June Round-Up and Book of the Month!

June's BotM is The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo 

The Gathering Dark (also known as Shadow and Bone in the US) was not only my favourite book read in June but my favourite book read in 2012 so far! I’m usually quite picky with my fantasy but this one completely swept me away into another magical fantastical world, this book has a gorgeous romance, vibrant characters, and a literal battle between light and dark I can’t begin to recommend it enough, even if fantasy’s not usually your preferred genre I’d really recommend stepping out of your comfort zone for this one. For more info on the book and more of my thoughts my full review can be found here.

Books Read in June
42.) The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (4.5*)
43.) What I Did On My Holidays by Chrissie Manby (4*)
44.) Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate (3.5*)
45.) The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo (5*)
46.) Rapture by Lauren Kate (5*)
47.) I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (3*)
48.) Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (3.5*)
49.) My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (4.5*)

Total Books Read = 8 
Thoughts: This month was a really scattered month with ratings ranging from 5 star all-time favourites to 3’s it has to be said that even the 3 stars I enjoyed reading this month and there were no bad books with them ranging from average to fantastic! I was a bit gutted that I didn’t make it to 50 books this month with the end of June being half way through the year it would have been exciting to get to 50 books, half way through the year, half way to a hundred books read! It’s always been a lifelong ambition of mine to read 100 books in a year and even though I’m not taking part in any reading challenges it would still be great to reach that goal! 

This Months Book Awards 
Best Plot: Rapture by Lauren Kate 
Best Writing: The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo 
Best Cover: Rapture by Lauren Kate 
Best Characters: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead 
Best Ending: Rapture by Lauren Kate 
Best Romance: Rapture by Lauren Kate 
Most un-put-down-able: The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo 
Most Memorable: The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo 
Best Moral: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: The Gathering Dark, Rapture, My Life Next Door 

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in July 
Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols 
The Long Weekend by Veronica Henry 
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini (eek!) 
This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers 

Honourable Mention to Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor which I read in hardcover last year and was my favourite book of 2011, on July 5th it will be out in paperback and I’d fully recommend you checking it out.

(Links lead to books Goodreads page for more info) 

Have you read any of the books I’ve read this month? What were your thoughts on them? Do you want to see a particular review for any of the books I’ve read this month sooner rather than later? Leave me a comment and let me know and I hope you’ve found some interesting books to add to your wishlist and don’t forget to treat yourselves to The Gathering Dark – you won’t regret it! Here’s to another month of fab reading ahead!

Review for Unrest by Michelle Harrison

Unrest by Michelle Harrison
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: 26th April 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Ghost Stories, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance
Rating: 5/5 stars 
Source: Received from the publisher for review 


Amazon Summary: 
"Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn't slept properly for six months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Now he is afraid to go to sleep. Sometimes he wakes to find himself paralysed, unable to move a muscle, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around, while his body lies asleep on the bed. According to his doctor, sleep paralysis and out of body experiences are harmless - but to Elliot they're terrifying. Convinced that his brush with death has opened up connections with the spirit world, Elliott secures a live-in job at one of England's most haunted locations, determined to find out the truth. There he finds Sebastian, the ghost of a long-dead servant boy hanged for stealing bread. He also meets the living, breathing Ophelia, a girl with secrets of her own. She and Elliott grow closer, but things take a terrifying turn when Elliott discovers Sebastian is occupying his body when he leaves it. And the more time Sebastian spends inhabiting a living body, the more resistant he becomes to giving it back. Worse, he seems to have an unhealthy interest in Ophelia. Unless Elliott can lay Sebastian's spirit to rest, he risks being possessed by him for ever, and losing the girl of his dreams..." 


Review 
I’d heard a lot of praise for Michelle Harrison’s The Thirteen Treasures series for younger readers and so was excited to hear that she planned to venture into YA with this standalone novel Unrest and it only took me until the end of chapter one to realize what all the fuss was about. The first chapter completely sucked me in, Michelle Harrison has this atmospheric way of describing what’s happening that sent a chill down my spine. Her writing is suitably creepy and suspenseful and I became absorbed in this book from the start longing for the next chilling scene to get my next terror fuelled buzz and to find out exactly what was going on with Elliott and what happened to give him his strange abilities. 


