Teaser Tuesdays (19)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. 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!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:
'Anything hazardous in here, son?'
'What? You mean... apart from my big bomb?' sighed Howard with a lazy smile. ~ p.78, TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator by Alex Scarrow.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (19)


This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through Books.

In the past week I read:

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love 4/5 - review
Sebastian Fitzek - Therapy 5/5 - review
Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games 5/5 - review
Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 4.5/5 - review

At the moment I'm reading:

Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

In the next week I hope to read:

Alex Scarrow - TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator
Pittacus Lore - I Am Number Four
Alyson Noel - Shadowland

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren, and sums up my past week in book purchases!

So this week I bought 5 books:

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Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge...

~~~~~

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Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

~~~~~

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Meg Cabot - Love You To Death & High Stakes

Meet Susannah Simon: she's a typical teenage girl, who just happens to be a ghost-hunter ...oh, and she's also dead-over-heels for Jesse - the sexiest spook ever! But can this girl get her ghost? In "Love You to Death", Suze arrives in California and has barely unpacked when her mediator skills are put to the test. A vicious spirit in her new school is hell-bent on making her life a complete nightmare, but Suze is more than ready to kick some serious ghost butt if she has to. In "High Stakes", Suze's new life is looking up - cool friends, pool parties and getting to know Jesse (swoon), but then a desperate spirit asks for her help. Suddenly she's on the trail of a creepy local businessman, who just might be a vampire. Life just got dead complicated. Again.

~~~~~

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Tess Gerritsen - Presumed Guilty

Miranda's ex-lover is found murdered. She had a motive and the opportunity. After being arrested for the crime, Miranda is shocked to learn she's been released on bail--bail posted by someone determined to remain anonymous. Is someone trying to help Miranda? Or is someone trying to manipulate Miranda and draw her into the dark and secret world of a murdered man, where everybody's presumed guilty?

~~~~~

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Tess Gerritsen - Whistleblower

