Letterbox Love (24) An Excellent Book Week!

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.

 For Review (Proof Copies)

 
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
I LOVED The Immortal Rules so I'm really excited to read this one!
Angelfall by Susan Ee
This book arrived so beautifully packaged and is another e-book self published sensation that's been picked up for publishing. This moulds two of my favourite genre's together Angels and Dystopian. It's taking everything I have not to dive into it right this second!
Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman
I believe this is a new dystopian series from Malorie Blackman. I don't know too much about it, but from what I have heard I'm pretty excited.
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
I did a happy dance or two when this one arrived this week. The 5th Wave has been getting some phenomenal praise already and I'll definitely be getting around to it very soon. I believe this is about an alien apocalypse.
Two for Joy by Helen Chandler
Another one I haven't heard too much about, but the synopsis sounds good so I'm looking forward to reading it.
Love is a Thief by Claire Garber
Another book I'm HUGELY excited about. This sounds like nothing I've ever read before. It's about the girl who doesn't get the big love, the family, the happy ending. It's a book about self discovery and taking back the opportunities love has stolen from you. I really urge you all to check out this one. I can't wait to read it!

 For Review (Finished Copies)

 
Because of Low by Abbi Glines
While it Lasts by Abbi Glines
Just for Now by Abbi Glines
Really excited that this series is being published in the UK! I have yet to read anything by Abbi Glines but I'm a huge fan of the New Adult genre and can't wait to get started on these.
Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
This book has been on my wishlist for such a long time so I was thrilled to find out it's being published in the UK. It sounds like a cute contemporary about a girl trying to get over her crush on her best friend.
ACID by Emma Pass
So many bloggers seem to be reading and loving this right now that it's making me really eager to start it soon. This sounds like a brilliant British dystopian, and is another one I can't wait to read.
The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan
I believe this is based on Gargoyle mythology. It sounds very different and I'm looking forward to reading it.

 Bought

 
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
This sounds like a really good coming of age contemporary about a girl coming to terms with her sexuality in a conservative old fashioned family. One I look forward to reading this summer!
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
I have heard incredible things about this book so I finally caved and bought myself a copy. It sounds incredibly creepy and there are photographs! Hugely excited to get to this one.
The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel
Foodie chick-lit set in Paris with family history. This sounds like such a 'Jess book'!
A Cottage by the Sea by Carole Matthews
I have yet to read anything by Carole Matthews despite her being really big on the chick-lit scene. This looks like a gorgeous summery read which'll provide some much needed escapism from the rubbish spring we're having in the UK!
The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
I really love this series and this is the last book! I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends.

 On My Kindle 

Netgalley 

Ink by Amanda Sun 

Icons by Margaret Stohl 

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins 

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn 

Bought 

Wait for You by J. Lynn 

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 

Needless to say I'm excited about all of these but Ink, Another Little Piece and Wait for You in particular! If they're not on your radar you really need to check them out! 

That’s it from me for another week! 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!

Q&A with Megan Shepherd‏ author of The Madman's Daughter

The Madman's Daughter is a book I’ve had my eye on for a while now and I was so happy when I found out that it was being released in the UK after all the praise I’d heard for it from US bloggers! To celebrate the UK release I was offered the chance to ask the author Megan Shepherd a few questions which I jumped at the chance to. But firstly, in case The Madman’s Daughter isn’t on your radar yet, here’s what it’s all about.

   

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself-working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumours about her father′s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true. Juliet is accompanied by the doctor′s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father′s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island′s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father′s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father′s genius-and madness-in her own blood.

Q&A with Megan Shepherd

 
1.) The Madman's Daughter is a re-imagining of The Island Of Dr Moreau. Why did you want to re-tell this story?
I had first read THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU when I was a teenager. After watching the TV show LOST, I decided to write a book set on a mysterious island, and it made me remember HG Wells' novella. I re-read it for pleasure and realized the themes were still very relevant today, and that there would be potential to do a spin on that story from a new character's perspective.

2.) In what ways is The Madman's Daughter different from H.G. Wells’ novel? 
The main character of MADMAN, Juliet Moreau, wasn't present in Wells' novella. MADMAN is Juliet's story, following her from her early life in London to when she travels to her father's island, so her internal struggles, her past, the romance, the father-daughter relationship, is new. Though some of the characters, such as Montgomery and Edward, are present in Wells' novella, I think you'll find their characters and backstory quite different in MADMAN.

3.) Could you introduce us to your main character Juliet? What is she like? 
Juliet has never been like other proper young girls--even as a child, she was fascinated by science, was able to stomach things other girls couldn't, and was frustrated that her father ignored her talents. As she learns the true, disturbing nature of her father, she's afraid she's cursed to go mad like him. She struggles between dark curiosities she can't deny and a warm heart that truly cares about people.

4.) The Madman's Daughter is the first in a trilogy – will the other books be re-imaginings too? And which stories will you be re-telling?
The sequels to MADMAN are also inspired by classics, THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE, and FRANKENSTEIN, although they are less a retelling of those specific plots, but rather deal more with re-examining the science and themes in those books.

5.) What three words would best describe The Madman's Daughter? 
Haunting, Gothic, romantic.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today Megan! I love LOST so I'm happy to hear it inspired some of this story, I love mysterious islands. I'll be getting around to reading The Madman's Daughter very soon and I can't wait!

I got a new blog design!

So some of you may know that I’ve been working on a new blog design for the last week with Lori from Imagination Designs, and I’m pleased to announce that this is the end result! I’m so in love with my blog and I hope you guys like it too.

