Wednesday 28 August 2013

London Press Conference Write-Up: An Interview With The Cast and Director of City of Bones!

Last Monday I was lucky enough to be invited to an exclusive press conference with Lily Collins (Clary) Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace) Robert Sheehan (Simon) and City of Bones director Harald Zwart in London by the books publishing house Walker. I’m a huge fan of this series and of course jumped at this once in a lifetime chance! The interview lasted for about 30-40 minutes and although I was too nervous to ask a question I loved hearing everyone else’s and the cast’s responses.

It was quite a small environment so felt really personal and one on one. The cast were all so down to earth and after a while I kind of forgot who they were because it was just like chatting to any other person my age. Jamie and Robert were really funny but my favourite had to be Lily. She has such a calming presence, she’s very graceful and intelligent and I loved hearing her thoughtful answers. I think I may have come away with a new girl crush!

I voice recorded the interview but some of it got muffled and because there was so much footage I had to edit some of it out or this post would have gone on forever! But I decided that I wanted to type up and share some of the highlights of the press conference with you. I hope you enjoy the interview!

P.S: If you haven’t seen the movie yet this interview contains spoilers!!!

An Interview With The Cast and Director of City of Bones 

From left to right: Harald Zwart, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan and Lily Collins

Harald, you have directed coming of age stories before usually featuring a male as the lead was the idea of telling a coming of age story with such a strong female character in the lead role one of the things that attracted you to this film? 
HARALD: Yeah, you could say that The Karate Kid was for my son and this was for my daughter who needs good role models. She’s way too young to see the movie but she saw it before the monsters were added and she loved it then and now I think she’s going to be terrified!

The demon dog at the start is something out of a nightmare!
HARALD: Yeah, people asked me did you consider your audience? I just wanted to make a really great movie that I’d love to watch too. I think younger audiences today are much more sophisticated than when I was younger, people like to be scared. I was constantly thinking what would I show my own kids? I think that as long as it’s not too much gore and blood and girls in jeopardy which I think is a little boring after a while - they need to stand up for themselves. I was inspired by The Exorcist and the original movie The Thing I loved the idea of something cracking apart and reassembling itself.

Whilst we’re on the subject of a female character who isn’t in any way a damsel in distress Lily, she is I’m imagining a dream for an actress to play because she is a really strong female lead is that what attracted you to the part?
LILY: Yeah, Clary is very normal. She cries, she’s confused, she’s going through an identity crisis but she embraces that and she finds strength in her weaknesses and ends up kicking butt and hanging with the guys. But all the while still having those feminine, young girl, moments that make her very real so I think it was kind of this journey that she goes on but never losing sight of how she is very normal as well because I think it’s very easy to play someone superhuman but that’s not relatable to a normal person so that’s what really drew me to her.

She does kick butt alongside your character Jamie. Jace is a cool guy, I think he’s the kind of guy most guys would like to be. He’s a mysterious stranger who turns up, is incredibly charming and can slay demons with one hand tied behind his back he must have been a fun role.
JAMIE: Yeah he’s everything I’m not basically! You know performance is always a very cathartic process for me, I’m not particularly cool. He was a great character to play. It was tough; I put a lot of work and a lot of effort into it. A lot of the characters I’ve played before have been fairly soft or rounded. You have the book and there’s that guy there with his shirt off and he’s looking pretty buff and pretty hench and so I had to get into that physical shape. I’ve always liked to push and challenge myself I think without that I’d get quite bored I have a short attention span. It was fun and it was difficult learning how to hone my skills in terms of stunts and fighting was a real joy.

There were so many incredible sets in the movie, which one was your favourite?
LILY: The Institute library. The first time I saw it my jaw literally dropped just like Clary. Just the detail behind the props that you never even saw in the movie. There were bookcases filled with books that you’d think is just a spine but it was a complete novel and then there were all of the weapons that were made for it so really that set to me was pure magic.