When Elliott is in an accident that actually clinically kills him for all of two minutes and is resuscitated by paramedics and brought back to life he finds himself somehow newly connected to the spirit world. Elliott’s experiences with sleep paralysis chilled me to the bone. Sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder I hadn’t heard of prior to reading this book and I found it a fascinating albeit terrifying illness to read about. The way that Michelle Harrison connected the condition to a ghost story made Unrest something new and exciting to read. Whilst at its heart this book is a ghost story it also reads as part contemporary romance and part mystery too. When Elliott wasn’t fighting off spirits trying to enter his sleeping body he also has a budding romance with his co-worker Ophelia developing, and had to learn the history and ghost stories of Past Lives the living museum where he’s recently started to work. There are also the mysteries of the ghosts that haunt Elliott that he has to solve in order for them to move on. There was always something exciting going on making Unrest totally gripping. 


I really loved the characters in this book, Elliott wasn’t a perfect character and had a past and reputation with the ladies before his accident. I liked that in the beginning Elliott wasn’t perfect because as the book goes on he takes the horrible things that have happened to him and lets his experiences shape him into a better person. I loved watching him grow as a character and by the end of the book he was such a lovely guy who I really wanted the best for. I also really liked Elliott’s love interest Ophelia she’s feisty, smart, and doesn’t take any crap from anyone least of all Elliott. She has an interesting back story too that gets revealed as the book goes on and again, like Elliott, she’s flawed but not in a way that makes her unlikeable only more relatable and real as a character. 


Unrest if the kind of book that does exactly what it says on the tin and more. Yes it’s scary and creepy which is exactly what I was after when I picked this book up but it was also rich with history, romantic, and addictive with plenty of page turning mysteries surrounding the plot. It was a flawless read that ticked all the right boxes and that I couldn’t bear to part with until I’d turned the final page. I loved everything about this book and look forward to seeing what Michelle Harrison writes in the future.

Letterbox Love (7) Huge Haul of 22 Books!

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

 Review Books

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr (Proof Copy)
Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher (Proof Copy)
Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi (Proof Copy)
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Dreams by Daniela Sacerdoti
A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton

The Beach Holiday by Anita Hughes
The Out of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty
Between the Lines by Samantha van Leer and Jodi Picoult
The Wedding Guests by Meredith Goldstein
God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

 Gifts

Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb (thanks to my lovely friend Ellie for this blogoversary pressie!)
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (thanks to Lauren for this RAK!)

Jar of sweets from the lovely Rosi at HarperCollins for helping to promote Insurgent.

Bought

Shift by Em Bailey (currently reading and really enjoying)
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (read and LOVED review coming soon!)
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

E-Books For My Kindle
Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout (already read and enjoyed review coming soon!) (Bought)
Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Bought)
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (Bought)
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (Bought)
Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood (For Review)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (For Review)

So that was my HUGE haul from the last couple of weeks, apologies for the super long post but I hope you enjoyed it and kudos if you made it through to the end! As always big thank you’s to everybody who sent me books in this haul. If you’ve read or are looking forward to any of the books I got feel free to let me know what you thought about them or request reviews and such in the comments. 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 folks!

Q&A with bestselling author Philippa Gregory on her new YA novel Changeling

The lovely folk over at Simon & Schuster were kind enough to put together a Q&A with bestselling author Philippa Gregory talking about her latest novel and first venture into YA Changeling for us bloggers to share with our readers. Seems as I’m doing a giveaway for this book at the moment I thought now would be an ideal time to share it with you guys for anyone who may want to know more about the book. I’ve heard amazing things for Philippa’s adult books and am really excited to read Changeling soon!

Synopsis 
The first book in the thrilling YA sequence, Order of Darkness. The year is 1453, and all signs point to it being the end of the world. Accused of heresy and expelled from his monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old, Luca Vero, is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom, and travel to the very frontier of good and evil. Seventeen-year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her claiming her rich inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by strange visions, walking in their sleep, and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate and all the evidence points to Isolde's criminal guilt. Outside in the yard they are building a pyre to burn her for witchcraft. Forced to face the greatest fears of the medieval world - dark magic, werewolves, madness - Luca and Isolde embark on a search for truth, their own destinies, and even love as they take the unknown ways to the real historical figure who defends the boundaries of Christendom and holds the secrets of the Order of Darkness.

 Q&A with Philippa! 

