A Request for Help from Kristi

One of our own is asking for help.

I'm sure everyone who reads this know who Kristi is - the Book Blogging Queen that runs The Story Siren. I don't know about anyone else, but I am in complete awe of Kristi and her wonderful blog. She goes out of her way to help fellow book bloggers, what with her Dear Story Siren and her specific blog helping posts. She's also really awesome at answering emails requesting advice - when I first started blogging, she was key to helping me get the ball rolling.



But now Kristi is asking us for help. Her six-year-old cousin, Kaylea, who loves to read, has being diagnosed with leukemia. This is a terrible blow for the whole family, including Kristi. Kristi is asking if we can help out, whether it be cards of well wishes to make Kaylea smile, donated books for Kaylea to read, or for monetary donations to help with medical costs - but only if you can. For more information about Kaylea's condition and how you can help, read Kristi's post about it here.
I know being a UK blogger, most of my regular readers are UK bloggers too, and this may cause some issues in helping out, but I felt I had to mention it on the off chance any of you can help in some way. It's not often that a blogger will ask for such help, but we as a community are so strong, I'm sure we'll rally together to do what we can.

Thank you for reading.

Continue reading A Request for Help from Kristi

Love Month Over on Fluttering Butterflies

The wonderful Michelle of Fluttering Butterflies had the brilliant idea of hosting Love Month in February, to celebrate Valentine's Day.

There will be reviews, guest posts, discussions and giveaways! My guest post for the month will be going up on 3rd Feb, so be sure to check it out.

I will also be taking part on my own blog over the month. I don't know how exactly yet, but it's going to be good! Keep an eye out!

Continue reading Love Month Over on Fluttering Butterflies

Review: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (ARC) - WARNING! I cannot review this book with spoiling the first book in the series, The Dark Devine. Don't read any further if you plan on reading The Dark Devine and don't want to have it spoilt for you.

The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved brother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint. From Amazon US

After falling in love with The Dark Devine, I was eager to get started with The Lost Saint! What would happen to Grace now that she was infected? What would happen to Grace and Daniel's relationship now that he is cured? Fortunately I had a copy already, so I didn't have to wait that long to read it. And I really just have one word to say; wow!

You get so involved with this book, before you know it, you're half way through the book. Though it doesn't seem like a huge amount has happened. That's not to say the book is slow at all, or filled with unnecessary drivel. Everything in this book is essential, it all leads up to the main events, which occur towards the end of the book. I did at times wonder, especially once past the halfway mark, what could possibly happen next to get to the big events, as there just didn't seem to be much left of the book, but no real clues in the story. But Despain is clever in how she sets things in motion, and it's just brilliant!

I love how you're never truely sure who you can trust. Who is Talbot? Can we trust him, can we not? What's going on with Daniel? That's one thing I wasn't too keen on, Daniel doesn't get as much page time in this book, but you can forgive it for the story. Other characters crop up, some minor, some major, but you're never completely sure who is genuine. It's not as frustrating as it sounds, it's quite fun trying to work things out and piecing the puzzle together as more things are discovered. I loved it!

With what you're told in the summary above, I really don't think I can tell you much more. Anything I say is likely to spoil the book for you. But this book is brilliant! I have to say, although I worked out some of the things going on, I didn't see the ending coming, and oh my god, what a cliff hanger! So cruel, but so brilliant! I am so keen to read the third book, because I am DYING to know what's going to happen! An absolutely brilliant book, one that fans of The Dark Devine should pick up as soon as they can! Just fantastic!

Thank you to Goodman Media for sending me the ARC.

Published: 7th March 2011 in the UK, 28th December 2010 in the US
Publisher: Egmont UK, Egmont USA
Pre-order on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Bree Despain's Website

Continue reading Review: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Contest Winners: Fade to Blue, The Lost Hero and More Bloody Horowitz!

It's finally time to announce the winners of my contests! Thanks to everyone who entered! Randomizer has done it's thing, and the winners are as follows...

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin:

Jessy Blair

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan:

Rhys Jones

More Bloody Horowitz:

Laura Creaven
Congratulations to you all! Your details have been sent to my contacts, and your books should be with you shortly. If you didn't win, better luck next time!

Continue reading Contest Winners: Fade to Blue, The Lost Hero and More Bloody Horowitz!

Bookish News!

More news for you - including some beautiful covers!

Firstly, Once Upon a Bookcase now has a Facebook page! Please "like" the page to be kept up to date with all posts on Once Upon a Bookcase from Facebook. Cheers!

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To celebrate the release of The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel, the sixth book in the Earth's Children's series - released 30 years after the first book was published - Hodder and Stoughton have launched a competition in which fans can win tickets to an exclusive event to help bring the character Ayla to life for a special 3D augmented reality cover. Head to the Facebook page for more info!

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Books to check out:

The Girl who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui - released: 16th May 2011 - One of Tsutsui's best-known and most popular works in his native Japan, The Girl Who Leapt through Time is the story of fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Kazuko, who accidentally discovers that she can leap back and forth in time. In her quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure that she believes to be responsible for her paranormal abilities, she'll constantly have to push the boundaries of space and time, and challenge the notions of dream and reality. From Amazon UK

Timeless by Alexandra Monir - released: 11th January 2011 - When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.

Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives. From Amazon US

Further info: "In a unique and exciting development, Alexandra has integrated original music into her debut novel's pages, writing two songs for the YA Novel. The songs play a crucial role in the story's plot. Alexandra recorded the songs with producer and musical virtuoso Michael Bearden (musical director of Michael Jackson's last concert, "This Is It") and an all-star 10-piece band. The tracks were written by Alexandra Monir, her songwriting partner Heather Holley (of Christina Aguilera success), and Michael Bearden. The tracks incorporate musical sounds from the historical eras featured in the story.
The songs are currently available on iTunes for $1.29 each or $0.99/song if you buy both."

Grace by Morris Gleitzman - released: 3rd February 2011 - Grace (9+) is a fabulous, thought-provoking novel, encompassing themes of tolerance, family, authority, closed-mindedness and freedom.

Eleven-year-old Grace only knows one world - the world of her mum and dad and twin brothers, and the strict religious community they belong to. Grace is completely devoted to God, but has a highly inquisitive mind thanks to her father who teaches her the importance and the power of question. But when her dad is expelled from their church for asking too many questions, Grace is torn. She blames herself for interrupting prayer at school, mixing with ‘outsiders’ and for asking too many questions.

Setting out on a mission to find her dad and bring him home, Grace begins to understand the manipulative hold the men of her church, and particularly her grandfather, has over her family and she realises the truth behind her father’s expulsion. From press release

Continue reading Bookish News!

News: RHCB's Paranormal Romance Virtual Panel Event on Once Upon a Bookcase!

Big, big news, guys! Once Upon a Bookcase is collaborating with Random House Children's Books UK to bring you...

A PARANORMAL ROMANCE VIRTUAL PANEL EVENT WITH LAUREN KATE, KAREN MAHONEY, AND AMY MEREDITH!



Yes, you read that right! On 4th February at 5.00pm GMT for one hour, with the help of Chatroll, you will get the chance to have a live chat event with the authors of Fallen, The Iron Witch, and Shadows about writing YA paranormal romance - their writing, their influences, their reading, etc!

Why am I telling you so early? Because these things need to be organised! If you want to be involved, there are somethings you need to do.

• Fill in the form below with one question you would like to ask the authors by 28th February - only one because there are bound to be so many of you who want to take part, and we would like the authors to bounce off each other. The authors will get through as many of the questions sent in as possible in the one hour.
• Also include the username you will go by. You do not have to be registered with Chatroll to take part, they allow guests - and as a guest, you can choose your own username. I suggest, if you're a blogger, your username is something others will recognise you as, either your name_blog, or something along those lines. Please no weird confusing names! BoOkFan877542 just isn't necessary. If you don't want to use your real name, feel free to use a fake one.

EDIT: The date to submit questions has been extended for a few days so more questions can come in. Please get those questions in ASAP!

Why do I need all this? Because it's going to be a live chat with lots of people chatting at once, and the authors won't know who to answer. This way, with the questions in advance, they can have some idea what they'll be talking about, and there can be some sort of order over the chat as I or Lauren, Senior Press Officer Extraodinaire at RHCB, who will also be a moderator, can direct each person to ask their question and when, i.e "Our fifth question comes from Sam" - Sam then asks question. Make sense?

Because we're getting questions in in advance, does that mean you can't ask questions during the actual event? No it doesn't. Sure, people are bound to want to bounce off other people - blogger and author alike - as this will be a discussion, you just not might have your question answered as the advanced questions will take priority to keep things moving. This may seem harsh, but it's to prevent any confusion and make it interesting!

If there are any questions about all of this, please leave them in the comments, and I will get back to you with an answer, or as soon as I have an answer!

I look forward to seeing you there! Please feel free to spread the word! Let's make it a really great event! If you can post the banner below on your blog, with a link to this post, I would be extremely, grateful!



<a href="http://onceuponabookcase.blogspot.com/2011/01/news-rhcbs-paranormal-romance-virtual.html"><img alt="virtual panel event" src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/Stapps/Blog%20Stuff/virtual_event_emailbanner.jpg" /></a>

No longer accepting any more questions! Panel is over!

Continue reading News: RHCB's Paranormal Romance Virtual Panel Event on Once Upon a Bookcase!

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (review copy) - There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable. From Amazon UK

After reading and falling in love with Before I Fall* last year, I was extremely excited to read Delirium - except for one thing; dystopian novels and I don't really get on. There are the odd dystopias I come across that work, but more often than not, I don't enjoy them. I spend too long being angry and annoyed at the world the people live in, and although that's the whole point, I don't like feeling like that for a whole book. But Delirium is by Lauren Oliver. Lauren Oliver! There was no way I couldn't at leat give it a go, and so I warily opened it's pages, and became infected; I fell in love.

