It's Monday! What are You Reading? (7)

It's Monday! What are You Reading? is a meme run by J. Kaye's Book Blog which discusses which books will be read this week, and the ones that were read last week.

Again, I missed doing this last week, so I'm doing this for two weeks:

Two weeks ago, I read:

• Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (for I&P)
• Frostbite by Richelle Mead (for both)

Last week I read:

• Evermore by Alyson Noёl (for both)
• Fade Out by Rachel Caine (for both - review posted in January next year)

This week I hope to read:

• Monster Republic by Ben Horton (started on Sunday, for OUaB)
• Prophecy of the Sister by Michelle Zink (for both)

I don't like that I'm a slow reader, but what can you do?

Continue reading It's Monday! What are You Reading? (7)

Over the Top Award!

I have been given another award! This time it's the Over the Top Award from J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog. Thanks, J. Kaye! Not sure if this is good or bad though, haha!



Here are the rules:

Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people and let them know.

Your cell phone? Cracked
Your hair? Ginger
Your mother? Bestie
Your father? Teenager
Your favorite food? Steak
Your dream last night? Murder
Your favorite drink? (Diet) Coke
Your dream/goal? Publishing
What room are you in? Front-room
Your hobby? Reading
Your fear? Infertility
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
Where were you last night? Volunteering
Something that you aren't? Ill
Muffins? Bleurgh!
Wish list item? Earrings
Where did you grow up? London
Last thing you did? TV
What are you wearing? Cardigan
Your TV? Small
Your Pets? None
Friends? Family
Your life? Nifty
Your mood? Content
Missing someone? Yes
Vehicle? Legs
Something you're not wearing? Socks
Your favorite store? Primark
Your favorite color? Black
When was the last time you laughed? Earlier
Last time you cried? Ages
Your best friend? Plural
One place that you go to over and over? Nan's
Facebook? Rarely
Favorite place to eat? Home

5 bloggers to pass it to:

Kristi of The Story Siren
Cecelia of The Epic Rat
Misty of The Book Rat
Donna of Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings
Gina of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Your blogs are over the top in REALLY good ways!

Continue reading Over the Top Award!

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

Not many, but a pretty happy girl, I am!

For Review:

Fade Out by Rachel Caine

Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedom, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realise that this film project, featuring the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger - and way more dangerous - than anyone suspected. From Amazon UK

Monster Republic by Ben Horton

An explosion in a nuclear power plant. Kids patched up with scavenged body parts and bionic implants. A growing army of superhuman soldiers programmed for destruction. 'No', whispered Cameron to the monster in the glass. And he watched it shaking its hideous head. 'That's not me. You're not me'. As commercial and compelling as a computer game, this is the first book in a major new series. From Amazon UK

Gifted*:

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

'Without the Keys, something terrible will happen. Something that cannot be undone. And with them, I might bring an end to the riddle of the Prophecy and my strange part in it. If Alice and I are on conflicting sides of the Prophecy, the Keys would be dangerous in her hands. Which means I have to find them. And I have to do it before my sister.' This is the story of sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe's quest to discover her role and her twin sister's in a powerful prophecy that has affected twin sisters for generations. But nothing can prepare her for what she discovers - about herself, about her family, and about the danger that goes from haunting her dreams to becoming her reality. From Amazon UK

*Michelle Zink saw my On My Wishlist (3) post where I mentioned wanting to read Prophecy of the Sisters, and how, in the comments, I said that I hadn't read those books yet because money was a bit tight - so she got in touch with her UK publicist, asking her to get in touch with me so I could get sent a review copy. I have to review the book - which I would do anyway - but it's not a typical "review copy" as this book was actually published 3 months ago in the UK. How lovely of Michelle was that?! Such an awesome lady! So chuffed!

I am an extremely happy bunny! You get much this week?

Continue reading In My Mailbox (10)

Review: Evermore by Alyson Noёl

Evermore by Alyson Noёl - Sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom is the sole survivor of a car accident that killed her family. Exiled to sunny California, Ever is haunted by her little sister and by the ability to see people’s auras, hear their thoughts and know their entire life story by touching them. She wants to hide from the world, but when a stunningly handsome new guy arrives at school, she can’t seem to keep away. Falling in love with Damen is dangerous – he’s not what he seems. But if Damen is her destiny, how can Ever walk away? From the back cover.

There are quite a few YA paranormal romances around these days, some are great, some perhaps not so much, but in the case of Evermore, I really liked it!

I love the paranormal element that goes throughout the book. When I picked up the book, and read the blurb, I wasn’t sure what would be going on, and I didn’t know. As you read through it, you make certain assumptions which feel pretty valid giving some of the evidence in the book, but it was nothing like what I thought! I was completely blown away by what was really going on, and I loved it! Such a unique premise, I really liked it! However, when coming to write this review, I was looking up summaries, and ended up typing up what’s on the back of the book, because I feel some of the ones I came across just gave too much away. Doesn’t it annoy you when you know a summary is more spoilery than it needs to be? I won’t be spoiling the book for you, so I won’t dig in too much with the paranormal element, but just know it was great!

I had a fair bit of trouble reading this book, emotionally. At times, it really did pull on the heart strings, and how could it not? Ever’s pain over the loss of her whole family, and the guilt she feels over believing it was her fault is just so strong, it’s difficult not to feel it yourself. So big, you could almost reach out and touch it. This book is pretty sad, and there were tears from me. In my opinion, this just shows how amazing Noёl’s writing is, and how fantastic the book is, to evoke such strong emotions. Really powerful!

There was something about Ever and Damen’s attraction that wasn’t big enough for me, however. It is spoken of a lot by both of them, but I just didn’t really feel it, especially when it comes to Damen. It just wasn’t as believable to me. As characters though, they were pretty awesome; Ever was so fragile, yet so strong at the same time, she’s incredible – though she did annoy me with the amount of times she said “I mean”, and how she thought everything she said came out whiny, but that’s no big deal. Damen is mysterious and, to be honest, I still don’t know quite what to make of him. I don’t like Haven, one of Ever’s best friends; she has issues, and I get that, but the way she acts and talks to her friends sometimes is just disgusting if you ask me. I don’t like her at all. Miles, Ever’s other best friend, is hilarious; he’s gay, and very camp, and can’t shut up talking, he had me laughing out loud so many times, I love him! But my favourite character in the book has to be Riley, Ever’s little sister and ghost; she is annoying as any sister would be, but she was just so funny! Her visits to Ever were some of the highlights of the book!

There isn’t really a huge amount more I can say about this book without going into the paranormal element. Evermore is really a great book, and I’m really looking forward to reading Blue Moon when it comes out in the UK in March! I highly recommend you go out and read Evermore if you haven’t already!

Published: 17th September 2009
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Alyson Noёl’s Website

Continue reading Review: Evermore by Alyson Noёl

Book Signing: Stars of Merlin Sign at Lakeside

I've just had news of another Merlin TV tie-in that's taking place! If you're a Merlin fan and are local, try and get to it!

N.B. Only those with tickets will have access to the event




Who?
Colin Morgan (Merlin) and Bradley James (Arthur)
Stars of the BBC ONE smash-hit drama THE ADVENTURES OF MERLIN
Where?
WHSmith Lakeside Shopping Centre (event to be held outside of House of Fraser)
West Thurrock
Grays
RM16 3BG
When?
Tuesday 8th December from 5pm-6pm.
To Book Tickets:
Call 01708 869175
It looks to be an awesome event! Make sure you get there!

