Review // Forbidden (Demon Trappers #2) - Jana Oliver

Published - 5th August 2011

Published by - Macmillan

Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether. 
But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

Although this is the first review of the year, I actually read it at the end of December and didn't get chance to write a review.

The second book in the Demon Trappers series, Forbidden, is incredible. I read the first book (Forsaken) months ago now and gave it a less-than-it-deserved rating. I enjoyed the first book but I dropped the rating because the book gave false pretences on what it was about. However, this time I went in fully armed and wow. 5 stars, no questions asked.

The book kicked off pretty much where the last one ended and although it had been a while since I read the first, I knew what was happening and what situations were going on just by the storytelling. It wasn't that i'm going to tell you everything all over again kind of thing like you get in some books, it actually fit in. I love the characters so much too! Riley, Beck, Ori, Mort - all for different reasons but they were all fantastic. As this is a 4-book series, questions didn't really get answered and raised a lot more but there was plenty of new adventures and story in there to keep it more than interesting. 

At the end of the book I was literally left speechless. I was not expecting a certain, huge, revelation and the cliffhanger is almost too much to bear. If it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't actually handle the suspense and emotions of Forbidden, I would have picked the next one up straight away. Definitely need a few days to get my head around this one! Keep an eye out for the review of the next book which should be up within the next few weeks (earlier if I can't wait anymore!)

2012 in Books (Yearly Wrap-Up)

Instead of posting a December Wrap-Up, I decided to post a yearly one! This is the (not-quite-due-to-rereading-books) complete list of the books that I read in 2012!

1. The Worst Witch - Jill Murphy
2. City of Shadows - Celia Rees
3. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Levithan & Cohn
4. The Fault in our Stars - John Green
5. A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle
6. King Richard III - William Shakespeare
7. Shimmer (Riley Bloom #2) - Alyson Noel
8. A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy #1) - Ruth Warburton
9. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1) - Suzanne Collins
10. Divergent (Divergent #1) - Veronica Roth
11. Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) - Suzanne Collins
12. Zombicorns - John Green
13. Breaking The Silence - Diane Chamberlain
14. Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) - Suzanne Collins
15. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy #1) - Steig Larsson
16. Godspeed: The Kurt Cobain Graphic Novel - James McCarthy
17. Girl Meets Boys - Louise Gibney
18.Bloodlust (Stefan's Diaries #2) - LJ Smith
19. The Crystal Ship - CJ Carter-Stephenson
20. The Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home - Michael Straczynski
21. Forsaken (Demon Trappers #1) - Jana Oliver
22. Holes - Louis Sachar
23. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - Levithan & Cohn
24. Lord Loss (Demonata #1) - Darren Shan
25. Insurgent (Divergent #2) - Veronica Roth
26. Black Dawn (Morganville #12) - Rachel Caine
27. The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff
28. Slated - Teri Terry
29. Grave Sight (Harper Connelly #1) - Charlaine Harris
30. Fifty Shades of Grey - EL James
31. Let Them Eat Cake - Rachel Caine
32. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
33. The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) - Maureen Johnson
34. Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) - Becca Fitzpatrick
35. Demon Thief (Demonata #2) - Darren Shan
36. Deja Vu of Love - Carol Cadoo
37. Between The Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samanatha Van Leer
38. The Master of Whitehall - Rick H Veal
39. The Lightning Thief (Percy & Olympians #1) - Rick Riordan
40. A Witch in Love (Winter Trilogy #2) - Ruth Warburton
41. The Craving (Stefan's Diaries #3) - LJ Smith
42. Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth #1) - Terry Goodkind
43. Jack's Outpost - Elizabeth Braun
44. Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2) - Becca Fitzpatrick
45. Assassin Study - Maria Snyder
46. The Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling
47. The Bad Beginning (Series of Unfortunate Events #1) - Lemony Snicket
48. The Murders in Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
49. The Purloined Letter - Edgar Allan Poe
50. The Scandal in Bohemia - Arthur Conan Doyle
51. The Man With The Twisted Lip - Arthur Conan Doyle
52. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches - Arthur Conan Doyle
53. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
54. The Foreshadowing - Marcus Sedgwick
55. Barrack Room Ballads - Rudyard Kipling
56. Bitter Blood (Morganville #13) - Rachel Caine
57. Legend of the Chosen - Jennifer Selzer
58. Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) - Askew & Helmes
59. The Sea of Monsters (Percy & Olympians #2) - Rick Riordan
60. The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) - Maureen Johnson
61. Exposure (Twisted Lit #2) - Askew & Helmes
62. Silence (Hush, Hush #3) - Becca Fitzpatrick
63. Devil's Bargain - Rachel Caine
64. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
65. With Love at Christmas - Carole Matthews
66. Forbidden - Jana Oliver

Good luck with your reading challenges in 2013 and happy reading!