For the first few chapters, I was a little worried I wouldn't like it because it was typically dystopian. I was quite shocked. From the blurb, I just thought taking the cure was an option you could take, but you find out pretty soon it's compulsory. In the world our main character Lena lives in, no-one is allowed to love, it's illegal and punishable, in the worst case scenario, by death. Once you reach 18, you take the cure. Students about to graduate are Evaluated so they can find a match for them, and once they have graduated from college, they marry the person they chose from the small selection they were given. Free from love. People are not allowed to speak the word "love", they're not allowed to overly show affection - that means no hugs for friends, or children when they have fallen over. Oh yes, this is not just romantic love that is cured, but all love - familal love and love for friends included. Students are segregated from members of the opposite sex and have to be home before curfew, so there is no intermingling outside of school hours. And when you've had the cure, you're detached, and cold almost. Think Sheldon or Leonard's Mum in The Big Bang Theory, without being extremely intelligent or arrogant - everyone over the age of 18 is like that! It's the type of world I hate and makes me extremely angry.

But then Alex arrived, and the whole tone of the story changed. Lena's world is turned upside down when she starts doubting everything she's believed, everything she knows, and falls in love. And my heart lifted. I can't even begin to tell you just how beautiful this story is. It's probably the most powerful teen romance I have ever read simply because they fall in love against a background which has an extreme lack of love. In most other books, love is normal; it might not be happening for the main character at the beginning, but they live in a world where people have boyfriends and girlfriends, they're allowed to show effection, there is nothing life-threatening about love. But there is in Lena's world, so her falling in love is scary, dangerous, and wrong, but just so right, and beautiful and amazing. This is one forbidden love story (quite literally) that shines a hundred times brighter than all the rest, and it's just gorgeous! I really can't do this book any justice when it comes to the love in it, there just aren't words. It's just... wow, and totally blew me away.

What I also loved about this book was how genius it is. The idea that love could be a disease is quite a logical one when you look at the "symptoms" of falling in love; difficulty focussing, reduced mental awareness, periods of euphoria, changes in appetite, loss of other interests, and so on (p133). All things that people actually experience in real life when they fall in love. To take something like the effects of love, and build a whole story on that... it's just brilliant! I am in awe of Oliver's imagination!

I am also in awe of Oliver's way with words. The language in this book is just beautiful! Oliver is the queen of metaphors, and the language is almost poetic. It really is just beautiful.

"Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: it kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
But that isn't it, exactly.
The condemner and the condemned. The executioner; the blade; the last-minute reprieve; the gasping breath and the rolling sky above you and the thank you, thank you, thank you, God.
Love: it will kill you and save you, both." (p352)

Isn't that just wonderful?

The ending is just cruel yet phenomenal! I can't even begin to describe it, but I finished the book wanting to pick the second book up straight away! I need Pandemonium, the sequel, now! However, it isn't released until next year. I have to wait a whole year in this agony of not knowing what happens! I love it, though! I really cannot wait. I cannot recommend this book enough, you need to read it. It might just be top of my list of favourite books.

*Review coming in July as part of Death and Bereavement Month.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the review copy.

Published: 3rd February 2011 in the UK, 1st February in the US
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pre-order from Amazon UK
Pre-order from Amazon US
Lauren Oliver's Website

Other reviews:
Writing from the Tub
The Crooked Shelf
Fluttering Butterflies

Continue reading Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Bookish News!

More news for you this week!

Here's the UK cover for Die For You by Amy Plum! How gorgeous is it?! I love it! And I love the sound of this book!


“In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.”

“When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.” From AmyPlumBooks.com

I so can't wait to read this book!

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A fan of Anthony McGowan's The Knife that Killed Me? Loved When I Was Joe by Keren David? Devoured Spider by Linda Strachan? Well a fantastic new blog set up by four brilliant authors - Keren David, Anne Cassidy, Gillian Philip and Linda Strachan - will be right up your street! Crime Central will concentrate on crime writing for teens. They will feature new books, get posts from writers and generally promote the genre. They have just launched with a giveaway of Anne Cassidy books. So go check it out!

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A message from Angela Morrison:

"Please celebrate with me! I just got the news that the world-renowned Amabile Youth Singers' recording of, "Take me Home," Beth's solo in SING ME TO SLEEP, is now available on iTunes.

Please, please download it! My amazing composer, Harriet Bushman, and I donated our royalties, so all the iTunes proceeds go to keep the Amabile family singing. I am amazed at what Harriet and the Amabile girls turned my humble lyrics into.

For those of you who haven't read SING, "Take me Home" is a gospel spiritual about a slave girl who wants the Good Lord to take her home. Beth wins the solo from the diva in her competitive girls' choir--and her life is never the same. The Amabile guys, who inspired the story, previously released,"Beth's Song.""

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Ten lucky people can win tickets to meet Twilight author Stephenie Meyer at an intimate gathering! Check out the press release for more info.

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Books to check out:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith - The story opens with newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating unmentionables. But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a raging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the only acceptable course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she hears rumours of a miracle antidote being developed in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love - and for everyone to live happily ever after. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Bookish News!

Contests: The Lost Hero and More Bloody Horowitz

Thanks to the people at Just So, I have two great contests for you all! You can enter to win a signed copy of The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan and More Bloody Horowitz by Anthony Horowitz! Read on for more info about the books and to enter the contests.

Rules:

• Enter the contests by filling in the forms below the book descriptions.
• One entry per person. Multiple entries will be deleted.
• Open to UK residents only.
• One winner per book.
• Contest closes 23rd January.
• Winners will be picked via Randomizer.org and announced on 24th January.
• Winners' contact info will be passed on to my Just So contact, who will send out the prizes.
• Please read my Privacy Policy.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan - This is a thrilling new series featuring three brand-new demigod heroes, from the best-selling creator of Percy Jackson.

