The Book Mogul

In My Mailbox (50)

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi@ The Story Siren

This week I got a few books from Netgalley:

A Tale of Two Proms by Cara Lockwood

From Goodreads: It was the best of prom, it was the worst of prom.

Miranda Tate returns for her senior year at Bard Academy and she is counting on two things: Prom with her boyfriend, Heathcliff, and then graduation from the haunted boarding school where fictional characters come to life. Fate, however, has other plans.

When Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff's long-lost love, appears on campus, suddenly everything she thought she knew about Heathcliff is changed forever. Catherine seems determined to win Heathcliff back, even if that means destroying Bard Academy and banishing its ghostly teachers - for good.
Miranda and her friends face their most daunting challenge, yet, which will take them for the first time inside the classics that have powered their mysterious boarding school. It's up to them to save Bard Academy - and prom. Can Miranda change her destiny and Heathcliff's? Or is this one story that was written in the stars?

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

From Goodreads: When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...

Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman

From Goodreads: It's the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She's not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn't sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn't start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn't want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn't want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself spending more time with Inggy's boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.

Brought

I only brought one book this week.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

From Goodreads: Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

What did everyone else get this week?

One to Watch

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000Z

A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison

From Goodreads: It’s the hotly anticipated sequel to the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, WITHERING TIGHTS – laugh your tights off as Tallulah Casey and her bonkers mates return for a new term at Dother Hall performing arts college. Boys, snogging and bad acting guaranteed!

Yaroooo! Tallulah’s triumphant Heathcliff in ‘Wuthering Heights’ the comedy musical was enough to secure her place at Dother Hall performing arts college for another term. She can’t wait to see her pals again, Charlie and the boys from Woolf Academy and maybe even bad boy Cain…

When an international visitor comes to stay could the bright lights of Broadway be calling? And for who? Find out in the next Misadventures of Tallulah Casey.

I can't wait for this one to be published as I really enjoyed the first one in the series. This one is published by Harpercollins Children's Books on February 2nd.

A Tale of Two Proms by Cara Lockwood

2012-01-27T09:27:00.000Z

From Goodreads: A TALE OF TWO PROMS –

It was the best of prom, it was the worst of prom.

Miranda Tate returns for her senior year at Bard Academy and she is counting on two things: Prom with her boyfriend, Heathcliff, and then graduation from the haunted boarding school where fictional characters come to life. Fate, however, has other plans.

When Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff's long-lost love, appears on campus, suddenly everything she thought she knew about Heathcliff is changed forever. Catherine seems determined to win Heathcliff back, even if that means destroying Bard Academy and banishing its ghostly teachers - for good.
Miranda and her friends face their most daunting challenge, yet, which will take them for the first time inside the classics that have powered their mysterious boarding school. It's up to them to save Bard Academy - and prom. Can Miranda change her destiny and Heathcliff's? Or is this one story that was written in the stars?

When I saw this on Netgalley, I was so excited to see that Cara Lockwood had written a final fourth novel to the Bard Academy novels. This was just as good as the other three novels possibly even better. I couldn't fault this one, I was hooked into the characters again like I hadn't stopped reading them nearly two years. I still enjoyed reading about Miranda and the teachers, Miss A and Ms B.

There was still lots of drama throughout the book which was really interesting to read, the plot made it so it was definitely the end of an era with what happens to the teachers and the school at the end. Whilst reading the book I was hooked to find out what was going on and what would happen at the end. I liked the relationship between Miranda and Heathcliff and it was lovely to see how the relationship had progressed from the last book.

There is lots more excitement within the book and lots more going on. I really liked what happened to some of the characters and I am glad that Miranda and her Dad sorted things out as he got rather unwell. If you have read the other three books in the series then you definitely need to read this one. It nicely rounds up the end of the series and there is also a happy ending.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

2012-01-20T18:22:00.000Z

From Goodreads: Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheer leading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

This is our Teen Book Club choice for January, I enjoyed this book a lot there was something about the storyline that was different and it actually included the less popular people that are around in schools throughout the world. The only thing that I would fault is that Will is portrayed on the cover and by the title as a goth but throughout the book he doesn't call himself a goth and he isn't all he does that Gothic is wearing black. That doesn't necessarily mean that someone wears black it makes them a goth.

