Saturday, 16 November 2013

October Wrap Up

October Wrap Up
Challenges:
Ouch, university is still kicking my butt on the reading side of things. However this doesn't matter too much as I have indeed now completed my reading goal! I'm so happy about that because at the start of the year I was super worried it was far too ambitious.


Women Author Challenge - Completed
37. Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram [review]
38. Kissing Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram
Total: 38 / 10

Dystopia Reading Challenge
N/A
Total: 5 / 6

Indie Fever Reading Challenge - Completed
N/A
Total: 35 / 16

TBR Reading Challenge
N/A
Total: 15 / 20

(Ongoing) Millionaire Challenge:
26,558 (+ 11 unknown)

A-Z Book Challenge:
K - Kissing Jamie Baker 16.10
Total: 20 / 26

Shelf Stacking
Oh my, aren't you proud. I've been very good with my money now I'm a student fending for myself. Or maybe I've been so caught up in work I didn't even realise October had passed without a book falling into my lap. Well apart from the following two which were both late birthday presents from Lewis.
A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow (A Song of Ice and Fire #3, Part 1 of 2)A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold (A Song of Ice and Fire #3, Part 2 of 2)

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (62)




Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Pen to Paper where we share and post about a book that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added, that we can't wait to get off the wishlist.






Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers, #2)Word and Deed (Wordless Chronicles, #2)
Series I'm dying to continue reading: Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowan and Word and Deed by Susannah Noel I really enjoy the first of both of these series but I'm really bad at actually finishing series (being on a book buying ban doesn't really help to be honest).

Wicked Kiss Synopsis: My kiss can kill.
I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul…or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't…I hurt myself.
Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop—or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy….

Pushing the Limits Synopsis: 
Until three months ago, Riana lived a safe, quiet life as a Reader for the Union government, but her life is no longer quiet or safe.

She is now part of an underground rebellion, working closely with Connor, the covert leader of the movement and her best friend. Together, they’re trying to translate a mysterious book that might give them answers about the disaster that transformed their world.
Union officials want to arrest them, and radical Zealots want to destroy them. And Mikel, her Soul-Breather boyfriend, wants Riana to stop putting herself in danger for a cause he doesn’t support.
Then it gets even worse, when the Zealots start to frame them for violent acts of terrorism. Riana has to stay alive and juggle conflicting loyalties, deciding who to trust, where her heart lies, and what she really believes in.

Friday, 8 November 2013

Reap by Christina Channelle - Book Tour Review + Giveaway

Reap by Christina Channelle
Reap

Published: 11th October by Christina Channelle
Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal Romance / Young Adult
Page Count: 92
Format: eBook
Source: Girls Heart Books Tours

Synopsis: Foreign, or rather unfamiliar, would be the word I would use to describe how I felt.

Faintly, I could hear the glimmer of voices surrounding me in this dark haze, caressing my ears like skin against silk. I felt like I was in a cocoon of sorts, protectively enveloped, quietly drifting in some far-off place. I wanted to stay that way forever.

But we all know that what you want never really seems to happen in the real world.


Something’s not right in Mia’s head.

The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his questioning gaze.

And Briggs.

The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.

As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …

Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.
Purchase: Amazon UK* / Amazon US / B&N / Smashwords / iTunes

Review: 
4.5 / 5 stars

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Reap for part of a book tour hosted by Girls Heart Books Tours, this will in no way effect my opinion on the book.

I really couldn't pass up the opportunity to join this tour seeing as though I've read almost all of her other books already, and I'm glad that I didn't.


Reap is a novella, a story of only 92 pages, which of course makes it difficult for me to say too much without spoiling anything. Don't worry I shall try my best.

As Reap is split into parts, I shall split my review too. Hopefully this'll make things a little clearer.

Part One.

Lying on the floor. Dazed. No memory. No name. No sense of familiarity. 

This is how Mia awakes, how we awake, how the book starts. 

I really like this because the world and characters are getting introduced to both Mia and yourself at the same time, which makes it very easy to follow and relate because as she finds her ground, you too find yours.

Aside from Mia there are four other characters. Dante, Amy, James and Briggs. 

These become her unconventional family, and as the story progresses we see how her relationships with them develop. 

Particularly Dante. Whether or not you want to class this as insta-love or not is up to you, I'm leaning more towards the not because with it being a novella the time can jump quickly so whilst you can see them growing to like each other quickly (as in pages), at the same time it can be seen as weeks passing because obviously we're not getting a day to day account of Mia adjusting to her new lifestyle.

Oh and theres a few things I've not pointed out either, that are particularly important.

One, Mia can't speak.

Two, there is an unknown danger outside. (Okay it's not unknown to me any more, and you do find out what it is after about ...30 pages? but spoilers).

Due to this "unknown danger" and Briggs' very strange and off behaviour there is a lot of tension on questioning throughout the first, but of course also reading this from the point of view of a character with a lack of memory leads to this too!

Part Two.

This part is called remembering.

But it's not just about our Mia remembering her life from before waking up on the floor, it's actually set during that time.

So we are thrown back.

It's actually a little confusing because whilst we recognise it's Mia's life,  there is a lot of new things happening that don't quite knit neatly part one.

But it's great to see how strongly she has felt for certain people, to realise how deep love can run.

I really enjoyed this part. It seemed so full of life. (Ironically, I guess?) Probably due to how emotions are a very lively aspect. No matter how the effect us.

