Wednesday 26 August 2015

1st Blogiversary!

Wooooooo!!! Time to party!

It has been exactly one year since we first started this blog and it has been a heckuva year for us. A lot of stuff has recently happened. When we started this blog, we didn't expect so many people to read our posts and ramblings about books.

We learned how to develop the blog; when we started our first blog called "The Book Birds", we soon realized that it was a total mess and gave up on it shortly afterwards. Then we started this one and reorganized our entire style. After a long reading slump for both of us, we created a schedule on when to post our reviews so that we always have something to post.

Now we just want to say THANK YOU to all the people who followed this blog and care about what we post. You guys do motivate us to continue posting and we might have stopped without you!

Here's what has happened this past year:
Number of posts: 172 posts
Number of comments: 54
Number of followers: 9 GFC followers, 4 Bloglovin' followers

We will definitely continue blogging for many years to come. To celebrate and mark this special occasion, we created a YouTube channel called also called "My Crazy Reading Obsession". Click here to go to the our YouTube profile page.

Thanks again guys!

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.
Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?


My Review
A really quick and refreshing read.
At first I was a bit skeptical about reading this book. First off, it didn't seem to mention any magic and it didn't sound very action-packed. But BOY am I glad that I read this book.
This is actually categorized as a kind of children's fantasy book, which is based off the Vikings (I think) and also talks a bit about Norse mythology. It revolves around the young princess Solveig, her beautiful older sister and her younger brother, the heir to the throne. Her father, the King is currently at war and shipped his children along with some other people to a hidden fortress beneath a glacier. But soon, some traitorous deeds have been uncovered and Solveig can't trust anyone anymore.
This book was absolutely beautiful. Everything: the writing, the characters, the plot and the concept were gorgeous.This book focuses more on the truth of life and story-telling and sometimes it was just so sad and you realize how true it is. The plot and the action took a bit longer to start. The introduction lasted longer than I would have expected. One of my favourite aspects of the book are that for the first half, before every chapter there would be one to two pages told in Solveig's perspective about her life at home until the present with the traitor still unknown. She would tell stories about her past, bring up memories and it becomes really sad when she mentions that when she would look upon the traitor's face, she would be disappointed because she thought she knew them and that she would still love them.
Solveig was such a lovely girl. Her backstory is really sad, in the memories we find out that she was always overlooked and disregarded by her own father because she was nothing to him. But in truth, Solveig is an innocent, sweet and intelligent girl. She knows how to tell stories and reach the hearts of her listeners if she just believed in herself. The animal characters in this book were the best. They were so 3D and very adorable! Hilda the goat and Muninn the raven were amazing. Muninn actually had a real personality while still behaving like a raven.
The writing was awesome, beautiful and the emotions were conveyed with surprising clarity. Add that and the fact that I adore anything to do with mythology and this became the perfect mix. This book actually tells you stories about Norse mythology which was very interesting.
Overall, I was sooo happy I decided to read this book. It didn't seem like the kind of book I would normally read and the plot was slow at the beginning, but the rest of the book was pure awesome. I really recommend this quick read to anyone who wants a quick, refreshing break from the usual books. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

Saturday 15 August 2015

The Sin Eaters Daughter (The Sin Eaters Daughter #1) by Malinda Salisbury

21936988Book Blurb (from goodreads)
I am the perfect weapon.
I kill with a single touch.

Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is.

Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...





My Review: 
This book reminded me a lot of Shatter Me just because of the two first sentences of the book blurb and I loved shatter me so much that naturally I had to pick this boo up too. 
The plot of this book started of kind of slow like most fantasy books tend to do because there was so much world building that was involved. The world building in this book was so seemingly woven into this book that you barely noticed it and even though it didn't have a map at the front I feel like it didn't need one because the geography was explained so well in little bits and pieces that always fit together. As the book moved on the plot started to thicken and get more exciting as secrets were reveled and the stakes were high. The romance between Twylla and Lief was also well done in this book and only added to the story. 
Twylla was sometimes a very naive character that didn't quite know what was going on half the time but as the book progressed she started to look for a lot more answers independently instead of relying on other people to do it for her. She had some strong character development, especially at the end where she starts to make choices for herself and not let anyone else make them for her. That was really satisfying to 'see'. Lief was a character with an interesting past that we didn't find a lot about until the end of the book. He was intelligent and could always see through people's lies which made him a great companion for Twylla since that is what she needed in this book. 
Finally, all in all I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Friday 14 August 2015

