Sunday 27 May 2012

Letterbox Love (3) + (4)

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking, where bloggers in the UK can showcase the books they received during the week.


Hi everyone, I know I haven't posted at all in a couple of weeks, and I'm sorry for that. More exams are coming up, and I honestly don't think I can run this blog and do my schoolwork and revision at the same time, so I'm going on a break from the blog again. I don't know when I'll be back exactly, but hopefully by the start of the summer holidays. To others who are also doing exams: Good luck! Here's what I got over the past 2 weeks:


Won:

Soul Beach by Kate Harrison (Thanks to Vivenne @ Serendipity Reviews!)

Bought:

Endless Summer (The Boys Next Door #1-2) by Jennifer Echols 

I also just came back from Bluewater, where I was supposed to go to the Waterstone's Cassandra Clare book signing. I got there only to find out that she'd canceled due to illness. Disappointed that I didn't get to meet her, but I hope she gets well soon!

I'll see you all soon, and I hope you've had a great weekend (especially since the weather's been incredibly nice lately in the UK)!

Friday 18 May 2012

Feature and Follow #11


Feature and Follow is a meme hosted by Parajunkee @ Parajunkee's View and Alison @ Alison Can Read. It's a way for bloggers to gain new followers and friends.


This week's question:



Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?


I'll probably be in my bedroom for the majority of the summer, and summer in England sucks 99% of the time anyway. For the first two weeks though, I may be going up to Devon to stay with my cousin. Devon does seem to have the best weather in summer from my experience, so maybe I'll get a chance to read on the beach! However, I do prefer my bedroom, because it's so cosy :)

Weekly recap:


What's your answer to this week's question? Have a great weekend!

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Published Simon & Schuster UK 2011


Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

*****

I honestly don't know why I didn't read this sooner. I love YA fiction that features road trips, and I've read quite a few, but I honestly think this just might be the best one of all.

Amy Curry's life sucks. Her family has all but completely fallen apart due to her dad's death three months ago, and her mum decided to move to Connecticut to start fresh. Amy's been living by herself in their California home for the past month or so, but now the house is close to sold and it's time to get up to Connecticut. Problem is, Amy hasn't been able to drive since the accident. Enter Roger Sullivan, an old childhood friend she can only vaguely remember, but he's cute and seems nice. Amy and Roger are supposed to follow the directions her mum gave her, but they decide to take a little detour to make things more interesting...

Amy is one of the most loveable and real characters I've come across. I found that her narrative flowed incredibly nicely and I never once was bored. The turmoil that she's been experiencing since her dad's death is beautifully written, and Amy gets tons of character development throughout the book in that aspect. She really grew as a character and came to terms with it. She also had a very interesting personality, and she seemed like one of those people who can get along with anyone because they're that likeable. 

Now, on to Roger. He is like the poster boy for boys in contemporary fiction and how they should be. Not only is he cute, he's understanding, a good listener and not to mention that he has an amazing taste in music, which is evident in his playlists that appear throughout the book as Amy and Roger enter a new state on their road trip. Roger also got a little sub-plot of his own, which I found really interesting and I appreciated it. Both Amy and Roger have to come to terms with their own issues, and they help each other along the way, making each other better. That's my favourite thing about this book. 

Another of my favourite things about this book is the fact that there are pages of small notes written by Amy as they pass through each state, which contain facts and funny comments. I really enjoyed those, and they added nicely to the story, not to mention that I learned quite a bit about a few American states! As I mentioned above, Roger's playlists are also featured in their own pages, and they're fantastic. The playlists were relevant to what each new state brought to Amy and Roger, and helped to capture the mood of that particular part of the trip. I looked up some of the songs after I finished reading, and I actually quite like most of them! Things like receipts from various places, postcards and napkins were featured, and I loved the song lyrics at the start of every new chapter.

