"Greenwood" by Alexandra M. Griesinger

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
We all have a destiny. We aren't born with our destiny, but it is found when our fate comes knocking on the door. My fate came to me as my curiosity found the darkest and deadliest secret in my town called 'Greenwood'. My discovery thrust me into a world where I immediately became a target to a group of people I knew nothing about nor did I understand why they wanted me dead. I am now faced watching my town slowly tearing itself apart as innocent people are dying all because of me. I also must face the truth that my family and friends are also suffering, because of the secret I found. I know that I must embrace my destiny in order save the town and I must become something that I didn't want to become, but I have to. My name is Lexi Connors and this is how I found my destiny.



My Review

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review***

I really don't know what to think of this book. However, there is certainly plenty of room for improvement. 
The story is basically about the discovery of an earth-shattering secret and the war between the rebels of Greenwood and the monsters. The main character is called Lexi Connors and she strongly believes that monsters are just fairy tales. I thought that the story idea was alright, not especially detailed but still alright. The world wasn't very developed in my opinion and after reading the entire book, I thought that in the repeated plot twists or villain revelations seemed like an attempt to make the plot more complicated and didn't really make me think: "Wow, that was really cleverly thought out!". As I said, the plot idea itself was a good idea that just needed some more development.
Next I'm going to talk about the characters. They all just seemed to be some kind of cardboard cut-out characters which I absolutely couldn't relate to. Lexi seemed very emotionless and at times way too emotional. There didn't seem to be any in-between for her and the others. I was really annoyed every time Lexi would start being emotional and tell everyone about her troubles and how they all immediately burst into tears. Lexi cried every single time she retold her story even though she has said it many times before and the events happened years before. I also just didn't like Lexi's personality by being so brash. Overall, I think that my favourite character was probably Zane because he was so sweet and innocent.
The writing style was also annoying at times. The grammar in this book was just so messed up. The verb tenses were being mixed up and so were certain word placements in a sentence. Then there were certain words missing and the spelling was also faulty at times. Another point I have, is that the repetition in the sentences was driving me crazy. Since this story is narrated from Lexi's point of view (first person) the author of course had to write stuff like: "I did ..." The problem was that almost every sentence started with "I". I thought that the a more extended vocabulary could have been used. Several nouns were also repeated in all consecutive sentences, which really annoyed me for some reason. Also, I just have to mention the last chapter of the book. I  didn't agree with the plot twist at all at the end, I think that there had to be more hints or at least some kind of evidence to explain the plot twist.
Overall, I thought that the idea of the book was alright but the way it was carried out made me read this book at a snail pace. The wording and the grammar annoyed me and I wasn't tempted to continue reading the book. However, once I continued reading there were some action-scenes that flowed nicely. I am reluctant to say this, but I am giving this book 1 out of 5 stars.

The Witch Hunter (the witch hunter #1) by Virginia Boecker

Book Blurb (From Goodreads)
The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

My Review:

I haven't read a good fantasy book in about three weeks, how did I survive? With a sprinkle of fairy dust, or in this case, some witch herbs.
I wasn't sure about this book in the first 2-3 chapters. It was in this time that I worried that it was going to be a book about some kind of love sick girl drinking away her problems in a bar. However, when I stuck to it and continued reading what I got was a good book witch many loveable characters. When Elizabeth meets Nicholas was when the real fun began. This is when you are thrown into the world of magic and get to see all of the amazing things it can do like make a real life replica of space on your living room celling (I don't know about you, but I would love to see that). We find out soon after that Nicolas has been cursed by a mystery person and apparently Elizabeth is the only one that can find a tablet to break it. If she doesn't it is 100% certain that Nicolas will die, so no pressure. Since Elizabeth has been trained to kill wizards, and Nicolas is the most wanted wizard in the country this goes against her morals but of coerce she does it because if she didn't there would be no book. She teams up with one pirate, one witch healer and Nicolas's apprentice. This leads to an exciting adventure with much needed good humour.
Elizabeth is a head strong stubborn character that has some trouble letting go of the ways that she has been taught for most of her life. She has a complicated background, involving her parent being killed by a magic plague which makes it severely difficult for her to trust anyone even remotely related to any sort of magic. We see these trust issues start to evaporate when she finds the good side of magic but it does take a while. She always sticks up for her friends, unless they betray her, then she might accidently through a dagger at the head. I'm not looking at anyone in particular.