The man emerged from the mist, right in front of Cathy Weaver's car--running from killers who were closing in on him. Victor Holland's story sounded like the ravings of a man on the brink of madness, but his claim to be a fugitive was confirmed by the haunted look in his eyes--and the bullet hole in his shoulder. As each hour brings pursuers ever closer, Cathy has to wonder, is she giving her trust to a man in danger or trusting her life to a dangerous man?

~~~~~

And I also received this as part of a book ring:

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Sebastian Fitzek - Therapy

Dr. Viktor Larenz’ life ended the day his 12-year-old daughter, Josy, vanished without a trace. Now, with his marriage and his career as a TV psychiatrist in tatters, he retreats to a remote island cottage to work on an article marking the fourth anniversary of Josy’s disappearance.

Viktor’s solitude is shattered by the appearance of a mysterious woman named Anna Glass. A schizophrenic author who claims she meets characters from her stories in real life, Anna begs for Viktor’s help. Reluctantly, he agrees—but when he recognizes Josy in one of her delusions, it becomes clear that Anna is not what she seems.

Top Ten Picks: Fictional Places

Top Ten Picks is a weekly meme by Jillian about your top 10 picks! Each week, there will be a different theme and this weeks theme is 'fictional places'. So here are my top 10 fictional places (in no particular order) ~

Places I'd Love To Visit

1. Hogwarts (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

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I would absolutely love to go and learn at Hogwarts, magical lessons during the day, big feasts for tea, and Quidditch for fun, what more could you ask for?!

2. Susie's Heaven (The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold)

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Of course I don't want to be dead, after all, who does? But if I died and went to a place like the heaven described in The Lovely Bones, I'd be pretty happy.

3. Forks (Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer)

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I hate summer, so the thought of somewhere where it rains a lot and generally has pretty bad weather is the place for me! There also is that little matter of perhaps bumping into one of the rather lovely Cullens too...!

4. Stonehaven (The Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong)

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I loves the wolves in this series, and I really wish I could be one of them so I could live at Stonehaven with Jeremy! I think it would be pretty awesome to just go running free on the land whenever you wanted!

5. House of Night (House of Night series by P.C. & Kristin Cast)

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Another school, but this time a vampire one. I love vampires, so learning their histories and how to become one is pretty darn cool in my book.

Places I Wouldn't Want To Visit

6. Bon Temps (The Southern Vampire mysteries by Charlaine Harris)

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I love Bon Temps and there are many places there I'd love to visit, such as Merlotte's, and Sookie's house. However, with all the wars, and the random disappearances, I think I'd be better off not visiting!

7. The Arena (The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins)

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Not really a place anyone would want to be. After all, it's kill or be killed and I have a feeling I'd die pretty quickly in that place!

8. The Forest (The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan)

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Again, not a place you'd like to be, surrounded by zombies that will bite you in a blink of an eye. You'd either be eaten to death, or you'd become one, neither is a particularly fun fate!

9. Morganville (Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine)

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Who would want to live in a town where mean vampires are the bosses and humans are food. Get caught out after dark and you're guaranteed to become dinner, would be rather scary wouldn't it.

10. Europe, 6000 Years Ago (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver)

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Just seems like such a harsh and brutal place to be, not to mention incredibly scary. Couldn't imagine having to walk for days, hunt for the simplest of foods and fight with possessed animals.

So where are your favourite fictional places?

Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek


No. of pages: 348
Rating: 10/10

Synopsis: Dr. Viktor Larenz’ life ended the day his 12-year-old daughter, Josy, vanished without a trace. Now, with his marriage and his career as a TV psychiatrist in tatters, he retreats to a remote island cottage to work on an article marking the fourth anniversary of Josy’s disappearance.

Viktor’s solitude is shattered by the appearance of a mysterious woman named Anna Glass. A schizophrenic author who claims she meets characters from her stories in real life, Anna begs for Viktor’s help. Reluctantly, he agrees—but when he recognizes Josy in one of her delusions, it becomes clear that Anna is not what she seems.


Review: Dr. Viktor Larenz is a renowned Psychotherapist, but his life falls apart the day his 12 year old daughter Josy disappears. Fours year later, Viktor is taking a break on the island of Parkum, when a strange woman called Anna Glass insists she needs him to give her therapy sessions. When she starts talking about a character in her book, a young girl that ran away, Viktor wonders if she could possibly be referring to his daughter, and if he might he find out what happened to her after all?

This book was quite frankly, one of the best I've read in the psychological thriller genre. The whole thing from start to finish was written to play with your mind, and it does it oh so well too. When you think you've guessed what happened, something else is revealed blowing your theories out of the water. The story is well written, as are the characters, and I was so gripped I found it impossible to put down until I was finished. The ending was a complete surprise, which I didn't see coming at all, and I love those kinds of endings. I cannot recommend this higly enough to fans of this genre. When more of his work is translated, I will be first in the queue!

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert


No. of pages: 348
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Review: Elizabeth Gilbert is in her early 30's, married, and trying for a baby when she decides she doesn't want this life anymore. After a messy divorce and a disasterous rebound relationship, she decides to take a year to travel and try to find herself. During her four months in Italy, she learns the pleasure of eating good food; the four months in India, the art of meditation; and in Indonesia, she mixes the two and finds love again.

