Book Haul (30 June 2012) 25 Books

Books that I bought today:

1. Barry Trotter and the Dead Horse by Michael E. Gerber - This is a parody of Harry Potter. Not sure if I will like this but the spine looks like the real Harry Potter books so at least it will look good on my bookshelf;

2. The Farseekers (The Obernewtyn Chronicles #2) by Isobelle Carmody - I now own the first two in the series. Just need to get around to reading them.

3. The Wishing Jar by Penelope J. Stokes - Never heard of this book before, I only bought it because I liked the cover and it was cheap;

4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - I also have The Kite Runner by the same author on my TBR shelf;

5. Danse Macabre (Anita Black, Vampire Hunter #14)  by Laurell K. Hamilton - I have book 1 in this series on my TBR shelf;

6. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton - This book is set very close to where I live so I am interested in reading it.

7. Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox - I'm not a huge fan of Michael J. Fox, the only movies I have seen of his are the three Back to the Future films but I bought this book because I thought it would be interesting.

I have never even seen a single episide of Buffy before but all these books were 99c each. I'm not sure if you have to have watched the TV show to make sense of these books or not.

8. Obsidian Fate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #17);

9. Resurrecting Ravana (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #22);

10. Sweet Sixteen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #46);

11. Sins of the Father (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #20);

12. The Evil that Men Do (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #27);

13. Power of Persuasion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #18);

14. Coyote Moon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3);

15. The Harvest (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2);

16. Prime Evil (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #24);

17. Halloween Rain (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2);

18. Night of the Living Rerun (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4);

19. The Book of Fours (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #37)

Some ebooks that I received this week are:

And from Netgalley I got:



TGIF #20

Hosted by Ginger over at G-Reads

This weeks question is:

Best I've Read So Far: We're half way through the year (crazy how time flies!), which top 3 books are the best you've read so far this year?

1. Hourglass by Myra McEntire;

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins;

3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Books that just missed out were The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger and Of Poseidon by Anna Banks.

Follow Friday #37

Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison of Alison Can Read.

This weeks question is:

 

 

 

Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?

 

 

 

Neville from Harry Potter, or any Harry Potter character for that matter. Dobby would be awesome.

Blog Hop #18

Book Blogger Hop is a bookish meme hosted by the blog Crazy For Books.

This weeks question:

Do you have a keeper shelf for books you loved? What books are on that shelf and why?

I keep all my books. I am yet to read a book that I don't like that I have bought and I like to re-read my books.

My Harry Potter books have their own shelf though as I have multiple copies of each book because they keep falling apart as I read them too much.

Book Review #156 - The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle

Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant.

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure.

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?

My Rating: 4/5

I would like to thank the author for kindly sending me a copy for review. The link to her blog is here.

This book is about Selkies. The only previous book I have read about Selkie's is Melissa Marr's short story in the Love is Hell anthology book. I was really excited to read a full length book about Selkies.

I was captivated by this book instantly. The descriptions used to introduce Shapinsay painted a clear picture in my head of the setting.

I really liked how the writing incorporated the Scottish accent. Certain words were spelt the way it would sound with the accent instead of the proper way it is written. This added dimension not only to the characters but also to Shapinsay.


Kait was an intriguing character. She was really likeable from the very start. I loved her relationship with her brother Blair although at times he annoyed me with him being so over protective of Kait.


The changes in points of view was really insightful because the two main characters come from vastly different worlds and having them both share their POV's it enable you to learn more about both worlds.


Eamon was a very unique, occasionally funny character. He annoyed me towards the end though when he wouldn't get back into the water. I just couldn't understand why he wouldn't.


The ending caught me by complete surprise. It was really unexpected.


After reading this, I am now interested in reading other books about Selkies as they are a very enigmatic creatures that there aren't many books about.

Booking Through Thursday #5

link

Who taught you to read?

My parents always read to me when I was a kid and my school always made us read alot.

Book Haul (28 June 2012)

This is part 1 of what will be a massive book haul. Part two will have the majority of the books and will be posted hopefully tomorrow or Monday. I got all these books from Booktopia who currently have a huge clearance sale on.

1. The Mauritius Command (Aubrey/Maturin Adventure #4) by Patrick O'Brian; 

2.  The Far Side of the World (Aubrey/Maturin Adventure #10) by Patrick O'Brian;

3. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl #1) by Barry Lyga;

4. Winter's Shadow (Winter Saga #1) by M.J. Hearle;

5. Crocodile Tears (Alex Rider #8) by Anthony Horowitz;

6. Rey Mysterio: Behind the Mask by Rey Mysterio

Book Review #155 - Xoc by Matt Dembicki

Explore the ocean's wonders through the eyes of a greatwhite as it treks from the Farallon Islands off the coast of California tothe warm waters of Hawaii some 2,300 miles away. Along its journey, the17-foot shark encounters natural prey and predators-from skittish sealsto brazen orcas-as well as man-made impediments that threaten notonly the giant fish, but the balance of ocean's ecology.

