tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28578415858488449972024-03-14T10:17:23.602+02:00The YA ReaderReviews by a Young and Avid ReaderSteph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-56049391651687197062017-04-03T10:05:00.000+02:002017-04-03T19:25:20.167+02:00My Dream Author Panel (If Only Dreams Really Did Come True...)<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Author%20Panel%20Blog%20Post_zpswyihzj1g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dream Author Panel" border="0" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Author%20Panel%20Blog%20Post_zpswyihzj1g.jpg" height="350" width="350" /></a><br />
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*Thanks to the amazing team of <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a> for this great blog post idea! * </div>
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After being inspired by the Eventbrite team to consider my dream author panel, I was pretty excited. Living in South Africa, you don't get the opportunity to readily attend awesome YA author panels so, getting the chance to put together a not-to-be-missed panel of my favorite authors sounded like the perfect chance for my imagination to run wild! </div>
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I love the idea of attending an author panel (as I shamefully admit that I have yet to actually experience one myself) and because I find myself, unintentionally on a YA contemporary book binge of late, I couldn't think of a more satisfying panel than one that contained the currently most buzzed about contemporary authors. Therefore, my dream team Young Adult author panel would have to consist of Jennifer Niven, Jay Asher, John Green and Rainbow Rowell.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jenniferniven.com/images/about_jn_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jenniferniven.com/images/about_jn_full.jpg" height="140" width="100" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image from <a href="http://www.jenniferniven.com/about/fullbio.html" target="_blank">Jennifer Niven</a></span></td></tr>
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">Jennifer Niven </b></div>
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Author of <i>All The Bright Places</i> (and my mostly recently finished read, <i>Holding Up The Universe</i>), I feel that as a contemporary young adult author, Niven writes stories revolving around teens struggling with very identifiable troubles, fears and anxieties. I think she would be an excellent author to add to a panel with other writers that strive to create characters and stories that not only bring awareness to teen issues, but present inspirational endings, giving their target readers hope and reassurance that they aren’t alone.<br />
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">Jay Asher </b></div>
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With the upcoming release of the Nexflix series for 13 Reasons Why, I thought the Jay Asher was an obvious choice author to add to my YA contemporary panel. While I have a major catch up session ahead of me in order to be ready to binge watch the series, I have read <i>The Future of Us</i> which I thoroughly enjoyed. The prevalent teen issues that play out in the haunting story of Hannah and her teen suicide, provide great insight into a sad fact of reality that families deal with on a daily basis. I think having Asher on my panel would help raise awareness, and open up the floor to discussions about how teen fiction can reach young people who may feel they have nowhere else they can turn to in their darkest moments.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/John_Green_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/440px-John_Green_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/John_Green_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/440px-John_Green_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg" width="117" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image from <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/" target="_blank">Gage Skidmore</a></span></td></tr>
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">John Green </b></div>
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Ah where do I even start to sum up the literary genius that is John Green? Young Adult writer of our time, panel extraordinaire and emotional magician, how could anyone have a contemporary panel and not include Green. My heart ached after <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i>, I wept after <i>Looking for Alaska</i>, and I giggled at the sweet moments in <i>Paper Towns</i>. He is the author of our time and friend to all in the blogesphere, and fandom worlds. It would be a dream come true to watch Green on any panel discussion, and I must-have for my dream team.
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">Rainbow Rowell </b></div>
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Rounding off my panel has to be the sweetheart of the YA contemporary world, Rainbow Rowell. I read and loved Eleanor & Park, for its take on first time young romance, and Fangirl for how it's totally relatable to all lovers of a fandom. After having authors that touch on the tougher subject matters in the teen fiction worlds, I felt my panel needed some lightening up, and that’s exactly what Rowell will do. Having her on the panel would bring that little sparkle and glitter, the kind that young love can sprinkle on any of us.
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That's it – my dream Young Adult author panel, now if only this could actually happen! If you're interested in planning or hosting your own panel discussion, or event check out how Eventbrite could make it so much easier for you. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/l/registration-online/" target="_blank">Register here</a> and get planning, or search for some exciting events that are taking place in and around your city today.<br />
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<b>**If you're a bookish business, and are interested in a feature, click on the <a href="https://ya-reader.blogspot.co.za/p/contact-me.html" target="_blank">Contact me</a> tab to let me know via email**</b></div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-87541063083617886222017-03-14T16:00:00.000+02:002017-03-14T16:00:05.281+02:00Ordering My First Book Case Box!<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/the%202_zpsv5fqiiev.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three Dark Crowns" border="0" height="160" src="https://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/the%202_zpsv5fqiiev.png" width="340" /></a><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: "rochester" , cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "rochester" , cursive; font-size: 27.3px; text-align: center;"><b>SA's first book subscription box! </b></span></span></span><br />
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I’ve just ordered my first Book Case box, and I can't wait to share it with you all! Since discovering that South Africa has it's very own month book subscription service, I've been itching to give it a try. Seeing all the amazing #thebookcase Instagram posts has only confirmed that I needed to get my hands on next month's box ASAP (especially as Caraval was the featured title in the February box). So where to begin to describe this box of awesome book goodies....well at the beginning of course!