I had been thinking about reading this book for a while, but when I saw the advert for the movie about to be released, I really wanted to read it. I'm not sure if it was exactly what I was expecting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I really enjoyed the first section about Italy, she made me wish I were there with her eating that delicious food and enjoying the fantastic sites. The section about India I didn't enjoy so much. There were long sections about meditation and religion, which I found a bit hard to struggle thorough, and also the bits where she ascended to a 'higher plane' I found a bit...stupid to be honest. I do appreciate that these are her experiences, but they just seemed a bit unbelievable to me, perhaps because I'm not religious, I don't know. When she got to Bali, I found myself enjoying it again, it was a lot like the Italy section which I was glad about. I loved the multitude of colourful personalities throughout the book and overall I did enjoy it, even though there were bits I didn't like too. I think it's a book that opinions will divide because it will appeal or not appeal depending on each reader's life experiences. I'm not sure if or who I would recommend it too, but I'm glad that I read it, and I feel that it's given me a different perspective on a few things.

Teaser Tuesdays (18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. 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!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:
For a fraction of a second the whole business was laid open: Josy's illness and the pain that had haunted her for the past eleven months. He knew what had happened, knew what had been done to her and, with a lurching stomach, knew they would be after him too. ~ p.10, Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (18)


This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through Books.

In the past week I read:

Due a rather awful week long migraine, which still hasn't gone, I didn't manage to finish anything this week, although I am quite close to finishing Eat, Pray, Love.

At the moment I'm reading:

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love

In the next week I hope to read:

Pittacus Lore - I Am Number Four
Alex Scarrow - TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator
Alyson Noel - Shadowland

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren, and sums up my past week in book purchases!

So this week I bought just 1 book (although I did pre-order Mockingjay - so excited to read that series!):

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Stephenie Meyer - Breaking Dawn

When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life—first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse—seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

Bookish Survey

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1. Favorite childhood book?
When I was about 6 or so I read The BFG by Roald Dahl, and at that time I was teased a lot about my height because I was (and still am) very tall for a girl, so I felt a kinship with this kindly giant. Then when I was in my teens I discovered Harry Potter, and like many other people I was enamoured from the get go, I still love those books ten years later.

2. What are you reading right now?
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and despite reading various opinions about it, I'm mostly enjoying it :)

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
I don't often use the library, but I have Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins pre-ordered at the moment, so I'm excited for that to be released so I can get started on the series.

4. Bad book habit?
Buying too many and not reading them all quick enough, so I now have a fairly hefty amount of books waiting to be read (around 250 or so) and it's pretty daunting.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing at the moment.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No, but I'm considering buying one.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time, I prefer to concentrate on just one story.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I guess so, I think more about what I'm really liking and disliking as I'm reading, and I never did before.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
I think probably Beastly by Alex Flinn.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
This is really tough because I've had a pretty great year for amazing reads. I think it's a toss up between Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, The Forest Of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan and If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Before I joined the Book Club Forum at the end of '08, I read 90% thrillers. In the past 18 months though, I've expanded my reading so much, I read lots of different things now, and have found some great books I never would have dreamed of reading. Also, since becoming a reviewer I've read some things that are out of my comfort zone and really enjoyed them. So overall, I'd say fairly often now, I'm not afraid to try new things.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Thrillers, young adult and books about supernaturals. I will always fall back to one of these if I'm struggling to pick up a book.

13. Can you read on the bus?
I can, but never do, I walk everywhere.

14. Favorite place to read?
Snuggled up in bed, late at night when it's cold outside, and usually drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Nothing beats it for me :)

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I don't know many people that read in real life, so it doesn't come up too often. I recently lent out a book to one my boyfriend's friends though, and it came back in a right state, there were big dents and marks, and there was even a food or drink stain on the cover to my horror. So no, it won't be happening again!

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No, not anymore. When I was a young teen I did, but it was something I grew out of by the time I was around 15, and now I have lots of pretty bookmarks that I use.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Never.

18. Not even with text books?
I don't ever read text books. I only ever wrote in one book, and that was a poetry text book when I was at school and we had to make notations in it for our exam. I would never willingly chose to do it.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English, as it's the only language I can read in!

20. What makes you love a book?
Usually the characters. If I fall in love with the characters, I'm so much more likely to enjoy the book. But of course, it also depends on a good plot.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I really love it, then I will, or I will recommend to a specific person if I know it's something they'd like.

22. Favorite genre?
Probably supernatural, as they come in all different forms. But I really love thrillers and YA books too, and those are the three genres I read most of.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Historical fiction/old classics. I really just hate the language, and so it puts me off.

Favorite biography?
Marley and Me by John Grogan, had me laughing one minute and crying the next, a great book.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I did review one about losing and controlling weight, but other than that, no. I'd not rule it out though.

26. Favorite cookbook?
I really like the BBC GoodFood range of cookbooks. I have a few, my favourite of them is probably 101 Cakes and Bakes, I've made quite a few of the recipes, and they've always been lovely.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Hmm, that's a tough one. Probably If I Stay by Gayle Forman, I thought it was a fantastic book.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Always crisps. At the moment my favourites are ready salted ones, but I also love wotsits and doritos, yum!

