Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I've picked Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness and it's the 3rd and final book of the Chaos Walking Trilogy.  Published May 2010 in Australia, UK and Ireland, and September 2010 United States and Canada.

Could contain possible spoilers if you have not read The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and The Answer.




Synopsis

Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others.
Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape.
As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there be peace when they’re so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await?
But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge…

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Title:  The Knife of Never Letting Go
Author: Patrick Ness
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: October 2009
Book Length:  479

First lines:  The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say.  About anything.

Synopsis
Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.

But Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.
Or are there?
Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.
Which is impossible.
Prentisstown has been lying to him.
And now he's going to have to run...

My Thoughts
The Knife of Never Letting go is the first book in Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking Trilogy, and was the Winner of the 2008 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, 2008 Booktrust Teenage Fiction Prize, 2008 James Tiptree Jr. Award, Shortlisted for the 2009 Charnegie Medal and Longlisted for the 2009 Manchester Award.  Now, WOW that's alot of awards!

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown and in one month time he will become a man at the age of thirteen.  The reason he is the last boy is because when the first settlers arrived looking for a simpler life, engaged in a nasty war with The Spackle, native species of The New World.  The spackles released the Noise germ, killing all women and infecting the men of The New world.  Everyone including animals can hear eachother's thoughts, even while asleep.

Todd is out one day collecting apples with his dog Manchee when they both stop and notice a break in the noise.  This is not normal, and for the first time in his life Todd realises that all may not be as it seems in Prentisstown.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is narrated by Todd Hewitt, written in first person present tense. Todd's education is minimal and the author shows this through the writing of the book, e.g stayshun for station, tho for though etc.  It's difficult at first not to stop and say, umm.. I think they missed a few spelling mistakes.

Todd is a really likable character, although not at first for me.  In all his flaws and bad spelling I really grew to love reading from his POV.  Manchee.. well, I must love the animals the most while reading books!  Manchee, Todd's faithful companion comes across as slow and not too bright at the beginning but as the story advances, shows to be a courageous and reliable character. There are other quite memorable characters throughout this book including Wilf and Viola.

Full of adventure and danger, Todd, Manchee and Viola have really got to battle the odds that are stacked against them as they run for their lives.

Knife of Never Letting go is a must read.  Fast paced, action packed, high stakes and a boy on the run.  What more could you want.  If you enjoy the dystopian or slightly darker fiction I recommend this one to you.  Just a handy hint, if you begin reading this and really enjoy it, make sure you have The Ask and The Answer handy, Trust Me!!

Sticky Beak (4)

 Sticky Beak's all about sharing.  Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so thats very Sticky Beak comes in.  By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an author's website/blog, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything that you would love to share with others.  This week I'll just be using the comment section of this post for you all to share your's so feel free to contribute.

Here's Mine for the week!

Authors To Check Out
Patrick Ness: Author of The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men.
Anthea Paul: Author of Girlosophy series, Photographer
Georgia McBride: Author of Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Books

Giveaways
Georgia McBride: Book Reviews and Cool Giveaway

Other Websites
Booktrust: Booktrust is an independent UK-wide charity dedicated to encouraging people of all ages and cultures to enjoy books.
Lushae Jewelry:  Beautiful Collection of individually handcrafted jewellery

So what's yours??

Mistwood Book Trailer

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie!! (This post was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)
 Bought:

      

 

The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness (Book 2 of Chaos Walking Trilogy)

Shift by Rachel Vincent (Book 5 of Shifter Series)

Undone by Brooke Taylor

Demon Possessed by Stacia Kane.

Cruzito's Mailbox

 So, what did you get in your mailbox?

Give Away Updates

We have got 12 days left until I announce 2 winners for my first giveaway.  I can't believe I have 127 Followers.  Thank you all for following and subscribing to my blog, I really appreciate it.

 Since I really like giveaways I've decided to add another book and winner if we get to 150.  The book will be The Messenger by Markus Zusak.  AND if I am so lucky to reach 200 I will add yet another winner and the book The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

So Spread the word!!

Crescendo Story

Check this out.  Becca Fitzpatrick has just posted up the story summary for Crescendo, (sequel to Hush, Hush) coming out 16th November.  The cover will be revealed on the 10th April!

THE STORY: CRESCENDO

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy, Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.
The further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Undone Book Trailer

I heard about this book over at the Deadline Dames a little while ago.  It looks good.