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 27.3px; text-align: center;">What is The Book Case? </b></div>
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<a href="https://thebcase.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IMG_3164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Book Case" border="0" height="240" src="https://thebcase.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IMG_3164.jpg" width="240" /></a>The Book Case is a monthly subscription service which offers a box filled with bookish goodies and a highly-anticipated read, centered around a different theme each month. Included in your box you'll find: a new release book, as well as a collection of interesting book related gifts, many of which are exclusively made for The Book Case (and occasionally, even made by the book nerds of The Book Case themselves). This means you'll not be able to purchase some of the items anywhere else. Based in South Africa, The Book Case works closely with some amazing South African businesses (local is lekker after all!), as well as some from around the world. </div>
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 27.3px; text-align: center;">How did it start? </b></div>
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Started in July 2016, these magical book boxes are a labour of love inspired by the joy of gifting, not only books but a collection of bookish items that spark joy in the hearts of all bookworms. It has it's beginnings in the humble surroundings of family gift-giving, a collection of items boxed beautifully and seemingly intertwined through with a central theme. Expanding on this is how The Book Case came to be what it is today.<br />
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 27.3px; text-align: center;">How do I get one? </b></div>
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Well it's super easy, as I had the pleasure of finding out this week! Each box costs R450.00, including shipping, which I find super reasonable considering all the fantastic items that are included – over and above a new release title. All you need to do is sign up at the thebcase.co.za, select your book box and then head over to the checkout. All cases make their way to your doorstep between the 25th and 30th of every month (shipping dates are subject to the South African release date for the chosen book of the month). Once your box arrives, be sure to share it across social platforms with the hastag, #thebookcase.<br />
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<b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: rochester, cursive; font-size: 27.3px; text-align: center;">So what's in the month's box? </b></div>
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This month the theme is all, "Heart Breakingly Human" (attention any John Green, Rainbow Rowell, and Jennifer Niven fans, as this one could be right up your bookshelf, by the sounds of things!). <br />
Here's what you can look forward to:<br />
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"In this month’s case, we will be featuring a compelling, thought-provoking, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time. An ultimate prayer for change, it will touch the depths of your soul and remain with you for a lifetime. Everyone should read this book. The story is necessary. The story is important. It demands the widest possible readership. Your March book case will also include a few bookish goodies that will inspire you! Because it’s all about inspiration this month!"<br />
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So bookaholics what are you waiting for?! To get your hands on an epic book box head over to <a href="http://thebcase.co.za/shop2/" target="_blank">The Book Case</a> and place your orders now. You'll find The Book Case on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thebcaseshop/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/thebcase" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebcase/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. If you any additional questions, head over to their <a href="http://thebcase.co.za/faq/" target="_blank">FAQ</a> or reach out to them <a href="http://thebcase.co.za/contact-us/" target="_blank">here</a>. I look forward to sharing my box with all at the end of the month!<br />
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Happy reading!<br />
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<b>**If you're a bookish business and are interested in a feature, click on the Contact Me tab and let me know via email**</b></div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-51206105919841767942017-02-23T12:48:00.000+02:002017-02-23T12:48:10.007+02:00Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465938685l/30240773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three Dark Crowns" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465938685l/30240773.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Three Dark Crowns</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">by Kendare Blake</span></span></span><br />
Publication Date: September 2016<br />
Publisher: Pan Macmillan<br />
Format: Paperback (ARC copy)<br />
Rating: 2/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Dark-Crowns-Kendare-Blake-ebook/dp/B019WVN4O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487846693&sr=8-1&keywords=three+dark+crowns" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span id="goog_1843707871"></span><span id="goog_1843707872"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>|<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search/Three-Dark-Crowns-Kendare-Blake/9781509804559" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>|<a href="http://www.exclusivebooks.co.za//books/Three-Dark-Crowns-AuthorKendare-Blake/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009781509804559/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books (SA)</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Three sisters. One crown. A fight to the death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose . . . it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. T</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">he last queen standing gets the crown.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30240773-three-dark-crowns" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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I've put off writing this review for almost as long as it took me to finish the book. In saying that this was a slow read is a massive understatement. It rather recalls that famous Devil Wears Prada quote - it moved at a glacial pace. This wasn't a fun read, it wasn't an epic story. What it was is a great premise to what could be an amazing series.<br />
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Three Dark Crowns follows three very separate storylines for triplet sisters, one of whom is destined to reign over the land. The main problem I encounter with this is that the plot lines are so devoid of connectivity, you often forget that they're related (the story as well as the sisters). The Queens each possess a supernatural power that they spend most of the book attempting to hone. The calmative point sees them battle it out in a display of skill, which ultimately they'll use in planning their demise, leaving the surviving Queen ruler. In my opinion, this book could've done with a major cut of most of the first half - in facts in might've been better off as a prequel novella.<br />
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Ultimately I have higher hopes for the next book seeing as the story is well set up for a great sequel. Perhaps I'm holding some slight resentment for the fact that this ended up setting me back in my reading challenge, but to say I'm excited for the follow up would be a lie. I'll tentatively give book two a chance, similar to that of a dodgy Tinder date, complete with a duck and run strategy.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4047574-stephanie">View all my reviews on Goodreads</a>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-76852989155563962442017-02-17T14:03:00.002+02:002017-02-17T14:03:31.102+02:00Review: The Memory Book by Lara Avery<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464285541l/25988934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Girl on the Train" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464285541l/25988934.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>The Memory Book</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">by Lara Avery</span></span></span><br />
Publication Date: July 2016<br />
Publisher: Poppy/Hachette Book Group<br />
Format: Kindle<br />
Rating: 3/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Book-Lara-Avery-ebook/dp/B017RQP4B4/" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span id="goog_1843707871"></span><span id="goog_1843707872"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>|<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search/The-Memory-Book-Lar-Avery/9781784299248" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>|<a href="http://www.exclusivebooks.co.za//books/Memory-Book-AuthorLara-Avery/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009781784299248/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books (SA)</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way--not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.
