SOCIAL MEDIA

New Release: LadyStar: The Dreamspeaker (New Cover NOW)

Tuesday 22 March 2011
Jessica Hoshi is just like any other girl. She loves music, playing in the marching band at school and spending time with her friends. One day, Jessica and her friends visit the Lakeshore Historical Society to take the Tall Ship Tour. After they get separated from the tour group, Jessica discovers a gem-encrusted Lantern and a magically locked jewelry box below decks in the ship’s hold. A voice from inside the Lantern tells Jessica they are all in great danger. The jewelry box contains priceless stolen artifacts sought by ruthless and evil sorcerers known as Cryptics. Minutes later, the vessel’s lights flicker to life and the sails fill with an invisible wind. The great ship sails across the lake carrying Jessica and all of her friends through an astral portal to an unfamiliar land called Aventar. There, they meet the shadowy arcanist Reina, who tells them they must train at once to become Ajan Warriors. Unless they succeed, the treasures will be lost, and the last hopes of a betrayed people will fade forever.

Doesn't this just sound fabulous? The cover is so eye catching and cool too! Want to read the first 10 sample chapters? Click HERE! What do you think?


Press Release: Trash by Andy Mulligan + Cover Release: Crossed by Ally Condie

Wednesday 16 March 2011
Coming out in paperback on the 31 March with a new jacket design is Trash by Andy Mulligan!

‘Outstanding...an exceptionally satisfying plot’ The Times.
‘Andy Mulligan has produced a rip-roaring adventure’ The Sunday Express.
‘Harrowing, exhilarating, humbling and quite brilliant’ The Bookseller.

£5.99 Paperback
Coming out 31 March
David Flickling Books
eBook available

About the Author: Andy Mulligan was brought up in South London. He worked as a theatre director for ten years before travels in Asia prompted him to retrain as a teacher. He has taught English and Drama in India, Brazil, the Philippines and the UK. He now divides his time between London and Manila.
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While I am on the subject of up and coming books I think I should show you the cover of Crossed by Ally Condie which comes out on the 1 November this year!


Gorgeous, don't you agree? I have read Matched so I understand what this cover is showing us (anybody else know). I can not wait to read this!

Rachel xx :)




Janette Rallison's Amazing Giveaway!

Monday 14 March 2011
You may have heard of Janette Rallison. She is the author of many books including My Fair Godmother and My Unfair Godmother (coming out soon!) so to celebrate she is hosting a giveaway where one lucky winner will win a book every day from tomorrow up until April 12th. How GREAT is that?!?!?!?! Head on over to the post holding all the details HERE :o)

Rachel xx :)


Torment by Lauren Kate (Fallen #2)

Sunday 13 March 2011
LOVE NEVER DIES...

It took Lucinda an eternity to find her beloved angel, Daniel. But he waited for her. Now they are forced apart again, to protect Luce from the Outcasts - immortals who want her dead. During their separation, Luce learns about her mysterious past lives. But the more she discovers, the more she suspects that Daniel is hiding something.

What if Daniel's version of the past isn't true?
Is it really their destiny to be together?
Or is Luce actually meant to be with somebody else?

Edition: Doubleday Paperback
Release Date: 30th September 2010
Recommended Age: 13+
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

Isn't the summary just great? How could someone not get lured in? Especially if you are left with a lot of questions from the first novel that you really want answered.
The characters continued to be well developed and the main character, Luce still managed to stay my favourite. There were also a few character traits that were thrown in for good measure and a whole load of other characters introduced.
As I have said already, when I started this book I was hoping for some questions that arised in the first book to be answered, but Kate decided to keep us waiting and only answered a few (and managed to make more). Very teasing.
Another quality I love is Kate's writing. At the start of the book when I found it a bit slow paced and boring, the writing was the one thing that kept me reading. Kate has a knack for writing very descriptively and I love it!
I also love the cover. It's gorgeous! I especially love the dress in this one.
The novel left on a major cliffhanger (well maybe not major but one that has left me really wanting more!) and I can't wait to read Passion (the next novel in this fabulous series) which comes out Summer 2011.

Rachel xx :)


Teaser Tuesday

Tuesday 8 March 2011
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at Should Be Reading :o)

Rules
- Grab your current read.
- Open to a random page.
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!).
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Torment by Lauren Kate: There was no violet in his eyes now at all; he could feel it. She was too far away.

Before I forget, Happy Pancake Day! Did anyone make pancakes? I am not a big fan of them myself but I sometimes have one now and again, usually with jam... Happy Reading!

Rachel xx :)




Weekly Wanted: Wishlist Wonders #4

Monday 7 March 2011
Weekly Wanted: Wishlist Wonders is a weekly bookish meme created by myself and friend, Amber and can be posted any day of the week. We hope you join! :)

Rules
1. Post up 3 books that you can't wait to read or wish for.
2. Post up the synopsis/blurb.
3. Post up a picture of the front cover.

**We would appreciate it if you would put our names (Amber and Rachel) and our blog links in you Weekly Wanted: Wishlist Wonders post. You will find Amber's blog on my blog list, The Mile Long Bookshelf. Weekly Wanted button made by Jean, feel free to put it on your blog. Any questions feel free to email or comment. Anyone can take part so why don't you start now!**

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful--too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

Laurel discovers she is a faerie, sent among humans to protect the gateway to Avalon. Thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to each world. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

My Unfair Godmother by Jannette Rallison
Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief 's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control.

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.
She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.
Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rachel xx :)

PS: If you want you can link to your Weekly Wanted post in the comments :o)



Fallen by Lauren Kate

Sunday 6 March 2011
"SOME ANGELS ARE DESTINED TO FALL.

Instant. Intense. Weirdly familiar. . .
The moment Luce looks at Daniel she knows she has never felt like this before. Except she can't shake the feeling she has. . . and with him - a boy she doesn't remember ever setting eyes on.
Will her attempt to find out why enlighten her - or destroy her?"

Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: Romance
Pages: 452
Edition: Corgi, 1 July 2010, Paperback
Recommend Age: 13 +
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

After reading great reviews about this book, I just had to have it! I was so glad when I found it in the book fair and just could not wait to start reading it. This is the first book by Lauren Kate I have read and she certainly gave a good first impression. This is a great book! Really unique with well developed characters and an unusual plot.
The main character, Luce has just the right personality to fit perfectly into this novel and she is one of my favourite characters because of her determination and kindness towards her friends. I also felt a little bit sorry for her because Daniel always seemed to block her out and never involve her. Another character I liked was Arriane. She immediately befriended Luce when she moved to Sword & Cross (a school) and made her feel wanted. I also liked her because of her boldness and confidence.
I would also like to mention how much I love this cover. A great cover for a great story. Dark, scary, mysterious...
I really recommend this book because it is really good. I bought the sequel, Torment last night and I started reading it not that long ago and already I am loving it!

Rachel xx :)



Interview with Book Blogger, Zoe from Bookhi

Wednesday 2 March 2011
Please welcome to Booktastic Reviews, Zoe from Bookhi. Her blog is one of my favourite book blogs so I am delighted to have her on my blog today! :o)

For bloggers out there that haven't yet come across your blog, how would you describe it to them?
My blog is a book blog (obviously) where I review the books I read and generally talk about them. It (hopefully) has a friendly atmosphere and anyone is welcome to comment, take part and become a follower. My blog is colourful, entertaining and I hope you all enjoy it!

Does your blog have any special qualities?
I am not sure my blog has that many special qualities, but I hope it is different in a good way that people enjoy reading. I have a monthly post where people can judge which cover they like best (this is new). I also have pages where I post upcoming releases, what is coming soon to the blog and an index of my book reviews. On my blog I also have a poll, what I am reading, author sites, my button and a 'book of the month'.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have the books of one author, who would it be and why?
This is tricky! There are so many brilliant books that it is very hard to choose just one. And most books rarely you can enjoy reading again and again. If I had to choose it would be 'Swapped By A Kiss' by Luisa Plaja. It is not necessarily my favourite book, but it would keep me occupied when stranded. This fab book cheers me up and really is just....fab!!

Which movie (that has been based on a book) is your favourite?
I would have to say one of the HP movies, since they aren't many movies that I know of based on book. My favourite one is the latest one 'Deathly Hallows'. It was real and imaginative and the director did a really good job. I am a HP geek!! *HP meaning Harry Potter.

Do you write any stories in your spare time? What type of genre do you mainly go for?
Yes, I love to write stories. I manily write about real life problems like Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy. Sometimes I write stories on romance similar to Luisa Plaja. However I am currently writing a short story where a girl goes into the future, when being whisked away by a tornado. I started writing a novel but I never finished it. I would to have a writing profession someday and write novels for kids - finished novels!

Which character (in any book) do you think resembles your own personality?
I think Pearl from 'My Sister Jodie' by Jacqueline Wilson. She is quiet, obedient (ish) and LOVES to read! And write. We don't look anything alike but this question is asking about personality.

Which Harry Potter (by J.K Rowling) book is your favourite?
Definitely the last one. It is full of surprising twists and everything comes together at the end. My second favourite is the 'Half Blood Prince' because that is one of the amazing books too. Go J.K Rowling!!

Are you more of a Cathy Cassidy fan or a Jacqueline Wilson fan and why?
Ah...ooh....good question. Correction: hard question! I really can't decide. They write much different books yet they are both amazing writers. CC's books I can relate too and they have good story lines. However JW's books are really original and gripping. Sorry, I can't decide!!

Which fictional character would you love to be friends with?
Inide from 'Indigo Blue' by Cathy Cassidy. She is imaginative, a good friend and I think would be really fun to talk too. Also, I would love to meet her cute little sister Mistie!!

Which book can you not wait to come out?
Can I say two? 'Kiss, Date, Love, Hate' by Luisa Plaja is coming out in July and sounds fantastic and 'Vanilla Skye' by Cathy Cassidy is the second book in the The Chocolate Box Girls series and I really enjoyed the first one.

Quick Fire Questions:

Favourite snack? Crisps.
Favourite animal? I love every animal. I would love to have a pet dog the most though!
Favourite colour? Blue.
Favourite hobby? Reading of course :)
Hardcover of Paperback? Paperbacks are cheaper but hardbacks tend to be nicer covers... To be honest I don't mind - as long as the same brilliant story is inside waiting for me...

Thanks again for answering my questions, Zoe!

Rachel xx :)

PS: If you want to interview me or want me to interview you or even interview each other, feel free to drop an email :o)



Teaser Tuesday

Tuesday 1 March 2011
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at Should Be Reading :o)

Rules
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
"Liz seemed to ponder it, and the she said, "No."
And just like that I remembered that Liz was probably the most dangerous one of us all."

I know, I know, this is the same book I did for my last Teaser Tuesday. Sorry! I have just been really busy with homework and other stuff, I will try to finish soon!

Rachel xx :)