Letterbox Love (43)

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.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson (For Review)
I read the first novella in this series when it was first published as an e-book but when I found out that all of the stories would be released in a bound physical book I decided to wait so I could read them all back to back! I'm so glad that I decided to wait because the cover is lush! This came in a brilliant little goodie bag from the publishers along with posters, an OPI nail polish and buttons so thank you to the awesome team at Walker for this!
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick (For Review)
I read my first Marcus Sedgwick book 'She is Not Invisible' this summer and completely fell in love with his writing. The synopsis for this one sounds so intriguing and the book is designed so that you can read it in any order you like and it'll still make sense. I'll be picking it up very soon!
The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne (Proof Copy, For Review)
This is an advance 2015 proof copy and I'm so excited for this thriller! The blurb on the proof cover has me very intrigued to find out what exactly happened on the night that one of the Moorcraft twins died.
Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan (Won, Signed)
I won this on Twitter from the publisher and it arrived today along with some buttons that tie in to the book and a cute little owl manicure set. This sounds like such a fun read and it's signed!

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (Proof Copy, For Review)
I actually (to my shame) have never read one of Holly Black's books before but have been meaning to change that for some time. This is her upcoming 2015 release and it sounds so good! I got to hear Holly speak about this book at YALC and I've been intrigued ever since.
Captive by A.J. Grainger (Proof Copy, For Review)
The press release that came with this book pitched this as being perfect for fans of Homeland and Gone Girl two of my faves so I have high hopes for this one!
The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond (Proof Copy, For Review)
This sounds like the perfect book to kick the new year off with! I love those new year, new me type books and this sounds like perfect early 2015 reading material.
Waiting For Doggo by Mark B. Mills (Proof Copy, For Review)
You guys know that I am a massive dog lover (and lover of all animals in general really) so I've had my eye on this book for a while. My own dog Dylan isn't well with terminal cancer so I'll be picking the right moment to read this one when my emotions can handle it.

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken (Bought)
I loved The Darkest Minds but wasn't crazy about Never Fade so we'll see how I get on with this final book. I'm excited to see how the trilogy is wrapped up and if I get my questions answered!
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Bought)
I loooovvveee this series and feel like I've been waiting for this final book forever! For some reason my US first edition pre-order didn't come signed like it was suppose to so I don't really know what happened there and I'm pretty gutted about it. I don't really want to go to the hassle of sending it back though because I have waited for this book for too long and plan to read it very soon!
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (Bought)
I read the first two books in this series earlier this year and it's quickly become one of my favourite series of all time. Seriously, if you like Throne of Glass or Shadow and Bone you need to check this series out! I'm so excited to read Annith's story but am not looking forward to this series being over already!

 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!

Letterbox Love (41) They're Back!

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.

I'm so happy to be bringing back book hauls to the blog this week! Back in May I explained that I wouldn't be doing them for a while whilst we were decorating and my books were everywhere and now we're all done and my books are back together again on my gorgeous new bookcases. I won't be showing everything I've got since May because that would be ridiculous so instead I'll be starting fresh with the books I've bought and received over the last two weeks.

Us by David Nicholls (For Review)
One Day is one of my all time favourite books and I've been waiting and waiting for another David Nicholls book for years. The wait is finally over and I was thrilled to find that the publisher had sent me a signed copy!
Talon by Julie Kagawa (ARC, Borrowed)
I'm borrowing this one from my lovely friend Jasprit which reminds me that I really need to get to it soon as Rach is waiting to borrow it next! Kagawa's books tend to be hit or miss with me but this one has DRAGONS so we'll see how I get on with it.
My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins (For Review)
Our gorgeous UK cover, Christmas and several of my favourite authors. I'm freaking excited you guys! I'm waiting until November before making a start on this one.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman (Proof, For Review)
When this dropped through my letterbox earlier today I got some very worried looks from my family because I was squawking and flapping my arms about like a seagull. This is one of my most anticipated 2015 releases and I'm so made up to have a proof copy! I don't think I'll be able to wait long before starting this.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Bought)
I have wanted to read one of Sanderson's books since forever and I've almost bought one so many times. I believe this is a new YA series from him and so I decided to finally, finally give him a go.
Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (For Review)
This is another book where my inner seagull was out in full force! I love this series and am so excited to see how everything ends. I'll be reading this one very soon.
Sublime by Christina Lauren (For Review)
I hadn't originally heard of this book until the publisher emailed me about it and based on the synopsis alone I decided to give it a go! Although I have to say after some research I much prefer the US cover.

