I've moved

http://ashleymay89.blogspot.co.uk/

City of Heavenly Fire Cover Reveal

AHHHHH Its finally here.

The City of Heavenly Fire cover was revealed last night, its the sixth and final book in the Mortal Instrument series.

I don't think I can express how excited I am for this book to be released May can not come quick enough, even though it will be sad to say goodbye to Clary, Jace and all the gang and I know that we are in for some shocking surprises, I still can't wait to see what happens, espcically after the cliff-hanger in book 5.

The cover is awesome it shows Clary holding a sword dressed in white while Sebastian stands in the background with black wings. We all know that someone (or maybe more) are going to die in this book and I am guessing the Clary wearing white is a reflection of this.

 

What do you think of the cover? Do you have any predictions for the final book?

Fictional Crush (January)

Okay, so we all have to admit we occasionally (maybe more than occasionally) wish that some of our favourite fictional characters were real. I know I do and I can even admit to having a tiny incy wincy crush on some of them too.

Now instead of hiding our feelings away I think that this is something we should embrace, something we shouldn't be afraid to announce to the world. Well maybe not the entire world but you know lets not hide the fact that we sometimes crush on people who aren't real.

Once a month (maybe twice) I'm going to talk about my fictional crushes and why I think they are completely crush worthy.

This months pick has to be my first ever book crush Ned Nickerson from the Nancy Drew series.

I'll be honest when I was younger I wanted to grow up and be Nancy Drew, I wanted to solve mysterious, I wanted to be as quirky and witty as she was. Basically everything about her life I wanted including her boyfriend Ned. Thinking back he was the first every character that I had a crush on, the Nancy Drew series was one of the first series where I started to imagine what I would do if I was one of the characters.

“Ned said "Nancy Drew is the best girl detective in the whole world!"
"Don't you believe him," Nancy said quickly. "I have solved some mysteries, I'll admit, and I enjoy it, but I'm sure there are many other girls who could do the same.”  


As I've gotten older I've realised that Ned isn't the greatest guy on earth and that he is a little bit of a bore. But when I was younger all I knew was that he was kind and considerate, he worried about Nancy's safety and all round he seemed like a good guy. He was completely devoted to Nancy and let her shine when it came to solving cases and yet was there to rescue her if he needed to, plus he was the hottest guy in River Heights.

Who was your first fictional crush?

Top Ten 2014 debuts I'm excited for

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks theme is top ten 2014 debuts that we are looking forward too. I always love reading an authors for the first time, I love hunting down new authors to read. Every year more and more amazing authors are getting published and this year is no exception.

Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

 

 

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page

 

 

Love Letter to the Dead

 

 

The Murder Complex

 

 

Side Effects May Vary

 

 

The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski

 

 

Are there any other 2014 debuts that I should be looking out for?

 

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Penryn End of Days Book 1
 
Release Date: 23rd May 2013

Pages: 325

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Dystopia

Star Rating: 4.5

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

A dark and captivating story set in a post apocalyptic world that has been devastated by Angels, cities lie in ruins, most of the population has been wiped out and only a handful of survivors are left doing what they must to get by in a world gone mad. Angels rule and you hope you never have to meet one.

17 year old Penryn lives and breathes this world everyday and with a Mother suffering with Schizophrenia and a sister who is wheelchair bound, she must fight harder than others to keep her family together. The story starts with Penryn and her sister having to flee the apartment they've been living in as its no longer safe. When a fight between a group of Angels breaks out and Penryn watches in horror as one Angel has his wings ripped from his body and her little sister is kidnapped by the same group. Knowing the only way to get her sister back is to work with the broken and battered Angel she must overcome her fears and help him.

Penryn is a strong and beautiful selfless heroine, who will do whatever she has to in order to look after her family. She is the personification of what a protagonist in this genre should be like, it doesn't matter the situation Penryn will use her wits to figure out a way out of it, she is fierce and loyal to a fault and has a strength that is hard to comprehend and yet she comes across as being a normal 17 year old girl, who is so easy to relate too. Susan Ee has done an amazing job at creating a character that is believable in a world that is so far from our own.

Now Raffe, apart from the name which had a few problems initially when trying to pronounce, I absolutely loved him. He was dark, mysterious and a typical bad guy with a twist. Initially he was arrogant and was clearly amused by Penryn's acts of bravado but as the story progresses we get to see a softer and funnier side to him. At first him and Penryn come to and uneasy truce in order to get his wings back and Penryn her sister but as their journey progresses so does their relationship. Whilst not overly romantic, they both start to learn that maybe the other isn't the 'enemy', their banter is witty and funny and was definitely one of my favourite parts about the book. Actually I completely loved everything about this book.