OLD ENEMIES AWAKEN AS CAMP HALF-BLOOD'S NEW ARRIVALS PREPARE FOR WAR.

When Jason, Piper and Leo crash land at Camp Half-Blood, they have no idea what to expect. Apparently this is the only safe place for children of the Greek Gods – despite the monsters roaming the woods and demigods practising archery with flaming arrows and explosives.

But rumours of a terrible curse – and a missing hero – are flying around camp.

It seems Jason, Piper and Leo are the chosen ones to embark on a terrifying new quest, which they must complete by the winter solstice. In just four days time.

CAN THE TRIO SUCCEED ON THIS DEADLY MISSION- AND WHAT MUST THEY SACRIFICE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE? From Amazon UK

***CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!***

More Blood Horowitz by Anthony Horowitz - Stories of ultimate revenge, from freshly sold human meat and uncontrollable robots, to life-sucking MP3 players and reality TV where death is the penalty – all told with dark humour and gruesome relish, and made even more fiendish by retro illustrations, chilling facts and a puckish message from the author. This is Anthony Horowitz at his most wicked. From Amazon UK

***CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!***

Continue reading Contests: The Lost Hero and More Bloody Horowitz

Guest Post - Introducing Macy from You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin & Contest

Today I'm fortunate enough to have a guest post from Macy Payne, one of the characters from the You Killed Wesley Payne, the new novel from Sean Beaudoin, who brought us Going Nowhere Faster and Fade to Blue. Read on for a contest to win a signed copy of Fade to Blue!

Hey. I’m Macy Payne. Pretty much a side character in the new book You Killed Wesley Payne. You can call me Macy. Just don’t call me “The good girl.” I really hate that. And don’t even think about calling me “the love interest.” I’m a Euclidian. That’s the nerdy-smart clique. I also do theatre and write poetry. That sounds really pathetic, doesn’t it? Anyway, something really bad happened to my brother. So bad that this Private Dick just showed up at our school, Salt River High. Everyone says he’s here to find out what happened to Wesley. But I don’t trust him at all. Even if he is kinda cute. Wait, did I say that out loud? No. He’s not cute at all. Not even a little. Anyway, I have to run, I have a quiz.

The Three (3) Most Important Rules for Getting Through Today:
1. Clean sweater. Ironed skirt. Ninety-five percentile on Algebra quiz. Don’t think about what happened to Wesley.
2. Avoid Jeff Chuff, QB. He’s the head of The Balls, the football clique. The Salt River High Mighty Logsplitters. Jeff thinks I’m his girlfriend. He’s wrong. Sort of.
3. Stop staring at Dalton Rev. So what if he’s sitting in the same class. Just stop it. Don’t look. Do. Not. Look. Oh, great, now he saw. And he’s looking back. Fantastic. I’m going to have to say something. But what? Um, I like your leather jacket? No way. Um, I like your skull tattoo? He doesn’t even have a skull tattoo. Oh my god, time’s almost up and I haven’t even finished half of this quiz!

You Killed Wesley Payne is a murder mystbry. About my brother. Who killed Wesley Payne? You did. Probably. Is Dalton looking? Please tell me he’s not looking. Did I just spill milk on my skirt? I did. That’s it. I’m going home. Who cares about attendance?

I do.

I care about attendance.

Just leave me alone.

-Macy Payne

Thanks Macy for such a cool guest post! Be sure to check out the You Killed Wesley Payne website and Sean Beudoin's website. You Killed Wesley Payne is released on 1st February 2011.

Thanks to Blogreach Solutions, one lucky winner will win a signed copy of Fade to Blue, Sean's second novel. Open to US residents only. See below for more info on the book, and the rules.

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin - The novel begins with alternating chapters from two characters: Sophie, an angry Goth teenager and sarcastic social outcast; and Kenny, the 'big man on campus' whose life may be a little TOO perfect. Gradually the reader begins to see some parallels between the two teenager's lives, building up to the big reveal. Kenny, in fact, is Sophie reincarnated and living out a fantasy life! But is she really dead? Sophie gradually unravels the mystery of what is happening to her, what is happening to the real Kenny, and what happened when her father mysteriously disappeared a year earlier. There is a science fiction/fantasy element, discussion of medical research, philosophy, commerce and ethics throughout. Ultimately, this is a wildly innovative young adult novel filled with appealing, sharply-drawn characters, and crazy twists and turns. From Amazon UK

Rules:

• Enter by filling in the form below.
• One entry per person. Multiple entries will be deleted.
• Open to US residents only.
• One winner.
• Contest closes 23rd January.
• The winner will be picked via Randomizer.org and announced on 24th January.
• Winners' contact info will be passed on to my contact at Blogreach Solutions, who will send out the prize. Please allow 3 weeks for delivery.
• Please read my Privacy Policy.

***CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!***

Continue reading Guest Post - Introducing Macy from You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin & Contest

Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (review copy) - A prodigal son. A dangerous love. Haunted yearning...Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood. Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother. As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul. From Amazon UK

I've been meaning to read The Dark Divine for a while, but I had never got round to it. I had always heard great things about it, and the premise had always sounded dark and mysterious, and as I was in the mood for some good YA urban fantasy, I decided to pick it up. This book is so good, I now wish I had read it earlier.