But luckily it does all get explained and linked up in part three.

Part Three.

Part three of which I can't review. It's the shortest part and it's where everything falls into place.

It would be far too spoiler worthy for me to utter a word from it, maybe even deathly.

Who knows what's out there. 

Excerpt:
I could hear the waves of the ocean crashing behind us, our feet buried in the warm sand, the grains getting between our toes. We held each other firmly, as if either one of us would instantly drop to the ground without the support of the other. His large hands gripped my waist, then loosened oh so slightly. He trailed his fingers up and down my sides, my body shivering in response. In return, I clutched the back of his neck and smiled against his skin. Showering tiny kisses along the column of his neck, I breathed in his intoxicating, familiar scent.
“You know, you’re eventually going to have to let me go,” his low voice rumbled over my head. 



Author Bio 
Christina Channelle
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A dreamer, Christina Channelle holds two degrees in health sciences but has always had a passion for writing. You will find her reading other young adult novels, or typing up a new story on her computer. When not writing, Christina spends her free time at the movies, listening to music, or eating sushi. She’s a reality TV junkie and has a close relationship with many characters on TV that have been a topic of many heated discussions among friends. She resides in Ontario, Canada.

Giveaway
Print Copy of Reap + 4 Bookmarks - US ONLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*When purchasing through these link, Northern Plunder will receive a small amount, once I have enough saved up I will put it towards a giveaway.
Don't forget to follow the tour by clicking this link!

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Endure by Laura Diamond - Review

Endure by Laura Diamond

Catalyst

Published: 12th July by Etopia Press
Genre: Young Adult
Page Count: 269
Format: eBook
Source: Etopia Press

Synopsis:Seventeen-year-old Justin's anemic blood is a blessing. Or a curse. It all depends on who you ask.

To most of the immortal Vie, his blood is a scourge: untouchable and useless. To some Vie, his blood is a drug. To Justin, it's something that gets him in a lot of trouble. Being poisoned by a Vie is just one example. His sister getting kidnapped is another. Whether it's being coerced by a deluded cult leader, or negotiation with Alex - an Vie scientist addicted to Anemie blood - Justin struggles to keep every mutated drop of blood he's got.

His fight for survival gets more complicated when he meets Alex's slave, Care. Despite coming from different worlds, they're both prisoners, at risk of being drained by a hungry Vie any moment. When she risks her own neck to help Justin find his sister, he's left with a terrifying choice.

Saving what's left of humanity.
Saving his sister. Saving the girl he loves.
Or sticking a stake in Alex's chest.
Justin can't decide which option will get him killed first.


Purchase: Amazon UK* / Amazon US / B&N / Kobo 

Review: 
4 / 5 stars

I was fortunate enough to receive an eArc copy of Endure in exchange for an honest review from Etopia Press, this will in no way effect my opinion on the book.

But guess which silly book blogger typed up the entire review and accidentally deleted it and has been too upset to tackle it again since then. Yeah that was me. I'm pretty annoyed by the whole experience but *sigh* what can you do.

Any how, when this book turned up in my inbox I hadn't requested it or read the synopsis so I just picked it up and read it on a whim and that the cover was pretty. 

And because of this, it surprised me.

Judging by the cover alone I'd have guessed we'd have yet another female narrative but no not here. Finally I have actually read one of the very few YA books that have a male narrative and I loved this. 

It was definitely a nice change, the writing felt different and new and it came across clearly that this was in fact a boy. It was great to see things from a boys point of view for a change.


I may have been one of the boys growing up but I certainly don't have the mind set of a boy. 

Endure is about Justin, an anaemic teenage boy, looking after his younger sister whilst trying to survive as the Vie take over Earth - building a dome over the city to help their own survival, making humans into slaves and being in charge of their every movement, feeding and breathing. Its pretty scary.

At first I figured the Vie were Aliens, if you've seen the TV series "V" you'll have an idea how I was imagining this world but as the story unravelled, very quickly I realised I was wrong. I was thrilled to find out the Vie were in fact Vampires!

Wooo. I'm pretty sure this is one of the only books I've read this year about Vampires. 100% real and not made up to get the girl Vampires.

What is even better is these aren't dreamy-fall-head-over-heels-for-Vampires, but in fact they're terrifying, blood thirsty and mind controlling Vampires, getting high of anaemic blood.

Justin's sister is taking captive by a Vampire named Alex, who has a definite interest in Justin once he manages to resist Alex's mind control.

So here beings Justin's quest to rescue his sister but its not an easy task at all.

Along the way he ends up with a group of anaemic kids who believe he is the saviour mentioned in a prophecy, he ends up being tortured and almost drained to death on more than one occasion, fights vampire after vampire - though not always successfully - and of course meets a girl who he likes.

Probably one of my favourite aspects of this book was the dynamic between Alex and Justin, the conversations between the two and each of them figuring out what the other is up too. Its was great to see the story unfold between these two characters but I do have to say Alex wasn't the only one that got annoyed with Justin's stubbornness.

However, whilst I really enjoyed reading this books and I have very little to complain about, I do believe that it was more of a build up to the sequel, the way the story ended on such an open cliffhanger just made it seem like I should be expecting a lot more to happen in the future.

Which is why I'm very excited and waiting (somewhat patiently) for the sequel.
Laura Diamond: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
*When purchasing through this link, I will receive a small amount, once I have enough saved up I will put it towards a giveaway.