What was training for the movie like? How long did you have to train for?
ROBERT: To me they were like “just have a sleep in, the rest of them are going to do stunt choreography. Just show up for the filming bit and put a t-shirt on.”
LILY: Or not. For the girls…
ROBERT: Or not.
LILY: I trained for three months just before filming out in LA every day before and after work along with our physical fitness trainer. I am an active person and I really enjoy getting down and bruised I guess especially with this one I have to hang with all the guys and keep up in heels and a very short dress for the guys.
JAMIE: Why are you two getting all sexy? (laughter)
ROBERT: I was just jealous of the heels.
LILY: Kevin got to wear platforms which was pretty cool, but yeah I guess the hardest part for me physically was that I didn’t train in the outfits except for the day before and then I’m thrust into it with these heels and this dress and as Lily it was very awkward but I could just pawn it off on Clary. I never twisted an ankle and I barely tripped I just bruised a lot.
HARALD: You’re going to do a lot more butt kicking in the second film.
LILY: Yes, but the heels will be lower.
ROBERT: What’s the vitamin that stops you bruising?
LILY: Arnica I take it every day. It doesn’t make a difference on me.
ROBERT: You’re like porcelain.
LILY: It’s a better word than pale, thank you.



Jamie previously you’ve said that you get a new tattoo done for every project are you having anything done to mark this movie?
JAMIE: Yeah I was meant to be getting it done today around the corner but it’s closed today and that’s where I get most of my tattoos done. I’m getting the quote “I am after all what you made me” a line from the book on my back.
HARALD: We need to cover them all up every day when we’re shooting.

Was it hard to cover you up each day? 
JAMIE: Yeah it takes about four hours to cover up and then to put on the rune tattoos over the top.
HARALD: Why don’t you just tattoo the tattoos we need on?
ROBERT: That’s the problem with these runes! 
JAMIE: I quite like having them there underneath the make-up. I like to know that I’m still Jamie underneath all that at the end of the day. That’s one of the reasons that I have them.

How are you dealing with the fandom and attention?
ROBERT: It’s been an eye opener! Comic Con was my first real direct interaction. When we turn up to premiers it’s kinda like Beetle mania, you know? We’re getting out of our cars and there are hundreds of people screaming.
JAMIE: When we were in LA you went “God I feel like the Rolling Stones!”
LILY: Yeah and then a fan said “Yeah, not quite.” I loved that! It’s very special to see fans up close and personal. I guess the weirdest moments for me are like in LA when I go to a mall that I’ve shopped at since I was twelve and now there’s like massive pictures of our faces everywhere. At my local coffee shops now there are billboards and people wearing t-shirts and stuff. It’s very strange but really exciting. I don’t think there’s ever a way you could fully prepare and I wouldn’t want to prepare for anything because I like the spontaneity of it all and I want everything to be as exciting as it should be because when you set an expectation it’s either above or below but when you set nothing then it is what it is and it makes it special regardless.
HARALD: My first meeting was interesting. I went to a book signing with Cassandra Clare at the LA Book Festival and we realised that that line were all coming for us and I was like “oh my goodness this is unbelievable!” Cassandra will talk to them and give them attitude - she’s a very cool lady.

The CGI in this film was fantastic what was your favourite part watching the film back?
LILY: What stuck out from my first meeting is that it wasn’t a movie about CGI or green screen it was character and emotion and you could wipe away all the other stuff and you’d still get the same story. It’s just as strong and the other stuff is icing on top. The two things that stick out CGI wise is the scene where I stop the demons and they all freeze in time. Robbie and I and a couple of others were bouncing around tennis balls on sticks it was very strange we were fighting for our life and he kept drawing pictures on them to make us laugh and I mean after the fifth take it’s not funny anymore. You’re just like can we just get this done?! It’s just not normal to be doing that obviously I don’t do that with my free time. And then the other scene I guess was the dog scene when it’s coming after me and changing shape and I’m setting things on fire there was nothing to look at. Harald just clapped and was like “it’s there!”
HARALD: I was just scaring her as much as I could.
ROBERT: You’d see Harald jumping out from behind the scenes.
HARALD: If you lower the sound then make a huge loud noise you get a natural reaction.
JAMIE: What a lunatic! It sounds like he’s joking but he’s deadly serious.
LILY: The parts where the body parts are moulding back together on the floor all he said to me was “okay they’re growing and now they’re merging.” The only time it made any sense was when I watched the movie. My look of confusion is me thinking “what is he talking about?” But it actually plays into “oh my god they’re merging! I don’t know what’s going on.” Luckily it played into it.
JAMIE: He’s out of shot but he’s there pushing the actors.
LILY: He’s like “you’re not reacting well enough!”
ROBERT: If Harald ever writes a book there will be a whole chapter on how to scare an actor without using too much CGI.
Harald: It’s true the cup…
LILY: Oh yeah the cup! When I have to pull it out of the paper? We had this amazing prop guy called Mario and every time I would go to pick it up he’d be holding the card and he’d just be like staring at me and in this moment of fear all I can see is Mario gazing up at me. It’s just not normal!
JAMIE: We had these wires down our entire arms and down our backs for the witchlight and stele and I went to this mall the other day and the merchandise is just a battery operated thing and I was like why didn’t we have that when we were shooting?
ROBERT: That was another luxury of being a mundane I had none of the shadowhunter technology that I was laboured down with!

