Saturday, 9 March 2013

Stacking the Shelves #29

Meme Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

I am posting this a little late in the day because I am feeling really groggy right now. Ugh. But anyway I bought a whole load of books recently.
 
 

  •  Unremembered (Unremembered #1) by Jessica Brody *Goodreads*
  • Sister Assassin (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White *Goodreads*
  • Wonder by R.J. Palacio *Goodreads*
  • Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West *Goodreads*
  • My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent *Goodreads*
  • The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner *Goodreads*  
I popped into Waterstones for some r and r, as I do, not intending to buy anything except coffee ... and I walked out with three books; Unremembered, Sister Assassin and Wonder. The girl behind the till said it was a good selection, espcially Wonder. I have heard really good things. I have read the first few pages and already I can tell. Sister Assassin is the UK title for Mind Games. I was in half a mind about getting it but it was on offer so I caved. I hope I like it. I don't like the cover though. However I think I prefer the UK cover (above) for Unremembered to the US one. That doesn't happen very often.

Pivot Point I bought spontaneously after all the hype it was getting. And it was worth it. I really enjoyed it. It was simple but that what made it work.

I got My Soul to Take and The Maze Runner in The Works. The Works is a UK bargain books, arts and crafts store. I don't go in there very often mainly because their selection of books is limited. Adult and Teen books are together and there isn't much choice. However the books are cheap. I popped in and saw these two books. They are books that I have considered getting for ages but only now got. £3.52 for two books. Bargain! They are not in pristine condition but you can't get everything. I have heard amazing things about both these series and I am really looking forward to starting them.

Becky

Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Book Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Title: Hopeless (Hopeless #1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Colleen Hoover
Release Date: 17th December 2012
Read In: February 2013

Goodreads - Amazon.co.uk/.com

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…
That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.
Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.
Recommended for readers 17+ due to sexual content, harsh language and heavy subject matter.
I went into this book assuming a few things; I read the summary, I read the prologue as a sample on my kindle, I read ‘Abuse’ as one of the genre tags on Goodreads. I put a few things together and I thought I knew where Hopeless was going. I was wrong, completely wrong. Don’t be ashamed if you are wrong too. It wasn't supposed to be obvious.

Sky turned out to be a lot more complex than I initially thought. I loved the added depth to her character, especially her childhood background. I loved finding out things that have happened to her in the past. While I expected this book to be focused on Holder and Sky’s relationship, which, to an extent, it was, in hindsight this is definitely a book about Sky’s journey; she discovers new things and makes some tricky decisions. It made it better than just a romance, as great as Holder is. This is what drove the story forward for me.

Holder surprised me from the get go. All those assumptions earlier … yeah they were mostly about him. In a way, I was glad to be wrong. I want Holder in my life. Come sweep me off my feet. Oh, you’d rather be with Sky. I’ll go sulk. Holder’s approach to life is great. I loved his sarcasm and banter. He would put me totally at ease. A yummy romantic lead.

This book definitely brings up some more sensitive topics, for example suicide. There are a few more in there but I don’t want to spoil. I always enjoy books that explore hard topics and explore them well. Hopeless hits all the right notes.

The only reason this book didn't get the full five stars is because I didn't get completely emotionally involved with the character. However this rarely happens to me. Very few contemporaries get the full five stars from me. The fact that Hopeless got 4.5 stars shows that this book is really good. Trust me, it may be a five star for you.

This book has been getting many amazing reviews and there is a reason for that. This book is self-published but I believe that it has been snapped up by a mainstream publishing company (Simon and Schuster). This book was great. The reviews are right. Go read it. 




Becky

Saturday, 23 February 2013

Stacking the Shelves #28

Meme Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Only two books this week. Things have been quiet.

Edge of Dawn (Midnight Breeds #11) by Lara Adrian

This is one of the few adult book series that I am in love with and this book has been an excellent addition to the series as well. I am breezing through this book, when I have time to sit down and read. I wish I have had the past two days off but unfortunately not.

Breaking Point (Article 5 #2) by Kristen Simmons

Finally arrived in the post. Took a while for Amazon to decide when it was coming. I enjoyed Article 5 and I am interested to see where this one goes.



Becky

Thursday, 21 February 2013

Book Promo: Pieces by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Title: Pieces (The Breakaway #2)
Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle
Publisher: Rhemalda
Release Date: 14th February 2013

Goodreads - Amazon.co.uk/.com - Book Depository

Staying in love can mean running away...
Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her...until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie-in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.