Book Haul | December

Not many books joined the shelves this month! However, January is coming (as is payday ;)) so expect a decent sized book haul in the new year.

Paris, I've Grown Accustomed To Your Ways - Ruth Yunker
Devil's Bargain - Rachel Caine *Review Posted
Wolf Sirens Forbidden - Tina Smith
Wolf Sirens Fever - Tina Smith (To be featured in Blog Tour Feb 2013!)
Forbidden - Jana Oliver

***

 

~ The final post of 2012! This blog has grown so much over the past 12 months and i'm expecting great things for the new year. I'd just like to thank anyone who reads and/or follows Loaded Shelves, thanks to all of the wonderful authors who have sent their precious work my way to share with you. 2013 will bring more books, more reviews, interviews and whatever else I can set up ;)
Thanks for everything!
                      Have a wonderful 2013 and keep reading :)

Review // With Love at Christmas - Carole Matthews

Published - 25th October 2012

Published by - Sphere

Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis -
Can the imperfect family really have the perfect Christmas?
Juliet Joyce adores Christmas. She loves the presents, the tree, the turkey, the tinsel, everything. Already the festive spirit is upon her, which is just as well as this Christmas things are starting to get out of hand.Her son Tom is out of work and bringing home a slew of unsuitable partners; pregnant daughter Chloe and her little boy have moved back in; Juliet's father, Frank, is getting over a heartbreak of his own and Rita, her eccentric mother, is behaving more erratically each day. And has the chaos got too much for Juliet's husband Rick?
With the big day fast approaching, Juliet hopes that she can stop everything spiralling out of control, because the only thing she wants is her family all around her and her home to be filled.

With Love at Christmas was bought for me as a gift. These aren't the type of books I usually read but at Christmas I just have to have an easy, festive read! Honestly, this one wasn't that easy and didn't feel a whole lot festive either. It felt like I was reading someone's diary - especially as the characters didn't talk like normal people would (in my experience, anyway). I don't really know how to explain it, it just felt odd and actually quite sad. It didn't put me in the mood for Christmas but it definitely had me wanting to curl up in bed with the lights off.

That being said, I did like the book. I liked Juliet and Rick and found myself getting emotional at all of their trials and tribulations. There were parts where I actually laughed out loud and nodded along, thinking that's exactly what my family does. Although Juliet loves Christmas and as assuming from the book title it's a Christmassy novel, I felt that this could have been set any time of the year. It just didn't have enough pull as a Christmas book for me. As a normal every day quick read though, it was great. Probably not a book i'll want to pick up again next Christmastime but it was good as a one-off.

Review // Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

Published - 1st June 1999

Published by - Penguin

Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:

a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..." 
Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.
Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"

Bridget Jones's Diary is WONDERFUL! I've loved the film for years and recently read a review of the book which finally convinced me to pick it up and i'm so glad I did! Bridget Jones's Diary is laugh-out-loud funny, real, warm and generally all-round brilliance. I think there is something in this book for every woman and like the synopsis, you really will compare her to yourself. 

The writing style was perfect. I wasn't sure if i'd like the style of diary entries but I loved it. I particularly loved the lists at the top of each new day totalling weight, calories etc. So much fun! This book is usually pidgeon-holed into the 'chick-lit' genre but I don't think that's fair. Bridget Jones's Diary DOES concentrate on the world through a woman's eyes but it is much more than a fluffy, overindulgence romance and has real substance. 

For those who are fans of the films - the book doesn't disappoint; and neither does the film! They're very close. Obviously there are differences, changes etc but the overall feel of both book/film is spot on. Fielding deserves all the praise she gets for this book and I highly recommend it.