A book that is anything but ordinary, with a plot that never gives up and plenty of twists and turns. The character and wind building is fantastic, Susan Ee creates a vivid and captivating world that I could completely imagine existing with characters that manage to balance each out. A book about doing whatever its takes to look after those you love, about learning to overcome prejudices and a book about finding love in even the bleakest of circumstances.

This is one book that you just have to read to understand just how good it is.

Most Anticipated Reads of 2014 (January)

2013 was an amazing year for me in terms of finding new authors and series to read. I discovered the amazing talents of Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss/ Lola and the Boy Next Door) and Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor and Park and Fangirl) who made me realise I do actually like to read contemporary fiction. Fantasy became my new love, Maria V Snyder, Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor and Sarah Mass all contributed to this and had my imagination living in far off lands. However 2014 is set to be just as good with so many series reaching their epic conclusions but what about the new authors, new series and standalones. There are so many great book set to be released this year which I why I've compelled by list of my most anticipated reads.

Each month I'll list the books I'm most looking forward to reading this month, the ones I'll be rushing out to buy on release day.

 Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

 

In 1940 after the first book ends, Jacob and his new Welsh island friends flee to London, the Peculiar capital of the world. Caul, a dangerous madman, is Miss Peregrine’s brother, and can steal Peculiar abilities for himself. The Peculiars must fight for survival, again.

 

Taste of Power by Maria V. Snyder

 

 

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

 

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

 

 

For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.

Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over?

 

Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

 

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

 

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

 

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

 

 

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

 

What are you looking forward to reading this month?

 

Graphic Novels

I've never been a big graphic novel fan, there isn't a particular reason behind this I've just never had the urge to pick one up before.

However recently this has all changed, my boyfriend is a big comic book fan and he loves exploring our local comic stores for hours on end, looking at all the new releases and well whilst I'm there with him, I end up looking too and I have to say I think I may have a new love, they are quick and easy to read and yet at the same time some are so thought-provoking and create intense emotional reactions from me, the same reactions I get from reading books, I can't believe I've never given them a try before and can we talk about the illustrations. Just wow! I wish I could draw as well as some of these artist, honestly I would love to see some of my favourite books turned into graphic novel form.

Now I am still a complete novice but these are some of the graphic novels that I've read and really enjoyed.

Locke and Key (Welcome to Lovecraft) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

"The Eisner-nominated Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all!"

 

Chew (Tasters Choice) by John Layman and Rob Guillory

 

 

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

 

 

The Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes) by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith and Mike Dringenberg

 



 

In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his seventy-year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.

 

Maus (My Fathers Bleeds History) by Art Spiegelman

 

A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself.

 

Fables (Legends in Exile) by Bill Willington, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha and Craig Hamilton 

 

 

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

 

 

Can you recommend any Graphic Novels I should read?

Top Ten Bookish Resolutions

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish


This weeks topic on Top Ten Tuesday are  'bookish resolutions' for the new year, whilst I don't have ten I do have a few things I would like to change about my reading habits.

1. Read More Classics - I used to say that Classics were my favourite genre to read and yet in the past year or so I don't think I've picked up a single one and so this year I want to try and read at least one a month.

2. Read More Non-Fiction - I never read non-fiction and yet when I am browsing bookstores it always a section I find myself looking at, especially the popular science books and so this year I want to try and read at least 7 non-fiction titles.

3. Stop giving up on books - I'm not referring to books I'm not enjoying reading this is for those times in a book when something is going wrong for a character, when the world around them is falling apart. Sometimes I don't want to read about bad things happening to them and so I just stop reading. I really do need to stop this because its part of the experience of reading a book, to experience those emotional highs and lows with a character.

4. Read at least 10 books from my TBR pile before I buy anymore books.

5. Try new things - This goes along with reading more non-fiction but I also want to read new authors and new genres, try something within fiction that I wouldn't normally think of picking up.

6. Finish Series - This is something I've been meaning to do for a while now, I've started tons of series and then neglected to pick up the rest, as I've always found something new and shiny to read instead but this year I want to try and finish some so I can finally put them to bed.

I think is this the year that I try to branch out with my reading, explore new avenues and get lost in brand new and exiting adventures.

What are your bookish resolutions?

Home

 

Wanderlust

Wanderlust
-n
a great desire to travel or rove about

I love to travel, who doesn't. The chance to explore a new place, delving into new experiences and new cultures. I love it all.