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I try not to let hype affect what I think about books, but I guess the only case I can think of is when Harry Potter was released. The massive hype put me off big time, and it was a few years before I even wanted to see what they were about.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I'm not sure, I don't ever read professional reviews. I prefer to look at reviews from my peers, and from my friends. Sometimes I will agree that the 'hype' surrounding a book was right, but it doesn't bother me if other people think it's great and I don't.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Like most people I don't like giving bad reviews, but I owe it to myself and to people who listen to my reviews to be honest about my personal thoughts on a book, whether that be good or bad.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I would love to read Japanese.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. The book is huge, and with a tiny font, and also it's very different to the normal 'western' kind of books I read, so I was definitely intimidated, but I really enjoyed it.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Everyone I know loves it, I'm kind of worried I won't think it's as great as everyone else.

35. Favorite Poet?
Rainer Maria Rilke. Falling Stars is lovely.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
As I said above, I don't take out from the library often, but when I do it's usually around 8-10.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Not often at all.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Henry DeTamble from The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I actually love the whole family, but Henry is special.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Voldemort, hands down.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Usually thrillers, or books that don't need too much thinking about.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Hmm, I'm not sure. My reading was pretty sporadic during my young teens, so easily a few months. But since I've started reading regularly again, probably no more than a week.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
All The Things We Didn't Say by Sara Shepard. I just found it so dull, that it was a chore to pick up, so I decided to not bother with it.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
My boyfriend typing on the computer keyboard, it's just so loud, and it irritates the hell out of me.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Notebook, the book is great but the film is fantastic. It just adds that extra depth to the story and I just love it.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Twilight, I love the books, but the film just lost something in translation. Kristen Stewart is just not the Bella I imagine, in fact most of the characters aren't. The only ones I felt had been cast perfectly were Emmett and Carlisle.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Hmm, probably around £30-40 or so I guess. I don't buy in shops that often, and when I do I often only buy a few at a time, not in big bulk.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If I'm losing the will to live. I don't often stop a book, even if I'm not enjoying it that much, so it has to be terrible for me to stop.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I do, they are all shelved neatly, or boxed away due to lack of space.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep most of my books, if I don't think I'll ever want to read it again then I usually swap them or give them away.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
The Hunger Games trilogy, they came to my attention about 6 months ago, but I knew it wasn't long until the release of the third book, so I decided to just wait and read them all together at once. I bought the first two books last week though, and have pre-ordered the third, so as soon at it comes, I will be delving in!

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Not angry as such but The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom left me in a permanent state of 'wtf!?' mixed with being utterly repulsed and baffled to be quite honest. Not an author I'll ever try again.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Da Vinci Code, I was aware of all the controversy about the religious-ness of the book and it put me right off. I never intended to read it until my boyfriend's aunt insisted that I did, and forced her copy upon me.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
There have been a few as I'm sure there are for everyone, but I guess the one that comes to mind in recent times were The Vampire Diaries books, I love the vampire genre, and expected to fully enjoy these, but I really didn't at all.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Twilight saga and the Sookie Stackhouse series. They're both comfort reads that are just easy to sink into and relax with.

Top Ten Picks: Favourite Book Quotes

Top Ten Picks is a weekly meme by Jillian about your top 10 picks! Each week, there will be a different theme and this weeks theme is 'favourite book quotes'. So here are my top 10 favourite quotes (in no particular order) ~

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1. "You don't know what goes on in anyone's life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person's life, you're messing with their entire life. Everything...affects everything."
~ Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher


2. "I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."
~ The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks


3. "Long ago, men went to sea, and women waited for them, standing on the edge of the water, scanning the horizon for the tiny ship. Now I wait for Henry. He vanishes unwillingly, without warning. I wait for him. Each moment that I wait feels like a year, an eternity. Each moment is as slow and transparent as glass. Through each moment I can see infinite moments lined up, waiting. Why has he gone where I cannot follow?"
~ The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger


4. "I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race - that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."
~ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


5. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
~ Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling


6. "It's possible to go on, no matter how impossible it seems, and that in time, the grief...lessens. It may not go away completely, but after a while it's not so overwhelming."
~ Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


7. "So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them."
~ The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky


8. "In a place far away from anyone or anywhere, I drifted off for a moment."
~ The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami


9. "I know there’s evil in the world, and there always has been. But you don’t need to believe in Satan or demons to explain it. Human beings are perfectly capable of evil all by themselves."
~ The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen


10. "You must walk alone to find your soul."
~ Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson


So what are your favourite quotes?

Teaser Tuesdays (17)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. 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!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:
On September 11, Yudhi watched the towers fall from his rooftop in Brooklyn. Like everyone else he was paralyzed with grief at what had happened - how could somebody inflict such an appalling atrocity on the city that is the most full of love of anywhere in the world? ~ p.260, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (17)


This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through Books.

In the past week I read:

Linwood Barclay - Fear The Worst 4/5 - review
Eve Edwards - The Other Countess 3.5/5 - review
Carol Lynch Williams - The Chosen One 4/5 - review
Charlaine Harris - Dancers In The Dark (re-read) 4/5 - review

At the moment I'm reading:

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love

In the next week I hope to read:

Alex Scarrow - TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator
Alyson Noel - Shadowland

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams


No. of pages: 213
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in her isolated community without ever questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters; without ever questioning the strict rules imposed by 'the Prophet' who leads them. But now Kyra has started keeping secrets. She reads books that are forbidden and sneaks away to meet Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself, instead of having a husband chosen for her. Kyra knows that it's only a matter of time before her two secret loves are discovered. And when the Prophet decrees that she is to become the seventh wife of her sixty-year-old uncle, Kyra is forced to make a desperate choice. But saving herself means endangering everyone she's ever cared for. How far should she go for freedom?

Review: Kyra is thirteen, and has grown up in a polygamist sect where she has 3 mothers and 20 siblings. This is the norm on the compound where Kyra lives, but Kyra has secrets. Not only is she in love with a boy she is forbidden to have even noticed, she has also been sneaking off to get books, but any book other than the bible is not allowed. So when the Prophet tells Kyra she has been chosen to be the seventh wife to her 60 year old uncle, she is horrified and refuses. But on the compound, the Prophet's word is law...

This is one of those books that is hard to review, after all how can you say you enjoyed a book about a young girl being forced to marry her old uncle? It is after all, revolting. However, enjoy this book I did, Kyra was a strong and fiesty young woman, just born in to the wrong circumstances and I was drawn into her story immediately. It really opened my eyes to the kind of control that these people are under, how the 'prophet' rules everything. One thing that did make me think for a second was Kyra's dad. You imagine that the men in these places are just perverts who are too greedy to have just one woman, yet Kyra's dad truly loved all of his wives and children, and really did believe this was the only way in to heaven. The sad thing is though, that although this particular story is fiction, there are so many girls out there for who this kind of thing is reality, and it's almost unbelievable. It's a short book at just over 200 pages, but don't let that put you off, there is so much packed in to this story. It's definitely a book I would recommend, although it's not an easy read for those who are sensitive.

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards


No. of pages: 333
Rating: 7/10
Series: Tudor Historical Romance (Book 1)

Synopsis: It's 1582 and eighteen-year-old Will Lacey's family is in trouble. After years of wasteful spending, his late father has run Lacey Hall to near ruin. Tasked with marrying his family back into fortune, the new Earl of Dorset is all set for a season at court to woo not just the Queen but potential brides with his jousting skills. But when Ellie – a strong-willed girl with nothing to her name but a worthless Spanish title – catches Will's eye, he faces a bigger battle than he could ever have anticipated.

Review: Will Lacey's father drove the family to the brink of poverty before his death, so now it lies upon Will's shoulders to bring his family back to wealth by marrying a rich lady. So Will goes to the Queen's court, where he sets about trying to find a wife, but there he bumps into Ellie, a gorgeous witty girl that he's instantly attracted to. But Ellie has nothing but her title, being that her father has spent every penny of their fortune, so it's impossible for them to be together, isn't it...?

Historical fiction is not a genre I tend to read that often as I'm not a huge fan of the 'olden days' way of talking. So that coupled with a slow beginning of The Other Countess meant it took me a little while to get into the book, but once it got past the Queen and court section, I was pretty much gripped by the story of Will and Ellie. They were both great characters to read, and I was rooting for them all along, even though I also loved Jane, and was kind of torn about who I wanted Will to end up with. The story flicks between the perspectives of Will, Ellie and Jane, so you get to see all different levels of living within that time which I found really interesting, and I thought it was all so fantastically written. I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series The Queen's Lady, which will be about Jane, so I will definitely be picking a copy up! Definitely recommended to fans of period books, or just a good old romance story.

Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay


No. of pages: 471
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: The worst day of Tim Blake's life started out with him making breakfast for his seventeen-year-old daughter Sydney. Syd was staying with him while she worked a summer job and Tim hoped this quality father-daughter time would somehow help her deal with his divorce. When she didn't arrive home at her usual time, he thought she'd probably gone to the mall to hang with her friends. When she didn't answer her phone he began to worry. When she didn't come home at all, he began to panic. And when the people at the motel said they had no Sydney Blake working there, and never had, he began to see his life going into freefall. If she hadn't been working at the motel every day, what had she been doing? Something she couldn't - or wouldn't - tell her own father about?

Review: Tim Blake's 17 year old daughter Sydney is staying with him for the summer, that is until she disappears without a trace. When Tim is told she didn't work at the place he thought she did, he has to wonder if he knew his daughter at all...

This is my personal favourite by this author so far, although I do still think some aspects of his stories are always a little too far fetched, but they are still mostly enjoyable and gripping. Fear The Worst was a little slow to get started, but once it did, it didn't stop until the last page. Tim Blake was a great character, I really liked him and was rooting for him the whole way through, he was very realistic in that he had flaws, but you could see that he really loved his daughter. I do wish the book had gone on for another chapter past the ending, to see how things wrapped up, I think that would have made it a more rounded story. Enjoyable for a quick thriller that keeps you glued to the pages, would recommend to fans of his other novels.

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren, and sums up my past week in book purchases!

So this week I bought 6 books:

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Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games

Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.

In a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

