YA Choice of October 2014

With the Young Adult genre becoming more and more popular, each month I will be bringing you my choice of the newly released books which I must share with you all! This month's choice is...

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

Released October 2nd 2014
from Hot Key Books

You can buy it now HERE.

In Beacon Heights High, Nolan Hotchkiss is king. His charm, wealth and good looks are deceptively seductive, and many are the students whose lives and reputations have been ruined by it. All while Nolan continues to reign, unquestioned and undisrupted. Until now, that is. Mackenzie, Ava, Julie, Caitlin and Parker seemingly don't have much in common. Each has their own friends, dramas and goals. But one thing they do share: they all have a deep hatred of Nolan Hotchkiss. And they all think it's about time he paid for what he's done. They come up with the perfect murder - a hypothetical murder, of course. It's all wishful thinking ... until they wake up one morning to find that their wish has come true. Nolan has been killed - in exactly the way they planned. The thing is, they didn't do it. So who did?

Sara Shepard is the genius behind Pretty Little Liars, one of my favourite shows on TV. I've always wanted to read the book series but have heard that they are too different from the adaption so didn't want to get my self all muddled up! Now though, I get to check out her amazing work with the first book in a new series from her. I love watching mystery programmes, they're the best, but  never seem to read too many, maybe because I worry they'll creep me out, maybe because I worry I won't keep up. I have been expanding my reading horizons recently though so I can't wait to crack this open!

Have you read The Manifesto On How To Be Interesting since I recommended it last month? Let me know what you think in the comments! Also, sorry I missed a month! I was hugely excited for Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld if you were wondering :-)

Book Review: She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

Title- She Is Not Invisible
Author- Marcus Sedgwick
Genre- Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary
Format- Paperback
UK Publisher- Indigo
Publication Date- July 3rd 2014
Buy HERE

*I was sent this finished copy from the publisher for review, thank you Indigo. This does not affect my thoughts shared in this review.*

Sorry I've been absent recently! There really are no excuses, I've just needed a little break from the internet. Fingers crossed I can get back into things, I've been doubting my blog but now I'm putting in lots of effort to hopefully make some great posts for you!

Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers--a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind. But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her 7-year-old brother Benjamin are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness. She Is Not Invisible is an intricate puzzle of a novel that sheds a light on the delicate ties that bind people to each other.

Ever since this book was first released in hardback last year, I've been intrigued. The reason why? It featured a blind protagonist. I'm honestly quite ashamed at my lack of diversity when it comes to making reading choices, the only novel I remember having read with a disabled main character is The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Nightime and the only reason I picked that up is because it was cheap. I've already branched out of my reading comfort zone this year, venturing into the world of Adult with Rainbow Rowell's Landline a few months back, but I need to explore the world further through literature. More cultures. Wider issues. Greater differences.

This cover is incredibly alluring. The colours of the two images blend perfectly together, creating a gorgeous piece of art, yes art. The beautiful, hipster-ish (it honestly killed me to write that) font just ties everything together, purple was such a great choice! Some of my favourite covers have come out of this year and this is definitely up there!

From the first sentence I was hooked. Why would a young girl need to 'abduct' her younger brother? It was hard to understand just how much Laureth had to depend on other people but it soon became apparent that, while she may wish otherwise, she must rely on the support of those closest to her. The mystery element is great, what did happen to her dad? No spoilers here! But what I loved the most was the adventurous feeling which comes with travelling. Exploring a new place for the first time is so fun and even though it wasn't the main focus of our little explorers, they still experienced the culture of America without even realizing. Visiting the library, travelling to the Edgar Allen Poe museum, even just visiting the small-time comic store!

One thing that is apparent when you start reading is that this is on the lower end of the young adult genre. Which is not a bad thing, books like this are a great escape from the often dark themes and intense writing that comes along sometimes. I think this would be a perfect genre-transitioning read! Even though the writing is simplistic and the plot easy enough to follow, I really enjoyed She Is Not Invisible. It meant that I could rush through the book and I had it finished in half the time a book of the same length would usually take.