Continue reading Book Signing: Stars of Merlin Sign at Lakeside

Mini-Interview with Lauren Kate

Awesome news! The wonderful people of Random House made it so that I could have a mini-interview with Lauren Kate, author of Fallen. Thank you so much, Lauren, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions - and thank you also to Random House for making it happen! Without further ado, on to the interview.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up in Texas, moved to Manhattan after I graduated college, and now live in Los Angeles. In fact, I just moved in yesterday to a house high on a hill in Laurel Canyon and I feel sort of like I’m writing from a tree house. I’ve always loved to read and write but my other interests can be kind of chameleon-like, based on my surroundings. For example, growing up in Texas, I was a dancer. I was actually on something called a “kick team.” Very serious business. All we did was go out on the football field during half time and do about a hundred high kicks. It was a short career (too many times smacking my nose against my shin). Later I lived in Paris for a little while and got really into cooking. Now that I’m a southern California girl, I’m feeling the need to learn to surf. See? Chameleon. I just got married this summer and am hoping someone gives me a new puppy for Christmas.

How did you come up with the idea for Fallen?

I first got the idea for Fallen when I came across a line in Genesis, which tells about a group of angels who fell in love with mortal women. In the bible, these renegades are casts out of heaven, end of story. But for me, that was only the beginning. I started thinking about how a normal girl would respond to an angel having a crush on her. Imagine the baggage he must have! And what would her seriously overprotective father think? From there, a whole world unfurled in my mind—only it wasn’t just angels anymore. Demons, secret sects, reincarnations, and the End of Days were also all battling for a piece of the action.


Vampires, werewolves and fae have been shining in the YA urban fantasy spot light. Why did you decide to go with angels?

It’s strange to say this now that I’ve written the book and pay so much attention to “the market” and what else is being published—but I’m not sure I really thought about vampires or werewolves as I was writing. I’ve read two of the Twilight books. I love Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely books, but if Fallen is an answer to those books, it’s just as much an answer to any book that’s ever inspired me. That said, I do love this kind of energy around paranormal romances right now. It’d definitely an exciting time to be participating in the genre. Plus I eavesdropped on a conversation in the bookstore the other day and heard someone say that angels were the new vampires. Sounds good to me!

Although Fallen is incredibly captivating, there are more questions asked than answered. Why did you decide to end on such an excruciating cliff hanger?

It’s the blessing and the curse of writing a 4 book series! When I wrote Fallen, I had a vague idea about what the arc of the series would look like, and it gets clearer every day. I almost feel guilty knowing all the thrilling things I get to write about in the later books and having to hold it back from the readers. I promise, I will make it worth the wait!

Can you give us a sneak peek into what may happen in Torment?

I’m having so much fun writing Torment that it’s hard for me not to spill everything right now so I can say, “Aren’t you excited? Won’t this be great?” But my publisher would probably have my head. So in lieu of that, I’ll reveal just three things:

1. As Luce learns more about her past, she comes into a host of powers she never knew she had—and they might involve the shadows.
2. After the second book comes out, a prequel (which will span thousands of years!) will follow before the final book in the series.
3. Even though, of course, Daniel is Luce’s one-and-only, a very interesting new male character is introduced in Torment that offers him some stiff competition.

Thank you so much, Lauren, for such a fantastic interview! Doesn't she sound like such a lovely lady? I can't wait to read Torment and the rest of the series, and I so hope you get a puppy for Christmas, Lauren!

If you haven't read it already, check out my review of Fallen.

Also, check out these cool sites:
Lauren Kate's Website
Fallen's UK Website

Continue reading Mini-Interview with Lauren Kate

Thank You!

**I am posting this on both my blogs, as some people read one blog or the other, not both.**

Today is Thanksgiving for those in the US, and, although Thanksgiving isn't celebrated in the UK, I wanted to write a thank you post today as a lot of people I need to thank are from/live in America. Before I start however - Happy Thanksgiving to all my American followers/blogging buddies! Hope you have an awesome day!

I have read some amazing books this year, so I want to start off by thanking the awesome authors who wrote them (even if they don't see this post). I couldn't possibly list all the books or all the authors, but I shall name a few that have made an impact on me in one way or another. So, for writing amazing novels that have made me laugh or cry, swept me up in the story, really feel for characters, and just blowing me away with your words, thank you to (in no particular order!):


Lisa Shearin
Luisa Plaja
Cassandra Clare
Becca Fitzpatrick
Rachel Vincent
Jeaniene Frost
Melissa Marr
Richelle Mead
Karen Chance
Rachel Caine
Suzanne McLeod
Suzanne Collins
Lauren Kate
Joanna Kenrick
Laura Ruby
Melvin Burgess
Also thank you to those I'm yet to read this year, yet to enjoy - thank you in advance.

There are also book bloggers I need to thank. A general thank you to all the bloggers whose blogs I read/follow for the recommending awesome books, for the giveaways and the memes, for inspiring me with my own blogs, for this awesome community you all make up.

I only started blogging properly this year, and neither of my blogs would be anything like what they are now without the support, help, encouragement, or useful posts from specific book bloggers, so thank you to (again, no particular order):


Kristi of The Story Siren
Lenore of Presenting Lenore
Bella of A Bibliophile's Bookshelf
Natasha of Maw Books
Shesten of I Heart Monster
I also want to thank all my followers/readers/commenters. I can't explain to you how awesome it is to see my followers number go up, knowing that the number represents that many individual people who like my blog enough to want to visit regularly. I really do appreciate every one of you checking out my blog, even the lurkers who don't leave comments. As nice as it is to receive comments, I know it's not necessary to leave a comment to enjoy reading someone's blog. Those who do leave comments, thank you for taking the time to do so; I enjoy reading what you think. So thank you to all of you!

Then there are the publishers! Thanks to each and every publisher - and author, on the odd occassion - who has sent me books to review. Every now and again, I do request books from publishers, but more often the books I receive to review are sent to me after the publisher has found me first. So thank you to Yannick of Prospera Publishing, Kat and Ally of Simon and Schuster UK, Lauren and Georgia of Kids at Random House, Ryann of St. Martin's Press, Sam of Orbit Books, and Chiara of Allison and Busby. I really appreciate being contacted about opportunities to review books, even if it turns out the book isn't what I'm interested in, or I review the book and don't like it. It's like every week could be Christmas, and it's just so cool. It genuinely delights and surprises me that people would like me to review their books. So thank you!

There are a few people I have got to know a bit better via email, namely Jenny of Wondrous Reads and Jessica of Nayu's Reading Corner. It's great to connect and make friends with people who understand my love of reading, and can get excited with over each others' news. I've enjoyed our email conversations, and it's been great getting to know you both better. Sorry I don't always reply quickly - sometimes life gets a little hectic.

Finally, I need to re-thank someone. Not only does this person write amazing, hilariously funny novels, but she is also a really lovely person. She was a great help to me when I ran Sex in Teen Lit Month on Once Upon a Bookcase back in July, whether it was with ecouragement and support, advice, recommendations, or taking an active part in it. And then she takes some time to chat with book lovers, me included, even though she is incredibly busy - and she is incredibly busy; as well as talking to/advising fellow book lovers, she's also the editor of fabulous YA book blog Chicklish, AND writes awesome novels, all at the same time. She has to be Superwoman in disguise, I swear. So thank you to you, yet again, Luisa Plaja.

I believe that's all the thanks I wanted to give. If I have left anyone out, I'm really sorry, but you are appreciated as well - thank you!

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, I hope everyone has a great day!