So the Memory Book is born: Sammie's notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It's where she'll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush, Stuart--a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she'll admit how much she's missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Through a mix of heartfelt journal entries, mementos, and guest posts from friends and family, readers will fall in love with Sammie, a brave and remarkable girl who learns to live and love life fully, even though it's not the life she planned.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25988934-the-memory-book" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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This book is a great example of the effects that The Fault in Our Stars has had on the YA genre. There have always been books out there that edged on the precipice of teenage romance, destined to reach untimely ends due to death, illness or other natural disasters, long before Hazel and Augustus graced us with their literary presence. Since John Green's runaway success the interest in 'sick' teen books has increased, and The Memory book can be seen as one of the many attempting to satisfy a demand for a short lived love story in literature.<br />
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This doesn't mean that it's not achieving just that. I enjoyed the writing style – reading Samantha's firsthand account of slipping into the dark recesses of dementia, and following her stages of anger, denial, sadness and finally acceptance of her disease, as the world she fought to build inevitably falls apart. Samantha's sharp wit and attitude lightened the heavy subject matter, as well as made for a very relatable and endearing character. What I didn't enjoy was the ending (but I'm not going to spoil that for you).<br />
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Overall it was a relatively quick and easy read, leaving you with just the right amount of empathy towards the characters. A good break from the sappy contemporary love story's that are flooding the young adult genre, yet not straying too far from the oddly appealing 'depro' books that seem to tug at the teenage heartstrings.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4047574-stephanie">View all my reviews on Goodreads</a>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-11433865341653303872015-03-25T15:28:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:39:44.674+02:00Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421709869l/22557272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Girl on the Train" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421709869l/22557272.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>The Girl on the Train</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Paula Hawkins</span></span></span><br />
Publication Date: January 2015<br />
Publisher: Penguin Random House<br />
Format: ebook<br />
Rating: 4/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Train-Paula-Hawkins-ebook/dp/B00NOPQU2K/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427289940&sr=1-1&keywords=the+girl+on+the+train" target="_blank">Amazon</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Girl-on-Train-Paula-Hawkins/9780857522320" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>|<a href="http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/books/The-Girl-on-the-%3Cb-AuthorPaula-Hawkins/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009780857522320/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books (SA)</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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I am not a particular lover of crime fiction and, when in a bookstore, the YA section will always be my first stop. But in an attempt to broaden my reading horizons I have slowly been branching out into the fiction section, tentatively dripping my toes in the world of 'big people' books. My first attempt at crime fiction was, surprisingly, <i>Gone Girl</i> (before the movie I am proud to day), and I loved it. So <i>The Girl on the Train</i> was the next mountain for me to climb, and I happy to say it was a pleasant experience.<br />
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The comparisons between<i> The Girl on the Train</i> and <i>Gone Girl</i> were what intrigued me most about this book, and they were the main driving factor for me to read <i>The Girl on the Train</i>. After reading it I didn't really understand why it was compared to <i>Gone Girl</i> because I found them quite different. Whereas <i>Gone Girl</i> was very dark and intense at times, <i>The Girl on the Train</i> was slightly more reserved in its thrill factor. I wasn't as drawn into the story as I was with <i>Gone Girl </i>but I was still driven by the need to know 'who dun it.'<i> </i>. </div>
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I found <i>The Girl on the Train</i> a good crime read, even though I have limited experience with this genre. The characters struggles were very relate-able and the internal turmoil they each faced added good dimension to the storyline. The 'shocker' ending I felt wasn't such a shocker after all but it in no way lessened my enjoyment of this book.<br />
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Overall <i>The Girl on the Train</i> is a solid entry into the crime/psychological thriller genre and has succeeded in keeping me interested in this style of writing. I will be on the lookout for future works by the author, and if you have any recommendations for good thrillers please leave them in the comments. I would love to check them out.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"></span></span></span>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-11355874786286705172014-08-15T05:00:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:40:13.006+02:00The Legacy by Melissa Delport: Blog Tour & Review<a href="http://s1229.photobucket.com/user/Steph0709/media/2014%20Blog/Cover-TheLegacy_zpsc28ab647.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Cover-TheLegacy_zpsc28ab647.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/2014%20Blog/Cover-TheLegacy_zpsc28ab647.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ea9999; line-height: 18px;"><b>The Legacy</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">by Melissa Delport</span></span><br />
Publication Date: July 2013<br />
Publisher: Tracey MacDonald Publishers<br />
Format: ebook<br />
Rating: 5/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Trilogy-Melissa-Delport-ebook/dp/B00L0M4VDE/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408030896&sr=1-3&keywords=the+legacy" target="_blank">Amazon</a>|<a href="http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/books/The-Legacy-One-man-One-woman--AuthorMelissa-Delport/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009780620596367/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books</a><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">One man obsessed with power.
One woman prepared to sacrifice everything to stop him.
One war that changed the world. Eric Dane has segregated the wealth and resources that remain, giving a select few the highest chance of survival and leaving the rest to starve! World War 3 lasted twelve days and almost eradicated the human species. Growing up in post nuclear America, Rebecca Davis remained blissfully ignorant of the despotic leadership that had seized what was previously the most powerful nation in the world. When the truth is revealed and Rebecca discovers that everything she has been taught is a lie, she is determined to fight for the life that she has not been allowed to live.
In order to do this, Rebecca has to cross the boundary fences and venture out of the safety of the New United States, into the barren wastelands. It is there that she finds allies she never dreamed existed.
In Rebecca, the Resistance has finally found the ultimate weapon.
“You were given this life Rebecca, because you alone are strong enough to live it.”
An action-packed, adrenalin inducing thrill ride that will have you riveted until long after you have turned the last page. </span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17732260-the-legacy?ac=1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; text-align: right;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ea9999; line-height: 18px;"><b>About The Author:</b></span></span></div>
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Wife and mother of 3, Melissa Delport is the
author of <b>The Legacy Trilogy</b> and the
stand-alone self-published e.books <b>Rainfall
</b>and <b>The Traveler</b>. <span lang="EN-US">She graduated from the University of South
Africa with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2000. </span>At the age of twenty-four Melissa started a logistics company (Transmax) from the spare room
of her flat and built it up to two fully operational depots in Durban and Johannesburg.