The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Title:  The Messenger
Author:  Markus Zusak
Genre:  General Fiction
Publisher:  Picador
Publication Date: 2009
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Book Length:  399
First Lines: The gunman, is useless.  I know it.  He knows it.  The whole bank knows it.  Even my best mate Marvin knows it and he's more useless than the gunman.

Synopsis (From Angus & Robertson website)
THE MESSENGER is comedic, romantic, thrilling, confronting, playful, deceptive... While it shares qualities with Nick Hornby's HOW TO BE GOOD and Iain Softley's film K-PAX, it is cleverer, subtler and more profound than either and, as a bonus, determinedly Australian. (Australian Book Review) Meet Ed Kennedy - cab driving prodigy, pathetic card player and useless at sex. He lives in a suburban shack, shares coffee with his dog, the Doorman, and he's in nervous love with Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence - until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first Ace turns up. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. Chosen to care, he makes his way through town, helping and hurting (where necessary) until only one question remains. Who's behind Ed's mission? THE MESSENGER, by the highly acclaimed author Markus Zusak, is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists and love

My Thoughts 
I was in my local bookstore the other day trying to find yet another book to add to my collection, when one of the staff (and I can't for the life of me think of his name) recommended this book.  I was a bit skeptical because I had bought Markus Zusak other book The Book Thief and I couldn't get into it.  But I was told this was one of the 'bookstore dude's all time favouries, so I thought well, we'll give it a go.  Thank you heaps!!  This is a brilliant book.

The Messenger is told in first person, present tense (which I'm buying more of lately)from the point of view of Ed Kennedy.  Ed is your average 20 year old Taxi driver.  He lives on his own with his smelly 17 year old dog 'The Doorman' in a fairly rough suburb in Sydney.  He has no ambitions and going nowhere in life.

The story begins with Ed lying face down on the floor in the middle of a bank robbery.  This first chapter had me laughing and I just had to share it with anyone who listened.  I could just picture the scene playing out because it seemed so familiar and typical Aussie.

Then an envelope with the Ace of diamonds turns up in Ed's letterbox, and so begins the journey of Ed Kennedy.

Markus has done an awesome job in creating his characters.  While each character has their flaws, they stick together as a family and I couldn't help but really come to care about them.  The one that stands out the most for me would have to be 'The Doorman'.  He was just a lovable smelly dog.

For those of you who look forward to reading this, while this is funny, it's also hard edged... laced with swearing and violence.   

After reading this I sat there taking it all in.  I felt overwhelmed by the underling message this book portrays, and this is definitely a MUST READ.  Possibly life changing - I know something in me changed once I finished reading this.

The Messenger is one of the best books I've read.

'It's about glowing lights and small things that are big.' (page 239)

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I've picked Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.This is due out July 20th (as per Maggie Stiefvater's website)

Synopsis
This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn't cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it's only me who's not firmly in my own skin.

 

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Title:  Dog On It
Author:  Spencer Quinn (pseudonym for Peter Abrahams)
Genre: Humour/Crime Fiction
Publisher:  Allen & Unwin
Publication Date: March 2009
Stand alone or series:  Series
Book Length: 240
Favourite Paragraph:  "I'm a little late, sorry.  Need to go out?"  Why would that be?  Because my back teeth were floating?  But then I thought, What the hell, the poor guy, and I went over and pressed my head against the side of his leg.

Synopsis
I could smell him - or rather the booze on his breath - before he even opened the door, but my sense of smell is pretty good, probably better than yours.
So begins this fabulous, funny new detective novel featuring Bernie, a slightly down-at-heel PI; and his offsider, Chet, a dog - and the captivating narrator of the story.
Chet may have flunked out of police school (I'd been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn't remember exactly, although blood was involved), but he's just as much a detective as Bernie - superior, sometimes, in his insight into human foibles.
In Dog On It, their first adventure, Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who's definitely gotten herself mixed up with some very unsavoury characters.

My Thoughts
I can't help but rave about this book.  I'ts fantastic and funny and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series Thereby Hangs a Tail.


Chet is a witty and courageous character full of adventure and surprises.  Oh, did I mention?  He's a dog and the narrator of the story.

Dog On It is told in first person err dog, and is about Chet and his partner Bernie.  Bernie is his master and owner of Little Detective Agency.  The story begins with the search of a young girl called Madison who disappears.  Her mother hires Bernie and Chet to investigate.