Overall, I really did enjoy She Is Not Invisible. Even though it is less complicated than I am used to, I never found myself bored and was still hooked. I just could not wait to find out how the book would be resolved! The writing style was a welcome break from the intensity of some young adult novels and it took just over a day to get through which, for a slow reader like me, was a huge achievement!

    

New Books! #7

Can you tell that it's just been my birthday? I went a little wild, oops! Thankfully, most of these I bought myself secondhand, something I'm really into at the minute. I love trying to find the best price for the best quality, weird I know! Also, I now own a full set of Harry Potters, more on that later.

Georgia at The Bibliomaniac also calls her hauls by this name so be sure to check hers out as well!

*Quick disclaimer, I am not bragging about these, hauls are my personal favorites to read and I am very grateful for each of these!*

This Star Won't Go Out by Esther, Lori & Wayne Earl (Paperback)

I've waited so long for this book, I didn't want to buy myself because the £10 price tag for a paperback was rather steep! After dropping a fair few hints, I unwrapped this on my birthday and couldn't have been happier. DFTBA!

Looking For Alaska by John Green (Paperback)

One of my favorite books and the best thing John has ever written, it was a given that I would eventually own a physical copy. After two reads of the library copy and one of my ebook, it was time. The website claimed that the book was used but the condition was immaculate, such a nice surprise!

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (Paperback)

I seem to be collecting contemporaries and I couldn't resist this on my post-birthday spree. Plus, the £1.80 price was unbeatable and even though it's not in the greatest condition, I don't mind and it's definitely still readable!

  

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick (Paperback)

This has been read and reviewed already so definitely look out for that! A lovely, light read for anyone after something to fly through. The cover, I am in love with because of all the pretty colours, eek! Thanks to Fierce Fiction for this review copy!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Paperback)

I read this maybe three years ago after borrowing a copy from a friend and this was my YA transition book! I never continued on with the series then but decided now would probably be as good of a time as any! 

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Paperback)

To complete my Wolves of Mercy Falls collection, I bought Forever online. This is actually the second copy I received, as the first was send back! It was supposed to the in Very Good condition but did not live up to those guidelines, thankfully they supplied a refund!

  

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

by JK Rowling

Gaaaah! I have a complete Harry Potter set now, four of which are first editions! And for 6 of them, I paid less than £3.50, isn't that amazing? I am such a bargain hunter so I'm just very, very happy that I could have all of these without having to part with too much money!

Huge thanks to each of the publishes who have send me books in this haul, I can't wait to read them! What have you picked up recently? Leave a comment letting me know!

The Not-So-Pointless Book (A Review of Sorts)

This morning, I had an exciting delivery! After what felt like ages, but was only actually less than a week, my lovely postman dropped this off. I raced downstairs, tore open the package and looked in awe. Although I never though too much of it online, the cover is beautiful! Truly. Now, that may seem a little strange to you but the embossing is perfect and the cover is all matte, with glossy accents. As a graphic design student, I'm in heaven.

Of course, I went a little overboard with all of my supplies but I was so excited to start. I recommend arming yourself with a black pen, a pencil, a selection of coloured pencils and a rubber. Also, a fancy writing pen is an easy way to jazz things up!

*One tip though, do not use markers. Permanent or not, they will bleed through.*

As instructed, I started at the first page I opened, which happened to be 28- Favorite Ever... Some questions were easy to answer (purple has been my number one colour since forever ago) and some I had to think about (every song I hear is better than the last) so this was a really fun page, taking around 10 minutes all together. It's also a fun idea to fill out with friends, comparing answers afterwards!

Skipping forward quite considerably, I found myself at 148- Draw a Landmark... I asked myself 'Where do I want to travel to most?' The answer of course, France. I've loved it for so long and studied the language for 4 years before I became too busy to carry on. Obviously, when choosing a French landmark, there was only one choice I could make: The Eiffel Tower. It took half an hour and looks awful but I'm not an artist so who cares?!