The book is split into the stories of both Will and Alona which is an interesting way to read about what each of them is going through, one being Alona and how she is coping with being dead and what she needs to do to get to the other side. Whereas on the other side you have Will who can see the dead and how it is affecting him with his day to day living. The only thing that I didn't like is that I get confused with who the chapter is based on, so I always have to look at the name at the beginning of the chapter so I can refresh myself.

This is an interesting book and it is definitely one for people to read, but there were parts that I thought were missing and I wanted to find out more Will's friend who was in hospital and I wanted to know why she was there. This is the start in the series and I am not sure that I will read the next one because I don't know if it is going to be the same as this one. The storyline felt like other books that I had read, one that comes to mind are The Riley Bloom novels. I hope that the next one has a bit more to it.

One to Watch

2012-01-18T19:03:00.001Z

Emma Hearts L.A. by Keris Stainton

From Goodreads: Emma’s just arrived in Los Angeles, a million miles away from all her friends, and any chance of a boyfriend.

Unless you count dull old Oscar – which she doesn’t. Not at first, anyways.

Teen heartthrob Alex might have potential too. If she can get him away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi, that is.

Two boys, unlimited sunshine, and a new life among the stars. Maybe LA’s not that bad, after all.

Woohoo! Keris Stainton is publishing a new book this year! I'm soooo excited for this one to be published!!! I loved Jessie Hearts NYC and I can't wait to read this one. It is published 7th June 2012.

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000Z

From Goodreads:

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Throughout 2012 I am trying to read as many books as I possibly can as I have just a few too many that I brought last year. This was one of them, I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down I managed to read it in just 2 days which is something that I just don't do. I liked how Elise and her family where just a normal family who struggle to get through the month on the wages that her parents earn come to the world where money is no object and they go to school with not only the rich but the famous. They have moved from one side of the US to the other side because her Mother had just got a new job as the head teacher at Coral Tree Prep and her Father is a teacher there as well.

There were so many characters in the book, but you could tell who the main characters were. Even though you see a lot of Elise's parents you know that they are background characters. I love the relationships that form between Elise and Derek and Juliana and Chase because when it was just Juliana and Chase's relationship you could tell that something was going to happen with Elise and Derek and the bumps in the road wasn't going to get in the way.

There was one character that I always had an issue with, I just thought that there was something not right with him. This character was Webster he just seemed like a slime ball and when other characters within the book had issues with him I just knew that there was something the matter with him. So when Elise starts hanging around with him I kept shouting at my book wanting her to think about what she was doing.

On every review that I read of this book it says how it is like the modern day Pride and Prejudice which I haven't read the classic so I can't compare. I think I may have to read it to see what everyone means. Overall, this was a really interesting book and I enjoyed how all the characters were somehow connected to others in the book. If you haven't read this one make sure it goes on your reading pile.

In My Mailbox (49)

2012-01-15T08:15:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

I brought a few books this week,

A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French

From Goodreads:This first novel by Dawn French is told through the eyes of a mother and her two teenage children. There's seventeen-year-old Dora, a stroppy teenager who's just come out of her first relationship (it lasted a whole six weeks) and who's longing to escape to university; her long-suffering mother, Mo, a child psychiatrist who's baffled by the antagonist behaviour of her children; and sixteen-year-old Peter, who prefers to be known as Oscar due to his obsession with Oscar Wilde. Written in diary format, with each chapter narrated by a different voice, this is a hilarious, sharp and utterly compelling novel about the ups and down of family, sibling rivalry and growing up. With each chapter told from the point of view of one character, Dawn French's witty and engaging novel offers us an honest and insightful account into the relationships between children and parents.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

From Goodreads: My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder enquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluble, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden . . . and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J Watson

From Goodreads: Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.