A couple of years ago I spent two and half months travelling around America, it was one of the best experiences of my life and now in six weeks time and going back again, this time not for as long, just three short weeks but I can't wait.

I'm starting off in New York, then flying to Vancouver, then off to Seattle, then onto Portland and finally to Chicago. I've been to both Chicago an New York before, I loved both cities so much that I am really eager to return. But Vancouver, Seattle and Portland will be a whole new adventure for me. I've never been to Canada before, but its one place I've always wanted to go and I've only ever heard great things about it. I've spent weeks reading through travel blogs and books trying to find the best places to visit to make the most of my short time. I'm going with a couple of friends from work, and considering we are all book crazy we want to try and visit as many bookstores as we can, from the big mega bookstores to the small independent ones, I want to see as many as I can. I want to experience the American and Canadian nightlife, I want live music and local bars. I want to see the local markets, the parks and museums. I especially want to visit the museums, I love going to museums, (side note: I would love to travel around Europe one day on  tour of museums). There is just so much to see and do and I don't want to miss a moment.

"Travel as much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life's not meant to be lived in one place."

Are there any places you think I should visit whilst I'm there?

Top Ten Books of 2013

2013 was actually a good year in terms of books read for me I beat my goal of 100 by 4 books and I know if I hadn't of slacked of in December and actually finished some books then that number would have been a lot bigger which is why I have set myself a target of 150 for 2014, if I meet this goal then it will be the most books I have ever read in one year, its going to be quite a feat for me but I think will a little perseverance, I am more than capable to doing it.

Now onto last year, as I said I read 104 books last year, some of them I liked, others I loved and some I actually obsessed over. It was really hard for me to pick just 10 books that I loved and would encourage you to read but here are the ones I would recommend you drop everything you're doing and read right away because I loved them that much.

 

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

 

Rainbow Rowell was defiantly my discovery of the year in terms of new authors, I fell head over heels with both of her books and the characters and worlds she creates. Fangirl spoke directly to my inner book nerd, I loved Caths obsessive behaviour with the world of Simon Snow, she reminded me of my younger self and my love of Harry Potter fanfiction. Rowell created a wonderful world in which Cath learns to grow and enters the 'real world', a world full of magic of its own kind.

 

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor

 

I remember when I found this book, I don't think I shut up about it for weeks and I think I may have actually have fallen in love with Laini Taylor and her words when I read it. From the minute I read the first page, I wanted, no needed to know more. Taylor created a magical and beautiful world and merged it with our own, her words left me speechless and her characters were beautifully flawed, I don't know if I would recommend another book as much as I would this one. I promise you wont be disappointed.

 

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephaine Perkins

 

 This book was a breath of fresh air, it was beautiful and heart-breaking and made me want to go back to Paris and have the same experiences as Anna. I wish I could express how much I loved this book, it was beautiful and mesmerizing, Stephanie just has a way with words that creates a world and characters that I would love to experience and to know.
 

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas

 

 

This book is filled to the brim with action, tension, murder, mystery, romance and with a sprinkling of magic. Loyalty is questioned, battle lines are drawn and it is just the start to what is sure to be an epic series. Celaena is such a refreshing chance from the stereotypical characters we often see in books, she is good looking, smart and extremely skilled in combat and boy does she know it. 

 

5. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 

 

I hadn't heard much about this book before it appeared in work one day and after finishing Daughter of Smoke and Bone I was eager to read something in a similar vain and let me tell you I was not disappointed. Shadow and Bone was an epic fantasy, the characters, the world building all blew me away, from the prologue to the end I was hooked, the writing was beautiful and kept me captivated throughout.

 

6. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

 

I had been eager to read Eleanor and Park since I had first heard about Rainbow Rowell and I think this book is a contender for being my absolute favourite of the year. Eleanor has to be one of the best female characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about, she individual and quirky. This book gave me those butterflies in my stomach, it made my heart clench and it sent me on a roller-coaster of emotions and the ending, I think I screamed in frustration when I read it, I kept turning the page hoping for something more.

 

7. More Than This by Patrick Ness

 

More than this is an utterly compelling and wonderfully bizarre book, that will keep you hooked from the opening chapter, when our main protagonist dies whilst swimming on the beach and wakes up back in his childhood home. The events that occur throughout the rest of the book will have you second guessing everything you thought you knew. Ness keeps us on the edge of our seats and has created a diverse set of characters that you'll learn to love. More than this challenges the human nature and the fact that we are always searching for 'more than this'.