Continue reading Thank You!

2010 Debut Author Challenge

I've signed up for the 2010 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. For more info, click the link above, and to sign up, just go here.

The books I'll be reading for this challenge are:

1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore - published in the UK on 1st February 2010 (From Bloomsbury Children's Books)
2. My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey - published in the UK 4th January 2010 (From Bloomsbury Children's Books)
3. Need by Carrie Jones - published in the UK 1st February 2010 (Bloomsbury Children's Publishing)
4. My So-Called Afterlife by Tamsyn Murray - published in the UK 25th February 2010 (Piccadilly Press)
5. The Iron King - not yet published in the UK, I have the US edition, published 1st February 2010 (Harlequin Teen (US))
6. Witchfinder: Dawn of the Demontide by William Hussey - published in the UK 4th March 2010 (Oxford University Press)
7. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelsion - published in the UK 7th June 2010 (Walker)
8. Finding Sky by Joss Stirling - published in the UK 7th October 2010 (OUP)
9. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowly - not yet published in the UK, I read the US edition, published 8th June 2011 (Knopf)
10. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - published in the UK 22nd July 2010 (Hodder)
11. Matched by Ally Condie - published in the UK 2nd December 2010 (Puffin)
12. Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - published in the UK 30th September 2010 (Quercus)
13. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer - published in the UK 28th December 2010 (Atom)
14. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready - published in the UK 2nd September 2010 (S&S)
15. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - published in the UK 3rd June 2010 (Puffin)


CHALLENGE COMPLETE
12 read and reviewed on my blog, 2 read and not yet reviewed.

ETA: There has been some question about books released in 2010 that are read in 2009, with reviews posted in 2010 - I've asked Kristi about it, and she's updated her challenge info post, check it out. The following books do not count towards the challenge for me, but they are released in 2010, and so may be for you.

Books read in 2009, reviews posted in 2010:
When I was Jo by Keren David - published in the UK on 7th January 2010 (From Frances Lincoln)
Monster Republic by Ben Horton - published in the UK on 7th January 2010 (From Random House)
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves - published in the US (not released in the UK) on 5th January 2010 (Simon Pulse)

Continue reading 2010 Debut Author Challenge

On My Wishlist (3)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. This idea is brought to us by Book Chick City.

This week on my wishlist:

Title: Twenty Boy Summer
Author: Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Publication Date: 6th August 2009

Summary:
For sixteen-year-olds Anna Reiley and Frankie Perino, their twenty day-long, minimally supervised California vacation will be the 'Absolute Best Summer Ever' and according to Frankie, if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance that Anna will get her first real boyfriend. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie - she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. Written in lyrical, accessible prose, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it truly means to grieve, and perhaps most importantly, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer. From Amazon UK

Title: Prophecy of the Sisters (NOW OWNED!)
Author: Michelle Zink
Publisher: Atom
Publication Date: 6th August 2009

Summary:
'Without the Keys, something terrible will happen. Something that cannot be undone. And with them, I might bring an end to the riddle of the Prophecy and my strange part in it. If Alice and I are on conflicting sides of the Prophecy, the Keys would be dangerous in her hands. Which means I have to find them. And I have to do it before my sister.' This is the story of sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe's quest to discover her role and her twin sister's in a powerful prophecy that has affected twin sisters for generations. But nothing can prepare her for what she discovers - about herself, about her family, and about the danger that goes from haunting her dreams to becoming her reality.From Amazon UK

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Gollancz
Publication Date: 1st July 2009

Summary:
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? From Amazon UK

Title: The Silver Phoenix
Author: Cindy Pon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: May 2009

Summary:
No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.
But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.
Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.
It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more. From Amazon US

What are you wishing for this week

Continue reading On My Wishlist (3)

News: Ripley's Believe it or Not Online Game Site

To help promote the release of amazing book, Ripley's Believe it or Not 2010, Random House Books has tried something different - they've created an online game site!

Don't know the book? Here's the symopsis:

Following hot on the heels of last year’s best-selling edition, Ripley’s Believe it or Not 2010 offers a whole new feast of bizarre facts, fiends and freaks – all guaranteed to fascinate surprise and amaze.

Marvel at the ice man, who survived Everest’s ‘Death Zone’ in just a pair of shorts; try not to scream in fright at the living zombie, covered head to toe in ghoulish tattoos; steel your stomach against the sight of cockroach and caterpillar sushi; and praise the heroic pet parrot who saved a family from their burning home.

Illustrated throughout with extraordinary colour photographs, this fascinating book is a must-have for anyone intrigued by the stranger aspects of our planet and its inhabitants.

Does that sound cool or what? What teenager, male or female, would not find that fascinating? I'm thinking Christmas pressie!

And just who is this Ripley?

Robert Leroy Ripley was the man behind the Ripley brand - a journalist, radio presenter and cartoonist, who was fascinated by the oddities of everyday life. He was also passionate about travel and by 1940, at the age of 40, had visited 201 countries. Combining these two interests he developed his own radio show - broadcast all over the world, even from underwater and snake pits - and also produced many cartoons, books, TV shows and film shorts. He was voted the most popular man in America in 1936, and his brand continued to develop even after his death in 1949. It is now enjoying a huge resurgence through the advent of the internet and through publication of Ripley's Believe It or Not.

On Ripley's Games, you can play incredible games based on real-life events featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not 2010, such as "What Goes Up..." and "Amazing Eyelids". You're also able to read an extract of the book on the site, and buy the book. You can also embed the games on to your blog in a widget!

So, if you're in a reading rut, why not have a play on the games available, and perhaps check out the book too!

Continue reading News: Ripley's Believe it or Not Online Game Site

Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Frostbite by Richelle Mead - WARNING! I cannot review Frostbite without spoiling the first book in the series, Vampire Academy. If you plan on reading the first book, and don’t want to be spoiled, do not read any further.

It's winter break at St Vladimir's, and a massive Strigoi vampire attack has put the school on high alert. This year's trip away from the academy to the wintery peaks of Idaho has suddenly become mandatory. But Rose's troubles seem to follow her wherever she goes - dealing with the pain of knowing that her relationship with her tutor Dimitri can never be, things get even more complicated when one her closest friends admits his feelings for her. The glittering winter landscape may create the illusion of safety but Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined... From Amazon UK.

It sometimes amazes me how authors are able to come up with such fantastic stories – and Richelle Mead is one of these authors! I absolutely loved Frostbite, probably more so than I did Vampire Academy!

If you wanted to compare books, there is a lot less of Lissa in this novel, and a lot less intrigue throughout the first part of the novel. This is not a bad thing though. Sometimes, when reading the first book in a series, it’s obvious it’s a first book; it’s setting up the plot for future stories, it introduces characters and mythology, it gives you enough to whet your appetite, but isn’t exactly a complete story. Vampire Academy wasn’t like that, it was it’s own full story, with it’s own plotline, and it was incredible – but after reading Frostbite, you can see how it could work like an obvious first story, as we know all of the above, and now we have, in Frostbite, what I would say is Rose’s story.

As I said, there was less intrigue; there was the worrying about Lissa’s powers and who was after her in the first novel, but in Frostbite, the danger isn’t necessarily on anyone specific, it’s just there. We focus a lot more on Rose’s relationship with her mother, her feelings towards the guys in her life, the gorgeous Dimitri and the lovely Mason, and some issues with herself about whether she’s changed or not. It’s a brilliant insight into Rose, where as the first book was more focused on her wanting to protect Lissa. It was great to see more of this Rose, vulnerable Rose, and to see her grow.