This Autumn I have been on such a thriller kick and it all started when I read Gone Girl last month. Since then I've been straying away from my review pile once a week and diving into a thriller. I've got a little pile that I've been working my way through which has made for perfect October reading. I'm currently reading and enjoying Before I Go To Sleep and if you have any recommendations for what I should pick up after I've finished these three I'd love to know!
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Bought)
The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey (Bought)
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (Bought)

 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!

The Maze Runner Blog Tour: 5 Days to Go and a Special Giveaway!

It's only 5 days to go until The Maze Runner hits cinemas on the 10th October and I'm so excited to go and see it! I first read The Maze Runner way back when I first started blogging in 2010 (you can check out my rather poor attempt at a review here, do try not to laugh, I was only a newbie!) and it's one of the first books I recommend to fans of The Hunger Games who are looking for something similar. If you can't wait to see Mockingjay and need your adrenaline fix I'd recommend checking this film out. In case it's been totally off your radar until now here's your chance to check out the epic trailer!

   

I don't know about you but I prefer to read the book before I go and see the movie adaptation and so I'm giving one lucky UK reader the chance to win a copy of The Maze Runner signed by the author James Dashner. Simply read the rules and fill in the Rafflecopter to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules 

 To enter you have to fill in the Rafflecopter

 Open to UK residents only 

 End date: Sunday 12th October 2014 

 The winner will be drawn and contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected 

 Make sure you complete what the form asks of you - I do check! Any winner who has not completed an option will be disqualified 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Stop by The Overflowing Library tomorrow for the next stop on the tour 

The Maze Runner is out now in paperback (£7.99, Chicken House)

Event Diary: Leigh Bardugo and Moira Young's Writing Workshop and Signing

Last week saw me catching the train to Birmingham again with Ray, this time to attend the writing workshop with Leigh Bardugo and Moira Young hosted by the lovely team at Waterstones high street. This particular event took place at noon instead of the usual evening time which was nice because this time we got to hang out with some blog friends before and after the event instead of rushing off to get the train home. Before Leigh and Moira came out we got to catch up with Jasprit from The Readers Den and Lily from The Whispering of the Pages in which we admired Jas’s signed proof of Talon by Julie Kagawa and some girls behind me got pretty excited when I pulled out my then read Heir of Fire which lead on to me explaining about book blogging which is always fun!

Rachel, Me and Jasprit

Before long Leigh and Moira took to the front and were asked all sorts of questions about writing from early drafts to finding an agent. I have no real aspirations to become an author but even from a fans perspective the interview was very interesting especially as Leigh and Moira had very different approaches to the writing process. Rach on the other hand has been writing a YA Fantasy book this year and so I was really proud when she plucked up the courage to ask her question about world building. As her Alpha reader I surprisingly also picked up some good tips on how to help her as best I can.

Moira and Leigh

After the interview there was a signing and it was so lovely to meet both Leigh and Moira. I’m part of Leigh’s Grisha Army and have supported this series since I read the first book as a proof copy. I was thrilled that Leigh knew my blog and she gave me a hug and thanked me for supporting her books which is always so nice to hear! Moira’s books I only started reading a few months ago in preparation for this event but I completely fell in love with Blood Red Road and am still kicking myself for not reading it sooner! Both ladies were lovely and I’d recommend going to meet them if you ever get the chance. I also got to see Leigh’s UK publicist the lovely Nina again and have a chat with her and I was given a signed postcard, a bookmark and badges.

Me, Leigh and Jas

Moira, Me and Jasprit

Ray and Lily having their books signed

After the event Ray, Jas, Lily and I went to get a late lunch where I tried sushi for the very first time and really loved it. We then went book shopping because that’s what we book bloggers do and when we get together we can be terrible influences on each other! Jas couldn’t decide on a book to make up her buy one get one half price offer so instead of choosing just one book I helpfully convinced her to buy another two in their own offer. Ooops! We also got chatting to two girls Kate and Marriam who’d also been to the event about books and writing. I love meeting new bookish people and events like this one are great for bringing people together.

Super proud at learning how to use chopsticks

My book loot!

Before long it was time to say our goodbyes and get the train home. After a day of helpful advice and inspirational chat Rach and I had an intense plotting session on the train home discussing the what ifs? and plot twists to her story. The creative light bulb was well and truly on for both of us after such a fantastic day.

