Wednesday 29 October 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #96 - Zero Day


Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Zero Day - Jan Gangsei
ISBN - 9781484722268
Publisher - Disney-Hyperion
Expected release date - May 12 2015

Eight years ago, Addie Webster was the victim of the most notorious kidnapping case of the decade. Addie vanished - and her high-profile parents were forced to move on.

Mark Webster is now president of the United States, fighting to keep the oval office after a tumultuous first term. Then, the unthinkable happens: the president's daughter resurfaces. Addie is brought back into her family's fold, but who is this sixteen year old girl with a quiet, burning intelligence now living in the White House? There are those in the president's political circle who find her timely return suspicious.

When the NSA approaches Noah Stark, a nineteen-year-old White House intern the Websters have hired to tutor Addie, he doesn't know what to think. How the hell could this slip of a girl be a threat to national security? But at the risk of having his own secrets exposed by the powerful government agency, Noah agrees to spy on Addie without the White House's knowledge.

It soon becomes apparent that Addie is much more than the traumatized victim of a sick political fringe group. Addie has come home with a mission. Will she choose to complete it? And what will happen if she does?


How much does this sound like an amazing spin on Homeland? I love that show so am definitely going to read Day Zero although I could do without the seven month wait...



Tuesday 28 October 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #70 - Books & Movies For Getting In The Halloween Spirit


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fabulous gals cover at The Broke & The Bookish. This week's topic is -

Top Ten Books/Movies To Read Or Watch To Get In The Halloween Spirit  

I love Halloween! I love scary movies, horror novels and things that go bump in the night! I blame this entirely on my mama who didn't realize that my sister and I would sneak downstairs to watch horror movies in the middle of the night, I also started reading Stephen King novels at a very early age because of wanting to read something really scary. This is a mix of books and movies which I try to read or watch around this time of year along with a couple of new things that are new.

Stephen King's IT

The Amityville Horror

Hocus Pocus

The Omen

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Woman In Black

An English Ghost Story

Horrorstor
The Birds

Once

Saturday 25 October 2014

Book Haul #88 - Model of Restraint!

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

So... I haven't done a book haul post for five weeks! I haven't been well, my attention is shot to pieces and I ended up in hospital again. The only good thing about feeling awful is that I've barely requested any review copies, not really bought a few books and requested three, yes that's three, titles from the library. This may all change today though as I'm at BristolCon with lots of amazing authors and great people. Providing I don't pass out or embarrass myself in any way there could well be pictures!



Wednesday 22 October 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #95 - The Sin Eater's Daughter

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -


The Sin Eater's Daughter - Melinda Salisbury
ISBN - 9780545810623
Publisher - Scholastic
Expected release date - February 24 2015

A startling, seductive, deliciously dark debut that will shatter your definition of YA fantasy.
 

Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the court. She's the executioner.

As the goddess-embodied, Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week, she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he's able to look past Twylla's executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies-a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?


How fabulous does that sound? Scholastic have published some amazing books recently and this one continues that trend. I cannot wait to get my grubby hands on a copy of The Sin Eater's Daughter!


Saturday 18 October 2014

Dewey Read-a-thon!


Hurrah! Dewey's Read-a-thon has just kicked off and I'm taking part again! I've lost track of how many I've done, I think this might be my fourth one? I'm hoping to stay awake longer during the night this time so at some point this afternoon I'll be sneaking off for a nap :)

Hour 0 - Kick Off!

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

  Gloomy Somerset in the UK

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

The one physical book I'm reading for the read-a-thon, Horrorstor!

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

It's Chinese night tonight so spring rolls! Oh, and some Maltesers that I accidentally bought earlier...

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

Ummm, I'm an insomniac and night owl - except when I try to deliberately stay up all night. I read a lot as I have nothing else to do with my sad life ;)

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

I lost my internet connection for most of the last one so I didn't do any challenges or socialize either, this time hopefully I'll do both :)

Hour



Wednesday 15 October 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #94 - Fairest

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -


Fairest (Lunar Chronicles #3.5) - Marissa Meyer
ISBN - 9781250060556
Publisher - Feiwel & Friends
Expected release date - January 26 2015

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?


Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.


I cannot wait to get my hands on this!!! Having finally read Cinder, Scarlet & Cress this year and desperately waiting for Winter this will fill the gap nicely - especially as we now have to wait until the end of 2015 for Winter! It's published two days after my birthday so I think it will make a fabulous present to myself.