My Rating: 3/5

I received this book for review from Netgalley.

I was really interested in reading this book because I love sharks.

This book was a very quick read. It took me less than a hour to read.

I really liked the pictures used in the book especially the fight scenes.

The only disappointment with this book was that I thought that it had potential to be alot better than what it was.

I am interested to read any sequels that get published because this book ends with a huge cliffhanger.

Library Haul (27 June 2012) 4 books

Books I got from Library are:


Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver;
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld;
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (currently reading it); and
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Various Authors

Book Review #154 - Dads, Geeks and Blue Haired Freaks by Ellie Phillips

Sadie Nathanson spends her life trying to survive the excruciating embarrassment of simply existing. It’s hard enough being a bit of a shrinking violet within a loud and outspoken extended family, but the unexpected card from ‘Dad’ on her 15th birthday is the last straw.

 

As ‘Dad’ was an Internet sperm-donor, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that this is a bad joke, probably set up by her ex-best-friend Shonna. But it starts Sadie wondering – just who was her father? Is he the cause of her worry crinkle and wonky bum? What would happen if she tracked him down?

So she decides to do just that. With help from her nerd cousin Billy, his friend Nodding Tony and a regular dose of ‘Haironomics’ (Sadie’s own hairstyle-related philosophy system), they uncover a lot more than they bargain for...

My Rating: 4/5

I want to thank Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me a copy of this book for review.

This book had a very interesting plot and was like nothing I had ever read before.

What I liked most about this book was Sadie's family dynamics. The way she interacted with each of her unique family members.

From the very first page this book was very funny. Especially Sadie's Aunt Lilah.

I read this book in only a short few hours. It was very hard to put down and was very fast paced.

I didn't really understand Shona's purpose in the book at all. Even at the end she is left as a loose end.

Leibster Blog Award

I've been tagged with the Liebster Blog Award by Reading Kelly. The Liebster Award is for bloggers with less than 200 followers. Award winners share 11 facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who tagged them, come up with 11 of their own questions and tag 11 more bloggers with the award.

11 Facts About Me:
1. I have a naughty yet clingy Labrador;

2. My grandparents live in a unit in our backyard;

3. I have never been outside of Australia;

4. I have lost count the amount of times I have read the Harry Potter Series;

5. I collect anything to do with my favourite football team the Fremantle Dockers and my bedroom is a testament to this fact;

6. I have a younger brother;

7. Even though I am Australian I support the English Cricket Team;

8. My favourite colour is purple;

9. I can quote every episode of Friends word for word;

10. My favourite animal is the Great White Shark;

11. I own just as many DVD's as I own books.

Questions from Reading Kelly

1. Where do you keep all of your unread books- together or scattered throughout your shelves?

I have a separate bookshelf for my unread books which has more books in it than my read bookshelf.

2. Do your book selections vary by season?

No, I have no way of selecting my books at all.

3. What is your favourite food?

The McChicken burger from McDonald's.

4. Do you read the inside flaps that describe a book before or while reading it?

Depends on how much I already know about the book.

5. Any quirky reading habits?

Not really, although I hate stopping mid chapter and I get annoyed when interrupted whilst reading.

6. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? And why?

New York because I have wanted to go there since I was 5 years old.

7. When did your love of reading begin?

My mum always read books to me when I was younger but I never really loved reading until I read the first Harry Potter book when I was 8.

8. What are the best and worst books you have read lately?

All the books I have read lately have been really good. It's hard to choose just one. I don't have any books that I would rate the worst I have read, I always seem to find something in a book that I like.

9. Do you have any hobbies outside of reading?

I watch ALOT of different sports in alot of different timezones.

10. Which do you prefer- the beginning or end of a story?

Probably the end, because you are more absorbed in the story by then.

11. What is your fondest book memory?

Probably the anticipation of waiting for the next Harry Potter book to be released, which always felt longer that what it was.


I was tagged again for the Leibster Award by Reading Rendezvous Reviewz.


