Dare you to- Katie McGarry

Published: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
456 pages
Goodreads page

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Its been such a long time since i read Pushing the Limits that i honestly couldn't really tell you what happened in that book, so i guess its lucky you don't necessarily have to have read that book to enjoy this one.

The second book in Katie McGarry's pushing the limits series follows Beth and Ryan as they meet and fall in love.

I found the story a little slow at first and Ryan as a character seemed really cliche at the start, but as the book went on i grew more attached to the characters and ended up really enjoying it.

I liked Beths side of things and her story, i found her 'rough' background was the most interesting part of this book.

The last 100 pages i couldn't put the book down, i had to know what was going to happen with her mum. I found that i cared more about knowing what became of her mum than i did the actual love story to be honest.

Overall it was a well written and interesting love story. It had several typical aspects of a teen romance but if you can overlook that its worth a read.

****

Four stars

A stolen life- Jaycee Dugard

Published: July 12,2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
273 pages
Goodreads page

On 10 June 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in Tahoe, California. It was the last her family and friends saw of her for over eighteen years. On 26 August 2009, Dugard, her daughters, and Phillip Craig Garrido appeared in the office of her kidnapper's parole officer in California. Their unusual behaviour sparked an investigation that led to the positive identification of Jaycee Lee Dugard, living in a tent behind Garrido's home. During her time in captivity, at the age of fourteen and seventeen, she gave birth to two daughters, both fathered by Garrido. 

Dugard's memoir is written by the 30-year-old herself and covers the period from the time of her abduction in 1991 up until the present. In her stark, utterly honest and unflinching narrative, Jaycee opens up about what she experienced, including how she feels now, a year after being found. Garrido and his wife Nancy have since pleaded guilty to their crimes.

Im not going to call this a review because i feel like with a book like this i can't really look at it and say what is good and whats bad.

The whole story is terrible, its terrible that she had to go through what she went through. Its terrible that she has this story to tell.

I can only say that i think she's brave for telling her story, i was so sad whilst reading this for what Jaycee and her daughters went through, but glad that she's now free and can live her life freely and share her story.

It baffles me that humans exist that can do that to someone and it breaks my heart.

Being a mother i can't even comprehend this happening to a child. 

Im glad i read i give it the rating for the courage it must take to tell a story like this.

*****

Five stars

Daughter of Smoke and Bone- Laini Taylor

Published: Sep 27, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
418 pages
Goodreads page

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Ive heard quite a lot of good and bad things about this book, it seems to have a lot of mixed opinions. I was kind of surprised that i enjoyed it considering it has the paranormal romance type feel to it. I however enjoyed it for a few reasons:

The first thing i really enjoyed about this story was the setting. It wasn't your usual American high school setting,  it was set in Prague which made reading about the scenery all the more interesting.

Secondly, the way the story was written flowed so brilliantly, the deeper you got into the story the more mysteries and secrets intertwined. I felt myself wanting to know as much as i could about the world behind the door.

Thirdly, the love story was tragic and beautiful and even though I'm not one for paranormal romances i found myself swooning for Akiva and his fiery eyes. 

The names of the characters where interesting and refreshing and although i don't know if i actually pronounce any of them correctly i still enjoy the uniqueness all the same.

Overall i think if you have been avoiding this because of the paranormal romance aspects its definitely worth giving a shot, you might be pleasantly surprised. 

I for one and looking forward to the next book and seeing where this story takes us.

****

Four stars

Three Sisters Three Queens- Philippa Gregory

Published: Aug 9, 2016
Publisher: Touchstone
556 pages
Goodreads page

As sisters they share an everlasting bond; As queens they can break each other’s hearts.

“There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other.”

When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined—with Margaret’s younger sister Mary—to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.

United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son. Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss, and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.

This is the 10th book that i have read by Philippa Gregory and i swear she can do no wrong. Every one of her books sucks me in and i am fascinated with the way she makes history so readable and interesting.

Her newest addition to the Tudor novels was especially fascinating to me because we got to see what things where like in Scotland during the Tudor rule. Margaret was a super interesting character to follow and the relationship she had with her sisters was definitely a rocky one.

The only small fault i had with this book was that i thought the ending was a little abrupt. It didn't really sum up or give me an ending of Margaret. That however is a very small complaint because as is usual with Philippa Gregory she has an incredible way of keeping you reading and wanting to know more.

Overall its a great continuation to her Tudor novels and if you haven't read any of these books yet what are you waiting for?! You are definitely missing out.

*****

Five stars

The Martian-Andy Weir

Published: Feb 11, 2014
Publisher: Crown
369 pages
Goodreads page

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

This book was strangely captivating. Its basically just a survival story of this man Mark Watneys time on mars (fictional).

Some of the things that are talked about in this book are a little confusing there are a lot of technical things talked about. There were a lot of moments where i was reading and thinking 'how is this so interesting?' but it really was! I really could not put this book down even at the most boring of parts in the book.

 I had to know what would happen with him.

I feel like book will stay with me for a long time and i can't exactly explain why.