8. All my Friends are Superheroes

 

I think this was one of the shortest books I read this year and it was recommended to me by a lot of the people I work with and I loved it. It was funny and quirky, I loved all the little descriptions of the different types of superheroes that exist. It was a romantic comedy in a small little package and will leave you feeling warm inside. 

 

9. Forgive me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

 

This book was an interesting look and compelling story about a depressed teenager and what he perceives to be his last day on earth, the book jumps between different times in Leonards life and those life changing moments, as Leonard starts to say goodbye to all the people who have changed his life in some way, whether they realise it or not. It was a surprisingly sweet story and made me think about how people effect may our lives in the smallest of ways.

 

10. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

 

This was the last book I read in 2013 and from the moment I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Touch of Power is the first book in the Avery of Kazan series and if you like high fantasy then you should defiantly give it a try. Snyder has created a magical world, full of mayhem and danger, her characters are funny and loyal. Every chapter brings a new threat to Avery so its never boring. I ran out and bought the sequel as soon as I had finished it.

In other news, as I'm writing this post I am actually watching or should I say catching up on some NHL, I haven't watched that many games before but one of my close friends is a major Chicago Blackhawks fan and considering we are heading over to America in a couple of weeks and we are actually going to watch a game I figured I should get to grips with it.

Now if you didn't know I am more an NFL girl myself but I have to say once I got my head around the speed of the sport I am really enjoying watching it, I'm not sure I fully understand all the rules yet but I am sure that that will come with time. It's definitely more of an aggressive sport, its strange that fighting is actually acceptable but boy do these guys have some skill on the ice, I'm more of a grip the sides of a rink girl myself.

 

What were your favourite books of 2013? Do you agree with any of mine?

Book Club

I think I may have mentioned it in a previous post but I actually run a teen book club in which we discuss, yes you guessed it, teen books. I've been running it since September and I thought it might be an idea to merge my book club and my blog together a little bit.

 

Now just in case anyone reading this is in the area and would like to join along in person are next meeting is 14th January at Waterstones in Liverpool One but if not don't worry because I have decided to post a little round-up of our discussion here on my blog for everyone else to join in on. I want to hear your opinions about the books were reading. Do you love them or loathe them?

 

Now this months books are two dystopian picks, Gone by Michael Grant and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

 

 

 Happy Reading

Let's talk: Reading Habits

Okay so I've got a little confession to make, recently I've been starting books but not actually finishing them now this isn't one or two books its a lot, 11 to be exact.

I don't know why I keep doing this, sometimes is simply because I just am in the mood to read a different genre of book and sometimes its because the story itself isn't keeping me entertained and then other times its because I can tell something bad is about to happen in the story and I don't want to read about it just yet, I just want to keep envisioning everything being perfectly happy for my characters for a little while longer and then in one case its because the subject nature of the story hit a little close to home and I couldn't quiet bring myself to carry on reading it just yet.

Now I will get round to finishing them, that's actually going to be my goal for this month is to finish what I've started to read and this shouldn't be too hard to complete considering I'm over half way through most of these books.

Do you ever struggle to finish reading books?

A New Year, A New Blogger

 

I hope you all had a wonderful time bringing in the new year last night, whatever it was you choose to do.

 

Welcome to 2014, its a new year, time to forget about all the bad things that may have happened last year and a chance for a fresh start (even though I am a firm believer that it doesn't have to be a new year for you to have a fresh start). A time to make those new years resolutions and to try and stick to them.

 

So in keeping with the theme of a 'fresh start' and 'resolutions', I have decided to do this with my blog, I haven't posted a review since September and even though this was mainly due to my laptop dying a very slow and painful death it was also because I just wasn't putting any effort in, I would get so bogged down with real life that I never took the time to do anything with my blog and even though some may think that this was because I didn't like blogging, I can honestly say nothing is further from the truth, I love blogging, I love talking about books and sharing my passion with other passionate readers, I love discovering new authors, I've found hundreds of new books through reading peoples blogs, books I would have never dreamt of picking up before and you know what some of them have become my favourite books and now I recommend others to read them too. That is the point of blogging for me, to be able to share and express my love of reading.  So no more slacking off, instead of filling notebooks with ideas for my blog I actually need to put them into practise, this is the time for me to get back into blogging and this time to do so seriously.

