Thursday 28 December 2017

Release Week Blitz - Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross



Welcome to the Release Week Blitz for
Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross
presented by Entangled Teen!
Grab your copy today!



Congratulations Julie!








The second book in the Juniper Falls series from NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Cross, perfect for fans of Miranda Kenneally and Abbi Glines.
Haley Stevenson seems like she’s got it all together: cheer captain, “Princess” of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she’s struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she’s sworn them off completely until college.

Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He’s always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he’s finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner.

But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who’s ready to break all the rules.




Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross
Publication Date:  December 26, 2017
Publisher:  Entangled Teen










 OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES












Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, Chasing Truth, Off the Ice and many more to come! Julie Cross was a longtime resident of central Illinois but has recently moved her entire family across the country to continue her academic studies at Stanford University.











Saturday 23 December 2017

Review - Invictus by Ryan Graudin




Title: Invictus
Author: Ryan Graudin
Pages: 465
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Release Date: 21st September 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.
 












My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*




Farway Gaius McCarthy has no birthday - he was born outside of time on a ship. His mother is a time traveller and his father was a Roman gladiator.
When Far fails his final exam to become a time traveller his thinks that he'll never fulfil his dream of being a time traveller. But Far is offered the chance to be the captain of his own ship and travel through time, stealing valuable items from the past to be sold on the black market.
Then while on a heist on the Titanic, a mysterious girl beats Far to his prize.
Who is she? Why does she want to join the crew of the Invictus?  


I was really excited to read Invictus - it sounded like a time travelling version of Firefly (one of my favourite TV shows). However, I'm left feeling a bit underwhelmed. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because the story didn't go they way I thought it would. Or because there weren't as many heists as I expected.
I liked all of the main characters, but Imogen could be a little annoying at times. I would love to have a pet red panda.
The plot was mostly good and went in a direction that surprised me, but I did get a little bored and lost interest at one point.
The writing style was easy to follow but it didn't keep me gripped.


Overall this was an enjoyable read.
 



Thursday 21 December 2017

FairyLoot Unboxing - December - Oh So Regal



The theme for FairyLoot's December box was Oh So Regal.


This was my second box and I definitely want to get more of them!



On to the unboxing!









Inside was a Funko. Different Funkos were put in the boxes. You could either get: Simba, Rapunzel, Pocahontas, Ariel, Jasmine or Tiana.
I got Ariel!




 The keyring is designed by Stella's Bookish Art and is an exclusive. It says 'Books Rule' on it.

There were different candles in this box as well. The options were Prince Aladdin, Prince Charming, Prince Adam or Prince Eric. I got Prince Charming and it smells lovely.




There was a War Storm (the next book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard) bookmark and a notebook with a quote from Red Queen (designed by Stella's Bookish Art). 




There was also a Rosemarked sampler and a zip pouch/pencil case designed by Miss Phi. The quote is from No Fear by William Shakespeare.




This month's book was Everless by Sara Holland, which doesn't come out until January.
It sounds really interesting and came with a signed bookplate and a letter from the author.



   


Did you get a Oh So Regal box?
What Funko and candle did you get?


Tuesday 19 December 2017

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.



This week the topic is...
 Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings




Here are the books I am hoping to get for Christmas (in no particular order)!






  1) Vicarious by Paula Stokes
2) The Victoria Letters by Helen Rappaport and Daisy Goodwin
3) A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke





4) After the Fire by Will Hill
5) Hunted by Meagan Spooner
6) Ms. Marvel, Vol 7: Damage Per Second







 7) Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
 8) Jessica Jones, Vol. 1: Uncaged by Brian Michael Bendis
9) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated)
10) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated)
 



What books do you want for Christmas?
 

Sunday 17 December 2017

Wildest Dreams Book Box Unboxing - Best of YA 2017




I was lucky enough to be one of the few people to get one of the first Wildest Dreams book boxes!



The theme was Best of YA 2017 and included in the box was:
a book (with a note from the author), a bath bomb, bookish tea, a bookmark (signed), and a postcard.





