Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (ARC) - They say be a good girl, get good grades,
be popular.

They know nothing about me.

I can't remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from popular to loner freak. And my family are determined to keep it that way. They said therapy was supposed to help. They didn't expect Noah. Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But the only one who'll listen. The only one who'll help me find the truth. I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden. But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules?

A brave and powerful novel about loss, change and growing up, but most of all love From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Review: The Lying Carpet by David Lucas

The Lying Carpet by David Lucas - Imagine a disused living room in a grand house. In it is a tiger rug and a statue of a little girl. But is the tiger a real tiger, a fake or a magical carpet? Is the little girl real but bewitched or just a stone statue and will she ever come to life? By turns comical and lugubrious, the tiger gives the little girl plenty of versions of the truth, but how will she decide what is true and will she be able to break free?

A parable about outgrowing your childhood and becoming what you want to be, this is a book for anyone who has ever felt 'stuck' in their circumstances. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: The Lying Carpet by David Lucas

Weekly Gossip

Here is your bookish news from the past week.

Cover reveals! Hodder and Stoughton have released a few covers! Firstly, here's the UK paperback cover for Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, which was released on the UK Delirium Facebook Page:


What do you think? I think it's gorgeous! So pretty and summery! So much better than the orange of the hardback!

Continue reading Weekly Gossip

Review: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid (ARC) - What if playing computer games could save the world... And what if the Government's secret weapon was you?

Tom Raines is suddenly recruited into the US Army to train as a virtual reality Combatant to see if he is good enough to help fight World War Three. Equipped with a new computer chip in his brain, it looks like Tom might actually become somebody. But what happens when you start to question the rules?

Fast-paced and futuristic, INSIGNIA, the first of a trilogy, asks significant questions about the use of technology and the value of human life. From the press release.

Continue reading Review: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

First Class Post (12)

First Class Post - because this post is first class!

Continue reading First Class Post (12)

Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano (review copy) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoiled for you.

Running away from her forced polygamous marriage leads 17-year-old Rhine Ellery straight into a trap: a twisted carnival whose ringmistress desires the beautiful and unusual Rhine as her star attraction. But with Gabriel - her lover and fellow escapee - Rhine remains determined to reach Manhattan, find her twin brother, Rowan, and start a life far from the gilded prisons that have confined her.

The road to freedom is long and perilous - and in a world where women only live to the age of 20 and men die at 25 - time is very precious. And worse still, Rhine's sinister father-in-law, Vaughn, is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion... by any means necessary.

Continue reading Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Guest Post: Sarah Mussi on Life, Love, Death and Story

Today, I am delighted to have YA author of Angel Dust, Sarah Mussi stopping by my blog to talk to us about her inspiration behind her latest novel.

Life, Love, Death and Story

By Sarah Mussi

I live in London in the heart of what Alex Wheatle calls the ‘Dirty South’. Around me on a daily basis stories unfold. Most are dark. Young lives gone wrong. Dreams escaping before they can be lived. And Love. Falling into it, falling out of it, longing for it and feeling only half alive when it deserts you.

Continue reading Guest Post: Sarah Mussi on Life, Love, Death and Story

Whisper Blog Tour: Chrissie Keighery on Self-Esteem

Today, the Whisper by Chrissie Keighery Blog Tour is stopping by Once Upon a  Bookcase! Read on for Chrissie's thoughts on self-esteem in Whisper.

On Whisper and the elusive idea of self-esteem.

Chrissie Keighery

Even as adults, self esteem is a shifting, elusive beast. We draw from our work success, our relationships, our achievements, but when any of these elements are ‘playing up’, our sense of self can plummet.

In teen years, this is even more of a roller coaster. In those years, we seek to move away from our parent’s model of life and try to establish our own reality and our individual filters on life’s issues. Also, self consciousness in the teen years reaches its peak. What do others think of us is often a bigger question than what we think of ourselves.

Continue reading Whisper Blog Tour: Chrissie Keighery on Self-Esteem

Weekly Gossip

Here's your weekly news from the past week!

First up, the UK cover for Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance:




What do you think? I love it! Oooh, I can't wait to read it, I am so excited!

Continue reading Weekly Gossip

First Class Post (11)

First Class Post - because this post is first class!