While I said this is a funny book, I did get emotional at one point of this book.  If you get the chance to read this you will know what I'm talking about.  But don't despair this is only a very small part of the journey.

Favourite Characters: Obviously Chet.  Iggy is a great little dog too.  He's the next door neighbours dog and while he isn't very involved in the story he is entertaining.  I have to admit, I did like Bernie as well.  He's a smart character and very in tune with Chet.... most of the time.  But they do make a good team.

I'd recommend Dog On It to anyone who owns or has owned a dog, or those that enjoy a funny read.  Don't Pass this one by!

Sticky Beak (3)

 Sticky Beak's all about sharing.  Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so thats very Sticky Beak comes in.  By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an author's website/blog, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything book or writing related that you would love to share with others.  Just remember to include the name of the blog and what the post is about in the name.  Thanks guys.

Here's Mine for the week!

Contests/Giveaways
Good Golly Miss Molly Contest: Take your pick of my bookshelf - Ends 19 April
Read React Review Giveaway : Mind Games by Carolyn Crane - Enter by 23 March (Not much time)
The Book Butterfly Contest: Win Before I fall by Lauren Oliver - Internation Ends 25 March
Princess Bookie: Win a few books (via tweetalink.com)


Winners Announced on these Blogs
Storywings 49 Followers Contest
Welcome to Larissa's Life: 350 Followers Giveaway Winner

Author Websites
Jessica Brody: Author of The Karma Club.

For The Writers Out There
Script Frenzy: Write a 100 page script in 30 Days!!  NaNoWriMo's Sister Event April 1-30

Other Stuff
Download free eBook of Stopping Time, original Wicked Lovely Story, before Part 2 comes
Lauren Kate author of bestselling novel fallen, answers Booktopia's 10 Terrifying Questions

Mega YA Contest at The Bookologist

There are 3 boxes, each box contains 4 ARCs, there will be 1 winner who gets to pick one box.
Contests runs until 26th of April and is open worldwide.  Make sure to read the Contest policy before entering.  There are some fantastic books to win, to enter click here.

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie!! (This post was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)

WON:

Winter's Kiss by F.E Heaton

BOUGHT:

     

Light Beneath Ferns by Anne Spollen

Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn (2nd Book in Chet and Bernie series)

Cruzito's Mailbox

Cruzito's Mini Review (Written by Mum)

The Waterhole by Graeme Base (Counting Book)

When I began reading this to Cruzito, he was more interested in his music box than the book.  After the second time I read through, he seemed to take notice.  There is a hole in each page so it looks like the ripple of the water, it slowly gets smaller until it vanishes and I think thats what interested him the most lol.  I gave him the book to read and he sat there flicking through up until he stopped at 6 Catfish and let out a little squeal.  He leaned over and kissed the fish, then kept going until the hole disappeared.  I tried to show him that there were 3 more pages after the vanishing hole but he wouldn't have it.  Stubborn like his father I think :)

Awards Galore!

Okay! I've got 3 Blog awards to hand out to some wonderful Bloggers!!

I recieved the Humane Award from Lily Child over at Lily's Bookshelf.  Wow! Big thank you for this.

This award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendship through the blog world.

Rule: Nominate 10 bloggers you feel deserve the Humane Award.

1. IHEARTMONSTER
2. Ex Libris
3. Bookalicious Ramblings
4. Book Crazy
5. YA Book Queen
6. Imagination in Focus
7. Reading Extensively
8. Jessica's Vision
9. I Swim for Oceans
10. Steph the Bookworm

I received this award from Christina T over at Reading Extensively.  Thanks heaps for this.

For this award I have to share ten honest things about myself and then pass this award to ten other bloggers. So here are my ten honest things:

1. I buy plants that I always forget to water.
2. I'm scared of heights but I've been on the Giant Drop at Dreamworld lots of times.  It's bloody awful everytime!
3. When I was little I used to have nightmares after watching the Critters movies.  Yet when my Dad used to take me to the video shop I would run over to the horror section.  You'd think i would have learnt after the first time lol.
4. I've got two pets.  Mojo my lucky black cat, and Mischief my Staffie bull terrier x.  I bought both from the RSPCA
5.  When the song Mmm Bop came out, I absolutely loved it.  Didn't know whether Hanson were guys or girls at that time. Yes.  Slightly embarrasing.
6. I enjoy watching Chuggington as much as my son does.
7. I loved the movie Inkheart but couldn't get into the book.
8. Favourite book of the moment is Dog On It.
9. I'd love to write another book but I'm always too busy reading when I have free time.
10. If I could live in any book that I've read, the ones that come to mind are the Harry Potter Series!!  They have everything lol.