Her questions are:


1. Romance or Historical?
I only like romance as a sub-genre, so I would have to choose historical.


2. Dystopia or Mystery?
Dystopia


3. Christian Fiction or Sci-Fiction?
Science Fiction


4. Chick Lit or Thriller?
Chick Lit


5. Poetry or Memoir?
Memoir


6. Short Stories or YA?
YA


7. Historical Romance or Paranormal?
Paranormal


8. Spiritual or Fantasy?
Fantasy


9. Cookbook or Health and Fitness?
Health and Fitness


10. Erotic or Street Lit?(street literature is books mostly written by African American authors about Street life)I'm Australian so I have no idea what Street Lit is like, but it has to be better than erotica.


11. Biography or Self Help?
Biography

Blogs I'd like to tag:

Read That Also
A Bit of Dash
Dead Trees and Silver Screens
Jayne's Books
Literary Lindsey
That's What She Read
The Reading Diaries
Lil' Rae of Sunshine
Gimme More Books
I Read a Story Once
Quixotic Magpie



My questions:
 1. What is the first book you can ever remember reading?
2. Do you re-read books? If so, which book have you re-read the most?
3. Have you ever liked a movie based on a book more than the book itself?
4. How did you decide on what to call your blog?
5. How many books are you hoping to read this year?
6. Do you have plans to write your own book?
7. What was the last book that you read?
8. What is your favourite movie?
9. Who is your favourite actor/actress?
10. What TV shows do you enjoy?
11. Do you collect anything other than books?

Book Signing - Christopher Paolini

These are the books that I got signed today by Christopher Paolini:

Eragon





Eldest



Brisingr (Deluxe Edition)



Brisingr



Inheritance

This is an Eragon temporary tattoo that was given out. 



Book Haul (25 June 2012)

These are the books that I bought yesterday and today. There will be a massive book haul either at the end of this week or early next week.

Clarissa Oakes (Aubrey & Maturin #15) by Patrick O'Brian - I am finding these everywhere now. I should have the whole series in no time.

The Leaping by Tom Fletcher (Fell House #1) - I only bought this because it sounded interesting and it was really cheap.

Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Poems by Edgar Allan Poe - Not sure if I will ever read this as I have never read poetry before but thought it would look good on my bookshelf.

Taken by Midnight (Midnight Breed #8) by Lara Adrian - Same reasoning as The Leaping.

The Good, The Bad and the Undead (The Hollows #2) by Kim Harrison - I have heard alot of good things about this author so I decided to pick this up, just need to get the first book now so I can read this.

Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1) by Jessica Shirvington - I have seen this book in shops for a while but it has been really expensive. I really like the new paperback covers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #5

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey. This is where we share the books we have read last week and our reading plans for this week.

The books that I reviewed last week are:

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks;

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross;

Struck (Stupid Cupid #1-3) by Rhonda Stapleton

The books that I am currently reading are:

The Faustian Host (The Apocalypse Signs #1) by Dave Becker

Plymouth Rock is bleeding. Day has turned to night. Hundred-pound hailstones level buildings. The small town of Clement seems cursed, and the residents know who's to blame: the new kid, Tony Marino.

After losing his family and his home, 14-year-old Tony is forced to move from Florida to Massachusetts to attend Kalos Academy, an unconventional school for gifted children. Strange things begin to happen the day he arrives, and soon stories of plagues, monsters, and mystical objects surround him. Refusing to believe superstitions, Tony struggles to explain the occurrences logically, until he comes face to face with a satanic cult determined to bring about the end of the world.

and

Eragon (Inheritance #1) by Christopher Paolini

When young Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his adopted family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of inescapable destiny, magical forces, and powerful people. With only an ancient sword and the instruction of an old,mysterious, hermit storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a Emperor whose evil and power knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands….

And I am still reading Moby Dick and am hoping to finish by the end of the year. I am also still re-reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as I don't have much time for re-reads.

Musing Mondays #5

Musing Mondays is a meme hosted by Should be Reading.




This week’s musing asks…

Do you set goals for yourself, while reading? For example, “I want to get this book finished this weekend“, or “I will read __ pages today“, etc. Why, or why not?

No, not so much for finishing a book by a particular time but I do try and set an amount of books that I would like to read in a year.

Book Review #153 - Struck (Stupid Cupid #1-3) by Rhonda Stapleton

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That’s why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid’s Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn’t just a matchmaker...she’s a cupid! (There’s more than one of them, you know.) Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But the path to love is not always a straight shot....

Laugh-out-loud funny and irresistibly romantic, this delightful bind-up is ideal for fans of both romantic comedies and paranormal romance.

This book contains three books. I have decided to do three separate reviews.

Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

My Rating: 3/5

This book was very faced paced. It was a very light and likeable read.