Cover Reveal - I am Mercy by Mandi Lynn

Hey guys! I contacted Mandi Lynn to offer mine and Angelina's services for the cover reveal of her new book I am Mercy. Please support this amazing person and read her books. You will not regret it.

Book Blurb: Imagine living every day, knowing your family doesn’t love you. Imagine living a life in a world that looks at you as a curse. In 14th century France Aida is accused of being a witch when the Black Death wipes through her village. Abandoned by her family she is surrounded by death and disease, but when a woman who may actually be a witch tells her how to cure the plague it may mean uncovering a dark magic. But if that means being able to save those you love, wouldn’t you do it? Even if they didn’t love you back?

Genre: Historical Fantasy






Author Bio:
Mandi Lynn started writing her first novel at thirteen, and at the young age of 17 her first novel, Essence, hit the press. Since the debut of her first novel, Lynn has taught writing workshops, appeared on television,  newspapers, and most importantly, graduated high school. While attending college, Lynn works part time at a salon as a stylist and continues to write future novels. Lynn can be found online creating YouTube videos about books, publishing, and all things reading.



Social Media Link: 
Website: http://mandilynn.com/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/mandilynnvlogs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MandiLynnAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mandi_Lynn_
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14881658­mandi­lynn
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mandilynnwrites/
Reading Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thereadingowls/

Click here for the link to the YouTube video for I am Mercy on Mandi Lynn's channel

Click here to get an email when I am Mercy is available for orders.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
When Kat accidentally rips apart an old picture book, she's magically transported into the world of Cinderella--as Katriona, one of the ugly stepsisters! Life turns upside down now that she’s a highborn lady and must learn how to survive the social season, including how to get through the door in a huge metal hoop skirt. To get back, she'll have to complete the story, right to the end of happily ever after. But the odds are huge: the other stepsister is drop-dead gorgeous, the fairy godmother is nowhere to be found, and the prince, despite being insanely hot, openly dislikes balls. Can she ever return to the modern world?


My Review

 ***I received the eBook free as a review copy through Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review***

This is one of the best fairytale re-tellings that I have ever read.
It is about a seventeen year old girl called Kat, who is very shy and isn't very pretty. Unlike her sister who already outshines her at ten years old. Kat then accidentally destroys a old book which tells the story of Cinderella. She is transported into that world and becomes Katriona Bradshaw, one of the ugly stepsisters. To return to her own world, she has to complete the story right up to the happily ever after. This version of Cinderella has its own little twists and turns though.
This book captivated me from the very first page. Kat's perspective was interesting and her thoughts while experiencing certain events were amusing. I really loved the concept as well; this version of Cinderella with its own plot twists was very entertaining to read. I could foresee some of the major plot twists and despite that I was still very satisfied reading about them. The ending was also so bittersweet! It was kind of cliche and also original.
Kat was your typical shy girl at the beginning of the book which left plenty of room for character development to take place. She changed into a strong, independent woman with a nice personality. I thought that considering that she reads a lot of books, she should be able to foresee the twists in this Cinderella but Kat just seemed so naive and ignorant to the story. I really liked the prince himself, because of his personality. He is made out to be a distant and faraway figure but once you get to know him he is a really sweet guy with a cool sense of humour.
The writing style was very personal. You really got to know Kat, since the book was told out of her perspective. She has an attitude and her humour is also enjoyable to read about. She shares her thoughts in an entertaining manner. The whole combination of everything made me want to continue reading this book and was almost impossible to put down.
Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was captivating from the very first page and the characters were all very well developed. Even though the plot twists were predictable I still really enjoyed this book. I loved this! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Saturday 8 August 2015

Shiver the Whole Night Through by Darragh McManus

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Book Blurb (From Goodreads) 
After months of bullying and romantic heartbreak, seventeen-year-old Aidan Flood feels just about ready to end it all. But when he wakes up one morning to find that local beauty and town sweetheart Sláine McAuley actually has, he discovers a new sense of purpose, and becomes determined to find out what happened to her. The town is happy to put it down to suicide, but then one night Aidan gets a message, scratched in ice on his bedroom window: 'I didn't kill myself.' Who is contacting him? And if Sláine didn't end her own life... who did?