Now, 10 years later, she has sold her business in order to write full time. Melissa lives with her husband and three
children in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. <b><span lang="EN-US">The
Legacy</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> (Book 1 of The Legacy Trilogy) and <b>The Legion</b> (Book 2) are available now and
the final book, <b>The Legend</b>, will be
released early 2015. </span>An avid reader herself, Melissa finally
decided to stop ‘watching from the sidelines’ and to do what is her passion.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999; line-height: 18px;">The Legacy Trilogy Playlist:</span></b></span><br />
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I am a big lover of music – I always have been, and remember
the very first tapes my mom bought me when I turned 11 – The Best of Dolly
Parton & Kenny G! Personally, I think she underestimated my desire to own
my own music and thought it was simply a childish whim, so she bought music she
could listen to when I moved on to my next obsession. That didn't happen – in
fact, in the absence of anything better, I stretched those tapes from playing
them so much that they were no use to anyone within a few short months.</div>
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Everybody knows that music inspires emotion, and a movie’s
soundtrack is almost as important as its casting. I have my own ideas as to
what music would go well with certain scenes in <i>The Legacy</i>, but as I do not want to disclose any “spoilers” I will
simply list my Movie Soundtrack, in no particular order.<o:p></o:p></div>
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See if you can guess what song matches which scene:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Imagine Dragons - Radioactive<o:p></o:p></div>
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Florence & The Machine - Never
Let Me Go<o:p></o:p></div>
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Depeche Mode - Precious<o:p></o:p></div>
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Madonna - Die
Another Day <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jason Walker - Down<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Plumb - Cut<o:p></o:p></div>
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Taylor Swift Feat Gary Lightbody - The Last Time<o:p></o:p></div>
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Linkin Park - Burn
it Down<o:p></o:p></div>
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Damien Rice - 9
crimes<o:p></o:p></div>
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Creed - My
Sacrifice<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ben Howard - Oats
in the Water<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sam Smith - Stay
With Me<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dystopian books are by far one of my guilty pleasures in reading and, having read The Hungers Games, Divergent, The Chemical Garden trilogy (just to name a few), I thought that I had pretty much exhausted most of the decent series that are out there. That was until I read The Legacy and fell in love with the dystopian genre all over again. </div>
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The Legacy just reminded me what a good dystopian story is all about and I found myself unable to put it down. It has the headstrong, kick butt female lead, Rebbecca, that leaves you utterly in awe of her sheer awesomeness, the super creepy but dangerously seductive villain in Mr Eric Dane, and the guys everyone is bound to fall in love with, Aidan and Reed. The story is heart pounding, action packed and full of substance which makes a fantstic change to some of the fluffy stories around nowadays. </div>
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The writing style of The Legacy, I found really enjoyable. The characters are well developed, each fighting internal battles along with the external ones they are all facing. The world building was second to none, always on point and never leaving me confused as to what was happening where (as can sometimes happen with futuristic stories). I thought the pacing was great and that there was just the right balance between romance and action.</div>
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There's nothing I can really fault about The Legacy and a book like that doesn't come around all too often. The plot twists keep me on the edge of my seat and I'm really looking forward to next book in the trilogy, The Legion. </div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-3906534498593127422014-04-03T11:45:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:41:02.154+02:00Amazon Wish List<span style="text-align: justify;">Hello fello</span><span style="text-align: justify;">w book lovers!</span><br />
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Thank you so much for stopping my blog. This is just a quick post I want to share with you about my newly created Amazon Wish List. There are so many fantastic books that either just released or about to be released and sometimes it can be really hard to keep up with what I'm dying to get my hands on first. Now my Amazon Wish List helps me keep track of what I really need to buy. Feel free to check it out and I hope it will help you spot some great reads that maybe slipped under your radar. It is also a great way to see what books I love to read and who my favourite authors are. You'll find the link in the top right corner under the 'Follow Me...' tab or you can just click this little button right here: </div>
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Thanks again bookworms for all your beautiful comments and the wonderful support you provide that keeps me blogging away. Keep your eyes out for some exciting new developments as well. </div>
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As always...Happy Reading! xxx</div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-28976362722662460412014-04-03T11:03:00.001+02:002015-04-23T20:40:51.623+02:00Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355220590l/16058854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="16058854" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355220590l/16058854.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ea9999; line-height: 18px;"><b>Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian</span></span><br />
Publication Date: February 2013<br />
Publisher: Simon & Schuster<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Rating: 4/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burn-Jenny-Han/dp/1442440767/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396515665&sr=1-1&keywords=burn+for+burn" target="_blank">Amazon</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Burn-for-Burn-Jenny-Han/9781471116889" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><br />
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Summary<br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds.
But bad things can happen, even to good girls . . . and sometimes, the only way to make things right is to do something wrong.
Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister from the same fate.
Kat is over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend. Someone needs to teach her a lesson, and, with Lillia and Mary behind her, Kat feels up to the task.
Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now that she’s got friends who have her back, he's going to be in big trouble.
Three very different girls who come together to make things right. Will they go too far?
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I haven't read either Jenny Han or Siobhan Vivian's work before but after reading Burn for Burn I will definitely be on the search for books by both authors. Burn for Burn puts a great twist on the classic contemporary novel, shifting focus from the cliche'd love story/triangle to that of revenge and backstabbing. It's in a league of its own but the story and characters pull it off brilliantly.<br />
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Burn for Burn follows the lives of 3 main characters, all having been scorned by people in their lives. Finding each other in the same predicament they decide to plot revenge and get some well deserved payback for what has been done to them. The story line is great because it doesn't focus on the overworked contemporary romance, but the middle did drag while the characters got the plan together. Once they had plotted their revenge it picked up and I am so thankful that I have book 2 waiting in the wings. A cliffhanger ends book 1 on a rather precarious note and I look forward to finding out how the girls mange to fix the damage they cause, as well as to uncover even more secrets. <br />
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The fact the story follows a trilogy is a great way for the authors to expand on characters and it is because of this fact that there wasn't much character development in book 1. I am hoping that book 2 delves deeper into the characters backgrounds and gives us a bit more development of each main character.Apart from 2 minor nitpicks, Burn for Burn is a great series read and book 2, Fire with Fire is not far from my bookmark.
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-17152648272309106862014-02-28T14:05:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:41:50.256+02:00Review: How To Love by Katie Cotugno<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372056190l/18113193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="18113193" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372056190l/18113193.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;"><b>How To Love</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">by Katie Cotugno</span></span><br />
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Publication Date: October 2013<br />
Publisher: Quercus<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Rating: 5/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Love-Katie-Cotugno/dp/006221635X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393589178&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+love" target="_blank">Amazon</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/How-Love-Katie-Cotugno/9781782060000" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></div>
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Summary<br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.
This is real. This is life. This is how to love.
BEFORE:
Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.
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Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again.