Review // Devil's Bargain - Rachel Caine

Published - 5th October 2012
Published By - Mira
Format - ebook
Goodreads Synopsis - What's the price of a deal with the devil? Playing by the psychic underworld's rules has cost. Jazz Callender's whole life just got turned upside down. Her friend Ben's been convicted of a crime he didn't commit, and Jazz is determined to clear his name, even if it means enlisting the help of dark forces. Enter James, a stranger with a mysterious offer. If Jazz pledges to work for The Cross Society, a shadowy secret organisation, he'll help her save Ben. But as she's thrust into a world of psychic powers and dangerous magic, Jazz isn't just bargain for her friend's freedom. She's bargaining for her soul too. And how high a price is she willing to pay?

Rachel Caine's Devil's Bargain is fresh, new and exciting! Having only read her Morganville series, I was a little taken aback at this book but not for any bad reasons. The writing is so different and yet still feels comfortable and the characters are unique and interesting in a different way to those I already know and love. Kickass female characters seem to be Caine's forte and I can definitely get on board with that. Jazz and Lucia are strong, independent women.

As well as just being a great book to read, Devil’s Bargain gives you a lot to think about. There was a great moment in the book that I found myself thinking about for a long time.“If everything we do makes a difference, is this right? ... You could make yourself crazy thinking these things.”

Admittedly, for most of the book I felt frustrated, my feelings mirrored those of Jazz in a way. I wanted to know what Borden and his company were hiding. There are still questions that I want answering (which is probably why this is a series!). Who IS Simms?

It's a fairly short book and easy to read and I recommend reading Devil's Bargain either in one big chunk or in a short space of time to get the full effects and emotions. You just don't get quite the right buzz if you put the book down mid-discovery! I love Caine's writing and her realistic portrayal of characters is unmatched. I urge anyone to read something by her!

Review // Silence (Hush, Hush #3) - Becca Fitzpatrick

Published - October 2011
Published By - Simon & Schuster
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust - all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for - and their love - forever.
                                  

Hush, Hush Review - click here
Crescendo Review - click here

Note: I'm not a...fan, of these books and so if you are, then this probably isn't the best review to read.

Oh god. No. Why do I keep doing this to myself? With every book I read in this series I get more and more angry! Silence was not only the same in that respect, but worse. For 90% of the book I was literally screaming WHY? JUST, WHY? I guess it probably doesn't help that I actually hate Nora. Just in the space of writing this much i've already sighed deeply and wondered what am I doing with my life. For some reason I have this ridiculous need to finish this series. Oh & Patch.

A redeeming quality..let's focus on that for a minute. Silence actually had what might have been a fairly decent plot and a driving force that keeps you reading. There were things happening, suspense, revelations; all exciting things in a book. Unfortunately, I just didn't care. I don't care for the characters, writing or the story. Patch is the singularly interesting character in the series and there's an awful lot of book that doesn't even have him there.

Nora is the absolute biggest problem with the series. She is completely irresponsible, has no common sense, is blinded by everything but Patch and yet still thinks that she is the centre of the universe. I truly believe that if Nora had a shred of common sense, she would be both more likeable and more relatable, making the series less of a chore to read and maybe even a little bit interesting. There is a point in Silence where Nora is talking and Patch looks up and wonders why me? I mean COME ON! Patch is Nora's soulmate or whatever, and even he thinks she is ridiculous. Doesn't anybody find that a problem? I was barely into the book before she started sneaking off at 2am to walk around the cemetery after being kidnapped and having no memory for the last 5 months. What kind of idiot does that? And then she feels the need to complain about people worrying about her. Oh god. I should have just stopped reading there.

I could honestly complain about this book until my last breath (and I have been complaining to anyone who will listen for over a day now) but it's time to move on. After all, I still read it and maybe i'm as idiotic as Nora because of course i'll be reading Finale (a long, long time from now) and even though I know i'll hate it just as much as the last 3, it wont stop me. Sigh.

Review // Exposure - Askew & Helmes

Published - (Expected) 18th January 2013
Published By - Merit Press
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly! In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate. Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenzie: the man who would be Prom King. Can Skye save the boy she loves — and herself — before they get caught in the crosshairs?

This is an advanced review. Exposure is published on 18th January 2013 - keep an eye out!

Exposure is the second book in Askew & Helmes' Twisted Lit series. I read the first, Tempestuous last month and LOVED it so I was really excited to see what Askew & Helmes were going to do with my beloved Macbeth. 

Like Tempestuous, the characters were brilliantly written. I loved Skye and Craig to the point where I think i'd have been happy just hearing about them constantly! I loved the back story to other characters too (i.e. Beth). Other than a few editing problems, the writing was flawless and kept me interested.