 

• Write more reviews: This is one of my biggest downfalls in regards to blogging, I enjoy writing reviews I like that feeling of satisfaction I get when I've particularly loved a book and I get a chance to tell the world about it and I want to do this more. I need to write my posts in advance and schedule them so that I don't stress about finding the time to write one.
• Be more active: This is one of my biggest downfalls I don't tend to interact with many other people in the blogging community, consider I struggle sometimes to find time to write my own posts I never seem to have any time to look at other people's but this is going to change, even if its just a select few I keep updated with it will be an improvement on what I do now.
• Branch out: As much as I love books and my blog will never change to being solely centred around books, I do want to try and make this blog a little more personal, so this year you'll probably see more posts about me and what I've been up to. Plus I want to try and make everything more conversational, make posts that get people interacting and chatting.

 

I've got lots of ideas in my head at the moment as to what I want to do with my blog and now its just making sure I implement them. I've already got a few reviews written and ready to be posted. Sometimes starting anew is exactly what you need and that's what I feel like I am currently doing with my blog, I gave it a mini facelift yesterday and got rid of a lot of clutter and now I feel like it looks a lot cleaner and fresher.

 

 

Now onto the most important decision of the year so far what book should I read first?

 

A New Start

Today is December 31st or as its better known New Years Eve. This is the day we reflect on what the past year has brought us.

The past 12 months I've gone by in a blur, I graduated from university with a 2:1 and I couldn't be more proud of myself, after battling with depression throughout university and having to take time out to recover, going back and finishing felt amazing, I put everything I had into graduating and making sure I got a good grade and stepping up to get my diploma made everything I've been through these past 5 years seem worth it. I became a stronger person. I still have my moments of self doubt but these are far and few between, I finally learnt to look in the mirror and be happy with who is staring back at me, I rediscovered my passion for music and now life isn't so quiet anymore.

 I met some wonderful people through my teen book club, we converse for hours on end about books and I love being able to share my passion with other people. I went to Wembley to watch my first ever NFL game and even though it wasn't the Packers the experience was amazing.

And most of all I got to spend the year with my boyfriend Ben, I couldn't be more proud of what he has achieved this year and what he has managed to overcome. Overall this year was pretty great, it had plenty of ups and downs but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Now onto next year, I see big changes in my future but that's for another post!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephine Perkins

“I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It's so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn't have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.”

Anna and the French Kiss has become one of my all time favourite YA books. I started and finished it all in one day, I haven't been so captivated and entranced by a book in such a long time. The romance is beautiful and the story line is sweet and endearing. I could harp on and on about this book all day and believe me I have been to my friends. It made my happy, I think I actually read this book with a huge grin on my face it was that good.

Anna is shipped off to boarding school by her father and she hates it, she is homesick and lonely.Anna is upset that her father has pulled her away from her best friend and a possible love interest, and the fact that she can't speak any French has left her feeling isolated and insecure. And then she meets a great host of characters, including the charming St Clair, who drag her out of her dorm room to experience the wonders that the city of Paris has. As the story progresses Anna and St Clair develop a beautiful friendship that starts to turn into more, with plenty of obstacles to overcome are Anna and St Clair brave enough to take the leap into something more?

I absolutely adored Anna, she was the type of female protagonist that I could find myself relating too, the girl with the raisin sized gap in her teeth and a stripe in her hair, she was imperfectly perfect. She is shy but has a witty and sarcastic side to her as well. I loved how well Stephanie balanced Anna's homesickness with her excitement to explore a new city, she is the type of character that I find myself becoming connected too, when she is embarrassed I feel embarrassed right along with her and that is a credit to Stephanie to create that type of connection. Anna is sweet and adorable, she over thinks everything down to the tiniest moment and sometimes I wished she would have been a little more perceptive to St Clairs feelings but I think that's one of the things that made the story so special watching there relationship grow throughout the course of the book was beautiful.

“I wish for the thing that is best for me.” 

St Clair was definitely swoon worthy, unlike a lot of other reviewers I didn't get the whole English accent thing, well that being because I am English and its nothing special to me but I do get what makes everyone give him the title of hottest male character. Unusually for a male lead he is actually a sweet, kind and caring guy, at first you can tell he honestly just wants to be a friend to Anna but as they become closer, especially over thanksgiving when they are running through Paris together having the time of there lives you can see the relationship switch but he never makes a move. Yes he has a girlfriend but he does try to do right by her, he tries to work on their relationship but this connection with Anna is always at the back of his mind.

“Why is it that the right people never wind up together? Why are people so afraid to leave a relationship, even if they know it's a bad one?” 