After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again? </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18113193-how-to-love" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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I loved this book from start to finish and what a great contemporary read this is. I love Sarah Dessen and this book reminded me very much of her writing style. I was in the mood for a deep and soulful kind of contemporary novel and this book was just what I've been needing to read. After an overload of fantasy and paranormal, this book was just like a breath of fresh air. </div>
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How To Love follows the main character of Reena, a young women whose life has been turned upside down by an epic romance she shared with a guy named Sawyer. The book alternates between her life before she has her daughter and after the return of the mysterious Sawyer. This style of writing has the tendency to go horribly wrong, even in books that have the very best intentions. But in How To Love it just fits perfectly with the story. Not once did I lose the plot of the book and I actually really enjoyed getting a chance to read from different points in Reena's life. I loved the main character and I found it very easy to relate to her. Her thoughts and ways of putting everyone before herself was something I felt made her easily loved. Sawyer...oh my goodness...talk about the irresistible pull of a bad boy! Even though he is totally a bad guy whose more on the wrong side of the law than on the right side of it, I couldn't help but not fall for him as well. Because of my love for these main characters I found myself unable to put this book down.</div>
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How To love is a great read and, for it's hard hitting subject matter, I didn't find the book heavy at all. For a contemporary novel I thought it was fantastic and I definitely see myself rereading it again.</div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-33167816385512742922014-02-26T09:52:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:47:39.003+02:00Waiting On Wednesday: The One by Keira Cass<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1380212021l/15844362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="15844362" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1380212021l/15844362.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ea9999; line-height: 18px;"><b>The One (The Selection #3)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">by Kiera Cass</span></span><br />
Publication Date: May 2014<br />
Publisher: HaperTeen<br />
Format: Hardback<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen. </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants. </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned. </span></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Waiting On Wednesday* is weekly event held by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking The Spine</a> and highlights some of the books most anticipated by bloggers.</span></div>
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I loved both The Selection and The Elite and am desperate to find out how this trilogy ends! May can't come fast enough!</div>
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Let me know what you're Waiting On in the comments!</div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-58836151697978788942014-02-25T20:41:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:43:07.821+02:00Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384702128l/18811287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="18811287" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384702128l/18811287.jpg" width="196" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ea9999; line-height: 18px;"><b>More Than This</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">by Patrick Ness</span></span><br />
Publication Date:September 2013<br />
Publisher: Walker Books<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Rating: 5/5<br />
Buy the Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-This-Patrick-Ness/dp/0763662585/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393353504&sr=8-2&keywords=More+Than+This" target="_blank">Amazon</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/More-Than-This-Patrick-Ness/9781406350456" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>
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Summary:<br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . . .</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18811287-more-than-this" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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More Than This by Patrick Ness is a book best appreciated in one epic sitting. It is a book that can only be fully understood by reading it in one go. This book is mindnumbingly brilliant!<br />
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More Than This follows a boy named Seth who drowns and wakes up in what seems like a giant world of a waiting room for heaven...or hell. Without divulging any spoilers Seth must try and make sense of events that led to his death and how he make all the wrongs right.<br />
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I went into reading More Than this with a total misunderstanding of what I was getting into. It had been hyped to me by fellow bloggers, co-workers and even publishers. So I had to move it up on the to-read pile and I'm so glad that I did. Patrick's writing is astounding beautiful. His world building, amazing and the character development is like none other I've ever come across. Reading More Than This has left me awed and slightly confused, thinking about things in different ways. Some aspects of the story I still grapple with, even though its been a couple of days since I put the book down. But this one of my favourite things about this book. It has stuck with me and will continue to be with me for quite some time.<br />
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More Than This sends you on a roller coaster ride of emotion and the characters somehow integrate themselves into your life and stay there. More Than This is a fantastic read and has left me wanting so much more than this (ha-ha...had to put that in there) from Patrick Ness!</div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-1312057607292717182012-12-10T18:56:00.000+02:002012-12-10T18:56:24.867+02:00Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Book%20Covers/Rapture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Book%20Covers/Rapture.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Rapture (Fallen #4)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Lauren Kate</span></span><br />
Publication Date: 12 June 2012<br />
Publisher: Doubleday Childrens<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Rating:3/4<br />
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Summary:<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The sky is dark with wings....</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dark forces are after them, and Daniel </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">doesn't</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> know if he can do this — live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies...and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">they've</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> borne has always and only been about her — and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In the fight for Luce, who will win? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rapture is the astonishing conclusion to the Fallen series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15230312-rapture" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nothing tops an epic love story in the world of Young Adult fiction, and the story of Luce and Daniel is one of epic proportions. So it comes as no surprise that the final installment of the saga is a fast paced, heart-stopping adventure filled with plot twists and an ending that ties up the series perfectly. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In Rapture Luce's destiny is finally revealed. We get to discover who she was, who's he is and whom she's destined to become. I particularly liked the Luce in Rapture considerably more than her character in the previous books, as she the most determined and headstrong in this final book. I also loved how she becomes one of the biggest key players in the end and how she never knew what potential she processed all along. The character development of Luce has been one of my favorite points of the Fallen series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Naturally Daniel is amazing in all his swoon worthiness glory but I liked that he took a step back and that the story was about Luce. Cam, Roland, Arrianne, and all the other side characters were amazing as usual and they each added their own dimension to the story. Whether it was Cam providing some much needed lighthearted humor, or Roland adding some of his deep thought wisdom, all played their roll perfectly and it would be great to see these characters in their own story one day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The pacing of the book was very good and I always felt like I had to know what the next chapter would hold. I was so anxious to know the how this series ended and I was not disappointed at all. The ending is amazing and there could be no better way to end this series. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All in all, Rapture was the perfect conclusion to a heavenly series and,although I sad to say goodbye to these characters, I am excited to see what Lauren Kate has up sleeve for us next! </span></div>
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Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-44191566646610007792012-06-15T10:38:00.000+02:002012-06-15T10:38:38.346+02:00Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/11870085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/11870085.jpg" width="211" /></a><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Fault in Our Stars</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by John Green</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 10 January 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Dutton Books</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Format: Paperback</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rating: 5/5</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buy the Book: Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525478817/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=th0fb8-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0525478817" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0141345632/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thyare-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0141345632" target="_blank">UK</a>|<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hbPu/hXdGxs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-fault-in-our-stars-john-green%252F1104045488%253Fean%253D9780525478812" target="_blank">B&N</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/9780141345635/?a_aid=Steph0709" target="_blank">Book Depo</a></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote><center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="52" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Review1-1.png" width="200" /><br />
</center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There comes a time in every avid reader’s ‘to-read pile’ when you pick up a book and have absolutely no clue that the book you hold in your hands will change the way you see or think about certain situations, forever. Sometimes that change is small, a minor blip in your day to day life. But, on the rare occasion, that change is like a huge bomb dive into a swimming pool, and it ripples through to the very core of your being. <i>The Fault in Our Stars </i>is one of those rare books that had that very effect on me. <br />
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The story centres around Hazel who, at sixteen, is a walking cancer miracle, having been diagnosed with stage 6 Thyroid cancer when she was 13. Thanks to the advancement in medicine and a powerful and effective drug, Hazel is still around, but she has become very disconnected from the world she was so prepared to leave 2 years earlier. Through her cancer support group she meets Augustus Waters, an attractive, smart and very funny guy whose cancer is in remission. Hazel and Augustus are seemingly perfect for each other and a beautiful romance ensues. But, this book wouldn’t be a perfect tear-jerker if there weren’t some heart-breaking twists along the way. <br />
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I fell in love with these characters from the moment I picked up this masterpiece of a novel. I found Hazel to be wonderfully charismatic and extremely funny when sharing her views on the world, which had me laughing at all the right moments. Even though she has a terminal illness, she never came across as depressed or self-centred, which made her even more endearing as a character to me. Augustus Waters has to be one of my all-time favourite male characters. He is such a kind, gentle and funny character and he makes the perfect match for Hazel. He is an all-round good guy and the world would be a much better place if we had more men like him around. He is, literally, the perfect boyfriend. <br />