If you could make up a rune for anything what would it be?
LILY: I created one the other day I was asked to draw one on someone and as I was drawing it I just thought of what it meant and I said it was the rune of grace and confidence so that you always carry yourself with grace and confidence and it turned out the girl’s name was Grace. Kinda weird!
ROBERT: The get up in the morning rune to help me be awake. That’s the one thing I could really do with just getting my motor running without heavy amounts of caffeine. Even after eight hours sleep I’ll still get up and after the first hour or two still have one eye closed, so if I could be one of those morning people.

You got to wear some cool costumes. What was your favourite item of clothing?
ROBERT: Before they get into all the complex shadowhunter stuff I want to say my Nike high tops. Grey, pink, very cool, very sporty, very vintage.
JAMIE: The leather trousers are great. Everyone’s always like “oh the leather must be really difficult to wear because it’s constricting” leather’s actually a really versatile material!
LILY: You ripped yours!
JAMIE: Yeah I ripped mine a few times, that’s true. That’s because I was doing like superhero jumps and then I’d go into costume and they’d be like “we’re going to need a clean-up on aisle three over here.” If you look very closely in some of the stunt scenes you can see that there’s rips appearing and disappearing and it’s just like our continuity is brilliant.

How did you find developing the love triangle? Did it take a lot of work?
LILY: When Jamie walked into the first audition room that was pretty much just it. Right away it was created and then we both walked into the room with Robbie and they are so different in real life that they embody their characters perfectly in different ways and I’m just in the middle of these two characters. I don’t think there was any work needed to be done when it came to this triangle situation. My Clary’s only the Clary that she was because Jamie was his Jace then enter Robbie and he became Simon. I think it’s important for Clary because it’s like having the angel and the devil on your shoulder. She’s just figuring out who she is and sometimes it takes figuring out what you don’t like to know what you do or what you do like to know what to avoid. She sees pros and cons in both Jace and Simon and she finds pieces of herself within both people and I think it’s really about her. The romance never defines Clary which I really liked about this particular franchise. It’s not just a girl stuck between two guys it’s a girl who finds herself in this situation but she never lets it victimise her or define her journey. She finds pieces of herself in each person and I think to have that physical choice is just a metaphorical exploration of herself.



END 

I hope you guys had fun reading this! If you met the cast what question would you ask them? And also what were your thoughts on the film?
Thank you to Casey from Dark Readers for the photo's! It was great to finally meet you!

Saturday 24 August 2013

Letterbox Love (31) A Quick Catch-Up!



Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

So I've been MIA from the blog this past week because I had a bout of terrible insomnia and was just so exhausted all of the time and hardly read anything. I go through phases like this every so often and fingers crossed I seem to be coming out the other end of this one now. It's *so* nice to be able to sleep again! Only now I have a lot of blogging and reading to catch up on! I received quite a few review books whilst I was away and I also took a trip to London to attend a press conference with the cast of City of Bones which the publishers very kindly invited me to - it was awesome! Needless to say I did some book shopping in Foyles (one of my favourite book shops in the world!) I can never resist! Especially their cheap US imports...