All in all I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

First Chapter Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday #3 - "Immurement" by Norma Hinkens

Every Tuesday Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea hosts a weekly meme called First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. Basically, this is when you share the first and maybe the second paragraph of the book you are currently reading or want to read soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a meme hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm, where I need to open a book to a random page and pick two spoiler-free sentences.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is another book I am eagerly awaiting to read. (I have to finish another book before I start this one) I got it from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Chapter 1 
The sun’s always two fingerbreadths or higher above the Sawtooth peaks when the Sweepers come. Never at night. I swipe a strand of long hair from my eyes and throw a nervous glance at the horizon. The scrawny cow I’m guarding has all but given up flipping its tail at the droning swarms itching for a carcass. Time to leave it to its fate. I reach for my hunting pack, and freeze. A muffled crackling sound— too heavy for a rabbit, too light to be the cow keeling over. I hold my breath as I grab my gun and motion to my collie, Tucker, to drop beside me. My heart clatters like a wooden rollercoaster as I pan the charred hillside, my trigger finger tight on the safety. Dead trees poke up like broomsticks all around me. There’s nowhere to hide, but I’m troubled by the feeling I’m being watched. I skim the canyon again, my vision blurring in the blinding sun. A flicker of movement to my left. I suck in my breath.

TEASER
Big Ed takes off his spectacles and rubs the lenses on the end of his fleece shirt. “They ain’t just oil and spare parts.”
I twist my lips. “Might as well be if they’re all like Mason. He’s cold as steel.”
Big Ed’s face clouds over. “He’s one of God’s creatures until I know different.”

 What do you think about it? Would you read it?

Cover Reveal - Cogling by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek

COGLING

A Steampunk Fairy Tale for Young Adults

who love a little Romance in their Adventures

When fifteen-year-old Edna Mather tears an expensive and unfamiliar pocket watch off her little brother's neck, he crumbles into a pile of cogs right before her eyes. Horrified, Edna flees for help, but encounters Ike, a thief who attempts to steal the watch before he realizes what it is: a device to power Coglings—clockwork changelings left in place of stolen children who have been forced to work in factories.

Desperate to rescue her brother, Edna sets off across the kingdom to the hags' swamp, with Ike in tow. There, they learn Coglings are also replacing nobility so the hags can stage a rebellion and rule over humanity. Edna and Ike must stop the revolt, but the populace believes hags are helpful godmothers and healers. No one wants to believe a lowly servant and a thief, especially when Ike has secrets that label them both as traitors. 

Together, Edna and Ike must make the kingdom trust them or stop the hags themselves, even if Ike is forced to embrace his dark heritage and Edna must surrender her family. 

###

COGLING has already gained advanced praise from NY Times Bestselling author Maria V. Snyder!

“This is a fun YA Steampunk novel. It's very different than many other Steampunk stories I've read. Basic plot is Edna's brother is kidnapped by hags and replaced with a "cogling" and she's on a mission to find and rescue her brother. The world is a Victorian-era with a strict class system for the humans and for those with magic. The woman with magic are called hags and the men with magic are orges and they're not nice and are planning to change the system. I really enjoyed learning about the world and the characters are well drawn and engaging.”

###

Check out COGLING on GoodReads and Curiosity Quills.  

Meet the author – Jordan Elizabeth Mierek lives in a dream world.  Sometimes she comes out to do her day job, but most of the time she is writing about her favorite people – her characters!  COGLING is her fourth book.  Her previous steampunk series, the Treasure Chronicles, include TREASURE DARKLY and BORN OF TREASURE.  Her debut novel, ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, is a young adult fantasy-horror.  You can find her short stories in numerous anthologies.  Check out her website, JordanElizabethMierek.com, for contests and bonus stories!

Win a steampunk necklace!