Sadly this was the last book event planned for the summer but I’m hoping there will be more awesome bookish things to go to and meet ups before the year is over.

In case after reading this any of you are interested in checking out Ray’s story that I’ve been Alpha reading the prologue and first chapter can be found on Wattpad here.

Blog Tour: Melissa Hill's Dream Bookshop and Giveaway for a signed copy of A Gift to Remember!

Today is my stop on Melissa Hill's blog tour for A Gift to Remember which is out in paperback today! To celebrate publication day I have a very special post for you from Melissa talking about her dream bookshop and I'm giving one of you the chance to win a signed copy of the book itself! But first it's over to Melissa...

My Dream Bookshop by Melissa Hill 

My ideal bookshop is pretty much Chaucer’s in A GIFT TO REMEMBER. Since childhood I’ve always felt most at home in a bookstore, and being in a space cocooned by books is my ultimate comfort zone.

The shop of my dreams is again very similar to how I describe Chaucer’s. Out front, Victorian paneled bay windows would evoke old-fashioned storefronts of times gone by, as would the wrought iron scroll-effect purple-on-gold store sign (purple being my favourite colour).

Inside would be a snug and inviting space with an olde-worlde vaguely Dickensian feel - oak wooden floorboards and high floor to ceiling hardwood bookshelves.

The interior itself would have quirky panache, but with a certain tattiness too; a lived-in, homely quality with separate areas for new as well as old books, and unusual genres. Quiet little nooks to get lost in, making browsers helplessly lose their bearings in the way any great bookshop should. 

Ultimately it would have a homey comfortable atmosphere - the perfect place to spend an afternoon wandering amongst the shelves or hunting down elusive titles.

Primarily the store would carry an eclectic mix of carefully hand-picked modern literature in a variety of genres, early edition classics as well as popular bestsellers for both adults and children. It would also have its own special children’s nook, a space to curl up and read on their own or with storytelling parents, and surrounded by a choice of classic favourites that would make their eyes grow starry and their imaginations run wild.

For adults, the store would be a quiet and contemplative space as well as making it a pleasurable browsing experience for both booklovers and gift-seekers. Though bookshelves are so beautiful in themselves that they need little adornment, it would be good to create occasional displays of themed titles according to season. For example, books that would make perfect Christmas or Valentine’s Day gifts would be presented in ways that made them as irresistible as jewellery or chocolates.

The sales floor should ideally feel small and intimate, yet there would be an area to provide space for public readings, book groups and launches. Authors from all walks of life; both international bestsellers or locally published would be more than welcome to stop by for a visit or signing and have a coffee at the upstairs café, which handily turns into a wine bar or tapas bar at night.

Finally, my perfect bookshop is a space that feels as comfortable filled with people as it does if you’re the only shopper in there, with nothing but the best kind of company – walls upon walls of amazing books.

 END 

Thanks for stopping by today Melissa. I find myself regularly daydreaming about what my own bookshop would be like and whilst I was reading A Gift to Remember I though that Chaucer's sounded heavenly, it's great that your own dream bookshop would be very much the same!

 Giveaway 

I'm giving one of my UK readers the chance to win a signed copy of A Gift to Remember! 

Simply read the rules and fill in the Rafflecopter to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules 

To enter you have to fill in the Rafflecopter 

Open to UK residents only 

End date: 14th July 2014 

One winner will be drawn and contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected 

Make sure you complete what the form asks of you - I do check! Any winner who has not completed an option will be disqualified

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

A Gift to Remember is available to buy now in all good bookshops 

For more of my thoughts check out my review here.

Event Write Up: Laini Taylor talk and signing at Waterstones Birmingham

On Thursday 1st May Waterstones on Birmingham High Street hosted an evening with Laini Taylor to celebrate the release of Dreams of Gods and Monsters and I was lucky enough to be there. I went with the bestie (Rachel for those of you who don’t know) we’re both huge Laini Taylor fans who fell in love with her stunning writing way back when we read early proof copies of Daughter of Smoke and Bone in 2011 so we literally bought the tickets as soon as we heard about the event. We don’t get many YA author signings local to us and so this news was super awesome. This was only our second time meeting an author (our first was John Green) so we were ridiculously excited!