The book was The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed, which is about three girls who avenge the rape of a fellow classmate. 
I was worried that I would have the book included in this box seeing as it's the best of YA 2017, but luckily I don't :)





The bath bomb is from Geeky Clean. It's a sorting hat bath bomb, and when it melts in the bath it reveals what Hogwarts house you are in.





The tea is based on After the Fire by Will Hill, and is made by Rosie Lea Tea.
I'm not really a tea person but this is chocolate orange flavour which sounds yummy!





The bookmark and postcard are for Book of Fire by Michelle Kenney. The bookmark is signed.
Book of Fire is plugged as "Percy Jackson meets the Bone Season" but sounds interesting. I actually have an ARC of this which I haven't gotten around to reading yet :/







Overall I was very pleased with the Wildest Dreams book box.
The book sounds interesting, the tea looks yummy, the bath bomb smells really good and the bookish swag is nice.
I'm definitely keen to order another Wildest Dreams box. 
I would definitely recommend it!
 



The January theme is Into the Jungle.
I would have ordered one but I'm pretty sure that I have an ARC copy of the book that is included.



Buy your box here





Thursday 14 December 2017

Review - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman




Title:  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
Pages: 299
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 18th May 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?
 













My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley*




Eleanor Oliphant follows a routine that results in her leading a lonely life. She lives on the outside, her personality often making her the butt or her colleagues' jokes.  
One evening Eleanor sees the man that she knows is the One. She embarks on a mission to improve her clothes and appearance, intent on making a good impression.
Eleanor's life begins to change, but is it for the better?


Eleanor Oliphant was a bit of an oddball but I liked how unique she was. The way she spoke was very proper and her reactions to certain things were funny.
The plot was interesting and held my attention. I did partly guess the secret of Eleanor's past, but there was one thing that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed reading as Eleanor went out of her comfort zone and interacted with new people in new situations.
The writing style was engaging and easy to follow.


Overall this was an enjoyable, unique read.
 




Tuesday 12 December 2017

Blog Tour + Giveaway - Sea of Strangers (The Ryogan Chronicles #2) by Erica Cameron


Find the tour schedule here.





Sea of Strangers (The Ryogan Chronicles #2) by Erica Cameron
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen


Know your enemy if you want to survive…

The only way for Khya to get her brother back alive is to kill Varan—the immortal ruler who can’t be killed. But not even Varan knew what he was doing when he perverted magic and humanity to become immortal.

Khya’s leading her group of friends and rebels into the mountains that hold Varan’s secrets, but if risking all their lives is going to be worth it, she has to give up everything else—breaking the spell that holds her brother captive and jeopardizing her deepening relationship with Tessen, the boy who has been by turns her rival and refuge since her brother disappeared. Immortality itself might be her only answer, but if that’s where Khya has to go, she can’t ask Tessen or her friends to follow.


 
 Goodreads   






  Purchase Links:


B&N | Kobo | iBooks 
 







Other Books in the Series:




















Excerpt:

 The sight of him against the stone sparks a memory that makes my hands still. I laugh. “You know, it’s several moon cycles late, but we’re finally exactly where the entire city thought we were when we kept sneaking off.”

“I’m glad they’re finally right.” He runs his free hand up my bare thigh, his touch and his voice shaky, but it’s the wide-eyed disbelief on his face that makes my heart skip a beat. “I hoped, but I wasn’t sure it’d ever happen.”

I sit up straighter, flattening my palm against the center of his chest and watching him. “The way you’re looking at me, it seems like you’re still not sure it’s happening.”

“The good moments have been rare recently.” His hand slides over my hip and presses against the center of my lower back, drawing me down until his lips brush against mine before he whispers, “And this is unbelievably good.”

 






About the Author




Erica Cameron is the author of books for young adults including the Ryogan Chronicles, the Assassins duology, and The Dream War Saga. She also co-authored the Laguna Tides novels with Lani Woodland. An advocate for asexuality and emotional abuse awareness, Erica has also worked with teens at a residential rehabilitation facility in her hometown of Fort Lauderdale.












Tour-wide giveaway

 Open INT