Heres my 10 Bloggers

1. Dark Faery Tales
2. Bella's Novella
3. Reading with Tequila
4. Book Bound
5. Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf
6. Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm
7. Shut up! I'm Reading
8. The Good, The Bad, and the Unread
9. Royal Reviews
10. Literary Escapism

 I received this award from Christina T at Reading Extensively.  Thanks again :)  You made my day.

I would like to pass this lovely award on to these lovely bloggers:

1. Edifying and Edgy
2. Flipping Pages for all Ages
3. Black and Blue Ink
4. The Fiction Enthusiast
5. Storywings

Thirst No 1 by Christopher Pike

Title:  Thirst No. 1: The Last Vampire, Black Blood, Red Dice
Author:  Christopher Pike
Genre:  Young Adult
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Publication Date: August 2010
Stand alone or series:  Series
Book Length: 591
First Lines:  'I am a vampire, and that is the truth.  But the modern meaning of the word vampire, the stories that have been told about creatures such as I, are not precisely true.'


Synopsis
As to blood — ah, blood, the whole subject fascinates me. I do like that as well, warm and dripping, when I am thirsty. And I am often thirsty....
Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.
Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

My Thoughts (Note: 3 Books in one - Have reviewed this book as a whole)

This is an interesting story about a 5000 year old vampire.  Alisa or better known as Sita is a strong (in every sense of the word) stubborn vampire and at times can seem selfish, and does most things in order to protect her existence.  She's rich, alluring and very dangerous.

I particularly liked Seymour who just accepted Sita for what she was without judgment or fear.  My only issue regarding a few of the characters were that they begin to grow on you and then something unexpected happens and then the story moves on.  I also felt that some scenes were glided over when there could have been more of an emotional build up.  Whether this was the authors way of showing Sita's nature, I can't be sure.

In saying that I did notice the changes Sita experience in all three sections of this book.  The change wasn't there to begin with obviously, but the further in I got, the more I picked up on the slow but steady change happening within Sita.  I  liked reading from her point of view which is written in first person present tense.  The writing flowed nicely.

Overall, yes this is yet another vampire story, but with original plot lines and action and the fact Sita was so old, I needed to finish this book.  I'd like to read Thirst No 2 but this is more curiousity than anything else.  I'd like to see where the story goes from here.  

Juiciliciousss Reviews Giveaway

Go Check out Juiciliciousss Reviews.  Cool Random Big Giveaway happening.  TWO Winners!  INTERNATIONAL Giveaway
2 Boxes will be stuffed with many YA Books (so approx 8-9 books) New release or not even released yet novels

Deadline is 21st April.  Don't Miss Out!

First Giveaway

I couldn't wait until I reached 100 followers so I've decided to do my Giveaway early!!!

There are two books to give away:  

Gone by Lisa McMann  & Hunger by Michael Grant 

 Final Book in Dream Catcher Series

Synopsis
Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.

She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out....

2nd Book in Gone Series

Synopsis

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody. But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.

Need to Know Stuff

1. You must be a follower to be eligible.
   (To follow look for the avatar pics on my sidebar and click follow)
2. Winners will be picked random.org and first winner will win Gone by Lisa McMann, Second winner will win Hunger  by Michael Grant.
3. The Contest will run until 8th April 2010 7:00pm AEST
4. Winners will be notified by mail and posted on this website.
5. International Giveaway

Extra Entries can be earned e.g.

Twitter Follower

Blog Follower

Posting Blog badge on sidebar or blog post.

Giveaway is now Finished!!!

I HEART MONSTER Giveaways

I HEART MONSTER are over halfway through their MONSTER Birthday Party. Go Check this out.  There are some awesome giveaways here!!

Don't Miss Out!