We arrived just before the event started at 7:30pm, we wanted to get there sooner but there was traffic and our food took what felt like forever to arrive in Nandos. Luckily we still managed to get two seats on the second row right behind the lovely Jasprit who it was so great to finally meet! By the time we’d had a quick chat and grabbed a copy of Lips Touch and some bookmarks for signing Laini was ready to come on for a Q&A. I’m just sad that we arrived a little later than planned because I saw a few other bloggers there that I sadly didn’t get a chance to talk to. If there are more events like this one in the future then hopefully next time.

Laini talking

The Q&A part of the event went on for quite a while which was great! We got to hear Laini talk about her involvement with the Daughter of Smoke and Bone movie, how travel has influenced her writing and most interestingly to me how she loves playing with language. Anybody who’s read Laini’s books will tell you she has a beautiful way with words. She also told us that she likes to perfect each scene as she writes. Rather than writing a rough first draft of a book and editing it all later on she likes to edit as she goes.

Afterwards the fans were asked if they had any questions for Laini and my hand went straight up! Mine was the first question called on and I got to ask her if she has any plans to write a spin off series set in the same world as the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (is it just me or is anybody else craving an Eliza series!?) Unfortunately the books she’s working on at the minute are not but she did say there’s a possibility in the future. Either way she’s working on a few different ideas for a novel right now and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. As a shy person I was quite proud that I struck up the courage to ask my question!

Free goodies!

After the talk Laini and the host went downstairs to get ready for the signing and while we waited we were given tattoos, bookmarks and the most amazing cakes (Zuzana would totally have approved!) They had cake pops that we could take away and blue cupcakes for Karou and orange ones with feathers for Akiva – I had a blue one which was delicious!

Before we knew it it was our turn to meet Laini. We had plenty of time with her to chat and get our books signed without feeling like we were getting rushed along. Laini signed and dedicated my books and we spoke about how awesome books with maps are, how pretty the foiling effect is on her UK covers and how Rach was live texting me her reactions as she read Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

My signed books

After all of that it was 9:00pm so we had to rush off to get our train home. The time absolutely flew by but I had such an amazing time. Laini was such a sweetheart and was a very interesting lady to get to know better. I want to thank Waterstones for giving me the chance to meet one of my favourite authors and for being so helpful and friendly. I’m hoping that they’ll be hosting lots of other amazing events like this one in the future!

Letterbox Love (39)

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.

Hello and Happy Easter book friends! I have a large and rather awesome book haul to share with you today that I've accumulated over the past month. The books have been coming in slow but steady and now I have a nice hefty haul to share with you. Some were bought as Easter treats, a couple I won and the others are exciting review copies. So sit back with your chocolate egg of choice and behold all of the pretties!

 For Review/ Won

You're the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher (Proof Copy)
I won an early proof of this through Goodreads and promptly devoured it as soon as it arrived! I absolutely loved this book and you can expect a review for it soon.
The Geography Of You And Me by Jennifer E. Smith
Yep, I've read this one already too and have just posted my review here. This is my favourite Jennifer E. Smith book so far. It was one of those books that was so perfect that I felt like it was written just for me! This one got a very rare 5 star rating.
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
And I might have already read this one too! The writing is so gorgeous and fans of books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower are going to absolutely love it!
Precious Thing by Colette Mcbeth
At last! One that I actually haven't read yet! This is supposed to be a fantastic adult thriller about friendship. It's something a little bit different on my TBR and the synopsis has me really intrigued to read it.

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
I wasn't a fan of this cover change when I first saw it but I must admit it has been growing on me the more I look at it. I'm still mad that my trilogy doesn't match (WHY!? PUBLISHERS WHY!?) but cover aside I'm so excited to see how this series ends!
The Fearless by Emma Pass
Although I've fallen out of love with the dystopian genre a bit this year this one sounds really good and it's UKYA so I'm excited to give it a go.
Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman
This one arrived through my letterbox as a complete surprise but it sounds fantastic! I'm loving my LGBT reads this year and this sounds like a very interesting one.
Say Her Name by James Dawson (Proof Copy)
I'm so excited to have an early copy of this! I loved James' book Cruel Summer and am excited for another horror YA!