The host of characters that they met along the way were amazing. They each had their own place in the story, and I enjoyed every one of them. In fact, I can say that I loved every character featured in this book. The ending was beautiful, and felt right. It was a satisfying ending, but at the same time I didn't want it to end because I didn't want to say goodbye to all these amazing characters, especially Amy and Roger. The trip only took 4 days, but they had come so far, both in the literal sense and in relation to character development. One of my most favourite books for sure, and my desire to go on a cross-country American road trip is stronger than ever!

5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight our most anticipated upcoming releases.


Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Published by Feiwel & Friends (USA)


Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

I'm looking forward to this because I appreciate a good sci-fi every now and then, and this sounds very intriguing. The blurb kind of reminds me of The Adoration of Jenna Fox, which I loved, not to mention that the cover is gorgeous.

What are you waiting on?

Sunday 13 May 2012

Letterbox Love (2)

Letterbox Love is a new meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking, and it's a fun way for book bloggers in the UK to show the books they received during the week.


Hi everyone, I hope you had a great weekend, and it's been a fantastic week for me in books! Here's what I got (all links lead to Goodreads):


Bought:

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa
City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter

Waterstone's Bluewater, where I usually get all my books from besides Amazon, have announced that Cassandra Clare is going to be signing copies of City of Lost Souls in store on Sunday, 27th May from 1pm, so if you're in the area make sure to stop by! Also, Lauren Kate will be signing copies of her new book, Rapture, in store on Saturday, 7th July from 2:30 pm.

What did you get in your letterbox this week?

Friday 11 May 2012

Feature and Follow #10


Feature and Follow is a meme hosted by Parajunkee @ Parajunkee's View and Alison @ Alison Can Read. It's a way for bloggers to gain new followers and friends.

This week's question:

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?


I'm finding this one difficult to answer because in most books that I read, the mother is either dead or the mother/child relationship is very strained, which is kind of bleak. However, my favourite books with a strong mother/child relationship would have to be the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. Cammie really admires her mum and looks up to her, and not just because her mum is one of the best spies in the world. Cammie also admires her mum's strength, and they have a really close bond.

What's your answer to this week's question? 

Sorry that I haven't posted all week, honestly the hiatus was unexpected. Expect a review on Saturday though!

Sunday 6 May 2012

Letterbox Love (1)

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking, and it's a fun way for us to showcase the new books we received this week here in the UK.


Hi everyone, I decided to join in with Letterbox Love because it's UK specific and I thought it was a great idea, so I'll be doing these from now on. I also just wanted to say sorry for the lack of posts and reviews this week. In short, I'm in a reading slump and swamped with homework. I've barely turned a page these past two weeks, and I guess I kinda got used to not reading. So, please bare with me as I try to get back into the flow of things again, and hopefully I'll get a review done soon.

Here's what I got this week:


Won:

Dead Rules by R.S. Russell (Thanks to Leanne @ District YA!)

What did you get this week? Hope you had a great weekend and have a good bank holiday Monday!

Friday 4 May 2012

Feature and Follow #9


Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted Alison @ Alison Can Read and Parajunkee @ Parajunkee's View. It's a way for bloggers to gain new followers and friends.

This week's question:

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?


My favourite author is John Green, and I would tell him that he's a fantastic writer and I love every one of the books of his that I've read. He creates such loveable and relatable characters, along with sweet, realistic romance. I would tell him that he's awesome and his books really inspired me to start reading again!

What's your answer to this week's question?


Wednesday 2 May 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight the releases that we are eagerly anticipating.


The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin
Published by Simon & Schuster 
Released: 23rd October 2012 (USA)


Two days after Mara walks into a police station in Miami at the close of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, she is committed for psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe is a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But she's about to discover that the price is more than she can bear.

Dark and thrilling, suspenseful and passionate, The Evolution of Mara Dyer will have readers breathlessly turning pages to find out what will become of Mara Dyer next.

Mara gets put in a mental institution? Hell yeah, sounds like my kinda book! The first book was unbelievably amazing, so I'm seriously impatiently waiting for this :D

What are you waiting on?