For Review

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

From Goodreads: WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each others best hope for finding answers.

Poison Heart by S.B Hayes

From Goodreads: An idle glance through the window of a bus changes everything for Katy Rivers.

A mysterious girl, with luminous green eyes, stares back and from that moment on she haunts Katy and appears to know her every move, even what she is thinking. What is the strange connection between them? And what is the power of the emerald pendant which the girl bestows on her?

‘I’m everything you’re not and I’m going to take over your life… I’m your worst nightmare.’

These chilling words mean that Katy is gradually backed into a corner, alienated from everyone she holds dear, even her own mother. Only her best friend Luke, keeps faith and together they must find a way to defeat the girl who is determined that she will be with Katy...even until death.

POISON HEART combines psychological suspense with teen romance and makes for a thoroughly chilling read.

What did everyone else get this week?

Pandemonium - UK Jacket Reveal

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000Z

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver is being published by Hodder on the 1st March 2012 and Hodder have sent the jacket out for reveal to bloggers. I hope you like it, I think it is a nicer cover then Delirium which had a quite boring cover.

From Goodreads:

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,

pushing aside thoughts of Alex,

pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,

push,

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2012-01-13T13:22:00.000Z

From Goodreads: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

I have had this book on my TBR pile for ages and kept seeing and hearing from other people that the book was brilliant and that I should definitely read it. I think I was the only one in the bookshop that I work in that hadn't read it. I am so glad that I have finally got round to reading it because it was such a breathtaking novel. I really enjoyed how Oliver is able to capture the readers interest with the way that she writes is just so incredible.

Sam is a brilliant character and I liked how at the beginning of the seven days she seemed very meek and mild and I felt that she let Lindsay take control of her life, especially with who she could and couldn't talk to and who her boyfriend could be. I liked it when it got to day three and she started to become a strong and independent woman who could speak and think for herself. I liked that she was started to stand up for herself even under the circumstances.

I liked how the story was set out over the seven days and how Sam was trying to put things right with the people at the school that she and her friends had issues with. I liked how she was trying to straighten things out with Juliet and how she finds out how Juliet and Lindsay were friends when they were younger and where the nicknames for Juliet came from. If you haven't read any Lauren Oliver before, you need to start with this novel because it is such a mesmerising novel and it really gets you thinking that one bad thing that you do in your life can affect the rest of your life.

Q & A with Joanna Berry and Penny Avis

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000Z

Joanna Berry and Penny Avis are the co-authors of the series Never Mind the Botox and they took the time out of their busy schedules to answer a few questions.

1. When you were younger did you dream you would be authors? If not, what was your dream job?

No, we both had careers in the city first. Penny is an accountant who was a corporate finance partner at Deloitte and, although she had toyed with the idea of journalism at university, Joanna became a lawyer and an intellectual property and media partner at Eversheds. It was only when we both took career breaks that the idea of writing emerged.

2. How well do you work together to write the books?

We have been friends for many years, so work well together as we know each other so well. Many people find it hard to believe, but we've not even had one argument about the books since the project began! Just many, many laughs.

3. Which published book would you've liked to have written?

We'd love to have written Bridget Jones Diary. Such a clever, funny and iconic book in our genre. Brilliant films too.

4. How did you come up with the main characters in the book? Are they based on people you know?

We used our past career experience and developed them together using both of our ideas. We drew heavily on people that know or have come across during our careers but tended to blend little parts of them into different characters, so our characters developed into individuals in their own right and none of them are like any one person.

5. Have you got any other projects in the pipeline?

We have the other two books in the series coming out later this year, plus we have our TV series project for the books with Future Films. So this is going to keep us pretty busy for a while!