Tuesday 14 October 2014

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader Not A Writer! The hop runs from now through to midnight on October 31 2013. The spooktacular prize up for grabs is a spooky, creepy book of your choice (either YA or Adult), up to the value of $15, from the Book Depository as long as they deliver to your country - find the list of countries here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are well over 200 blogs taking part in this hop so check out the list below for lots more chances to win, thanks for entering and good luck!

October New Release Giveaway!


Welcome to the October New Release Giveaway Hop hosted by Book Nerd! The hop runs from today through to midnight on October 31st 2014. Up for grabs is any new release this month up to the value of $20 from the Book Depository as long as they deliver to your country - find the list of countries here.

All you have to do is choose any new release published in October and leave me a comment stating what book you would like (you can change your mind later!) and a way of getting in touch with you if you are the lucky winner (either an email address or Twitter) - following the blog via GFC, email, Linky or Bloglovin', Goodreads or Twitter is not compulsory, just nice!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the list below for all the other blogs taking part, thanks for entering and good luck!

Top Ten Tuesday #69 - Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fabulous gals cover at The Broke & The Bookish. This week's topic is -

Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

I would love to visit the places I read about in books, be they real or imaginary. These are the top ten eleven places I would like to visit most, some for a day or two and others for extended holidays!

Prince Edward Island, Canada

Prague

Narnia

Winterfell, King's Landing

Pemberley

Russia

Middle Earth

Alternate Swindon circa 1985 & the Book World

Finland, Sweden

Cornwall, Wales

Fairyland

Sunday 12 October 2014

Review & Giveaway: Trust Me, I'm Lying - Mary Elizabeth Summer




Trust Me, I'm Lying
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 14th 2014

Synopsis:

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.


“A sexy love triangle and madcap mystery . . . I loved this book.” —Jennifer Echols, author ofDirty Little Secret

“Buckle up! You’re in for a wild and funny ride. I fell in love with the fresh and snarky voice of 16-year-old con artist Julep Dupree. This book has it all: homework and hit men, prom drama and silencers.” —April Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Girl, Stolen

“Summer creates a standout character in Julep. She lies and cheats with so much confidence and skill that readers will cheer her on, but she also adheres to her own strict moral code. The nature of the crime her father is caught up in, when revealed, just ratchets up the suspense. A memorable debut; here’s hoping for a lot more from Summer.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Julep’s investigations and quick escapes keep the high-stakes story entertaining and readers guessing…” – Publisher’s Weekly


My favorite genre in YA over the last few months seems to be mystery/thriller/suspense books so I was only too happy to read Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer. I definitely wasn't disappointed!

Julep Dupree (which may or may not be her real name...) is a master con artist even though she's still in high school and having one of the coolest names doesn't hurt her reputation as a fixer. Her fellow students come to Julep for all sorts of reasons including faking the whole college interview for someone who wants to model rather than go to NYU!Together with her best friend Sam Julep has all sorts of things happening until the day her father goes missing leaving behind a cryptic clue along with a gun.

Along for the ride with Julep and Sam is Tyler, a senator's son with good looks and a brain but this starts to complicate things for Julep and reinforce the need to work solo. Russian gangsters, a barista with a secret mission, a budding romance and the realization that her best friend might just be in love with her are some of the problems making Julep more jumpy than usual. Throw in death threats, kidnapping and an awful feeling that her father might actually not be coming back make for a thrilling roller-coaster of a book. Just when you think you've got everything worked out Mary Elizabeth Summer not only throws you a curveball but also yanks hard on the heartstrings, there is a certain place in the book which I read three times thinking I'd misread what happened!

If you like intrigue, mystery, suspense, well developed characters and a believable plot then Trust Me, I'm Lying should definitely be on your reading list.



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Mary Elizabeth Summer is an instructional designer, a mom, a champion of the serial comma, and a pie junkie. Oh, and she sometimes writes books about teenage delinquents saving the day. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, her partner, and her evil overlor–er, cat. TRUST ME, I'M LYING, a YA mystery, will be released by Delacorte in Fall 2014.



Win (1) of (2) signed hardbacks of Trust Me, I'm Lying + a "Grift" bag of goodies (US Only)




 
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