One part that really impressed me was the religious aspect. This book isn't preachy, but Grace being a good Pastor's daughter, religion does come into it. But there was more to it than just the characters being religious; religion linked to the paranormal element of the book. Now, as it's not clear from the blurb on the book or summary above, I'm not going to tell you what the paranormal element is, I don't want to spoil it for you - I didn't know before reading the book myself, though I had suspicions as I was reading. But I did love Despain's take on the mythology, how she incorporated religion into it, and made it completely fascinating! My only problem regarding the paranormal element was how little we "saw" of it in this book, though that is understandable for the mystery of the novel.

The characters were brilliant. Grace was a great characters, always wanting to do the right thing, but never sure what the right thing was; helping Daniel, or staying away so as not to hurt her brother, Jude. Her love for both of them causes such internal conflict for her, it's great watching her struggle to try to work out what she should do. Daniel is hot, mysterious, and troubled, and at the heart of an event that happened three years ago. He was Jude's best friend, but then he suddenly disappeared, and the rest of the family seem to hate him, but will never speak of why, or what happened. He doesn't seem all that keen to divulge any informationa bout it either.

The mystery and intensity of feeling between Daniel and Grace makes up for the fact that we don't witness the beginning of attraction. Grace fell for Daniel years ago, long before the book started, and though we get glimpses of the past and things that happened, we don't see the beginning. But it's still great to see their chemistry. It's not exactly sexual tension, but it's still awesome.

There is more than just the mystery surrounding Daniel and Jude, there are also deaths and people going missing from the town. This is one novel where I didn't work out who it was, I didn't see it coming at all, and it was just brilliant! All the clues were there obviously, but they are so subtle, I didn't work it out. And the ending, with the fantastic action scene! I didn't see that coming either! So, so good, and now I can't wait to read the sequel, The Lost Saint, which will be released 7th March 2011. The Dark Divine is a brilliant book, one I can't recommend enough!

Thank you to Egmont UK for sending me a review copy.

Published: 5th July 2010
Publisher: Egmont UK
Buy from Amazon UK
Buy from Amazon US
Bree Despain's Website

Continue reading Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

News: Regarding Buying Vampire Academy Series with Red Covers

Since I posted a few weeks back about all the new red UK covers for the whole Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead, I have had a few people come to me asking where they can get them. Everyone seemed to be saying the same thing; either online or in actual shops, they could only find either Frostbite or Last Sacrifice with the new covers.

I emailed my contact at Puffin about this and found out some information. It turns out that the novels with the new covers will become available once the novels with the old covers sell out, and a reprint is needed. Then the new covers will be available to buy. Last Sacrifice has only been released with this one cover, and Frostbite has been reprinted, hence the red cover. The other novels in the series are yet to need reprinting, which is why we can't find them anywhere. Apparently, it could take a couple of months before we see the new red covers on our bookshops' shelves or on online stores. It's just a case of waiting, I'm afraid. Hope this helps some of you!

Continue reading News: Regarding Buying Vampire Academy Series with Red Covers

Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (#Ad)

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

I was sent this review copy for free by Macmillan US for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone - especially herself...Is love a great enough power against evil? From Amazon UK

I picked up this book in the need of a great, powerful supernatural love story. I wanted to be swept off my feet by a romantic story, and spend my whole time smiling - apart from when things got a little dangerous. What I got was a pretty good story, but nothing that blew me away.

Firstly, Alexandra Adornetto was seventeen when she wrote this novel. Seventeen. That's pretty damn amazing, and so is this novel considering her age. The language and amount of detail used was unbelievable. I'm twenty three, and perhaps I'm just not as intelligent as I could be, but I was coming across words that I don't hear every day, some I hadn't heard before. Perhaps I wouldn't even had noticed had I not known the age of Adornetto at the time the book was written, but that was always in the back of my mind, and I can only describe the language as flawless and beautiful, and intelligent! Adornetto's intelligence and knowledge of the English language just shines through this novel. The amount of description she goes into is just incredible; you can perfectly picture every person, every room, every view, everything! Her attention to detail is incredible. It's like she had this clear image of everything in her head, and wanted to make sure her readers saw, heard, felt everything she and her characters did. It really was beautiful, and for this alone, I'd say Adornetto is not just an author but an artist.

The story was very intriguing. At it's basics, it's nothing new. Human and angel fall in love, then something comes along to ruin it all. But it goes much deeper. As opposed to a few other angel novels I could name, none of the angels in this book are bad in any way; they haven't fallen, and they're not feeding off of humans. They are here to do God's work. Because of this, there was a fair amount more regarding religion than I was used to. Perhaps that's the wrong way to put it. Other novels use religious stories as a mythical or folklorish bases to inspire their own. Halo mentions some stories, but leans more towards the religious as faith rather than myth. Being angels sent to earth to do God's work, they obviously believe in God, and Heaven, and know all the stories of the Bible to be true. They pray, they ask for assistance and guidance. It doesn't go into the different religions, but it discusses human belief and understanding of the divine. It was very different from what I expected, and bordered close to being preachy, but didn't quite cross the line. You have to expect that of God's angels though, they are here to bring people closer to God. I just hadn't come across it too much before.