Yes, there is less Lissa as I said, but there is more of some other characters that we have come to love – or love to hate – like Christian, Mason, and Mia. And, well, wow! I can’t really go into it without spoiling the story, but these three, along with Rose... seriously, you won’t believe what you’re reading, but it does make sense. Frostbite is quite a sad book, I was close to tears at one point, but it’s amazing the strength people can show when things get really bad. I really was completely wowed. And the action! Bloody brilliant! Don’t you just love it when you can’t see a way out of a bad situation, and an author chucks in something that completely blows you away? Simply amazing, but extremely powerful.

As well as more of old characters, we meet some new ones too, namely Janine, Rose’s mum, Tasha, Christian’s aunt, and Adrian, a royal Moroi also holidaying in Idaho. And I love them all, I think. At times, you dislike them all for whatever reasons, I won’t spoil it for you, but I loved seeing Janine, and understanding Rose’s feelings towards her and seeing her work through it. Tasha is also pretty damn lovely lady, and a bit of a revolutionary, and Adrian... well, he’s just sexy and charming, and too bloody arrogant. I’m slightly on the fence when it comes to him, I’m not sure what his game is, but... I like him, I think. My instincts say to be wary, but don’t write him off completely. So we’ll see. I look forward to seeing more of them all in future!

Frostbite is quite a hard book to read emotionally, there’s a lot more danger and more... reality of the world these characters live in, and it’s not pretty. But it’s such a fantastic read. And of course, there’s a fair amount of the amazing Dimitri to make things a little brighter. Such an amazing book, really, you have to read it! I am so looking forward to reading Shadow Kissed, the third book in the series! I just know it’s going to be amazing. And I seriously need to start on Mead’s adult series. Seriously, new favourite author right here.

I won this US edition book in a competition from Spinebreakers.co.uk.

Published: 1st Oct 2009 in the Uk, 10th April 2008 in the US (my copy)
Publisher: Puffin in the UK, Razorbill in the US (my copy)
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Richelle Mead’s Website

My reviews of other books in the series:
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Book 1)

Other reviews:
Angieville
Sarah's Book Reviews

Continue reading Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Book Signing: Luisa Plaja and T. M. Alexander in Exeter

Luisa Plaja, author of Split by a Kiss and Extreme Kissing, will be doing another book signing with author T. M. Alexander, author of Tribe series, and offering book-buying advice at Waterstone's in Exeter during a special Christmas Shopping Evening! Details below.

What?
Children's Authors' Roadshow South West:
Christmas Shopping Evening/Book Signing
Who?
Luisa Plaja & T. M. Alexander
When?
Thursday 26th November 2009, 6:00PM - 7:30PM
Where?
WATERSTONE'S EXETER ROMAN GATE
252 High Street,
Exeter,
EX4 3PZ,
tel. 01392 423044

If you can get there, make sure you go! It's going to be a great event!

Continue reading Book Signing: Luisa Plaja and T. M. Alexander in Exeter

Winners of the Fallen Contest

The contest for the 5 copies of Fallen by Lauren Kate is now closed! 81 people entered, earning 278 entries. The winners, as chosen by Random.org, are:

12 - Anja Kapllani
59 - Wendy Cueto
69 - Gwen Paterson
165 - Issa Morjica
200 - Holly Taylor

Congratulations to you all! I've sent you all an email asking for your mailing address. If you don't get back to me within 48 hours, I'll pick another winner. Please get your address to me ASAP, as I have to send it on to Random House so they can post them out to you.

Thanks to everyone who entered! Maybe you'll win next time.

Continue reading Winners of the Fallen Contest

Interview with Mary Naylus

Today we have an interview with Mary Naylus, author of historical YA novel The Dresskeeper, published by Prospera Publishing. Thank you, Mary, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions.

The premise of The Dresskeeper is just genius! Where did you get the idea for The Dresskeeper?

Being a history buff I love thinking about ‘what if’ scenarios. So as I was reading about 16th century London I wondered what it would be like for today’s teenager to suddenly be transported back into the past and have to conform socially to a more rigid and inflexible society. Clothing and architecture were the most obvious way to do this, as they are existing links to the past.

What is it about this time period that interests you?

Loads of things. Science was becoming accepted; well known institutions such as the stock exchange were just beginning to take shape in coffee houses; and people had a really perverse obsession with fashion, including men.

Did you come across anything surprising when doing your research?

Yes, the fact that marriage was expensive and that poorer women had to work to save up a portion or dowry so that they could marry. Also that there wasn’t any police force to speak of, which meant that if a man kidnapped a wealthy girl and married her, nothing much could be done.

I was surprised by some of the things Picky didn’t know about the past. Did you find this was typical for young teenagers?

Yes, mostly because teenagers have to be really interested in a subject to take in information. Of course, there are many young people who have a great knowledge of history, but Picky unfortunately wasn’t one of them.

How was your publishing process?

Pretty typical. The toughest part was definitely getting the book finished in time, particularly as I had to come up with the plot for The Plaguemaker and write the first chapter as well.

Did you always want to be an author?

Of course. I was trying to write books when I was in high school, but never really found the perfect genre for my writing style. Then I began reading historical fiction and it dawned on me to write for teenagers, using a quirky, first person style.

If you could go back in time, when would you go to, and what would you do?

Well, I love London so it would be wonderful to be able to drop in and out of the great city over a number of centuries, a bit like Rutherford’s London does, but in reality. Also, Egypt fascinates me – I love spending time at the British Museum with those mummies!

Can you tell us a little bit about your next book, The Plaguemaker?

Sure. It’s set in modern day London and intertwines 15-year-old Blessie’s ghostly dreams of young children with historical aspects of bubonic plague during the 1650s.

Many thanks for your interest, Mary.

Thank you, Mary, for such a great interview! For those who haven't read it, here's my review of The Dresskeeper.

Continue reading Interview with Mary Naylus

Discussion: All About Swag

Over the eight months in which I've been book review blogging on blogger, I have accumulated a fair amount of book swag, as you can see.



Click image for a larger view.

13 Postcards
9 Bookmarks
5 Business Cards
4 Badges/Buttons
4 Signed Bookplates (one seen, others in books)
3 Temporary Tattoos
2 Stickers
1 Coaster
1 Vistor Pass
1 Pen

This is not including bookmarks I have received with book swaps (or any other bookmarks). I may not have an awful lot compared to some other bloggers, but it is enough that my swag folder (in which I also store the book press releases I receive) is a bulging a little.



Click image for a larger view.

Bookmarks, pen and book plates, I know what to do with, but everything else... I'm at a loss. They stay in the swag folder. I've heard some people give away their swag in contests, but I've won my swag, or was gifted it from an author - I don't want to give it away. But I don't know what to do with it all.

What do you do with your swag, other than give it away? Any suggestions?

Also, what do you like receiving when you get swag? Or what rare items have you received/been received by someone you know as swag?

Authors, what swag/promo material do you get/have made to promote your books? What do you find is most popular?

Any other thoughts on swag? Talk as much swag as you like! :)

Continue reading Discussion: All About Swag

News: Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr Cover Revealed

Melissa Marr revealed the cover for her next novel Radiant Shadows today, and here it is:



Cool, huh? I think it's really pretty! And for those who don't know what the book is about, here's the synopsis:

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers. Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

Radiant Shadows is released 20th April 2010, and I really can't wait!

