Bookish Survey (Broke & the Bookish)

From Broke and the Bookish's blog - to cure the Monday Blahs!

1. The book I’m currently reading: Devil's Bargain  by Rachel Caine - I love Caine's writing and as I keep going on (and on and on...) I am a huge fan of her Morganville series. This book is so different though and it's taking me a while to finish it due to other commitments so i'm concerned i'm not giving it the proper attention. It is good though!

2. The last book I finished: Exposure by Askew & Helmes - The Twisted Lit series is great! I might be biased as I love Shakespeare but I definitely recommend you checking this and Tempestuous out.

3. The next book I want to read: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick - A little bit of a lie. This isn't a book I *want* to read but more of a *need*. The books are terrible and make me so ANGRY! But for some reason they're also addictive. I have this insane urge to keep reading and finding out everything I can! I guess that means they're not as terrible as I make out but really..I can't wait until i've read them all so I can move on...

4. The last book I bought: Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine - I'm so surprised that this was the last I bought. It was so long ago now but i'm back on the infamous book buying ban just in time for Christmas. My TBR list is longer than Santa's 'naughty or nice' list...*deep breaths*. It was incredible as always though.

5. The last book I was given:  With Love at Christmas by Carole Matthews -This was a present and I cannot wait to read it! I love reading Christmassy books (the last few years I picked Trisha Ashley) so i'm looking forward to seeing what this one is all about. I haven't read Matthews before either. The Holidays are coming!

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.

November Wrap-Up

These are the books that kept me busy during November! Let me know if you've read or plan to read any.

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
2. The Foreshadowing - Marcus Sedgwick
3. Barrack Room Ballads - Rudyard Kipling (No Review)
4. Bitter Blood (Morganville #13) - Rachel Caine
5. Legend of the Chosen - Selzer & Huber
6. Tempestuous - Askew & Helmes
7. Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

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!)

Book Haul

As always, I bought way more books than I read which isn't helping my TBR piles at all! I'm happy with what I have though so here they are!

1. Extras - Scott Westerfeld
2. We Bought A Zoo - Benjamin Mee
3. Death Cure - James Dashner
4. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz
5. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol 1 - Alan Moore
6. Future Games - Orson, Scott, Card & Others.
7. Of Light & Darkness - Shayne Leighton
8. The Scent of Magic - Maria V Snyder
9. Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult
10. Inheritance - Christopher Paolini
11. Twined - A.L.Collins
12. Tempestuous - Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Some of these aren't available to buy yet but I have a feeling they're going to be great, so make sure you check out the books from this haul if you're curious.