Back to the beginning now, more specifically page 38- Draw These Shapes... This was such a fun activity. At a glance, this looks easy; how hard can it be to draw in one stroke? Well, it's actually pretty difficult! It took many pencil practices before I eventually managed to master the shapes. That was, all but one. I swear that it's impossible, I spent a good 20 minutes puzzling over them but could not manage it! This kind of thing is perfect for something to do on a journey. Say goodbye to boring train travels!

Essentially, The Pointless Book is a more interactive Wreck This Journel. Alfie's little video clips and interactive pages are the perfect additions to complete an already incredible book. Even if you don't have a smartphone, the book definitely works as a standalone. With 192 pages bursting with ideas, you'll have hours of fun tasks ahead of you!

 

The thing about The Pointless Book is, nothing has to be perfect because it's your own, personal interpretation. Go crazy, play it safe. Share with your friends, keep it hidden. Scuff it up, leave it clean. It may have been started by Alfie but it's there to be finished by YOU! So do something; Do whatever you want as long as it is you. 

    

You can pick up your own copy of The Pointless Book by Alfie Deyes on September 4th! Be sure to tag all of your related tweets with #ThePointlessBook if you join in on twitter!

*I received this book from Blink Publishing in return for a review, this does not influence my opinion of the book!*

The Book Blogger's Kiss, Marry, Cliff

You must know these type of tags, they used to be playground games back in school and have now been rebranded into must-dos for all Booktubers (see these from Katytastic and Polandbananasbooks if you're interested). So why not bring the fun to the blogging community? That's what I'm doing today!

This is such a simple process yet I had so much fun doing it! Many of the supplies that I used are brand new as I bought them for my college course so I got to play around with them for the first time. You obviously don't need anything fancy, the same effect can be achieved with just a simple paper scrap and pencil writing but I wanted to experiment so went all out!

Start by measuring out your card so each piece will be equal sized. Be sure to use a pencil so any mistakes or slips can easily be erased! I made mine 1x3 inches which created 24 cards however I only ended up using 12 of them this time. Next, take your cutting equipment and separate each individual card, getting rid of any excess card you may have. Now comes the fun part, picking your boys (or girls, your choice!) who you want to feature! Write them down and you can also include the book they're from, I did! Now, all that's left is to fold them up, mix them up and put them in a little pot. Pick out 3 and you're ready to go!

Round 1:

KISS- Park! He's geeky and cute and I'll take it.

MARRY- Easy, Miles any day of the week. Looking For Alaska is a favorite of mine and all of the way through reading, I wanted to know him. 

CLIFF- Unfortunately Aaron. He just wasn't memorable enough, I won't miss him.

Round 2:

KISS- Will? Yeah, I don't think I could deal with his beauty every day, I'd constantly faint.

MARRY- Adam, because god I love this guy. Especially end of Where She Went Adam.

CLIFF- Sorry Robb but I know what happens to the women in your life...

Round 3:

KISS- Peeta because he probably tastes like cake. End of.

MARRY- It has to be Charlie. I just want to look after him all day, everyday.

CLIFF- Goodbye Edward, you'll probably survive the fall anyway though so no stress.

Round 4:

KISS- Oh Simon. Human you? I'd totally marry. Vampire though, I couldn't cope with the blood 24/7.

MARRY- It's go to be Willem. Otherwise, he'll probably run off from me!

CLIFF- I much as I'd hate to, Augustus. I'll put him out of his suffering. *Cries* 

Next, I want to see Georgia (The Bibliomaniac) and Amber (The Mile Long Bookshelf) attempt this! Also, be sure to let me know what you would have chosen for each round, do you agree with me? Comment!

YA Choice of August 2014

With the Young Adult genre becoming more and more popular, each month I will be bringing you my choice of the newly released books which I must share with you all! This month's choice is...

The Manifesto On How To Be Interesting by Holly Bourne

Released August 1st 2014
from Usborne

You can buy it now HERE.

Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. But when she's told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.

