to, but I also have a couple of review books I'm intrigued in and hoping to get selected to read...Wish me luck!
As soon as I have sorted my choices for May I will pop a post about it under the What's Happening Next Month tab so be sure to keep checking that for my update.

Ok, after I have written about these fantastic books I get the pleasure of reviewing in April, I am going to go and bury my head back into Red Riding Hood. Have a fantastic rest of your weekend and as always...Happy Reading!

Review #5 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Released: 7th June 2011
Publisher: Quirk Books
Age Group: YA, Adults
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 352
Author's Website: Ransom Riggs
Buy the book here: Amazon

This review contains spoilers!!

A MYSTERIOUS ISLAND.

AN ABANDONED ORPHANAGE.


A STRANGE COLLECTION OF VERY PECULIAR PHOTOGRAPHS.


It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for a good reason. And somehow - impossible as it seems - they may still be alive. A spine tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens and anyone who relished an adventure in the shadows.


I went into this book with great anticipation. I'd heard great things about it from fellow Youtubers and so I bought it specially with my birthday money, which for a 26 year old is measly I have to say. So me and my £5 went to my local bookshop and picked up a copy of this book. I couldn't wait to read it and found myself keep flicking through the pages. Not necessarily looking at anything in particular I just felt the need to devour it then and there. But I took it home and carried on with my other "planned" reading.

When this book was voted for on my poll, I was thrilled and was glad it was drawn to be the March book of the Month, and I could finally sink my claws into it. I found the beginning to be fast paced, a bit like Wings was. It jumped straight into the storyline and informed the reader of all the history that had taken place before this book. This helped me get into the story, and I find if that first chapter doesn't capture my imagination, I don't hold out much hope for the rest of it. The story telling of the characters (there's quite a few of them) was made easy for the reader as well. Sometimes having a lot of characters can confuse me as a reader, but this was dealt with very well in this book.

The book was filled with both anti-climatic parts but also suspense. I found it had an equal balance of both and so made the reader want to continue turning the pages, which is a key aspect. The ending however I though could have used a little condensing, for me it was dragged out a bit too much, but that is just my personal opinion.

The way in which Ransom writes is so descriptive he really draws you into his world. There were rumors surrounding this book that Tim Burton was going to make it into a film, but after reading Ransom's website this is fact not fiction. There is also a sequel being written, which I will be buying to see what peculiar adventures we will see next.

I award this 3 out of 5 Stars ~ Peculiar, but fascinating.

Update

It's 1:15 am here in England, and I have just finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. A review for this book will be posted up on here tomorrow, and a discussion/talk about the book will be posted on Youtube so be sure to watch out for that also. The book I will be starting tomorrow is Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. A review for Miss Peregrine will also be posted on my Goodreads account. Don't forget to follow me on twitter and Youtube.

Until Tomorrow....

Happy Reading XD

Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Released: 2nd May 2006
Publisher: Harper Collins
Age Group: Children's
Genre: Mermaids/Fantasy
Pages: 336
Author's Website: Helen Dunmore
Buy the book here: Amazon

Everything is wet and shining with mist. The rocks hidden, the sea bidden. Everything slippery and dangerous...the sea is pulling me like a magnet.

Swimming, surfing, exploring - Sapphire and her brother Conor enjoy life by the sea in cornwall. But why does Conor start disappearing for hours on end? And who is the mysterious girl talking to him on the rocks? Following Conor down to the cove one day, Sapphire discovers Ingo - an exciting and dangerous world beneath the waves, where all you breath is adventure...


I found myself drawn to the cover of this book on many occasions and stopped to ask myself why. But I couldn't answer my own question - that is until I finally picked up a copy of it from my library and read it. Ingo is the first book in the series telling the tale of Sapphire and her brother Conor. She notices Conor keeps disappearing until one day she follows him and discovers he is talking to a girl, Elvira. Sapphire starts to feel the call of the ocean and meets a boy called Faro. But Faro and Elvira aren't air people, they are mer-people.


This is a lovely charming tale and had me on the edge of  my seat to find out the ending. The book has been written very well and keeps you guessing without giving too much away. It definitely left me wanting more so I will be planning to read the other books in the series. After viewing the authors website I was also drawn to some of her other novels which have intrigued me, so they will also make their way onto my ever expanding TBR pile.