Continue reading News: Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr Cover Revealed

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

Bought:

Evermore by Alyson Nöel

Seventeen-year-old Ever is the sole survivor of a car crash that killed her entire family. Living with her aunt in Southern California, she's plagued by the ability to hear the thoughts of those around her, and haunted by the ghost of her little sister. She tries to tune everyone out, shunning her old lifestyle as the pretty, popular cheerleader, but somehow she can't hide from Damen, the new guy at school. Stunningly handsome, clever and not a little bit intimidating, there's something about him that doesn't quite add up. Ever realises he's hiding something, but nothing could prepare her for the truth - especially when the truth involves past lives, murderous enemies, everlasting love and the secret of eternal youth . . .

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

Ivy and Tristan are meant to be together. Both stunningly attractive, brilliantly talented and very much in love, they think their happiness will last forever. When a terrible car accident shatters their world, killing Tristan and injuring Ivy, she must face life alone - or so she thinks. However, Tristan is watching over her as her guardian angel - so close she can feel his touch and hear his voice. And no one needs a guardian angel more than Ivy, because someone is trying to kill her. But if Tristan saves Ivy, his mission on earth will be finished, and he'll have to leave her behind. Will saving Ivy mean losing her forever?

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson (Uncorrected proof bought from Oxfam Bookshop - this book is actually called Knife in the UK)

Forget everything you think you know about faeries. . . .

Creatures full of magic and whimsy?

Not in the Oakenwyld. Not anymore.

Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull-witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake.

Only one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction?

Talented newcomer R. J. Anderson creates an extraordinary new fantasy world and weaves a gripping tale of lost magic, high adventure, and surprising friendship in which the fate of an entire realm rests on the shoulders of one brave faery rebel.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Won from Becca Fitzpatrick:

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - signed.

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Obviously, I am a very happy girl! You get anything cool this week?

Continue reading In My Mailbox (9)

Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill - Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago's vampires announced theirexistence to the world-and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker... and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I've traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four hundred year old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude-and servitude. Right...

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I'm surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan's attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone's still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood... From Chloe Neill’s Website.

Continue reading Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

On My Wishlist (2)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. This idea is brought to us by Book Chick City.

Title: The Everafter
Author: Amy Huntley
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: Oct 2009

Summary:
Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can reexperience—and sometimes even change—moments from her life.
Her first kiss.
A trip to Disney World.
Her sister's wedding.
A disastrous sleepover.
In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life—and death.
This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments—and the strength of true love even beyond death. From Amazon US.

Title: My Soul to Take
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: Aug 2009

Summary:
She doesn't see dead people, but…
She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next… From Amazon US

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: Sept 2009

Summary:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. From Amazon US

Books in Series:
The Hunger Games

Continue reading On My Wishlist (2)

News and Contest: FALLEN by Lauren Kate

I received an awesome email this morning from Random House with some great goodies to share with you all.

FALLEN by Lauren Kate now has an awesome trailer on Random House's facebook group, FierceBook - which you have to join to see it. Seriously, it's an awesome trailer - it makes me all excited to read the book, and I've already read it!

You'll also find the latest updates on the group, and can sign up for a LIVE CHAT with Lauren Kate on 3rd December. The first 50 people to sign up to FierceBook will receive a finished copy of FALLEN.

There is also this really nifty widget, which allows you to read the first chapter, see right sidebar!

Still not convinced? You can read my review of FALLEN here.

And now on to the really awesome part. On behalf of Random House, I am hosting a contest for 5 finished copies of FALLEN! To enter you need to fill in this form.

Rules:

Only fill in the form once!
Open internationally.
Contest ends 22nd November.
Winners chosen by random.org
Winner announced 23rd November. CONTEST NOW CLOSED!

Continue reading News and Contest: FALLEN by Lauren Kate

GLBT Challenge 2010: The Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name

I've decided to join another reading challenge for 2010. This time it's The Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name - a GLBT challenge, run by blog GLBT Reading.

There are several levels to this challenge, each with a different number of books to read. I've chosen to go for the Pink Triangle Level, which is 8 books, as I've signed up for two other challenges already. Don't want to overload my plate.

ETA: Chosen all my books now; thanks to all for recs and links to lists! Really appreciate it!

The rules state that books can cross over from other challenges, so I have a few I can name already.

These are the books I'll be reading.

1. Sprout by Dale Peck
2. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
3. Between Mom & Jo by Julie Anne Peters
4. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
5. My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
6. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
7. Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
8. The Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden

Continue reading GLBT Challenge 2010: The Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name

It's Monday! What are You Reading? (6)

It's Monday! What are You Reading? is a meme run by J. Kaye's Book Blog which discusses which books will be read this week, and the ones that were read last week.

Last week I read:

• Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Curse (For both OUaB & I&P)
• The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus (For OUaB)

I didn't read Bite Marks by Terence Taylor as it was horror not fantasy, and I am a big wimp.

This week, I hope to read:

• Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (for I&P)
• Frostbite by Richelle Mead (for OUaB & I&P)

I started reading Some Girls Bite yesterday, so hopefully I'll be able to manage these two, and get another one in! How about you?

Continue reading It's Monday! What are You Reading? (6)

Review: The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus

The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus (review copy) - When Picky's Mum forces her to look after Gran, who has dementia, Picky is accidentally transported back to the year 1685, where a man in a wig insists she is someone called Amelia and tries to kill her. Managing to get the dress off just in time, Picky returns to the present with the dress covered in blood. Who is Amelia? Is she dead? Will wearing the other dresses in the chest take Picky back in time too? And does she dare put herself in danger again? - From Amazon UK.

I didn’t think I would enjoy this; I love watching period dramas on TV and at the cinema, but when it comes to reading them, I’m not so great at understanding the language, but I thought I would give this book a go anyway. I am so glad I did, I really enjoyed it!

I loved Picky’s voice, and learning things about the time period through her experience of it. There was no trouble understanding the language as it was all through Picky’s point of view, and it was really quite amusing!

The plot was really clever, and if you’ve seen it, it reminded me quite a lot of the UK TV programme Lost in Austen. I was, however, a little disappointed in Picky’s lack of knowledge about history. She may be 13, but surely 13-year-olds know that the internet is pretty new in the great scheme of things, and would have heard of Nazis.

I also found that Picky’s real school life was a little forced. The events were believable, but the reactions to them were a little off to me. And as much as teenagers may say it, I got a little annoyed with Picky’s over use of the phrase, “No. Seriously.”

The Dresskeeper is a cute story over all, and I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the characters from 1685, and how Picky’s view of things changes, and how she learns about herself along the way. It was a lovely story, and I can’t wait to read what Mary Naylus brings us next!

Thank you to Prospera Publishing for sending me a copy to review.

Published: 30th November 2009 in the UK, 30th December 2009 in the US
Publisher: Prospera Publishing
Pre-order on Amazon UK
Pre-order on Amazon US
Mary Naylus' Blog

Other Reviews:
Chicklish
So Many Books, So Little Time
Nayu's Reading Corner
Tales of Whimsy

Continue reading Review: The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

Happy girl, me!

Bought:

Sara’s Face by Melvin Burgess

Sarah is going to have a face transplant. She has allowed herself to be drawn into the orbit of a highly manipulative and ruthless pop-star. He is going to take her discarded face to cover his own scarred and damaged one. But, as the time of the operation approaches, those closest to her suspect that Sarah is changing her mind. Is she being pressured into it? Is the wealthy pop-star her benefactor - or her gaoler?

