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Wednesday 11 July 2012

WWW Wednesday #2

www_wednesdays43

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading

To play along just answer the following three questions:

  • What Are You Currently Reading?
  • What Did You Recently Finish?
  • What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

Here are my answers

livingdeadindallas

 What Are You Currently Reading?

 I’m currently reading Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris. I really enjoyed Dead Until Dark and what to see what happens next for Sookie and the residents of Bon Temps.

 

 

 

deaduntildark

 What Did You Recently Finish?

 I have just finished Dead Until Dark, book 1 in the Sookie Stackhouse novels, by Charlaine Harris and I have to say I really enjoyed this book. (Review Coming Soon)

 

 

 

clubdead

 What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

I am planning to read Club Dead, book 3 in the Sookie Stackhouse novels, by Charlaine Harris. As I enjoying the series so far I cant wait to find out what happens next.

 

 

 

So that’s my WWW Wednesday. What’s yours? Please leave a comment with either a link to your own WWW post, or share your answer in the comment section below.

Happy Reading

Paul

Apologises for lack of updates

I would just like to apologise for not updating this blog in over 6 months. I don’t really have a good enough excuse for why i haven’t. I guess if I was to give an explanation it would be that I haven’t really been focussed on my reading as I would have liked to have been.  In fact I hadn’t read a single book in the past 6 months, that was until I decided to read Adrian Mole The Wilderness Years by Sue Townsend and as if by magic I was back into reading.

So now I’m back and more eager than ever to make this blog as successful as I can make it. The first thing I am planning on doing is giving the blog a new look. Although this blog will still be focussed on Young Adult fiction I am also going to be reviewing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror in both YA and Adult fiction.

The most important change will be the frequency of my reviews. Before I would rush through as many books as I could within the week and then rush the reviews out, well that is going to change. I am only going to be posting 1-2 reviews a week the main reason for me doing this is because I want to bring you reviews that will be insightful.

Well I think I’ve rambled on long enough. I would like to say thank you to everyone that is still following this blog. Hopefully you will be pleased with the changes that are coming and will come back in the next couple of days to find out what I thought to Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, book 1 in the Sookie Stackhouse Novels.

Until then Happy Reading

Paul

Thursday 19 January 2012

Booking Through Thursday #1


Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Deb at Booking Through Thursday.

This weeks question is:

Do you skip ahead in a book? Do you feel bad about it when you do?

My Answer

Originally my answer would have been yes. But I now read books without skipping. The reason why I have changed is I would feel so guilty that I would have to go back and the read the book from the very beginning again, which meant that I was taking longer to finish books.

This question was inspired by an article published in the Guardian.

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

UK Publication Date: 2nd July 2007
Publisher: Walker Books
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Type: Young Adult

Blurb from book cover
Clary Fray is seeing things: vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Irresistibly drawn towards a group of sexy demon hunters, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City - and the dangers of forbidden love.

My Thoughts

City of Bones isn't the first Cassandra Clare novel I have read. I previously read Clockwork Angel, a book that I loved from the very beginning. I hadn't seen or read any reviews about this book before I started it, and I will say that I am glad I didn't.

Having now read this book and the reviews for it,  I can say that I understand why people have a love/hate relationship with this book. OK I know that this was the first book that Cassandra Clare wrote, and it really shows in her writing style, but my biggest problem with this book is the ending. To me the ending seemed rushed, don't get me wrong I still liked the ending, but after everything else that had happened throughout the story the ending just seemed to fizzle out.

As I said earlier I loved the book. Did the Harry Potter/Star Wars undertones bother me? No it didn't. It must be hard to write a book that isn't going to use plot devices that have already been done.

Overall City of Bones is an exciting story with characters that I really want to find out more about.

Rating 4 out of 5

Wednesday 18 January 2012

New Feature Idea

I am thinking about adding a new review feature to this blog. The new feature will be movie reviews. I am not sure if this is going to a monthly or weekly feature, and before I do this I wanted to get your opinion on it.

Would you be interested in having movie reviews featured on this blog or do you think I should have a seperate blog for it.

Please leave me a comment.

Monday 16 January 2012

Its Monday, What Are You Reading?


Its Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This meme is a list of the book(s) that we read last week, what book(s) we are currently reading and what book(s) we plan on reading next.

Book(s) I Read Last Week

I didn't really get much reading done last week. I spent two days helping a friend move and then I was busy organising my youngest daughters third birthday, when I did find the time to sit down and read I just couldn't concentrate.

Book(s) Currently Reading

Clary Fray is seeing things: vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Irresistibly drawn towards a group of sexy demon hunters, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City - and the dangers of forbidden love.

Hopefully I will get this book finished today. I have been reading it for well over a week now. Don't get me wrong I am absolutely loving the characters and story.


Book(s) I Plan To Read Next (this is subject to change)

Jenny is new in town. Her parents go away, leaving her alone in an isolated house. The mountains surrounding the town loom ominously, guarding the secret of what really happened the day of Diana Benson's accident. Then the phonecalls start...