I have awarded this book 3 out of 5 Stars ~ Delightful  

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Released: 29th April 2010
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Age Group: YA
Genre: Real Life
Pages: 336
Website including other books: Jenny Downham
Buy the book here: Amazon





Before I Die was a gripping novel from start to finish. It is about a girl called Tessa, who is 16 years old, and due to leukemia, has only a few months to live. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, she has a long list of things she'd like to do before she dies. As you progress through the book, you learn everything that has happened in her life and how it will be for her family after she dies.

In an IMM video, I stated that this book kept grabbing my attention, and I wasn't sure why. I now know. It was to broaden the range of literature I read, and divert me away from all things supernatural and make me realize the things that happen to people everyday before our very eyes. I am now looking for more books like this, with real meaning, page-turning books that move you. (But will continue to read the other books I like)


This book was amazing and left me craving more 5 out of 5!

Gifted ~ Out of Sight Out of Mind by Marilyn Kaye

Released: 2nd February 2009
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Age Group: YA
Genre: Ghosts
Pages: 240
Buy the book here: Amazon
Website including other books: Gifted Series



Amanda Beeson, Queen of Mean has everything. Nice house, the latest fashion and is part of a popular clique. Together with her friends Amanda likes to pick on Tracey Devon, nerd, unpopular and might as well be invisible. Amanda doesn't understand what it like to be Tracey until one morning she waked up and finds herself in Tracey's body. Amanda soon realizes not only is Tracey ignored at school but she's also ignored at home. But that was always the case. As she reads a few pages from Tracey's diary she discovers that she used to be the apple of her parents eye, and used to have friends. That changed when her parents had septuplets. Seven identical baby girls who needed lots of attention, pushing Tracey out of the frame. Amanda knew that Tracey attended a "Gifted" class at Meadowbrook Middle School, but its not until she lives Tracey's life she discovers just how gifted Tracey is. She has the ability to become invisible, so Amanda realizes if she ever wants to get her body back she has to make Tracey seen and heard.

A very good book that kept me guessing from beginning to end. I will be borrowing the future books and adding them to my shelf. Well worth the read and especially if your looking for a quick read as this only took me half a day to complete.

I have rated this book 3 out of 5

Ghost Girl by Tonya Hurley

Released: 3rd September 2009
Publisher: Headline
Age Group: Middle Grade - YA
Genre: YA
Pages: 336
Buy the Book here: Amazon
Author's website including other books: Tonya Hurley


Ghostgirl is about a high-school student named Charlotte Usher. She may as well be dead, as she is a nobody at school. She is dying to be popular and will do whatever it takes to get with Damen Dylen, the object of her desires. It just so happens he is going out with Petula, the most popular girl in school. During her first day back at Hawthorne High, she is left out when choosing Physics partners, that is until Damen Dylan walks in late and is assigned her partner by their teacher. Charlotte sees this as a great start to the new semester and calls it "fate". Damen is failing Physics, but with a little tutoring from Charlotte (unbeknown) to Petula he feels his grades could improve. As the lesson ends and they walk out of the classroom, Damen tries to mouth to Charlotte to tutor him and as she's about to reply she pops a Gummy bear into her mouth and starts to choke. Petula (not knowing this) slams the door in Charlotte's face causing her to walk into it and lodge the Gummy bear further into her airway. She tries to give herself the Heimlich, but fails. The classroom is empty and Charlotte chokes to death, literally.
She comes back as a ghost, who still has to attend classes in Hawthorn but in room 1313 and by a teacher called Brain. All of the students there are ghosts and have been given nicknames according to the way they died. They can see the "live" students but the live students can't see them. Apart from one: Scarlet, Petula's sister. In the lessons Charlotte has to learn how to move on and discover what her unfinished business is, which she believes to be Damen, but she later discovers its actually to be herself and to accept herself for who she is.
(There is a lot of information that I have not included as I don't want to spoil it too much for you)

A very funny, touching story with hidden meaning and teachings. Popularity isn't everything.
I have rated this book 4 out of 5