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The plot made my heart ache at times and had me laughing out loud at times as well. The pacing was perfect, right down to the final full stop, and the writing was flawless. <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> is a book I fell in over heels in love with and I cannot fault it in any way. The journey I went on with these characters was a magical rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, but I loved every minute of it. <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> is a book that will stay with you for a very long time after you’ve turned the last page.</span><br />
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</center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Stacking the Shelves is hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a>. Here's what is all about:</span></center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is my first Stacking the Shelves post and I'm really excited to be a part of this fantastic meme. These are the books I've received/bought over the last 2 weeks:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a name='more'></a></div></span><center><table border="0"><tbody>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Bought:</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Insurgent by Veronica Roth</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ascend by Amanda Hocking</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Angelfire & Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Alison Moulton</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">City of Glass, City of Fallen Angles & City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Gifted:</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thank you so much Gillian @ <a href="http://bookworm-corner2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bookworms Corner</a>!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Review:</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wake by Amanda Hocking (ARC)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's all that I got over the last 2 weeks. Thanks for checking out my first Stacking the Shelves post!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">P.S I have a copy of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand that I want to giveaway once I reach 300 GFC followers. Giveaway will be INTL. So please follow via GFC if you can. Thank you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><center></center>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-47483437039631783332012-05-22T13:56:00.001+02:002012-05-22T13:56:52.446+02:00Review: Death of a Saint by Lily Herne<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13600140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13600140.jpg" /></a><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Death of a Saint </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Mall Rats Trilogy #2)</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Lily Herne</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Publication Date: 1 April 2012</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Puffin</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Format: Paperback; Review Copy</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rating: 4/5</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Buy the book: |<a href="http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/books/Death-of-a-Saint-AuthorLily-Herne/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009780143530077/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books</a>|*For now these books are only available in SA. But they will be published in the UK in 2013.*</span></span></div>
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<i>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….|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600140-death-of-a-saint" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote>
<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="52" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Review1-1.png" width="200" /></center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Death of a Saint</i> follows on from where the first book, <i>Deadlands</i>, left off. Co-written by mother and daughter team, Sarah and Savanah Lotz, under the pen name Lilly Herne, <i>Death of a Saint</i> offers a refreshingly new take on the normally clichéd ‘zombie apocalypse’. The action packed storyline combined with an interesting array of characters makes <i>Death of a Saint</i> a fantastic addition to the South African literary shelves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The story alternates between the POV’s of Lele, the main character from Deadlands, and Saint, the fierce zombie butt-kicking member of the elusive ‘Mall Rats’. In the latest edition of the trilogy the group find themselves leaving the Cape Town area and venturing further north in search of fellow survivors who are also immune to the creepy zombies that haunt the towns and cities. As they make their way further north they encounter some friendly, but also not so friendly, survivors and they find themselves battling the humans rather than the zombies. Their journey leads them to discover that the zombies are the last things they should be worrying about, as the infestation has turned their fellow humans into ruthless and cold hearted beings, almost on par with the undead. They soon realise that they didn’t have it all that bad down in Cape Town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />I read <i>Deadlands</i> shortly after it was released and I really enjoyed it. I thought it added fantastic flare to local fiction and I loved that SA had its own YA author talent as well. <i>Death of a Saint</i> was just as exciting as <i>Deadlands</i> and I especially enjoyed reading from Saint’s POV. I love her character and I found her much more enjoyable than Lele, the original main character. Saint, being the tough zombie fighter, made Lele seem rather boring, and she overshadowed her in my opinion. I loved Ash in <i>Deadlands</i> and I loved him in <i>Death of a Saint</i>. He’s dark and mysterious and I hope to discover a bit more of his back story in the next instalment. Ginger adds humour throughout the story and he is a lovable character all around. I enjoyed being introduced to his love interest, Ember and I really hope that she features in the next book. The ending was an almighty cliffhanger, which I was really annoyed about, but in a good way. I hope it’s not too long a wait for <i>The Army of the Left</i> because I’m dying to know what happens next. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The writing style was good although I did find the pace slightly slow-moving in some parts. But the story does pick up and by the end I was definitely sitting on the edge of my seat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All in all<i> Death of a Saint</i> was a good read and a great sequel to <i>Deadlands</i>. The fact that it takes place in my hometown, and features a shopping mall that I often frequent, made it even more entertaining for me. It adds an intriguing side to the multifaceted zombie genre and I eagerly await the last installment in the trilogy.</span></div>
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</center>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-19427351961770886372012-05-17T19:53:00.000+02:002012-05-17T19:53:11.751+02:00From The Review Pile<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="266" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/544382_244767155621998_100002661477665_447761_1999501169_n_large.jpg" width="400" /></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by </span><a href="http://steppingoutofthepage.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Stepping Out of the Page</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> every Thursday.</span></center><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is my first 'From the Review Pile' post and I so excited that a meme like this has come around because it's so very true. We can't always get to those wonderful books for review, but that doesn't mean we can't share them on our blogs. So here we go:</span></div>
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<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/11861062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/11861062.jpg" width="211" /></a><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Starters </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Starters #1)</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Lissa Price</span></span>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 13 March 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Format: Paperback (UK Version)</span></span><br />
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<i>HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER</i><i><br /></i><i>Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . |<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11861062-starters" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote>
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<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/11387515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/11387515.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Wonder</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">by R.J. Palacio</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Publication Date: 14 February 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Publisher: Random House Children's Books</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Format: Paperback</span></span><br />
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<i>I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?</i><i>R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's all from my review pile this week. Thanks for stopping by and, if you're a new follower (which I would appreciate very much), welcome to the blog! </span> </div>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-53012700363413943562012-04-30T16:10:00.002+02:002012-04-30T16:10:54.164+02:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-135/" target="_blank">Book Journey</a>. This week I'm reading....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Death of a Saint (Mall Rats #2</span></b></span></span><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">)</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">by Lily Herne</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 1 April 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Puffin</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Buy the book: |<a href="http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/books/Death-of-a-Saint-AuthorLily-Herne/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009780143530077/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books</a>|For now these books are only available in SA. But they will be published in the UK in 2013. </span></span><br />
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<i>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….|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600140-death-of-a-saint" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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:</span><br />
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<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13616293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13616293.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Deadlands (Mall Rats #1</span></b></span></span><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">)</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">by Lily Herne</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: February 2011</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Penguin</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buy the Book: |<a href="http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/books/Deadlands-AuthorLily-Herne/000000000100000000001000000000000000000000000009780143530060/" target="_blank">Exclusive Books</a>|</span></span><br />
<i>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...|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13616293-deadlands" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">And that's what I plan on reading this week. Thanks for stopping by!</span></span></div>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-71061414233449671202012-04-27T10:03:00.001+02:002012-04-27T10:09:14.497+02:00Follow Friday & TGIF<br />
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<a href="http://parajunkee.com/category/ff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6778552714_5a75be99b4_o.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/2012/02/feature-and-follow-friday-82.html">Alison Can Read</a> & <a href="http://parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a>.This week's question is:</span></div>
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Q: </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 <a href="http://ya-reader.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-fever-by-lauren-destefano.html" target="_blank">here</a>) 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! </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.greadsbooks.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/TGIFatGReadsGraphic.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">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?