Continue reading First Class Post (11)

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (review copy) - In our brave new future, DNA engineering has resulted in a terrible genetic flaw. Women die at the age of 20, men at 25. Young girls are being abducted and forced to breed in a desperate attempt to keep humanity ahead of the disease that threatens to eradicate it.

16-year-old Rhine Ellery is kidnapped and sold as a bride to Linden, a roch young man with a dying wife. Even though he is kind to her, Rhine is desperate to escape her gilded cage - and Linden's cruel father. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in what little time she has left. From the blurb.

Continue reading Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Winner: The Bad Tuesdays by Benjamin J. Myers

Benjamin J. Myers' The Bad Tuesdays series giveaway has now closed! Thank you to everyone who entered! Randomizer.org has done it's thing, and the winner is:


Kulsuma B

Congratulations! The winner has been contacted, and her details passed on to my contact, and should receive her prizes shortly!

Continue reading Winner: The Bad Tuesdays by Benjamin J. Myers

Guest Post: John Lucas on Hackney

Today I have the pleasure of having John Lucas, debut author of Turf, guest posting on my blog to talk about his experiences in Hackney, one of the inspirations behind his debut author.

Hackney

By John Lucas

I left university in 2007 with three ideas that I wanted to turn into novels. One was a dystopian epic that I didn’t feel at that stage my writing skills could do justice; another was the story that is slowly turning into my second novel; and the third was what eventually became TURF. The deciding factor for choosing TURF was that it was set in Hackney and was the easiest to research. I just needed to explore the local area. At the time, the gang element was only a minor theme in the book – instead it was mainly concerned with Hackney and its residents – so I spent a lot of time walking around the borough, soaking in the atmosphere, picking up on its idiosyncrasies, and really trying to nail down what it was that made the place tick.

Continue reading Guest Post: John Lucas on Hackney

Weekly Gossip

Here is your bookish news from the past week!

First up, the cover for ZOM-B Underground by Darren Shan has been revealed!

Continue reading Weekly Gossip

Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoiled for you.

With her mother in a coma and her father hellbent on destroying the world, Clary Fray is dragged deeper into New York City's terrifying underworld of werewolves, demons and the mysterious Shadowhunters. Discovering the truth about her past was only the beginning. Now the fate of the world rests on Clary's shoulders, but can she master her new-found powers and control her feelings for a boy who can never be hers? From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

First Class Post (10)

First Class Post - because this post is first class!

Continue reading First Class Post (10)

Review: God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

God Save the Queen by Kate Locke (review copy) - The Year is 2012 - and Queen Victoria still rules with an immortal fist.

She's the undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where technology lives side by side with magic, where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath) and Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it's her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But things get complicated when her sister goes missing. Xandra will not only realise she's the prize in a dangerous power struggle - but she'll also uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire itself. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

Winners of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien giveaway is now closed. Sorry I'm a little late announcing the winners of my giveaway, but I've been away for the weekend!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Randomizer.org has done it's thing, and the winners are:


Siobhan @ Totally Bookalicious

&

Iona E!

Congratulations to you both! The winners have been contact and their details have been passedon to my contact, and they should receive their prize shortly. Happy reading!

Continue reading Winners of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Weekly Gossip

Here is your news from the past week.

First, a cover that I think everyone will be talking about! The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling!




What do we think? I think it's a little overly bright, and it doesn't give any clues about the story! Still, it makes it feel a little more real! Excitement!

Continue reading Weekly Gossip

First Class Post (9)

First Class Post - because this post is first class!

Continue reading First Class Post (9)

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent Blog Tour: Character Interview with Kaylee Cavanaugh!

Today I have the immense pleasure of kicking off the Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent Blog Tour! Before I Wake is the sixth book in the Soul Screamers series, and I am unbelievably excited to say Kaylee Cavanuagh, our bean sidhe protagonist, took time out from kicking hellion butt to answer some questions for us today! Read on for a seriously awesome interview - even if I do say so myself!

WARNING! This interview is chock full of MAJOR spoilers for If I Die! DO NOT read any further if you've yet to read If I Die and don't want it spoilt for you!

Continue reading Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent Blog Tour: Character Interview with Kaylee Cavanaugh!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Published in Paperback Today!

Today is 5th July. And you know what that means - paperback publication day for Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE!
And we have lots of exciting news to share...