Won:

Frostbite by Richelle Mead from Spinebreakers.co.uk

It's winter break at St Vladimir's, and a massive Strigoi vampire attack has put the school on high alert. This year's trip away from the academy to the wintery peaks of Idaho has suddenly become mandatory. But Rose's troubles seem to follow her wherever she goes - dealing with the pain of knowing that her relationship with her tutor Dimitri can never be, things get even more complicated when one her closest friends admits his feelings for her. The glittering winter landscape may create the illusion of safety but Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

I'm a happy girl! Get anything good this week? Also check out Ink and Paper for more books.

Continue reading In My Mailbox (8)

Author Signing: Luisa Plaja and Elen Caldecott in Exeter

I was nosing around on Luisa Plaja's website hoping to find any news on her next novel (Swapped by a Kiss, April 2010), when I found some great news for thos in the South West!

On Thursday 19th November, at the Children's Author's Roadshow Sout West, Luisa, along with Carnegie-longlisted author Elen Caldecott, will be signing books and giving book-buying advice at Waterstone's in Exeter (UK), during a special Christmas shopping evening.

So here are all the details:

What?
Christmas Shopping Evening/Book Signing with Elen Caldecott and Luisa Plaja
Where?
Waterstone's Exeter Roman Gate
252 High Street,
Exeter,
EX4 3PZ,
Tel. 01392 423044
When?
Thursday 19th November 2009
6:00PM - 7:30PM

I am extremely jealous of you Exeterians (I don't know if that's a word - if it isn't, it should be)! I have yet to meet Luisa, but I know she is a seriously lovely lady! I would so be there if I could, even though I'm lucky enough to already own signed copies.

If you can, you must go!

Continue reading Author Signing: Luisa Plaja and Elen Caldecott in Exeter

On My Wishlist (1)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. This idea is brought to us by Book Chick City.

So a few books I'm adding to my wishlist, which I'm adding to my already over flowing wishlist, have been added to my actual Christmas wishlist I've typed up for my parents.

Title: Della Says OMG! WTF?
Author: Keris Stainton
Publisher: Orchard
Publication Date: 6th May 2010

Summary:
Della’s over the moon when she kisses her long-standing crush at a party – but then she discovers her diary has disappeared...
When scans of embarrassing pages are sent to her mobile and appear on Facebook, Della’s distraught – how can she enjoy her first proper romance when someone, somewhere, knows all her deepest, darkest secrets? (From Amazon UK)

Title: Girl, Aloud (NOW OWNED)
Author: Emily Gale
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: 9th December 2009

Summary:
Kass Kennedy is in the spotlight, thanks to her Dad. He plans on selling her soul to the Devil - or at any rate to Simon Cowell when she finds herself pushed into an X-Factor audition. Kass could just say no, but her dad's manic-depressive mood swings are a cnstant worry and he has her in an emotional half-Nelson. Just when things couldn't get worse, Kass falls for a gorgeous older boy, also named Cass. She's amazed when he appears to like her, but it turns out this boy, is her best friend's long-term crush. What's a girl to do? Everything Kass thought she understood starts to fall apart and the only person she can turn to ... grumpy Simon Cowell (literally in her dreams). She might not be able to sing her way out of a paper bag, but Kass discovers that she isn't a choker when it comes to sorting out real life. (From Amazon UK)

Title: The Naughty List
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: 4th February 2010

Summary:
As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!
When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it? (From Amazon US)

ALSO, with no image summary available, I want...

Title: Swapped by a Kiss
Author: Luisa Plaja
Publisher: Corgi Children's
Published: 29th April 2010

Suummary:
Rachel hates her life and everyone in it - she even has suspicions that her on/off boyfriend David might not be entirely trustworthy. However, when David invites her to a music festival in England featuring their friend's band, she jumps at the chance for an overseas adventure. Hoping to surprise David, Rachel arrives at the festival early, where she runs into a nasty surprise of her own - she sees David kissing their friend Jo. Distraught, Rachel runs off, wishing she could leave her life behind...the next thing she knows, she's back with David. But not as herself...She's now in Jo's body! Can she keep the swap a secret from David until she can work out exactly what's going on and get her revenge? Over the course of a very weird weekend, Rachel puts herself in someone else's shoes and finds that her own maybe weren't as uncomfortable as she'd always thought. But can she ever be herself again? (From Amazon UK)

Other Books in Series:
Split By a Kiss

Can I just say how AMAZING this book sounds? They all do, but I SO can't wait for Swapped by a Kiss. I was looking forward to it anyway - more Jo, yay! - but this is the first time I've actually read what it's about, and oooh! It's going to be good! Especially as Luisa is a YA genius!

I don't want to wish my life away or anything, but these books' release dates can't come too soon! What's on your wishlist?

Continue reading On My Wishlist (1)

Review: Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Part 2: Curse

Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié (review copy) - Holly Cathers's world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.

In her new home, Holly's sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there's the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.

Holly, Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launced into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations...and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny. From Amazon US.

Continuing my review of this book, with the second story, Curse. Warning! I cannot review the second story in the book without spoiling the first, Witch. If you plan on reading this book, and don't want to be spoiled, don't read any further.

Curse - If Witch was great, then Curse is amazing! I absolutely loved it! Curse picks up a few months after Witch finished, and not a huge amount has happened other than the Cahors Coven has grown in strength and knowledge.

Curse is a darker novel compared to Witch, and more action packed. It’s a lot more graphic, but not sexually, rather in terms of what one does when practising black magic. You find out in the first story, but you actually see it in this book. It’s a little disturbing, which shows how great the authors’ talent is as they’re doing their job and effecting the reader. With the darker elements, you find yourself sucked into the book that little bit more.

There are so many points of view in this story, you get to see through almost everyone’s eyes at one point or another. Where in Witch the blood feud between Isabeau and Jean is explained, in Curse, we get more history, but from after the events we already know about from the 13th century to the 17th century. The history is just fantastic, the detail that has gone into it so that present day story is more understandable.

A lot of the story is the history. There is quite a bit of action set in present day, but most of the story is relating the history to now. A whole slew of great new characters in introduced in this story, involved in a connected subplot, a new coven. I can’t go into detail about them without spoiling the story, but I’m sure they will play an integral part in the future book when paths cross.

I wouldn’t say there was a resolution to this story, it’s more of a progression; both sides make moves, consequences happen, and more questions arise. This is not to say that nothing major happens, a few major things happen, but there is no definitive end to the story. All I can say is that the next book, Wicked 2: Legacy & Spellbound, is going to be absolutely rivoting! I implore you to pick up this book, it’s fantastic!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a copy for review.

Published: September 2009 in UK, 2008 in US
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Nancy Holder's Website & Debbie Viguié's Website

My review of Witch

Other Reviews:
On the Nightstand

Continue reading Review: Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Part 2: Curse

It's Monday! What are You Reading? (5)

It's Monday! What are You Reading? is a meme run by J. Kaye's Book Blog which discusses which books will be read this week, and the ones that were read last week.

It's been a few weeks since I did this, I'm sorry. A lot has been happening for me. So here is the last two weeks'.

Two weeks ago I read:

• Ice by Sarah Beth Durst (For both OUaB & I&P)

Last week I read:

• Wake by Lisa McMann (For both OUaB & I&P)
• Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Witch (For both OUaB & I&P)

This week I'm hoping to read:

• Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Curse (For both OUaB & I&P)
• Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament by Terence Taylor (For I&P)
• The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus (For OUaB)

There's not much left for me to read with Curse, so hopefully I'll have that finished soon, and can get onto the other two.