Jenny has a secret admirer, who courts her with secret messages and flowers. But she also has an enemy, who chases her on a lonely road. Does she know too much about the 'accident' on the cliffs? And is there anyone she can trust? Jenny has no one to turn to. Except her secret admirer ... But who is he?

Wednesday 11 January 2012

WWW Wednesday #1

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading.

To play along just answer the following three questions.

  • What Are You Currently Reading?
  • What Did You Recently Finish?
  • What Do You Think You'll Read Next?

Here are my answers

What Are You Currently Reading?

I'm currently reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I really loved Clockwork Angel so thought I would give her Mortal Instrument series a go and have to say that I am absolutely loving this book.


What Did You Recently Finish?

I really struggled with The Conjuror's Bird by Martin Davies. No matter how hard I tried to like this book I just couldn't get into the story, so stopped reading after 142 pages.


What Do You Think You'll Read Next?

I will definitely be reading The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. The main reason being that I loved Clockwork Angel and really want to see what happens next.

Friday 6 January 2012

Feature & Follow Friday #1

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkie and Alison Can Read. This meme allows book bloggers to find and connect with each other.
Featured Blogs This Week:

Pawing Through Books and Book Den

This Weeks Question

Go count the number of unread books on your shelf. How many?
YA Books - 89
Adult Fiction - 238

Total Number Of Unread Books - 328

I had no idea it was that many. Oh well...at least I will have plenty of books to review.

How big is your unread pile?

Thursday 5 January 2012

Review: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

UK Publication Date: 29 September 2011
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
Series: Ashes #1
Type: Young Adult Dystopian

Blurb from book cover
Seventeen-year-old Alex is hiking through the wilderness when it happens: an earth-shattering electromagnetic pulse that destroys almost everything.

Survivors are divided between those who have developed a superhuman sense and those who have acquired a taste for human flesh. These flesh-hunters stalk the land: hungry, ruthless and increasingly clever.

Alex meets Tom, a young army veteran, and Ellie, a lost girl. They will fight together and be torn apart but Alex must face the most difficult question of all: in such a vastly changed world, who can you trust?

My Thoughts

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick is the first book in the Ashes trilogy and what a way to start. Ashes is a post-apocalyptic story told through the eyes of Alexandra or Alex as she's known in the book. Alex is a seventeen-year-old girl who, after enduring countless experimental treatments to control a brain tumour, decides that she's had enough and sets out to scatter her parents ashes at Lake Superior. Unfortunately for Alex things don't go according to plan.

After meeting a man named Jack and his granddaughter Ellie, a bratty eight-year-old girl, and Mina, Ellie's dog,  they experience, what Alex calls, the zap. The zap renders technology useless, kills millions of people, including Jack, within the first few minutes and those it doesn't kill it changes into fast, fierce cannibals. Alex also finds out that she has changed as well. Alex realises that her sense of smell, which the tumour had robbed her of, is back and more sensitive then ever, though this doesn't help her when she finds Rule, a small village which is hiding a deadly secret.

Through Alex we see the best and worst of humanity and it begs the question how far would you be willing to go if society broke down. Ashes is a gripping, and very dark read with memorable characters and a plot that is highly intriguing.

I have read some reviews that criticise the way the second half of the book is written, as it differs greatly from the first part. In the first half of the book we see a lot of violence and gore whereas in the second half it's very quiet and nothing much happens. I have to say that I really liked this, as it offered the reader a false sense of security which is quickly destroyed by the shocking cliffhanger at the end.

Ashes is definitely not for the faint of heart as some of the gore and violence is quite graphic.

I cannot wait to find out what happens next to Alex.

Rating 5 out of 5

City of Lost Souls and Black Dawn Covers Revealed

UK Cover
US Cover


I really love these covers, and cannot wait to read the books. I don't know if City of Lost Souls cover is the US and UK cover, but going by the other books in the series I think it could be.

According to Amazon.co.uk Black Dawn is due for release on 1st May 2012 and City of Lost Souls is due 8th May 2012

I will definitely be asking for these for my birthday in June.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Changes to layout

I have decided to change the layout design of this blog, to a more cleaner design. Although I liked the way the blog looked before, I felt that the design was too cluttered. I hope you all like the new look.


Tuesday 3 January 2012

Finishing The Series Challenge


I normally start a series but stop after the 3 books so doing the Finishing The Series is going to be quite exciting for me. I'm attempting the third level: Read 3 or more series. Below is the list of book series I am going to attempt.

My Series List

  1. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (1 more of 2 )
  2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare ( need to read all 4 books in series)
  3. The House of Night by P.C and Kirsten Cast ( need to read all 9 books in series)
  4. The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater (need to read all 3 books in series)
  5. The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine (need to read all 11 books in series)
  6. The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey (need to read all 4 books in series)
  7. The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot (need to read all 6 books in series)
  8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (need to read all 3 books in series)
  9. The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling (need to read all 7 books in series)
  10. Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong (need to read all 3 books in series)

100+ Books In A Year Challenge


This will be the first year that I have attempted the 100+ Books In A Year Challenge and I have to say I am really excited about giving it a go.