I have a lot of books and e-books to get through so this will just be a quick catch up meaning I won't go into as much detail as I usually would about the books. If I did that would take me a while and this post would be huge and nobody would want to read it. So this will be short and sweet - I hope that's okay! As always I'll link each title up to Goodreads in case you'd like to find out more. Now, on to the books! :)

 For Review


Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Stay Where You Are And Then Leave by John Boyne (proof copy)
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
More Than This by Patrick Ness
Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma


Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines
Wait for You by J. Lynn
Rule by Jay Crownover (proof copy)
Coco's Secret by Niamh Greene
Another Way to Fall by Amanda Brooke
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
A Heart Bent Out of Shape by Emylia Hall

 Bought


The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown

On My Kindle 
For Review 
Once We Were by Kat Zhang 
The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine 
The Returned by Jason Mott 
 The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell 
The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman 
Swimming Pool Summer by Rebecca Farnworth 
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes 
The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle 
 Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott 
 These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 
Bought 
My Favourite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron 

These are all of my lovely new books! Now I just need to get reading because I have some absolute gems here that I can't wait to get on to! As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

Happy reading till next time!

Friday 23 August 2013

Review for It’s Raining Men by Milly Johnson

It’s Raining Men by Milly Johnson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 1st August 2013
Genre: Romance, Chick-lit, Women’s Fiction, Friendship
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Summary: 

"A summer getaway to remember. But is a holiday romance on the cards…? Best friends from work May, Lara and Clare are desperate for some time away. They have each had a rough time of it lately and need some serious R & R. So they set off to a luxurious spa for ten glorious days, but when they arrive at their destination, it seems it is not the place they thought it was. In fact, they appear to have come to entirely the wrong village… Here in Ren Dullem nothing is quite what it seems; the lovely cobbled streets and picturesque cottages hide a secret that the villagers have been keeping hidden for years. Why is everyone so unfriendly and suspicious? Why does the landlord of their holiday rental seem so rude? And why are there so few women in the village? Despite the strange atmosphere, the three friends are determined to make the best of it and have a holiday to remember. But will this be the break they all need? Or will the odd little village with all its secrets bring them all to breaking point…?"

Review 
I’ve read and loved four books from Milly Johnson so far and It’s Raining Men has to be my new favourite! With three lovable heroines, one secretive little village, buckets of mystery and a sprinkling of magic I found myself engrossed in the story and reading long into the night.

The book is about three unlucky in love career girls and work friends Lara, May and Clare. All three of them are having relationship problems and are tired and overworked so they decide to treat themselves to a luxurious spa break to relax and catch-up. Only fate has other plans for our lovely ladies and they end up stuck in the mysterious little town of Ren Dullem a place where clouds hover forebodingly overhead, the locals are unwelcoming and secretive and there are hardly any women around at all. However appearances are not what they seem and as the friends open up to each other about the truth behind their seemingly perfect lives and relationships the mystery of Ren Dullem is slowly revealed as are the secrets the villagers are desperately trying to keep.

As well as being a brilliant new title in women’s fiction It’s Raining Men also has a real sense of mystery throughout the novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. I found all of the little clues and folklore cleverly placed. I quickly fell in love with the curious little village and I loved watching the girls slowly come to love it there too. It was lovely to bump into Coco and Gideon (two characters I loved from An Autumn Crush!) who were staying in Ren Dullem too and to have a catch up with them.

I loved all three heroines they were all distinctive from one another and I loved their individual stories as well as their friendship. My absolute favourite had to be Lara – her relationship with Gene reminded me of a Doris Day film. The two would end up in an argument every time their paths crossed but there was also chemistry there and as you get to know them you realise how perfect they’d be together. They were both unlucky in love and I really wanted a happy ending for them.

Overall It’s Raining Men was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and is definitely a favourite of mine from this summer. If you love warm and relatable heroines, stories about friendship, mystery, fate and a little bit of that magic in life I’d strongly recommend It’s Raining Men to old Milly Johnson fans and newbies discovering her books for the first time – this is a fantastic place to start!