Like Macbeth, there is constant suspense, madness, and the infamous 'damn spot!' I loved the modernised versions of all these things. The fight for Prom King & Queen was imaginative, relevant and worked wonderfully with the setting of both Exposure and Macbeth. The twists on character names and plot revelations were great and there were definitely parts of the book where I was getting excited about Shakespeare references and of course, that sonnet. 

The title, Exposure was lost on me when I first started reading the book but i'm happy to say that it does all come together. Skye's focus on photography, death by exposure, exposing oneself to reveal the truth (whether it be academic, romantic or legal).

All in all another great book from Askew & Helmes. I'd definitely recommend to fans of Shakespeare adaptations (like me!), those who love a good read and anyone with ambitions to claim the title of Prom King or Queen (careful!). Eagerly awaiting more from these two fabulous authors.

Review // The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) - Maureen Johnson

Published - (Expected) 26th February 2013
Published By - HarperCollins Children's Book
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…There’s a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London. Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery.

I was so excited when I received the ARC for this book. I read The Name of the Star in July and stayed up all night just to find out what happens. This series is definitely one that drags you in - whether you like it or not! I only intended to read the first few chapters late last night so I could make a start and yet here I am, less than 24 hours later writing this review! Johnson is incredible.

Like other ARC reviews i've read, I was a little (very little) disappointed that there wasn't more ghost-fighting action but honestly, it didn't matter. Every emotion came out whilst I was reading The Madness Underneath. I laughed so much I snorted tea everywhere. Some parts were so unsettling that I refrained from leaving the room I was in...just in case. Other times I sported that oh-so-attractive sobbing face. You know the one i'm talking about. I couldn't get enough. I must have stopped my flatmate from reading HER book more than a dozen times because I just had to share some witty remark (sorry!)

Rory is an amazing character. She is brave, strong, outgoing and she has flaws that just point out, she's only human and just like us...sorta. 
Rory's new abilities leave a lot of questions hanging in the air. What actually happened? Is it permanent? How is this going to change the Shades? What about the crack? What about....well. I'm not even going to mention the ending. 

I even love the title, The Madness Underneath. It's obviously so different from The Name of the Star but after reading the book...yes! The title can be interpreted in so many different ways. The madness underneath London...literally? Rory's feelings? The Shades?

I cannot wait for the next book and to get answers.

Review // Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

Published - 1st April 2006
Published By - Disney Hyperion Books
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

LOVE LOVE LOVE PERCY JACKSON!
Now that's out of the way, to the review :)

I read The Lightning Thief in August and simply adored it. Percy is my huge, inappropriate crush of the year and i'm cursing myself for not reading these books years ago! It's a short read (took approx 5 hours) and full of excitement and adventure.

Let me start by saying that the edition i'm reading is beautiful. The cover art is actually gorgeous and I love the detail and references to the story. The story itself was excellent. I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to the first book in the series but it really did. Percy has the worst (and yet best) luck and yet he never gives up - a lesson that all of us could use I think. Each character has a distinct personality and voice, and with a fairly big sized group of characters that can be quite difficult. 

I'm still annoyed that Percy is so young (13 now). Making him older would make the whole book seem more real as every so often i'm reminded of how young he is and whilst it makes his adventures more impressive, it also makes it harder to believe. I don't think my opinion on this is going to change but it doesn't affect how much I loved the book. I have a feeling that this series is just going to get bigger and better as Riordan sets up the scene for a big show down in Olympus. I can't wait!

Review // Tempestuous - Askew & Helmes

Published - (Expected) 18th December 2012
Published By - Merit Press
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Tempestuous is due to be released on 18th December. This is an early review.

As a fan of both YA and Shakespeare, Tempestuous is exactly my kinda thing. Tempestuous, based loosely on Shakespeare's The Tempest was full of references to other Shakespeare plays too, along with Jane Austen and modern crazes such as Words With Friends. Some may dislike what seems to be a barrage of 'names and labels' but I loved it. It really added to the authenticity and the mixture between modern and Shakespearian was wonderful. Every single character had their own personality and a life of their own. Every book comes with a good crush and here, Caleb doesn't let us down. Moody, brooding and a musician? Yes please!