I have always loved contemporaries but especially now that it's summer, they're all I've been reading. I don't know why, maybe its because the fantasies and dystopians are all shrouded in a darkness that you just don't get in summer. Either way, this is something I will be needing very soon. Poor Bree's plan sounds like a disaster waiting to happen and I just want to scream at her 'BE YOURSELF'. Unfortunately though, life isn't that easy and I know it sounds horrid but I can't wait to read her struggles. Also, let me talk about this cover. Simple yet so great, I am especially in love with the bold colour choice!

Have you read On The Fence since I recommended it last month? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Yes, I’m a bookworm...

Yes, I’m a bookworm. No, I don’t live in a secluded, cobweb-covered cottage, I’m not an old lady surrounded by cats and I don’t spend my life perched in a rocking chair. In fact, I’m just like your average teenager.

I believe that you can blame Beatrix Potter for said habit. I won’t bore you with a long, soppy back-story but I will tell you this, receiving a collection of her best-loved stories as a christening present meant I was read to a lot as a child, building the foundations of my imagination as it is today. There are some great incentives to help children read at a young age, take the Greenaway Project for example. Not only did I experience the fun as a youngster, completing tasks set in drama and art along with my friends, I also had the chance to play the counter part: helping out wherever the bossy little things let me! I first heard of The Arthur Spiderwick Chronicles doing such work; the illustrations were so beautiful that it quickly became a favorite.

As I've grown older (I know, three years is a really long time), I began to notice that there was a bigger presence of readers online, using sites like Twitter to chat and share their thoughts, even sharing books in giveaways! Interacting with others who felt the same way as me was a real confidence boost and I became more comfortable when it came to airing my opinions in real life as well, I never would have been able to share this article before! BookTubers (you know, YouTubers who talk about books?) keep things fun too! It’s not all about reviews either, catch-up posts let you know what’s trending and keep you up-to-date with all of the latest releases. Hearing these people speak with such enjoyment in their tone can keep me entertained for hours.

While putting my face in front of a camera isn’t an option, I’d make too many people jealous with my movie-star looks you see, I have started writing things down in a blog. It’s only been a few months but I’ve already been sent books from publishers for free in exchange for reviews, further expanding my collection. I just have one problem with this though: I’m running out of shelf space! The best part of it all? Getting a quote published in one of my favourite books, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. Yes, I’M IN A BOOK! This was such a big deal for me, it felt like all of my hard work had paid off and more than that; I was hugely proud of myself!

Looking to the future, I hope my silly little obsession with writers will one day lead to the flipside of publishing: working in marketing and sending out the books to encourage others like myself. And who knows, maybe I’ll end up working with authors in the future, but that all depends on whether I can put my inner fangirl, complete with childish excitement, to rest and find a professional cool.

New Books! #6

Despite my slow reading pace, especially during exam time just gone, I keep gaining more books than I can keep up with! Not that I'm complaining, they look so pretty on my new shelves.

Georgia at The Bibliomaniac also calls her hauls by this name so be sure to check hers out as well!

*Quick disclaimer, I am not bragging about these, hauls are my personal favorites to read and I am very grateful for each of these!*

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (eBook)

After finishing If I Stay, I could now wait for the matching paperback to arrive so instead, I snapped up the ebook on my Nook and I regret nothing!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (Paperback)

With the movie coming out in August (I think haha) I knew that this had to be pushed up to the top of my to be read list. That was a great decision as this series is now a favorite of mine!

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Paperback)

I realize while typing that I included this in my last haul but I've put my camera and books away now so I thought I'd keep that photo. Oops!

  

Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy (Paperback)

If you've read any previous hauls, you'll know that I often buy second hand books from my supermarket. This month is no different, I bought this as the sequel was just released!

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (Paperback)

I have an ebook version of this already but I'M QUOTED IN THE PAPERBACK! Aah, excitement because it's my first time and I'm so proud of myself for this achievement. Thank you Orion for sending me a copy!

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (Paperback)

The start of a series which inspired one of my favorite TV shows. This was won in a giveaway from Bath Festivals, thanks!