Laini will be doing a live twitter interview for UK readers at 5.30pm TODAY so do get online at this time to ask her questions - and it would be great if you could encourage your followers to do the same! Laini will be taking over Hodder & Stoughton's official twitter feed @SmokeAndBone so that's where it's at.

Also, VERY excitingly, we are offering the chance to win an early proof copy of the next book in the trilogy DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT (which we're publishing in November). All you have to do is tweet a 140 character review of Daughter of Smoke and Bone - just send it to @SmokeAndBone using the #smokeandbone hashtag, any time from now until this Sunday 8th July. Everyone who tweets a review will be in with a chance of winning a proof of the new book, and the tweets will also be included in online adverts, so you may well find yourself featured on sites like Glamour.com

Continue reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Published in Paperback Today!

Kelly Oram's Serial Blog Tour: Ellie's Top Ten Tips For Stalking Your Hot Neighbour

Today, it's Once Upon a Bookcase's stop on YA author Kelly Oram's Serial Hottie Blog Tour! Protagonist Ellie Westley has stopped by to share with us her stalking tips!

Ellie’s Top Ten Tips For Stalking Your Hot Neighbor

10. Decorate a keepsake box and put stuff that reminds you of him in it. Pictures ofhim. Pencils he loaned you that you never returned… whatever you want.

9. Enlist a partner. You need someone who can run interference, keep a lookout, and stay up late obsessing with you.

8. If he has a sister, she is now your best friend.

7. Learn his schedule. School. Work. Sports games. Then find reasons to be in those places at the same time.

6. Dress to the occasion. If you’re following him secretly, wear a disguise. If you want him to notice you, learn his tastes and dress accordingly.

5. Join his extra curricular activities. He’s in the marching band? Learn the clarinet. He need’s a French tutor? Learn French.

4. The internet is your friend. Social networks, personal blogs, chat forums… Chances are he’s already helping you learn everything about his personal life.

3. Keep your camera phone ready at all times. You never know when you’ll need to snap a picture for evidence. (Or just one for your personal collection.)

2. Have an excuse ready. If he catches you someplace he thinks you shouldn’t be, (like in his garage going through his stuff…) you have to be ready to explain yourself.

And the number one tip for stalking your hot neighbor:

If (and only if) you discover he is a psycho killer, call the cops and find a new crush!

Thank you, Ellie for stopping by my blog today with such a cool post, and Kelly for allowing me to take part in the blog tour! Be sure to check out Kelly's blog, where you can take part in a number of giveaways, and Serial Hottie, which is released on 10th July!

Continue reading Kelly Oram's Serial Blog Tour: Ellie's Top Ten Tips For Stalking Your Hot Neighbour

Weekly Gossip

Here is your news from the past week.

First up, a cover reveal! The cover for The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, the third book in the Bloodlines series has been released on MTV's Hollywood Crush.

Continue reading Weekly Gossip

Review: The Seeing by Diana Hendry

The Seeing by Diana Hendry (ARC) - "What gave me a sudden shiver was the notion that there were two of me. The little sister me, who was good and mostly kind; the girl Alice and Dottie knew. And then there was this other me, the one lurking inside me, eager for danger and risk, for something that could be as wild as the sea in winter. For Natalie."

Nothing ever seems to happen in the quiet, respectable seaside town of Norton. The war is over, and everyone's thrilled to be living peacefully - everyone but thirteen-year-old Lizzie, who's so bored she feels like she could scream. Until wild, dangerous, break-all-the-rules Natalie arrives. Lizzie is drawn irresistibly to the exciting new girl from the wrong side of the tracks, and as the girls grow closer over the summer, Lizzie discovers a new side to the town - and to herself - that she had never imagined before.

Natalie and her young brother, Philip, let Lizzie in on a secret. Despite what everyone thinks, the danger of war is still hanging over them. Philip has a 'second sight', and all around him he sees evil: apparently innocent people, hiding in this quiet town until the time is right for revenge. Natalie and Philip call them 'Left-Over Nazis'. It's up to them to root these people out and force them out of Norton. Lizzie is swept up in what begins as an exciting game, but as the children begin to target their neighbours, the consequences of Philip's 'gift' spiral quickly out of control.

A chilling, powerful tale that will linger with you long after the final page, from Whitbread Award-winner Diana Hendry. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: The Seeing by Diana Hendry