Monday 20 January 2014

Review: Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle


Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle.

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eveburies the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House ( and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.A trio of today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle- brings all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.






*Containing small spoilers. Nothing major  or revealing the end of the stories*

The Jubilee Express:
This story was so hilarious! The main character Jubilee was just so much fun.  I loved her personality. I would say that her Christmas is not off to a great start, but what happened kind of makes the story even more fun because of the scenario, her parents in jail because of a riot over parts to their Christmas village. That means that Jubilee has to take a train to her grandparents, which when there a snowstorm is not really a great idea  when there's a snowstorm. As you can imagine it all turned out for the better. 
Probably one of my favorite stories. It was really cute and very very funny! 

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle:
Well.. it was not off to a great start with the so called “James Bond” marathon which it wasn’t really since it was Daniel Craig on the screen and he’s just not James Bond- And talking about how he’s “hot”. Or just his upper body- not great.  But since the rest was so great I can overlook it. This story was like an adventure, a Christmas adventure. Three friends out in a snowstorm, trying to get to the waffle house despite all of these challenges with cars breaking down and the race to get there before the others and with the twister game otherwise, no entrance. Since it's three holiday romances there's also some romance there and I really don't want to reveal who or how it happens since it's really cute and I really liked the way it played out. That's all I'm gonna say about that, it's really cute and it doesn't take up too much of the story either which is great because of the whole "adventure" they're on with daring themselves out into the snowstorm. 

The Patron Saints of Pigs:
So this last one was probably my least favorite. It wasn’t bad or anything there were just some small things about it that really annoyed my. At first I was a bit annoyed over the main character, but that actually faded and instead went over to her friends. Or the ones that’s supposed to be her friends. Addie is having a hard time after her break-up so yeah she’s feeling bad for herself of course, but then here comes her friends and does nothing to help, but just makes her feel worse, yeah great job there. They keep going and going over how she’s too self- absorbed and so on. Anyways, she promises to pick up a teacup pig for a friend that her and her other friend got her for Christmas, she promises to do it on her break around the time that the petstore opens. Well it ends up that she’s an hour late picking it up because a bunch of stuff goes down at work, they have a lot of customers and just when she’s being allowed to leave (cause hey she’s not the boss and can’t just leave whenever she wants) another disaster and she calls her friend to talk about, but instead of listening the friend just goes again with her being self-absorbed again- um hello! She was at work and can’t just leave just like that. She might be close to forgetting the pig, but come on! I just couldn’t believe it. So I spend a lot of the story being really just.. grrr about those friends.  Other than that it wasn’t that bad the story itself and I still liked the writing and there were some Christmas in there with the snowstorm and everything. I liked the message that were in the story despsite some of the characters.  

Overall I really liked these three stories. Great to get in the Christmas mood with. I really liked how they were all connected with some of the same characters like Tinfoil guy and even some of the characters from previous stories shows up and you can see how they're doing. You get to see how it is them all handle the snowstorm. I can see myself picking it up again next christmas to get in the christmas mood. 





“I responded to this development with the kind of sophisticated language for which I am famous. "Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid crap.” ― John GreenLet it Snow

“Debbie had to get up and slice me a thick piece of cake before she could answer. And I do mean thick. Harry Potter volume seven thick. I could have knocked out a burglar with this piece of cake. Once I tasted it, though, it seemed just the right size.” ― Maureen JohnsonLet It Snow

“I realize Jubilee is a bit of a stripper name. You probably think I have heard the call of the pole.” ― Maureen JohnsonLet it Snow

“We are all flawed, my dear. Every one of us. And believe me, we've all made mistakes. You've just got to take a good hard look at yourself, change what needs to be changed, and move one, pet.” ― Lauren MyracleLet it Snow




John Green

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.




Maureen Johnson


Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.
Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Hank and John Green.


Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle is the author of numerous young adult novels. She was born in 1969 in North Carolina. Lauren Myracle holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. she has written many novels, including the famous IM books, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r.
Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for the year 2004. It was named by Booklist as one of the "Top Ten Youth Romances" of the year, as well as one of the "Top Ten Books by New Writers." Her middle-grade novel, Eleven, came out 2004, followed by its YA sequels (Twelve, Thirteen, Thirteen Plus One) .



Monday 6 January 2014

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore (Nevermore, #1)
Author: Kelly Creagh
Published: 2011 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 5 Stars
Read Count: 2
Synopsis:
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear that he'd rather not have anything to do with her, either. But soon Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Can she save Varen from the madness taking hold of him? Or will they both be consumed by the shadows of his nightmares?



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 My Thoughts 
I forgot just how much I love this book until rereading it. Varen Nethers is just...
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Nevermore is based around Edgar Allan Poe's work which is a serious plus for me because who doesn't like the gothic romance and horror stories he wrote? Our MC is Isobel Lanley, the popular, blond haired and blue eyed cheerleader who is one tough female character, which I love since I dislike most female characters (it's my curse). She's partnered up with Varen Nethers, hot goth with dark hair, gorgeous green eyes and a sexy lip ring for an English project. Straightaway Varen decides that their project will be about Edgar Allan Poe, the man that Varen is a wee bit obsessed with.
They struggle to find time to work on their project as a jealous boyfriend/friends and an overprotective dad make problems, Isobel and Varen slowly fall in love and Isobel begins to find herself sucked into Varen's dreamworld, 'caused by the sketchbook he carries where he sketches and writes to escape a bad home life. His dreams become real and his and Poe's creatures and characters come to life.
For me, Nevermore will be an all-time favorite and Varen Nethers is my favorite book boyfriend. Miss Creagh's world is one I would love to visit often and the book is quite long but it's worth it. So if you enjoy romance and creepy stories this will not disappoint.

 Favorite Quotes 
"A black silver-studded belt encircled his narrow hips. Beneath the baggy T-shirt, he was thin and pale but strong-looking. She tried not to go pink in the face when she suddenly caught herself wondering if his skin felt warm to the touch or vampire cold."

"In love. In love with the stoic, the sullen, the eternally morose Varen Nethers?
He would never allow it."

 About the Author 
As a child, Kelly would hold elaborate one-kid plays for patient relatives, complete with song, dance, and over-the-top melodramatics. Then, whenever Mom or Grandma called for a break, she would venture outside to slay dragons, run from make-believe ghosts and create magical feasts for fairies out of mud and pinecones.
In the third grade, Kelly wrote her first book titled Pink Lettuce, a story about a young girl who comes to the aid of her mad scientist neighbor, helping him to return his potion-pink lettuce patch to its original green and leafy luster.
Kelly holds an undergraduate degree in Theatre Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Today, she finds true joy in transcribing her dramatic daydreams onto the stage of the blank page. When not writing or curled up with a good book, Kelly can be found teaching, learning and performing the ancient art of Bellydance.

Sunday 5 January 2014

Review: House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty

Title: House of Bathory
Author: Linda Lafferty
Publication: January 7th 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
Cover Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.


In the early 1600s, Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Blood Countess, ruled Čachtice Castle in the hinterlands of Slovakia. During bizarre nightly rites, she tortured and killed the young women she had taken on as servants. A devil, a demon, the terror of Royal Hungary—she bathed in their blood to preserve her own youth.
400 years later, echoes of the Countess’s legendary brutality reach Aspen, Colorado. Betsy Path, a psychoanalyst of uncommon intuition, has a breakthrough with sullen teenager Daisy Hart. Together, they are haunted by the past, as they struggle to understand its imprint upon the present. Betsy and her troubled but perceptive patient learn the truth: the curse of the House of Bathory lives still and has the power to do evil even now.

The story, brimming with palace intrigue, memorable characters intimately realized, and a wealth of evocative detail, travels back and forth between the familiar, modern world and a seventeenth-century Eastern Europe brought startlingly to life.