As you can see, this post shows what I'll be reading despite the blog it will be posted on. I'm going to do it this way from now on, as I think it's a little waste to do two separate posts.

Continue reading It's Monday! What are You Reading? (5)

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

Two this week!

For Review:

Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Holly Cathers's world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.
In her new home, Holly's sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there's the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.
Holly, Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launced into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations...and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny.

Won from Kim at The Book Butterfly:

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst - Yup, my second copy!

When Cassie was little her grandmother would tell her stories about the Arctic...stories about snow and ice, about a beautiful castle made of ice, and about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth to become a prisoner of the trolls. Cassie is older now and has no time for fairytales and talking animals, or lies about her dead mother. Living with her father at the Arctic research centre, she is determined to become a leading scientist and researcher. But when Cassie comes face to face with a mysterious polar bear, one that defies all scientific fact or knowledge, she begins realise that the fairytales could actually be true. Armed with the knowledge that her mother might be alive, Cassie makes a deal with the Polar Bear King, and embarks on a dangerous journey against time to save her. But her agreement with the Polar Bear King comes with consequences she never bargained for, and before her journey's end Cassie will discover the true meaning of love and family, and loss. A compelling romantic fantasy set in the beautiful frozen Arctic.

So I'm a happy chappy! You get anything good this week?

Continue reading In My Mailbox (7)

Once Upon a Week: Fairy Tale References in Poetry and Music

Today is the last day of Once Upon a Week! Unfortunately, because life has been a bit hectic and got in the way, I have been unable to sort out a second fairy tale review for you. However, I'm not just a book fan; I am also a music and poetry fan. So, in place of a review, I have some poetic and musical treats inspired by fairy tales for you all.

First of all, the poem. People who know the original stories of Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzle should get the references in this poem, as well as references of other fairy tales. I studied it during GCSE English several years ago, and it's one that stuck with me. I find it amusing because of it's conversational, modern tone, and subject matter. I haven't missed anything out, this is actually how it starts.


Rapunzstiltskin by Liz Lochhead

& just when our maiden had got
good & used to her isolation,
stopped daily expecting to be rescued,
had come to almost love her tower,
along comes This Prince
with absolutely
all the wrong answers.
Of course she had not been brought up to look for
originality or gingerbread
so at first she was quite undaunted
by his tendency to talk in strung-together cliche.
'Just hang on and we'll get you out of there'
he hollered like a fireman in some sopa opera
when she confided her plight (the old
hag inside etc. & how trapped she was);
well, it was corny but
he did look sort of gorgeous
axe and all.
So there she was, humming & pulling
all the pins out of her chignon,
throwing him all the usual lifelines
till, soon, he was shimmying in & out
every other day as though
he owned the place, bringing her
the sex manuals & skeins of silk
from which she was meant, eventually,
to weave the means of her own escape.
'All very well & good,' she prompted,
'but when exactly?'
She gave him till
well past the bell on the timeclock
She mouthed at him, hinted,
she was keener than a TV quizmaster
that he should get it right.
'I'll do everthing in my power' he intoned, 'but
the impossible (she groaned) might
take a little longer.' He grinned.
She pulled her glasses off.
'All the better
to see you with my dear?' he hazarded.
She screamed, cut of her hair.
'why you're beautiful?' he guessed tentatively.
'No, No, No!' she
shrieked & stamped her foot so
hard it sank six cubits through the floorboards.
'I love you?' he came up with
as finally she tore herself in two.

I really like that poem! It's years since I studied, but if I remember rightly, it's supposed to be a micky take of modern relationships. However, you can google the poem, and various analysis' crop up, so you can get a proper understanding from them if you're interested.

On to the music. Here are two songs that I just LOVE that have been partly inspired by fairy tales in them. The first doesn't have specific references, but you can find them - there are a few. The second, however, has specific references for just a few lines, which you won't be able to miss. Enjoy!

A Walk Through Hell by Say Anything - Unfortunately, I can't find an official video for this song, but click the link and you can listen to the song using the widget at the top and read the lyrics. I LOVE this song!

This Kiss by Faith Hill - Similar situation here. Use the widget on the left. There's a ring tone pop-up, just so you're aware. Close it, and you can continue.

Do you know of any other poems or songs with fairy tale references?

Also, I noticed on a few blogs a few weeks back a few photos that were relevant to Fairy Tale Week. Dina Goldstein has a Fallen Princesses Photographic Project, in which she portrays fairy tale princesses in real life situations, where "The '...happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues". Check them out, they are pretty damn awesome. Not showing the images as I'm adding this to my already created post last minute, and don't have permission. But they are amazing, go take a look!

Sorry for the lack of videos. And a review today. Hope you enjoyed the fairy tale posts here on Once Upon a Bookcase, and on all the other blogs too!

Hope you live happily ever after! ;)

Continue reading Once Upon a Week: Fairy Tale References in Poetry and Music

Review: Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Part 1: Witch

Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié (review copy) - Holly Cathers's world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.

In her new home, Holly's sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there's the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.

Holly, Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launced into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations...and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny. From Amazon US.

As the book has two stories, I'm going to review each story separately, hence the Part 1. So this is a review of...

Witch - I have always been fascinated as magic. As a child, I found magicians and the idea of magic just so awesome; I was in awe of Paul Daniels, he was practically a god. As I got older, my fascination didn't fade, but grew as I discovered there were real people out there who thought themselves witches. Whether or not people believe they have any power is down to each person's individual opinion, but I'm fascinated by the witches' personal beliefs. So, understandably, I was ecstatic to discover that the fictional story of the Wicked series is based on the beliefs of those who are Wiccan - serious research has gone into this series and I think it's awesome!

So I read the first story in the first book, Witch. I really liked it! The whole idea of witches and warlocks who can perform magic and spells, as I said, is fascinating to me, so the story of this girl who not only finds out that she is a witch, but has the burden of dealing with the present day conflict based on the events of centuries past is just awesome! There are so many characters, so many POVs, six that I can remember, and so much going on, you'll be completely gripped throughout.

There are qite a few characters that play quite a big part. First there's Holly, the main character. She struggles with the loss of her parents and her best friend, and having to fit in with these family members she never knew she had. Her greif is such a big part of this story that the only other thing you know about her is that she likes horses. Amanda and Nicole, Holly's twin cousins, are completely different; nice, mousey, friendly Amanda, and vain, popular, and selfish Nicole. There's Aunt Marie-Claire, who I disliked immensely, I felt she was just so shallow. The best characters in my opinion are Jer, Holly's love interest, and his evil father Michael. Their relationship is brilliant, and finding out about their beliefs, desires and goals - they are the story for me.

To be honest, I found the story of Jer and his evil family more interesting than Holly finding out. It just felt to me that there was more research put into what Jer and his family believed and did, as they grew up knowing of their power, it was more solid. Where as Holly puts two and two together after strange things happen. That was a little odd, though. Although it took Holly a while to come to that conclusion, when she did start adding things together, she came to the conclusion of magic straight away, and automatically guessed she must be a witch. I think it would be a little more believable if she tried to believe it was something else first, or questioned her sanity. Then she tells her cousin, and her cousin believes her straight away, no problem. It just felt a little off.

What also felt a little off was the "relationship" between Holly and Jer. I have no problem with unexplained magnetism, I can deal with that, I find it quite intriguing. But with Jer and Holly, there was hardly any build up, any interaction between them before, BAM, the big deal that's happening between them is, well, happening.