~~~~~

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Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

~~~~~

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Carol Lynch Williams - The Chosen One

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in her isolated community without ever questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters; without ever questioning the strict rules imposed by 'the Prophet who leads them. But now Kyra has started keeping secrets. She reads books that are forbidden and sneaks away to meet Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself, instead of having a husband chosen for her. Kyra knows that it's only a matter of time before her two secret loves are discovered. And when the Prophet decrees that she is to become the seventh wife of her sixty-year-old uncle, Kyra is forced to make a desperate choice. But saving herself means endangering everyone she's ever cared for. How far should she go for freedom?

~~~~~

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Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love

Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali.

~~~~~

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Charlaine Harris/Maggie Shayne/Barbara Hambly - Night's Edge

Three new stories in one delicious volume of horror and romance.

Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne
Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her bathroom mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack...

Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly
Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building...and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears?

Dancers In The Dark by Charlaine Harris
Layla LaRue LeMay is no ordinary dancer - her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. So when Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she's forced to face the music...and wonder if this will finally be her last dance.

~~~~~

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Rachel Vincent - Pride

The werecat council has three cardinal laws and headstrong Faythe stands accused of breaking two of them: infecting a human with her supernatural skills and killing him to cover her tracks. With the death penalty hanging over her head, Faythe has no escape route left. Until a shapeshifter informs the pride of a rash of rogue strays terrorising his land. Yet this threat is nothing like any they've seen before. Only Faythe has the knowledge to save the pride, but can she prove her worth? Or will the council's verdict condemn them all?

Teaser Tuesdays (16)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. 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!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:
The Queen and her retinue would be arriving within the week; hundreds of extra people to cram into the castle. The young bucks would be expected to display themselves to advantage on the field of chivalry; the girls to dazzle their suitors with their superior beauty and fine apparel. ~ p.10, The Other Countess by Eve Edwards.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (16)


This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through Books.

In the past week I read:

Sarwat Chadda - Dark Goddess 4/5 - review
Kelley Armstrong - Waking The Witch 5/5 - review

At the moment I'm reading:

Eve Edwards - The Other Countess
Linwood Barclay - Fear The Worst

In the next week I hope to read:

Alex Scarrow - TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator
Alyson Noel - Shadowland

Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong


No. of pages: 325
Rating: 10/10
Series: Women Of The Otherworld (Book 11)

Synopsis: The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Review: Paige and Lucas have gone on holiday, so when someone comes to the agency with a job, Savannah decides to take it on alone to prove she's ready to do it. But as she delves into the secrets in the small town where three women have been killed, Savannah uncovers a lot more than she bargained for, and it takes everything she has to find the killer...