Like Anna St Clair is imperfectly perfect, he has a rubbish relationship with his father and even though he is definitely attractive he does has his imperfections, Stephanie has created two leading characters that are human, they aren't perfect, they both make mistakes but they learn from them and that's what makes them perfect.
Stephanie has created a whole bunch of characters that are just wonderful, you really feel a connection to all of them, they each bring something to the story.

Its not only the characters that makes this book it is also the writing, Stephanie has an amazing way with words, she creates breath taking images of Paris, that you can feel coming alive through the pages. She has turned such a simple plot into something extraordinary, you can feel the tension and the emotions of the characters as they all struggle to come to terms with there feelings, the story is dramatic in its simplicity and yet its so realistic, I could actually imagine this happening. Its Stephanie's writing that creates such an emotional response in her readers, she creates a connection between her characters and her readers unlike other authors.

This book was a breath of fresh air, it was beautiful and heartbreaking and made me want to go back to Paris and have the same experiences as Anna. I wish I could express how much I loved this book, it was beautiful and mesmerizing, Stephanie just has a way with words that creates a world and characters that I would love to experience and to know. Anna is a real character, she sees the world in such a realistic way and honestly she has a rather negative view of it that I can relate too, she suffers from anxiety and stresses about such small things. I feel like I've known Anna a lot longer than a few hundred pages. Considering I'm not normally one for what would be considered romantic fiction I think you can tell that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and maybe in the future I wont be so quick to judge a genre if it contains books like this one. Whatever you do read this book, I promise you wont regret it.

“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” 

My rating: 5

Legend by Maire Lu

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”

I was a little bit apprehensive about starting this book, I have read both amazing reviews about this story and not so great ones. However when it was selected to be our book group read I knew I finally had an excuse to read it and while not perfect I have to say I really enjoyed reading Legend. It was a fast paced and thrilling read that had me turning page after page.


Legend is set in a dystopian world known as the Republic that was once the United States, 15 year old June is a prodigy who scored a perfect score in her trails, this has placed her on the fast track to a high ranking position within the army, she is the perfect solider with her keen observation skills and quick reflexes. However one day her older brother Metias is murdered and the suspect is notorious criminal known as Day. June vows to get revenge for her brothers murder and to bring Day to justice, she will do anything to track him down and as she begins her hunt she soon starts to unravel the dark and disturbing truth about the society she has put all of her faith in.

Day was by far my favourite character, known as the most wanted criminal in the Republic, he is not the person society thinks he is. He was sweet and nurturing with Tess, he makes sure she is protected at all times and he even though his family think him dead he still does all he can to protect them, even breaking in to a government hospital to steal plague cures for them, which is the cause of all his future problems, he is a modern day Robin Hood, he steals from the rich (the republic) to help the poor (the lower society). Yet Day is also cocky and smart, he knows he is good at what he does and he has a way about himself that comes across as charming, even when he is getting beaten up, he'll come out with a snarky response which will make me laugh yet I know its just a mask to cover up how lonely and hurt he is by the horrors the republic inflicted on him. Sometimes I just wanted to hug him and tell him it would all be okay.

What to say about June? I suppose out of the two leading characters June is the one who grows more than anyone during this book. At the beginning she is a little insufferable and honestly I was rushing through her parts just to get back to Day. She is the republics prodigy and a little naive to the world around her, she trusts far too easily and never questions anything until Day comes into her life. Saying that she is definitely a kick ass heroine, she is just as good if not better then most of the male characters in this story and when she starts to question society, she becomes a lot more likeable. It is a real testament to Lu's writing that she is able to change my mind on how I feel about June, she becomes vulnerable and lost in a world she thought she knew. My favourite parts with June are when she is remembering her brother, it breaks my heart and I can feel her loneliness pouring out of the pages.

“The memory fades, and I’m left hanging on to the ghosts of his words.” 

I know I've seen a lot of complaints about the romance in this story but I actually liked how it wasn't at the forefront of the story, I'm a little fed up with every story having to be overly romantic. So it was nice to see that even though these characters feel a connection that isn't why they risk everything for each other. June acts because she knows its the right thing to do, she wants justice for her brothers murder but she wont let just anyone pay.

Legend is a really great book, Lu has created an action packed thriller that doesn't let up. The interactions between Day and June really made this book what it is. The chapters alternate between the two characters pov and so you get a real insight into each mind. Day and June both have unique voices and it made the book even more intense as you got a great perspective of what each character is going through even when they are together. Both characters have similar qualities, they are smart and strong-willed and yet both are so troubled, they learn a lot from each other and it helped me appreciate more what a different lives they have lead, As well as being full of suspense it is also an emotional story both Day and June have a lot of baggage that they are trying to work through.