Thursday 15 August 2013

Severed Heads, Broken Hearts UK Blog Tour: Robyn Schneider Vlogs About The Inspiration Behind Her Book!

I'm very happy to welcome debut novelist and Youtube personality Robyn Schneider to the blog today to talk about the inspiration behind Severed Heads, Broken Hearts. This book is being pitched as being perfect for fans of John Green and I'm so excited to be reading this soon! In case this book isn't on your radar yet here's a little bit about what it's about...



"After witnessing his girlfriend in a “very friendly” position with a guy who is definitely not him, closely followed by a catastrophic car accident that shatters his leg along with his pro Tennis hopes, Ezra Faulkner returns to school for senior year, cast into social oblivion, a shadow of his former self. Ezra believes that everyone suffers a defining tragedy: it appears that his has just occurred.

But this new tragic self might have its own appeal, especially after he meets the clever, oddly sexy Cassidy Thorpe, a girl who launches him into a series of transformative adventures that help Ezra learn the truth about tragedy: unlike lightning, it can and will strike the same place twice."


 Robyn's Vlog 
Fabio and the Roller Coaster: Where Authors Get Book Ideas 


 For more of Robyn's vlogs subscribe to her channel here
Or Follow her on Twitter @robynschneider 

I absolutely loved this video! What a unique and gory way to be inspired for a book! Thanks for sharing and being on the blog today, Robyn! Severed Heads, Broken Hearts is available to buy in the UK NOW so be sure to treat yourself to a copy and to continue following the blog tour which will be stopping at Fiction Fascination tomorrow!

Monday 12 August 2013

Review for Cruel Summer by James Dawson

Cruel Summer by James Dawson 
Publisher: Indigo
Release: 1st August 2013
Genre: YA, Murder Mystery, Thriller, UKYA, Contemporary
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Goodreads Summary: 

"A year after Janey’s suicide, her friends reunite at a remote Spanish villa, desperate to put the past behind them. However, an unwelcome guest arrives claiming to have evidence that Jane was murdered. When she is found floating in the pool, it becomes clear one of them is a killer. Only one thing is for certain, surviving this holiday is going to be murder…"

Review 
Cruel Summer was my first read from talented UK YA author James Dawson. I’ve been on a YA Summer Thriller kick this year and so was immediately interested in checking this book out after reading the synopsis. Then in came the glowing reviews and my book blogging friends telling me how much I’d love this one and so I decided to read it ASAP and promptly read the entire thing in one sitting because it was that good!

In a nutshell Cruel Summer is about a group of friends who haven’t seen each other for a year since their friend Janey suspiciously committed suicide. On the one year anniversary of her death the friends decide to reunite for a sunny holiday in Spain. But in a remote area, with no phone reception, the teens are about to discover that Janey’s death was only the beginning and that her killer might be on the Island with them demanding an encore.

Sun, Sea and Sand - I loved the setting for this story! The group’s holiday villa sounded like a dream come true until it became their worst nightmare. I loved every single character in this book and really enjoyed reading about UK teen characters abroad. Each character gets to narrate the story and add their version of events at some point but for the majority this book is told from Ryan and Alisha’s point of view. I really enjoyed having the dual boy/girl narrative that wasn’t between a couple for once. Cruel Summer has a very cinematic feel which Ryan only adds to with his flair for the dramatic and how he imagines his life as an on-going TV series – starring himself as the main character of course! I can definitely see this as a TV show or British film – think Skins meets The Inbetweeners movie only with more murder and intrigue.

I really loved getting to know this group of friends and I soon felt like I was part of their group. But like every group of friends each of them has their secrets that they keep from each other. Some are connected to Janey’s death and some are not. I loved untangling their messy little lies! Each character had motive to be the killer and I suspected everyone at some point or another but at the same time I couldn’t imagine any of them being a cold blooded murderer because I liked them all so much!