I didn't mind that there was no real depth to the story because I was so engrossed with it.

Felicity was the only character I liked somewhat. Felicity's friends Maya and Andy were very one-dimensional.

The three guys that were all after Maya could have been made more interesting than what it was. The way that they found out about each other was a little over the top and immature.

Characters just seemed to pop up when Felicity needed a new couple to match-up.

Overall the book sets up a series with an intriguing premise and I am looking forward to see where this series goes.

Felicity is a total romantic. That’s why she follows her heart—not the rules—in her job as a cupid. But when Felicity turns her matchmaking magic on her best friend, Andy, it’s Andy who breaks their golden rule: friends always come first. Andy is so wrapped up in her new guy that she’s ditching everyone else. How can Felicity stop her BFF from letting a BF come between them? Meanwhile, Felicity decides to get over her crush on Derek by setting him up with someone else—but in her impulsive haste, she accidentally matches him with the whole school, and now everyone is in love with him. The entire student body is headed toward heartbreak, just weeks before prom. Does Felicity have what it takes to make everyone’s heart happy…including her own?

My Rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. I liked it alot more than the first one.


The plot in this one was really interesting and there was alot more interaction between Felicity and Derek.


Derek really developed alot over the course of this book and I felt more connected to him than to Maya and Andy who I still don't know much about.


The ending was really unexpected and I am lucky to have been reading the bind-up edition of this book so I didn't have to wait to read the third and final book in this series.

Felicity has racked up quite a list of matchmaking fumbles, but right now she’s beaming with joy. Not only has she learned that her longtime crush, Derek, is also a cupid, but he is now officially her boyfriend! But Felicity is terrified when she discovers her recent connection with Derek is due to the magical matchmaking of her boss at Cupid’s Hollow. Is Derek truly in love with Felicity, or is it all due to magic? Felicity has two weeks before the love spell wears off. And she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure this love match lasts!

My Rating: 3/5


This book was my least favourite of the series.

Felicity was really annoying in this book. She constantly kept thinking that she wasn't good enough for Derek and so kept picking fights with him.

The ending was too predictable and wasn't anything special.

Book Haul (22 June 2012)

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby - I went and got this book from the Library pretty much as soon as I heard about it. I'm sure I will love it as I am a Gooner.

Eldest (Inheritance #2) by Christopher Paolini - I now have the whole Inheritance Cycle series. The author is in my city this weekend so I am hoping to get these signed.

Post Captain (Aubrey/Maturin #2) by Patrick O'Brian - I keep finding these books really cheap. I really like the spines on these books as when I get them all they will look really good on my bookshelf.

I would like to thank Pan MacMillan Australia for these two books they sent me for review:



Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) by Josephine Angelini - I still need to read Starcrossed before I can read this.



Winter's Light (Winter Saga #2) by M.J. Hearle - I still need to read Winter's Shadow before I can read this.



E-Books I got this week are:


Florence by Ciye Cho

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

Pledged (Soul Wars Saga #1) by Gwynneth White

Everyone has a soul mate. But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you?

Seventeen-year-old Erin has a problem. Seth has been hers forever, but now an ancient curse is tearing him away. And the demons who invoked it will stop at nothing – even murder – to claim him as their own.

How can she win against a curse so binding that it has damned countless others to this same fate – an eternity alone?

The answer lies in the past. To find it, Erin and Seth must risk all, travelling back in time to a dangerous world where love is forbidden, and life – and death – hang on a pledge.

Follow Erin and Seth as they travel to ancient Shenaya and confront the curse that has plagued their families for millennia. Caught in a war between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, they must fight to keep their souls in tact and their love untainted.

TGIF #19

Hosted by Ginger over at G-Reads

This weeks question is:

 

 

Have you ever contacted

an author you admired? How did that experience go? If not, which author would you love to have a chat with?

 

 

 

 

No I haven't. The author I would love to have a chat with would be J.K. Rowling just to thank her for creating Harry Potter.

Follow Friday #36

Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison of Alison Can Read.

This weeks question is:

 

 

 

If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

 

 

 

Harry Potter for sure. I want to experience it for the first time again. I read it for the first time when I was 8 and don't really remember much about how I felt other than I would re-read it multiple times.

Blog Hop #17

 

Book Blogger Hop is a bookish meme hosted by the blog Crazy For Books.

This weeks question:


Do you immediately write a review upon finishing a book or do you wait and write multiple reviews at once?

At the moment I have to wait because I am behind on writing my reviews. Whenever I catch up I will post them immediately after finishing the book when the book is still fresh in my mind.