Giveaway: City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Its time for a giveaway!

We're giving away City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, book one in The Mortal Instruments series.

City Of Bones Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Rules:

You must be over 13 to enter.

You must be a resident of Planet Earth. 

(giveaway INTERNATIONAL)

What you need to do:

Follow this blog.

Leave a comment below on how to contact you. (twitter, blog, email etc)

This giveaway is running from 31st May until 10th June! 

Good luck and happy reading!

Hi everyone!

Hi there, sorry that you haven't heard from us lately but we've been flat out with exams! *Stress levels in overload*. We will be back soon with a guest review, joint review and a giveaway. Stay tuned!



~Leona

Review: Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Summary from Goodreads:
Ugly people don't have feelings. They're not like everyone else. They don't notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn't hurt them. They're not like real people. Or that's what I used to think. Before I learned...


After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna is permanently scarred. She struggles to rebuild her life, but every stare in the street, every time she looks in the mirror, makes her want to retreat further from the world. Until she meets Ryan. Ryan's a traveller. When he and his mother moor their narrow boat on the outskirts of a village, she tells him this time it will be different. He doesn't believe her; he can't imagine why this place shouldn't be as unwelcoming as the rest. Until he meets Jenna. But as Jenna and Ryan grow closer, repercussions from the crash continue to reverberate through the community. And then a body is found..

Skin deep is a book that I have been wanting to read, so I was very excited to see it in my local library. I'm not the biggest fan of romances that don't have a paranormal edge but I quite liked this one.  Skin Deep is a book that isn't just about love against 'the odds', it's about overcoming what people think of you. 

Jenna is struggling to recover from the car crash that left her best friend dead and her with a disfiguring scar  on her face. Jenna is very self conscious about her scar and ts understandable especially as one of the boys that was in the car with her that night taunts her. She can't bear anyone looking at her. Then she meets Ryan, who faces prejudice and abuse because of his background. Ryan is a traveller and understands what its like to be judged and stared at. The two seem perfect for each other and I loved the interaction between them.

Ryan treats Jenna just as she wants to be treated, as if she was a normal girl with no scars. Ryan understands how she feels being stared at in the street and he makes sure that she feels normal when she's with him. 

The one thing that I found hard to understand was the age of the characters. Jenna is FOURTEEN and her family allows her to go out at all times of the night!

The story with the body was very interesting. A nice turn in the plot. I shall not reveal who was killed, you have to read it for yourself!

Laura Jarrat writes a book outlining prejudices that are rife in society, but she deals with them in a sensitive way. 

Overall this is a cute, fun book to read! 

Author Choice video: Colleen Clayton

I asked author Colleen Clayton: If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be and why? 
Her reply was:  "Never Is a Promise" by Fiona Apple is my all time favorite song. It got me through seven years of query rejection, disappointment, naysayers, ridicule, and doubt. It's my personal anthem and I never tire of listening to it. 

Enjoy! 

Author interview: Colleen Clayton

Today I have the awesome Colleen Clayton! Enjoy!

Please introduce yourself.

Hi, my name is Colleen and I wrote a book! It's called WHAT HAPPENS NEXT and it's available on October 9th! :) Leona was my 100th Twitter follower so I sent her an ARC the moment they came in. She was the very first person, outside of my family, agent, and editor to read the ARC version. She liked it so well that she asked to interview me for her blog! So, here I am! (And can I just add that my main character, Cassidy Murphy, as well as myself are American-Irish so I was beyond thrilled to send the first ARC over the ocean to Ireland...)

What made you want to write a book that dealt with the issues raised in What Happens Next?

I wanted to write about drug-induced sexual assault because it happens. It was happening when I was a high school and college student and it still happens today. I wanted to write about a girl who is naturally outgoing and headstrong, who has very normal insecurities about her body but still, overall, is a very vivacious, outspoken, and sharply witty girl. But a girl who, despite being all these things, still falls victim to a predator and whose post-traumatic stress surfaces in not-so-textbook ways. 

Most people who are assaulted do not tell anyone or report their assault. Are they all shy and introverted? No. All types of people experience assault and don't tell. Also, I wanted to write about eating disorders that develop as a result of sexual assault. Lastly, I wanted to write about a girl who rediscovers her sexuality and sense of desire, post-assault, and does so in a healthy way. I wanted to write a story that is hopeful. 

What kind of research did you do for the book? 

I read a lot of articles that link sexual assault with eating disorders. Also, I visited my setting a lot. Lakewood, Ohio is a real city, most of the places mentioned in the book are real. 

  When did you first realise that you wanted to pursue writing as a career? 