There is more to the story than the emphasism on faith, though. The three angels, Ivy, Gabriel (yes, that Gabriel) and Bethany have been sent to earth because the Agents of Dark have been causing havoc in the world. They are sent to Venus Cove, a sleepy little beach town to take under their care. They start of by trying to encourage a love of community and try to bring people round towards the idea of God. Small things at first, community service, voluntary work, fund raisers - though this is mostly the work of Ivy and Gabriel. Being the only on to have never been to earth before, and being the most human, Bethany gets engrossed in the experiences of human life, and of first love. The Agent of Darkness soon makes his appearance, and things start to turn quite sinister, and everyone is in danger. That's one aspect of the book I really did like, how sinister it became. It really became quite spooky towards the end, and I got right into it.

However, the characters don't have too much in the way of personality. Some of Bethany's friends at school could have been the same person, so alike they were. No-one really seemed to have any actual interests that made them individual. You never really get to know any of the characters all that well. When it comes to hobbies, we know Xavier, the love interest in the story, is into sports at school, and Gabriel discovers surfing, but otherwise, I couldn't tell you much about any of the characters but only basic things. This left me feeling detached from the characters, I didn't know them enough, so I didn't get involved in their lives. At the moments when I should have been sitting on the edge of my seat worried for the lives of the characters, I wasn't that bothered what happened to them, simply because I didn't feel anything for them. This is the one major flaw of this book, I just didn't buy into it. Because of this, the love between Bethany and Xavier never felt real to me. There wasn't any sexual tension, hardly any flirting, just complete and utter adoration that seemed to come out of the blue. It just didn't work for me.

I still enjoyed the book. It kept me turning the pages, and I couldn't put it down - thanks to the wonderful way Adorenetto writes and the plot of the story. I have to say the beginning is just perfect, of Bethany's first experiences of life as a human and things we take for granted; texture, sound, taste. I also loved the way she complains about how limited human language is, how thoughts and ideas go unspoken or misunderstood because there just aren't the words to express properly. Halo is also full of literary references showing how widely read Adornetto is, and I have found myself another favourite poem - Annabell Lee by Edgar Allan Poe.

All in all, a pretty enjoyable book and a great story, just lacking in personality. I would still recommend you give it a go, and I will definitely be on the look out for Hades, the sequel which will be released on 6th October 2011.

Thank you to Macmillan US for sending me a review copy.

Published: 20th January 2011 in the UK, 31st August 2010 in the US
Publisher: Atom in the UK, Feiwel and Friends in the US
Alexandra Adornetto's Facebook Page

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Books Read in 2011

I shall be doing things differently this year. Last year I had one list on this blog for my YA reading, and one on Ink and Paper for my fantasy reading. This year, I'm going to list all books on both blogs, so it's easier for me to keep track, yet readers of both blogs can see if they're interested.

As I will be listing the books I will read over the course of the year anyway, I thought I might as well sign up to Book Chick City's 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge. No idea if I'll get anywhere close to 100, but we shall see. Now off we go...

1. Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
2. The Dark Devine by Bree Despain
3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
4. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
5. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
6. Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill
7. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
8. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
9. The Bitter Seed of Magic by Suzanne McLeod
10. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
11. Forgotten by Cat Patrick
12. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
13. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher
14. Della Says: OMG! by Keris Stainton
15. A New Dawn: Your Favourite Authors on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series
16. And By the Way... by Denise Deegan
17. Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate
18. One Seriously Messed-Up Week in the Otherwise Mundane and Uneventful Life of Jack Samsonite by Tom Clempson
19. Bite Club by Rachel Caine
20. Passion by Lauren Kate
21. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
22. Broetry by Brian McGackin
23. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
24. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
25. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
26. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
27. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
28. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
29. Delores Claiborne by Stephen King
30. Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead
31. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
32. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
33. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
34. Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent
35. Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance
36. By Midnight by Mia James
37. Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen
38. Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
39. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
40. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
41. One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost
42. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
43. The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter
44. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
45. The Boy Book by E. Lockhart
46. Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
47. Abandon by Meg Cabot
48. Everybody Jam by Ali Lewis
49. Swim the Fly by Don Calame
50. The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart
51. Beat the Band by Don Calame
52. Last Breath by Rachel Caine
53. Geekhood by Andy Robb
54. My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
55. My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
56. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
57. Fury by Elizabeth Miles

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Rules of Attraction Blog Tour: Simone Elkeles Talks Getting Into Boys' Heads

Today I'm fortunate enough to take part in the Rules of Attraction Blog Tour! Simone has very kindly written a guest post about getting into male characters' heads and having her fans fall in love with them!

As a teen, I had a lot of guy friends. That meant that I got a lot of, “I could never date you Simone, you’re my best friend and know way too much about me” from guy friends who I developed crushes on. I guess the great thing now is that writing from the guys’ point of view is easy for me. Believe it or not, my female characters are a huge challenge for me! I guess I should say writing realistic and likeable girls is hard. Guy characters can be jerks and still be redeemable, but girls. . . not so much. When girls are bitches, readers have a hard time liking them in the end even if they redeem themselves. Why is that? I don’t know. . . maybe there should be a psychological study dedicated to that topic! Or I could be totally off my rocker and my theory could be completely wrong.