Books read in 2012

  1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  2. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

2012 YA Reading Challenge


I am really excited to be taking part in the 2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge, that I am attempting the "Fun" size, 20 YA Books.

My List:

1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
2. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

1st In A Series Reading Challenge

Are you an avid series reader? Do you want to give a few new series a try? Then this is the reading challenge for you. Participants in the 1st In The Series Challenge decide to start a certain number of series in 2012 then share their reviews with the community.

There are 4 levels for this challenge:

  • Series Novice: Read 3 books that are first in a series
  • Series Lover: Read 6 books that are first in a series
  • Series Expert: Read 12 books that are first in a series
  • Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are first in a series

To sign up for this challenge, head over to A Few More (Reading) Challenges for all the details.
My List (to see the review click book title)
  1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  2. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
  3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
  4. Shiver by Maggie Stifvater
  5. Marked by P.C and Kirsten Cast
  6. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
  7. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
  8. My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey
  9. Angel by L.A Weatherly
  10. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
  11. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
  12. Forsaken by Lana Oliver
  13. Fallen by Lauren Kate
  14. Love You To Death by Meg Cabot
  15. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  16. Gone by Michael Grant
  17. Matched by Allie Condie
  18. Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone by J K Rowling
  19. My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent
  20. Divergent by Veronica Roth
  21. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
  22. Die For Me by Amy Plum
  23. Paranormalcy by Kirsten White
  24. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Teaser Tuesday #1


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, all you have to do is do the following things.
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.
My Teaser:

From behind, Tom cried, "Alex, no, stop!"
Something slammed against her back as a bright orange flash erupted out of the dark, and a shotgun boomed.

~Ashes by Ilsa J.Bick. Page 159

Monday 2 January 2012

Monday Musings #1

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This weeks question is:

What is/are the first book(s) you're reading for the new year?

The books I am starting this year off with are Ashes by Ilsa J.Bick (currently reading) and The Conjuror's Bird by Martin Davies.



The first book I reviewed this year was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Review here.

Its Monday, What Are You Reading


Its Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This meme is a list of the book(s) that we read last week, what book(s) we are currently reading and what book(s) we plan on reading next.

Book(s) I Read Last Week

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (review here)

Book(s) I'm Currently Reading

Seventeen-year-old Alex is hiking through the wilderness when it happens: an earth-shattering electromagnetic pulse that destroys almost everything.

Survivors are divided between those who have developed a superhuman sense and those who have acquired a taste for human flesh. These flesh-hunters stalk the land: hungry, ruthless and increasingly clever.

Alex meets Tom, a young army veteran, and Ellie, a lost girl. They will fight together and be torn apart but Alex must face the most difficult question of all: in such a vastly changed world, who can you trust?

Book(s) I Plan To Read Next

Renowned naturalist Joseph Banks is about to set sail with Captain Cook on a voyage of discovery to the other side of the world. He will encounter many wonders, but none as captivating as the elusive woman with green eyes who haunts the woods near his home.

Two centuries later, John 'Fitz' Fitzgerald stumbles on a portrait of a woman with curiously striking eyes. Who is she?

Fitz has lost too much, the convictions of his youth, the belief that he will die a famous man - and Gabby, the love of his life. But out of the blue, a call from Gabby has brought it all rushing back, and plunged him into a mystery that at once repels and irresistibly intrigues him.

Now, Fitz is in a dangerous race to solve the puzzle of the Conjuror's Bird. And the woman in the portrait holds the key.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

UK Publication Date: 6th September 2010
Publisher: Walker Books
Series: The Infernal Devices #1
Type: Young Adult

Blurb from book cover
Magic is dangerous - but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
My Thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. Clockwork Angel is the first book by Cassandra Clare that I have read and it won't be the last.

Clockwork Angel tells the story of Tessa Gray, an orphaned sixteen-year-old New Yorker, who, on the death of her aunt, arrives in Victorian London in search of of her brother, Nathaniel. No sooner has Tessa stepped off the boat she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters, who force her to use an ability she didn't know she had. They claim her talent is needed by the Magister. After attempting to escape from the Dark Sisters, Tessa  has all but given up when she encounters a mysterious young man named Will, who says that he can help her escape. Having accepted Wills' help, Tessa finds herself seeking refuge with a mysterious band of people known as the Shadowhunters.

As Tessa learns more about her strange new friends and her newly acquired talent, she finds herself facing dangers far worse than the Dark Sisters, from clockwork men to vampires.

Clockwork Angel is a gripping read, with characters that you can't help but like, that once started is, in my opinion, difficult to put down. There is something for everyone in this book from romance to science fiction.

Clockwork Angel is a fantastic start to a series that I hope I will enjoy reading.

Rating: 5 out of 5