6. How hard was it to get your novels published?

As you know, it's not east. Unfortunately there is no substitute for hard work and, whether you like it or not, being very focused on the commercial aspects of your book. We spent a lot of time understanding our target audience and researching what other books were already out there. That way we were pretty sure that writing a series from four different perspectives was something quite new and innovative in our genre.

Thank you to Penny and Joanna for answering the questions I asked them.

Never Mind the Botox Blog Tour

2012-01-09T18:59:00.000Z

From Goodreads: Never Mind the Botox is a series about four professional women all working on the sale of high-profile cosmetic surgery business the Beau Street Group. Each book reveals how the women cope with one of the most glamorous but challenging deals of their careers, and the dramatic impact it has on their personal lives. With a briefcase in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, can they navigate their way through a surreal world of boob jobs by day and intrigue by night and still keep their own love lives on track? Rachel Altman is a corporate financier with a prestigious accounting firm who's desperately trying to keep on the straight and narrow. Hopelessly led astray by her bar-diving boyfriend, she gets the chance to turn things around when her boss gives her the break she's been waiting for. But when the deal doesn't go as planned Rachel panics, sparking off a chain of betrayal and lies that threatens to ruin both her love life and career.

I really enjoyed this novel, it was something a bit different to what I normal read which was a refreshing change. I liked where the book was set and how there are three other books in the series and the main characters in those books appear in this book. Rachel's character came across as a strong, independent woman that didn't need any help from any man in her life. I found it entertaining reading about Rachel and Harry's relationship, it was very much a relationship where the man was in control, until Rachel finally worked out that she could do a lot better then Harry.

I liked the writing style of the book as it was so easy to jump right in feet first into the story, there was lots going and there were points in the book that I was thinking ahead of what Rachel's character was thinking. The whole concept of the book was really interesting I enjoyed reading about what Rachel did as a job and who her circle of friends were. The ending was really good as she finally saw sense and changed what was wrong with her life, one being her boyfriend. It seemed like she had gone on a journey throughout the book and grew as a person, she was an interesting character to follow as there were some points where she couldn't make her mind up and others where she was really determined.

After reading this book, it has made me realise there is more to just young adult books and has encouraged me to start reading a few more adult books. This is definitely a really interesting book and if you like woman's fiction you should pick this one up and have a read. I am now going to find the other books to read them and find out what happens to the other characters.

Come back tomorrow for my Q and A with the authors of Never Mind the Botox: Rachel.

In My Mailbox (48)

2012-01-08T08:17:00.001Z

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

I have only brought 1 book this week and got a couple of books for Christmas from Sammee @ I Want To Read That

Brought

Night School by C.J. Daugherty

From Goodreads: Sometimes school is murder.

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

Gifted

Emma by Jane Austen

From Goodreads:Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

From Goodreads: Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

What did everyone else get this week?

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

2012-01-07T20:41:00.001Z

From Goodreads: Fighting back my rising panic, I stopped and took a deep breath. Think. Where could she have gone? I turned right around, looking in every direction, trying to spot the familiar silhouette of my sister. But there was no sign of her...

It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?

I read the first book for our book club and really enjoyed it so much I needed to find out what happens with Lauren and her family. I found this one to be better then the Girl, Missing. I really felt that Lauren had grown up and found herself with the situation that she was in. She had the best of both worlds, two sets of parents and more Grandparents and sisters. A lot had happened in the two years since Lauren and her adoptive parents went through the ordeal of her finding out that she was kidnapped and sold to her adoptive parents.

I was glad that she had manage to sort out the relationship with her real parents before it was too late. In this book you find out that her real father had died and that her mother was trying to carry on with looking after her sisters. Everything changes all of a sudden when Lauren is on holiday with her real mother and sisters when all hell is let loose. There are so many different things that take place whilst they are away. Old characters come back to haunt the family and torment them with old story lines coming back to the surface.