The number one thing I learned from being friends with so many guys was that they are not as complicated as girls like to think. HOWEVER, they are just a little bit more complicated than they let on. Also, contrary to what they will tell you, they DO have feelings. When they like a girl, they’ll go out of their way to impress her. Many just don’t want her to know how much they actually like her. Unless, of course, another guy is hitting on her. . . then, it’s on!

I love writing heroes who my female fans fall in love with – I have to fall in love with them as I’m writing them, too. I like my men to be witty, so most of my male characters are sarcastic and pretty quick with a comeback. Carlos from Rules of Attraction was so much fun because I could let him say almost anything he wanted – the more obnoxious the better. He definitely entertained me. But, I also like my characters to have a sweet side. I think Avi from the How to Ruin series is probably the sweetest guy I’ve written. He’s noble and honorable, but he’s still strong and manly. Luis is also going to be that way in Chain Reaction. That’s another tricky thing about writing boys. Most boys put on a show of being tough. When I write I want to reveal their vulnerable and emotional side, but I don’t want to make them weak. No one wants to fall in love with a pushover who won’t stand up for himself or you. Alex from Perfect Chemistry is a guy who has it all. . . although he gets himself in trouble when he thinks he knows all the answers. Nobody knows all the answers, so I make sure he gets knocked down a few pegs when he starts getting cocky. I wish I could do that in real life, ha ha! I have interviewed a lot of guys while I’ve been a writer. . . teen guys will actually share a lot of information when asked (and given a pizza dinner).

I think my favorite thing about writing from the male point of view is showing girls what they deserve. I get so many emails from teen girls telling me that my book made them realize that they deserve a guy who will treat them right. YES!!! You do!!!! Being treated right by a guy without compromising your integrity is so important. Don’t settle for less than what you deserve!

Thanks for the opportunity to reach all my fans in the UK!

Thank you so much, Simone, for writing such a great blog post! Rules of Attraction was released on 6th January 2011. Be sure to check out Simone's website, and you read my review of Rules of Attraction.

Tomorrow, Simone will be stopping by at The Book Girl, make sure you check it out!

Continue reading Rules of Attraction Blog Tour: Simone Elkeles Talks Getting Into Boys' Heads

Bookish News!

Various pieces of bookish news for you all.

The US cover for Passion by Lauren Kate has been unveiled!


Before Luce and Daniel met at Sword & Cross and fought immortals at Shoreline, they lived many lives... From Amazon US

What do you think? I think it looks a little like a piece of art, with the clouds. Very beautiful, but I think I prefer the other two covers. You had the dark woods for Fallen, the white sky for Torment, but I'm not a huge fan of this dark sky, though I am intrigued by the rose. The UK cover will be similar, but with different text. Thanks to Random House UK for the heads up.

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The Imperial War Museum in London is opening a new literary based children's exhibition in February.



The exhibition Once Upon a Wartime: Classic War Stories for Children, focuses on five war stories for children: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall and Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley.

The exhibition will be rich with original manuscripts, early sketches, interviews and photographs as well as stunning life-size sets, intricate scale models and interactive exhibits. Adults and children are invited to enter the imaginary worlds created in these children's stories: from the bleak landscape of no man's land in War Horse to the imposing tower blocks of London's gang warfare in Little Soldier, Once Upon A Wartime will take visitors on a journey through conflicts from the First World War to the present day.

For More information, check out the press release or visit iwm.org.uk/wartime

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Check out the trailer for Awakened by P.C. and Kristin Cast



To celebrate the release of Awakened, St. Martin's Press is offering a fantastic once in a lifetime chance for a fan and their guest to fly to Tulsa to tour the sites from the books and have lunch with the authors! Find out more here.

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On 3rd January, Scholastic Media debuted its first children’s storybook apps designed specifically for the iPad. Under the new brand of “Touch & Tilt” apps, this is Scholastic’s first foray into the exploding children’s iPad book app market. As the global leader in children’s publishing for more than 90 years, Scholastic’s entry is particularly significant. Find out more in the press release or the website

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Some books to check out:

Long Reach by Peter Cocks - 3rd Jan 2011 - Seventeen-year-old Eddie Savage is shocked to learn that the body of his brother, Steve, has just been washed up in the Thames. But he soon discovers something even more disturbing: that Steve had actually been working undercover for the police – and was probably murdered in the line of duty. Determined to avenge his brother's death, Eddie relinquishes his old life and identity to take up where Steve left off, throwing himself headlong into his first mission – to infiltrate a tough south London gang. But as he becomes caught up in the world of crime, Eddie begins to question where his loyalties lie. Then he makes a terrible discovery... From Amazon UK

A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master - 4th Jan 2011 - An extraordinarily rich debut novel, set in India in 1947 at the time of Partition. Although the backdrop is this key event in Indian history, the novel is even more far-reaching, touching on the importance of tolerance, love and family. The main character is Bilal, a boy determined to protect his dying father from the news of Partition - news that he knows will break his father's heart. With great spirit and determination, and with the help of his good friends, Bilal persuades others to collude with him in this deception, even printing false pages of the local newspaper to hide the ravages of unrest from his father. All that Bilal wants is for his father to die in peace. But that means Bilal has a very complicated relationship with the truth... From Amazon UK