So onto the negatives, the world building in this book isn't great, the thing will dystopian fiction is that we as the reader need to have a real feel for the world, we need to understand the world in which the characters are interacting and the world in which they have grown up in to really get a feel for them and I didn't really get that with this story. I was left a little lost at the beginning as to how this world came to be and a little bit of the political back story, as the book progresses we do start to get a little more of an insight about the world before the republic and little clues sand hints start to be dropped which I'm hoping will develop more in the second book. The other thing I didn't like was how quickly characters were able to solve the mysteries in the book, they seemed to be able jump to amazingly accurate conclusions with very little evidence and I just couldn't believe that that would actually happen, even if you are a prodigy, it just didn't seem believable to me.

If you like dystopian fiction then definitely pick this up, its a fun and fast read that will have you turning the page in search for answers.

My Rating: 3.5

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

“I’ve seen most of what
there is to be afraid of in this world, and to tell you the truth,
the worst of them are the ones that make you afraid in the
light. The things that your eyes see plainly and can’t forget
are worse than huddled black figures left to the imagination.
Imagination has a poor memory; it slinks away and goes
blurry. Eyes remember for much longer.” 

Have you ever heard a strange sound or seen a cat hissing at something that isn't there, your hair stands up on the back of your neck and yet you tell yourself there isn't anything there, that your being silly. Well Cas Lowood would tell you different, those noises, that creepy feeling you get, that my friend is a ghost. 

Cassius Theseus Lowood has had a somewhat unconventional upbringing, he never stays in one place for very long, his mother is a white witch and his father, well his father hunted the dead for a living a job that is now Cas' after his father is brutally murdered by one of the ghosts he was trying to kill. You see if a person is murdered in a particularly gruesome way they tend to not move on from the place they died and they have a tendency to recreate their deaths with the living and so Cas using his powerful atheame sends them on to some unknown place. Cas' next 'ghost' is Anna, known locally as 'Anna dressed in Blood', Anna was killed nearly 60 years ago and has killed anyone who has ever entered her home,  she is one of the most powerful ghosts Cas has ever encountered and there is also something else unusual about her, something that Cas needs to unravel.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Anna dressed in Blood and yet I was thoroughly surprised, it is spooky and atmospheric, everything you want from a horror novel. Blake's descriptive writing makes the book what it is, the scenes describing Anna killing are horrific and I was thoroughly freaked out when Cas was in the basement and Anna was making him see the bodies of those she has killed. And yet its more than just Blake's ability to be vividly descriptive, yes she can make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and I could envision Anna in all her bloody glory but it was also beautiful and elegant in a way that made it hard to put down. Blake created such a dark and gothic novel and yet it is has these light moments that were funny and sweet. 

Rather unusually for a YA book and especially one that has a little bit of romance in it, this book is narrated by a male character. Usually I struggle with male protagonists in this genre because more often then not they aren't written in a way I find relatable. However Cas does not have this problem, he is charming and funny and it seemed like Blake really has a great insight into the mind of boys that made this book exciting and readable.

Another thing I really appreciated about this novel was the fact that Blake created a haunting character in Anna, she has suffered through such terrible things and in turn done horrific things to other people and yet like Cas we learn to grow to actually like Anna. She is broken and lonely, she breaks you heart and yet Anna is responsible for a lot of the creepy scenes in this story. Once again its Blake's writing that can paint Anna as a monster, a vengeful and furious spirit capable of ripping a boy limb from limb and then in the second half can have us feeling such a great amount of pity for Anna when we find out the circumstances surrounding her death. 

Even though this story is all about Anna, Cas is still a great protagonist, he is egotistical and confident in a way that isn't necessarily annoying, he kills ghosts for a living, wouldn't you have a little bit of a confidence problem if that's what you did but he is also a nice guy, he treats those around him with respect and I really loved the scenes with him and Anna as he was trying to get to know her, he was sweet and kind and Blake made Cas a realistic character, he wasn't invincible he is just a boy trying to carry on his fathers legacy. 

Full of twists and turns, Anna Dressed in Blood is a gripping paranormal story, it is not only a dark and sinister story full of blood and gore but it is also a beautiful love story.This is a true horror story, that will have you leaving the lights on when your sleeping and terrified to turn the page, It is a spine tingling and will have to enraptured from start to finish.

“She’s standing above me the goddess of death, black lips and cold hands.”

Don't say I didn't warn you.