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they’ll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss’s daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him…








My Review 
This was a really intriguing book, which I didn't really expect to like.
We read this book for the English lesson and therefore read it as a class, part by part. At first, I was kind of skeptical of the book for various reasons, but mostly because it didn't really seem like the kind of book I would typically read. It is a historical-fiction book based in the time of the Great Depression in America. Two guys named George and Lennie are desperately trying to find a new job to fulfill their Dream of owning their own land.
The book started off very slow. The descriptions were elaborate and went in a lot of detail. That is normally fine with me; however, if there is too much description and the author doesn't actually get on with the story, I would already start to get bored. Further on, the dialogue in the first chapter of the book interested me because of the contrast between George and Lennie's characters and personality, which I will talk about later. Steinbeck makes sure not to reveal too much information in the first chapter of the book, so that the reader will want to read more and find out what actually happened at George's previous job in Weed and how Lennie got him into trouble.
As mentioned beforehand, there is a stark contrast between George and Lennie, both in appearance and personality. George is a rather small guy compared to Lennie. He is described in a way that lets the reader know that he is pretty smart. Then comes Lennie, who always follows George like an obedient dog. Lennie is a big and tall man, who doesn't know his own strength. He is simple-minded and not really bright and therefore follows whatever George says. There were a lot of other characters present in this story as well, like Curley's wife, Candy, Curley, Crooks, Carlson and others. (I just realized that their names all start with the letter C...)
I really liked the way the story flowed and how it made the reader want to know the rest of the story. Knowing that Lennie doesn't know his own strength is an obvious premonition of trouble for the reader and creates suspense because the reader would suspect something to occur. However, I thought that the accents and the way the characters talked was kind of awkward to get into when I first started the book, but I slowly got used to it and also understood what the people were saying. I kind of like the way how the story ended, because it was left open, but I felt that the ending was also a bit abrupt.
Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

First Chapter Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday #2 - "The Magickal Birthday Treat" by Sheelag McGrath

Every Tuesday Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea hosts a weekly meme called First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. Basically, this is when you share the first and maybe the second paragraph of the book you are currently reading or want to read soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a meme hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm, where I need to open my currently-reading book to a random page and pick two spoiler-free sentences.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I got a  request from a publisher to read and review this book. It sounds like an adorable book and I can't wait to start reading! There is more information about it here

CHAPTER ONE
The Ghost in the Computer 
Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeared. No, he didn’t leave. Leaving would imply suitcases and empty drawers, and late birthday cards with ten-dollar bills stuffed inside. Leaving would imply he was unhappy with Mom and me, or that he found a new love elsewhere. None of that was true. He also did not die, because we would’ve heard about it. There was no car crash, no body, no police mingling about the scene of a brutal murder. It all happened very quietly. On my sixth birthday, my father took me to the park, one of my favorite places to go at that time. It was a lonely little park in the middle of nowhere, with a running trail and a misty green pond surrounded by pine trees. We were at the edge of the pond, feeding the ducks, when I heard the jingle of an ice cream truck in the parking lot over the hill. When I begged my dad to get me a Creamsicle, he laughed, handed me a few bills, and sent me after the truck. That was the last time I saw him.

TEASER
“Gosh what’s that, Nonni? Sooo bright, brighter than the last!”
“That’s a supernova, they burn very brightly and then they’re gone, Jess.”
“Where do they go?”
“They explode and become debris,” explained Nonni.

What do you think about it? Would you leave it or keep on reading?

First Chapter Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday #1 - "Greenwood" by Alexandra M. Griesinger

Every Tuesday Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea hosts a weekly meme called First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. Basically, this is when you share the first and maybe the second paragraph of the book you are currently reading or want to read soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a meme hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm, where I need to open my currently-reading book to a random page and pick two spoiler-free

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is the book I am currently reading and got from a publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was published on September 15th 2015.

THE FIRST CHAPTER
One; The Discovery
I smiled as I wiped blood off my lips and I eyed Kelsey ‘Hit’ Keeper. She had light red hair that reached her man looking shoulders. Her dark brown eyes conspired against me as she raised her man fists. She is like six feet tall and her mouth was twitching as I kept smiling my cocky bloody smile. Her legs were shaking in anger and her yoga pants were stained with mud. Her white shirt was soaked after I’d pushed her into the small pond in my backyard. Her pot belly was sticking out and she was almost out of breath.
“You are not used to having this much excise are you?” I teased as I cocked my head to the side.