The action is fantastic though! Seriously. I can't even begin to really go through it without spoiling it, but it is based on some awesome spells and chants and other things linked with Wicca. Seriously awesome story, and I'm hoping Curse will be just as good!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a copy for review.

Published: September 2009 in UK, 2008 in US
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Nancy Holder's Website & Debbie Viguié's Website

Other Reviews:
On the Nightstand

Continue reading Review: Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié - Part 1: Witch

Once Upon a Week: Starring In My Own Fairy Tale

As part of Once Upon a Week, Vanessa has asked us to take one of three quizzes to find out which fairy tale character we are, and to re-write the story with ourselves as the main chatacter. I took this quiz, and found out I was equally both Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Not being able to cast myself as both characters at the same time, I've instead tried to combine both stories, and make a modern-ish story, that could almost happen. Maybe. It's silly, it's not great, please don't take it too seriously, it's just for a laugh. And so on to the story!

Once upon a time, Jo woke up one morning, and was told by her Mum that her Nan was ill. Being the kind and caring granddaughter that she is, Jo offered to visit her Nan, and do any shopping that she needed doing.

At noon, Jo left home to make her way to the supermarket with a shopping list. When she got there, she was stopped by a homeless woman, who was asking for money. Having only left home with enough money to buy her sick Nan’s shopping, Jo was unable to give the woman any money. She told the woman this, making her apologies, and went to do buy her Nan’s food.
The homeless woman was angry with Jo’s refusal, and decided to visit this Nan of hers.

Unknown to everyone in the area, the homeless woman wasn’t very nice. In the past, she had tried to get her own back against those who didn’t help her, but this time she decided to go for Jo’s Nan. She knocked on Nan’s door, and Nan, thinking she was Jo, opened the door a little, told her not to come in so she wouldn’t catch anything. Pretending to be Jo, the woman handed Nan an apple through the small opening, saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Nan took the apple, and the woman left, smiling to herself. Nan went into her front room and ate the apple, thinking how lovely her granddaughter was.

Soon after, Jo arrived at her Nan’s. Having a key to her Nan’s house, Jo let herself in, and saw her Nan unconscious on the floor of the front room. The apple she had eaten was rotten, and being ill already, it had made her worse and she had collapsed. Jo immediately called an ambulance, and soon, Jo’s Nan was taken to the hospital.

After Nan had been helped into a bed by seven male nurses, who made sure she was comfortable and connected up to the right machines. After a short while, a doctor came in. He introduced himself to Jo as Dr. Charming, and he would make sure her Nan was better soon. He asked Jo to wait outside while he worked his magic.

An hour later, Jo went back in to find Nan awake, and starting to feel better all round. Dr. Charming had treated her illness as well as the effects of the rotten apple, and after staying overnight for observation, Nan would be allowed to go home the next day. And they all lived happily ever after.

The End. I hope you were able to decipher which parts of the story were supposed to be like Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. As I said, it wasn't great, but it was hard! Trying to combine them, create a story that made sense, and make a story that was... slightly believable, well, I had trouble! But I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

What fairy tale character are you?

Continue reading Once Upon a Week: Starring In My Own Fairy Tale

Once Upon a Week: Waiting on Wednesday - Fairy Tale Edition

As part of Once Upon a Week, here is a fairy tale edition of Waiting on Wednesday.

So here are some fairy tale-esque books I want to read! As I don't know of many soon-to-be-released fairy tale-esque novels, some listed are old, some are new-ish, and some are not yet released. But I'd like to read them all!

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
"Let me put it this way: when your mom cooks, she doesn't have to close the doors to make sure the Gingerbread Men don't run outside."
Junior high is tough enough, even when your family is ordinary. And Julie Marchen's family is anything but ordinary: her brother is a talking cat, her grandmother is a bona fide witch, and her mother is Rapunzel. Yep, that Rapunzel -- long hair, tower, prince... Long ago, Rapunzel escaped the fairy tale with her fellow storybook characters to live in secret in our world. But Julie's world, our world, is about to change -- the fairy tale wants its characters back.
Now Julie must fight wicked witches, avoid glass slippers, fly griffins, and outwit magicians in order to rescue her mom and save her town from becoming a fairy tale kingdom. From Sarahbethdurst.com

Out of the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

Ever since twelve-year-old Julie Marchen defeated the fairy-tale world of the Wild, life's been pretty much back to normal, as normal as it can be for a girl whose brother is Puss-in-Boots, grandma is a witch, and mom is Rapunzel. (Yes, that Rapunzel.)
The Wild is safely back under Julie's bed, but when it suddenly spits out her long-lost dad -- Rapunzel's prince -- things take a seriously enchanted turn. He's gallant, he's handsome, and he's totally clueless about life in the 21st century! (You try teaching a five-hundred-year-old prince how to text message.) Julie couldn't be happier to have her family back together, but when Dad dashes off to save a damsel who's distressing, it's up to Julie to bring him home, protect the family secret, and while she's at it, save the world.
Join Julie on a magical road trip across America. A flying bathmat, a very drowsy princess, a fire-breathing dragon, and several thousand magic beanstalks... Julie's world, our world, will never be the same again. From Sarahbethdurst.com

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.
Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her.
But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.
Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does. From Amazon US.

Ash by Malinda Lo

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief. From Amazon US.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Liga endures unspeakable cruelties at the hands of her father, before being magically granted her own personal heaven, a safe haven from the real world. She raises her two daughters in this alternate reality, and they grow up protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever ...Magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga's refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side? From Amazon UK.

Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire

A unique retelling of the classic fairytale, Snow White by the internationally bestselling author of WICKED

The year is 1502, and seven-year-old Bianca de Nevada lives perched high above the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany and Umbria at Montefiore, the farm of her beloved father, Don Vicente. But one day a noble entourage makes its way up the winding slopes to the farm - and the world comes to Montefiore. In the presence of Cesare Borgia and his sister, the lovely and vain Lucrezia - decadent children of a wicked pope - no one can claim innocence for very long. When Borgia sends Don Vicente on a years-long quest, he leaves Bianca under the care - so to speak - of Lucrezia. She plots a dire fate for the young girl in the woods below the farm, but in the dark forest salvation can be found as well...

A lyrical work of stunning creative vision, MIRROR MIRROR gives fresh life to the classic story of Snow White - and has a truth and beauty all its own.

Confessions of an Ugly Sister by Gregory Maguire

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave amongst the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who is swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household - and the treacherous truth of her former life. From Amazon UK.

Godmother by Carolyn Tergeon

Open the door into magical New York, and be cast under the spell of this breathtaking story of love, loss and redemption. Carolyn Turgeon’s stunning novel is an enchanting new invention of that most beloved of fairytales, Cinderella.

What would you do if you could make dreams come true? If you could ensure that Cinderella met her Prince, that sparks flew, romance blossomed, and most of all, that everyone lived happily ever after?

Be careful what you wish for – because fairy godmothers are as flawed as the rest of us, and temptation is a terrible thing. Meet sweet, well-meaning Lillian, who opens the quiet bookshop in Manhattan’s West Village every morning, and whose dark past contains a desperate act, a dramatic banishment, and a guilty secret she has carried with her for centuries. Only one kind deed done for love will break the spell that has kept Lillian from home for so long – but can she succeed in making her own dreams come true at last? From Amazon UK.

Do you know of any other modern/updated/re-worked fairy tales that are coming out soon that I should keep an eye out for?

Waiting on Wednesday is brought to us by Jill of Breaking the Spine.

Continue reading Once Upon a Week: Waiting on Wednesday - Fairy Tale Edition