Inspired by the actual crimes of Elizabeth Báthory, The House of Bathory is another thrilling historical fiction from Linda Lafferty (The Bloodletter’s Daughter and The Drowning Guard). The novel carries readers along with suspense and the sweep of historical events both repellent and fascinating.
 









House of Bathory was absolutely an amazing read. I flew through it in no time because my eyes were glued to the screen of my Kindle. It was that good! I didn't know what I expected starting it but it turned out even better than I had hoped.

I've always been intrigued by the story of Elizabeth Bathory. I love history and I've seen documentaries and movies about her so I was pretty excited to read this book. I'm so glad I got accepted for it via NetGalley. 

This book is my first Linda Lafferty book and I'm so excited to have found a new historical fiction author that I can see myself wanting to read all the books from. Her writing was compelling, never got boring and it was fast-paced. Also it didn't shy away from the horror that Countess Bathory inflicted on so many innocent people.

The story also was just amazing and dark. And very exciting, not knowing what was going to happen next or if my favorite characters would survive...
I loved how it jumped from the 1600's to 2010 and how everything fit together. I just love books like that.
There were a lot of POVs  that may be a little distracting to some. Even I must admit that at first I had to get used to it but I soon got used to it and now I think it was perfectly done that way.

Another thing I loved was how Carl Jung was a big part of this book. In the last year I've come to be a little intrigued also by Jungian psychology. Coincidence. Or not? 

Overall, House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty was a fantastic read. I loved the writing and how the author could suck me right into the story, especially the 1600's chapters. It was like I was there. So amazing!







The most frightening terror in the world was not ghosts, or monsters, not vampires, or any of that nonsense. The most terrifying creature in the world is a madman.






  The daughter of a naval commander, Linda Lafferty attended fourteen different schools growing up, ultimately graduating from the University of Colorado with a master's degree and a PhD in education. Her peripatetic childhood nourished a lifelong love of travel, and she studied abroad in England, France, Mexico, and Spain. Her uncle introduced her to the sport of polo when she was just ten years old, and she enjoys playing to this day. She also competed on the Lancaster University Riding Team in England in stadium jumping, cross country, and dressage. A veteran school educator, she is the author of The Bloodletter's Daughter and The Drowning Guard. She lives in Colorado.


Review is also posted on Bookfever





Saturday 4 January 2014

Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published: 2013 by HarperCollins
Genre: Dystopia, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 3 Stars
Read Count: 1
Synopsis:
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.



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 My Thoughts 
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I really had high hopes for Unravel Me but it just left me wondering why I bothered to spend my time reading it.
The story continues at Omega Point, where Juliette, Adam and James have been for a few weeks. Juliette isn't adjusting and Adam is acting odd while my favorite misunderstood little soldier Warner is still searching for Juliette, heaven knows why though...I really don't understand the attraction Warner has to her.
Good points, was that we learn Warner's name (though someone had already ruined it for me on Twitter and yes I am bitter xD), there is more KENJI ('nuff said) and yes, Chapter 62 was hot but I'm just not a fan of Warner/Juliette being together.
Bad points, Juliette was so freakin' self-centered and cruel to Adam in my opinion. Warner was also self-centered and cruel, I know he is supposed to be a sorta-bad guy but after reading Destroy Me and parts of Unravel Me you know he can be loving and kind but then he just turns around and acts like an ass, I still like him but want to smack him.
Overall the story was decent but I just couldn't love it like I did Shatter Me. The characters are likeable and learning about the other residents of Omega Point and having a deeper back story for some was nice but Juliette being obnoxious just kills it for me.

 About the Author 
Tahereh Mafi is a girl. She was born the youngest child with four older brothers in a small city somewhere in Connecticut, and currently resides in Orange County, California. She graduated from a tiny liberal arts college two miles from the shores of Laguna Beach, has varying levels of competency in eight different languages, and spent a semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain, where she had the opportunity to study Spanish literature in its native form. 

Mafi has traveled all over the world, lived on both sides of the United States, and even spent some years writing really bad poetry. When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons, and old receipts.