Ha! Not til my mid-thirties. I come from a very working class background and was the first person to attend college in my entire extended family on both sides. Most of my family are factory workers, coal miners, waitresses, etc. Paying for college seemed like such a luxury and I've felt the need to have "A Real Job" my entire life in order to give my parents and myself a return on our investment.  "Being a writer" never even occurred to me until my mid-thirties. Pursuing writing (or the arts in general) just seemed like something mysterious, sove this. I want to work with you. I secured an agent, we worked on the manuscript for about

If you could have written a book that isn't yours what would it be and why? 

In YA, I'd say "Stolen" by Lucy Christopher. Oh, that book kept me up at night! What a voice. Chilling but profoundly moving. In adult: "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole. His main character Ignatius C. Reilly is the funniest literary figure of all time, hands down.  And then anything by Jean Shepherd. I enjoy humor immensely (subtle, dark, tragic, satire, low-brow, standup, slapstick, whatever...) It's so tremendously hard to write humor and I respect the hell out of anyone who can do it well. 

How did you go about getting your book published? 

Querying the heck out of it! Being rejected over and over and over, until FINALLY someone said: I love this. I want to work with you. I secured an agent, we worked on the manuscript for about six months, then she sent it out on submission to about ten major publishing houses. I had an offer within a few weeks from Poppy/Little, Brown. 

  

What book are you looking forward to most in 2012? 

"My Life Next Door" by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I read an ARC of it a few months back and it was so, so good. Just lovely. I can't wait for it to come out this summer. 

What are you working on at the minute?

I am working on another YA novel set in Ohio. Not really a companion or sequel, but it is set in the same area: Lakewood High/Cleveland, Ohio and features a 16 year old girl named Julianne. Then, because it is set in summer, the setting moves to Middle Bass Island off Lake Erie and then Sandusky, Ohio at our world-famous roller coaster park, Cedar Point. I love writing about Ohio. 

Guest review: Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer

Summary from Goodreads:To New Yorker Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic, and wholly unknown. But when tragedy strikes, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where her sister and aunt have built their lives and where centuries of family secrets await her. Once there, Rosa wastes no time falling head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both intrigue and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.

Ancient myths brought to life in the Sicilian countryside, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a long history of familial bloodlust prove to Rosa that she can’t trust anyone—not even her own family. Torn between loyalty to her aunt and love for her family’s mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love . . . or run as far and as fast as she can.


The setting to this novel is refreshing compared to most YA novels currently out there. The “Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather and hangs out with Twilight” relation; the mythological Arcadian shape-shifters; the beautiful ruin-covered Sicilian landscape; and menacing age-old rivalries all add up to serve a very appealing story.

Kai Meyer introduces us to the dark underworld of Sicily’s Mafia in a realistic yet mysterious manner. The undying authority of Cosa Nostra and bloodlust between the Alcantara and Carnevare clans hints at an action-packed storyline, however, this wasn’t fully delivered. The majority of this story was predictable and the key points to the plot were revealed very early on without much mystery for us to linger onto beforehand. Regardless of this, the themes of death, loss and violence were handled in an appropriate manner as to not give the reader an uncomfortable reading experience.

The protagonist – Rosa Alcantara – is introduced as a kleptomaniac with a hidden secret. Her snarky comments and sarcastic tone sets her aside from other female protagonists but her rebellious nature seems to gradually shy away when she comes into contact with the desirable Alessandro Carnevare – who just so happens to be the impending capo of an enemy clan. Even though he is the novel’s obvious love-interest, I was relieved to see that the ‘insta-love’ factor was absent at their first meeting but as the story continues there is obviously a strong attraction between the pair. Plus, Alessandro is a somewhat unpredictable character as there were moments when I had no idea what the hell he was going to do next! Talk about keeping me on the edge of my seat.

The element of shape-shifters captivated me, especially because it was derived from ancient Greek mythology which I absolutely adore! The written transition from human to animal form was impeccably done with each clan assuming the form of a different species of animal - the Lamia and Panthera being the novel’s main focus.

Unfortunately, even though the premise for this story completely intrigued me, it did come with its flaws. One aspect that I had a major problem with was the over-description of individual scenes. I felt that Meyer was going too far in his attempt to bring these mystical places to life – the non-stop details made it hard for me to process them all at once and it took me a couple of re-reads to finally piece together what I think it was that Meyer intended for me to visualise. The first handful of chapters also lacked in substance. I understand that they were used to help readers familiarise themselves with the Mafia and Rosa’s background but it was very spread out and seemed to be going forward without much sense of direction.