Although by the end of the book I did suspect who the killer was (which I don’t think really counts as like I said I suspected everyone!) I didn’t see their motive coming at all although looking back there are some very subtle clues. There were twists and turns until the very end and there were a lot of red herrings to keep you guessing. I must warn you that this is most definitely a thriller, once you start it you won’t want to do anything else! And James Dawson isn’t afraid of killing off his characters so don’t go getting attached to anyone like I did! *Sobs.*

Overall Cruel Summer delivered everything I could want from a gripping Summer Thriller/Murder Mystery and it genuinely gave me the creeps at times. I’d really love it if James Dawson stuck to this genre as I’d love a thriller as good as this one to read every summer! Cruel Summer is definitely one for the beach (or not if you’re a big baby like me!) and I’m now eager to get my hands on Hollow Pike - James Dawson you have yourself a new fan!

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Review for Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee 
Publisher: Hodder
Release: 23rd May 2013
Genre: YA, Angels, Romance, Dystopian
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Goodreads Summary: 
"It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back..."

Review 
I’m a huge fan of both the Angel and Dystopia trend in YA so I really should have known that Angelfall ( a brilliant mixture of both genres ) would go on to become one of my new favourite books! I’m a little late to the party for this one but I recently found myself in a reading slump and needed something fresh and compelling to pull me out of it. I’m so happy that I decided to pick up Angelfall! I was immediately sucked into the world and I’d stay up late reading long into the night promising myself just one more chapter which would inevitably turn into several more.

Penryn lives in a future world where Angels of the Apocalypse have destroyed Earth as we know it. The world is in a state of chaos and the remaining humans are out for themselves with supplies and safe houses running low. It’s a gritty and brutal new world and if survival wasn’t hard enough Penryn also has a disabled younger sister to take care of and a schizophrenic mother who has run out of medication to stabilize her illness. All too often in Paranormal YA the characters are young, perfect, healthy and beautiful the fact that Penryn’s family have real world struggles to contend with on top of the apocalypse made them feel like real people which I couldn’t applaud more.

The book begins with Penryn and her family witnessing an Angel brutally having his wings hacked off by his own kind. Noting her sister Paige’s distress Penryn tries to help the Angel and as punishment the angels that were attacking Raffe fly away with Paige and so Penryn and Raffe are forced to work together as Penryn needs Raffe to find where the Angels took her sister and Raffe needs Penryn to navigate the human world now that he’s without his wings.

The banter between Raffe and Penryn was quick and witty. Their relationship builds at a slow and steady pace throughout the novel as they go from accomplices to something more. I loved that despite whatever Penryn felt for Raffe her priorities never shifted from saving Paige. Penryn had a good head on her shoulders and I respected her as our heroine. I loved the relationship between Raffe and Penryn - Raffe was always on hand to support Penryn but she was always more than capable of taking care of herself. Instead of the powerful angel saving the weak human girl they worked together as a team.

Although I loved them together I also enjoyed both characters separately. Penryn has quickly become one of my favourite heroines and Raffe one of my favourite book boys. Penryn was intelligent, loyal to her family, and strong both mentally and physically. She’s a total survivor and adapts to her frightening new surroundings thanks to her mentally unstable mother having her trained in several types of self-defence to protect herself against her mother’s dark episodes. Raffe was different to any other angel I’ve ever read about he’s witty, hilarious, modern and doesn’t believe in god. I loved him straight away but he’s also still so much of a mystery. I can’t wait to find out more about his past in future books!

Angelfall has such a cinematic feel to it that I could vividly picture everything in my mind making it easy to absorb myself in this gritty and harrowing world. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this absolute gem of a novel but I am glad that I now don’t have long to wait for the sequel!

Sunday 4 August 2013

Letterbox Love (30)



Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

So I haven't quite made it to a month like last time and I might have fallen off the wagon a tiny bit in regards to accepting review copies. But you guys! This month pretty much ALL OF THE BOOKS are being released, right? And thirteen books in just under a month isn't terrible is it? Terrible or not my TBR pile has shot up again however I may be moving into a bigger room in a couple of months and that means more room for bookshelves! So overall I'm not feeling too bad about this haul...