TEASER
“My first fight with Kelsey and first encounter with Mr. Keeper. The beginning of my struggle and fight,” I whispered to myself again.
~pg, 227

What do you think about it? Would you leave it or keep on reading?

The Gathering (Darkness Rising #1) Kelley Armstrong

Book Blurb (From goodreads)
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.
Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel...different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

My Review:

This a spin of series from the darkest powers series, or it could be vice versa, I really don't know.
The plot of this was really slow moving. This is probably because it is such a complicated world that it takes up the better half of a book to even start to get a grasp on what it is. This book focused more on Maya's life before everything is going to go to hell. Which is good, because that means that when everything gets real crazy and every possible thing that can go wrong does, we can look back and know where it all started. But it still took a while to get to the main part of the plot and it doesn't really live up to what the blurb says happens in the book. A lot of the things were just glazed over briefly before moving to the next point. You would defiantly need to read the second book to find the action.
Maya is very outgoing in everything that she does and is also very street smart which helps her in more than one situation. She knows what is best for herself and others but she doesn't always act on those instincts. Throughout the book there is not much change in her character because as I said before, this book is the build up. The calm before the storm.
All in all I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars and I will be moving onto the second very soon. Hopefully there will be more to say then...

Book Rainbow Tag

And we're back with a book challenge! We were challenged by Megan and Cat over at Books of Fascination to do the Book Rainbow Challenge. Thank you for challenging us!

This is definitely something we don't usually do, but we are really exited to present to you... our beautiful Book Rainbows!

It is kind of funny to see the size differences between mine and Jessie's book list. Jessie has tons of books to choose from on her shelf and its pretty obvious that she went crazy with them and wasn't sparing any...  Meanwhile I tried to make as good a rainbow as I could with my meager book collection, but lo and behold! Here they are!!!

For anyone who wants to do this tag as well and the bloggers we have tagged, here are the rules:

RULES:  

1. The books you use for creating the rainbow must be your own!

2. If the books you choose are hardcover, you can use it with or without the cover slip on.

3. Colors can be a wide variety-be creative! Just keep the color order of the rainbow in mind!

4. There isn't a specific number of books you can have. Go nuts!

5. Display your book rainbow proudly on the post.

6. Tag whomever! Spread the love! 

Jessica

Avalon (Avalon #1) by Mindee Arnett (black)
The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey (black)
The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey (black)
The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken  (grey)
Asylum (Asylum #1) by Madeleine Roux (Grey)
Witch Hunter (Witch Hunter #1) by Virginia Boecker  (grey)
Override (Glitch #2) by Heather Anastasiu  (red)
The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli (red)
Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy) by Sally Green (red)
Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor (Red)
Messenger of Fear (Messenger of Fear #1) by Micheal Grant (Red)
Endgame (Endgame #1) by James Fray (Gold)
Gold (Bandia #2) by Talia Vance (Yellow/Orange)
Shutdown (Glitch #3) by Heather Anastasiu (Yellow/Brown)
Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympions #2) by Rick Riordan (Green)
The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater's Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury (Green)
Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie (Green)
Ignite Me (Shatter me #3) by Tahereh Mafi (Blue/Green)
Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi (Blue/Grey)
Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi (Blue/Gray)
The Gathering (Darkness Rising) by Kelly Armstrong (Blue)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Blue)
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (Blue)
Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli (Turquoise)
How to Love by Katie Cotugno (Turquoise)
Rules of Summer (Rules of Summer #1) by Joanna Philbin (Pink)
The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead (Pink/Purple)
Glitch (Glitch #1) by Heather Anastasiu (Pink/purple)
Mind Games (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White (Purple)
Sliver (Bandia #1) by Talia Vance (Purple)
Sleepless (Red Eye) by Lou Morgan (Purple)
No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale (Purple)