Despite these flaws, Arcadia Awakens proved to be a very fascinating read, especially considering it was originally published in German. I’m eager to get my hands on the next instalment – Arcadia Burns – which is to be released next year.

3/5 stars.

50 followers!

Hi all! I've finally reached 50 followers! THANK YOU! So I think it is time for a giveaway! I will post it asap!

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at Should Be Reading where you grab a book, open at two random pages and share something that isn't going to ruin the book! My book this week is The Forest Of Hands And Teeth!

            

 He's trying to tell me something but I can't understand over the distance and the constant moaning of the Unconsecrated. Page 202     

She begins to bang against the section of fence that ends the path, and she reminds me of the Unconsecrated, always wanting what is on the other side. Page 164

I may or may not review this, I haven't decided yet. Would you like me too?

     

Review: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Summary from Goodreads:
Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

I decided to re-read this before I started the sequel 'The Wood Queen'! I loved it the first time around and I think I may just love it even more having re-read it!

There's not many books that can keep my interest for too long these day and this book kept me the entire way through!

The book wastes no time before getting straight into some action! Don't you just love that? We get introduced to the main characters early on and we get a chance to connect with them.

I love Xan but he isn't my favourite book boy. Devin was more my cup of tea. I loved both, but Devin edged ahead (slightly). 

Donna is awesome and I'm slightly jealous....I want magically enhanced hands (without the iron). The story around how Donna's hand became the way they are was really interesting to read about and I found myself not being able to put the book down so that I could read a bit more of the book. 

I adore the world of Ironbridge that Mahoney created and allows us to venture through the eyes of Donna!

I would like to blame thank Karen Mahoney for releasing this book as it (once again) kept me up ALL night! Grr why does it have to be so good?

I can't wait to start 'The Wood Queen'!

Music on Monday!

Thanks to Imi over at Imi's Ink spot I cannot stop singing 'Over my Head (cable car)' by The Fray. So enjoy the video!

Do you love The Fray as much as I do? I love The Fray ALOT! 

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Summary from Goodreads:
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

This book really had me hooked for the first several chapters but I started to lose interest. Reading this book was like being on a roller coaster, it was up and down. 

I really liked the setting this book and it was interesting to read.
I immediately like Cinder. She is strong and selfless and that made her likable in my books. I love how she stands up to her stepmother on several occasions and it made Cinder feel more real to me.

Marissa Meyer's writing style is very intriguing and she described everything just enough to get a feel for what was happening and how Cinder felt. I found myself feeling the same emotions as Cinder did at certain points of the book.

Prince Kai was an interesting character but I'm not entirely sure if I like him or not. However, I have been told that I tend to not like the nice characters in books. You may love Kai but I'm not sure about him. I loved Iko but she wasn't in it as much as I would have liked to.

I love that there is 'people' living on the moon. They are called Lunars. Wouldn't you like to live on the moon? I would!

Overall I loved the book! I really think that you should read it!

Review: Wish you were dead by Todd Strasser

Str-S-d:

I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.


As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.


Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?


I love this book! There is alot of unexpected twists but you can still follow it easily.


Todd Strasser is steadily becoming one of my favourite writers simply for the fact that he can write amazing books that keep me thinking about it for ages after I finished reading it!

 I read another book by Strasser called 'Blood on my Hands' and I loved it so I had high expectations for this book! It did deliver but it wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be but it was still good.

The story is told through the eyes of Madison, a popular nice girl, who is wrecked by feelings of guilt. She was the last person to see Lucy before she disappeared and she won't let herself forget it. 

Strasser has a very intriguing writing style that keeps you captivated. I found myself getting tingles up my spine and my hair standing up..during the day! You know a book is good when you get creeped out during the day! 

There was one HUGE shock for me in the book that I was so NOT expecting! I really loved the twist in it!

If you haven't read a book by Todd Stasser you don't know what you are missing!

My most read authors

This is a list of my most read authors (according to Goodreads)


     Author                          Books Read

1. L.J Smith                        12
2. J.K Rowling                     7
3. Cassandra Clare              6
4. P.C Cast                           5
5. Stephanie Meyer             5
6. Eden Maguire                  5
7. Lauren Kate                     4
8. Kristin Cast                      4
9. Roald Dahl                       4
10. Meg Cabot                       3
11. Amy Meredith                  3
12. Becca Fitzpatrick             3
13. Lisa McMann                  3
14. Sarah Rees Brennan       3
15. Robin Wasserman            3
16. Suzanne Collins               3
17. Alyson Noel                      3
18. Jenny Downham              2
19. Todd Strasswe                 2
20. Nancy Holder                  2
21. Kelly Keaton                   2

See any authors names you know? Who's your most read author?