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There has to be nothing worse than reading slumps. I hate them! I </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">don't</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> really have a set method on how to get rid of them but, like G mentioned in her post, they happen to </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">occur</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> always after I've finished an </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">absolutely</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, 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 </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">myself</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 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 </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">remedy</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 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 </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">myself</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> in a slump. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by and, if you're a new follower, welcome! Leave links in the comments and I'll follow back!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Have a wonderful weekend!</span></div>
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<right></right>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-64773747294327139902012-04-25T16:41:00.000+02:002012-04-25T16:47:55.539+02:00Waiting On Wednesday<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13056511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13056511.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Heaven (Halo #3)</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Alexandra Adornetto</span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 21 August 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Fiewel & Friends</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pre-Order the Book: Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312656289/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=th0fb8-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312656289" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1907410791/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thyare-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1907410791" target="_blank">UK</a>|<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hbPu/hXdGxs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fheaven-alexandra-adornetto%252F1106654834%253Fean%253D9780312656287" target="_blank">B&N</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Heaven-Alexandra-Adornetto/9780312656287/?a_aid=Steph0709" target="_blank">Book Depo</a></span></span>
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<i>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.</i><i>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?<span style="font-size: x-small;">|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13056511-heaven" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Why am I waiting on this?</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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!</span></span></div>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-51925593284784692422012-04-24T17:41:00.001+02:002012-04-27T10:09:28.697+02:00Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/309205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/309205.jpg" width="213" /></a><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fever </span><span style="font-size: large;">(The Chemical Garden Trilogy #2)</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Lauren DeStefano</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 16 February 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Simon & Schuster(US);Harper Voyager(UK)</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Format: Paperback, Review Copy</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rating: 5/5</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But the Book: Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/144240907X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=th0fb8-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=144240907X" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007457790/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thyare-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0007457790" target="_blank">UK</a>|<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hbPu/hXdGxs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Ffever-lauren-destefano%252F1103588577%253Fean%253D9781442409071" target="_blank">B&N</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Fever-Lauren-DeStefano/9781442409071/?a_aid=Steph0709" target="_blank">Book Depo</a></span></span>
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<i>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.<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11112619-fever" target="_blank">|Goodreads|</a></span></i></blockquote>
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<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="52" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Review1-1.png" width="200" /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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!</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></center><br />
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</center>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-41256834751528800072012-04-04T14:46:00.000+02:002012-04-04T14:46:30.505+02:00Happy Easter & See You Soon!<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="285" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/mala-vintage7_large.jpg" width="400" /></center><center><br />
</center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wish those celebrating, a blessed Easter and I hope everyone has a restful long weekend! And, of course, Happy Reading!</span></center><br />
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<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="212" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/tumblr_lv1u1xDSQb1qg20eyo1_400_large.jpg" width="320" /></center>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-11251992919035802682012-04-04T14:23:00.000+02:002012-04-04T14:23:39.918+02:00Review: The White Oak by Kim White<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13505621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/13505621.jpg" width="198" /></a><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The White Oak </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Imperfect Darkness #1)</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Kim White</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Publication Date: 9 April 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Publisher: Story Machine Studio</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Format: Ebook, Netgallery</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 3/5</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Buy the Book: Amazon US/UK|B&N|</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>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. </i><i>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></blockquote><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/?action=view&current=Review1-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="52" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Review1-1.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div><left></left></div></div><br />
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</center>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-26314153204660137342012-03-26T10:48:00.001+02:002012-03-26T11:10:45.922+02:00Review: The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/12425373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/12425373.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Alchemy of Forever </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Incarnation #1)</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Avery Williams</span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 3 January 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Simon & Schuster</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Format: Ebook, bought</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Challenge: 2012 Debut Author Challenge</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rating: 4/5</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buy the Book: Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442443162/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=th0fb8-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1442443162" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1442443162/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thyare-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1442443162" target="_blank">UK</a>|<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hbPu/hXdGxs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-alchemy-of-forever-avery-williams%252F1103596155%253Fean%253D9781442443167%2526itm%253D2%2526usri%253Dthe%252Balchemy%252Bof" target="_blank">B&N</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Alchemy-Forever-Avery-Williams/9781442443167/?a_aid=Steph0709" target="_blank">Book Depo</a></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Seraphina has been alive since the 1300's, made immortal when the boy she was beginning to love back then, Cyrus, saved her from death with a strange liquid - a method of alchemy that lets them swap bodies with any human being. But now, in modern day America, Sera has decided that she can no longer bear the weight of stealing people's lives so she can keep living on. So she decides to run away from Cyrus and end her stolen existence once and for all. Her plan goes awry when she accidentally takes the body of a dying teenager and feels forced to take over her life. When the lines between Sera and Kailey's identity begin to blur, Sera finds a reason to desire to live once more. But she can't shake the guilt of having taken Kailey's life, even if she was dying. And what if Cyrus finds her? </i></blockquote><br />