The premise of the story, as the synopsis tells you, is a group of kids get stuck in the mall over night and Miranda is left to confront her previous friends as well as find a place amongst her new friends. What kind of person does she want to be? Miranda is not your average main character though. I'm still not sure if I even liked her! She's cocky, a little narcissistic and is well aware that she has the ability to make people do whatever she wants. The fact that a character that would usually be unlikeable becomes more than that, one of your friends, is a testament to the great writing from Askew & Helmes.

There were so many wonderful lines in the book but I think my favourite has to be,
"The ability for anyone in our generation to self-amuse has sadly been bred out of our species". Funny, true and just a little bit ironic to read as I was in fact amusing myself with the book!
The Twisted Lit series proves to be exciting, fun and entertaining. I can't wait to read the next - Exposure, a twisted lit version of Macbeth (my favourite play!)

Review // Bitter Blood (Morganville #13) - Rachel Caine

Published - 6th November 2012
Published By - Allison & Busby
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis -
For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires. To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news… or worse.

 ...Finally!
If you've been reading this blog for a while then you already know how much I just love this series. Although the last book only came out a few months ago, it has felt like forever whilst waiting for the thirteenth installment of Rachel Caine's Morganville series.

This book sees a lot of changes to both writing perspective and characters. The residents of Glass House are growing  up - and that's not necessarily a good thing. I've been with Claire, Shane, Michael & Eve for a long time now and they truly are like my best friends; so if you've read this book you'll understand what I mean when I say i'm worried about where the series will go from here. I need my friends happy & together.

There were moments in Bitter Blood where I was just too scared to read because I had NO idea where Caine was going with it. Every page was a surprise and a delight. I devoured the entire thing in less than 24 hours because I couldn't bare to be parted with it (pesky work got in the way a little). For me, Rachel Caine has created  an amazing world. I feel like Morganville is my home too and i'm equally as invested in the town's survival. It takes a skilled writer to make a book feel like real life but that's exactly what Caine does in Morganville. 

Myrnin was, as always, beautifully written and is an absolute pleasure to read. Reading from his POV was great and I really connected with him. In fact, I just want to continuously gush over each and every character! I even felt concerned for Oliver..! I cried a good few times whilst reading Bitter Blood (don't worry, no spoilers here) and there is one special little spirit that I would just love to meet again. :)

I doubt that Rachel Caine will personally see this but I wish I could thank her again for bringing these stories and people (for that's who they are!) into my world.

Review // The Foreshadowing - Marcus Sedgwick

Published - 23rd May 2006
Published By - Wendy Lamb Books
Format - Hardback
Goodreads Synopsis - It is 1915 and the First World War has only just begun. 17 year old Sasha is a well-to-do, sheltered-English girl. Just as her brother Thomas longs to be a doctor, she wants to nurse, yet girls of her class don't do that kind of work. But as the war begins and the hospitals fill with young soldiers, she gets a chance to help. But working in the hospital confirms what Sasha has suspected--she can see when someone is going to die. Her premonitions show her the brutal horrors on the battlefields of the Somme, and the faces of the soldiers who will die. And one of them is her brother Thomas. Pretending to be a real nurse, Sasha goes behind the front lines searching for Thomas, risking her own life as she races to find him, and somehow prevent his death.

A while ago I was getting frustrated with trying to find a quick, short read to fill in the gaps between university reading and so I enlisted the help of my flatmate, who is also a great book lover. She picked out The Foreshadowing, which is one of her books that she enjoyed a long time ago now.

This isn't the type of book that I would usually read so I was excited to jump into it and see what my flatmate enjoyed about it. I was a little disappointed though. 

The Foreshadowing has the potential to be a great enthralling read but it was lacking. The only person I cared about was Jack and he didn't appear in the book until half way through. There was barely any emotion in the book despite several potentially heartbreaking scenes. The main character, Alexandra/Sasha was just...boring. Nothing she did interested me. I loved the idea of the book, and particularly liked that the chapters ran backwards even though it didn't seem to really matter if there were chapters at all. I think the longest chapter consisted of 4 pages.

I just wanted more from it. More information about characters, backstories, relationships and emotions. More of everything really. That being said, it wasn't a terrible book. It was a quick read, simplistic and to the point with a few sparse comments that intrigued me. I'm glad the book was quite short though as I think if it had continued in the same manner, I wouldn't have been able to keep reading.

Review // The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

Published - 1st February 2011
Published By - William Morrow Paperbacks
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Then, tragically, came the news that she had taken her own life with a drug overdose.