Philippa Gregory 2011 c Johnny Ring

How was writing a book for teens different from writing a book for adults?
I don't think there is any difference for me in terms of the craft of writing. I think that the quality and enjoyment of the novel should be at least equal to a book for adults.

Do you have a favourite character in your new teen series?
I created the two principal characters of Luca and Isolde and liked them so much, but then I was amazed to find that the servant character of Frieze just jumped off the page. He is funny and full of common sense, wonderful with animals and has a great loving nature. His role just grew through the story as I came to like writing about him more and more. He is very important in book 2, and I think I will end up with a cast of 4 principal characters rather than 2. 

When you are writing a multi-book series, do you work from an outline (know all the beats) or do you work toward an ending (know how it all ends)?
This has been the first series that I have written that is not anchored completely by the historical record, so I have revelled in the freedom of it and have worked on each novel quite independently. I know where the whole series ultimately ends, but I don't know yet how I will get there. It's a truly creative process, I feel as if I am making it up as I go along and loving this.

Why did you set your new teen series in the 15th century?
The date of 1453 is such a key one - people really believed that it was the end of the world. It is this belief that means that Luca has his job in exploring the "end of days" and also means that there are so many manifestations of the supernatural that people report.

How is it working with fictional characters rather than real historical figures?
It has been a real holiday from the demands of accuracy and research. It has set the novelist in me free for the first time in a long time. I love discovering and researching the historical characters, but to be able to create characters from imagination has been a real treat.

End 

Sounds great right? For your chance to win a copy if you live in the UK fill out my Past, Present, and Future giveaway form here, and if you live internationally fill out my Book of YOUR choice up to the value of £10 or under form here to be in with a chance of winning Changeling, good luck!

Many thanks to the publishers Simon & Schuster for putting this interview together!

Review for The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

WARNING 
This is a review for the second book in the Darkness Rising series and so may contain spoilers from the first book in the series.

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Atom
Release Date: 5th April 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is - a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents including local bad boy Rafe, with whom she shares a dangerous, powerful secret.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. After a terrifying helicopter crash, they find themselves stranded in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. But can Maya really trust her friends? And can she learn how to control the frightening new gift she has discovered before it controls her?"

Review 
The Calling has to be my favourite of Kelley Armstrong’s Young Adult books so far. I loved her Darkest Powers trilogy and enjoyed the first book to this new companion series The Gathering just as much, but this second instalment to the Darkness Rising series had everything I loved about Kelley’s previous books and more. I picked this up and had it finished under 24 hours later it was such a page turner of a read with constant action and suspense. I think after reading this book my love for the Darkness Rising series might just have over taken my love for the Darkest Powers books.

The book begins where The Gathering left off and straight away we’re thrown back into the action. During the first chapter in the helicopter all hell breaks loose with shocking revelations, powers unleashed and even deaths of characters to really get the ball rolling! After that explosive first chapter the book doesn’t let up for a second and only gets more urgent and intense as the book goes on. It felt like I read The Calling in a total frenzy I was that immersed in Maya’s world. This book grips you and refuses to let go till the final world, a quality that all of Kelley Armstrong’s books have, this one in particular.

The Calling is a real survival story. With Maya and her friends stuck in the wilderness with an increasingly dangerous group after them for their unusual powers, not only do they have to survive in the forest, try to avoid being captured or worse killed all whilst trying to find out what happened to their home, dealing with loss and figuring out who they can trust, they also have to deal with their powers starting to manifest at the same time, testing out how strong they are, and working out what extinct and rare supernatural creature they might be.

These books have a certain sinister chill to them with the supernatural powers not being achieved by magic but by actual scientific engineering, the corporations that Maya and Co have as enemies are scary and powerful ones that whilst may want to capture them for impure purposes might also be the only people who have answers and can help them control their powers.

As with the first book in this series I really loved Maya as our heroine and felt that this book gives us chance to get to know some of the other characters a little better too. If you’re a fan of Kelley’s books then you’ll know that her characters are always strong and likeable and that her writing and plot development seems so easy and natural that it seems effortless on her part and is compulsively readable. This book had a fantastic ending with enough left unresolved that I’m dying for the next book without it being a torturous cliff-hanger. I particularly like what Kelley was hinting at for what’s in store in the next book and find it an exciting direction she’s leading us in. Overall The Calling was a fantastic sequel and my favourite from Kelley Armstrong yet. If you’re a fan of this series this latest instalment isn’t going to disappoint.