This is my first 'What Are You Reading?' post and I'm really excited because this seems like an awesome meme to be a part of. It's hosted by Book Journey. This week I'm reading....

Death of a Saint (Mall Rats #2)
by Lily Herne
Publication Date: 1 April 2012
Publisher: Puffin
Buy the book: |Exclusive Books|For now these books are only available in SA. But they will be published in the UK in 2013.   

Secrets. Everyone has them. But what if your secret is something so unthinkable that you can’t even admit it to yourself? Lily Herne returns with Death of a Saint , the next instalment in the Mall Rats series. Exiled from the city enclave for crimes against the Resurrectionist State, teen rebels Lele, Ginger, Ash and Saint — aka the Mall Rats — are hiding out in the Deadlands, a once-prosperous area now swarming with the living dead. With the sinister Guardians breathing down their necks, the Mall Rats face a stark choice: return to the enclave and try to evade capture or leave Cape Town in search of other survivors. But what if the rest of South Africa is nothing but a zombie-infested wasteland? Will they be able to survive on the road if all they have is each other, or will their secrets tear them apart? After all, only Lele knows the shocking truth as to why the dead leave the Mall Rats unscathed — knowledge that she can’t bring herself to share. And she’s not the only Mall Rat harbouring a dangerous secret….|Goodreads|

It's a Zombie book set in my local city, Cape Town South Africa. It's the second book in a series, the first is Deadlands. I loved the first one and I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Zombie fiction. Here is some info on the first book, Deadlands:


Deadlands (Mall Rats #1)
by Lily Herne
Publication Date: February 2011
Publisher: Penguin
Buy the Book: |Exclusive Books|
Ten years after Cape Town was destroyed in the War with the living dead, zombies roam free in Cape Town's suburbs (known as the Deadlands), and the remaining living are either fenced in on farms or in urban shanty towns. The living are watched over by the mysteriously robed Guardians, a race of humanoid figures who appeared at the end of the War and who keep the living dead at bay, albeit at a steep price. Every year the Guardians stage a human Lottery and select five aspiring teenagers to be whisked out of the enclave for a secret purpose. To be one of the chosen five is a highly sought after and prestigious accolade. No one knows why the Guardians prize teenage bodies so highly, how they control the zombies or what they look like under the robes that cover their bodies...|Goodreads|

And that's what I plan on reading this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Follow Friday & TGIF

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee.This week's question is:

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then “broke up” with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

The character that I recently fell 'in and out of love with' would have to be Gabriel from The Chemical Garden Trilogy, Wither & Fever by Lauren DeStefano. He comes to mind because I just finished reading Fever (read my review here) In Wither he comes across as kind and gentle, and very naive which made him very endearing. But in Fever he isn't that endearing at all. Instead of going after the woman he is supposedly in love with and fighting for her like guy in love would do, he stays locked away in his mansion with his other wife! And he leaves his evil, sadistic father to go out and capture her once again! I'm crossing my fingers that maybe he will redeem himself in the last book because, I do still have a soft spot for him. Gabriel, man up and fight for your lady! 

Reading Blues: We all get them from time to time. What helps you over come those reading slumps when nothing seems to grab your attention?
There has to be nothing worse than reading slumps. I hate them! I don't really have a set method on how to get rid of them but, like G mentioned in her post, they happen to occur always after I've finished an absolutely, down-right amazing book. Sometimes I just have to give myself a day to process the fantastic book I just read, come to terms with the story ending and then I push myself into another book that I've been excited to start reading. Once I'm in the middle of another book that I'm really enjoying, that's the end of my reading slump. If you have a remedy that you find works really well, please share it. I would love to get some new ideas as to what to do the next time I find myself in a slump. 

Thanks for stopping by and, if you're a new follower, welcome! Leave links in the comments and I'll follow back!

 Have a wonderful weekend!

Waiting On Wednesday

Heaven (Halo #3)
by Alexandra Adornetto
Publication Date: 21 August 2012
Publisher: Fiewel & Friends
Pre-Order the Book: Amazon US/UK|B&N|Book Depo

Only sixteen when she started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet.Bethany, an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet, as they defy Heavenly law and marry. They don’t tell Beth’s archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, but the angels know soon enough, and punishment comes in a terrifying form: the Sevens, who are rogue angels bent on keeping Beth and Xavier apart, destroying Gabriel and Ivy, and darkening angelic power in the heavens.The only way Bethany and Xavier can elude the Sevens is to hide in the open, and blend in with other mortals their own age. Gabriel and Ivy set them up at college, where they can’t reveal their relationship, and where there is still danger around each corner. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven – forever – and face leaving the love of her life?|Goodreads|

Why am I waiting on this?

I read and loved the first book in this series, Halo. I have the second book, Hades, and I need to make time to read that as well. The cover for this last book is so beautiful and I think it's one of my top covers of all time. The story is amazing and Alexandra is a fantastic writer. Angels aren't for everyone but this series is a great place to start for those who want to give them a go. 

I always appreciate new followers and I'm happy to return the favor! Thanks for checking out my post and feel free to leave links!

Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever (The Chemical Garden Trilogy #2)
by Lauren DeStefano
Publication Date: 16 February 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster(US);Harper Voyager(UK)
Format: Paperback, Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
But the Book: Amazon US/UK|B&N|Book Depo

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind. Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.|Goodreads|

To say that I was excited about the next book in The Chemical Garden trilogy would have been a massive understatement. I read Wither back in September, and since then I have been rife with anticipation over the release of Fever. The fact that I was able to review this title was just the cherry on top of an enormous ice cream sundae, fit to be served in Linden's mansion!
The story continues, in its 'no holds barred' fashion, right off from where Wither ended, which was a factor I really enjoyed. There was no pausing while trying to figure out where the story had a gone, and I could dive right back into the hauntingly beautiful world that could only be created by Lauren DeStefano. Fever follows Rhine and her love interest, Gabriel a house attendant, as they try and escape the evil clutches of Rhine's father-in-law Vaughan. But he isn't the only peril the two are facing, and they soon discover that the outside world is a much more harrowing place than they could have imagined.
I absolutely loved Fever and, just like Wither, I flew threw this book. Sadly it just means that the wait for the next installment is even longer but I just couldn't help myself. This story is too amazing! Rhine is just as awesome as I remembered her in Wither. She is a wonderful character. Steadfast, brave and so caring, she never ceases to amaze me. Loyal in her search for her brother, loving and always concerned for Gabriel and almost motherly towards Maddie, a new character introduced in Fever. It's always a pleasure to read from Rhine's perspective and it's one of the main aspects of these books that I always enjoy.
In Wither the story takes place mainly in the mansion where Rhine is held captive, but in Fever we get to experienced the outside world for the first time. The new characters that are introduced are a mix of horrid, menacing people who seek to take advantage of the young and helpless, combined with genuine, kindhearted and good-natured people who help Rhine and Gabriel in their escape. 
I loved having Gabriel more involved in the story and his true feelings for Rhine shine through wonderfully throughout the story. Linden does make a small appearance and yes, I still have a soft spot for him. I cannot wait to see if these two wonderful young men get a chance to interact more with each there in the next installment, seeing as both of them are in love with the same girl.
Yet again I am left anxiously awaiting the next heart stopping novel in this tantalizing trilogy! Fever has it all, epic romance, harrowing escapes and a nail biting cliffhanger! Lauren DeStefano does it again in Fever and I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat until I find out what happens next.

Happy Easter & See You Soon!

The Easter weekend will soon be upon us and for some it's a time for family and chocolate, and for others it's a time to relax...and eat lots of chocolate! I'll be taking a little break from the blogging world to spend some time with the family, eat lots of chocolate and read as many books as humanly possible! I'll be traveling this week but I'll be back sooner than you know it. The 18th to be exact. I will have access to my email so, authors and publishers, you can still send your requests (if you would like to) though to me and I will get back to you.
I wish those celebrating, a blessed Easter and I hope everyone has a restful long weekend! And, of course, Happy Reading!

Review: The White Oak by Kim White

The White Oak (Imperfect Darkness #1)
by Kim White
Publication Date: 9 April 2012
Publisher: Story Machine Studio
Format: Ebook, Netgallery
Rating: 3/5
Buy the Book: Amazon US/UK|B&N|

In The White Oak, the first book in the Imperfect Darkness series, Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the infernal judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuilt it, trapping human souls in a mechanical, computer-controlled city that lies at the core of the earth. To survive, Cora must rely on her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, an artificial intelligence built by Minos. She is helped by a mysterious voice, and by Sybil, underworld librarian and author of each person’s book of life. Sybil’s collection holds the key to humankind’s intertwined life stories.  When Cora’s own book is destroyed, Sybil gives her a magical golden pen and sends her to the underworld city to write her own destiny. Along the way, Cora finds the ghost of her dead brother, Lucas, a genius programmer who alone is capable of finding the chink in Minos's armor. But will he be able to get Cora out alive, or will they both fall victim to the underworld trap?

I was rather excited when I found out that I was approved to review this book on Netgallery last month. I loved the concept of a story taking place in the Underworld. There are quite a few Persephone retellings out there but this isn't one of them, and that made for a good change. 

The White Oak starts out very quickly and from there the pace is set. It follows Cora Alexander who has just fallen into the grave of her father while attending his funeral. She is then thrust into the strange and dark Underworld where she makes it her mission to locate her brother, who suffered the same fate. Kim White's take on the Underworld is a new and intriguing one. It is very different from what might be called traditional, and it took me awhile to fully grasp the setting. But from then on I really enjoyed the new take on it and I think it makes a good change to what one expects from an Underworld story. 

I also enjoyed all the different characters Cora encountered. I loved the character of her brother, Lucas, and I was rather skeptical of her guide Minotaur. Cora herself is a great main character but I felt she still needed much developing. She wasn't very complex or very much in tune with her feelings. I think it would have helped the story considerably if she was more rounded and share more of her thoughts with the reader.

Overall, The White Oak was an enjoyable read for me. I was excited during some parts and apprehensive of others but I'm happy I got the chance to read it. I'm interested to see where the story goes in the next book and I will definitely look out for the rest of the series.