 For Review


City of Bones: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Mimi O'Connor
Shadowhunter's Guide: City of Bones by Mimi O'Connor
As a huge Mortal Instruments fan and with the offer to receive these early to get a cheeky glimpse of the film before it's out I'd have been crazy to say no, right? I've already had a flick through both of these and I'm now more excited than ever for the film to be released!
Little White Lies by Katie Dale
I loved Katie's debut novel and I love a good thriller so I'm looking forward to reading this one.
Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider
This is being pitched as being perfect for fans of John Green so I was all over this one. I'm also going to be taking part in the UK blog tour this month so be on the look out for that!



Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly
I did a little happy dance when this arrived. I LOVE this series and it's the last book! I've been mentally preparing myself for the end of this series and will be getting stuck into this soon.
Soul Storm by Kate Harrison
I read and loved the first book in this series a couple of years ago but sadly didn't get around to reading the sequel last year because of my stupid whooping cough, now this final book is out I'm hoping to tackle both this summer and complete this series.
Linked by Imogen Howson
I don't know too much about this one but the synopsis sounds pretty good so I'm intrigued. Will be looking out for some reviews before I pick this one up.
Killer Queens by Rebecca Chance
I already read and loved this one! Rebecca's books are such guilty pleasures of mine and this one has to be my favourite so far. I'll have a review up soon.



Teardrop by Lauren Kate (Proof Copy)
This one was a total surprise and was another one I did a little happy dance for! I really enjoyed Lauren Kate's Fallen series and the premise of this one sounds very unique and different so I'm looking forward to reading it soon!
Cruel Summer by James Dawson
So I might have read this all in one go yesterday - it was that good! I'm still gathering my thoughts on this one but it's definitely one of my favourite reads of the summer!
It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson
I love a bit of Milly Johnson! She's one of my favourite chick-lit authors and I can't wait to read her latest!
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (Proof Copy)
I was one of the lucky few to receive an early proof copy of this one so I'll definitely be reading it soon! I've never read anything by Holly before but I've heard so many wonderful things about her books that I'm excited to check this out.
Breathe by Abbi Glines
Okay, so I recently read Abbi's Fallen Too Far and didn't get along with it (review to come soon) but I've heard so many good things about her books that I'm willing to give one of her other series a try. I'm just hoping that the same problems I had don't crop up and that I enjoy this one!

These are all of the lovely new books that found themselves a new home on my shelves over the past few weeks. If any of these books have caught your eye and you’d like to find out more about them simply click on the title and the link will take you to Goodreads for a full synopsis, reviews, and to add them to your wishlists. As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you’re looking forward to a certain book in particular and want to request a review feel free to in the comments and I’ll do my best to get around to the book sooner rather than later. And if you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^

 Happy reading till next time!

Friday 2 August 2013

July Round-Up and Book of the Month!


July's Book of the Month is Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas



So this month's book of the month was a close call between Crown of Midnight and Angelfall - I was so torn between the two of them! But in the end I decided to go with Crown of Midnight simply because it's a sequel so I've had more time to get to know the world and characters and so at this point favour them a tiny bit more. Also because Crown of Midnight completely upped its game and was, in my opinion, even better than Throne of Glass! You can check out my review here for more of my thoughts and a review for the incredible Angelfall will be on the blog next week.


*** Me trying to choose a book of the month! *** 

Read in July 
60.) The Sound by Sarah Alderson (3*)
61.) A Cottage by the Sea by Carole Matthews (4*)
62.) The Archived by Victoria Schwab (4.5*)
63.) Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (4.5*)
64.) Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements (3.5*)
65.) Angelfall by Susan Ee (5*)
66.) Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines (2.5*)
67.) Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (5*)
68.) Killer Queens by Rebecca Chance (4*)

July Book Awards
Best Plot: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Best Writing: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Best Cover: Angelfall by Susan Ee
Best Characters: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Best Ending: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Best Romance: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Most un-put-down-able: Angelfall by Susan Ee
Most Memorable: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Best Moral: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: In case you hadn't already guessed from the book awards it'd have to be Crown of Midnight, Angelfall and Eleanor and Park.

Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading/Being Released in August
Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly
Deception by C. J. Redwine
Cruel Summer by James Dawson
It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

 How was your month in reading? Did you read any of the books I read? What are you looking forward to reading in August?

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