My Rating: 4.5

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Will you show me what you really look like? You don't sparkle, do you?”

Having seen so many rave reviews about Obsidian I was a little unsure about reading, I'd seen the synopsis and I worried that it was going to be another Twilight but after seeing one of my favourite booktubers absolutely rave about this book I knew I had to give it a try and I am really happy that I did. Yes there are a few similarities between that and Twilight but believe me its so much more and eventually the similarities end and it becomes a story all of its own. Jennifer Armentrout is definitely becoming a major player in the world of paranormal fiction, with her adult and young adult series she is not to be missed out.


Obsidian is the story of 17 year old Katy who moves with her mother to a small town in the middle of nowhere for her senior year of high school,  after her father passed away from cancer. The last thing Katy wanted to do was move away but here she is. As a new comer to town Katy is in for the adventure of her lifetime, she gets off to a bad start when meeting bad boy Daemon (her dark and brooding neighbour), its instant dislike between the two of them but she instantly becomes best of friends with his twin sister Dee. Katy and Daemon have a rocky relationship, he is rude and opinionated and Katy can't stand to spend any time with him yet she is unable to deny the burning attraction between them and when Katy finds herself in trouble its Daemon who comes to her rescue, however Katy soon realises that not all is at it appears with her neighbours, they aren't normal......in fact they aren't human.......their Aliens.

From the very first page I was sucked in to the world of Obsidian and I was hooked. It had that addictive quality to it that make paranormal books such a treat to read. Katy was a great leading lady, she is smart, beautiful, strong and determined. She doesn't let Daemon walk all over her, he treats her like dirt and yet she doesn't back down, she doesn't take anything from anyone. She is brave and funny and we see her grow so much in this book, the Katy at the start is definitely not the same Katy at the end. I can I just say I loved how she was a blogger, it was great to see a character who is in love with books as much as I am and to hear her talk about the blogging community from in my mail box to waiting on Wednesday and to see her get all shy and defensive about the books she loves. She reminded me of me when I talk about books to other people, I really do have defend why I read so much to people sometimes.

And I can't not talk about Daemon, Daemon, Daemon, Daemon. Oh how I love you and hate you all at the same time. He is definitely attractive, the type of book boyfriend girls swoon over all the time and yet he has such an ugly personality especially at the beginning of the book that it makes him really unattractive.

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.” 

The chemistry between him and Katy is hot and heavy from the start and their is no denying that there is something between them as much as Daemon tries to. As the story progresses and we learn more about Daemon and Dee we get to learn about why he acts the way he does. He is loyal and protective of this family and he wont let anyone hurt those he loves and so I do learn to understand why he treats Katy a certain way in the beginning (I still don't like it though). Plus Daemon doesn't really change that much, he loves to wind Katy up and I love the back and forth banter between the two of them.

And finally Dee, I would love to have Dee as my best friend, the friendship between Dee and Katy was great, Dee was so sweet and funny. I loved when she had a fit about someone eating all her ice cream because who doesn't get mad when someone eats our favourite junk food. At the beginning she is just a lonely girl, the only friends she has are those deemed safe enough by Daemon aka other Aliens and so when Daemon tries to push Katy away from her sister, Dee fights for their friendship, she is just as loyal to those she loves as Daemon or Katy are.

The storyline was great, it was well paced and well written. Jennifer can has a real talent for writing witty banter between characters and she definitely knows how to create some hot and steamy sexual tension. The books flows with an ease that a lot of writers struggle with, it seems so natural and effortless, she made me understand Katy and I laughed and became frustrated right along side her. The Luxens and the Arum are great enemies (light vs dark) and I can't wait to learn more about them as the books continue. I also really enjoyed the lack of insta-love between Katy and Daemon, yes there is a mutual attraction but Katy refuses to give in to Daemon after how mean he was to her in the beginning and it was refreshing to see this from an author. Katy is a great heroine, she faces danger to protect those she cares about and is willing to face death for them. Loyalty was actually a big theme throughout this book, all the characters act a certain way because of a sense of loyalty they have to one another.

And the extra bonus chapters in Daemons pov was excellent, I loved, it was great to see how he noticed Katy before she even knew he existed and that he does actually care about her before all the weird Alien stuff. I'm hoping that we get to hear more from Daemon in future books

“If she was mine, I'd cherish every inch of her. And I wanted to. Now” 

This book is more than what I could have ever expected, exciting twists, a unique plot, kick ass action, hot romance and such beautiful friendships. Read this book now, you wont regret it.

My Rating: 5