YA Choice of May 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...

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
(The Mortal Instruments #6)

Released May 27rd 2014

You can buy it now HERE.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

I have loved this series since I first read it last year and have been itching to get my hand on this final installment! In the mean time, I caught up with the other series by Cassandra Clare, The Infernal Devices, and that quickly became a sure favorite of mine.  Clockwork Princess, the last in that series, had me staying up until 2 in the morning to get it finished and when I eventually did, I couldn't stop sobbing. Rumor has it that rather a few of the beloved main characters will not make it to the end so I look ahead with both happiness and nerves. Either way, it will be unforgettable.

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

Book Review: Trouble by Non Pratt

Title- Trouble
Author- Non Pratt
Genre- Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format- Paperback
UK Publisher- Walker Books
Publication Date- March 6th 2014
Buy HERE

*I was sent this book from the publisher as part of their VIP club promoting the book, thank you Walker. This does not affect my thoughts in this review.*

Synopsis:
A boy. A girl. A bump. Trouble.

Hannah’s smart and funny, she’s also fifteen and pregnant. Aaron is new at school and doesn't want to attract attention. So why does he offer to be the pretend dad to Hannah’s unborn baby? 

Growing up can be trouble but that’s how you find out what really matters.

The cover is what drew me to this book, how often do you see something this straight-forward? I loved it! It was honest and a definite risk but one worth taking. I wish the US had been just as daring. The VIP campaign meant that Walker sent me two copies of the book: one for myself and another to hand to a friend. As I was reading Ignite Me when this first dropped through the letterbox, my friend was the first to start and, after hearing her tell me how great it was, I bumped it up to first in my to-read pile!

Once you begin reading, you may be put off by the language used by the teenagers. I know I was, as a fifteen-year-old British girl, it even felt alien to me. I had never heard anybody speak in such an offensive manner before and hoped I never had to encounter such a vile person as the character of Fletch. Do not be put off and do push past this, the language eases up when we meet different characters and things get much better quickly!

Starting out, I found it difficult to connect with the character of Hannah. To be quite honest, I didn't like her. I felt that she lived her life to please others and that meant we were unable to see the real her until she became vulnerable due to the pregnancy. When she surrounded herself with the right people and took time for herself, I really started to like her though! This was very well written by Non, as it meant the reader was able to get to know Hannah as though they were in the book, seeing her in person. Aaron, on the other hand, I loved from the beginning. He was awkward and a little geeky and I felt the need to protect him. Even though he had a dark, mysterious secret that we saw hinted throughout the book, I didn't care.

There were two main 'shocks' in this story: Hannah's baby daddy and Aaron's reason for moving. I put that in inverted commas because I guessed the father pretty early on! Even though it was obvious, I still enjoyed seeing the characters work it out and I don't think it spoilt the suspense building though the book because I still had to see if I was right and how it came about. Aaron's events were unexpected though! I won't go into any details, don't worry, but I love how he was shown to handle the situation and then when a (loosely) similar event occurs later, he did not hold back with his emotions. The boy was just so human.

There was just one major thing I disliked about this book, Aaron offering to be the fake father. I just didn't think it seemed realistic! He had not known Hannah very long and they weren't that close yet his parents were okay with their son doing this? My mum would go crazy at the suggestion, never mind that actually happening!

Overall, if you just roll with this strange idea, the book is really enjoyable! I recommend that all teenagers pick it up and give Trouble a chance, it gives a well needed look at the inside of people (no, not like their kidneys), and shows the reasons people act like they do. To sum up: An honest look at the lives of teenagers dealing with the pressures of school, relationships and fitting in.

The book has it's own Tumblr page HERE, it's definitely worth checking out! With book quotes, review snippets and a break-down of the cover design process, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

New Books! #5

It's been quite a while since I last posted a haul so here is the latest lot that I've added to my TBR pile!

Georgia at The Bibliomaniac also calls her hauls by this name so be sure to check her's 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!*

Goose by Dawn O'Porter (Paperback)

I recently finished Paper Aeroplanes and loved it (review to follow). Thanks to Hot Key Books for this review copy!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell (Advanced Copy)

Eek! Rainbow is one of my favorite authors so I was super excited to receive this! Huge thank you to Orion Publishing!

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan (Advanced Copy)

After mentioning how excited I was to see David's books being published in the UK, Electric Monkey offered me a copy for review, so thank you!

  

Model Misfit by Holly Smale (Paperback)

I haven't even read Geek Girl yet I couldn't stop myself buying this after hearing a friend rave about the series! Plus, I payed less than £3 by using the World Book Day voucher.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Paperback)

Having to pick up one more book in The Works in order to get an offer, I reluctantly chose Gatsby. I really wanted to read it but this cover is far from great...

The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon (Paperback)

I was surprised to see this in The Works as it's only just been released this year! A great deal which I could not pass on.