When she answered the knock on her door, Naomi found Finn standing on her front porch with a cup of iced tea and a Styrofoam box she guessed contained a slice of almond cake.
“I’m sure you could order this somewhere else,” he said with a lopsided smile as he held them out to her, “but nobody makes the combo quite like Java, and you said you wanted to order some when you got back.”
She couldn’t keep the smile off her face as her mouth started to water. “Finn, I invited you over for dinner. That didn’t mean you had to bring something.”
He rolled his eyes. “No, I invited myself over for dinner against your protests, so that does mean I had to bring something. Now, enjoy.” He pushed the cup and box at her. She took both. “And here’s a straw.”
She balanced it on top of the cup and stepped aside to let him in.
“What can I help with?” he asked, rubbing his hands together as he entered the kitchen. “You clearly said this isn’t a date, so I’m going to help.”
Naomi was still standing by the door. She pushed it closed with her foot and followed Finn into the kitchen. He was wearing the ripped jeans again. In fact, she was sure they were the exact same pair he always wore. She smiled at his black Jimi Hendrix shirt.
“It’s pretty much done—just spaghetti. Nothing special.”
He walked to the oven and peeked inside. She had put in a loaf of French bread earlier. “Did you make that?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.
“I haven’t mastered baking yet,” she said, shrugging. “I bought the loaf at the store, but I made a garlic spread to put in the middle. It’s warming up in there.”
“Still, it looks great. And the sauce?” He lifted the lid off the stockpot and peeked inside. “Did you make this from scratch?”
Chuckling, Naomi walked to the counter and set down her almond cake and iced tea. “Yeah, I did. Why are you so fascinated?”
He returned the lid on the pot and turned around. “I don’t know. My mom doesn’t cook much—she never cooked when I was growing up—so, yeah, this all smells amazing. I’m used to eating at Java or boiling ramen noodles.” He put on a wicked smile. “I knew it was a good idea to invite myself over. Maybe I’ll do it more often.”
Naomi grabbed the straw on top of her iced tea and began tearing off the end of the wrapper. “Finn, about us hanging out, I called you because I’m … well, I have a problem and I don’t think anyone will understand except you. I don’t think my housemate Becca would understand what I’ve done since she’s never dropped below a 4.0 GPA. She tends to judge people who slack off.” She finished unwrapping the straw and shoved it through the hole on the cup lid. “And my mom will kill me when she finds out. I’m not sure what I’m going to do and I ….” She picked up the tea and took a long gulp. The heavenly taste kept her tears at bay for the moment. There was no way she was going to cry in front of Finn.
He waited for her to finish. She took another sip of the drink and continued.
“And I have things I need to tell you because you seem to understand me on a level not many people do. Well, two people. You and Jesse.”
Finn nodded.
“Jesse is my boyfriend.”
“I thought as much.”
She looked down at her feet and noticed her nail polish was almost worn off. She always painted her toenails red—the same red Evelyn had used on her nails. When she looked back up at Finn, he was peeking into the uncovered pot on the back burner.
“Noodles,” he said, smiling as steam rose up around his face.
Naomi rushed forward. “I need to check them.” She snatched a spaghetti spoon and leaned past Finn so she could reach the pot. He didn’t move as she twirled the spoon and caught some noodles.
“Want me to get out of the way?” he asked, grinning down at her.
With the spoon still poised over the pot, she looked up at him and realized he was close enough for her elbow to brush against him. He smelled like almond cake. She asked herself for the hundredth time why she had let him come over for dinner.
“No, I’m good,” she said, backing away with the spoon raised in the air. She looked at the dangling noodles dripping hot water onto the floor. The ends were beginning to turn white, which meant they were done. She lifted the spoon above her mouth and took a bite. “Perfect,” she mumbled, chewing. As soon as she noticed Finn watching her with a huge grin on his face, she turned away. “Can you drain the pot in the sink? There’s a colander already in there.”
“Sure.”
Fumbling her way around the kitchen, she let Finn help her set the table and dish up the food. When they were both seated, she put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath. No matter what happened, she wouldn’t screw up. She wasn’t going to hide anymore. She was going to tell Finn the truth, trusting he would understand and be there for her when nobody else could be. She hoped confiding in him would show him how highly she thought of him. His eyes were on her. He unfolded his napkin and set it on his lap. She let out her breath and picked up her fork. “Let’s eat.”




AUTHOR BIO
Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.
Author Links:
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.ladyglamis


 For the other blogs participating in the blog tour click here: http://www.xpressobooktours.com/2012/11/tour-sign-up-pieces-by-michelle.html


Becky