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I've picked Jealousy by Lili StCrow.  This is the third book of the Strange Angel's series which is due out 29 July 2010

May Contain Spoilers, if you have not read the other two books.
Synopsis 
 
Dru Anderson might finally be safe. She’s at the largest Schola on the continent, and beginning to learn what it means to be svetocha–half vampire, half human, and all deadly. If she survives her training, she will be able to take her place in the Order, holding back the vampires and protecting the oblivious normal people.
But a web of lies and betrayals is still closing around her, just when she thinks she can relax a little. Her mentor Christophe is missing, her almost-boyfriend is acting weird, and the bodyguards she’s been assigned seem to know much more than they should. And then there’s the vampire attacks, the strange nightly visits, and the looks everyone keeps giving her. As if she should know something.
Or as if she’s in danger.
Someone high up in the Order is a traitor. They want Dru dead–but first, they want to know what she remembers of the night her mother died. Dru doesn’t want to remember, but it looks like she might have to–especially since once Christophe returns, he’ll be on trial for his life. The only person who can save him is Dru.
The problem is, once she remembers everything, she may not want to…

Gone by Lisa McMann

Title:  Gone
Author:  Lisa McMann
Genre:Young Adult
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Publication Date: February 2010
Stand alone or series:  Series
Book Length: 214


This is the last book in the Dream Catcher Series

Synopsis
Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.

She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out....

My Thoughts

This Trilogy is at the top of my list of Fantastic books that I have read.  I enjoyed all three books, although I would have liked it to have been a bit longer.  I would have also liked to see more things happen in Gone like in the other two.

Gone is written in third person present tense and focus alot on the relationships between Janie and those around her.  There are secrets revealed, and choices to make and nothing is ever simple for Janie.

As always Martha Stubin is a favourite character for me.  I would have loved if she were weaved into the novel a little more.  Captain is also a strong and very likable character.

I'm not sure what else to say without adding anything that may spoil this book so I will finish here.

While there are a few things that could have been done better, it is a nice finish to the trilogy. 

Sticky Beak (2)

Okay, so it's the second week of Sticky Beak.  How you all doing??  So just a refresher from last week!  Sticky Beak was created because there are not enough hours in every day to check out all the cool book blogs on the web, so each week I will list the interesting websites/Blogs etc that I'd love to share with you.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an author's website/blog, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything book or writing related that you would love to share with others.

But this week I've decided to use a different Mr Linky widget.  Hopefully this will be alittle better until the Super-linky is made available.  If anyone knows of any that are better than this just drop me a line over at the contacts page.  So heres mine:

Blog Mentor Programs
Big Sis, Little Blog Program over at Parajunkee's View.  If you are a small blog say 50 followers or less this is worth checking out!! You have until March the 31st to enter.

Bookstores Online
Booksamillion - Fairly quick shipping to Australia. 
Booktopia - $6.50Shipping per order Australia Wide
Book Depository - Free worldwide Shipping

Awesome Websites
YALITCHAT - For those who write, and read Ya lit.  There is an awesome section for writers to post their first few pages in the First Pages (Crit Group) that you are able to read. Which leads me to this one
Everhart by Lori L. Clark (YALITCHAT) - This has the first five pages of an awesome story.  I can't wait to read more of this.
Uphill Writing - How long is a book?  This is for those of you that are interested in the official length for various types of writing.
Maureen Johnson Books - How to write to an author

Okay that's it from me!  What have you guys come across this week??

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie!! (This post was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Thirst by Christopher Pike
What Kate did Next by Lisa Heidke
Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins

Cruzito's Mailbox

The Waterhole by Graeme Base (A Counting Book)

So what did you all get in your mailboxes???

The Karma Club Book Trailer

I can't wait to read this book.  The trailer is awesome so check it out!

Confessions of a Fallen Angel by Ronan O'Brien

Title:  Confessions of a Fallen Angel
Author:  Ronan O'Brien
Genre: Adult General Fiction
Publisher:  Sceptre
Publication Year:  2008
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Book Length: 323
Favourite paragraph:  Owen himself was a great kid.  He once swiped an arm from a shop dummy that he found in a skip in town and we planted it in one of the new graves with the fingers reaching towards the sky as if in a desperate accusatory plea of Why?  Why have you buried me alive?

 Synopsis
Imagine being cursed with visions of the imminent deaths of the people you love the most.
You would do whatever you could to stop the dreams becoming reality.
Following the narrator's disastrous attempt to save a childhood friend from drowning, a series of terrifying events begins to unfold.  As a young man, he meets the love of his life and the traumas of his early years begin to fade.  With Ashling by his side, it seems he has finally found salvation.
But then the visions return...