First off, I have to say, I absolutely love this series, and I always eagerly await new installments, however, my favourite characters are the wolves, and my least favourite are the witches. That's not to say I don't enjoy the books with the witches in, because I do, but there's just something about the characters I don't connect with so much. So I was a little apprehensive about reading Waking The Witch, because not only was it the witches, but it was from a new perspective too, so I wasn't sure I was going to like it as much as I did Frostbitten, which I absolutely loved. However, I was so pleased to find I really enjoyed Waking The Witch, and I could barely put it down once I started it. Savannah has fast become one of my favourite women, and I cannot wait for the next book which is also from her point of view. It was nice to see the transition from Savannah being Paige's young ward, to Savannah being a woman in her own right, capable of looking after herself. The plot was great as well, I loved all the little twists and turns, although I did suspect about half way through who the killer was, and I was kind of right, but again there was a great twist that I wasn't expecting and that's why I love these books. I'd definitely recommend this series, it's one of the best I've read about supernaturals, and Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic writer.

Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda


No. of pages: 371
Rating: 8/10
Series: Billi SanGreal (Book 2)

Synopsis: Billi SanGreal is a Knight Templar and has thrown herself utterly into their brutal regime, shutting herself off from everyone and everything. But when Billi finds herself at the heart of a savage werewolf attack, she knows their target – a young girl – must be rescued at all costs. For this is no ordinary girl. Vasalisa is an avatar with an uncontrollable force within – and it’s not just the werewolves who want her. The Dark Goddess wants to sacrifice Vasalisa and use her powers to unleash unimaginable catastrophes and devastation. Can Billi protect Vasalisa from the ancient goddess – and at the same time stop her from destroying the world?

Review: Billi SanGreal is a member of The Knights Templar, and fights to rid the world of the Unholy. So when Billi saves a young girl from werewolves, she's pleased that she saved a life. But then she finds out that the werewolves will stop at nothing to get Vasalisa, as their Goddess wants her desperately. It falls to Billi to protect Vasalisa, or risk killing all of mankind...

I hadn't heard of this series, or this author when I was sent this book for review, but the fact it was about The Knights Templar piqued my interest, and I was excited to read something new about them. Another thing that caught my attention was the cover. I know they say never to judge a book by its cover, but this is the exception where you absolutely must judge it by its cover! It's gorgeous, and ties in to the book perfectly, it's definitely one of the best covers I've ever seen for a book. The story itself was gripping from the offset, I really enjoyed reading about the chase across Russia, and found everything was so fantastically described that it almost felt like I was running through the freezing snow with Billi myself. I was also really surprised to find how deeply the author had researched, and it clearly shone through during the story, especially when it came to the tales about Baba Yaga. This was a great read, and I will definitely be going back and reading the first book Devil's Kiss, and I really hope there's more to come from Billi SanGreal.

Teaser Tuesdays (15)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. 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!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:
Morning mist hung over Moscow. Only the tallest towers pierced the white veil, so they looked like the palaces of angels, floating on clouds. The hazy morning sun shone across the sky, staining it with scarlet and pink. ~ p.180, Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda.

July Summary

Books completed ~ 11
Jodi Picoult - Picture Perfect 4/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Glass Houses 5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - The Dead Girls' Dance 5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Midnight Alley 5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Feast Of Fools 5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Lord Of Misrule 4.5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Carpe Corpus 5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Fade Out 4.5/5 - review
Rachel Caine - Kiss Of Death 5/5 - review
Maggie Stiefvater - Shiver (re-read) 5/5 - review
Maggie Stiefvater - Linger 4.5/5 - review

Books bought ~ 19
Rachel Caine - Glass Houses
Rachel Caine - The Dead Girls' Dance
Rachel Caine - Midnight Alley
Rachel Caine - Feast Of Fools
Rachel Caine - Lord Of Misrule
Rachel Caine - Carpe Corpus
Rachel Caine - Fade Out
Rachel Caine - Kiss Of Death
Charlaine Harris - Grave Sight
Charlaine Harris - Grave Surprise
Charlaine Harris - An Ice Cold Grave
Chelsea Cain - Heartsick/Sweetheart omnibus
Alyson Noel - Shadowland
Darren Shan - Cirque Du Freak/The Vampire's Assistant/Tunnels Of Blood omnibus
Miranda Dickinson - Fairytale Of New York
Brunonia Barry - The Lace Reader
Maggie Stiefvater - Linger
Kelley Armstrong - Waking The Witch
Linwood Barclay - Fear The Worst