My Review: 
I picked this book up by chance and was so interested by the title that I had to get it. The title is from an old folk song called my girl, my girl or Where did you sleep last night. I would recommend listening to it if you want to read this book i'll put the link to one of the versions HERE
I don't know how to describe this book other then a book about bullying with an unhealthy romance which also has unnecessary paranormal activity and a side of murder. I would of loved this book as just a mystery murder book where a popular girl dies for no reason and one boy sets off to find out the truth. In my opinion I think that, that was all the author needed to do to make it a great fast paced thriller but they took it a step further and added in demons and ghosts. That was were everything was taken too far and it left a lot of questions which were never really answered which made the end of the book disappointing and frustrating. I don't mind mystery paranormal but it was just not well executed in this particular book. Also one of my biggest pet peeves whilst reading or watching something is when there is a message or a lesson in it but the movie director or the author just keeps on slapping you in this face with it every second sentence. In this case that message was don't bully people, but it became one of the main focuses of the book when the main focus should of actually been the murders in this town. There were points in this book where I just thought, enough already! I get it! 
Aiden was just an incredibly naive character that just didn't quite know what he was doing the entire time. I mostly figured out the mystery in this story within the first clue (but if that is just because I read a lot and picked out the common mystery plot points, I don't know.) He relied to much on Salain to save him and answer all of his questions. Salain was a girl that had just recently died and come back but to be honest you would think that she had been dead for a millennial. All throughout the book I doubted her ability to love and feel because apart from the small gestures here and there she did nothing to really show emotion of even much curiosity in how she died. 
I would just like to take a moment her to also point out how unhealthy Aiden and Salain's relationship became. It started out fine but then I started to feel like Aiden was going from being in love to being obsessed. He couldn't see when Salain was out of her mind and doing crazy S*$% and when he did find out about what she had been doing he just said that's fine and continued to love her. That is not how a normal person reacts!
All in all between the overambitious ending, the unhealthy romance and the poorly explained paranormal side of the book I give this book one out of five stars.


Wednesday 5 August 2015

Book Tour - Twisted (Deathwind Trilogy #1) by Holly Hook


Twisted by Holly Hook
(Deathwind Trilogy #1)
Publication date: December 15th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Sixteen-year-old Allie’s going on the vacation of her life: tornado chasing. What can possibly go wrong with that?
But a terrifying, magical experience leaves Allie shocked and confused, and she learns that she now bears an awful curse.
Every time there’s a storm, she turns into a tornado. Literally.
Allie has no choice but to flee her hometown–if she stays, her new powers could harm or even kill everyone she loves.
She must return to the plains and find those who made her this way. But this journey is only the beginning of her adventure.
Twisted is the first book of the Deathwind Trilogy, a new young adult and teen paranormal romance series. The second book, Torn, is also available. Book Three of the Deathwind Trilogy, Unleashed, will be released in Summer of 2015.




Purchase:


Our Reviews

***We received the eBook free as a review copy through Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review***

Angelina:
Wow, I absolutely loved this book! It is action-packed and amazing.
This book revolves around a girl called Allie, who was always fascinated with tornadoes and storms. One day Allie and her uncle sneaked away from her parents and went tornado chasing. Now, Allie has a curse that makes her dangerous and a monster she never wanted to be.
This book immediately pulls you into the story. The first chapter was already full of action which leaves no place for boredom to take place. The world building was excellently done. You don't feel overwhelmed with new information because it was introduced gradually and the concept wasn't complicated.
The characters were really diverse and the reader could feel like they connect with them. Allie was very likable. She is interested in storms and her parents always try to change her interests. There were several parts in the book when I felt sorry for her, she has to suffer through the consequences of her actions and make tough decisions. Is there a real "right" decision and stuff like that. Bethany was really annoying. She is just completely judgmental and seems like wimpy girl, which frustrated me while I was reading about her. Even the villain was crafted very well. When she revealed her reasons, as almost all villains do, I could understand them and I even felt sorry for her.
I loved the way the story was written. I never got bored reading it and I always wanted to know what will happen next.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It was amazing and I really recommend it to people who like action and fantasy. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
Jessica:
I loved this book from start to finish although admittedly I started it a little late and I am writing this review without reading the last 50 or so pages so you never know, I could completely hate the last pages but lets be honest, that isn't going to happen.
The plot was fast moving and never slowed down. That opening scene was the best scene in my opinion in this book because it was so exciting and it opened up so many questions. It was defiantly the way to open the book and hook the reader.
Allie was such an amazing character. She was able to deal with the work/stress load that was put on her and find a way to deal with it. Yeah, she may of been confused at the beginning and desperate for answers but everything has worked out for the better, mostly.
All in all I give this book a definite 5 out of 5 stars. (sorry for the short review, I'm really tired and my concentration span, at the moment, is about them same as a goldfish...)


AUTHOR BIO:
Holly Hook is the author of the Destroyers Series, which consists of five young adult books about teens who are walking disasters...literally. She is also the author of the Rita Morse series, a young adult fantasy series still in progress, and After These Messages, a short ya comedy. Currently she is writing Twisted, a spin-off of the Destroyers Series due out in December. When not writing, she enjoys reading books for teens, especially ya fantasy and paranormal series with a unique twist.

Author links:

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Lethal Inheritence (The Diamond Peak Series #1) by Tahlia Newland

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
A scream pierces the night. Ariel jolts awake and watches in horror as demons drag her mother into a hidden realm. She finds help and sets off on a rescue mission. But to defeat the demons, who feed on fear and seek to enslave the human race, she must learn a secret esoteric wisdom to awaken the dormant, but potentially explosive, power of her mind.

Walnut, a quirky old wise man, guides her through treacherous inner and outer landscapes, and Nick, the powerful Warrior who travels with them, proves a dangerous attraction. Can Ariel defeat the sadistic demon lord before he kills her and enslaves her mother?

The stakes are high, death a real possibility. Fail now, and she fails humanity.


My Review

***I received the eBook free as a review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

An interesting book, which I was fully prepared to enjoy. 
This fantasy book revolves around a girl names Ariel who lives a seemingly normal life. That is, until her mom, Nadima, gets kidnapped by demons and Ariel has to set out on a journey to kill the Master Demon, Rasama, to free her. Ariel has to undergo severe Warrior training in the hopes to defeat Rasama. She is accompanied by Walnut and Nick, who is a Warrior. 
I really wanted to immerse myself in the story... But I couldn't. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book when I was reading it but it didn't captivate me and make me want to continue reading it. Part of the reason was probably the content of the story. The plot is normally fast-paced but there were parts where is went turtle-pace because Ariel was learning how to be a Warrior and had to learn how to control her mind. Walnut would then have a long conversation with her about the mind and become a bit philosophical about it. There was also a big information dump near the beginning. I couldn't remember the different demon types and had to check back several times to understand what kind of demon Nick and Walnut were talking about. 
The perspective sometimes shifted from Ariel to Nick and back again. I didn't like Ariel as much as I should for a main character. She seemed really petty throughout the entire book and had a huge problem with her emotions as well. Nick was alright though, he was a bit cocky at first but then I became more interested to his character and especially his backstory which still remains a mystery. I think that Walnut bay be my favourite character in this book because he was really random and had a  wry sense of humour.
I thought that the book was really enjoyable to read but it wasn't captivating. I never really felt the urge to continue reading and find out what would happen next. I couldn't also really connect to the characters and was even a bit annoyed by them at the beginning. 
Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars!