Bookalicious Ramblings

Review: BUNHEADS by Sophie Flack *****

2011-12-18T18:30:00.002+01:00

As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.

But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

Now THIS is JUST the kind of book I've been waiting for my whole life!

When I was about 10 or so, I read my first Lorna Hill book from the Sadlers Wells series - and BANG, I was hooked! I couldn't get enough of them and they got me dreaming of what it would be like to be a ballet dancer someday ... I soon realized I'm far too short, fat, ugly & clumsy to have the slightest chance of ever becoming one, but that's okay, I quite enjoy watching ballet from afar, hehe. But yes, I am still VERY much fascinated by how graceful and incredibly BEAUTIFUL ballet is and I've always about the lifestyles of ballerinas ... I was hoping to find a novel that would describe all the highs & lows of a professional ballet dancer, and finally all my wishes were granted by Ms Flack, an ex-ballet dancer, who kindly allowed us to take a sneak peek into the life of an up-and-coming ballerina Hannah Ward.

Hannah is a 19-year-old ballet dancer, who's been dancing in the corps de ballet for far too long and is dreaming of getting her first solo part. Goodness knows she entitled to it, as she lives & breathes ballet and has been pushing herself harder than ever. But when she gets a glimpse of the outside, normal lives, she finds herself conflicted ... Is she really willing to give up her whole life for dancing?

That's the main plot in a nutshell, but there really is SO much more to it, especially if you're an admirer of ballet like myself. What I loved the most about this novel is that it's one hundred per cent focused on ballet and what it takes to make it in the ballet world, how much effort and dedication the dancer have to show to be noticed among other talented girls. It realy is incredible how these girls push themselves and their bodies to the very limit for the art.

You best believe I was gobbing it up like a yummy piece of cake. :p

No, I wasn't surprised to learn that the life of a professional ballet dancer isn't always glamurous, but mostly blood, sweat and tears. Although it's not always a pretty world and it's highly competitive, I was still entranced by it. I didn't understand the ballet speak much, but that didn't bother me one little bit, if anything it made me happier to be bombarded with the terms like they were something completely normal. :)

The story itself isn't much - it's just tracks the days in the life of a young pro baller dancer, but I still loved it! Furthermore, I thought this book was really well written and believable. And although a part of me wanted to scold Hannah for being SO damn hard on herself, I also grew to understand her and I could even relate to her, albeit on a very distant level. But she was real to me and so was the world she was describing. Simply AMAZING.

I really truly enjoyed getting a glimpse of Hannah's professional (and personal, whatever little there was of it) life and getting behind the scenes of a legendary ballet company. I felt like I was there myself and reading this book was just like watching a ballet performance - it made me sigh happy sighs and it just fed my 'soul'. I've been waiting for a book like this for SO long and I am just happy that I finally get to read it! :D So thank you, Ms Flack, for sharing this story with us and PLEASE turn this into a series somehow? :)

All in all, if you can't tell, I absolutely adored this book and I strongly recommend it to anyone who's even remotely fascinated by ballet or curious about what goes behind the scenes!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

Here's a quite interview with the author:

I mean, just LOOK at this! Isn't it GLORIOUS? Oh-so-BEAUTIFUL? *le sigh* I just can't explain how much this amazes me, but just ... WOW!

In My Mailbox #84

2011-11-19T18:14:00.003+01:00

I've acquired quite a few goodies since my last IMM so here they are in all their glory!

TIME OF MY LIFE by Cecelia Ahern
THE DOUBLE SHADOW by Sally Gardner
(UN)LIKE A VIRGIN by Lucy-Anne Holmes
THE SECRET OF HAPPY EVER AFTER by Lucy Dillon
CATCHING THE TIDE by Judith Lennox
PANDEMONIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver
BETWEEN by Jessica Warman
A GIFT FOR MY SISTER by Ann Pearlman

Very pleased, I just need some spare time to read them all - but what else is new, le sigh. Well, I've already read the new Cecelia Ahern so that's something, eh? :)

The Hunger Games Trailer!!!

2011-11-14T21:26:00.006+01:00

Yes, I've tweeted about this already, but this is just SO very exciting that I just had to post about it too! Yes, The Hunger Games trailer has finally been released and it looks AMAZING! See for yourself if you haven't already, but unless you're living under a rock or something, you've probably watched it like 10 times already - I know I have, hehe! But one more time doesn't hurt. :)

EPIC much, y/y? As you may remember, I was positively blown away by the books (see my reviews here, here & here) and while I doubt that the films will measure up to the books, I'm still suuuper excited to see the films, which is quite extraordinary about me since I hardly ever get excited over films, hehe. But this I'm just DYING to see.

I just love the feel of it ... Things are not quite as I pictured them, but I still love the look of District 12 and the Capitol and the Reaping and everything! Can't wait to see how Haymitch and Cinna are portrayed - those two really are two crucial characters. And err I'm not overly impressed by Peeta and Gale but Katniss looks incredible.

Roll on, March 2012 - I cannot wait!!!

Who else is excited? Judging by my Twitter news feed, pretty much the whole world is loving it, yay! :)

ps: Have you heard that China Glaze are doing a Hunger Games nail polish collection? Read all about it here. Isn't it such a clever idea? The shades as such aren't my preferable ones (I prefer subtle nude colours myself), but I still think this is fabulous and I'm loving the names!

Waiting On Wednesday: SOMEDAY DANCER

2011-11-09T21:55:00.005+01:00

Hi! I wasn't planning to do a WOW this week, but then I saw Lori's post and saw THIS BOOK and just had to feature it myself! It sounds amazing and I cannot wait till August 2012 to read it, I need it NOW!

SOMEDAY DANCER
by Sarah Rubin

A ballerina tale with a thoroughly modern twist!

Casey Quinn has got more grace in her pinkie toe than all those prissy ballet-school girls put together -- although you'd never guess it from the looks of her skinny white chicken legs and dirty high-top sneakers. It's 1959, and freckle-faced Casey lives in the red-dust countryside of South Carolina. She's a farm girl: Her family can't afford ballet lessons. But Casey's dream is to dance in New York City. And if anyone tries to stand in her way, she's going to pirouette and jet right over them!

But what if the Big Apple has something different in mind for Casey's stage debut? When she meets a visionary choreographer she calls "Miss Martha," Casey's dancing dream takes a thrillingly midcentury MODERN turn!

This has my name written ALL over it! I love love love watching ballet, it's just the most incredible and graceful thing. Thus I obviously LOVE reading books that feature ballet in one way or another. As I child, I used to be obssessed with the Sadler's Wells books by Lorna Hill, but apart from that I sadly haven't really been able to find a lot ballet themed books.
My collection so far includes the following:

PRIMA DONNA by Karen Swan
DANCING ON THORNS by Rebecca Horsfall
THE SPLENDOR FALLS by Rosemary Clement-Moore
HESTER'S STORY by Adele Geras
GIRL ON THE CLIFF by Lucinda Riley (reading ATM)
A COMPANY OF SWANS by Eva Ibbotson
THE TRUE MEMOIRS OF LITTLE K by Adrienne Sharp (on my wishlist, loving THIS cover)
(I have a hunch there are more, but I can't remember)

Sadly I haven't read most of these books YET, but I'm most definitely planning to!
Please DO let me know if you know of any other ballet novels?

Lastly, I'd like to take this opportunity to post THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIDEO I've ever seen.

I'm no ballet expert at all, but in my eyes this video is perfection. PERFECTION!

Anyway, fire away your ballet books recommendations, please!

ETA: Leah just tweeted me informing me about a book called BUNHEADS by Sophie Flack, which has the most incredible US cover and is out already and sounds AMAZING!!! How come I've never heard of this?!?! #epicfail Ordering the book as I type! Thanks so much, Leah!
And here's the gorgeous cover for you all to enjoy! :)

Review: FALLEN ANGELS by Tara Hyland *****

2011-10-30T10:05:00.002+01:00

From the poverty of post-war England and Ireland to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's golden age, a beautiful, sweeping family drama that illustrates that the bonds between a mother and daughter can never be broken.

An unwanted child: San Francisco, 1958. On a dark December night, a baby girl is left at the Sisters of Charity Orphanage on Telegraph Hill.
A mysterious suicide: One year later, movie star Frances Fitzgerald takes her own life. Her husband, wealthy businessman Maximilian Stanhope, is rumoured to know more about her death than he's letting on, but nothing is ever proved.
A terrible secret: What is the connection between these two events?
That's what Frances's daughter, Cara, wants to find out. Abandoned by her mother when she is just seven years old, her childhood is filled with hardship and loss. As a young woman she finds professional success as a journalist, but on a personal level, she still struggles to trust those around her. Soon Cara becomes convinced that uncovering the secret behind her mother's death is the only way to lay her demons to rest, but learning the truth may end up tearing her apart.

Oh my goodness, what a story!

First of all, let me say that I really enjoyed Tara's debut Daughters of Fortune, but even though that was already an excellent read, I thought Fallen Angels was even better! It unexpectedly pulled me in and I just couldn't stop reading this book! I found myself racing and racing through it and I read the final chapters with eyes and mouth wide open, going all ''WHAAAAT?!', hehe. Talk about a shocking conclusion! But let's start at the beginning first ...

The book is an amazing family saga that starts in 1946 in Ireland and ends in 1972 in the US. It's divided into five parts. During this time it moves from rural Ireland to London to Los Angeles. I don't recall ever reading a book set during this particular time period, which was actually more interesting to read about than I expected! There's a lot of talk about the Golden Age of Hollywood, which was fascinating to read about and so vividly portrayed that I could easily picture everything as I was there, although I was rather unfamiliar with it. I imagine this book required a ton of historical research since the book includes so much detail, and I thought the author did a fantastic job including it all in the story.

Speaking of the story, one word I would use to describe it is MAGNIFICENT. It features two female protagonists: Franny and her daughter Cara. At the beginning, Franny is a young girl who dreams of making it big in Hollywood and is determined to escape her parents' boring lifestyles. So when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant (a horrible thing to do in 1946 Ireland), she runs away to London and works various jobs to support herself and her daughter. Seven years later, she finally gets a chance to go to LA and become an actress - expect she can't bring her precious daughter along. So she has no choice but to leave her with her mother Theresa, whom she hasn't seen for seven year. And off she goes, convinced Cara will be able to join her in just a few weeks ... But life never goes according to the plan and while Franny's life is becoming more and more glamourous, Cara's life with her grandmother is anything but. The communication between the two is broken and in 1958 Cara reads that her mother committed suicide. At the same time, she is also on her own and her life is about to take the turn for the worse, which turns her into an incredibly tough girl. In her mid-20s, Cara decides to investigate what actually happened to her mother and why she never came back for her. And oh yes, what she learns is absolutely shocking to say the least ...

Part of why I was so engrossed in this book were also the characters. At first, I loved Franny and I felt for her when she was suffering and rooted for her to make it big like she wanted to. But after she left her daughter behind and kept her a secret while enjoying her mega glamourous life, I did start resenting her and I was quite disappointed by her, especially the poor little Cara was struggling so much withour her. Luckily, the poor little thing grew up into the most admirable woman with incredible investigating skills!

As I already said, the story itself was fantastic, but the conclusion was just mind-blowing and I was not prepared for all the surprises that kept hitting me in the face during the final chapters! The crucial events in 1958 when Franny drives off the cliff and dies are only briefly described when they happened and based on that it's SO easy to make your own conclusions and judge people who were involved at the time, but the truth is actually completely different and it turns everything upside down. I thought I had figured a few things out, but it turned out I was wrong wrong wrong and I never saw the ending coming! I love it when the novel surprises me like that and despite all the tragic events that took place in this book, I found the ending rather satisfying.

Furthermore, this review would not be complete with me gushing over the cover! Seriously, how incredibly BEAUTIFUL is this cover?!?! Like the book itself, I just can't praise it highly enough since it's almost too good to be true! Well done to Lizzie Gardiner, who designed it! OK, OK, I'll admit that the US cover and title might actually be more fitting, but I still prefer the UK version because it's just more eye-catching and intriguing - and wonderful!

All in all, this was an absolutely fantastic, gripping and an outstanding read! And oh it certainly doesn't shy from tackling very serious topics, but I won't discuss those too much in order not to spoil the book too much. All I'm saying is that if you're looking for a facinating and well-written story, then this book is an absolute must! Personally, I can't wait to see what what Ms Hyland comes up with next!

In My Mailbox #83

2011-10-23T13:11:00.002+02:00

Sorry I've been so quiet here, this year really is incredibly busy for me! :\
While I was away, I also attended the Frankfurt Book Fair, which was very exciting, but sadly I was too busy rushing around and meeting people to take any proper pictures. :( It was lovely though!

Anyway, I've received so many fantastic books in the past two weeks that I just couldn't resist showing them off. :)

LETTER FROM A STRANGER by Barbara Taylor Bradford
SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S by Melissa Hill (review copy)
MIRACLE ON REGENT STREET by Ali Harris (review copy)
WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT? by Alexandra Potter
SOPHIA'S SECRET by Susanna Kearsley
THE LEGACY OF EDEN (ARC) by Nelle Davy
THE MISTAKEN WIFE by Rose Melikan
A GATHERING STORM by Rachel Hore
THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson
LEGEND by Marie Lu
ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE (UK ARC) by Gabrielle Zevin

I'm soooo excited about these and I wish I could read them NOW!!! *sigh*

In My Mailbox #82

2011-10-09T11:23:00.003+02:00

In the past couple of weeks or so I got theeeese beauties below!

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern - I've been waiting for this one for ages and I adore the cover and the black edges and everything! I've heard some incredible things about it so I really must read it asap!
SAPPHIRE BATTERSEA by Jacqueline Wilson - I haven't read Hetty Feather yet (this is the sequel), but I do have a soft spot for Ms Wilson and I keep buying her books, hehe.
AN AUTUMN CRUSH by Milly Johnson - Review copy, thanks S&S! I adoooore Ms Johnson's covers, they're always so pretty and they match, that's always a plus!
THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF by Lucinda Riley - A finished copy for review. I already have the proof so I'll be giving one of these away. I looooved Hothouse Flower so I cannot WAIT to read this one, it sounds sooo good!

The last two items are not strictly book related, but they were so cute that I just had to include them in my little haul! :)
The first one is Juicy Lucy slim diary for 2012 and it's just sooooo adorable, it brings a smile to my face everytime I look at it. I'm not huge on writing stuff down in diaries/agendas or whatever, but this one I just had to have! I love Juicy Lucy, their stuff is just so lovely!
The last big things is a 2012 his & hers wall planner by Love Is ... - I looove those cartoons and I have three books full of them! This one was just too cute to miss! :)

That's all from me & I can't wait to see what you all got!

Review: FROM LONDON WITH LOVE by Jemma Forte *****

2011-10-02T12:05:00.002+02:00

Can you run from James Bond?
Jessica Granger is desperate to know: her father is one of the most famous actors to tackle the part and, as Heavenly Melons, her mother was voted sexiest Bond girl. But for Jessica it's an embarrassment too far . . . she simply wants to be a person in her own right.

So she flees Hollywood for London, seeking independence in a city where nobody knows her name. But when she finds a job as a celebrity booker on a chat show she realizes the more friends she makes, the harder it becomes to keep up the lies about who she is. And when Jessica falls for Paul, a writer on the show, her life as a double agent puts him in double trouble.

When the truth explodes like a thunderball, can she convince Paul to live and let live rather than live and let die? Perhaps a sprinkling of the 007 magic might spice up her love life after all ...

First of all, GORGEOUS COVER ALERT!!! Yes, I know you Pink Fluffy Cover Haters out there are rolling your eyes, but I personally adore this cover. The font itself is boring, but the cover illustration is what my dreams are made of so well done to Adrian Valencia who designed this cover! It's actually even more gorgeous in real life and you can see a picture of it here. I was kindly sent a copy of this, but if I randomly saw it in a bookshop, I would most definitely grab it, pet it and take it straight to the cash register. It would just have to be mine, regardless of what's inside!

Luckily, what's inside doesn't disappoint either! I know it's a bit of a far fetched story, but again it's the stuff of my dreams, haha. The daughter of two very rich & famous James Bond film actors has never been able to do anything on her own without her doting father interfering so she decides to go to London, pretend she's just a normal person. She gets a job working behind the scenes of a talk show, she starts enjoying herself and she even falls in love - with a man who is all about straight up honesty and despises fakes. She dreads people learning about her real identity and yet she knows she can't keep it a secret forever ...

Seriously, what's not to love about this book? I adored Jessica as a character - she could easily be an airhead like so many other daughters of super rich parents, but she wanted to escape this and prove herself. She was so down to earth and so kind and normal. She's the complete opposite of her best friend Dulcie, who's just outrageous and hilarious. I also loved all her new work mates, one funnier than the other, and the scenes when she first joined them cracked me up so much, haha. All the characters in this book were just so wonderful.

The book tackles some more serious topics too, like depression and broken homes, but overall it's mostly just a modern fairytale. It's all about giving people a chance instead of judging them based on your assumptions of who they should be. It's a fantastic, lovely and funny read - definitely recommended if you need some TLC or cheering up!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

In My Mailbox #81

2011-09-17T15:50:00.003+02:00

I'm BACK with another FABULOUS installment of IMM. So happy because I got some AMAZING books!!!

FALLEN ANGELS by Tara Hyland - Isn't this gooooorgeous?!?! I loved Tara's debut Daughters of Fortune and I was over the moon to receive a review copy. Cannot wait to read it!

THE LADY OF THE RIVERS & THE WOMEN OF THE COUSINS' WAR by Philippa Gregory - Haven't read anything by PG yet, but I've heard sooo much praise that I really have to!

LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver - A lovely shiny finished copy! Lauren Oliver is amazing and this book looks brilliant with all the illustrations inside. I'll be giving my ARC away when I review this (someday) so stay tuned for that.

BEAUTIFUL DAYS by Anna Godbersen - Woohoo! Loved The Luxe series and I can't wait to read BYT as well, I know it will be brilliant, but I'm saving it cos I want to read the whole series back to back!

THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF by Lucinda Riley - Yaaaay!!! Loved Hothouse Flower and this one sounds absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to read it!

FINDING MR FLOOD by Ciara Geragthy - Review copy. Sounds good, although the cover's a bit boring ...

THE SECRET PRINCESS & ORDINARY GIRL IN A TIARA by Jessica Hart - These look like fun reads and I really like the Riva covers.

I'm SO pleased with this haul! Can't wait to get lost in these! :)
What did YOU get?

Review: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? *****

2011-09-11T22:25:00.003+02:00

Absence makes the heart grow fonder…doesn’t it? What happens when two people decide to give themselves the year off … from each other?

Annie and Dan were the perfect couple. But now the not-so-newly weds feel more like flatmates than soul mates and wonder where all the fun and fireworks went …
When Annie lands her big break in a smash-hit show that’s heading for the bright lights of Broadway, she’s over the moon. Goodbye remote Irish village of Stickens, hello fabulous Big Apple! But with their relationship already on the rocks, how will Annie and Dan survive the distance?
They’re hitting the pause button on their marriage. One year off from each other – no strings attached, except a date to meet in twelve months at the Rockefeller Centre to decide their fate.
Will they both turn up? Or is it too late for love?

I really, really enjoyed Carroll's previous book Personally, I Blame My Fairygodmother and I couldn't wait to read her latest! Then I learned that it's actually more of a romance story than a proper comedy and I admit I was a little worried as I prefer comedy to just romance, but Carroll pulled it of really well actually!

At the beginning, we're introduced to Annie and Dan, a young couple who have completely drifted away. Annie is absolutely miserable living with his intrusive family in the middle of nowhere and her once oh-so-caring husband is always working and forever letting her down. He's so distant that she can't even tell him how she feels and she feels so trapped. Then finally she gets her chance to escape by starring in a Broadway show - but that would mean moving away for a whole year ...

I must admit I was appalled by how Dan was treating Annie at the beginning. He felt he needed to work so much to help his family that he didn't want to let anyone down, but at the same time he completely failed his wife. Part of me understood Dan, as I'm a bit of a workoholic too, but part of me just wanted to really wanted to give him a very good talking to! Based on his behaviour, I could easily symphatize with Annie and her pain, after being let down SO many times, was tangible. After all that's happened, I can't say I blamed her for escaping to the Big Apple and enjoying her independence for a bit, although I did think the idea itself was a bit drastic, heh.

Once Annie starts enjoying her freedom in NYC, the romance part really starts. Sparks start flying between her and the director Jack, who is a very charming man indeed who could easily sweep Annie off her feet. At the same time, Dan starts missing his wife and he starts reaching out to her again, showing his softer side. I absolutely adored their lovely 'meetings at the moon'.

I loved the gentle romance between Annie and Dan, and on the other hand I quite enjoyed the sparks flying between Jack and her. There were so many twists and turns that I had no idea how the book would end, but I'm pleased to say that I really liked the ending, which made me go all AWWWWWW. :)

There is a fair bit of comedy in this book, which is mostly due to Carroll's narrative, which is typically Irish and thus hilarious in itself - as I've said before, I love Irish authors write, it just cracks me up! Jules was another funny character and I really enjoyed her scenes.
On the other hand, there was plenty of sadness and heartbreak, on top of other serious topics, like drug addiction and alcoholism. Altogether, I thought it was well balanced, plus it was set in the acting world, which I was not very familiar with and so I quite enjoyed reading about it.

Overall, this book isn't just rainbows and butterflies, which turned out to work really well in the end. It features an interesting story with believable, real characters and so many twists and turns to make your head spin, but it ends up making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Plus the cover is absolutely gorgeous, which is yet another massive plus!
I really can't fault it and while I have almost the whole Carroll's backlist to read, I also cannot wait to see what she comes up with next - it's bound to be a good one!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

In My Mailbox #80

2011-09-03T17:54:00.005+02:00

Errr, remember me? :)
It's been a while, eh ... What can I say, in case anyone still cares? Well, I've had a very, very busy summer and I guess consequently I just lost my online mojo for a bit. :( I was online, just not very active, I'm afraid. I've been reading a bit and I have a few reviews to post, but I just can't seem to find the energy to write them, although I really want to ... Hopefully soon! I just really need to get my blogging mojo back first! Any tips? :)

I did receive quite a few lovely books though ... Check 'em out:
ESCAPE by Barbara Delinsky - I'll read it one of those days when I just want to escape ... It appeals.

FROM LONDON WITH LOVE by Jemma Forte - I'm halfway through and it's BRILLIANT so far. Hilarious! Plus the cover is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks, Jemma!
BAD SISTERS by Rebecca Chance - Review copy. Apparently it's a good bonkbuster!

WHAT THE NANNY SAW (ARC) by Fiona Neill - I really am intrigued by what she saw, yes ... Sounds good!
THE FIRST WIFE by Emily Barr - Review copy. Oooh, mysterious! I've heard good things about this one so I really have to read it!

DEAD MAN'S COVE by Lauren St John - A Famous Five-type like adventure story. I was a major sucker for this back when I was a lot younger. Still can't get over them at the ripe ol' age of 26, haha! Haven't read one of these in well over a decade, but as soon as I spy one, the kid in me gets all excited and I have to have it, heh!

THE MYSTERY OF THE WHISTLING CAVES & THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT GHOST by Helen Moss - Same as above applies. I wrote more about these books here.
Not a massive haul, but still an impressive one, methinks!

I look forward to seeing what you all got, darlings!

In My Mailbox #79 + Harry Potter Friday parody!

2011-07-10T11:20:00.003+02:00

It's been a while since my last IMM so here are the goodies I've received lately!

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? by Claudia Carroll - Massively excited about this one!!! I love Carroll's previous book (although I have since heard it's been heavily plagiarised) so I'm really looking forward to her newest too! Thanks, Harper Collins UK!
ALWAYS ON MY MIND by Colette Caddle - I've been wanting to read this ever since it came out in hardcover, but I wanted to wait for the paperback. I was a bit sad the cover was changed, but now I quite like this one too. Thanks, Simon & Schuster UK!
CALIFORNIA DREAMERS by Belinda Jones - I was quite disappointed by this cover (it has nothng on her previous cover!!), but I like the story and I can't wait to read the book! Thanks, Hodder!
LOVE ALWAYS by Harriet Evans - Sounds intriguing! I was waiting for the paperback! Also not super impressed with the cover (her previous ones were much better IMHO), but oh well, it's nice enough.
THE SHADOWS by Jacqueline West - I really like the sound of this one. I think I saw the trailer somewhere and just got in on a whim. Haunted Victorian mansions? Yes, please!
LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver - Squeeee! I saw that a lot of others bloggers got an ARC and I never thought I'd be one of them so imagine my surprise when I open an unexpected package and inside I find *this book* along with the cut out theatre! Amazing! Made my day! I mean, it's Lauren Oliver! Thank you, Hodder!

On a slightly unrelated note, who's excited about the final Harry Potter film? I know I am! I was a bit disappointed by part 1, but I still can't wait to see the final installment, although I will undoubtedly bawl my eyes out about it all ending ... But like DanRad said, the story lives on. I can't wait to re-read the whole series at some point - if you've read it, then you know how incredibly amazing the books are! Long live Queen Rowling!
Speaking of amazing, have you seen the Harry Potter Friday parody by The Hillywood Show? I must've watched it about 20 times (seriously) in the past week and it cracks me up each & every time, it's just SO spot on! See for yourself! :)

Review: MY LAST DUCHESS by Daisy Goodwin ****

2011-07-06T19:32:00.002+02:00

Beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, the wealthiest debutante in America, is spirited away from the glamour and comfort of her Park Avenue mansion and suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, mistress of Lulworth Castle, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. As Cora is soon to discover, nothing in this strange new world is quite as it seems. Her handsome new husband is withdrawn and secretive; the English social scene is stuffed with pitfalls and traps; and there are increasingly dangerous forces at work, people who wish she'd never met Ivo in the first place.

THE AMERICAN HEIRESS is a dazzling debut novel from Daisy Goodwin, whose brilliant new voice is reminiscent of Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Kate Morton.

The other day I was just in the mood to read something lovely and historical, which I haven't done in quite a while and I really missed it. I don't know why, but I just felt drawn to this book - maybe it was the cover, or simply the promise of getting lost in the 1890s, which is my absolute favourite historical period to read about ...

I really loved the book at first. The amazing ridiculousness of the Gilded Age simply blew me away, as always, haha. I really warmed up to Cora (the richest girl in the world!) and was really excited about the prospect of her journey to England, meeting her husband etc. Overall, I absolutely adored the whole atmosphere of the book, but I just thought the story itself was a bit ... boring? Don't get me wrong, it was beautifully written, but I just felt nothing was happening. I was waiting for a huge mystery or a big scandal to happen, but nothing. Well, there was this thing towards the end, but it was far less exciting than I expected it to be.

Oh and don't even get me started on the ending, which I thought was left far too open. I really wanted to know what happened to all the characters and then all I got was ... a rushed mess with loose strings. I don't think there's enough material for a sequel, but surely this can't be the end? How did T react? And what happened to B&J? I just felt there were pages missing and ultimately I was left unsatisfied.

All in all, I loved loved LOVED getting lost in the lifestyles of the rich and the famous of the late 19th century. So delightful! The atmosphere was magical, the language was magnificent and the characters were lovely, but I just wished there was more to the story; nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it immensly.

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: CRYSTAL BALLS by Amanda Brobyn **** + GIVEAWAY

2011-06-26T21:49:00.001+02:00

Tina Harding is a successful and ambitious estate agent. All is going according to plan and her painful past as a failed actress has been well and truly buried. Now she's a down-to-earth and hard-headed businesswoman ... Life, however, is full of surprises.
While accompanying her more wide- eyed colleague, Chantelle, to a psychic fair, Tina herself falls victim to the lure of the Crystal Ball. She is warned that she must learn to trust her own decisions, and assured that the arrival of her soul mate is imminent. An elated Tina feels she has discovered a shortcut to fulfilment her very own life's SatNav.
Enter the gorgeous sex-on-wheels property-developer Brian Steen, who is very keen indeed to get up close and personal with Tina. But, call it fate, call it karma or just sheer bad luck, their steamy encounters are destined to fizzle out every time. But Brian is a patient man ... up to a point ... and, with help from Tina's psychic guides, things are sure to pan out just fine ... aren't they?

Before I get into the actual review, can we please discuss the most obvious thing? THE COVER, of course! Oh my gosh, isn't it AMAZING? I swear I fell in love with it the moment I saw it and I've honestly been staring lovingly at it after I closed the book. I mean, WOW!!! The picture, the fonts, the little stars, the colours - everything is damn near to perfection! I think it would be even better if the cover was actually sparkly and the letters were embossed and if the tagline wasn't an ugly green colour, but overall you won't hear me complain! As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best covers ever so mad props to whomever designed it. Sadly it doesn't say at the back, but dammit they did a brilliant job!

Now that my cover gushing is done, it's time I talk about the book itself. Well, I'll admit I found it a bit slow at first, but then the plot really picked up, got rather dramatic and I ended up loving it! It's basically just about this girl Tina, a failed actress but now a very successful business woman, who doesn't believe in fortune telling and such, but after one reading, the gypsy's words keep echoing in her mind and she can't stop thinking about them ... She has another reading and many more over the phone (at one pound fifty a minute!) and by following her 'inner voice' (inspired by the voices of fortune tellers), she manages to turn her nearly perfect life into a huuuuuge mess and is left to pick up the pieces. Like I said, the story was a bit slow and it took forever for Tina to become interested in this fortune telling business, but then it really picked up and I found myself totally engrossed in it.

The book is well written for a chick lit and there are several hilarious scenes. For example, Tina falls for this this tycoon Brian and there is awesome chemistry between them, but they just cannot seem to actually get it on - something (ridiculous) always comes up and prevents them right before they get down to business. I was seriously thinking, "Jeeeez, will these two ever do it or what?!", but whatever prevented them each time really made me laugh because it was just unbelievable, haha. So did they or didn't them, you wonder? Read the book to find out. :p

All in all, I really quite enjoyed the book with its little twists & turns and hilarious bits. There were some serious moments involved, but overall it was a light and entertaining read I definitely recommend!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 5/5

If you're interested in reading this book, then this is your lucky day as I have an extra copy that I am now giving away! This giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE and it closes on July 3rd, 2011. All you have to do is fill out this little form here and tell me why you'd like to read this book. The winner will be picked with the help of random.org and emailed shortly after the deadline. Good luck! :)

Waiting On Wednesday: ADVENTURE ISLAND by Helen Moss

2011-06-22T22:52:00.002+02:00

So here's the thing: I'm nearly 26 and quite excited about a new adventure series that's coming out soon, targeted at like 8 to 12 years. Pretty damn weird, right? But allow me to explain.

When I was like 9 to 13 years old, there was this writer called ENID BLYTON (legend!), who pretty much rocked my world. I absolutely adored her Famous Five and Barney Mysteries series (the only two that were translated into my native language) and I would read them over and over and over again, especially during summer holidays. I loved all their adventures and I just had a blast reading those books back then - they were totally THE books of my childhood!

I guess I never really got over them, heh ... The other day I learned that there's this new series coming out, called Adventure Island, which sounds just like Enid Blyton wrote it! And the covers are similar too! (Ooooh, what a coincidence, innit, haha.) My inner child just got so excited at the sound of these - I mean, I would've LOVED this like 15 years ago! Where were these books when I needed them?! Instead I had to resort to reading Enid Blyton over & over again, ha. It was fun and stuff, but got a bit less exciting eventually since I knew damn well what was going to happen, which kind of ruins the whole point.

Aaaaanyway! If YOU too used to be a massive Enid Blyton fan, then you'll probably get a bit excited about these books too - here they are!

Book 1: The Mystery of the Whistling Caves
When Scott and Jack Carter have to stay with their great aunt for the summer they steel themselves for the most boring holiday ever. But then they meet Emily Wild and her loveable dog, Drift. Emily shows them the lighthouse, the castle - and the amazing whistling caves. Legend has it that when the caves stop whistling the castle will be attacked - and that's exactly what happens! Priceless treasures are stolen and Emily and the boys are determined to investigate. But how was the treasure smuggled out of the castle? Why did the caves stop whistling? And can the friends solve the mystery in time to catch the thief?

Book 2: The Mystery of the Midnight Ghost
When Scott , Jack and Emily hear that a film is being made at the nearby manor house they can't resist going to watch. But when the glamorous star of the film vanishes the friends realize they have a new mystery to solve! Has the star been kidnapped by a crazed fan? Could she have run off with her boyfriend? Or did she venture into the manor's attic at midnight and fall foul of the legendary ghost that haunts the old house?

Book 3: The Mystery of the Hidden Gold
A game of hide and seek in the old Castle Key lighthouse during a violent thunder storm leads to an amazing discovery - a tattered old treasure map! Scott, Jack and Emily can't wait to search for the hidden gold but first they must solve the clues to uncover its secret hiding place. And someone else is after the gold too - someone who doesn't plan to let anyone get in their way! Can our heroes figure out the map, outwit their enemy and find the hidden treasure?

Book 4: The Mystery of the Missing Masterpiece
When thieves raid the house of a neighbour, Emily, Jack and Scott are ready to investigate. But, strangely, the neighbour doesn't seem to want the thieves to be caught! The burglars didn't escape with much this time but could the raid be connected to a much older crime involving millions of pounds? The friends begin to uncover the truth, but are they leading themselves into serious danger? Mystery, menace and adventure await in the fourth book of this gripping new series!

Book 5: The Mystery of the Cursed Ruby
The circus comes to town, full of conjurors, clowns, tightrope walkers and trapeze artists. But dark secrets lurk beneath the sawdust and spangles - secrets that are part of a dangerous mystery that might prove impossible to solve!

Book 6: The Mystery of the Vanishing Skeleton
A string of unusual crimes hits Castle Key and the chief suspect seems to be a skeleton! Scott, Jack, Emily and Drift the dog immediately start investigating, but nothing about the mystery makes sense. Will the friends finally be defeated by this baffling mix of crimes and the mysterious culprit, or can they uncover the sinister secret that connects them all?

The Adventure Island books will be published in pairs every month: the first two come out in July, then two in August and two in September this year.

I know, I know, all these sound rather childish and I have no business being excited at nearly 26, buuuuut I just have a soft spot for Blyton-like adventures - she just made my childhood magical and I'm sure you understand if you used to enjoy her books. ;)

Soooo tell me - any more Enid Blyton fans in the house? :)

In My Mailbox #78

2011-06-19T14:16:00.000+02:00

These are the goodies I've received in the past couple of (busy!) weeks:

THE ART OF FORGETTING by Camille Noe Pagan
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BRINGING UP SCARLETT by Annie Sanders
THE HOUSE BY THE SEA by Santa Montefiore
THE VERY PICTURE OF YOU by Isabel Wolff
THE SINGLE GIRL'S TO-DO LIST by Lindsey Kelk
WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE by Sarah Dessen

Lovely, aren't they? :)
Now all I *desperately* need is a reading holiday!!!

Hope you're enjoying you weekend. :)

Review: MY LIFE UNDECIDED by Jessica Brody ****

2011-06-12T13:10:00.001+02:00

PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

I was hooked by the premise of this book as soon I first heard of it. I mean, have your blog readers make the decision instead of you by voting on a poll? It sounds ridiculous and yet kinda intriguing. I certainly thought it was original and had enough potential for interesting (erm, catastrophic?) consequences so I gave it a try and the book certainly didn't disappoint!

Our girl Brooklyn Pierce, also known as the infamous Baby Broklyn (why? read the book :p), has made a whole lot of horrible decisions in her life, but organizing a secret party at her mum's model home and then accidentally burning it down has to be the worst one yet. It landed her at the police station, she's sentenced to community work, her parents have grounded her, her best friend Queen Shayne refuses to even acknowledge her and overnight she turned into a complete loser. She knows she's not the best at making decisions so she sets up a blog where she will poll the readers on what she should do. Whenever somebody asks her a question, she says she'll think about it and then asks her blog readers asking what to do. Should she be a Miss Goody Two Shoes or a Bad Girl? Should she try out for the rugby team? Should she accept the invitation to the winter formal? Should she renew her magazine subscription? What should she read for her English Class? She vows to do whatever the blog readers decide and surprisngly does - well, most of the time ... And then things get complicated and her blog goes viral and oh my!

This book was a quick and easy read about a young girl coming to terms with the fact that everyone makes mistakes and that's just a part of life. Perfection doesn't exist, that's only perception. The story wasn't very complex, but it was entertaining and nicely written. It features a love triangle, an interesting relationship with a moody old woman and a lot of dilemmas. The ending was a bit too fairytailish to me, but overall I really quite liked the book.

A cute, modern, original and enjoyable read that will definitely speak to teens!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 3/5

Review: SWEPT OFF HER FEET by Hester Browne *****

2011-06-06T10:50:00.001+02:00

The steps of a charmingly complex dance—Scotland’s famous reel—are at the heart of Hester Browne’s enchanting contemporary novel of two very different sisters whose dreams may come true at a romantic Scottish ball.

Evie Nicholson is in love . . . with the past. An antiques appraiser in a London shop, Evie spins fanciful attachments to Victorian picture frames, French champagne glasses, satin evening gloves, and tattered teddy bears—regardless of their monetary value.

Alice Nicholson is in love . . . with Fraser Graham, a dashing Scotsman whom Evie secretly desires. As crisply neat and stylish as Evie is cheerfully cluttered, Alice is a professional organizer determined to pull her sister out of her comfort zone—and who presents her with an irresistible offer.

As a favor to friends of Fraser’s family, Evie jumps at the chance to appraise a Scottish castle full of artifacts and heirlooms. What could be more thrilling than roaming the halls of Kettlesheer and uncovering the McAndrews’ family treasures—and dusty secrets?

But crossing paths with moody heir Robert McAndrew has Evie assessing what she wants the most . . . and at an upcoming candlelight gala, a traditional dance will set her heart reeling.

Last year, I read my first Hester Browne book, The Finishing Touches, and I absolutely loved it! That's why I was over the moon when I heard about Hester's 2011 book Swept Off Her Feet, which sounded fantastic too and I rushed to read it as soon as I could since I knew I was in for a treat!

If I had to sum up the book in one word, it would be: romantic. A stately home, snow, dashing men, secret compartments, a love story from the past, an upcoming ball - what's not to love? I'm not an overly romantic girl myself, but I happily allowed myself to see the world through Evie's eyes, where romance is everywhere and I have to admit I found it quite enjoyable. She's an antique appraiser so it's a dream come true for her when she's invited to find to the Kettlesheer castle in Scotland to help its residents find something valuable that they could sell in order to cover the massive bills. Though she's supposed to be working, she also has plenty of opportunities to daydream and she even gets the chance to learn the Scottish reels herself, which results in several hilarious situations since Evie is meant to be the clumsiest person ever, haha.

I just loved getting lost in the snowcovered Kettlesheer - I thought there was just something magical about it. I was rooting for Evie to find something valuable (goodness knows that proved to be more difficult than it seemed at first) and to find some romance of her own. I'm not telling if she did or not, but the chemistry between her and a certain dashing male character was certainly off the hook! I also loved reading about the Scottish reels, which took me by surprise. I admit I wasn't too familiar with them before, but since Evie's lessons were described in so much detail, I decided to look up of videos of the particular reels (Hamilton House, The Eightsome, 51st Division) so I could picture them more easily, and surprisingly I found the far more fun and endearing than I thought I would! I'll attach one of the many videos below so you can see how adorable these dances are!

All in all, like I said, what's not to love? The plot was wonderfully romantic, the characters were a bit quirky and positively lovely, plus there was several lough-out-loud scenes. I loved the setting itself and the little twists & turns. I'll admit a few coincidences were perhaps a tad too coincidental (certain things are discovered just in the nick of time), but I wasn't too bothered by that at all since to book was just such a delight to read!

Yes, this is a very fluffy read, but luckily not in the way that would make you roll your eyes, but more in a way that will leave you feeling all warm & fuzzy inside and you'll close the book with a smile on your face. Sometimes it just feels goooooooood to read books that take you away from the stress of everyday life, am I right? Well, if you need a bit of romance in your life or some cheering up, then give this book a try - you'll love it!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 4/5

In My Mailbox #77

2011-06-04T21:57:00.000+02:00

Check out all these awesomesauce books that I got in the past couple of weeks! :D

BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray
SPOILED by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick
BESWITCHED by Kate Saunders
SOMNABULIST by Essie Fox
DANCING ON THORNS by Rebecca Horsfall
SUMMER LOVING by Allie Spencer
IT HAPPENED IN PARIS by Molly Hopkins
THE BUTTERFLY CABINET by Bernie McGill
THE OPPOSITE OF ME by Sarah Pekkanen
FAME by Tilly Bagshawe

Amaaaaazing, right?! I just wish I could read them ALL right NOW!!

What did you get?
Have a wonderful weekend, bookaholics! :)

The new Paige Toon cover - WHY?

2011-05-25T22:44:00.002+02:00

OK, so today was the big Paige Toon cover reveal on Twitter, carried out by the lovely Simon & Schuster UK. Before I say anything, please note that this was probably my most anticipated cover of the year. I wasn't blown away by the two Paige Toon books that I've read, but I bought them all because they were OMG SO PRETTY!!! In case you haven't seen them yet, here they are in all their glory:

BREATHTAKING, AM I RIGHT???
Cover perfection to the T!
These covers could seriously not be any prettier!
I'd frame them and stare at them the whole day, they're just SO BEAUTIFUL!
I mean, LOOK AT THEM! Wow!

Soooo of course I was really looking forward to seeing the cover for her upcoming book Baby Be Mine. I wasn't planning on reading it, but I was 100 % ready to buy it straight up, provided the cover was pretty. (Yes, I'm shallow, so what? :p)
I was fully expecting my mind to be blown, but as it turns out, the publishers have opted for a total re-design. I have absolutely no idea why since the original covers were PERFECT and you honestly cannot top that.
So here's the new design:

I know, right - what the what?! *blinks* Huh?

Please understand I mean no disrespect to anyone and I'm sure the designer did their best, but I'm afraid it has nothing on the original covers, which were GORGEOUS (no, I cannot get over them :p). I guess I wouldn't be so disappointed if this wasn't a Paige Toon book. I still wouldn't buy it, sorry to say, but I would just dismiss it rather than blog about it.

My personal problems with this cover:

that head looks all sorts of wrong (straaaange features + what's WRONG with the shape & colour of hair?!) and makes the woman look very unappealing
too much blue - serious overkill
cheapass fonts!!!!!!! previous covers were all nicely handwritten and wonderful, but this looks SO CHEAP and all these basic fonts honestly enrage me (surely this is not the final version?)
overall, it just does nothing for me and looks boring and unappealing - I would never pick it up in a shop
there's just something off about it

Again, I mean no disrespect or offence to anyone, but I'm just a bit confused as to WHY this change occured in the first place, that's all. I'm not massively upset because it's not really a book I was planning to read anyway, but I'm just a bit sad there won't be another pretty Paige Toon book sitting on my shelf ...

Darlings, please do tell, what do YOU make of the new look?
What do you like or dislike about it?
Discuss. :)

In My Mailbox #76

2011-05-19T21:40:00.003+02:00

As you have undoubtedly noticed, I've been a bad, bad blogger in the past couple of months and that's not because I've been lazy, but just VERY busy! If everything goes according to the plan, things will hopefully get back to normal within a week and then OMG, I'll start reading again like there's no tomorrow! I miss it so much! I've received so many amaaaazing books in the past months and I cannot WAIT to devour them ALL - party time!!! :)

So all in all, you can expect more reviews & interviews etc. soon, but until then I leave you with another IMM! Here are the books I got in the past week ...

RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier - OMG YAY! I've been waiting forever for this one and now it's finally here, woohoo! With all the potential, I expect it to be nothing short of awesome!
GIRL READING by Katie Ward - This one sounds really good too. I love paintings of girls reading!
PICTURES OF YOU by Caroline Leavitt - Leah from Chicklit Reviews loved this book and after reading her review, I couldn't resist ordering myself a copy. Intriguing.
THE NOVEL IN THE VIOLA by Natasha Solomons - I've never heard of this book until it was chosen for the Richard & Judy's Book Club or whatever a couple of weeks ago and it sounds really good! Glad they changed the cover as the hardback one was horrible.
THIN, RICH, PRETTY by Beth Harbison - Awesome title is awesome. The cover not so much.
MY LIFE UNDECIDED by Jessica Brody (ARC) - Yay! I've been wanting to read this book ever since I've heard of it and then the trailer (SEE BELOW) made me want to read it even more! I love Jessica Brody's book trailers - I appreciate all the effort she puts into them and the final result is always amazing. Can't wait to see if the books is also that good. :)

That's it from me. What did YOU get? :)

In My Mailbox #75

2011-05-15T20:22:00.001+02:00

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth - Initially, this cover didn't really appeal to me so I never planned to read this book. But then the first reviews came rolling in and seriously, there was nothing but praise for this book! Everyone says it's AMAZING and a lot of people compare it to The Hunger Games, which, as we all know, is an incredible series! Anyway! Now I cannot wait to read this one and see what the fuss is about! The only thing I'm a little bummed about is that I seem to have accidentaly ordered the US version whereas I really, really wanted the super shiny UK cover, boo.

THE WOMEN'S ROOM by Marilyn French - I spotted this one in Waterstones on Oxford Street and I've never heard of it before, even though it's supposed to be a feminist classic?!?! Where the hell have I been living and why have I not read this yet?! *slaps self* I immediately got myself a copy and am planning to remedy this asap!

WORKING IT OUT by Nicola May - I've only learned about this book after it was featured on Chick Lit Reviews and the cover immediately caught my eye. It's a self published novel and it sounds really good. The author offered to give me a copy for being her 200th follower, but I insisted on paying at least the RRP as I like to support authors. This one sounds really good and I'm very excited to read it!

BEHIND THE GATES by Eva Gray - Boarding schools, (fake) twins, freaky stuff going on ... yes, please! :)

What did YOU get? :)

Waiting On Wednesday: ESCAPE by Barbara Delinsky

2011-05-11T01:06:00.000+02:00

Emily Aulenbach is 32, a lawyer married to a lawyer, living and working in Manhattan. An idealist, she had once dreamed of representing victims of corporate abuse, and signed on with a firm that promised this, but it hasn't worked out. She spends her days in a cubicle, surrounded by lawyers in other cubicles, talking on the phone with people sickened by tainted bottled water. Her firm is being paid by the bottler to minimize claims.

Convinced that she is betraying her dreams, she has looked into changing firms, but no one is hiring. She wakes up each morning dreading her work.

And it isn't only work. It's her sister, her friends, even her husband James, with whom she doesn't connect the way she used to. Her relationships are superficial and rushed. She connects to three things – her computer, her BlackBerry, and her watch.

One particularly difficult Friday, she realizes that her life is all wrong. Uncharacteristically acting on impulse, she leaves work early, goes home, packs her bag, and takes off. As she gropes toward the future, though, she finds herself going back – back to the small New Hampshire town where she had last been unequivocably happy and carefree. If she were to map out her life, this was the spot where she had made her first wrong turn.

Escape is the story of the dreams we have and the heart-breaking task of giving up the parts that don't work, salvaging those that do, and creating new dreams for what lies ahead.

Whoa, doesn't this just sound SO good? I absolutely love the sound and the look of this one. It comes out in hardback on July 5th and you best believe I'll be reading it immediately.

Also, while we're on the subject of Barbara Delinsky, can we also do a quick COVER WIN / FAIL? Here are my two cents ...

I am LOVING the new paperback cover for her previous book, Not My Daughter! I didn't like the original hardcover cover AT ALL - it's just boooooring and a bit of a cliché, no? The new cover is a definite improvement - it looks fresh and interesting! And while teenage pregnancy is a subject that I do not want to read about (*shudder*), I'd still buy this book for the cover alone! Job well done, publishers!

In My Mailbox #74

2011-05-07T23:59:00.001+02:00

First off, I got a MASSIVE package from Simon & Schuster UK (thanks, Ally!!) that containted the following four books:

FLY AWAY HOME by Jennifer Weiner - Haven't read anything by Weiner and this the topic of this book doesn't really seem my cup of tea, but goodness is this cover gorgeous!
HERE COME THE GIRLS by Milly Johnson - Ditto on the cover, it's lovely! I love stories about cruises!
GODDESS OF VENEGANCE by Jackie Collins - What in the bloody hell IS this cover?!?! A joke perhaps? It sure sticks out like an ugly sore thumb among other books in the package and it's just plain horrible. White background with plain text - what the what?! For real?! Massive COVER FAIL alert and I am offended by the laziness of this cover. Would have never ever picked it up, although I've heard nothing but praise for Jackie Collins. But this cover is inexcusable! #enraged I loved the original cover for PLBG so I've no idea what happened here ... Was the designer sick and they had to rush the book so someone just typed out the words and they sent it off to printing? Or something? There's bound to be a new cover for the paperback, right? #fingerscrossed The Americans did it way better in this case - proof! Yeah, a bit tacky there, but at least there's something going on!
DAUGHTERS OF FORTUNE by Tara Hyland - Phew, there we go, a stunning cover again to calm me down a bit, hehehe. I've already read this last year (my review here) and loved it. I have the ARC so I might do a giveaway for this one. Cannot WAIT for Hyland's next novel!!

I also got a surprise review copy of THE DEAD SUMMER by Helen Moorhouse, which I've never heard of before, but it sounds and looks rather intriguing ... I just hope it's not TOO creepy? :)

Then I bought a copy of ROYAL MATCH by Tyne O'Connoll, mostly because the books sound cute (I think it contains three previously published books?) and I really like the new cover!

Lastly, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and got myself a copy of LOVE VIRTUALLY by Daniel Glattauer, which is a huge bestseller in many countries (not so much in the UK or US yet though, I think). I wasn't planning to read this, let alone buy it, until recently someone recommended it to me and then I came across this pretty cover (pink & grey combo = winning!), which I simply couldn't resist! So we'll see if the book lives up to the massive hype, ha!

That's ALL. What did YOU get? :)

Waiting on Wednesday: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

2011-05-02T22:57:00.002+02:00

The book that I'm featuring today, THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern, was all the rage at this year's London Book Fair and that's where I learnt about it. It was impossible to miss since it was hugely promoted - the cover was mounted up on the stand, there was a table covered in black & white promo leaflets (gorgeous, I have one in front of me right now, maybe I'll scan it if anyone's interested) and the publisher even enlisted circus performers to promote the book (quite fitting, isn't it?). You can see a picture of them here or watch a clip here. I only saw the Tall Woman, who was walking around and handing out these leaflets, but sadly I didn't take a picture or film a quick video since I was in a hurry.

Here's what the book is about:

In 1886 a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, the Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire. There are contortionists, performing cats, carousels and illusionists – all the trappings of an ordinary circus. But this is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs – the dreamers. And who is the sinister man in the grey suit who watches over it all? Behind the scenes a dangerous game is being played out by two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who, at the behest of their masters, are forced to test the very limits of the imagination – and of love.

A feast for the senses, a fin-de-siècle fantasia of magic and mischief, and the most original love story since The Time Traveler’s Wife, The Night Circus is an extraordinary blend of fantasy and reality. It will dazzle readers young and old with its virtuoso performance, and who knows, they might not want to leave the world it creates.

The leaflet thingy says this is "the most magical novel you'll read this year" and the book is "set to be the publishing sensation of 2011". I can't wait to see if it lives up to all this massive hype!

The first thing that really caught my eye was the stunning UK cover that was posted above the Random House stand. I also found the US cover so you can compare them below. Sorry about the low quality of the UK cover - that's literally a bit of a pic I took of the stand and I couldn't find a HQ UK cover anywhere online.

Which one do YOU prefer?

Personally, I quite like the US one, but on the other hand, I'm head over heels in love with the UK one - isn't it stunning?! I love love love it and the cover alone would make me buy this book, regardless of the summary.

The book comes out in September - 13th in the US and 15th in the UK! Can't wait!

Lastly, here's the trailer for the book!

London Book Fair 2011

2011-05-02T20:23:00.006+02:00

I was lucky enough to attend the London Book Fair this year - I've attended once before and last year we were sadly unable to attend due to the volcanic ash cloud issue. This year, however, there were no such unexpected problems so I got to go there again, yay! The visit was work related (I work in publishing) as this is a trade fair so mostly professionals attend, which makes the LBF slightly different to BEA or the Frankfurt Book Fair. It takes place in April every year at Earls Court.

London is my absolute favourite city in the whole world so to be able to attend a *book* fair there is like a dream come true. We were there for about two days, which were very, very busy and filled with countless meetings with publishers' sales reps, making new contacts, picking up catalogues etc. My schedule was completely full in advance so I didn't get to attend any of the lectures or presentations that were taking place, I was really just rushing from one appointment to another so I'm afraid I don't have any generally exciting news to share, sorry. :) In can say that it was a brilliant experience, lovely and very exciting - and rather exhausing too, but all worth it!

I honestly don't really know what to talk about so I'll just attach some pictures that I took - I hope you can see the slideshow below?
I took pictures of various stands (BEA & PW, Harper Collins, Hachette, Hodder, Little Brown, Simon & Schuster, Random House etc). There are some pictures taken from above to show the venue as such. There's one showing the entrance to Earls Court, taken from the top of a doubledecker bus as we drove past it after the first day. There's also a picture of my favourite stand - the Hay House one, which is pink & green & white and generally FABULOUS, I totally fell in love with it.
I apologize about the pics being a little blurry, but I was honestly in a hurry taking them so this was the best I could do to give you an idea of what this fair looks like.

If you have any questions, then please fire away. :)

In My Mailbox #73 & The Royal Wedding!

2011-05-01T01:30:00.004+02:00

Unfortunately, I have to begin yet another post by apologizing for being MIA, but the good news is that I expect to be back properly in a couple of weeks if everything goes according to the plan. Until then, I hope to post a couple more reviews and a report about the 2011 London Book Fair I attended. Keep your fingers crossed that I'll manage, but until then, check out the GOODIES I got in the past couple of weeks!

BENEATH A STARLET SKY by Amanda Goldberg and Ruthanna K. Hopper - Yay! This is the sequel to Celebutantes, which I loved, so I'm veeeeeery excited to read this one!
MEET ME AT THE CUPCAKE CAFE by Jenny Colgan - Woohoo! Been waiting for this one for ages and I'll be reading it asap fo' sho'!!
THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by Eva Rice - I've been wanting to buy this book forever so I finally did. Looks & sounds great!
SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL by Francine Pascal - Got this one just for kicks, really. I used to watch SVH and all, but I doubt I'll actually read this book ... Based on all the negative reviews, I really shouldn't bother, eh?
THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON by Sarah Addison Allen - I've heard nothing but praise about this book and I want to see what the fuss is about. :)

That's it from me.
I'd love to hear what you got!

ps: This is not book related, but I just can't help mentioning it since it kinda dominated the whole world! Yes, I'm talking about The Royal Wedding! Did you watch it (of course you did :p)?
Wasn't it simply a fairytale? Wasn't Kate stunning? Wasn't it all magnificent? Weren't they so cute in the carriage and the car?
I wasn't even planning to watch, but in the end I totally caught the wedding fever and watched it cuddled up on the couch with hubby. I still can't get over how oh so lovely & romantic the whole shebang was and I really enjoyed it, all in all. :)

What was your favourite moment? :)

Review: HOTHOUSE FLOWER by Lucinda Riley *****

2011-04-28T21:54:00.003+02:00

A heart-rending page turner which sweeps from war-torn Europe to Thailand and back again . . .
As a child Julia Forrester spent many idyllic hours in the hothouse of Wharton Park estate, where her grandfather tended the exotic flowers. So when a family tragedy strikes, Julia returns to the tranquility of Wharton Park and its hothouse.
Recently inherited by charismatic Kit Crawford, the estate is undergoing renovation. This leads to the discovery of an old diary, prompting the pair to seek out Julia's grandmother to learn the truth behind a love affair that almost destroyed Wharton Park.
Julia is taken back to the 1940s where the fortunes of young couple Olivia and Harry Crawford will have terrible consequences on generations to come. For as war breaks out Olivia and Harry are cruelly separated ...

First of all, doesn't this cover positively SCREAM Kate Morton? I don't mind one bit as I think it's a gorgeous cover, but still a liiiittle obvious. The summary sounds quite a bit like a Kate Morton story too, which is brilliant if you're a fan of Ms Morton and you need a quick fix when you're waiting for her next book (speaking of which, where is it?????). And the best news? Unlike some other books I've read that appeared to have tried to match Ms Morton's level of storytelling and not quite managed, this one can actually compare! The story was great and I couldn't put the book down ...

As the story opens, we meet Julia, a young woman who is still recovering from a horrible personal tragedy and she has travelled back to England from France to hopefully heal her wounds. She becomes involved with Wharton Park again, once magnificent but now a crumbling property that has recently been inherited by Kit. They came across a diary and Julia's grandmother Elsie, who was a maid at Wharton Park when the diary came to be, tells them what really happened during World War II when master Harry married Olivia and was soon after sent on an overseas mission to Thailand ... So what is in the diary? And how did Olivia go from being an exquisite debutante to such a bitter old woman?

The author really knows how to tell a great story and how to connect the present narrative with Julia and the past narrative with Harry in Thailand and all the consequences of that. I found myself really engrossed into the story and raced through the pages to learn what really happened all those years ago, and at the same time really felt for Julia. A lot of secrets are interwoven in the story (including a shocking appearance towards the end - whoa!) and I really enjoyed reading both stories, set in Thailand and in the English countryside.

On top of wonderful plot, I thought the characters were really well portrayed too. Namely Julia's pain was palpable and her story just broke my heart. I grew incredibly fond of Kit, was fascinated by Olivia and really warmed up to Elsie as well as other side characters.

I believe this is the author's debut and oh what a great piece of fiction it is! I'm so glad she got published and I'm very happy to report that she has another book coming out in October called THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF, which sounds fantastic - right up my alley! I cannot wait to see the cover and to finally read it!

I'm sure the author is fed up with being compared to Kate Morton, but I'm afraid that's unavoidable and nothing short of a compliment! Overall, if enjoy novels that connect the present and the past and tie it all up with an intriguing mystery, then this is the book for you! Definitely recommended.

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

Watch the interview with the author below.

In My Mailbox #72

2011-04-17T02:24:00.004+02:00

I'm (still) terribly sorry that IMMs are almost all that I post on here these days, but but but life's too busy for blogging right now and it's not like I particularly want to do IMMs, but I just get soooo many AMAZING books and I need to share my joy with the world and what better way to do it than IMM, right? :)
The past weeks have been nothing short of spectacular in terms of books - I mean, just LOOK at all the lovelies I got!!!

FEMALE FICTION

SING YOU HOME by Jodi Picoult - I used to be a massive Picoult fan and I've read almost all her books, but this one just doesn't appeal so much, I guess ... At the same time, I'm very tempted to read it because I know Picoult sure can tell a fantastic story ... So we'll see, but I might not be able to resist it after all! Thanks though, Hodder!
ALONG CAME A STORK by Marisa Mackle - Review copy from Poolbeg. And while the cover is rather gooorgeous and eyecatching, I'm really not about books about pregnant women. Not my cup of tea, but it looks very pretty!
THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown (ARC) - This one comes out in the UK in August and don't you just LOVE the cover? Totally makes me want to read the book!
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (ARC) - This one also comes out in August and is said to be THE publishing event of 2011! The final UK cover is rather pretty, but so is this one actually - I'm loving the simplicity and the beautiful lettering! Sounds good too!
GIRL ON THE RUN by Jane Costello - I've already read this one and quite liked it. Review to come eventually, hehe. Lovely cover though, no?
IDOL by Carrie Duffy (ARC) - Squeeee! I've been wanting to read this one ever since I've heard of it and saw the cover (gorgeous, y/y?!) so I was over the moon that I was able to snag an ARC! Can't wait to read it, although I'm told it's much raunchier than it looks, hehe. ;)
TO MARRY A PRINCE by Sophie Page - Squeeee! Another book that I've been dying to read for months and now I finally have it, yay - all I need is some free time, bah! Will deffo read this asap, but probably not in time for the big fat Royal Wedding in a couple of weeks. Shame but oh well.
PEARL by Deidre Purcell - This one sounds really good, but I decided to wait for the paperback, which is finally out now! Not sure about the cover though ...
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett - Now, I got this for free so I really shouldn't complain, but but but I can't help bringing up the cover. Yes, I hear the book is really good and I've been wanting to read it, BUT how can I get past this cover?!?! This has got to be one of the most awful covers I have ever come across and I just cannot justify it. :( In my eyes, everything's completely wrong: the colour combination (eww), the plain text, the random birds. There's just no excuse for this cover, seriously - I find it straight up HORRIBLE. I know it's not chick lit and the cover's not meant to be pretty, but that doesn't mean you have to make it soooo BLAH. I would never ever spend money on a cover like this, but I got it for free so I can't bitch too much. Although if I do read (which I'm hoping to some day), I'll certainly use a book jacket or something.

YOUNG ADULT

THE ANTI-PROM by Abby McDonald - I've loved all Abby's previous books and I'm very excited about this one too, it's bound to be fantastic!
THE FITZOSBORNES IN EXILE by Michelle Cooper - I haven't read the first book (Brief History of Montmaray), but I suspect it's good stuff so I just got the sequel.
A YEAR WITHOUT AUTUMN by Liz Kessler - Very intrigued by the premise of this one!
ROYALLY CRUSHED by Niki Burnham - Isn't this cover just the cutest?! I couldn't resist it!
THE LYING GAME by Sara Shepard - Now, I haven't read PLL yet (gasp, I know!), but I'm fully planning to as it sounds amazing and so does this book - right up my alley! Very excited!
RUNNING IN HEELS by Helen Bailey - I like the sound and the look of this one so I just myself a copy to read one day.

Last but not least, I also got a copy of THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky, which is absolutely gorgeous both inside and out! It's beautifully illustrated so I just couldn't resist taking a few snaps on how it looks on the inside - isn't it just amazing? Yeah, I think so.

That's it from me - what did YOU get?????? :)

Waiting on Wednesday: California Dreamers

2011-04-13T22:37:00.009+02:00

This week I decided to feature Belinda Jones's upcoming book CALIFORNIA DREAMERS, which comes out on 21st July 2011. I've been looking forward to it ever since I read the summary!

Ever wished you could make-over your life?

Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn't even know where to start.

So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can't resist the chance to start afresh - it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all!

But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?

In a Pacific Coast journey that takes in Los Angeles, the world's most romantic ranch and California's very own castle in the sky - this story of friendship, long-distance love, kissing (and making up) is the perfect escapist read.

Fabulous, isn't it? I haven't read any of Belinda Jones's previous books, but I've been told they're fantastic so I'm definitely planning to!

I was particularly looking forward to this one because Jones's previous cover was absolutely gorgeous (I've discussed it here) so I hoped the publishers would follow the same trend ... but sadly it appears they won't.
The cover featured above is by no means official, but it was listed in the latest Hodder catalogue so it's definitely legit, I'm just not sure if it's the final one. Well, this one isn't bad or anything, but it sure has NOTHING on the Living La Vida Loca cover, which was just mindblowing.

Anyway, the story sounds great so I'll definitely be reading this one asap!

In My Mailbox #71

2011-03-27T13:13:00.000+02:00

Three IMMs back to back? Oh yeah, that's bad, trés BAD, I know and I'm terribly sorry about the inexcusable lack of proper posts round here lately, buuuuut saying that things are hectic doesn't even begin to describe my life right now. I'm way behind on reading (and pretty much everything else, eek) and I miss it so much - y'know, just lying in bed and reading. I haven't done it for too long (honestly, NO time) and I'm like a junkie who needs their fix BADLY. I'll have to take like an evening off someday soon and just read, but I still have so many things to do before then. :(

I've been getting & buying sooooo many amazing books lately and it breaks my heart that I can't read them immediately because I really, really want to, but can't. I will though, I promise, promise!

Here are the goodies I received in the past weeks!

PURCHASED

CALLING ROMEO by Alexandra Potter
THE LEGACY by Katherine Webb
WHAT MY BEST FRIEND DID by Lucy Dawson
LIZZY HARRISON LOSES CONTROL by Pippa Wright
A MOMENT LIKE FOREVER by Martina Reilly
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis
THE SONGWRITER by Beatrice Colin
LIVING LA VIDA LOCA by Belinda Jones

FOR REVIEW

SWEPT OFF HER FEET by Hester Browne - YAAAAY!!! Hester very kindly sent me a lovely signed copy herself, along with a fantastic note! Totally made my week! I loved Hester's previous book The Finishing Touches and I cannot WAIT to read this one! :D
KATE'S WEDDING by Chrissie Manby - Brilliant surprise from Hodder! I featured this in one of my WOW and then it showed up, woohoo!
MEN I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Adele Parks - A surprise copy from Headline. I've already read and reviewed the hardcover (it hit very close to home), but the paperback is SO much prettier! The re-design was certainly a smart move!

That's it from me! What did you get? :)

In My Mailbox #70

2011-03-06T14:01:00.004+01:00

LOOKING FOR LEON by Shirley Benton - A surprise review copy from Poolbeg. Sounds interesting and looks great, although I wish the title was really sparkly, but otherwise the cover's lovely.
CRYSTAL BALLS by Amanda Brobyn - I fell in love with this cover as soon as I saw it and I can't wait to read it! Thanks for offering a review copy, Amanda!
RSVP by Helen Warner - A surprise review copy from S&S UK. It came wrapped in this blue and brown paper that you can see under the books and the cover was sprinkled with little silver hearts that you can also see above - adorable! I love it when people put in an effort like that! Well done, Ally. ;)
FAKING IT by Lotte Daley - I've been waiting for this book for aaaages and now I finally have it, yay! It sounds fantastic and I wish I could read it NOW, but sadly I have no spare time. :(
GETTING AWAY WITH IT by Julie Cohen - Another book I've been VERY excited about, but decided to wait for the paperback and now I got a surprise review copy from Headline - thank yoooou! I cannot wait to read this - it sounds brilliant, plus LOOK AT THE COVER!!! This is hands down one of my absolute favourite covers EVER! Outstanding! Amazing! Beautiful!
MERMAID by Carolyn Turgeon - Another surprise review copy from Headline! I'm not sure how I feel about novels that feature mermaids, but this one looks interesting ...