 Bought/ Won

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
I'm so in love with the cover for this one! I'm not a huge fan of short stories or novella's but I am a huge fan of this series and having a bound up prequel makes this much more appealing to me than reading each novella individually on my Kindle.
A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews
I won this from the lovely Sophie at Reviewed the Book and I'm so excited to read it! I love Carole Matthews and this is coming up soon on my Spring TBR! Thanks again Sophie!
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
I absolutely adore David Levithan's writing and have had this on my wishlist for ages so I was so happy to get a copy for Easter! This is another one that won't stay on my TBR for long.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
I had this one on pre-order and although my pre-order arrived days later than everybody else's it's here now and I couldn't be happier! This sounds like such a 'Jess book' and is high on my TBR at the minute!
Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
I finished this book last night and it was EPIC! Seriously one of my favourite series endings ever. I loved every moment of this 600 page beast and I'm so sad that the series is over. I'm going to be meeting Laini next month and I'm going to be so in awe of her that it's going to be hugely embarrassing on my part. I'll be that girl that everybody hates who is crying and will not freaking step away from the line and let everybody else have a turn with Laini.
What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
This sounds like another gorgeous summer read that again is super high on my TBR. We're having some beautiful spring days here in England right now and it's making me crave beachy contemporaries so I imagine I'll be picking this up sooner rather than later.

While I'm here I just wanted to share with you guys my gorgeous signed and illustrated copy of Dreams of Gods and Monsters! The publishers had a limited number signed and illustrated by Laini for people who pre-ordered and I was lucky enough to get this special edition! 

 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!

The Booking by Numbers Q&A

Today it’s time for something a little bit different... 

Randomly the other day an idea for a fun Q&A came to me. I love doing bookish surveys and tags and have been seeing different ones around the blogosphere lately so I decided it would be fun to share my own! It’s a book Q&A about the books on your bookshelves with a bit of a fun twist! Here’s how it works.

Put the number of books on your bookshelf (or if like me you have hundreds of books break it down to 50, 70, 100 - however many books you’d like to play with) into a random number generator this could be via Random Org or simply by pulling numbers out of a hat. For each question draw a number and apply that question to the selected book from your shelf (or wherever you like to store your books.) For example if you pulled the number 11 you’d count across your shelf to the 11th book. It’s as simple as that!

I figured this would be a fun way to get a sneak peak at people’s bookshelves and learn more about the stories behind the books. I’d love to be nosy at what you guys have on your bookshelves so feel free to take part on your own blogs!

Booking by Numbers Q&A 

Book Number: 48 Book: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
Q1.) Have you read this book? If so what did you think of it?
Not yet. I will hopefully be reading it soon though as part of my Halloween TBR. I love this series and I recently learned that this is the last book. A few people have said that the ending isn’t really satisfying so I think that’s why I’ve been nervous to pick it up!

Book Number: 3 Book: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Q2.) Why did you buy this book? Were you recommended it? Was it a random purchase?

This book was actually a Christmas present from my Nan. Peter Pan is probably my favourite Children’s Classic and I’d been pining for this edition for ages so it was a really nice present. Definitely something I’ll have on my bookshelf for the rest of my life.

Book Number: 23 Book: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Q3.) Based on what you know about this book which other book blogger would you recommend it to? 
EVERYBODY!!! I recently finished this book and I loved it so, so, much! To answer the question though I would recommend it to two bloggers Samantha from The Secret Life of a Bookworm because she recently read and loved Eleanor and Park and I think she’d love this one too. And Ellie from Musings of a Bookshop Girl because she really needs to read some Rainbow Rowell!

Book Number: 55 Book: The Essence by Kimberly Derting
Q4.) Who’s this books bookshelf neighbour?

Another Kimberly Derting book! The Essence is getting cosy with Everbound by Brodi Ashton and Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder. These books are on my TBR Sequel Shelf I really need to read them!

Book Number: 34 Book: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Q5.) How many books have you read by this book’s author?
I have all of Sarah’s books but I have only read Unspoken and Untold. I really love this series so I want to get on to The Demon’s Lexicon series one day. I’ve also read The Bane Chronicles: What Really Happened in Peru by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare so including that my grand total is at three.

Book Number: 16 Book: Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly
Q6.) Do you have any special memories attached to this book?

This is actually a very special book to me! Not only is it my favourite book from one of my favourite series but it was also the first book I was quoted in as a book blogger. It’s also signed and personalised by the author. I have all of these special memories with this book and every time I look at it I feel happy.

Book Number: 12 Book: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
 Q7.) Is this book part of a series? If it is are you up to date with the series?
It will be eventually when the next book comes out. Am I up to date with it? No, seems as I haven’t read this one although it is on my Halloween TBR so all in good time!