You can read the first chapter here, and you can also find out more about Irfan via his facebook page, Twitter, and his website (which will be launched later this month) irfanmaster.com

The Double Life of Cora Parry by Angela McAllister - 3rd Feb 2011 - Abandoned to the workhouse after the death of her guardians, Cora Parry refuses to accept her fate. Under the tuition of persuasive streetrat Fletch, Cora finds herself reluctantly drawn deep into the Victorian underworld. As she is gradually seduced into a life of crime, Cora creates a persona for herself - Carrie - allowing her to separate her uneasy conscience from her actions. But soon things are spiralling out of control. Carrie is committing acts of crime that Cora knows she can't possibly have done. Where does Carrie end and Cora begin? Who is really in control, and where will it end? An atmospheric page-turner from a talented storyteller. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Bookish News!

Rise of the Wolf Blog Tour: Were Creation Challenge Competition and Chapter 1!

Today is the fourth stop on the Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling! This tour comes with a twist - the Were Creation Challenge Competition! An A3 drawing, started by Curtis Jobling, is being sent from blogger to blogger, with each person adding to it each time, which you will have a chance to win at the end of the tour, so keep a close eye on the tour dates!

Here is what the drawing looks like so far:




Pretty cool, huh?

And also for your reading pleasure, here is the first chapter of Rise of the Wolf!


Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf - Chapter 1

For the next stop on the tour, head on over to Madhouse Family Reviews on 13th January for further progress on the drawing and a review!

Be sure to check out Curtis Jobling's website!

Continue reading Rise of the Wolf Blog Tour: Were Creation Challenge Competition and Chapter 1!

My Soul to Take Blog Tour: Interview with Rachel Vincent

Today, I'm fortunate enough to be taking part in the My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent Blog Tour! Rachel was kind enough to answer a few questions about the series for me.

Can you tell us a little bit about the three main characters, Kaylee, Nash and Tod?

Kaylee Cavanaugh is a high school junior who thinks she’s losing her mind. Sometimes she’ll see someone standing in a bit of swirling shadow, and—knowing these shadows mean death for the person they’re surrounding—she’s struck with an uncontrollable urge to scream in response. Doctors call these screaming fits “panic attacks,” and at first, Kaylee believes them. She has no idea she’s a bean sidhe…

Nash is a senior in her school. He’s popular and rumoured to be quite experienced with girls. But he knows what’s really wrong with Kaylee, and he’s willing to be honest with her when no one else seems to be.

Tod is a rookie grim reaper, only two years dead. He’s sarcastic and socially intrusive—and he’s become a huge reader favourite. ;)

You’ve said in the past that you only write about paranormal creatures if you feel you can bring something new to the mythology. So why bean sidhes, and what’s different about your bean sidhes compared to others?

I’ve taken the bean sidhe lore I’ve loved since I was a kid and expanded on it. In my world-building, the bean sidhe wail has a purpose beyond heralding death, and I’ve made up a male half of the species, whose abilities can be used along with the female bean sidhe’s to do something kind of cool. Though there are consequences for every action…

In the US, you have now released four Soul Screamers novels; My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save, My Soul to Keep and My Soul to Steal. What have you enjoyed about writing YA over adult novels, and which book in the series has been your favourite to write so far?

The thing I love about writing YA is that—because teenagers feel everything so intensely (I know I did!)—there are no wasted moments in a YA novel. Every single glance means something. Every touch is monumental. You can do a lot more with a crush and sexual tension in a YA novel than you can do with most fully intimate scenes in an adult novel. It’s very liberating, and very exciting.

So far, My Soul To Steal was the most fun to write. Sabine (new character) is dynamite on the page. Especially the scenes she shares with Kaylee.

You also have two free prequels, My Soul to Lose and Reaper. Can you tell us a little about them and why you wrote them?

MSTLose was intended as a free sample of the Soul Screamers world-building and of my writing, to get people interested in the series. It tells about the time Kaylee was institutionalized for her “panic attacks.” And because of the hospital setting, it took way more research than any of the novels have.

“Reaper,” was in response to readers begging for more of Tod—my chance to tell how he died and became a reaper. It was intended as a sort of free gift to the series readers. It can be read before the rest of the novels (chronologically, it came first) but it has more impact after the third novel in the series.

The UK Soul Screamers covers are very different to the US ones. Do you like them? Which do you prefer?

I love them! I love how they kept the same colour themes of the US covers, but have a much more intense feel to them. My favourite of the UK covers is MSTKeep, and my favourite of the US covers so far is MSTSteal. But I can’t pick a favourite series style. I like them both, for different reasons. I also love the French covers, which are completely different. ;)

N.B: You can find the French covers here, here and here. You can find the US covers on Rachel's website. The rest of the UK covers are below.




Thank you for the wonderful interview, Rachel! My Soul to Take was released on 1st January 2011. Be sure to check out Rachel's website, and check out my reviews of My Soul to Lose, My Soul to Take, and My Soul to Save.

Mira Ink's brand new website has just gone live, so make sure you check it out for the great new YA releases that will be out this year!

Continue reading My Soul to Take Blog Tour: Interview with Rachel Vincent