That's it from me, what did you get? :)

In My Mailbox #69

2011-02-20T00:24:00.005+01:00

Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately. Things are very hectic at the moment and I'm afraid I don't have much time to read or blog. Sadly this will probably continue for the next couple of months so the posts are likely to be sparce, but please bear with me? :)

Anyway, here's my haul from the last couple of weeks!
IN A HEARTBEAT by Loretta Elsworth - Finally out in paperback, yay!
THE LOCKET by Stacey Jay - Sounds good, couldn't resist it!
GOING FOR GOLD by Kay Woodward - The fourth book in the Skate School series. Haven't read the first three, but I'm planning to!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME by Sara Manning - Sounds really good, can't wait if it lives up to the hype!
BEFORE I KNEW YOU by Amanda Brookfield - A review copy. This book was SO much more appealing when it was called HOUSE SWAP and it had an amazingly pretty cover. Such a downgrade, I really don't like this horrible new look. :(

That it's from me - what did YOU get? :)

Author interview: LULU TAYLOR

2011-02-13T22:43:00.002+01:00

I've recently read MIDNIGHT GIRLS by Lulu Taylor, which I absolutely loved so I was very excited when the author kindly agreed to an interview for my little blog! Read on to learn more about Ms Taylor, her inspiration, her writing process and even some scoop on her next book!!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was brought up just outside Oxford in England, and then went to university there, where I read English Literature – and had a marvellous time. After that, I worked in publishing for a while and then became a freelance writer. Now I love spending my time weaving stories about high society and the ridiculously rich. I live in London.

Your debut novel was published in 2009 and since then you've written a book a year. What was your road to becoming a published author like?
My road to becoming an author was a bit different to most people’s, as I had already worked in publishing and had an idea of how it all worked – for example, I knew how to send my work to an agent and I had a good sense of which agencies might suit me. I think that definitely helped, but having said that, no publisher publishes something that they don’t rate, so there’s no way I could have got a deal just by knowing the business. I get nervous every time I finish a book that the publisher won’t like it and it will all be over.

How would you describe each of your books in five words?
Sexy, dramatic, dark, rich, scandalous. That covers all of them, I think. Besides the heroines’ journeys, there is always another angle or two, and I research those carefully. In HEIRESSES, there is a lot about scent and how perfumes are made and sold. The exclusive nightclubs in MIDNIGHT GIRLS are based on famous places and you will find lots of real details in there of how they look and how they’re run. The department store in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is based on a very well-known London landmark.

What all your three books seem to have in common is that they are set in the world of the incredibly rich. Is there are particular reason why you decided to write such glamorous bonkbusters? Where do you get the inspiration?
I wanted to write about this world because I’m fascinated by it and love reading about it. The rich really live very different lives to the rest of us. In some ways, those lives are very seductive – a world where you can have anything you want, where high luxury is just an everyday occurrence. In other ways, those lives are dangerous because they’re so removed from reality and because the most extraordinary events – like kidnappings or disinheritance – actually happen. I loved programmes like Dallas and Dynasty when I was growing up, and the novels are like that: soap operas with big cars and expensive houses.

I get inspiration all the time – in fact, it’s hard keeping hold of all the ideas. Newspapers, magazines, and just stories I hear about other people’s lives are always starting off potential plot lines for me.

Are your novels based on personal experience? What kind of research have you had to do so far?
There is plenty of personal experience in the books – in fact, I think readers might be surprised at exactly what is true and what is not! Some of the most bizarre things are completely real – but of course I’m not saying which. The bits in Oxford in MIDNIGHT GIRLS had a lot of truth: I saw some wild events and some very rich young people going off the rails. Luckily I didn’t get pulled into that life myself.

Writing HEIRESSES, I had to research perfume and became a real geek on it for a while, trying out dozens of scents and learning to distinguish between them. MIDNIGHT GIRLS was pretty enjoyable, as I had to go to some smart nightclubs and drink cocktails (I know, it’s a hard life). BEAUTIFUL CREATURES was more desk research than travelling about – though I did have to take a helicopter flight. It’s the small things that can cause the most difficulties – how family businesses work, points of law and trust management – that sort of thing. And I always spend a lot of time researching the clothes, food, furnishings... everything that makes the books feel real.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing process? How and where do you write? How long does it take for you to write one novel, since they're all massive?
It takes several months to write each book. I work in a variety of places, most often at home. Sometimes I just have to get out of the house for a change of scene and new inspiration. In those cases, I go to libraries or quiet places. I like certain cafes or clubs where I can order coffee and cake when I need a boost. Surroundings can help, so I like to go to luxurious places occasionally. Once the first draft is done, there is always the second to do, and that can be really hard work. As soon as one book is finished, it’s time to plan the next.

As I said, your books are very lengthy and yet they're anything but boring and they seem to be very well structured. Do you do a lot of planning in advance?
I always know where it’s going to begin and where it’s going to end, and what the main plotlines are. I plan the early part of the book and then I always get keen to start, so off I go. Often I end up on quite a different track, or a character turns out not to be what I’d planned, and things change quite radically. That’s part of the fun – seeing where it all goes... I always try to keep it pacy and eventful, and easy to read so you want to keep turning the pages. Sometimes I get completely absorbed by it all, and carried away at high moments of emotion. When a character died in MIDNIGHT GIRLS, I was sobbing!

When can we expect your next novel and can you share any information about it yet (please!)?
My next novel is due out in January 2012, and it doesn’t have a title yet, though I’m working on it. This one is about two girls, born on the same day to very different families and backgrounds. But their lives become irreversibly intertwined and their fortunes vary hugely. There is a love story in this one that’s absolutely central to the plot, and a big, bold villain as well. It’s already lots of fun to write.

Your books would make fantastic films - do you have anything like that planned for the future? Which book for you most like to see as a film and what would your ideal cast be like?
I would love to see one of the novels filmed, though I always imagine them more as mini dramas on the television – because of my old Dynasty influences, I suppose. People are making rather grittier things than this at the moment though, or else making period dramas. So we shall see what happens, but I won’t hold my breath. My ideal cast would be, of course, very glamorous and very good at high drama. I’d love Joan Collins to have a guest role, even if I had to write it in!

Thank you for answering my questions!

Ms Taylor's book BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is out now! Don't forget to check out her other two books, HEIRESSESS and MIDNIGHT GIRLS.
You can learn more about the author on her website or follow her on Twitter!

Review: REDHEAD REVEALED by Alice Clayton *****

2011-02-11T00:03:00.001+01:00

As their careers catch fire, Grace and Jack -- everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed, funny, and feisty couple -- find themselves on opposite coasts. Grace has landed in New York City, where she loves being onstage again, particularly because she’s playing a fabulous character in a musical written by her old college flame, Michael. Their rekindled friendship makes exploring the city that much more fun.
Wait, it’s just friendship, right?

Meanwhile, in L.A., Jack can scarcely keep up with the swirling throngs of women who track him everywhere he goes, the endless press appearances, and the ridiculous rules his manager, Holly, keeps concocting for him -- all part of the buildup to the release of Time, his steamy new film.
Thank goodness for phone sex.

But even when their schedules allow them to connect, Grace and Jack must keep their relationship off the radar and away from paparazzi cameras. Sure, the sex is sensational, but can this duo survive swirling rumors, the demands of their chosen professions, Grace’s raging internal battles, and a whopping nine-year age difference?
Tick-tock, the clock is ticking. Isn’t it?

Alice Clayton brings the second installment of a tale told with her magical mix of humor and heat, so cuddle up under the sheets and flip on the Golden Girls. Grace and Jack are at it again.

I'm honestly head over heels in LOVE with this crazy hot couple!
This is the second book in the so-called Redhead series and some of you may remember how much I enjoyed the first one, The Unidentified Redhead - well, that one was AMAZING, but this one was EVEN BETTER! Yes, caps are necessary because this books deserve them because they are SO GOOD!

Anyway, in my review of the first book I mentioned that while I really enjoyed reading about G&J's hott relationship, I also thought it was a very superficial one - they hardly knew each other outside the bedroom and they seemed to only 'exist in their sex bubble'. Well, in the second book, reality hits and all Grace's unresolved issues and insecurities from the past come back to haunt her. They're both making it big on the opposite sides of the country so they don't get to see each other very often and even when they do, things don't always go according to the plan ... Can they make it through the crazy times and is there a future for them? Do they want a family? Do they even know what they're getting themselves into? Will the passion ever wear off?

Talking about the characters - Grace is fantastic and I grew even fonder of her after this book, but Jack, Jack, Jack ... Oh, Jack, why do you have to be so SWOONWORTHY?! I mean, not only is this man BRITISH (!!!), he's also rich and has an amazingly kind and understanding personality and he's fun and oh oh OOH! Luke Brandon (from Shopaholic) used to be my #1 book crush, but Jack is soooo close to stealing that title, lol.

So yes, I loved that this story was a bit more complex and had some downs and not just ups (life ain't a fairytale, yo), but at the same time it kept its trademark (raunchy) humour and hotness and adorable characters! Quick warning though: this book doesn't shy away from sex or swearing so if you're sensitive about that, then this might not be quite the book for you - but I still strongly recommend it because it's so much FUN to read!

Overall, I have nothing but praise for this gem of a book and I cannot wait for further hothothot adventures of Grace & Jack, whom I absolutely adore! I hear the third book is already in the making and you best believe I'll gobble it up as soon as it's available!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 3/5

ps: Oh and did I mention that the first book contains the best line e-v-e-r: "TALK BRITISH TO ME." My girl Grace knows what's up! ;)

Waiting On Wednesday: ROYAL WEDDING FEVER

2011-02-09T07:06:00.002+01:00

As we all know, Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married in a few months (BIG WHOOP?) and the world has gone gaga over their upcoming wedding, which resulted in several royal-wedding-themed books too! Most of them are non-fiction about the couple itself, but there a couple of authors who have been inspired by this event and have decided to use it for a fictional story ... Below are two examples, which both sound FANTASTIC (espesh the first one) and I can't wait to read them, although I'm honestly not that into royal wedding - I guess I'm more interested in what goes on behind the scenes, which is exactly what the books provide, yay. :)

TO MARRY A PRINCE
by Sophie Page
[26th April 2011]

One night is about to change Bella’s life for ever…

Bella Greenwood isn’t a fairytale girl. If pushed, she’d probably tell you that her perfect wedding would involve a handful of close friends and family. But as she’s never met anyone she’d like to marry, it’s a moot point.

Until, in a midnight garden, Bella is helped out of an embarrassing situation by a tall, dark, handsome man with laughing eyes. And suddenly her life changes for ever, because the man is the world’s most eligible bachelor: Prince Richard, heir to the throne.

Richard sweeps her off her feet, and before she knows it they’re engaged. Which is when Bella’s problems really begin. Suddenly she is public property, and as if it isn’t enough to have her every move watched – while also learning to curtsy and negotiating the etiquette of how to address her future mother-in-law – she soon finds herself embroiled in bridesmaid politics, a right royal hen night, and a wedding dress controversy that causes a national scandal…

Can this ordinary girl survive the preparations for her very own Royal Wedding?

[OMG, this sounds SO GOOD! The cover's a bit noring though - I mean, where's the tiara?!]

KATE'S WEDDING
by Chrissie Manby
[31st March 2011]

Thirty-nine-year-old Kate had almost given up on love when she met her fiancé. Now she's planning for the wedding she never dreamed she'd have. But things seem to be slipping out of her control.

Diana, born on the day of the 1981 Royal Wedding, never doubted that one day she would find her prince. Newly engaged, and with daddy's credit card in her grasp, she's in full Bridezilla mode.

Against the backdrop of the other couple getting married in April 2011, both women prepare for the most important day of their lives. But will each bride get her perfect day? Or will it all become a right royal fiasco?

So, what do you think? Anyone else guilty of a bit of royal wedding fever? :)

In My Mailbox #68

2011-02-06T13:50:00.001+01:00

Ooh, another awesome week - check out all the goodies I got below!

BOUGHT

♥ BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Lulu Taylor - Yaaaay, my copy finally arrived! You all know how much I adored Midnight Girls and I've already said how much I look forward to reading this one! I'm planning to dedicate a whole weekend to it asap because it's massive!
♥ UNBELIEVABLE by Sara Shepard - I think this is like the 4th book in the Pretty Little Liars series and I haven't even read the first one, but I'm planning to and I can't help buying these books, heh!
♥ ROOM by Emma Donoghue - I've seen this one around a lot and suddenly I just got the urge to read it. It sounds horrifying, but at the same time fascinating? Plus it's like the #1 bestseller pretty much everywhere so I want to see what all the fuss is about.

FOR REVIEW #1

♥ DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver - The books was released this week and I've already read it (my review here), but I was kindly sent the pretty UK finished copy.
♥ TO THE MOON AND BACK by Jill Mansel - This one was a surprise and even though everyone keeps praising her books, I just don't see myself ever reading them. Why? Because the covers are absolutely hideous - the colours, the text, the illustration, everything is just EW. I'm sure the stories are great, but the covers are just too horrible for me to give the books a chance - no offence.
♥ TO TOUCH THE STARS by Jessica Ruston - I've posted an excerpt from the book here and there you can also learn how to win a copy of this book yourself!

FOR REVIEW #2

I also got a lovely goodie bag to promote RIVA, the new Mills & Boon imprint! Inside the package were the face mask, the chocolate bar aaaand two books:
♥ MOLLY COOPER'S DREAM DATE by Barbara Hannay
♥ SURF, SEA AND A SEXY STRANGER by Heidi Rice
I have to say, I am LOVING their new covers and they make me want to buy the whole series! Absolutely gorgeous so well done, Riva, I'll be keeping an eye on you! ;)

Review: DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver ****

2011-02-03T21:48:00.002+01:00

There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable ...

Yes, this book just came out and everyone and their monkey is reviewing it! Like everyone else, I can't help comparing it to its predecessor, Oliver's outstanding debut Before I Fall, which I absolutely adored and it just blew me away. I read it ages ago and have been looking forward to Delirium ever since. I was lucky enough to score shiny proof, but I admit I was a little anxious to read it because ... I mean, how could Lauren ever surpass the brilliance that was her debut?! I've also seen several mixed reviews so I had no idea what to expect so I figured I might as well give it a try and see what's up ...

Well, I wasn't disappoint, but I wasn't really blown away either (expect by the ending, but more on that later). As I expected, I didn't find it better than Before I Fall, but it certainly wasn't a bad read, far from it! If I had to use one word to describe it, I'd say it was POWERFUL and it had more of an effect on me than I thought initially ...

But let's discuss the plot first. I'm sure you aaaaaall know very well what this is about, set in the not-too-distant future when love is considered to be the most horrible disease and in order to prevent catching it, all the citizens have a curing procedure done at 18 - a sort of brain surgery that prevents them from not only falling in love, but it also erases on their emotions, both negative and positive ones. It's for their best, the (oppresive) society tells them, and everyone believes it. Lena, our heroine, is almost 18 and she cannot wait to have the procedure done and to be paired with her match and live happily ever after ... right? But then she remember her mother, who was apparently uncurable, and how she danced and sang, so unlike other robotic parents ... and how all her love was the end of her. She also learns about the world that exists outside the strict society rules and she can't help being intrigued. Lastly, there's also this boy ... But he's been cured so nothing will happen ... right? Before Lena knows it, her world is turned upside down and everything she's ever known or believed in turns out to be a lie ...

Lena, like the book itself, is a bit boring at first. I'll admit that I just couldn't seem to connect to either the story or her at first, but as things started changing, so did my feelings for it and as things kept happening and the story gained some depth and picked up the pace, I found myself really warming up to the characters. I loved how Lena slowly gained dimension and turned from this shy little creature into a fierce kickass girl who refuses to be held down and is willing to take risks and follow her heart.

There were a couple of really shocking twists along the way, which will hopefully be resolved in the next books, and the ending had me in tears. The final pages were incredibly gripping - I read them with my eyes and mouth wide open, and as I closed the book, I just started bawling my eyes out thinking, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, surely this isn't what it looks like?!?!?!?!" That ending just broke my heart and it was then that I realized how strongly I actually cared about the characters, which was a surprise to me too, heh.

The ending, as devastating as it was, really paves the way for the next book in the trilogy and I cannot wait to read it as there's just so much to be resolved!

All in all, this book is VERY different to Before I Fall, mainly in terms of the setting and characters, but what both books have in common is that a) they're both incredibly lyrical and amazingly well written, and b) that they creep up on you and though you may roll your eyes at both books at first, you'll find yourself head over heels in love with them by the end. But I guess that's the Lauren Oliver magic for ya! ;)

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 4/5

Waiting On Wednesday: RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier

2011-02-02T21:30:00.005+01:00

I came across this title a week ago when I noticed the series in German in an Austrian bookshop. I thought it seemed really cute and when I looked it up, I was SO excited to hear that it's being published in English too because I really wanted to read it, but my German is rubbish, heh.

So yeah, I'm over the moon that this series is being translated into English and I cannot wait to read it!

RUBY RED
by Kerstin Gier
[10th May 2011]

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon, the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Doesn't it just sound awesome?! :)

An excerpt of TO TOUCH THE STARS by Jessica Ruston!

2011-02-01T08:05:00.002+01:00

As you may remember, I really enjoyed Ms Ruston's debut LUXURY so I was very happy to hear that she has a new book coming out called TO TOUCH THE STARS! It sounds like another great bonkbuster:

Cavalley’s is renowned for style, glamour and sophistication, providing the ultimate fashion indulgences for film stars and fashionistas. Violet Cavalley has poured her heart and soul into building her multimillion pound business and raising her three children. But Violet is not the woman she appears to be. And her adored children conceal secrets of their own. Behind the Cavalley family’s gilded façade lies a streak of darkness. Darkness that now threatens to destroy them all…

The book comes out in paperback in the 3rd February and I have been kindly invited to take part in the trail of extracts that will be posted in four different blogs for four consecutive days, ending in a fabulous competition on publishing day - READ MORE ABOUT IT BELOW!

You can read all about that on the author's website and to whet you appetite, you can find an exclusive excerpt from the book below!

As they sat, their starters in front of them, Violet remained standing. Before each guest was a bowl of champagne risotto, an oyster placed on one side. Around the courtyard, guests gasped as they realised that inside each shell was a single, perfect pearl. The tables buzzed with laughter and conversation. Violet closed her eyes for a second and allowed herself to tune into snippets of chatter, letting her attention roam around the room. It made her skin tingle to listen.
She opened her eyes, and cleared her throat. It was time.
‘Excuse me…’ she called out. The courtyard fell quiet.
‘I’ll be brief. I don’t want this wonderful food to go cold. I just want to thank you all for coming. I still can’t believe I’m sixty years old. That’s the age other people are, isn’t it? I’m still seventeen, surely.’
Laughter.
‘I am very blessed,’ she continued, more serious now. ‘To have so many of my family and friends here with me to celebrate. My children…’
She gestured to the top table. Flip, her eldest son, and his fiancée Tillie, to one side of her. Blue, Adam. Frangipani, the youngest.
‘My partner, Patrick…’
She looked down to her left. Patrick winked a bright blue eye at her. She hated the word ‘partner’, but to call him her boyfriend at sixty felt absurd.
‘Kalisto, who has been like a brother to me – more than a brother…’
Kalisto stood and bowed, making a flourish with his long tail coat. There was a round of applause. Violet laughed.
‘Hey. Stop stealing the limelight!’ she teased.
But no one could really steal the show from her, and she knew it. Then she paused. She had suddenly become aware that Pietro - the villa’s housekeeper and caretaker, who had been here since before she owned the place, who was part of it -had appeared at her side and was urgently gesturing to her.
‘Signora Violetta, Ms Cavalley.’
The elderly man looked utterly panicked - floored in a way that Violet had never seen before. His walnut brown skin had turned pale, and he gazed at Violet with eyes that were full of concern.
She carried on. Whatever it was, it would have to wait.
‘And, just as important, are the ones who are not here. Scarlet. Sebastian. And others. Please, raise your glasses, and drink with me, to absent – no, not to absent friends. To lost loves, wherever they may be.’
The room stood as one, and did as she asked.
‘To lost loves.’
Violet smiled.
‘Thank you. Now – eat, drink, enjoy! Life is short.’
Then she turned to Pietro, touched his hand. ‘Pietro? What on earth’s the matter?’
‘Someone’s here,’ he said, urgently.
‘All right. Who? Show them to the library and I’ll see them after dinner.’
‘He says he won’t wait. He says… he says he is Signora Cavalley’s brother.’ He addressed the last few words to Flip, who had stood and gone to his mother’s side. It was as though the loyal caretaker could somehow not bear to speak directly to Violet.
Flip shook his head in bemusement. ‘My mother doesn’t have a brother, you know that.
Pietro steeled himself, and did something he could never have imagined doing. He interrupted.
‘I’m sorry, Signor. But he says...’
‘Oh God.’ Violet’s voice was low.
Flip looked at Violet, sensing her trembling next to him. ‘Mama?’
Her hand went to her mouth.
Pietro’s eyes dropped to the ground. ‘I told him this,’ he went on. ‘I said to him, “Signora Cavalley has no brother, no sister. You must leave,” I told him. But he said… ‘
And before he spoke, Violet knew the words that were going to come from his mouth. The words that she had dreaded hearing for so long.
‘He says Signora Cavalley does not have a brother. But he says Signora Cavalley is not… is not Signora Cavalley.’
Violet stared. The courtyard had fallen silent. Everything had slowed down. She felt as though she were floating; her arms and legs were numb.
‘Hello, Violet,’ a voice said, from over Pietro’s shoulder. ‘That’s what you’re calling yourself now, isn’t it?’
And as she collapsed, she looked beyond Pietro, into the shadows of the courtyard, and into the eyes of her brother.