Book Number: 1 Book: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
Q8.) Is this book something you’d typically read or is it out of your comfort zone?

This book is the first book on my bookshelf because it’s something that I like to dip in and out of every now and again. I’d say this is pretty out of my comfort zone, as the title suggests this is a collection of weird things that people have asked in bookshops and I don’t have anything else quite like it on my shelf!

Book Number: 26 Book: Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Q9.) Have you reviewed this book? If yes then share a link to it.
My review.

Book Number: 63 Book: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Q10.) Where did you buy this book from?
Okay, this is kind of creepy. I bought it from an independent book shop whilst I was on holiday in Cornwall. The creepy part is that it was roughly this time last year that I bought it! I also bought the sequel today. Weird.

Book Number: 76 Book: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Q11.) Roughly how long have you owned this book for?
Years! Before I started book blogging, so it’s been sitting on my shelf for at least three years and I still haven’t read it! I read and loved The Darkest Minds earlier this year so I’ll have to get on to this one soon.

Book Number: 40 Book: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
Q12.) Share the first sentence of this book.
“In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret.” Okay this definitely has me intrigued! Will have to pick this up soon!

Book Number: 60 Book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Q13.) What’s your opinion on this book’s cover?

*Sighs deeply.* It’s… okay. The dress is weird but I like the striked out lines. HOWEVER the new cover designs for this series with the eyes are gorgeous! I’d really like to replace this one at some point but it’s such a shame that the publishers released the new cover in paperback not hardcover.

Book Number: 87 Book: More Than This by Patrick Ness
Q14.) In a few sentences describe this book in your own words.
I haven’t read this one yet so this is going to be hard.

This guy dies, he remembers dying, yet he is still here. Is he a ghost? Is he really dead? Is he in the afterlife? The guy doesn’t have a clue what is going on. You probably won’t have a clue what’s going on. But in the end you will be amazed and in awe as one always is upon finishing a Patrick Ness book.

END

I hope you guys had fun reading this and don’t mind that I wanted to try something different today. It was so much fun to do!

Grisha Honour Guard: Corporalki and a Very Special Grisha Giveaway!

I'm very excited to be taking part in the Grisha Honour Guard to celebrate the publication of Siege and Storm and the re-release of Shadow and Bone with the US title and gorgeous cover! Today I'll be sharing with you a bit about the highest ranking soldiers in the Grisha Honour Guard the Corporalki and I have a very exciting giveaway for my UK/ Ireland readers! (Sorry international Grisha fans! This was at the publishers request as they are very kindly providing this giveaway for my readers.) Day by day we will be celebrating the unique and incredible skills of The Grisha, the magical elite of Ravka so make sure you check out the blog tour banner on my sidebar so you don't miss any of the stops!

If you've yet to read the amazing Shadow and Bone, the first book in this series, you might be wondering what exactly are The Grisha and Corporalki? So here is a little introduction...

The Grisha Orders 
The Grisha are the magical elite of Ravka, also known as the soldiers of the Second Army. They practice the Small Science: they manipulate matter at its most fundamental levels. I like to think of it as a magical version of molecular chemistry. Status is everything to the Grisha, and the three main orders are: Corporalki (The Order of the Living and the Dead: Heartrenders and Healers), Etherealki (The Order of Summoners: Squallers, Inferni and Tidemakers) and Materialki (The Order of Fabrikators: Durasts and Alkemi).

Corporalki The Order of the Living and the Dead 
 * Heartrenders (Red and Black)
 * Healers (Red and Gray)
Ravka is surrounded by enemies and basically operates as a garrison state. The Corporalki are considered the most valuable soldiers, and consequently, they are the highest ranking Grisha. A Corporalki Heartrender can snatch the air from your lungs, slow your pulse until you drop into a coma, or literally crush your heart in your chest—all without ever laying a finger on you. Healers put you right again.

From the author Leigh Bardugo 

I've always imagined that the Corporalki motto would be "The Cause and the Cure." They tend to be the most arrogant Order, not just because they're the most valued soldiers in the Second Army, but because they go through the most rigorous and secretive training.

My Thoughts on the Corporalki 

I can still remember quite clearly my first time reading Shadow and Bone and how mesmerised I was by the second army and their unique powers but none more so than the Corporalki. The Corporalki are the highest ranking soldiers and I find them equally fascinating and terrifying. The Corporalki is split into two groups the Heartrenders and Healers – two sides of the same coin. They are life and death.