My last two designs have been really simple so I wanted to go for something a bit different this time and add some personality and fun to the blog yet also keep it clean looking and not too fussy with lots going on. I feel like we got that spot on. I’ve got a hearts/love theme going on to go with my blog name and I have a fantastic new rating system rating books in relationship stages ranging from it’s not me, it’s you to all time love. I’m so excited to start using it!

Hands down my favourite thing about my new design are my gorgeous twin reading owls! I personally love owls and wanted to put that aspect of my personality into my blog. I’ve even named them Millie and Rosie! Yes I am a dork.

This blog design has made me fall in love with my blog all over again and I just want to play around on my blog all of the time now! Working with Lori was such a dream. She was wonderful to work with and kept me updated every step of the way to make sure we were on the same page so I wanted to say a huge thank you to her for creating my dream design!

Needless to say this is one of the reasons I’ve been a bit MIA so far this month, but you can bet that I’ll be back in full force now that this little project is complete. Feel free to have a nosey around the blog to see what changes have been made, I really hope you like the new look and I’ll speak to you all really soon.

 If you'd like to support this blog on your own blog I now have a button you can grab in the sidebar!

March Round-Up, Book of the Month and April TBR Vlog!

March's Book of the Month is Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare 

I'm not surprised in the slightest that this is my favourite book of March. The Infernal Devices is one of my all time favourite series and this was such a beautiful moving conclusion. Clockwork Princess is without a doubt my favourite book of 2013 so far. I don't want to talk about it too much with it being the last book in a series other than to say I was blown away by it and if you haven't read this series yet YOU MUST!!!! Check out my SPOILER REVIEW for more of my thoughts.

*** Clockwork Princess Feels ***

 
Read in March 
21.) The Selection by Kiera Cass (3.5*)
22.) Sever by Lauren DeStefano (4.5*)
23.) The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan (4.5*)
24.) Ferryman by Claire McFall (2*)
25.) The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski (4.5*)
26.) Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (4*)
27.) Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (5*)
28.) Geek Girl by Holly Smale (4*)
29.) The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (4*)

March Book Awards 
Best Plot: Sever by Lauren DeStefano
Best Writing: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Best Cover: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Best Characters: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Best Ending: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Best Romance: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
Most un-put-down-able: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Most Memorable: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Best Moral: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Clockwork Princess, Sever and The Edge of Never

 My April TBR Pile

   

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult 

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd 

Fractured by Teri Terry 

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith 

Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne 

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa 

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch 

Radiant by Cynthia Hand 

Boundless by Cynthia Hand 

 Hopefully I'll get around to all of these! What did you read and enjoy in March? And what do you plan on reading in April?

Month of Men Blog Tour: Guest Post Nicole Williams On Writing Romance

As part of the Month of Men New Adult blog tour I'm thrilled to welcome Nicole Williams to the blog today to discuss writing romance. But first of all I'd love to introduce Nicole's books to you guys Crash and Clash will both be published this June by Simon and Schuster and I'm so excited to read them! Here are the synopsis' and our gorgeous newly revealed UK covers.

 

Crash (Crash, #1) by Nicole Williams 

Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now…

Jude's everything she knows she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. But she's about to find out that staying away is the only thing she's incapable of.

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.

 

Clash (Crash, #2) by Nicole Williams 

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love might be the thing that just isn't enough.

The only easy thing about Jude and Lucy's relationship is their love for one another. Everything else is hard. Especially when it comes to reining in Jude's trigger touch temper and Lucy's increasing jealousy of the female attention that Jude attracts. Feeling the stress of trying to hang on to her quintessential bad boy while becoming the foremost dancer in her class, Lucy knows something's going to break. She wants both. She needs both. But if she doesn't make a choice, she risks losing everything.

Full of passion, steamy scenes and hot romance, CLASH is a must for fans of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER and PERFECT CHEMISTRY.

 Nicole Williams: On Writing Romance

 
What did I use to picture when someone told me they read romance novels? Yeah. You probably already know. That one aisle in the bookstore that no man ever wandered into, where the covers of the books featured broad and bronze chested men clutching to a woman with long, flowing hair and a heaving bosom. Anyone know what I’m talking about? I thought so.

Needless to say, I avoided those aisles like they meant social, professional, and emotional ruin. I found myself drawn to Young Adult books, where I knew I’d almost always find a happily-ever-after waiting for me, and the romance was often sweet and slow-simmering. It was only a couple of years ago when I stumbled on the Contemporary Romance category, where the romance could still be sweet and slow-simmering, but there weren’t any fade-to-black scenes. For me, a romance is all about the relationship the writer’s established between the two characters. That’s what I focus on when I write a book, because the heat and chemistry can be scorching between a couple, but if the relationship isn’t there, the romance falls flat for me. The relationship is what I try to never lose sight of, because if I build that correctly, the romance often falls into place pretty seamlessly.

My goal when I write romance is simple: to entertain. To offer a temporary escape and make the reader sigh. To make the reader feel something. If I succeed at that, then my mission is accomplished.

END 

Thanks for being on the blog today Nicole! I completely agree with you, if a couple have all the chemistry in the bedroom but none outside of it it doesn't feel like a romance to me and kind of cheapens the book. I much prefer the two characters having a romantic connection and then the tension between them speaks for itself! Look out for the next stop on the Month of Men blog tour and keep updated with the rest of the posts here. The Month of Men blog tour is hosting some of the hottest New Adult authors you wont want to miss it!