 The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co #2) by Jonathan Stroud (black-red)
Kristallschwert (Chroniken der Dunkelheit #2) by A. J. Lake (red)
I Am Number Four (I Am Number Four #1) by Pittacus Lore (red-orange)
The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner (orange)
Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini (orange-yellow)
The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner (yellow)
Every Day (Every Day #1) by David Levithan (yellow)
Avalon: Web of Magic by Rachel Roberts (green)
Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake (blue)
Eisdrache (Chroniken der Dunkelheit #1) by A. J. Lake (blue)
The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner (blue)
The Pharaoh's Cat by Maria Luisa Lang (purple)
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (black)

WE TAGGED:
- Ashley @ What's Your Story?
-Denise @ The Bibliolater
-The Undomestic Fangirl @ The Bookwhore Diaries

Those are the bloggers we challenged to do the Book Rainbow Tag. But remember, anyone is free to do this tag and show off their lovely rainbows!

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met - a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

My Review 
Oh my gosh, this book is AWESOME!!!!!!! *breathes in* ASDFGHJKL. I can't even begin to comprehend the amazingness that is this book! Alright, I have to gather my thoughts about this book, I am still scatter-brained and have no clue where I should start...
Rick Riordan has written another magnificent book which I can't wrap my head around. I feel like I have a massive book hangover. Every time I think it is over, my brain keeps on going back to it and won't let go! Not that I mind of course... Anyways, if you can't tell from the whole rambling at the start, I absolutely loved this book. It has the same take a the Percy Jackson series, just with Norse gods. I didn't mind the similarities though because in some ways, it is still a completely different story. I felt though, that the beginning was a bit slow and the world-building could have done a bit more elegantly because some parts were more of an information dump than anything.
I really loved all of the characters. I don't even know who is my favourite anymore. Samirah was really awesome, even though she is pretty violent at the start. I love all of the gods, they were so awesomely portrayed. Magnus's narration was hilarious to read, especially with that snarky commentary and attitude. However, I did notice, that Magnus's voice is very similar to Percy's voice. I found that to be a bit of a downer even though I absolutely loved the narration. Magnus's commentary has some slight changes though.
Overall, I still loved this book, as I did Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. I think, that I felt that the start was slow because I was superhyped for this book and couldn't wait to read it. Everything, from the writing style to the story, was awesome even though Magnus seems to be very similar to Percy.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

I'm back!!!

Hey guys! I haven't been on this blog in such a long time! Ugh, I feel terrible about it, I'm really sorry. I made a point in  a previous post, that I will not force myself to post if I don't feel up to it or if I am busy. However, I only post once a week on a Wednesday to get my book review up and I have missed that posting day sooooo often in the last couple of weeks due to other activities in school and stuff like that(all the assessments are pouring in before the holidays) despite only having to prepare ONE post!

So, I decided that I would definitely post a review this Wednesday ( I already have a book all picked out and started the review) :)
Jessie and I are also finally going to finish the Book Rainbow Tag sometime this week and I must say that I am very happy with how my book rainbow turned out!

So those are the posts that I planned so far this week. I hope nothing will come in the way, I know this is obvious and I really don't have to say it, but school will always be my first priority no matter how much this blog means to me. So if I don't post my review this week, you can probably guess what I am doing *sigh*

Anyway, see you guys in the next post!!!

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
I have died three times, and three times been reborn, though I am not yet twenty in the old earth years by which it is still the fashion to measure time. This is the story of my three deaths, and my life between. My name is Khemri.

Taken from his parents as a child and equipped with biological and technological improvements, Khemri is now an enhanced human being, trained and prepared for the glory of becoming a Prince of the Empire. Not to mention the ultimate glory: should he die, and be deemed worthy, he will be reborn...Which is just as well, because no sooner has Prince Khemri graduated to full Princehood than he learns the terrible truth behind the Empire: there are ten million princes, and all of them want each other dead. 