  

Smart by Kim Slater (Hardback)

I love the cover of this books and have had my eye on it for some time! To celebrate the release day, Catherine Alport, Macmillan's publicity manager, held a giveaway which I won. Thank you!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (Hardback)

I've seen all of the movies but never had any interest in reading the books... Until halfway through an exam. I'm not sure why but I got the urge to do so and so I ordered the first I found 2nd hand online. I already have Deathly Hallows but that's a long story, maybe I'l tell it later. Also, surprise, it was a first edition and I paid £3 total for it, steal!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (Paperback)

The end has come *cries*. I had to get my hands on a copy as soon as I could to avoid the spoiler plague, eww, and so unfortunately it is the huge edition that does not match the rest of my series so I will have to buy another copy to complete my collection.

  

Huge thanks to each of the publishes who have send me books in this haul, I can't wait to read them! What have you picked up recently? Leave a comment letting me know!

Book Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Title- Landline
Author- Rainbow Rowell
Genre- Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Format- Paperback
UK Publisher- Orion
Publication Date- July 3rd 2014
Buy HERE

*I was sent this advanced copy from the publisher for review, thank you Orion. This does not affect my thoughts in this review.*

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.
Maybe that was always besides the point.
Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.
When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.
That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Now, don't be fooled; this is a review but it is also a discussion. About restrictions. About maturity. About comfort zones. Because Landline challenged all of these for me, and I've very grateful for that.

You see, I am sixteen but act like a ten year old most of the time. I can't think of anything worse than going to parties and drinking so much alcohol that I'm unable to stand. Yet people my age, people I know, do that on a weekly basis. The most grown up thing that I've ever done is buy a scratch card (which, may I brag, I won my money back on!) 

Because of such, it's probably a given that I hug the young adult genre. It's my safe place, I know the type of things to expect because I've read so many. Yet that's the thing; They're often similar when you get down to the bones. Whether it's contemporary or dystopian, some things in the skeleton are always a given. The girl chasing after the boy. Someone in dire need of saving. A 'huge disaster' which isn't even that big of a deal. I'm sure you get my point.

Rainbow Rowell quickly became one of my favorite authors after I'd ready just two of her books, her two young adult novels to be precise. Itching to get my hands on anything new by her, it gave me the confidence to try out an adult novel; I thought that Rainbow's writing style would adapt between the age gap and it truly did. That's what helped me to be able to finish this book. Not that it was bad but I couldn't relate to the themes, it made me realize that I'm not an adult. And it made me realize that I'm okay with that.

I haven't the first idea about marriage. I see my mum and dad together everyday but until you experience something first hand, it's hard to ever fully understand. So, when reading a book where the whole plot is so closely wrapped up in this bond which my mind cannot touch, it can be difficult. Trying to understand the responsibilities, jobs, kids, adult life of these characters was a real struggle so I felt a real distance from the characters. Yet, I have no doubt that in ten years time, when I pick up Landline again, it will become an instant five-star read.

This whole experience of exploring the adult genre has made me understand many things. Those stupid plot points in young adult books? They are my favorites. There is nothing that I love more that listening to a character drone on about all of their silly little teenage problems. They're predictable yet I still crave the endings. They're repeatable yet I still need the newest one. They're nothing but to me they're everything. So no, I won't be changing out of my age category anytime soon but I'm glad that I tried to. Because without doing so, I wouldn't have known how much I'd be missing.


    

YA Choice of July 2014

With the Young Adult genre becoming more and more popular, each month I will be bringing you my choice of the newly released books which I must share with you all! This month's choice is...

On The Fence by Kasie West

Released July 1st 2014

You can buy it now HERE.

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Encase you didn't know, Kasie West has already written one super cute contemporary (you can see my review of it HERE) so I have no doubt that she has done it again with On The Fence. This screams SUMMER to me, a sweet little novel that I could fly through in one day. If I lived near a beach, I'd take it there. The premise sounds interesting to me also, kinda reminding me of My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick and I know that much-loved which adds to the excitement! Not to mention, Kasie is the loveliest; Don't believe me? I  interviewed her and she was so kind, be sure to check it out!  

Have you read Lies My Girlfriend Told Me since I recommended it last month? Let me know what you think in the comments!