But the evening post brought Roger one last fatal scrap of information. Unfortunately, before he could finish reading the letter, he was stabbed to death.

Agatha Christie is an author that almost everybody has heard of even if they haven't read anything. As a hugely successful mystery writer, I was expecting her to crop up on my Detective Fiction course at university and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I've heard so many great things that I was sure the hype would ruin it. To an extent this was true when I first picked up the book but i'm happy to say that my opinion changed mostly.

At first I was fully aware that I was supposed to be enjoying the story which honestly lead me to withholding from it. Although it's a fairy short book, it took me longer than usual to finish it because of my preconceived ideas. Once I got to around the midway point though I found myself caught up in the mystery and the lives of the characters. I was trying to put together pieces of the puzzle and add my own guesses to the mix. I think the best thing about The Murder of Roger Ackroyd though is that I had no idea. I had narrowed my suspects to just two people and I was wrong on both counts! I like to think that i'm a fairly intuitive reader but Christie had me stumped. 

The story, the character, the puzzle; all kept me reading and contemplating the book. I'm definitely interested in reading more of her work later down the line and I can safely say that Christie earned her notoriety for a reason!

Review // The Purloined Letter - Edgar Allan Poe

Published - 23rd December 2010
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - The Purloined Letter is the third of the three stories featuring the detective C. Auguste Dupin, the other two being The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Mystery of Marie Roget. These stories are considered important forerunners of the modern detective story. The method Poe's detective, Dupin, uses to solve the crime was quite innovative. He tried to identify with the criminal and to "think like he would." In May of 1844 Poe wrote to James Russell Lowell that he considered it "perhaps the best of my tales of ratiocination."

 (Not the actual cover of my version)

I originally gave this short story a low star rating of 2/5 but on reflection i've bumped it up to a much more suitable 4/5. I rarely change my mind on books but this one had me thinking long past the last page. 

Having recently reviewed The Murders in Rue Morgue as a guest post (which you can read here), I jumped straight into The Purloined Letter. For those interested - I have intentionally missed out the middle story in this collection but I intend to go back at a later date to read it! This review will vaguely come in two parts as I talk about my first impressions and then the reasons why I changed my rating.

Unlike The Murders in Rue Morgue, this story was more plot driven than explanation of Dupin's analysis process. The Purloined Letter was shorter and easy to read and I strangely enough, I think this was partly why I found myself enjoying it less. Don't get me wrong, I DID like it - I just felt like I was missing something. Everything seemed easy and straightforward. I'm new to detective fiction but even I know that there needs to be a twist of some kind. So I finished it, rated it and moved on.

Although I didn't really move on. I had a class about Poe's work and then I spent some time googling, as you do, and I think I finally got what i'd been missing. Revenge.
The Purloined Letter, though seemingly easy and simplistic is actually darker and more mysterious than The Murders of  Rue Morgue, or even anything that i've read lately. It plays heavily on revenge and deceit. Looking back, I have no idea how I missed it in the first place, but I re-read the last few pages to make sense of it in this new light. With this in mind, I enjoyed the story much more and I felt I needed to adjust my star rating accordingly.  When I have more time, I plan on reading all three Dupin stories again as it seems to me that more is hidden underneath just waiting to be discovered!

If you've read either The Murders of Rue Morgue or The Purloined Letter, i'd love to know what your thoughts are! Also if there are any other short stories by Poe you recommend, let me know those too.

Review // The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) - Lemony Snicket

Published - 30th September1999
Published By - Scholastic
Format - Hardback
Goodreads Synopsis - Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing. 
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket is a well loved collection of stories for (I imagine) a younger audience. Honestly, it was never a series that I was very interested in reading. I was 11 when The Bad Beginning was published and in the 13 years since then I had completely forgotten about it. However, I've just moved into a shared house and thanks to my housemate the collection is now partly mine and I have reconsidered. (Mostly because they are short and I wanted some 'light' reading inbetween university books)

As seems to be the case just lately - I was pleasantly surprised by The Bad Beginning! (I'm on a great streak of 'good' books.) Though not really 'light-hearted', the book was fun, uncomplicated and a really quick and interesting read. Throughout the book, the narrator Lemony Snicket, explains various words that have been used and gives their meaning in this particular instance. Granted, at the age of 24 it's a little patronising but considering the target audience, I think it's great!