My Review
Honestly, I was kind of disappointed by this book.
I think my expectations were too high. So far I loved every single book Garth Nix wrote, especially with that wry sense of humour. However, I didn't really like this book that much.
This is a sci-fi book. Prince Khemri was taken as a baby from his parents and grew up to be Prince. We follow Khemri on his life journey growing up and making decisions that would change his lives.
The first chapter tells us right of the bat, that Prince Khemri died three times and that this book is about his life. This interested me from the start and the first paragraph was very intriguing. Then it went downhill from thereon out. The first couple of chapters, in fact the entire first half of the book was a continuous information dump. I was bored out of my mind and put the book down for quite a while until I decided to finish it. I guess, that I am glad after all that I finished it, because it became really good. The world building was really slow and boring though, but the second half of the book was way better and also exciting to read.
Khemri underwent some serious character development in this book, which I guess was the point. He was spoiled at first and also very, very arrogant. He believed that he was the best of the best and treated everyone else like dirt. However, I really liked Haddad and Raine. Haddad was responsible and you could really see how much he cared for Khemri near the end of the book. Raine was a really refreshing character, especially after reading about how arrogant and spoiled Khemri and the other Princes are.
Overall, Garth Nix finally retained his amazing writing style in the second half of the book. It took the first half of the book to create a very complex world, which I think should have been done more gradually and not dropped like a bombshell.
I was slightly disappointed by this book. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

Book Blurb (From goodreads)
I wasn't free of my past, not yet.

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

My Review
 Richelle Mead is one of my favourite authors and I can always count on her for a good exciting read and she never fails to impress.
The plot line picked up more or less from where the Vampire Academy series left off and I highly recommend that you read that series first because it gives you a lot of background of all of the characters which you don't see as much of in this series which would help you understand their motives better. That, and it allows you to see exactly where all of these characters started off. The plot of this book only really thickens around half way through we everything isn't quite what it seems and Sydney begins to question her training as an alchemist. The was not a lot of action in this book apart from at the end, which ended up being exciting enough to satisfy me for the lack of action in the other chapters.
Sydney was complicated in this book. She was always conflicted with her duty to the alchemists and the people that she grew up with and her new found friendship to the dhampires and the vampires. She managed to handle herself well enough when Adrien provoked her which made the scenes with him slightly more amusing. Adrien was the same Adrien that we had seen in the other books. He liked to stay drunk and agitate people. But when it came to protecting those he loved he calmed down enough to do what needed to be done.
All in all I give this book four out of five stars.

Julie Starr - "Magic to Memphis: What If Your Life IS Working From The Inside Out?"

Julie Starr

Hey there! It's been a long time since I last posted an author interview. But here we are once again! I shall start off with an interview with Julie Starr, who wrote the amazing book "Magic to Memphis: What If Your Life IS Working From The Inside Out?" Here are her answers:

1) What inspired you to write "Magic to Memphis"?

I’d say that all sorts of feelings, ideas, itches and urges sort of cumulated until I couldn’t do anything but sit and write it. For example, I wanted to remind us all of the magical way life seems when we are children. When Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny all co-exist in our reality. The way Christmas Eve feels, as if fairy dust has been sprinkled all over the world for one special night. Then I wanted to explore this idea of manifestation, of the possibility that life works from the inside out. Also, what would happen if an everyday Angel dressed as a biker came down and whispered universal truths to someone who really (really) needed them? As those questions collide, their intersection creates the writing.

2) How did you come up with the character names? Are their personalities based from your life?

Some characters named themselves, like Jessie; literally I asked her what she was called and she told me. She’s sort of a cowboy and so I think that really suits her. Other names I had to search long and hard for, on the internet, asking other writers, etc. The name Finch was suggested by an artist friend who didn’t know that it was my husband’s last name! Kabos’ name has a hidden meaning to it, and so you’ll have to do your own research to find out his secret!

3) Do you personally believe in everyday magic?

I don’t just believe in it; I know it; when you see the world this way the truth of everyday magic reveals itself.

4) Since when have you wanted to be an author and why?

That’s difficult because as I look back I don’t recall a time when I didn’t feel like a writer and so as soon as I knew authors exist I guess that’s what I was always going to be. My other books are in business though, so becoming a novelist still feels pretty special.

 

5)What are you working on now? What is your next project?

It’s almost a secret so I can’t say much; just that it’s about a young girl, Alex, who has been raised in a children’s home. Alex thinks she’s an orphan but she’s not; she is being kept safe. What Alex is being kept safe from is going to reveal her whole world as an illusion. It's very different from M2M and actually anything I’ve read, so I’m really keen to get back to that – like right now!

Don't forget to check out my review for "Magic to Memphis" here