I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed this snippet and it's made me desperate to read the book - luckily, my copy arrived today, bang on time! What about you - have you read it yet or would you like to? :)

And now, for the competition:

Jessica Ruston’s fabulous new novel is published today – TO TOUCH THE STARS tells the story of the glamorous Cavalley family, their glittering fashion empire, and the secrets that threaten to destroy them all…
To celebrate, Jessica’s publishers are giving away five signed copies, with one lucky winner getting a bottle of bubbly to enjoy with the book! For your chance to win answer this simple question:

What was the title of Jessica Ruston’s first novel?

Email answers to rosie.gailer@headline.co.uk, or tweet answers to @publicitybooks

Good Luck!

Review: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I DON'T WANT by A. Potter ****

2011-01-29T22:31:00.000+01:00

How do you know he's The One? Are you getting butterflies just thinking about him? Have you dreamt of marrying him? Do you just know?

When Lucy meets Nate in Venice, she knows instantly he's The One. And, caught up in the whirlwind of first love, they kiss under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset. Which – according to legend – will tie them together forever.
But ten years later, they’ve completely lost contact. That is, until Lucy moves to New York and the legend brings them back together. Again. And again. And again.
But what if Nate isn't The One? How is she going to get rid of him? Because forever could be a very long time ...

A funny, magical romantic comedy about how finding The One doesn't always have to mean happily ever after.

In case you haven't heard yet, I love me some Alexandra Potter! Be Careful What You Wish For is the first book I read by her and I absolutely loved it! I also read Who's That Girl?, which I really enjoyed too, and Me & Mr Darcy, which was less amazing but still very funny. And that's what I love about Ms Potter - her books are just so funny she can easily compete with the likes of Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan, two other great wit lit authors!

Anyway, this book isn't quite my favourite by Ms Potter, but I still really enjoyed reading it! In it we meet Lucy, a 28-year-old English girl who's just moved to New York and works at an art gallery. One day during work she comes Nate again - her true love who she never got over with. They spent a magical summer together in Venice ten years ago and then their long distance relationship didn't really work out. Lucy has had several boyfrinds since, but her heart was still with Nate ... When they meet again, they decide to re-start their relationship. At first everything seems perfect and Lucy is over the moon, but the cracks start to show slowly enough ... But have changed significantly in the past decade and they have a completely different outlook on life now. So they break up, but nonetheless they keep meeting and keeping in touch, due to the fact that they kissed under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, which tied them together forever. They don't like this one stinking little but so they're forced to try all sorts of hilarious things to keep apart in order to be able to move on ...

That, in a nutshell, was the plot, which I admit wasn't exactly mindblowing and a bit silly at times, but the story flew nicely so it was enjoyable enough, plus it had me laughing a few times so that's always a plus. I found Lucy a tad too stereotypical chick lit heroine and had her ditzy moments, but overall she was incredibly loveable and easy to relate to with all her imperfections. Other than that, the characters and their relationships felt real and I really warmed up to them.

Also, can we talk about the cover, please? I must confess I was very disappointed with this one and I think it's the worst out of Ms Potter's covers. Her other recent UK ones have been positively goooorgeous, but I find this one horrible - there's far too much green and blue going on and I personally can't stand those two colours. Maybe that's why it took me so long to pick this book up - I was so put off by this cover, but luckily it was worth putting up with because the story inside was really cute!

So yeah, don't be put off by the cover (if you're a crazy particular git like me :p) and give this book a try if you're looking for a very, very light and occassionally funny read with a lovely set of characters. If you're not familiar with Ms Potter's books yet, then I suggest starting with Be Careful What You Wish For, which was hands down my favourite by her, but don't dismiss one either - it is a lovely read that will brighten up your day!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 3/5

Review: FALLING IN LOVE WITH ENGLISH BOYS *****

2011-01-25T21:51:00.001+01:00

Sixteen-year-old Catherine Vernon has been stranded in London for the summer—no friends, no ex-boyfriend Adam the Scum (good riddance!), and absolutely nothing to do but blog about her misery to her friends back home. Desperate for something—anything—to do in London while her (s)mother’s off researching boring historical things, Cat starts reading the 1815 diary of Katherine Percival her mom gives her—and finds the similarities between their lives to be oddly close. But where Katherine has the whirls of the society, the parties and the gossip over who is engaged to who, Cat’s only got some really excellent English chocolate. Then she meets William Percival—the uber-hot descendant of Katherine—and things start looking up . . .

I fell in love with this book (no pun intended, ha) as soon as I saw the title and the cover, as I, myself, am also a great fan of England and especially of English boys with their absolutely DREAMY accents! So this book and I were meant to be (I mean, how could I ever refuse it?) and I'd be quite devastated if the book was a let down ... But luckily it wasn't and I ended up totally loving it!

The story is narrated by 16-year-old Cat, a present-day teenager who is stuck in London for the summer while her (s)mother works in the BM, and 18-year-old Kat, who is enjoying her first Season in 1815, falling in love for the first time, getting her heartbroken and trying to figure out who her mysterious admirer is ... Cat is given Kat's diary to read and while they are separated by nearly two centuries, their lives are still quite similar in certain ways ...

What I liked most about the book was not so much the story itself (although that was pretty cute), but moreso the characters and their blogs / diaries.
Cat's entries are absolutely hilarious and she's such a loveable character. She just seemed like such a FUN girl to be hanging out with and she was funny even when she was complaining. Such a great character that I really grew to love!
Kat's is a typical prim & proper Regency girl who has just come out to the society and is now looking for her future husband while making a few wrong turns along the way. Her diary entries were fun to read as well (although her flowery language was in great contrast with Cat's), but I must admit I liked Cat's a tad more - probably just because they were so much fun!

Overall, the book was really enjoyable read and while it wasn't mindblowing in any way really, I still can't help giving it 5 stars just because Cat was such an awesome chick and Will was dreamy (for a teenager) and the book takes place in London (my favourite city EVER!) and it was just SO cute! Not a masterpiece, but still has that extra thing that just makes you feel all happy after you've finished it. :)

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

In My Mailbox #67

2011-01-23T02:22:00.002+01:00

Ta-daaaaa, here's what I got this week (which was made of SUPER AWESOME in so many ways!):

HOTHOUSE FLOWER by Lucinda Riley - I've never heard of this book until Dot mentioned it on her blog! I've no idea how I managed to miss it completely, but I ordered it immediately since it sounded fantastic and I'm reading it already and it's really good - so thanks, Dot! :)
MY LAST DUCHESS by Daisy Goodwin - Funny fact: I've bought this book in hardocover when it came out (proof here), haven't even read it yet and now I've also gone and bought the paperback since the new cover is sooooo pretty and I couldn't resist it! Don't publishers just looove crazy people like me who buy multiple editions of the same books? :p
ENTANGLED by Cat Clarke - Everyone's been raving about this one for months so I got myself a copy too! Plus the cover's nice and the book sounds intriguing!
ME vs ME by Sarah Mlynowski - I've been eyeing this book for *aaages* and finally bought it! It sounds really good and I can't wait to read it!
THE SELF-PRESERVATION by Kate Harrison - Like the main character in this book, I'm a scaredy cat too soooooo I guess this book should be interesting to read, hehehe.
LIAR by Justine Larbalestier - This finally came out in paperback! I've been wanting to read it for months to see what all the fuss is about and what the big twist is! :)

So that's it for me! I'm quite pleased with my haul this week!
What about you - what did you get? :)

Review: STAR STRUCK by Anne-Marie O'Connor ****

2011-01-21T18:30:00.000+01:00

All Catherine wants to do is sing, but a TV show is about to make her a star . . .
Catherine Reilly is 24, single and still lives at home with her dad and two of her sisters. The only thing Catherine’s ever been any good at is singing, but she has no connections, low confidence and isn’t exactly glamorous.
However, when she sees a TV ad for the latest series of Star Maker, the biggest talent show on national television, she decides to enter . . .
Catherine now has the best voice coach in the business, a team of sadistic trainers and stylists and the world’s number one music mogul on her side . . . Can an ordinary girl's dreams really come true?

I've been wanting to read this book ever since it came out nearly two years ago - whoa, time flies ... I'm a fan of rags-to-riches type of stories and this one certainly didn't disappoint!

The star of this book is Catherine, a completely unremarkable girl who has sacrified everything to care for her dad, who is a bit of a hypochondriac and is having a hard time coping with the fact that his wife left him, so Catherine can't help staying at home and looking after him. The only thing she's ever been good at is singing and one day she decided to enter the hit TV show Star Making: Transatlantic ... She attends the auditions, where things go horribly wrong thanks to her kooky dad and her two sisters. She gets through to the next round, but once the audition part is broadcast, her whole family becomes famous - and things can only go downhill from there! Catherine is quite a success on the show, but her life is a mess - her family is involved in a public scandal, she doesn't know who she can trust and she seems to be falling in love for the first time ...

This was such a cute read! I really enjoyed getting a glimpse behind the scenes of a type of shows that are really popular today and how things are run. I can't say that that these descriptions of really shows are accurate as I obviously haven't a clue, but I certainly found those scenes believable and I'm sure reality shows really aren't as 'real' as they're meant to be, but that's no secret anyway.

The characters were great too! Catherine was a great heroine and I liked how she remained grounded despite the so-called transformation (although the sadistic trainers and stylists made an appearance much later than I expected them to) and all the madness that went on around her. She was a fab character, as was her hi-larious family, her love interest and Star herself, of course!

I can't say I was blown away by this book, but it was enjoyable and entertaining enough. Maybe it was a bit slow at times, but overall it was a good read - and a very topical too, with all the madness of reality talent shows! I believe this was the author's debut, but I do hope she writes more books in the future as I'd certainly like to read more by her!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 4/5

In My Mailbox #66

2011-01-15T21:04:00.000+01:00

Wowzers, so it appears that I haven't done an IMM in over a month, and that's for mainly for two reasons: 1) I've been busy [yeah, what else is new] and 2) my books have been taking forever to arrive!!! I finally got some, but I still have many, many more on the way and I sure hope they show up soon because this is freaking me oooout!

Anyway, let's focus on the positives, shall we? So here are the books that actually arrived:

VIXEN by Jillian Larkin
FALLING IN LOVE WITH ENGLISH BOYS by Melissa Jensen
FLAWLESS & PERFECT by Sara Shepard
PRIMA DONNA by Karen Swan

And I also got something else, which is not strictly book related, but I can't not share it - lookie!
Why YES, that is indeed the entire collection of Dawson's Creek episodes on DVD!!! I used to love that show like 10 years ago or whenever it was running and I never missed a single episode ... Then I remembered it the other day while watching a hilarious Joshua Jackson clip (Pacey >>>> Dawson, Y/Y?!) and noticed it was only 50 € on Amazon UK so I just ordered it, yaaay! I don't think I'll ever watch the whole thing again, but this collection is just a must-have and I couldn't resist it at that incredible price!

So yeah, that's my haul - what about yours? I can't wait to see!

Have a lovely weekend, darlings! :)

Review: MIDNIGHT GIRLS by Lulu Taylor *****

2011-01-09T16:48:00.000+01:00

From the prestigious dormitories of Westfield to the irresistible socialite scene of present-day London: everywhere Allegra McCorquodale goes, scandal follows her. And in Allegra’s shadow are her closest friends since school, the Midnight Girls.
Romily de Lisle: super rich, brilliant and bored. She’s as blessed as Allegra when it comes to looks, but she’s a force to be reckoned with.
And Imogen Heath: pretty, timid and hopelessly drawn to Allegra’s reckless charm. She longs to be a part of the glitzy high-society world where her friends move with such ease.
Once free of the cloistered worlds of school and university, the Midnight Girls face new and different challenges, but they are for ever bonded by a terrible secret they’ve sworn never to break. Bitter rivalries arise as their professional lives soon cross paths. Greed, tragedy and sinister passions threaten their allegiance and each of them stand to lose what they love most ...

Wow, what an amazing bonbuster! A couple of weeks ago, I was in the mood for something glamourous and scandalous so I picked up this book on a whim - then got completely sucked into it and I literally couldn't stop reading! It was the very last book I read in 2010, but it made it straight into the top 5 of my favourite reads of last year!

Despite its massiveness, which might be off-putting at first, there isn't a single dull page in the book. There is a looooot going on, but everything seems to be relevant - like, if that character hadn't done that (which may have seemed random at first), then they wouldn't meet that character and then blah blah. I found the novel really well-structred and for such a long book it really was incredibly thrilling and engrossing.

Plot-wise, this is the story of three rich girls: Allegra, Imogen and Romily - best friends who call themselves the Midnight Girls because they often hold forbidden meetings at midnight at their the exclusive boarding school. One night they're involved in a tragedy and they swear to never tell anyone what really happened. After their school years, Imogen and Allegra enroll into university and Romily becomes a proper socialite, dabbling in this and that. On top of their own story, we also follow Mitch (aka Ted Mitchell), a struggling chef who seems a bit random at first, but plays a very important role later on ...

I don't really want to go into plot details too much because a) I don't even know where to begin, there is SO much going on, and b) I don't want to spoil anything for those who are planning to read this. All I'm saying is that this is a very glamurous read with a lot of super wealthy people, their relationships, sex, drugs, tragedy, revenge etc. There are numerous surprising twists and by the end I felt like I was reading a thriller or something - I was bitting my nails (figuratively speaking) and afraid to read on because the book was becoming so intense! I really liked the ending though and I put the book down with a satisfied sigh.

I absolutely adored being sucked into the lives of the incredibly rich and reading about the amazing lifestyles of these girls (especially Romily's!) was like the ultimate fantasy (minus all the drugs, please). It seems like anything goes in that world and nothing is impossible - the highs and lows are as extreme as they come and Ms Taylor shows both sides very well. It's not all glitz & glamour all the time, but I really truly loved reading about that kind of lifestyle!

I thought the characerization was incredibly well done - I thought the characters were believable and especially the four main ones (the girls and Mitch) have undergone quite a transformation, which, I suppose, is not terribly surprising since they've been through quite a bit: tragedy, rape, robbery, drug addiction, crazy parties, love affairs, backstabbing etc. But nonetheless, I really admirated how the characters evolved and the people they became by the end.

Overall, as you can see, I simply cannot praise this book highly enough as I loved every single minute of it! My boyfriend even said he had never seen me so engrossed in a book, especially when the dramatic conclusion took place and I was terrified to turn the page because I expect terrible things to happen to the characters I grew to love, heh.

I absolutely loved this book and I strongly recommend if you're looking for a great story, set in the world of the incredibly rich. I've read a few bonkbusters in the past, but this has to be my favourite of them all.
I'll be sure to read more by Ms Taylor - I already have a copy of her debut novel Heiresses and I've already pre-ordered her upcoming title Beautiful Creatures, which sounds fantastic and I'll probably devour it as soon as it shows up!

ps: Oh and the cover - gorgeous much?!?! Yeah, I think so!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: DOWN TO EARTH by Melanie Rose ****

2011-01-07T00:30:00.004+01:00

One ordinary day,
one extraordinary experience …

When Michaela Anderson signs up for a parachute jump she gets more than a case of vertigo… Suffering last-minute panic, Michaela’s three colleagues go first. But just as she takes her leap of faith, an almighty gale blows up from nowhere. When she returns to the ground, she finds the airfield deserted, her car gone and the seasons mysteriously changed. Posters nearby proclaim Michaela to have been missing for the last six and a half years…

But Michaela is determined to find out the truth. Was she kidnapped? Is she now suffering amnesia, or has something even more extraordinary occurred? With the help of handsome pilot Matt, Michaela sets out to find the truth. And what she discovers rocks everything she has ever believed in to the core…

A magical tale that will enchant and enthral fans of Cecelia Ahern and Sophie Kinsella.

I've heard so much praise for Melanie Rose that I just had to give her books a try and for some reason I decided to start with this one, I guess mainly because I was intrigued by the mystery at heart. And whoa what a mystery it was! I found most of the book incredibly gripping and I just could not stop reading it as I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Michaela after she jumped from the plane and landed six years in the future ...

As I said, I found the premise oh so engrossing. It's similar to either Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella or What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, where both main character suffer an accident of some sort and when they come to, years have passed and their lives have changed drastically. These three books have quite a few similarities, but I'd say Down to Earth is the darkest one of them since Michaela actually disappeared during the 'missing' years and this was an actual tragedy that dramatically altered the lives of her closest friends and family ...
So when Alice suddenly reappears after 6 years, she has a LOT to deal with. Her parents' lives have been literally destroyed by their frantic search for their daughter, her once loving boyfriend almost hates her for causing him so much pain, her best friend has hit rock bottom and turned into a completely different person, the pilot who saw her last was suspected of killing her and she can't even prove she's really Michaela Anderson since she was presumed dead years ago.

So yeah, Michaela has an awful lot to come to terms with since her life seems to have changed for the worse in just a few hours, all while trying to figure out what on Earth happened to her and where has she been for the past six years if she hasn't been abducted by aliens, like some people presumed. I found myself racing through the book, hoping that there was a good explanation for the mystery. And was there, you might ask? Well, I'm can't say really since I'm not quite sure what to make of the ending (was it just me or was that a bit confusing?), but I guess it wasn't quite as satisfactory as I had hoped. Part of me knew there couldn't possibly be a good enough and reasonable explanation for Michaela's situation (no idea what though), but I kept hoping I'd be blown away and I wasn't really. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed following this story - the mystery was fantastic and there were quite a few twists and turns along the way too!

I also found myself really connecting to the characters in this book. Their pain was so real to me and I really symphatized with Michaela and her broken mother, her ill boyfriend Calum, his lonely daughter Abbey and others. I like it when books can achieve that - when I don't feel like I'm just observing the characters, but also sharing their pain.

All in all, this was a thrilling and a slightly darker chicklity read with an intriguing premise and a great set of characters! I can definitely understand all the hype surrounding Ms Rose and I'll definitely be reading her other two books too - it's a good thing they're already sitting on my shelf (I bought them as soon as they came out because I simpy couldn't resist the covers - I mean, aren't they GORGEOUS??)!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 4/5

Books I'm looking forward to in 2011!

2011-01-04T20:16:00.002+01:00

This post is slightly overdue, seeing how it's 2011 already, but better late than never, right? :) Yeah, so here are some of the upcoming releases that I'm very excited about! Please note that this is just a draft and that the list will be updated (erm, hopefully) as time goes by.

Are you looking forward to any of the books below too? Is there anything you think I should add? :)

JANUARY

CHICK LIT
♥ PRIMA DONNA by Karen Swan (7th)
♥ BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Lulu Taylor (20th)

YA
♥ WISHFUL THINKING by Alexandra Bullen (1st)
♥ IF I COULD FLY by Jill Hucklesby (3rd)
♥ ENTANGLED by Cat Clarke (6th)
♥ OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (11th)

HISTORICAL
♥ TIMELESS by Alexandra Monir (11th)

******************

FEBRUARY

CHICK LIT
♥ YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME by Sarra Manning (3rd)
♥ FAKING IT by Charlotte Kymberly (17th)
♥ THE OTHER LIFE by Ellen Meister (17th)
♥ CRYTAL BALLS by Amanda Brobyn (26th)

YA
♥ THE LOCKET by Stacey Jay (3rd)

******************

MARCH

CHICK LIT
♥ THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE by Janelle Brown (3rd)
♥ GETTING AWAY WITH IT by Julie Cohen (3rd)
♥ LIZZY HARRISON LOSES CONTROL by Pippa Wright (4th)
♥ TELL IT LIKE IT ISN'T by Elle Symonds (9th)
♥ SWEPT OFF HER FEET by Hester Browne (22nd)

YA
♥ THE LIAR SOCIETY by Lisa & Laura Roecker (1st)
♥ STEEL by Carrie Vaughn (15th)
♥ THE LYING GAME by Sara Shepard (31st)
♥ WAKE UNTO ME by Lisa Cach (31st)

HISTORICAL
♥ THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell (7th)

******************

APRIL

CHICK LIT
♥ A MOMENT LIKE FOREVER by Martina Reilly (7th)
♥ SING YOU HOME by Jodi Picoult (12th)
♥ MEET ME AT THE CUPCAKE CAFE by Jenny Colgan (14th)
♥ CHASING MR RIGHT by Jane Costello (14th)
♥ BENEATH A STARLET SKY by Amanda Goldberg & Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper (26th)
♥ DESTINY by Louise Bagshawe (28th)

YA
♥ A YEAR WITHOUT AUTUMN by Liz Kessler (7th)
♥ NEVER HAVE I EVER by Sara Shepard (8th)
♥ THE ANTI-PROM by Abby McDonald (12th)

HISTORICAL
♥ THE TIME-TRAVELLING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky (5th)
♥ THE FITZOSBORNES IN EXILE by Michelle Cooper (5th)
♥ PEARL by Deirdre Purcell (14th)

******************

MAY

CHICK LIT
♥ THE MAKING OF US by Lisa Jewell (12th)
♥ THERE GOES THE BRIDE by Holly McQueen (12th)
♥ SUMMER LOVING by Allie Spencer (26th)
♥ SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S by Melissa Hill (26th)
♥ FAME by Tilly Bagshawe (26th)

YA
♥ SAVING JUNE by Hannah Harrington (1st)
♥ KEEP IT SECRET by Eva Gray (1st)
♥ THE ROYAL TREATMENT by Lindsey Leavitt (3rd)
♥ POPULAR by Alissa Grosso (8th)
♥ THE SWEETEST THING by Christina Madelski (10th)
♥ WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE by Sarah Dessen (10th)
♥ BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray (24th)
♥ BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER by Elizabeth Scott (24th)

HISTORICAL
♥ WRAPPED by Jennifer Bradbury (24th)

******************

JUNE

CHICK LIT
♥ I WISHED FOR YOU by Amy Huberman (9th)
♥ WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS by Chrissie Manby (9th)
♥ THE ART OF FORGETTING by Camille Noe Pagan (9th)
♥ LOVE, ALWAYS by Harriet Evans (23rd - PB)

YA
♥ MY LIFE UNDECIDED by Jessica Brody (7th)
♥ FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick (7th)
♥ ONE NIGHT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lauren Barnholdt (14th - PB)
♥ THE DAY BEFORE by Lisa Schroeder (28th)

HISTORICAL
♥ THE BUTTERFLY CABINET by Bernie McGill (23rd - PB)

******************

JULY

CHICK LIT
♥ CALIFORNIA DREAMING by Belinda Jones (21st)
♥ BABY BE MINE by Paige Toon (21st)

YA
♥ KISS, DATE, LOVE, HATE by Luisa Plaja (7th)
♥ RICHES by Megan Cole (7th)
♥ LOVE STORY by Jennifer Echols (19th)

HISTORICAL
♥ THE JEWEL AND THE KEY by Louise Spiegler (11th)
♥ THE LOST CROWN by Sarah Miller (14th)

******************

AUGUST

CHICK LIT
♥ PINCH ME by Adena Halpern (2nd)
♥ ALWAYS ON MY MIND by Colette Caddle (18th - PB)
♥ WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? by Claudia Carroll (21st)

YA
♥ POPULAZZI by Elise Allen (1st)
♥ DARK PARTIES by Sara Grant (3rd)

******************

SEPTEMBER

YA
♥ AS I WAKE by Elizabeth Scott (15th)
♥ THE VISION by Jen Nadol (27th)
♥ ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin (27th)

HISTORICAL
♥ BEAUTIFUL DAYS by Anna Godbersen (20th)

******************

OCTOBER

CHICK LIT
♥ LOVE by Cecelia Ahern (27th)
♥ THE SECRET SHOPPER AFFAIR by Kate Harrison (27th - PB)

******************

DECEMBER

CHICK LIT
♥ CONFESSIONS OF A KARAOKE QUEEN by Ella Kingsley (8th)

My top 10 books of 2010!

2011-01-01T16:31:00.001+01:00

Now that 2010 is officially over, I can finally declare my top 10 books of the past year so without further ado, here they are in all their glory ...

1. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson
This one was simply too stunning for words. I just cannot get over the fact how beautifully written this book was and I loved the little handwritten notes between chapters.

2. MINI SHOPAHOLIC by Sophie Kinsella
Ms Kinsella delivers again! I absolutely adore all her books and this one was no exception - so wonderful and almost TOO hilarious! Long live the Queen of Wit Lit!

3. HELLO, HEARTBREAK by Amy Huberman
This one was a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting all that much, but I ended up laughing so much it literally hurt, plus the book made me feel all warm and fuzzy. So cute and incredibly funny!

4. MIDNIGHT GIRLS by Lulu Taylor
I only finished this like a couple of days ago so my review is yet to come, but whooooa this book was just brilliant! A totally gripping bonkbusters with lots of glitz & glamour and twists & turns! Incredibly well-plotted with great character development. It's well over 600 pages, but I honestly couldn't put it down!

5. PERSONALLY, I BLAME MY FAIRY GODMATHER by Claudia Carroll
Such an adorable (both inside & out) read - a fairytale gone backwards in a hilarious fashion! I love Irish chick lit!

6. THE HUNGER GAMES & CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins
I know these were not published in 2010, but I simply cannot not feature them. Totally not my kind of reads, but I was just blown away by how gripping this series was. Granted I felt Mockingjay was a bit of a let down, but the first two installment were just amazing - brutal and crazy, but SO good!

7. THE LIBERATION OF ALICE LOVE by Abby McDonald
Abby writes amazing chick lit and I loved this book, just like The Popularity Rules! Great plot idea and well executed too!

8. SPOTLIGHT by Ilana Fox
Another gripping chick lit book! Loved the cover and the book was simply unputdownable!

9. SWAPPED BY A KISS by Luisa Plaja
Such a cute read about what happens when your crazy wishes really come true - I still smile just thinking about this book, it was so wonderful!

10. THE FINISHING TOUCHES by Hester Browne
I may not be too keen on the idea of finishing schools, but what makes this book so amazing is mostly the writing and the characters, most of whom I grew really fond of. This book was SO much better than I expected and it cracked me up at times!

Even thought I've only read 60+ books (disappointing number, I know!!), it was still quite difficult to narrow it down to just 10, but after some thinking I came up with the list above!

Honourable mentions aka the AWESOME books that nearly made the list (in no particular order):

Cally Taylor: HEAVEN CAN WAIT
Muriel Zagha: FINDING MONSIEUR RIGHT
Kristin Walker: A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL
Ruthanna Hopper and Amanda Goldberg: CELEBUTANTES
Tara Hyland: DAUGHTERS OF FORTUNE
Martel Maxwell: SCANDALOUS
Sarah Webb: THE LOVING KIND
Liane Moriarty: WHAT ALICE FORGOT
Jojo Moyes: THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER
Michele Gorman: SINGLE IN THE CITY
Kate Morton: THE DISTANT HOURS

2010 wasn't a bad year for me as such, but there's always room for improvment so I hope 2011 is even better - speaking of which, look out for my list of exciting 2011 releases, coming soon! :)

Review: REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly ****

2010-12-26T20:40:00.000+01:00

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Revolution is the story of a teen girl called Andi, who has suffered the devastating loss of her younger brother Truman in a tragic accident, for which she blames herself. She struggles with her feelings of guilt and grief, and thus does some stupid things to cope with the pain. However, before she completely falls apart, her father takes her with him to Paris on his trip on which he is to investigate if the heart in the jar really belonged to Louis XVII, the young king who was locked up in a tower during the Revolution since some people speculate that Louis was somehow saved.

So our Andi finds herself in Paris and is determined to meet her father's conditions in order for him to let her go home asap. While staying at her dad friend's, she comes across a diary from the Frech Revolution days that was kept by Alexandrine, a young girl who went from a street performer to living in the castle and entertaining Louis XVII. When his parents were killed and he was imprisoned, she went around the town setting off fireworks because she knew he was watching and that they made him smile. She was on a mission to save Louis from the tower and Andi goes completely engrossed in her diary entries, hoping that she was successful ... But was she?
Andi hates staying in Paris at first, but she soon makes some friends and does some interesting research for her thesis on Amadé Malherbeau, a musician from the late 18th century. Just when she's almost ready to go back home, something interesting happens to her during a late-night visit to the catacombs ...

But enough about the plot, before I give too much away - let's focus on writing next. I thought the novel was beautifully written. I liked Andi's snarky narrative voice and I felt that both 18th century and modern day Paris were so vividly described that I easily being there - I just got sucked into the world described in the novel. The author must have done an awful lot of reserach on the French Revolution - I mean, I'm no expert on the subject, but it all seemed very believable to me. The author sure didn't sugarcoat anything so certain scenes might not be for the squeamish - let's just say that Paris was quite nasty and smelly back then and that the gruesome guillotine scenes made me a bit queasy, heh. But overall reading about the French Revolution was a rather fascinating experience.

As I said, the novel is written from Andi's perspective and I really enjoyed her narrative. As I read what happened on that fateful day, my heart just broke for her and for her poor little brother. Her grief was so strong that her pain was tangible so I wasn't at all surprised by all the stupid things she did to cope because what happened on that day was really too horrible to bear. Apart from prescription pills etc., Andi also copes with the help of music, which is very important to her and she feels it deeply. Music is another important topic that's really well researched.

All in all, I was rather impressed by this book, although not completely blown away. The historical part was far more interesting than I expected, even though this is not my favourite period to read about. The time travelling bit will require you to suspend your disbelief, but other than that, this novel was very realistic and well written, plus the cover's fantastic! Ms Donnelly is certainly a superb author and I look forward to reading her other three novels (Tea Rose, Winter Rose & Northern Light), all of which I already own, I just have to get around to finally reading them and they all sound great!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

Waiting On Wednesday: The Time-Travelling Fashionista

2010-12-22T23:13:00.002+01:00

Goodness gracious, it's been a while, eh?! :( Due to my hectic life, I just can't seem to muster enough time or energy to be creative or productive online and I hate it. I have a few reviews drafted, but they're just not finished yet so I have to work on that ... Meanwhile, please enjoy this latest installment of WOW - it's for a book that I've been looking forward to for ages, and now that I've finally seen the cover and the summary, I'm even more excited about it! How amazing does this look & sound?! :)

THE TRAVELLING FASHIONISTA
by Bianca Turetsky
[5 April 2011]

When Louise Lambert receives a mysterious invitation to a traveling vintage fashion sale in the mail, her normal life in suburban Connecticut is magically transformed into a time traveling adventure.

After a brief encounter with two witchy salesladies and donning an evening gown that once belonged to a beautiful silent film star, Louise suddenly finds herself onboard a luxurious cruise ship in 1912. As Alice Baxter, the silent film star, Louise enjoys her access to an extensive closet of gorgeous vintage gowns and begins to get a feel for the challenges and the glamour of life during this decadent era. Until she realizes that she's not just on any ship -- she's on the Titanic!

Will Louise be able to save herself and change the course of history, or are she and her film star alter ego, destined to go down with a sinking ship in the most infamous sea disaster of the 20th century?

In My Mailbox #65

2010-12-12T14:22:00.000+01:00

Here are the books I got in the past week - all purchased by me:

MATCHED by Ally Condie - My UK paperback finally arrived and I look forward to reading it after hearing SO many good things about it!
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS by Sara Sheppard - I just couldn't resist this, it's sucking me in! I haven't read the series or watched a single episode of the TV show, but I totally think I should! Now if only I had the time, le sigh ...
ONE DAY by David Nicholls - I've been urged to read this so I got myself a copy. I hate the UK orange cover so I got myself a US edition, which looked pink & black online, which is lovely, buuuut instead the cover text is actually in hot pink & hot orange - whoever decided to mix those two colours must've been out of their goddamn mind as it looks horrible, ew.
SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE by Emma Heatherington - Been wanting to have a copy of this forever so this felt like a good time to order it!
SO WHAT IF I'M BROKEN by Anna McPartlin - I love love love the title and the cover of this one! I was offered the UK version (called The One I Love) for review, but turned it down because I just adore this cover & title. Wonderful and I just hope the plot is equally good, but from what I've heard it shouldn't disappoint.

I'm really happy with my book haul and I hope you all got awesome books too! :)

Waiting On Wednesday: New Amy Huberman!!!

2010-12-08T19:44:00.001+01:00

You might remember that I read this book called Hello, Heartbreak a while ago that I *really* enjoyed and I was over the moon when I learned that the author, Amy Huberman, has a new book coming out in 2011!!! Are you excited? I sure as hell am!

I'm afraid I find the cover a bit meh, but I do appreciate the ice skates. I'm really liking the title though and the plot sounds great - gimme gimme gimme! :D

I WISHED FOR YOU
by Amy Huberman
[9 June 2011]

The eagerly awaited funny, stylish and romantic follow-up to the No 1 bestselling Hello, Heartbreak

When you put your heart into it, anything's possible …

Annie has cornered the market in quirky style, but her love of all things fashion is not exactly fulfilled by her job: styling well-to-do ladies who have way more money than fashion sense.

At least her love-life is perky, although she's not getting misty-eyed at the idea of walking down the aisle. Which is more than a bit of a problem when she sees her boyfriend about to go down on one knee.

Into her muddled-up life comes silver-haired Sylvia - vintage clothing queen, ex-Hollywood costume lady and one hell of a woman. Sylvia has seen it all and done it all. She tells Annie that the secret of happiness is to discover your heart wish. Now, if only Annie can work out what her heart's greatest wish really is …

Review: MEN I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Adele Parks ****

2010-12-06T22:54:00.004+01:00

How do you know when you’ve met the one you’re meant to be with?
Neil and Nat are a match made in heaven. They hate marmite and the opera. They love smelly cheese and the missionary position. And they both absolutely do not want children.
At least that’s what Nat thought. But now Neil seems to have softened to the prospect of dirty nappies and sleepless nights, and he’s practically begging her for a baby. Nat, however, has no intention of swapping her high-flying career for a life of endless self-sacrifice. As the cracks start to show, Nat wonders if Neil really is the man of her dreams. Or is it possible that someone from her past could actually be ‘the one’?
Nat’s little black book, filled with the names and addresses of previous lovers, could hold the answers she’s looking for. Or it could be a one-way ticket to all kinds of trouble. And is the perfect match too much to ask for?

This book hit so close to home that it was actually getting a bit scary, heh. Based on the description, I knew I'd be able to relate to it, but once I started reading it, it all sounded almost too familiar, especially the thoughts and the feelings and fears of Nat, the main character. As you can see above, the main twist of this story is that Nat and Neil, a happily married couple, have both agreed that do NOT want children, period. However, that changes overnight when Neil realizes that he actually wants to have children - he longs to become a father so his kids could have the same great childhood he had. So he goes all soft and mushy and mumbles: "Let's make babies." Nat thought he said, "Let's make love, baby," so you can imagine her shock when she learns what he really meant - yeah, EEK!

Obviously, this is a HUGE deal breaker in a relationship so their marriage goes into a massive crisis. They drift apart and start living separate lives, hiding the truth from one another. Neil finds comfort in a stripper with a cute little daughter and Nat starts meeting up with her exes, just double checking if any of them might be The One since Neil obviously doesn't seem to be ...

Firstly, I think the title of the book is completely WRONG because this novel is hardly about Nat's men she's loved before - all those men are barely mentioned (granted there were quite a few so the book could get rather long if those scenes were more detailed), plus all that stuff felt more like a filler to me and rather far fetched. I can't understand why that was chosen as the title of the book, when it's definitely not the main issue, but I suspect it's due to the commercial reasons - not many people relate to not wanting children, whereas everyone has people they've loved before so it sounds more relatable, right? I'm just guessing.

As I said above, I could really relate to the topic of the book so it's not at all surprising that I found it very engrossing. Like Nat, I'm also determined to never ever have children, which tends to shock people. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't like children (in fact, I adore them) or don't want to have them (I do actually ... I guess?), but I just feel like I shouldn't have children in this crazy, insane, horrible world ... I don't want to get into the reasons why because it's a long story and most people don't understand me, but this is something that's very important to me and something that I've promised to myself a looong time ago. My lovely boyfriend, on the other hand, is not so opposed to the idea of reproducing for the same reasons as Neil. He'd make a fantastic dad and he's the kind of person I'd love to have children with, but I really shouldn't and can't. So obviously this is bound to become a deal breaker for us too eventually, but we're only in our mid-20s so it's not something we actively think or argue about now, but we know each other's point of view. That's why I was so fascinated by this book - to see what happens when an important thing like that becomes an issue ...

Nat also has her own strong reasons for not wanting to become a mother - her reasons are completely different to mine, but I could still really relate to her feelings. She bears a secret that she hasn't even shared with Neil, which I found quite surprising, but I suppose that 'thing' just hurt her so much that she couldn't bear to talk about it, which is something that I understand. But still, I was surprised that not even her husband knew about something so basic.

I'm not too sure how I feel about the ending of the novel ... I appreciated the twists & turns because I was wondering what all the mess would result in. I suppose I shouldn't say I was disappointed by the ending because that's really not nice, but honestly I was happy for them and even got a little teary, aww.

Personal aspect of the novel aside, I thought the book was really well-written and definitely an improvement from Love Lies, which is the only other Adele Parks book I've read and was slightly unimpressed by it. This one, on the other hand, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, but I guess I'm a little biased, hehe.

Overall, this books not only met my expectations, but also exceeded them. It was a bit of a scary read due to my familiarity with the main issue, but well carried out. I wonder how people with children or the longing for them feel about books with a theme like this one? Reading this, I was immediately reminded of BABY PROOF by Emily Giffin as the books are rather similar in many ways. I really enjoyed that one too (I read it as soon as it was published a few years ago) and I'm glad that there are a few brave authors who decide to tackle this topic that not a lot of people can relate to.

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 3/5

In My Mailbox #64

2010-12-05T12:15:00.006+01:00

I've been so busy lately that I didn't get to do an IMM for a while so here are all the brilliant books I got & bought recently:

FROM NOTHING HILL WITH LOVE ... ACTUALLY by Ali McNamara - I bought this mainly for the goooorgeous cover. I'm not a huge film buff so I don't know if I could enjoy this book properly, but I just had to have it because of the cover! Wow!
50 WAYS TO FIND A LOVER & THE (IM)PERFECT GIRLFRIEND by Lucy-Anne Holmes - I bought these because I've heard SO many great things about them. They're meant to be hilarious and goodness know that's my favourite kind of books!
THE SECRET SHOPPER'S REVENGE & THE SECRET SHOPPER UNWRAPPED by Kate Harrison - These just sound cute and look absolutely adorable so when I saw them in real life, I just couldn't resist them!
SINFUL DECEPTIONS by Zoë Miller - I'm quite intrigued by this one and I've been waiting for the paperback for aaaages!
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY by Lucy Dawson - Sounds like a good read so I just bought it.
BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys (ARC) - This one is bound to be horrifying. It takes place during WWII in Siberia. I've read a few pages and my heart was instantly broken. I know this won't be an easy read, but I still feel it needs to be read. You can find about this book at the website.
THE JEWEL OF ST PETERSBURG by Kate Furnivall - Another one I love the sound and look of! Had to have it.
LAKE OF DREAMS by Kim Edwards (ARC) - I wasn't expecting this one but the synopsis sounds quite good so I look forward to reading it!

That's it from me - what did YOU get? I can't wait to find out! :)

ps: I invite you all to check out Nadine's blog THE READING QUEEN. She's been blogging for quite a while and she's one of my favourite book bloggers out there, but since she's not really promoting her blog much, she doesn't have many followers yet. I think she definitely deserves many more so feel free to check her out & follow her. :)

Waiting On Wednesday: Two amazing 2011 chick lit releases!

2010-12-01T22:53:00.000+01:00

From what I've seen so far, 2011 will be the year of fantastic chick lit books and here are the first two I've decided to spotlight in this meme, with the rest to follow in the next few weeks ...

LIZZY HARRISON LOSES CONTROL
by Pippa Wright
[4 March 2011]

'Have you ever noticed that the modern romantic heroine can be, not to put too fine a point on it, a bit useless?'
Lizzy Harrison has everything under control. Lizzy Harrison isn't a romantic heroine. Not even close. She doesn't have a cat, owns no more shoes than the average person, and is in no way hopelessly scatty and disorganised. In fact her life is in perfect order, and that's just how she likes it.
Okay, so she hasn't met the right man yet, but she really doesn't have the time what with her busy job in PR and her packed schedule of improving activities. Her diary is planned months in advance and she's determined that nothing spontaneous will force its way into her life...hasn't she?
But when her best friend Lulu questions her need for control, Lizzy starts to wonder if she needs to let go a little. So when she's thrown into the arms of her boss' number one client, notorious comedian (and love-rat) Randy Jones, she reluctantly relaxes her hold on routine.
Lizzy Harrison is about to find out that losing control could win her more than she had ever imagined.

FAKING IT
by Charlotte Kymberley
[17 February 2011]

It’s not you, it’s me - That’s the cowardly text message that Katie receives from Jack, her actor boyfriend of three years, when he dumps her. And things go from bad to worse when photos of Jack canoodling with a famous size-zero actress are splashed across every gossip magazine and tabloid soon after. Just how much humiliation can a girl take?
With the paparazzi camped out on her doorstep, Katie decides to preserve what’s left of her dignity. So she agrees to become her PR colleagues’ next project. They will make her over (hair, teeth, clothes, Botox, boobs – the works) and turn her into an instant celebrity in order to win back her ex and show the world that an ordinary girl can rival a beautiful bimbo.
But will a new life in the limelight be everything Katie dreamt of? Can she make it in the cut-throat world of the beautiful, rich and famous? Is Jack worth all the hassle or is there someone else out there who might love Katie just the way she is?

Ooh, I am LOVING the sound of both of these! But that's just a taste of what's in store for chick lit in 2011. I'm excited - are you? :)

Review: THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton *****

2010-11-28T16:04:00.004+01:00

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret.

Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old girl, Edie’s mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe, and taken to live at Millderhurst Castle with the Blythe family.

Fifty years later, Edie too is drawn to Milderhurst and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it . . .

I've been raving about this book for months and I was SO excited when I finally got my copy! Reading it was such a treat and it was pretty much everything I've hoped for, having really really enjoyed her previous two books, The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden.

Unlike the first two books, which mostly alternate between the early 1900s and the present days, the historical part of this novel takes place during World War II and the present day narration is set in 1992, which is when our heroine Edie's mother receives a letter (from 1941) that changes everything. The letter itself is nothing special, but with its arrival Edie learns that her mother Meredith was evacuated during WWII and spent a short period of time living at the Milderhurst Castle ...

Soon after that, Edie finds herself in the Milderhurst village and books a tour of the castle, where she meets the three Blythe sisters that her mother used to know and who still live there: the twins Persephone and Seraphina and their younger sister Juniper (also knows as Percy, Saffy and June respecitvely). Neither of them ever married and the twins are now caring for Juniper, who has supposedly lost her mind on 29 October 1941 when her fiancé never showed up for dinner and she's still stuck in a time loop, convinced he will arrive after all.

At the centre of the novel is the now crumbling but once magnificent Milderhurst Castle and its residents, the Blythe family, who have had their fair share of tragedy. The father of the Blythe Sisters, Raymond Blythe, has tragically lost both his wives so he mostly had to take care of his daughters himself. He was also the famous author of The True History of the Mud Man, a children's classic novel, which plays a very important role in the novel as well; as one of the characters says, this story begins and ends with the Mud Man - and oh yes, does it ever ... Gosh, I so wish that story actually existed because I really want to read the whole thing now, not just the prologue that's featured at the beginning of the book.

Although Edie was the narrator, I felt she was more the side character and that the Sisters Blythe took over the central stage, which I quite liked actually. I enjoyed reading about their growing up in the castle and it made me sad how none of them ever realized their ambitions and how they remained tied to the castle. The book is divided into five parts and there are several cliffhangers. I raced through it to see what actually happened on that fateful stormy night of 29 October 1941 - and whoa, talk about twists and turns!