What surprised me most were the snippets of information that genuinely felt like I was learning something or reading something truly meaningful. Just a few things I picked up on were:-

• "First impressions are often entirely wrong. You can look at a painting for the first time, for example, and not like it at all, but looking at it a little longer  you may find it very pleasing."
• "It is a sad truth in life that when someone has lost a loved one, friends sometimes avoid the person, just when the presence of friends is most needed."
• "By immersing themselves in their favourite reading topics, they felt far away from their predicament, as if they had escaped."

Snicket's writing style is brilliant and the first book is both funny and thoughtful. The Baudelaire children are brave and intelligent and a pleasure to read. I feel terrible about not reading these books sooner but now i've started...keep an eye out :)

Review // Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2) - Becca Fitzpatrick (SPOILERS)

Published - 19th October 2010
Published By - Simon & Schuster
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.
The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Crescendo is the second book in the Hush, Hush series written by Becca Fitzpatrick. I reviewed Hush, Hush back in July and you can read it here.

The story continues to follow Nora and Patch who are having somewhat of a turbulent time. In fact, the biggest thing I feel I need to talk about in regards to Crescendo, is the relationship between the two of them.

I'm a 20-something year old female so I think it's fair to say that I have experienced young love/romance and can freely comment on this. So here goes...(be warned..Spoilers!)

At the beginning of Crescendo, Nora and Patch are doing great. Their relationship has lasted beyond the Chauncey incident of Hush, Hush and we are informed that they are currently in their second month of dating. I'm sure to some teenagers, two months seems like a really long time and maybe that's why i'm frustrated - I'm too *old* now. Well a short read into the book finds us listening to Nora proclaim her undying love for Patch and literally makes him promise to never leave her. This seems a little crazy to me. I mean, two months. So assuming we can get past the fact that the pair cannot stand to be apart, we then find ourselves witnessing Nora breaking up with Patch for what seems to be no reason whatsoever. I'm not ashamed to admit (and neither is my housemate) that the biggest reason I decided to carry on with the series was to read about Patch - so my reasoning fizzled out quite quickly.

These books (at least so far) are written from Nora's perspective so the lucky reader gets to participate in Nora's thoughts about how much she loves Patch, how much she doesn't trust him, how much she wants to be with him and of course, how much she wants him to stay away from her. My head actually started to hurt. Don't even get me started on Nora's jealousy issues. I could go on about this for a really long time but I do have other things I want to say.

Nora's mother. Oh where do I begin?! I refer you back to my review of Hush, Hush, where I talked about Nora's mother being completely irresponsible and that she seemed perfectly happy with Nora doing whatever she wanted as long as she could go to work for a week at a time. Well apparently she has had a complete change of heart as we are told that she is now overprotective. Oh wait...no. She's left her teenage daughter home alone again in order to work. But it's okay because she told Nora to be careful. Seriously?

HOWEVER. Surprisingly enough, Crescendo was not a bad book. Miles better than Hush, Hush as there was a continuous storyline and more interaction with people that weren't Patch. Vee continued to be annoying but Rixon, Scott and even Marcie to a degree, were pleasant surprises throughout the book. Patch was wonderful, as always and is fast becoming another YA crush that is endorsed and shared between me and my housemate. For those interested, I will be continuing the series as soon as I get my hands on the next book. Why? Because as infuriating as it makes me, I just can't stop myself. The Hush, Hush series is turning out to be one of those I love despite it's obvious and occasionally painful flaws. 

I realise that I haven't really reviewed the story, but let's face it, the story is interesting but nowhere near as interesting to me as what these particular characters are getting up to. 

Thanks for reading my review! Now I urge you to ignore it and go and read it anyway.

Review // Jack's Outpost - Elizabeth Braun

Published - 15th February 2012
Published By - Lulu
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - Travel to Mars - on a one-way ticket? "I would go, but where would I find tonic water on Mars?" was Jack's initial response. Logistics resolved, his life in the Outpost on Mars centers around tending his vegetable garden and playing simulated golf on the state of the art entertainment system. This tranquil scientific assignment changes when budget cuts create new alliances and foreign space agencies start sending their own Martian explorers.

Buy it here - Buy Jack's Outpost (Amazon)

I was approached by Elizabeth Braun a while ago and she asked if I would be interested in reading and reviewing Jack's Outpost. I had a quick scan of Amazon and read the information available and was intrigued by the concept of the novel. It was unlike anything i'd previously read and of course, i'm always looking for new reading material! 