Heartrenders control the heart and with a flick of the wrist can stop it in your chest. I’d be terrified to discover I had this power knowing I would be used to kill in the army. There is something very scary about a Grisha that can kill so quickly, so cleanly, and with so little effort.

When I first thought about what it would be like to be a Healer I figured it would be a pretty amazing gift! Think of all the good you could do and lives you could save! But then I got to thinking about the times when for whatever reason you couldn’t save someone. It hurts to watch someone you love in pain knowing there’s nothing you can do about it but imagine if there was something you could do but failed and the guilt you would feel because of that. I think Healers have a tougher time than we’d first imagine!

Both of the Corporalki have the power to save and destroy and I for one wouldn’t like that responsibility hanging over my head. Separately they are strong but together they are lethal as they can bring a pain worse than death. They can torture and heal you over and over and over again. With the Corporalki your life is literally in their hands.

Giveaway 

I'm insanely jealous of the prize I'm giving away to one of you guys today! As a Grisha fan I think it's pretty awesome! So here's what you could win...

* An exclusive signed copy of The Gathering Dark (now known as Shadow and Bone) with the covers being changed these copies are not being made any more so a signed edition is a rare and special thing indeed!
* A copy of Shadow and Bone AND Siege and Storm with the gorgeous new covers!
* A Grisha keyring from Hebel Design in either a Healer (left image) or Heartrender (right image) design, your choice!

One UK/ Ireland winner will win this entire Grisha goodie pack!

Rules 

To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter

Open to UK/ Ireland residents only

End date: Wednesday 19th June

Winner will be contacted by email and will have 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to everyone entering! Stop by Serendipity Reviews tomorrow for more Grisha goodness this time all about the Materialki!

Follow The Grisha Honour Guard on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/fiercefiction/grisha-honour-guard/
Follow Leigh Bardugo on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lbardugo/

Thank you to the lovely Nina at Indigo for putting this tour together!

Letterbox Love (27) I'm Back!!!

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.

First of all HUGE sorries for being MIA on the blog for so long with no explanation or warning. May was an awful month for my family, we've had a really tough time. I don't want to go into it all on here as I'm looking at June as a fresh start and if I start talking about it it'll all come flooding back and I'm likely to crawl back into my hole of sadness again. If you follow me on Twitter you guys probably already know anyway...BUT! I'm back now and I'm looking forward to throwing myself into blogging again and to kick start June off I wanted to catch you all up on the lovely new books that have made their way into my home while I've been away.

 For Review

 
Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements
I LOVED Abby's debut 'Meet Me Under the Mistletoe' and you guys know how much I love my foodie chick-lit! So this is one I'm VERY excited about, and how pretty is that cover!?
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas (US ARC)
I've already read and LOVED this one, review will be coming very soon if you love your YA thrillers you won't want to miss this!
Crash by Nicole Williams
Clash by Nicole Williams
I really love the sound of this new adult series especially as it has ballet in it!

 
Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider (Proof Copy)
I love the sound of this book and it's very exciting that the proof says it's perfect for fans of John Green and Sarah Dessen, two of my favourite authors!
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (Proof Copy)
I have been seeing rave reviews for this one and I mean RAVE. I think this book is going to be huge and it's taking everything in me to stick to my TBR pile and not dive into this one straight away!
Nowhere by Jon Robinson (Proof Copy)
I haven't heard too much about this one yet but it sounds really good and has me very intrigued.
Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer
I am in love with David Levithan's writing and want to read all of his books, I've yet to read anything by Andrea Cremer so this will be a good opportunity to check her out!

 Bought/Borrowed

 
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
I've already read and loved this series but I borrowed the first book in a book tour many years ago so I have been meaning to buy my own copy so when I found the matching hardback edition in Ellie's bookshop I snatched it up!
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
I've had my eye on this one for months and am so excited to finally have a copy!
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
Rach very kindly lent me her copy of this to borrow. I've wanted to check out Jasper Fforde for some time now, his books sound very quirky!

 

SIGNED FIRST EDITION OF CITY OF BONES BY CASSANDRA CLARE!!!!!! 

This is a case of saving the best till last as I found this little gem in Ellie's bookshop on Wednesday! Cassandra Clare is one of my favourite authors so I couldn't walk away without 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!