Review: Hunt by Rachel Vincent

Hunt by Rachel Vincent - 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 spoilt for you.

It’s been more than four years since Abby Wade survived capture and torture by a quartet of rogue shifters. Back then she was a scared kid, just trying to survive.

Now Abby is all grown up, and if she’s learned anything from training with Faythe Sanders, the world’s first female Alpha, it’s that she can take care of herself—and anyone else who comes along. So when her college roommate is abducted from a campsite deep in the Appalachian woods, Abby knows exactly how to get her back…

The rules of the hunt are simple. Kill or be killed.

Abby Wade is not ready to die. From Goodreads.

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Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White - “I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him. From Goodreads.

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Review: Fire With Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Fire With Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian - 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 spoilt for you.

Lillia, Kat and Mary had the perfect plan. Take down the people who had wronged them and leave no trace of their involvement. But everything blew up in their faces at the Homecoming Dance.

Now Lillia and Kat are starting to second-guess their plotting, but Mary is insistent that she finally gets the revenge she deserves - destroy Reeve like he destroyed her.

But as more secrets threaten to reveal themselves, the girls' pact becomes harder to maintain. Emotions are spiralling out of control, and there's too much at stake. Because once a fire is lit, sometimes the only thing you can do is let it burn. From the blurb.

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Top Ten Book Related Problems I Have

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Book Related Problems I Have.
1. Working in a bookshop - I am surrounded by awesome YA novels all day. Most of the time, I am an example of brilliant self-control, but sometimes that self-control slips, and I go spending money I probably shouldn't.

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Once Upon a Bookcase Has Been Shortlisted for a UKYA Blogger Award

Last month, I discovered I was longlisted for the UKYA Blogger Awards, and was so over the moon. How incredible that our UKYA blogging community has been noticed and is now being acknowledged by having publishers, publicists and authors want to give us awards for what we do, and that I was included with the 33 other bloggers on that list.

I'm finding this post very difficult to write, because I'm struggling to find the words. Finding myself on the longlist was such an unbelievable high, and I was so amazed. On Saturday, the shortlists for each category were announced, and I discovered I'm on the shortlist for the Champion of YA award. I am completely overwhelmed, I can't tell you. I really hoped I would be on a shortlist for something, but I never actually believed I would be.

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Review: Lullabies by Lang Leav

Lullabies by Lang Leav - A sequel to the hugely popular, best-selling Love & Misadventure, Lullabies continues to explore the intricacies of love and loss.

Set to a musical theme, love's poetic journey in this new, original collection begins with a Duet and travels through Interlude and Finale with an Encore popular piece from the best-selling Love & Misadventure. Lang Leav's evocative poetry speaks to the soul of anyone who is on this journey.

Leav has an unnerving ability to see inside the hearts and minds of her readers. Her talent for translating complex emotions with astonishing simplicity has won her a cult following of devoted fans from all over the world. From Goodreads

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Review: Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton (review copy) - Megan doesn't speak. She hasn't spoken in months.

Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan's head - things that are screaming to be heard - that she cannot, must not, let out.

Then Jasmine starts at school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can't quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter.

Megan would love to speak again, and it seems like Jasmine might be the answer. But if she finds her voice, will she lose everything else? From Goodreads

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Review: We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen (proof) - Meet Stewart. He’s geeky, gifted and sees things a bit differently to most people. His mum has died and he misses her all the more now he and Dad have moved in with Ashley and her mum.

Meet Ashley. She’s popular, cool and sees things very differently to her new family. Her dad has come out and moved out – but not far enough. And now she has to live with a freakazoid step-brother.

Stewart can’t quite fit in at his new school, and Ashley can’t quite get used to her totally awkward home, which is now filled with some rather questionable decor. And things are about to get a whole lot more mixed up when these two very different people attract the attention of school hunk Jared... From Goodreads

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Review: Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton

Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton - Sometimes the greatest love stories happen behind the scenes…

Kitty's keeping secrets. Like how she's struggling to cope with her mum's illness. And how she's falling for the girl with the purpley-red hair... A fun film competition with her friends Sunny and Hannah seems like the perfect distraction. But then Dylan wants to be more than Kitty's secret. Is Kitty ready to let her two worlds meet or will she risk losing Dylan forever? From Goodreads

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Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances.
Likes:

Dual narratives - Last year, two of my favourite romances were Lobsters by Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison, a UKYA romance, and The Best Thing that Never Happened to Me by Laura Tait & Jimmy Rice, an adult romance. Both books had dual narratives, and I loved getting to see both sides of the story, what each character thought about certain situations, the crossed wires, the different voices. It's really awesome.

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Review: The Last Leaves Falling by Fox Benwell (#Ad)

The Last Leaves Falling by Fox Benwell

I was sent this review copy for free by Definitions at RHCB for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Japanese teenager, Sora, is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Lonely and isolated, Sora turns to the ancient wisdom of the samurai for guidance and comfort. But he also finds hope in the present; through the internet he finds friends that see him, not just his illness. This is a story of friendship and acceptance, and testing strength in an uncertain future. From Goodreads

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Top Ten LGBTQ YA Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't/Want To Read From X Genre, and I've chosen LGBTQ YA novels I haven't read.

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A Novel Cover Up: Ness Wood & Alice Todd on The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

A Novel Cover Up is a semi-regular feature that looks at how covers are made. Thanks to David Fickling Books, I have been fortunate enough to interview Freelance Art Director/Designer Ness Wood and Illustrator/Designer Alice Todd about how they designed the cover for The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson. Other than the cover, all images in this post are copyrighted to Alice Todd and used with permission, and can be clicked to enlarge.

Can you tell us about the cover for The Art of Being Normal? What do you hope it tells readers about the story?

Ness Wood: It is a very well written book about identity and fitting in – finding your own place in the world.

Alice Todd: The cover addresses the key theme of the story, the issue of transgender. It expresses how one can feel trapped not only in one’s own body, but also social conventions and norms. I wanted the cover to express the characters journey of self expression through the issues of gender and identity.

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