  

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn (Paperback)

I've heard mixed things about this book but this was another The Works purchase anyway. Apparently this is a wintry read so it may take a while for me to get around to.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Paperback)

A classic! I've been looking to read more of these and have 3 now in my possession.

The Catcher in The Rye by J. D. Salinger (Paperback)

Another classic and such a bargain at 50p from a charity stall. It may be a little worn out but I prefer to think of it as well loved!

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Paperback)

One more which I took from a charity sale, this time, however, in perfect condition! I'm excited for the movie coming soon, Jeremy Irvine!

   

Huge thanks to each of the publishes who have send me books this books, I can't wait to read them!

YA Choice of April 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...

Goose by Dawn O'Porter
(Paper Aeroplanes #2)

Released April 3rd 2014

You can buy it now HERE.

It's a year and a half on from Paper Aeroplanes, and Renée is now living with her Aunty Jo. They even have geese, and Renée likes to sit and watch them, wondering if she'll ever find 'the One' - someone who will love her no matter what, and be there for her no matter how bad things get. She and Flo are in their final year at school, and they've got some tough choices to make - like will they go to university? And if so where - and will they go together? Renée's usual ambivalence on the matter shocks Flo, who had assumed they'd continue as they were, the best and closest of friends, forever. She feels as though she needs Renée's support more than ever, so when a handsome young boy enters Flo's life, she finds herself powerfully drawn to his kindness, and his faith. Renée and Flo's friendship will soon be tested in a way neither of them could have expected - and if Paper Aeroplanes was a book about finding friendship, Goose is the novel that explores whether it's possible to keep hold of it.

Paper Aeroplanes, the first book in this series which was released March 2013, has been on my to-read list for quite some time now! After being gifted a copy by the lovely Fiona from Eventide Reads, I decided that as much as I wanted to, I would put this book to a side until I was able to get a copy of Goose to marathon the pair! Luckily, a few weeks later, I was given the chance to review Goose from Hot Key Books so can not wait to dig into this series now! I've heard many great things about the pair, especially from Georgia @ The Biblomaniac by looking at her Goose Graphic so I would love you to join me to seeing what all the fuss is about!

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

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title- The Book Thief
Author- Markus Zusak
Genre- Young Adult, Historical Fiction, War
Format- Paperback
UK Publisher- Black Swan
Publication Date- September 8th 2007
Buy paperback- HERE

*I was sent the enhanced ebook from the publisher for review, thank you Random House Kids. This does not affect my thoughts in this review.*

It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbours during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

Zusak's The Book Thief is an incredible, emotion-inducing book filled with happiness, despair and, most of all, hope. Told from the perspective of Death, it is unlike anything I have ever read.

When I started out reading this book, I wasn't too sure what to expect. The blurb is very mysterious and careful not to give away secrets. I had previously seen the movie trailer and heard so many people talking about it, naming it as a favourite (especially Catriona from LittleBookOwl). When I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas, I went on a book-buying spree and could not say no to this!

Bored on New Year's Eve, I began reading. That night, as hard as I tried, I only managed to get through the prologue. Whether that was because I was not yet used to the voice of Death or there were too many distractions, I do not know, however this did become a recurring theme. I read a chapter, did something else and then not read again for a few days. This is probably why it took me a month to read (well, that and the 554 pages which it holds).

Soon enough though, things started really picking up. I fell in love with the character of Liesel and her spirit. Even in these terribly hard times which she faced, this young girl was hopeful, wishing for a world like her ones she read about in her books, wishing to be invisible like the character who was imagined by H.G. Wells. Her adventures with Rudy were a delight to read and seeing them slowly fall in love made the ending hit ten times harder.

Speaking of the ending, I won't spoil it for you but, as you can expect from a war book, it wasn't pretty. I had tears pouring from my eyes, something which doesn't happen often (think Clockwork Princess sadness) and even though it was incredibly hard to read, I was happy with the ending. The prologue reminded me of a beautiful, under-rated line from chapter one; 'The journey continued like everything had happened.' Even though this young girl had been through so much in her short life, enough to last a lifetime, she kept going on the journey called life. 

Since reading the book, I was given the opportunity to see the enhanced ebook version by Random House Kids. It contains the original ebook and, dotted throughout, you can find clips from the movie which will mirror the scene which you have just read. I think this is a brilliant idea because this book can be difficult to visualize as we do not know a world like it. Also, there are two short featurettes on the actors who play Liesel and Hans (Sophie Nelisse and Geoffrey Rush) which show a behind the scenes glimpse of casting, directing and acting. Markus Zusak and the director, Brian Percival, give their thoughts on working with the actors and then they, themselves, gave thoughts on their characters. You can then find a six-and-a-half minute video where Zusak answered questions such as 'What inspired you to write this novel?' which is great for fans who are desperate to learn more. Finally, there is attached the trailer to encourage you to see the film. Overall, I really do like these added features and I think it really would be worth investing in!

You can get the enhanced ebook edition on iTunes HERE.