The novel is masterfully crafted, but that should come as no surprise if you've read Morton's previous two books, and her latest accomplishment just proves what an outstanding storyteller she is! Granted that this book is massive (nearly 700 pages!) and a bit slow at times, BUT Ms Morton's amazing writing style makes every single page an absolute delight to read. She creates a world that is so detailed and so well presented that it completely sucks you in and I loved getting lost in it.

If you love a good and well written story with secrets and a fair bit of mystery (including a literary one) and a fantastic set of characters, then this is the book for you. If you've read Ms Morton's books before, then I can assure you that you will not be disappointed by her latest offering. And if you're not familiar with this author yet, then I urge you to give her books a try. This book was well worth the wait and I'm really excited about Morton's future's novel - I do hope she's working on one already!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 4/5

ps: Watch the video below to learn more about the book.

In My Mailbox #63

2010-11-14T00:29:00.006+01:00

Whoooa, another crazy week! Where does the time go?! The week just went by SO fast, but wahey at least I got some great books!

THE REDHEAD REVEALED by Alice Clayton - Squee! I got an e-ARC of this book a while ago, but Alice kindly arranged for me to have a finished copy too, yay! Thanks so much, Alice! I loved the previous instllment, The Unidentified Redhead and I cannot WAIT to read more about THE BRIT and his sexy adventures, hehe!
HOLD STILL by Nina LaCour - The new cover and the trailer totally sealed the deal for me and I just had to get this book!
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver - WOOHOOO! What an amazing surprise! I got this for review from Hodder so thank you to whoever who thought of me! I was amazed by Before I Fall and I've heard nothing but praise for Delirium so far! Really looking forward to this one and in case you didn't know, it comes out in February 2011.
I DON'T WANT TO BE CRAZY by Samantha Schutz - This one was recommeded to me by Chelsea @ The Page Flipper. We were sort of discussing books about anxiety and the lack of them so she recommeded this one. It's written in verse and it looks very interesting.

That's it from me. What did YOU get? :)

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Review: HELLO, HEARTBREAK by Amy Huberman *****

2010-11-08T21:20:00.003+01:00

You'd think 27 years would be enough time to wise up to the rules of love and loss, especially Rule Number 1: Do not, at any time, let him see how much he has hurt you. But no, Izzy Keegan was probably off doing sambuca shots when that lesson was taught. So, starting with public humiliation (that infamous blow-up with her Ex and his new woman...huge mistake), and taking in temporary insanity, rebound sex, and a night in a police cell along the way, Izzy has to make up her own rules for coping with heartbreak.
Luckily she has friends who are there for her through thick and thin (even if 'doing an Izzy' is their new shorthand for completely losing it). And she's got her foot in the door of the film business (though dogsbody wasn't exactly the job she dreamt of doing). Now, all she has to do is put the dirty cheating love-rat behind her. You'd think 27 years would be enough time to wise up to the rules of love and loss. Make that 27 and a bit...

Oh my goodness, this book was SO GOOD!
I still chuckle and grin and giggle just thinking about this brilliant little thing, but I have to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting that much to begin with. I'm not into books about girls coping with breaking up and waaah, plus I read that Ms Huberman is an actress so I sort of figured she's just another girl who got a publishing deal just because she's famous. But boy oh boy was I *wrong*, this girl was BORN to write chick lit!

The story itself is quite simple - our occassionally ditzy yet absolutely adorable heroine Izzy has been dumped by the love of her life and now she has to cope with all the humiliation she's gotten herself into trying to win him back. She tries to get over him with the help of her amazing friends and housemates and some yummy boys, and gets herself into about a million hilarious situations along the way. Please excuse me for simplying the story to the max, there is SO much more to it, but it's not the plot itself that takes the cake - it's the writing and the humour that make this book absolutely GOLDEN, just like the cover!

The author is Irish and as I've said before, Irish chick lit is simply the best! I love Irish humour and this book just made me laugh SO hard, I was honestly laughing my arse off and I couldn't read normally because I was crying from laughing so much (no joke!). I read one scene or sentence, burst out laughing, then tried to read more and cracked up again. I was reading it at the hotel lobby while waiting to be picked up by the agency (the holiday was over, boo) and people must've thought I was completely manic because I was literally laughing like crazy, LOL. Maybe I was just in a good mood or relaxed, but seriously, this book made me laugh so much it literally hurt and I'm not even joking! :D

Yes yes, this book is 100 % fluff and occassionally a bit silly and super light and blah blah, but SO WHAT? Its only purpuse is to entertain and I personally have to say it excels at it! I loved everything about it - Izzy, her friends Susie and Keelin, their rabbit Dermont, all the hilarious scenes involving Cian and 'Edna McClodmutton', Aidan and his gang, Izzy's workmates (espesh Eve & Geraldine) and thieir project Snog Me Now, You Dublin Whore and Gavin and ooh and aah! I loved it all! The only tiny complaint I might have is the cover, which is not really my favourite and I think it could be much better, but I suppose it's not that bad ... However, in this case what's inside really does count! ;)

The blurbs on the back cover describe this book as 'Jane Austen on ecstay' or 'Bridget Jones on viagra' and I have to say I agree, I don't know what the author was smoking or popping while working on this book, but it totally worked and reading the book really is like inhaling laughing gas or something! Other blurbs say the novel is 'fun, bubbly, gutsy and lively' as well as 'sharp and sassy' - all true!
In more awesome news, this cute little brain candy is also nominated in several categories at this year's Irish Book Awards and I'm totally keeping my fingers crossed that it wins Best Irish Newcomer of the Year and Irish Popular Book of the Year - I've already voted!

Right, well, this review was a bit hyper, but I blame it all on this book - I've read it more than a month ago and it still has this crazy happy effect on me. I want to re-read it and I just might do that the next time I'm feeling down - this awesome piece of Wit Lit is bound to do the trick!

In conclusion, all I can say is that this book was downright hilarious and brilliant and a must-read for everyone who doesn't mind a light read with lots of comedy. It's one of the best books I've read this year and I sure hope there's more where this came from, but I can't find anything on Amazon ... Nonetheless, if Ms Huberman writes any more books in the future, you best believe I'll be the first in line to read them!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 4/5

In My Mailbox #62

2010-11-07T13:34:00.004+01:00

Whew, another busy week finally ended and I can't believe it's Sunday already! I only got two books in the past weeks and here they are:

IMMORTAL BELOVED by Cate Tiernan - I got this ARC for review from Hodder and it arrived in this awesome blue envelope, I really liked the packaging! The story sounds really interesting too and my review should hopefully up by January 2011 when this book comes out!
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? by Claudia Carroll - I loooooved Carroll's latest book called Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmothwer so I decided to get her back list too, starting with this one because it sounds like the most fun!

That's it from me, what did YOU get? :)

Review: A PLACE OF SECRETS by Rachel Hore ****

2010-11-01T21:46:00.000+01:00

The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again ...
Can dreams be passed down through families? As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother. Now her six-year-old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her.
A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. When she's asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up.
As Jude untangles Wickham's tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present. What have Summer's nightmares to do with Starbrough folly, the eerie crumbling tower in the forest from which Wickham and his adopted daughter Esther once viewed the night sky?
With the help of Euan, a local naturalist, Jude searches for answers in the wild, haunting splendour of the Norfolk woods. Dare she leave behind the sadness in her own life, and learn to love again?

I've come across Ms Hore's books before and I always thought they sounded interesting, but I haven't read any, although I've always wanted to! Then I got the chance to review this and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with this author's work. I expected this book to be good and I certainly wasn't disappointed - but not really blown away either. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a very enjoyable read!

I like a good mystery and enjoy stories with the past and present narrative so this book was just my cup of tea! It's the story of a young widow Jude, who works for an auction house and travels to the countryside to value the collection of books from the 18th century at Starbrough Hall. The job couldn't be more perfect: the owners of the house are lovely, the work is fascinating, she gets to spend more time with her beloved niece and she also meets the charming naturalist Euan.
The collection she is valuing belongs to an astronomer from the 18th century, Antony Wickham. While inspecting the collection, Jude also comes across a diary, which apparently belongs to Esther, Wickham's adopted daughter. The strange thing is that there is no record of her anywhere - no clues about where she came from and what happened to her. It appears like she never existed - if it wasn't for the diary entries, which eventually uncover a rather fascinating story about her astronomical discoveries with her father and her own life story ...

The main story takes place now, but it's interspersed with Esther's diary entries from the late 18th century. I quite liked this format - thus the mystery was gradually revealed and I found myself eager to know more about Esther's life, work and her strange disappearance into history. The ending didn't disappoint and I thought her story came to a marvelous conclusion! The only complaint I have is that perhaps there were perhaps just a tad too many coincidences and everything connected maybe just a bit too easily, in my opinion. But hey, this is fiction so that is to be expected! Other than that, the book proved to be a rather absorbing read with a lovely main story and an interesting mystery at heart.

I can't fault the writing or the characters either. I thought the book was well written and the characters were believable and warm (well, most of them) and they felt real. The novel itself is nice too, but I think a picture of the folly and perhaps a starry sky would be far more fitting. I suppose the publishers choose this look to bring the book to the attention of Kate Morton fans? The covers *are* rather similar in design, after all ...

Which bring me to my last point - the Kate Morton comparisons. The author must be fed up of them, but they just can't be avoided as there seem to be quite a few similarities between the books by these two authors. Personally, I've only read one Rachel Hore book as opposed to three Kate Morton books (all of which I *adored*), and thus I'm not the most fair judge. Well, in my opinion, Kate Morton is the absolute Queen of this sort of historical fiction, but Rachel Hore seems to be a good replacement for when you're waiting for the next Kate Morton book, hehe! So if you're a Ms Morton fan, definitely give Ms Hore a chance - or pick up the book if you're just looking for a good story, you won't be disappointed!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 4/5

In My Mailbox #61

2010-10-30T20:25:00.000+02:00

Yay, I got some more amazing books, but that's hardly surprising since, y'know, I kinda bought them and I obviously wouldn't if I didn't think they are fantastic, LOL! So here's are some of the books I couldn't resist buying recently - those that have arrived in the past week:

HESTER'S STORY by Adele Geras - I came across this book quite randomly and I was immediately captivated by the cover and the premise - ballet and a mystery, totally my cup of tea! It's apparently mostly sold out so I was over the moon when it was still available at Book Depository, yay!
THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET by Pseudonymous Bosch - This one is suspiciously similar to Lemony Snicket's ASOUE and the rumour has it this might be one of his alter egos! In case you didn't know, I thought ASOUE was positively brilliant and this book really does sound quite a bit like it so I just had to have it immediately! Knowing me, I'll probably order the rest of the series before I even read this book, lol.
THE SECRETS OF SOPHIA MUSGROVE: DANCING & DECEPTION by Janey Louise Jones - Look at this cover! Don't you just love it?! This sounds & looks like a totally cute historical YA read - another one that I just *had* to have as soon as I saw it, hehe.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend, darlings!
Me? Oh, you know, I'll just be reading THE DISTANT HOURS!!! I started it today and I'm loving it already and my plan is to dedicate the whole weekend to it! :)

Waiting On Wednesday: The copycat edition!

2010-10-27T22:30:00.002+02:00

Sadly, I haven't done this meme in a while due to all the crazyness that's been my life lately, but to get back on the scene I decided to do it a bit differently this time - I picked my favourite three WoW picks that were featured on the blogs I follow. This way I discovered three completely new books and I love the sound of each and every one of them, woohoo!

The Vespertine
by Saundra Mitchell
[March 7th, 2011]
>>> spotted @ ~*Loves to Read*~

The summer of 1889 is the one between childhood and womanhood for Amelia van den Broek—and thankfully, she’s not spending it at home in rural Maine. She’s been sent to Baltimore to stay with her stylish cousin, Zora, who will show her all the pleasures of city life and help her find a suitable man to marry.

With diversions ranging from archery in the park to dazzling balls and hints of forbidden romance, Victorian Baltimore is more exciting than Amelia imagined. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. Newly dubbed "Maine’s Own Mystic", Amelia is suddenly quite in demand.

However, her attraction to Nathaniel, an artist who is decidedly outside of Zora's circle, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. And while she has no trouble seeing the futures of others, she cannot predict whether Nathaniel will remain in hers.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia's world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

Yay, this one is set in my favourite period of time and it sounds so mysterious!

Falling in Love with English Boys
by Melissa Jensen
[23 December 2010]

>>> spotted @ The Fiction Enthusiast

Sixteen-year-old Catherine Vernon has been stranded in London for the summer, no friends, no ex-boyfriend Adam the Scum (good riddance!), and absolutely nothing to do but blog about her misery to her friends back home. Desperate for something, anything, to do in London while her (s)mother's off researching boring historical things, Cat starts reading the 1815 diary of Katherine Percival her mom gives her, and finds the similarities between their lives to be oddly close. But where Katherine has the whirls of the society, the parties and the gossip over who is engaged to who, Cat's only got some really excellent English chocolate. Then she meets William Percival, the uber-hot descendant of Katherine, and things start looking up ...

Ooh, yes, I love me some English boys always & forever! :D

Fractured: Happily Never After
by Joanna Karaplis
[1 November 2010]
>>> spotted @ Oh My Books!

Everyone knows a fairytale or two. They’re the kind of stories that seem to stick with you. Maybe it’s the magic. Maybe it’s the handsome prince. Or maybe they’re just the absolute perfect place to lose yourself for a little while.

But what would happen if Snow White were around today? Would Cinderella still need a fairy godmother? And would the Little Mermaid show up on YouTube?

Joanna Karaplis has put an unexpected spin on Snow White, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid; she’s quietly fractured the stories and then reassembled them for the 21st Century. So, while there may not be a whole lot of horse-drawn carriages and magic potions, you can be sure that there will be at least one evil witch and maybe even a handsome prince (or two)…

How intriguing and I love the cover!

Review: LAST NIGHT AT CHATEAU MARMONT ****

2010-10-25T21:55:00.001+02:00

Heartbreak, headlines and Hermes – welcome to Brooke's new world…
Brooke and Julian live a happy life in New York – she's the breadwinner working two jobs and he's the struggling musician husband. Then Julian is discovered by a Sony exec and becomes an overnight success – and their life changes for ever.
Soon they are moving in exclusive circles, dining at the glitziest restaurants, attending the most outrageous parties in town and jetting off to the trendiest hotspots in LA.
But Julian's new-found fame means that Brooke must face the savage attentions of the ruthless paparazzi. And when a scandalous picture hits the front pages, Brooke's world is turned upside down. Can her marriage survive the events of that fateful night at Chateau Marmont? It's time for Brooke to decide if she's going to sink or swim …

I'm such a sucker for 'rags to riches' stories so I was really looking forward to reading this one! To tell you the truth, I've never read anything by Ms Weisberger before - I've only *seen* The Devil Wears Prada (loved it!), which I own a copy of along with Everyone Worth Knowing, and I'm definitely planning to read both eventually, they really do sound like my type of reads ... Well, so did this one, but I was left unimpressed ... Don't get me wrong, this is certainly not a bad book by any means, I actually quite enjoyed it, but I just thought it lacked that X factor, something special ... But I'll get back to that later.

The story revolves around Brooke and Julian's relationship and their world, which turns upside down when Julian, previously a struggling musician, becomes a massive star overnight. The lives change almost immediately and it's no surprise that they're struggling to adjust to all the changes, however fabulous they may be. Sure, they're partying with all the biggest stars and the money's not a problem anymore, but while Julian is playing the biggest shows and touring the country, Brooke's job is suffering and she's often lonely. On top of it all, the paparazzi are following them 24/7 and printing lies and speculations and trying to break them apart ... Brooke is not sure she can cope with all the madness - how much is enough to ruin her marriage? Will Julian even try to prevent it?

As I said, this is certainly an enjoyable read and I can't really fault it, but for me it was just missing that spark ... I often have this problem with American chick lit where I feel like I'm just watching the story through the window and I don't really connect with the characters all that much. On the other hand, I often find British and Irish chick lit so much more fun to read - it's often not just about following the story, but also about having a blast while reading it!
So while this book didn't make me fall asleep or roll my eyes, it also didn't make me laugh or engage me, I was more like, "Oh, I see, okay ..." On the plus side, I did enjoy reading about the lifestyles of the rich and the famous (beware, there is a lot of name dropping and celebrity cameos in the book, which I thought was rather fun).

Obviously recommended to chick lit fans, but not quite the best the genre has to offer, in my humble opinion.

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 3/5

In My Mailbox #60

2010-10-24T11:22:00.000+02:00

Wowzers, two IMMs back to back?! Jeez, I don't think I've ever stooped this low before, yikes! :( How exactly did this happen? Oh yeah, that's right, I was still busy out of my mind, but but but the awesome news is that I've actually (FINALLY) finished translating that book today so now I might actually have some free time after work, woooohooooo! Yes, that means I can actually read now and post reviews and comment and stuff! I've been neglecting all this for the past months, but now I'm back, yay!

More good news: I got some awesomesauce books this week! LOOK!

HAZEL by Julie Hearn - I saw this one over at The Story Siren and ordered it as soon as I read that it's about the suffragettes! Couldn't resist and I'm really excited about this one!

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS by Anna Godbersen - OMG!!!!! SQUEEEE!!!!! This is one of those Books of the Years that I've been really excited about (along with Mini Shopaholic & The Distant Hours) and I was over the goddamn moon when it arrived! It's the UK paperback so it will match my the Luxe series, which I loved! I've been waiting for this book forever and now I finally have it, YAAAAAAAAAY! Excuse the hyperventilation, but this makes me really happy! :D

RAE by Chelsea Rae Swiggett (aka The Page Flipper) - I finally got myself a copy of this! I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I first heard about it and I have a feeling it might hit quite close to home ...

Hope you've all had great book weeks too! :)

In My Mailbox #59

2010-10-17T02:06:00.004+02:00

Yes, yes, I knoooow, I've been a horrible blogger for far too long and those of you who still bother to visit this little site are probably sick and tired of my excuses, but honestly - I'm just putting the finishing touches on the book I've been translating in the past weeks and on top of my day job, it's pretty much all my life is about right now. It's not terribly fun and exciting, it's just craaaaaazy busy and thus I've no time left for blogging or reading. This saddens me, but on the other hand I love translating, it's what I've always wanted to do so I can't complain really. But I'm so ready to finish this book! My deadline was errrr yesterday (*blush*), but that was impossible what with everything that's been going on so I managed to get it extended by a few more days, phew.

My life is now completely pre-occupied with that right now, but I've had SUCH an EPIC book week that I just couldn't resist doing an IMM this week (kindly hosted by The Story Siren, as always). OMG, just look at all the AMAZING books I got!!!!!

BOUGHT: historical & chick lit

THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton - WOOHOOOO!!!!!!!! You have NO idea how happy I was when this book arrived! Having loved Morton's previous books (The House at Riverton & The Forgotten Garden), this is one of the books I've been looking forward to the most this year and I cannot wait to read it - I just know it's going to be amazing! It's massive, well over 600 pages, so I'll probably take like one whole weekend off from real life and just focus on the book. It'll be magic and I can't wait! YAY!
A WEEKEND WITH MR DARCY by Victoria Connelly - I honestly bought this book mostly because of the cover. I'm not a massive Austen fan and I don't have a thing for Mr Darcy (I'll take LUKE BRANDON over him anytime!) so this book is not very high on my TBR pile, but I bought it because I appreciate the cover art. Yes, I'm indeed that shallow, but I'm sure the publishers don't have a problem with that. :p But seriously, how BEAUTIFUL is this cover?! I know, right? :)
DOWN TO EARTH by Melanie Rose - Another book I was attracted to by the cover, but but but here the story actually sounds amazing and really intriguing! I own Ms Rose's previous two books as well, but sadly I haven't read them yet. I've heard great things about them so I expect them to be fantastic!

BOUGHT: young adult

REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly - Another book I've been waiting for for too long! I haven't read anything by Ms Donnelly yet (although I own all her books), but this one sounds really good!
THE EXILE OF GIGI LANE by Adrienne Maria Vrettos - I've been wanting to buy this book for months and then I just couldn't resist it anymore so I bought it. It's supposed to be good - can't wait to find out!
STARS OF ICE by Kay Woodward - The third installment in the Skate School series. I haven't read the previous two, but I'm just buying the series because I'm planning to read it eventually. A skating boarding school - who could resist?!
SUGAR AND SPICE by Lauren Conrad - Another series that I own but haven't read (jeeez, I own far too many unread books!). This is the last book in the LA Candy series, which I bought because of all the hype. Yes, not only am I shallow, but also weak. :( In my defence, it's meant to be good stuff though!

FOR REVIEW

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Veronica Henry - I've posted about this book before, saying how much I adored the cover, and then this book kindly arrived in my mailbox, courtesy of Orion. What a wonderful surprise! The cover is even more STUNNING in person, it's even sparkly and all! Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous!
DEADLY by Julie Chibbaro - Ooh, this one sounds promising! I was kindly sent an ARC by the author and I really like the sound of this book so you can expect my review around the pub date, which is February 2011!

Phew, so that's it in terms of news from my mailbox! What did you get? :)

Review: MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins ***

2010-10-09T23:14:00.004+02:00

Hi there! As you can see, there will be no IMM as I only got one book this week and it seems a bit silly to feature just that (although I've done it before). So I've decided to save that for next week and post a review instead!
Things are still pretty boring around here, but that's because I'm just finishing up the book I'm translating. It's due in a week (massive eeeeeeeek, still so much to do) so I have to focus on that to make it happen, which means I have to neglect blogging and reading for the time being, sorry. But I promise to be back very soon! :)

Anyway, moving on to the review ...

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge... The thrilling final instalment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

As you may remember, I absolutely LOVED the first two installments in The Hunger Games trilogy (my reviews here and here). The Catching Fire ending was spectacular and I couldn't wait to read Mockingjay – there was just so much potential, but I'm afraid that Mockingjay left me a tad disappointed and I made me go ''HMMMMM …'' instead of the usual ''WHOOOA''.