I started reading the book without any idea of what was going to happen. As I said previously, I hadn't read anything like this or even close to it's genre before. However, after the first hour reading, I was drawn it. Jack's Outpost has a lovely charm to it. The concept of a one way mission to Mars was wonderful. I am certainly no expert on space, or any planet other than the one we live on, but I immediately wanted to know more. 

Jack's Outpost wasn't just a novel in which I could sit and enjoy a light fluffy story. I learned things. I found myself thinking about Jack and what his life must have been like, so alone, and so far from home. There wasn't a lot of action; the book being made up of mostly dialogue, but this worked because of the circumstance of the novel. I didn't find myself getting bored despite the repetitive lifestyles. 

I particularly liked the 'stories' and 'jokes' that Jack told. They seemed more like real life events than just a character's life. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about Jack's Outpost that I liked, only that I DID like it. I read the book over 24 hours and it was just wonderful in a special kind of way. The book didn't just end at the last word for me either. I found myself looking up one-way missions to Mars and other related things. Jack's Outpost is a lovely, different kind of read and if you're at all interested in things like this then I highly recommend you pick it up!

- Here's a fairly recent article I found regarding one-way missions to Mars that might interest you, The Hundred Year Starship

Review // Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth #1) - Terry Goodkind

Published - 15th July 1997
Published By - Tor Fantasy
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help ... and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence. In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword-- to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed ... or that their time has run out.
This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.

 I have been meaning to read Wizard's First Rule for a long time now after it being recommended to me by a handful of people over the last few years. I finally decided to get past the fact that it is one hell of a hefty book and get stuck in.

Terry Goodkind is a fan of long descriptive passages that usually I don't like to read (I prefer my imagination to create the image, rather than being spoon-fed) but somehow he managed to draw me in and I was genuinely interested in the world that he was creating. World building is important but sometimes in fantasy novels, the author can get a little carried away. Goodkind does sometimes go into too much detail and I had to skim through but 90% of the time, I was enjoying what was being described to me.

I don't even know where to start when it comes to the characters. Literally within minutes I was more than just attached to them. Even when I wasn't reading the book, my mind was wondering what was happening with Kahlen, Richard, Zedd and others. Luckily, I had someone at my beck and call who had read the book already so that I could discuss the story as it happened, and the characters. I was truly enthralled by Wizard's First Rule.

I read an awful lot of books for both study purposes and for pleasure. Unfortunately this sometimes means that I don't get as emotionally involved with books as I used to. This time however, I was there. I felt physically sick, I laughed out loud until it hurt, I cried so much that my friend was actually comforting me! 

The Sword of Truth books are a LONG series and I anticipate it will be years until i'm through with them but I will definitely be finishing them. I recommend them to any fantasy lover!

- A little side note: There was a short TV show based on this series; The Legend of the Seeker. It only lasted for 2 seasons but they are worth checking out if you're not sure you want to commit to such a huge collection of books.

Review // A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton

Published - 5th July 2012
Published By - Hodder Children's Books
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her and has vowed to suppress her powers, no matter what. But magic – like love – is uncontrollable. It spills out with terrible consequences, and soon, Anna is being hunted.

The second book in Ruth Warburton's Winter series, A Witch in Love continues Anna's story and her magical development. I wasn't sure whether I was going to pick this up at first. I enjoyed the first book, A Witch in Winter, as a nice 'filler' book. Although the ending left me wanting answers and to find out what was going to happen to Anna, I wasn't overly attached to the series. After spotting it on the shelf though, I had to buy it and i'm glad that I did.

A Witch in Love started off slowly and I was frustrated by the 'lovey-dovey' romance that Anna and Seth share. Seth is a nice boy but c'mon...where's the excitement? Thankfully though, things picked up and by the mid-way point I was enthralled and couldn't put it down. The action scenes were fantastic and without too much of a spoiler - that wind was AWESOME.

I simply love Abe's character. He's quick-witted, opinionated and much more of a heartthrob than Seth. I really hope his character is developed more in the next book in the series! I only wish there was less fawning over Anna; she seems irresistible to men?! 

...Moving on! The family storyline was brilliant and I definitely want to know more about Isla/Isabella and I want the answer to why Anna is so important. The end of A Witch in Love had me sobbing like a lovesick teenager (despite my anti-Seth views!) and I genuinely can't wait to see what's going to happen now. Everything is all up in the air and it's time for Anna to face her past, present and future.