I love Marks character he's funny and witty even in such a dire circumstance and reading about the people pulling together to help was really just a great read. Even the way Mars in explained it just paints such an amazingly fascinating picture in your mind.

I definitely recommend you pick this book up!

*****

Five stars

Top books of 2014

Because i only read 29 books in 2014 i thought id narrow my favourites down to top 5. I unfortunately only read a few books that really stood out to me in 2014.

So here is my top 5 books of 2014 in no particular order.

I am malala-Malala Yousafzai

Ready player one-Ernest Cline

Gone girl-Gillian Flynn

The white princess-Philippa Gregory 

A thousand splendid suns-Khaled Hosseini

Marked- P.C & Kristin Cast

Published: May 1, 2007
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
306 pages
Goodreads page

After a Vampire Tracker Marks her with a crescent moon on her forehead, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night and learns that she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx and has affinities for all five elements: Air, Fire Water, Earth and Spirit. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is mis-using her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny – with a little help from her new vampyre friends (or Nerd Herd, as Aphrodite calls them)

I really didn't have high expectations going into this book. Its a book about vampires, and i think that ship has somewhat sailed but it was sitting on my shelf so i decided to give it a read.

I was quite surprised at how easy this was to read. It definitely wasn't perfect i had a few issues but i think it was pretty great considering the fact i thought it would be terrible.
The authors put their own twist to the vampire genre whilst still keeping to tradition (definitely no sparkling vampires here) which i liked.

The main character Zoey was likable and didn't bug me, unfortunately the same can't be said about her friends. I did find them a little annoying and the way two of them constantly say twin after everything they say to each other really bugged me, like ok we get it you call each other twin can you shut up now?

Other than that the story line was intriguing enough to keep me reading.
I would call it a guilty pleasure read to be sure.

***
Three stars

Obsidian-Jennifer L Armentrout

Published: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
335 pages
Goodreads page

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Ok so I'm not gonna lie, this book is basically Twilight but in place of vampires there are aliens. BUT in saying that i really enjoyed it!

It was kind of a guilty pleasure read, but the banter between Kat and Daemon was entertaining. Kat is also a far better protagonist than Bella in Twilight. She wasn't annoying and had her own valid opinions and ideas.

I also did love the fact that she was a book nerd and had a blog, i actually wish there was a bit more stuff about that.

Lets be real guys, we all a need a guilty pleasure read in our lives and this was great one. It was quick because it really didn't take that much thought but still enjoyable. This time of year with the stress of Christmas and all that comes with the year ending its good to just escape into something that doesn't take a lot of effort to read.

Definitely recommend it and i will be checking out the rest of the series very soon!

****

Four stars

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini

Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
Published: May 22, 2007
372 pages
Goodreads page

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them—in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul—they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman’s love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

This book has sparked a fascination in me of the middle eastern culture. I want to learn more about it. I feel so deeply for the women and all the things they have had to deal with.

The things the two women in this book experience is really terrible. Reading their journey and seeing their strength was really beautiful.

This was truly an amazing story, and while it was fiction it was based around real events and the real culture in Afghanistan.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone!

*****

Five stars

Landline - Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St Martins Press
Published: July 8th 2014
310 pages
Goodreads page

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 beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside 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 . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

I'm not really sure how to start off this review. I finished this book quite a few days ago and I'm still unsure how i feel about it.
I could definitely relate to the main character being a mum but i also felt that i could really relate to Neal and his life as a stay at home dad. Aside from me being female and him male i felt that we had so much in common.

I'm not exactly sure i was into the whole time travelling phone thing which is why its so hard to review because that's basically what the whole book is about.
Of course i enjoyed Rainbow Rowells writing style, she definitely has a captivating way with words and i am guaranteed to read anything she writes.
I will have to say this is my least favourite of her books.

I gave it the four star rating because i was unsure and also because i couldn't go less because its Rainbow Rowell and i love her writing, but for the story line its probably only a three star.

So that was a terrible review but basically is you haven't read Rainbow Rowell don't start with this one and if you have read her other books this is worth reading but probably wont be as good as what you have read by her.

****
Four Stars

The Other Boleyn Girl- Philippa Gregory

Publisher: Touchstone

Published: May 21st 2003

664 pages

Goodreads Page

 

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realises just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king and take fate into her own hands.

A rich and compelling novel of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamourous court in Europe and survived by following her heart

This book is #2 in the Tudor Court series that focuses on Mary Boleyn who was one of King Henry's mistressess. It basically follows her life through the rise and fall of power in the days of the Tudor court.

This book took me a long time to get through, though that wasnt at all because i wasnt enjoying it. In fact i think it may have brought me to the end of my reading slump (finally!!). I enjoy every moment of Philippa Gregorys's books and this one was no different. They way she really paints a picture of this time is amazing, you really feel like your there and you go on such an interesting journey through history.

I found Mary Boleyn's story so fascinating. We also get to see the story of her brother and her sister through her eyes and they also lived captivating lives. The things people went through andd experienced in those times is unbelievable and i honestly just love reading about it.

If you are interested in historical fiction and havent checked out Philippa Gregory's books yet i highly reccomend you do!

*****

Five stars

 

 

Hi guys!

Sorry I've been M.I.A for so long. I know i keep saying I'm going to get back into regular posting and i want to! i do but i am honestly in a bit of a reading slump right now that I'm struggling to get out of.
I'm hoping to get back into it but i don't want to make any promises.

I'm also hoping to start posting regularly on my lifestyle blog so check that out to see whats happening in life, and what I'm enjoying.

I'm currently half way through two books, the first being The night circus by Erin Morgenstern, which i am enjoying but honestly struggling to get through, I've been reading this for about two months. I don't think its necessarily the books fault that I'm struggling though its just the fact that I'm in this slump.

The second book I'm in the middle of is Its not summer without you by Jenny Han. I thought a good contemporary would kick me out of this slump but whilst i did manage to get through The summer i turned pretty at a reasonable pace, I'm going a lot slower through this one. That's not to say I'm not enjoying it but that slump just keeps getting me and i find myself gravitating towards other things, TV being the main culprit.

So lets all cross our fingers that this slump will pack its bags and move on but until then i will post when i can.

What have you been reading? And how do you get out of a slump?

check out my lifestyle blog for more of me!

Bye Guys!

Poison Study- Maria V Snyder

Publisher: Mira
Published: March 1, 2007
412 pages
Goodreads page

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear..

I am somewhat undecided on my opinion of this book. Whilst the story line was interesting and the world had potential i found myself unattached to the characters.
The writing style is kind of simplistic to me, which is not necessarily a bad thing but i think when it comes to fantasy you need quite a bit of detail to really immerse yourself into the world.
I liked the magical elements and i found the poisons interesting, but i think it just needed something more.

I anticipated the 'twist' from the very beginning and i think most people would see it as quite obvious, although in the characters position i no doubt would have done the same thing. Hopefully for those who have read it you know what I'm talking about.

I was very interested in Yelena's back story and would love more details, which hopefully the next book provides.

I will be continuing with the series i just hope we get a bit more from the rest of the books.

Overall it didn't wow me but it was intriguing enough to keep me reading.

***
Three and a half stars

Im alive!

Hey guys sorry I've been gone so long.

Ive have been quite busy planning my trip to New Zealand next month and other family commitments that i honestly just haven't had the time to read (or blog). Its been quite a busy start to the year with my brother getting married ( i was the photographer) and trying to get my business going its just been very hectic. i haven't completely stopped reading and since I've been gone i have read a few which i will update you on below.

Hopefully once i get back from New Zealand at the beginning of next month i can get myself back into a blogging schedule, because i miss it and do enjoy it a lot.

But today I'm just going to catch you up on what I've been reading..

I am currently reading Ignite me by Tahereh Mafi and really loving it!

and these are the books I've read since my last review:

Frankenstein- Mary Shelley

***

Three stars

Sweet tooth Vol 1 Out of the woods- Jeff Lemire

****

Four stars

The walking dead Vol 2 Miles behind us - Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard

*****

Five stars

The fellowship of the ring- J R R Tolkein

****

Four stars

The White Princess- Philippa Gregory

*****

Five stars

On the jellicoe road - Melina Marchetta

***

Three stars

A clash of kings - George R R Martin

****

Four stars

Shatter me- Tahereh Mafi

****

Four stars

The constant princess- Philippa Gregory

*****

Five stars

Unravel me- Tahereh Mafi

****

Four stars

Death note Black edition Vol 1 -  Tsugumi Ohba

*****

Five stars

Star wars A new hope- George Lucas

****

Four stars

The undomestic goddess - Sophie Kinsella

***

Three stars

Hopefully you'll be seeing more from me soon

Thanks for reading!

Bleeding Violet- Dia Reeves

Publisher: Simone Pulse
Published: Jan 5, 2010
454 Pages
Goodreads page

Love can be a dangerous thing...

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe

This was definitely one of the strangest books Ive read in a long time.
Hanna is a pretty messed up character but it was pretty interesting to see into her mind. She kind of freaked me out a little and i wouldn't want to come across her in real life.
I didn't think much of the town, the story as a whole seemed like a bunch of random ideas thrown together and it didn't work as well as the author intended i think.
It was a decent read but i just found it a little all over the place for my liking.

***
Three stars

Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St Martins Press
Published: Sep 10, 2013
443 pages
Goodreads page

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And do

Rainbow Rowell is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.
This was such a cute read. I loved Caths character, she was so quirky you really felt like you knew her and could understand her as a person.
I found the whole twin thing fascinating as i have always wanted to be a twin. Cath and Wrens relationship felt so real, i would actually love to read a book written from her point of view.
Levi has such a cute personality but i have to be honest and say the person i pictured in my head from the description wasn't all that attractive, but of course looks aren't everything and that could be just the way I'm perceiving him anyway.
Overall this was an amazing story and i absolutely loved it!

*****
Five stars