Why, you might ask? Well, I'm afraid I can't answer that without SPOILERS so please don't read any further if you don't want to know what happens in the book. Consider yourself warned!

So you're OK with spoilers? Right, well, the main reason why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I expected to is that it just felt too … different. Nothing like the other two books, which had a strong psychological element to them, but this one was far too military to my liking. It reminded me of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – another book where everything changes and it's all about war. Mockingjay certainly portrays the physical and emotional effects of war very convincingly and realistically, but somehow the book just felt too different from what I was used to.

Another thing this book has in common with HP7 is that everyone dies. That's not a massive surprise when there's war going on, but I felt that these deaths were brushed off too quickly … For example, Cinna was one of my favourite characters and I was convinced he was still alive and I kept waiting for him to show up – but he never did. I really disliked how death was never properly explained and it really touched me the most. Overall, there were too many important deaths too quickly and the author just made them feel unimportant when I was like, HELLO, something major happened here, why aren't we paying it more attention?! I honestly didn't like that at all and I would've prefered more respect to be paid to the deceased characters that I grew so fond off (Finnick & Prim among others). I know this is nothing new for Collins since the deaths before (e.g. of the tributes) were always quickly brushed off, but those were some random people and this were actually important characters ... But I guess that's my problem since I'm too sentimental whereas Collins handled this the proper way without dwelling on what you can't change.

Not only did the story feel different, but the characters were changed too, which was to be expected based on what they've all been through and I suppose that made them even more real. But somehow I couldn't warm up to them and I just felt like I was following the whole thing from a distance rather than being engrossed in the action like in the previous two books, which was a shame. I honestly can't explain it, all I can say is that it was all too different. It was a logical shift from the previous books, but I struggled a bit to adapt to it.

As for the ending … I've always liked both Peeta and Gale so I didn't really care who she ended up with, they were both nice guys (well, for the most part). I was surprised by Gale's move and sorry that their story ended so abruptly – this was again another thing I wanted more closure and explanation on. I suppose the ending was nice and bittersweet (I'm talking about the epilogue here, the scenes before that were quite horrendous, yes), but not quite as mindblowing as I expected.

On the plus side, the novel was typically realistic - perhaps even too much so if you're squeamish like me. It's brutal and not a single gory detail is spared and there's no place for sentimentalism. As I said before, these books are definitely not my typical reads, but they're just so well written that they just suck you in, take you on one hellouva ride and then don't let you go easily once you're done with them - oh no, these are the kind of books that stay on your while for a loooong time ...

All in all, this was an OUTSTANDING series, it's just the final installment that didn't really live up to my very, very high expectations, but I still think it was a spectacular and a very powerful read, just different to what I expected. You'll find a lot of people who were completely blown away by the conclusion and thus I urge you to give this series a go if you haven't already as it's most definitely worth reading!

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 3/5

Waiting On Wednesday: VIXEN by Jillian Larkin/Lila Fine

2010-10-06T22:44:00.000+02:00

Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It's a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can't have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle - and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she's engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago's most powerful families, Gloria's party days are over before they've even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria's goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch - but Clara isn't as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she'll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria's social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria's shadow. When Lorraine's envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone's going to be very sorry. . . .

From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

Ooh, I am SO excited about this book! Being a fan of the 1920s, I can't wait to get a copy as I just love the cover and the description! It comes out on 14th December 2010 and I just know this will be the beginning of another fab series!

It sounds a quite a bit like Bright Young Things, the new series by Anna Godbersen, which I am also ridiculously excited about! The first reviews are surfacing and people are saying it's even better than the Luxe series - how's that possible?! I can't wait to find out!

Looks like winter 2010 is all about the flappers, woohoo! :)

Review: PERSONALLY, I BLAME MY FAIRY GODMOTHER *****

2010-10-04T00:52:00.001+02:00

The fairytale ending was just the beginning…
Jessie Woods absolutely believes in fairytale endings. So would you if you had a recession-proof career as a daredevil TV host, a palatial pink mansion, and the dream boyfriend.
But, quicker than you can say Cinderella, her life falls to pieces and suddenly her prince isn't quite so charming, her party-loving friends disappear and even her faithful friend Visa no longer loves her… Utterly heartbroken and jobless, Jessie is forced back home, to live with her stepmum and two evil stepsisters.
Is it time for her to give up on the dream - or will Jessie learn that happy endings can come in the strangest of places?

I've never read anything by Ms Carroll before, but I fell head over heels in love with this book just based on the gorgeous cover and I knew I had to have it! This was the first book I read on the plane to my holiday and it was a fantastic read, even better than I expected!

I've seen it described as 'fairytale gone backwards' or something like that and I think it's quite a fitting description, although Jessie's life only appears perfect, when in fact it's anything but - all her friendships are terribly superficial and she can't even afford the luxurious lifestyle she's been sucked into. When she's thinking things might be improving, her life suddenly comes crashing down. She makes a huge mistake, loses her job, her Prince Charming is gone and she's forced to move out of her pink house now that she's drowning in debt ... Plus the paparazzi are watching her every move! Worst of all, she's forced to move in with her step mother Joan and her step sisters Maggie and Sharon, who spend their days stuffing their faces in front of the TV. And this is when the fun really begins, ha!

This isn't quite the happiest story out there, but despite some more serious issues, the novel is chock full of HUMOUR. The book had me in stitches in places and I wished I wasn't reading it on the plane where I had to contain my giggles, hehehe!

I loved loved loved the characters! Jessie was a bit of a ditz occassionally, yes, but she was just so loveable! I expected some sort of a diva, but she was anything but. She was really down to earth, not high & mighty at all, which was clearly displayed in how she handled her fall from grace - she was determined to do anything to make ends meet and no job was below her, despite her previous fame. I loved her step family too, especially Sharon and Maggie - they were also both endearing characters that only added to the hilarity of the whole shebang!

I enjoyed the story too and I liked the twist, although there were some other bits that were a bit predictable (it was too obvious who she was going to end up with) ... Nonetheless, I have no complaints whatsoever - the story was great to read and with the help of brilliant characters (who transformed quite a bit as the story progressed) and amazing writing it really jumped off the page!

Also, reading this, I've come to the conclusion that nothing beats Irish chick lit - it just has this special charm to it and its trademark humour that I adore and awesome words like 'eejit' and 'minging', hahaha. I also liked how the title and the cover seemed a bit random - until the very end when they both made perfect sense!

All in all, this is an absolutely FANTASTIC read and I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you're a fan of Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Jenny Colgan and other brilliant wit lit authors! And HELLO, how could you possibly resist a cover like this?! It's one of my all-time favourites and the book is worth buying just because it's sooo gorgeous, I couldn't stop staring at it when I wasn't engrossed into it!

In short: this is a cupcake of a book - too pretty and oh so delicious! I want more, please! :)

overall rating: +
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

In My Mailbox #58

2010-10-03T15:49:00.000+02:00

Heeellooooo, darlings! :)
It's been a while, eh? As you may remember, I've been on holiday for a week, which was FANTASTIC, got home last Monday but then I've had the mother of all craaaazy weeks and honestly didn't have a minute or an ounce of energy for blogging. :( So this hiatus was completely unplanned, but I'll hopefully start posting normally now - I have quite a few reviews to write of the books I read on holiday!

Anyway, the past weeks have been rather uneventful in terms on new books - I only got these three books, which were all purchased by me!

Just two more weeks and then I'll have much more spare time, yay! :) Excuse the inactivity here, but I'll be back soon, I promise! Toodles for now! :D

In My ... Suitcase! = Guess who's going on a holidaaay? :)

2010-09-19T16:45:00.000+02:00

Yep, yours truly is finally going on the long-awaited and well-deserved holiday to a swanky hotel in Turkey with her hubby and a whole bunch of amazing books, yay! That's why there's no In My Mailbox this week (I only got one book anyway) and instead I've decided to show you all which books will be In My Suitcase - y'know, just in case you're wondering. :)

I had *such* a hard time deciding which books to take and I think I finally made my selection - see picture on the right and click to enlarge. We're only going for 8 days so I know this might be a bit much, but I just can't take any less books - who knows what I'll be in the mood foor! I've mostly chosen chick lit because I'm sure I'll want something light and fun. I haven't packed yet (eeeek!) so I don't know if all these will fit into my massive suitcase, but I sure hope so!

Right! Well, I'm afraid I won't be blogging until after I get back (27th September), but I wish you all a pleasant week! Mine is bound to be, I hope - I've had a really busy summer so I cannot wait to finally relax and reeeeeaaad and stuff!

Take care & see you on the flipside, darlings! :)

Review: CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins *****

2010-09-16T21:32:00.007+02:00

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create.
As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying...
The terrifying sequel to The Hunger Games.

As you may remember, I recently jumped on the hugely popular Hunger Games bandwagon after immensly enjoying the first book in the trilogy. I was really surprised by how engrossed I was in it and I couldn't wait to read more. Luckily, the second book didn't disappoint in the slightest - in fact, in a way I perhaps enjoyed it even more than the first one!

Catching Fire opens shortly after The Hunger Games ends. I'm afraid I can't review this without discussing the plot so PLEASE BE WARNED THAT THERE WILL BE MINOR SPOILERS in this review. So yes, Katniss and Peeta move to the Victors' Village and Katniss soon learns that The Capitol is very, very angry with her due to her stunt with the berries, which appears to have provided some uprisings in various districts ... Before Katniss has the time to figure out what she will have to do in order to keep her loved ones alive, it's time for the Hunger Games again ...
It's also the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games, which means it's time for the Quarter Quell aka the HG with a massive twist that occur every 25 years. Like the previous two Quarter Quells (25th and 50th anniversaries), this QQ features a cruel twist too and honestly, it couldn't have been worse! I have to say it was terribly inventive though and I have to give props to the author for coming up with such a crazy arena! The games were just SO damn twisted on so many levels and I was kept on the edge of my seat and reading to see how it will all end ... And then the ending happened! It was nothing like what I expected - suddenly everything changed and the book ended with a MASSIVE cliffhanger!!! The last line literary made me go, "SAY WHAAAT?" and I'd probably go crazy if I didn't have Mockingjay (the last installment) sitting on my shelf, heh!

Honestly, these two books have been nothing short of FANTASTIC and although I was a bit sceptical about all the neverending praise of the series at first, I can now see that it's totally deserved. This series is just so clever and so different from what I normally read, so much more brutal and raw, it's just so well written and so action packed that you just cannot put it down, regardless your reading preference!

Absolutely gripping stuff and I cannot wait to finally read the last book to see what happened to EVERYONE after the You Know What! I'm reeeeaally busy these days and don't have much time to read, but I'm taking Mockingjay to the holiday with me next week so I'll be able to read it in one sitting! I fully expect an EPIC conclusion, something rather extreme (oh yeah, there's a lot of potential for that right now!) but I'm a tad worried since I've seen rather mixed reviews of it - people seem to either love it or hate it so I wonder which side I'll be on ... Expect my review after I return from the holiday (a couple of weeks from now) and in the mean time just pick up a copy of the first book if you haven't already - you're guaranteed an amazing & brutal adventure that you won't soon forget!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 2/5

Waiting On Wednesday: Oh, be still, my flaming heart!

2010-09-15T22:55:00.004+02:00

My today's two picks don't really sound like my type of reads, mostly because they seem to be about Old People in their forties and I'm really not into that sort of thing. However, I don't think I'll be able to resist buying these books mostly because the covers are OH SO GORGEOUS that I have the urge to own them and stare at them in admiration!

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
by Veronica Henry
[21st October 2010]

Delilah Rafferty has lived out her tempestuous marriage to hell-raiser Raf in the full glare of the media spotlight. Now, from the luxurious comfort of her beautiful kitchen, Delilah is planning her birthday party, a night that will see a star-studded gathering of friends and family celebrate in traditional Rafferty style. But she has more on her mind than just invitations... Raf has been offered a part in a movie he can't refuse. But will that mean he'll succumb to the temptations he's struggled so hard to resist for the last ten years - beautiful women and too much wine? And Delilah's three daughters, Coco, Violet and Tyger, are building careers of their own, only too aware that the press are waiting for them to slip up. For although the Rafferty girls might look like angels, they are only human. As with all families, there are secrets and rivalries bubbling away, and on one gloriously starry night, it's all going to come spilling out This is your invitation to a birthday party of the year...

FAIRYTALE ENDING
by Gigi Levangie
[25th November 2010]

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman called Cynthia, queen of glittering Manhattan, who had everything she could ever want. Including a handsome king, otherwise known as her husband, sexy Jack Powers, wealthiest man in New York, and apparently devoted to wife and family.

But wait a minute, isn’t that a wicked witch in the distance? Cynthia’s just discovered her husband’s playing away with beautiful TV anchor Lara Sizemore, who’s head over heels in love with Jack. Now she has to decide whether her fairytale is worth trying to save…

Will they all live happily ever after - or can only one person have a true Fairytale Ending?

Hmm, two women with long hair in pretty dress standing on a balcony ... Do you see a pattern here? :p

Nevertheless, these covers are simply BEAUUUUTIFUL, don't you think? :)
(Although I won't be surprised if you choose to call them 'tacky', hehe!)

Review: SCANDALOUS by Tilly Bagshawe ***

2010-09-13T21:53:00.002+02:00

Sasha Miller comes to Cambridge with a dream and leaves on a mission. After falling for the lies and charms of her Director of Studies ‘Theo Dexter’ she finds herself betrayed, humiliated and nursing a bundle of broken dreams. Heading to the US she is determined to rebuild her life.
Years later, Sasha emerges from Harvard Business School with one thing on her mind, the downfall of the now famous Professor Theo Dexter.
Meanwhile Theo’s long-suffering wife Theresa also finds herself betrayed and cast aside for a younger and prettier model. Unable to cope she returns to Cambridge a broken woman and tries to rebuild her life away from the scheming Theo Dexter.
One night Sasha turns up at Theresa’s door, she wants revenge at any cost, will Theresa help her?
From the deepest betrayal comes a shocking alliance. Two vengeful women, one very unlucky man…

Tilly Bagshawe has written several blockbusters and although I own most of them, I've only read one before this book - Do Not Disturb and I couldn't help loving it! Thus I expected great things from this one too, but sadly and surprisingly I found it less enjoyable than Do Not Disturb ...

I really liked the opening few chapters, the naive and innocent Sasha arriving to Cambridge, falling in love and then the ultimate betrayal ... I felt for her and I expected her to get some cruel revenge, but after the first part the book just went downhill for me ... Sasha is a successful business woman, Theo is still the cheating scumbag and somewhat of a celebrity, his ex-wife is lonely etc. But quite frankly, I just felt that nothing was really happening and the story just wasn't going anyway, we were just following the characters through the years. I was waiting and waiting for Sasha to finally get her massive revenge, but when it happened, it was just like, "Blah, that's it?" I expected something far more epic than something so basic, something that would make up for the slow story, but the ending just felt rushed and a big anti-climax.

Luckily, the story was quite well written and I did want to find out what happened next (although not much did), but I wasn't too keen on the characters either. To me they just liked dimension. I felt Sasha was at first too naive and then too hell-bent on revenge, it was like one extreme to another. Theo had no redeeming qualities whatsoever and just too easy to hate. I suppose I found Theresa to be the most complex, but for some reason I didn't grow too fond of her either, she was just too boring.

Some of my criticism may be attributed to the fact that it took me weeks to read this book - and honestly NOT because I didn't enjoy it (because I did and I was very excited to read it), but I was just soooo busy that I had hardly any time for reading so maybe that's why I couldn't get properly absorbed into the story.

Not my favourite from Ms Bagshawe, but I'm certainly not giving up on her as I really loved Do Not Disturb and I still have Adored and Flawless to read! This was an enjoyable read, it certainly didn't annoy me or anything, but I guess I just felt it wasn't scandalous enough to live up to its title.

overall rating:
plot: 2/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 2/5 | cover: 3/5

In My Mailbox #57

2010-09-12T00:33:00.003+02:00

Hey and welcome back to another installment of IMM, hosted by The Story Siren. I didn't do an IMM last week so here are the books I got in the past two weeks (all purchased by me):

After watching the adorable trailer, I just couldn't resist ordering BEING JAMIE BAKER by Kelly Oram - plus who could resist an amazing cover like *that*?! Well done to the marketing department, I totally fell for it. :)

Then I also bought the whole HUNGER GAMES series - as I said in my review of the first book, I listened to the legally available audio book and I was so impressed by this series that I immediately ordered all three books. I got the UK covers because they're all available in paperback, but I'm not particularly impressed neither with the US nor UK covers, not my cup of tea, but luckily the stoies between the covers are fantastic!
I don't know why my copy of HG has Peeta on the cover when I ordered the one with Katniss, but oh well. Peeta is fantastic and all, but I really like Katniss, such a kickass girl.
I'm almost done with Catching Fire now and jeeez, it seems even better than the first book!!! Not the best thing to read while you eat though - I couldn't put the book down today so I kept reading during breakfast, but I nearly lost all my appetite when the squirrel mutts attacked the gang, eeek! But whoa, what a book!

That's it from me, see you all next week with some more great books! :)

Review: MINI SHOPAHOLIC by Sophie Kinsella *****

2010-09-11T14:59:00.001+02:00

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true - a shopping friend for life! But it s trickier than she thought as two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
She can create havoc everywhere from Harrods to Harvey Nicks to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favourite word is Mine, and she's even started bidding for designer bags on ebay.
On top of everything else, there's a big financial crisis. People are having to Cut Back including all of Becky's personal shopping clients and she and Luke are still living with Becky s Mum and Dad. To cheer everyone up, Becky decides to throw a surprise birthday party on a budget but then things become really complicated.
Who will end up on the naughty step, who will get a gold star and will Becky's secret wishes come true?

I'm sure you all know how much I love and adore Ms Kinsella's books! As I've said before, she's the only author who has never ever disappointed me, not even in the slightest, and I've read all her books! I've been looking forward to Mini Shopaholic for months and as expected, I absolutely LOVED it - with it, Ms Kinsella just confirmed her status of My Favourite Author EVER!!! Be warned: there will be a lot of gushing in this post, but I just can't help myself, LOL.

Our beloved heroine Becky returns two years after she's given birth to Minnie, who turns out to be quite an energetic and determined little thing, hehehe! She's may not win the Most Well Behaved Daughter award anytime soon, but she's positively adorable, just like her mother!
Just like in the other books, Becky finds herself in a series of unfortunate events that she is determined to solve in her own special way - this time it's to do with Luke's birthday party, Minnie's upbringing, her job etc. As always, she manages to get herself in a million tricky situations, but she always finds the way out. That's what I love love love about Becky - she is such a good person. She may be a bit daft at times (and I mean that in the most endearing way possible), but she always means well and does the best she can. She is just so determined to deal with things her own way and she never gives up. Her way of thinking may be a bit silly, but you cannot help but love her. She's possibly my favourite literary character, just because she can crack me up like no one else in this world!!!

Oh and can we take a moment here and discuss LUKE BRANDON for a moment? Honestly, could this man possibly be any more PERFECT??? I don't think so and yet he keeps improving with every book, making me fall head over heels in love with him again and again! (Don't be jealous, hubby, you know I love you even more & fo' realz! ;) xoxo) He is the epitome of the perfect man and honestly too good to be true - I suppose that's why he's fictional, ha! He's not just perfect per say, but he's also perfect for Becky and I love the relationship they have, it's fantastic! OK, I think I'll stop fangirling over Luke here (even though I could go on all night, heh) and the last thing I'm saying is that he's just soooooo swoonworthy!

Excuse all the gushing (I'm prone to that when I'm discussing Kinsella's books), but I honestly cannot praise this book enough. I loved the plot, which was exciting and hilarious with all the twists & turns. The book was FILLED to the brink with HILARIOUS scenes that honestly had me in tears from laughing so hard!!! One of my favourites was the Eminem thing at Minnie's christening, hahaha! And Becky's bartering and Minnie's pocket money and Becky buying Minnie a dress for her 21st birthday, hahaha! Just thinking about everything that's happened in this book cracks me up - it's UH-MAAAZING STUFF! I was reading it during a particularly exhausting and crazy week and just reading a few pages before sleep made everything so much better - it's escapism at its best and like a little ray of sunshine that brightens up even the worst of days!

I really enjoyed seeing the whole gang again, not just Becky & Luke, but also Suze and Tarkie and Becky's parents and Janice and Danny! The new characters were fab too (Bonnie, Sage etc) and I look forward to seeing more of them in the upcoming books ... I say that with a bit of confidence as the ending of Mini Shopaholic suggests another massive adventure for Becky and I cannot WAIT to read all about it! Ooh, I hope the next book comes out sooooon, I just know it's going to be SO good!

This book couldn't possibly be any better and I tremendously enjoyed every single second of it, but now I'm crushed that it's all over. :( If you're a Shopaholic fan, they you're guaranteed to enjoy this just like the rest of this fantastic series. And if you're not a fan yet, then you absolutely MUST order yourself the whole series RIGHT NOW and read it asap - you'll thank me later. ;) Years ago, I was one of the people who looked down on others who read Shopaholic books - I thought books about shopping were far beneath me, but then I read one Shopaholic book and was immediately converted into not only a Shopaholic fan, but also a massive fan of the chick lit genre as such. So thank you, Ms Kinsella/Wickham, for showing me the light and thank you for writing such FANTASTIC and HILARIOUS books! How do you do it though, Sophie (can I call you that, by the way? Will you be my BFF? Will Becky be my BFF? Please?)? Is it MAGIC? Fairydust? Whatever it is, please don't ever stop and keep the books coming!!! :)

In conclusion: as it turns out, my predictions were correct and this is indeed THE CHICK LIT BOOK OF THE YEAR - it just doesn't get any better than this! Long live the Queen of Wit Lit!

overall rating: + ♥♥♥♥♥ (because it holds a special place in my heart :p)
plot: 5+/5 | writing: 5+/5 | characters: 5+/5 | cover: 4/5

ps: OH and don't forget to watch the third clip of The Queen herself reading an extract from the book - this time it's the visit to the Pound Shop and it's priceless, LOL!

pps: You can read the brilliant first chapter here - just click on the Extract tab & enjoooy!