<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="52" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/Review1-1.png" width="200" /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>The Alchemy of Forever</i> has to be one of my favorite reads of 2012 so far. It was the first time I had read a story involving reincarnation and it definitely made me fall in love with the concept. It was a quick, easy and enjoyable read and I cannot wait to see what happens next!</span> </center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The story follows the main character, Seraphina who becomes an Incarnate at the hands of the alchemist's son Cyrus. His love for her turns into obsession and leads him to keep her captive over hundreds of years until, they reach present day, and Sera is able to escape the cult of Incarnates Cyrus has created. On a mission to end her miserably long life Sera accidentally takes on the body and life of a girl she tries to save from death. Stuck inside this new body and surrounded by Kailey's loving family and friends, Seraphina must decide whether to continue running from Cyrus, or to try and hide from him in Kailey's world.</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I found Seraphina to be a very likable as well as a relatable character because even though she is over a hundred year old, she is still flawed in some ways. She isn't perfect and she makes some bad decisions along the way but, all the while she is always trying to do the right thing. Her years on earth haven't made her selfish in any way, which I found surprising when compared to her fellow Incarnates. I very much enjoyed following her story and as a character I found her very well rounded. The character of Cyrus was very well written and he is one creepy dude! I loved how sly and scary he came across and through that you could understand Seraphina's desire to escape his evil clutches. </span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With the book being so short the rest of the characters aren't explored as much as I would have liked them to have been, and I think that works against the story in a way. I hope that in the second book we get to hear/see a little bit more of the Incarnates and some of Kailey's family and friends.There were some small issues that were brought up but they weren't fully explored, and at the end I was left wondering what had happened with those issues. I hope that maybe they set up for book 2. </span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Overall I enjoyed <i>The Alchemy of Forever</i>. I was looking for a quick read and I definitely found it in this book. The pacing was really good. I was never wondering when the story was going to pick up again. The characters were enjoyable and I am very excited to see what happens in the next installment. </span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YO1prO2xCa0" width="560"></iframe></center>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-43002815511753918802012-03-14T09:19:00.000+02:002012-03-14T09:19:40.083+02:00Waiting On Wednesday<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="265" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/children-love-pink-separate-with-comma-vintage-Favimcom-121658.jpg" width="400" /></center><center><br />
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<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/12270931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/12270931.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arise</span><span style="font-size: large;">(Hereafter #2)</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Tara Hudson</span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 5 June 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Harper Collins</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pre-Order:Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062026798/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=th0fb8-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062026798" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0062026798/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thyare-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0062026798" target="_blank">UK</a>|<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hbPu/hXdGxs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Farise-tara-hudson%252F1106580225%253Fean%253D9780062026798%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Darise%252Btara%252Bhudson" target="_blank">B&N</a>|<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Arise-Tara-Hudson/9780062026798/?a_aid=Steph0709" target="_blank">Book Depo</a></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her. |<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12270931-arise" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote><br />
<a href="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/10507293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/10507293.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Selection</span><span style="font-size: large;"> (The Selection #1)</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Kiera Crass</span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publication Date: 24 April 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Publisher: Harper Teen</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pre-Order: Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062059939/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=th0fb8-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062059939" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007466692/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thyare-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0007466692" target="_blank">UK</a>|<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hbPu/hXdGxs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-selection-kiera-cass%252F1106580335%253Fean%253D9780062059932%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Dthe%252Bselection%252Bby%252Bkiera%252Bcass" target="_blank">B&N</a>|</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>|</i></blockquote><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px;"><b>Why am I waiting on these?</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">These books not only have beautiful covers but their stories both sound too captivating not to covert! Hereafter is on my bookshelf and I'll </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">definitely</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 27px;"> make time to read it before Arise releases. I'm excited about the continuation of the series because it is a very unique </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">story line</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27px;">. The Selection is a 2012 releases that I absolutely cannot wait for! It sounds so thrilling and magical but dark and twisted at the time. Luckily the wait isn't too long. This one is certainly going on my wishlist! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">What are you waiting on this week?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Bloggers leave links & I'll follow back*</span> </span></span></div>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2857841585848844997.post-69662113278731550472012-03-11T11:51:00.003+02:002012-03-12T09:23:16.744+02:00In My Mailbox<center><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="300" src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee464/Steph0709/tumblr_ls7t71oHbr1qb6rd1o1_500_large.jpg" width="400" /></center><center><br />
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<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a>.</div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here's what I got this week:</div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a name='more'></a><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">Bought:</b></div></div><br />
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</center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare</span>-I'm slowing building my collection of The Immortal Instruments series. </span> </center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Night School by C.J Daugherty</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-this is a 2012 Debut that I'm really excited about. I can't wait to read it!</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Torn by Amanda Hocking</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-the sequel to Switched! I'm so excited to see what happens next in this series. I loved Switched (<a href="http://ya-reader.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-switched-by-amanda-hocking.html" target="_blank">my review</a>) and I'm Torn will be just as good!</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fracture by Megan Miranda</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-I've heard so many good things about Fracture so when I saw it in my local bookstore I just had to get it!</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Legend by Marie Lu</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-I was so thrilled to see this in my local bookstore and I proud to have it on my bookshelf. This book sounds amazing and I look forward to reviewing it soon!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>For Review:</b></span></span></div><br />
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</center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-I got this one awhile back. You can read my review <a href="http://ya-reader.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-statistical-probability-of-love.html" target="_blank">here</a>. A huge thanks to Headline Publishing in the UK for sending me a copy. I really appreciate it.</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-Thanks You Penguin South Africa for my copy!! I cant wait to get to this one! Another 2012 Debut.</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></center><center><b style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">From NetGallery:</b></center><center><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The White Oak by Kim White</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This week was quite a haul! Still waiting on my copy of Fever by Lauren DeStefano. The post has been so bad this week! Hopefully it will feature in next week's post. What did you get in your mailbox this week?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Bloggers leave links & I'll follow back*</span></div>Steph@TheYAReaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937485386104356553noreply@blogger.com1