It felt like Sophie McKenzie was reliving the same kidnapping scenes as before but then shoves a massive turn in the ending of the book that I was sobbing my eyes out by the end of the book. If I wanted to change anything about the book I would change some of the events that happened along the way, I would definitely change the ending, I would make it a cheerful ending.

This is a really interesting book and it really gets you thinking that this kind of event can actually happen in real life. There have been so many kidnapping cases in the papers over the years and reading this book makes you think how and why people can kidnap others. I would recommend this to anyone if they want to good read. If you have this on your reading pile put it towards the top as it is worth the read.

Cover Wars

2012-01-06T11:27:00.002Z

I have been looking online for something new to read, even though I have hundreds of books that I still need to read. I came across this book called The Daughters by Joanna Philbin which is published in the US, so I thought hmm this looks good so I will try and order it from work. It was only when I was looking for the book that I found out that in the UK it is called Celebriteens: In the Spotlight. When looking at both covers I was instantly attracted to the US cover as it was so much better.

What does everyone else think?

One to Watch

2012-01-03T21:12:00.001Z

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

From Goodreads: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

This looks really interesting, it is definitely one that is on my TBR pile. It is published by Headline on January 5th.

New Year, New Outlook

2012-01-02T21:49:00.000Z

One of my new years resolutions is to read and blog more. Over the last year I didn't put much effort into the blog and read only a measly 43 books throughout the year. This year I am really going to try and read more and a wider range of genres within the young adult sphere. I will also try and read a few more adult novels which I currently read only one genre Chick lit only a small range of novels within the genre. I definitely need to blog more, I always read interesting books and never get round to writing a review for them. This year you will see lots of new things of the blog and hopefully a new look if I can find something that I like.

I have so many books that I haven't read, I think that before I buy anymore I will need to read some of the books that I already have on my bookshelf. The only trouble with only reading the books on my bookshelves is that there are so many really exciting books that are being published at the beginning of the year, such as The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler and Night School by Christi Daugherty to name just a few.

This is the year of catch up of reading and more blogging so I hope you enjoy reading my blog and finding new books to read. So happy reading!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T11:29:00.004Z

2011 is now all but a distant memory, well it was only yesterday! I hope everyone had a good night last night and celebrated in style. I am looking forward to some of the great new publications that are coming this year. There have been some great publications in 2011 and I am going to give my top 5 books that I have read this year.

5. Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Mystery and Supernatural, what more do you need?

4. Ondine: The Summer of Shambles by Ebony McKenna

Scottish talking ferret! Need another reason to read it?

3. Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton

Keris Stainton scores again with a winning novel!

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Beautifully written and a great love story.

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Amazing, not enough words can describe this book, it made me cry and it really made me think.

What was everyone else's favourite books of 2011?

Girl, Missing by Sophie Mckenzie

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000Z

From Goodreads: Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her? She manages to wangle a trip across the Atlantic where she runs away to try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent…

This was an interesting read, I found the charater of Lauren difficult to understand at first with the confusion of why she wanted to find out where she came from and why she ended up in London. It all started with a school assignment where Lauren had to write a project about where she came from. As Lauren is adopted she trys to find out who her real parents are and why they decided to give her up for adoption.

The reason why I didn't really like Lauren's character was because she was so certain to find out where she was from and who her real parents are and then when she finds out what really happened to her she is completely the opposite to what she was like when searching for her real family. There are lots of different things that happen to Lauren and her family along the way of her journey to find her birth parents.

I liked Jam's character as he was down to earth and was also telling Lauren things to try and get her back to earth and think about things before she acted them out. The story really started to explode when Lauren and her family, plus Jam travel across to America for a holiday. Lauren and Jam have been planning to explorer the area of America that she thinks she was kidnapped from.

Overall, I was really impressed with the storyline and I am glad that I read it as I am currently reading Sister, Missing and it is brilliant as well. The plot seemed a bit far fetched in some places but whilst I was reading it, I kept thinking that this can actually happen in real life and children can be taken away from their parents and never know until it is too late.