Books won or for review ~ 4
Candy Gourlay - Tall Story
Alex Scarrow - TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator
Eve Edwards - The Other Countess
Sarwat Chadda - Dark Goddess

Other posts ~
# Teaser Tuesdays - Picture Perfect / Lord Of Misrule / Dark Goddess / Linger
# Top Ten Picks - Must Haves For The Summer / Favourite Books To Movies / Favourite Male Literary Characters / Favourite Books Of All Time

Overall ~
July turned out okay, but only because I read the Morganville Vampire series, which I couldn't put down. If not for those books I don't think I would have hardly read anything this month. I've read the total of 2 1/4 books in the past 2 weeks, because things have just been so hectic, so I really need to get my reading back on track in the next month, starting with Dark Goddess which I'm really enjoying at the moment. I need to finish my other review books and then get to the books I've recently bought which I can't wait to get stuck into! Pretty much every book I read this month was a 'favourite read' I enjoyed every single one of them, which is great. I really hope the next month is the same for me!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater


No. of pages: 416
Rating: 9/10
Series: The Wolves Of Mercy Falls (Book 2)

Synopsis: It's about after. What happens after you discover there are werewolves in the wood, after you've fallen in love for the first time, after you've lost what you think you can't live without, after you've become someone you can't live with.

Sam, who spent most of his life as a werewolf, has undergone an unlikely cure and no longer transitions between fur and skin as the temperature changes from cold to hot. This should be a happy time for Sam and true-love Grace, but just as he begins to trust his new human life, Grace feels herself slipping away. Sam's focus is split between worry for Grace and his role as caretaker of the werewolf pack, which for the first time in years includes new members.


Review: Grace finally has what she's always dreamed of - Sam, in human form. But of course, love never runs smoothly, and the couple start coming across many obstacles to their life together. Isabel is trying to recover from the death of her brother when she meets Cole, and together they find a way to discover the meaning of truly living.

I absolutely adored Shiver, which has been one of my favourite reads in recent history, so although I was massively looking forward to Linger, I was also a bit apprehensive about where the story would go. I have to admit, I never imagined before I started reading it that it would end the way it did, that was a complete surprise, but it's a plot point I guessed pretty early on when reading it. I loved that Isabel and Cole were narrators, Isabel is a great character, and I never imagined that I would enjoy reading her chapters as much as I did. Cole grew on me as the book progressed and we learned more about him. Sam is... well he's Sam, and I can honestly say I have a serious crush on that boy! Sam and Grace are such a perfect couple though and so I can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy to see how it all ends, because this is such a fantastic series, with great, lovable characters. I would definitely recommend Shiver and Linger both!

Kiss Of Death by Rachel Caine


No. of pages: 348
Rating: 10/10
Series: The Morganville Vampires (Book 8)

Synopsis: Claire Danvers has a few things on her mind. First of all there is the laundry, which is now an unfortunate shade of pink. Then there is her boyfriend, Shane, who is never too far from her thoughts. Finally there is her best friend Eve’s relationship problems. As if life as a student wasn’t complicated enough, Claire just happens to be studying in Morganville. A town run by vampires. Trouble seems to follow Claire and her friends like a shadow and tonight is no exception to the rule. They must find the most difficult documents for a vampire to acquire; people passes that will allow ‘bad ass’ Morley and his friends to leave Morganville. But it’s proving incredibly difficult, and with the odds seemingly stacked against them, the biggest question of all is…Will they survive?

Review: Eve, Claire, Shane and Michael get passes to leave Morganville, so that Michael can record a music demo. But of course they must have a chaperone, and unfortunately it's Oliver. At the last minute he tells them he needs to make a detour on the way, but what he doesn't mention is that he's dragging them into danger yet again...

It was kind of nice to get out of Morganville during this book, although I do have to admit I did miss the usual cast of characters such as Amelie and Myrnin. It was pretty action packed though, and kept me gripped until the end, it's always so fun to follow their adventures. It was also nice to be reading about a new setting, and new side characters, in particular, Morley grew on me a lot during the story. It's been quite refreshing to read something more unique within the vampire YA genre, and would definitely recommend this series. I'm really looking forward to the new book at the end of the year, I can't wait to see what Morganville holds next!
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