My Thoughts 
From the beginning the first line hooked me in and I wanted more.  I felt so drawn to Charlie the main character and I couldn't help but feel sorry, and yes, a bit of a cry at times when he is struggling.  He's done such a wonderful job in creating his very flawed characters, and  I cringed everytime Norman came on the scene.  This was one guy I wouldn't want to run into, anywhere.

The story is based in ficticious town in Dublin and as much as I loved the characters the one thing I felt distracted by was the dialogue.  Because the characters are Irish, the author has tried to show through the accent in the dialogue and I found I kept stopping to work out what was being said.  Ronan O'Brien has done this only a few times so it didn't irritate me to the point of putting the book down.

Confessions of a Fallen Angel is a very full on book, taking the reader through the highs and lows of a man who had died and came back with a gift to see other's deaths.  Bear in mind, there are funny parts throughout this book but there is swearing and violence too.

For Ronan O'Brien's first book I think he has done well and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book of his.

Original Sin by Allison Brennan

Title:  Original Sin
Author:  Allison Brennan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:  Bantam
Publication Date: February 2010
Stand alone or series:  Series
Book Length: 442
First Line:  No one could heaer Moira's piercing screams; they were in her head, as trapped as she was by the ancient demon who was luring the man she loved to his death.

Sypnosis
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O'Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira's global search has led her to a small California town that's about to become hell on earth.
Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can't explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira's dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity's last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

My Thoughts 
Fantastic Book!  I'm so glad I spotted this on another Book Blogger's site otherwise I probably wouldn't have come across this for a while!!

I loved all the characters in this book.  Allison has done a brilliant job going from character to character and bringing us closer to the way they think and feel.  Moira's a strong, courageous and stubborn heroine, and together with the ever mysterious clear headed Rafe, they make a good team.  Add in an arrogant demonologist and a level-headed cop and you have a wonderful cast of characters.  Not to mention the bad guys which I shall leave for you all to find out about :)

Majority of  the story is set in a small town called Santa Louisa where everyone knows everybody else.  I found this a tad bit cliche but for this story to work it had to be added into the mix I think.

The writing was steady paced and not slowed down by heavy description which is another reason I enjoyed this book.  If I didn't have to go to work I would have read this from start to finish because I needed to know what happened next.

Although it says its a Paranormal Romance, I found that the romance in this was quite light considering.

If your looking for a great story weaved in with magic, demons and action I recommend you give this book a try.  

The second book Carnal Sin will be out 22 June 2010 (as Allison Brennan's website says)  I can't wait for it.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week's waiting on Wednesday is Burned by P.C and Kristin Cast out on the 27th of April 2010.  This is the 7th book in this wonderful Series
May Contain Spoilers, if you have not read the other six books.

Synopsis 

When friends stop trusting each other, Darkness is there to fan the flames...
Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird's soul has shattered. With everything she's ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey's fading fast. It's seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left.
Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z but she has massive problems of her own. The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy for his own good. The truth is, Stevie Rae's hiding a secret that might be the key to getting Zoey home but also threatens to explode her whole world.
In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledgling, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She's always been blessed (if you could call it that) with visions that can reveal the future, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her with the goddess's own voice, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite's loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey's fate hangs in the balance.
Three girls. playing with fire. if they don't watch out, everyone will get Burned.

Sticky Beak (1)

Hi all! 
There are so many Book and Author Blogs out there, but only so many hours a day to view them and there  are still alot of wonderful blogs seen and are missing out on.  So I got to thinking, how cool would it be if there was a post that listed contests/giveaways, cool reviews, book tours, interviews, etc etc on the one post.  Impossible right?  Well, for one person yes.  So I'd love if you all could join in and help me get this feature up and running.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an author's website/blog, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything book or writing related that you would love to share with others.

All that I ask is that for the Your Name part you list the book blog name and possibly a one word description to let others know what the link is e.g Contest, review, tourdate, authorblog, etc.  you get what I mean.  (this is only temporary until I can get access to the Super-linky widget)

If you would like to let others know which links you have posted please use the comments section for this.

Okay to kick start this week here are mine.

Contests/Giveaways
250 Followers Contest over at Read Into This!  (International)
Wake and Swag Contest over at Just Blinded Book Reviews (U.S Residents Only)
Liar ARC Giveaway over at Handle Like Hendrix (International)
102 Follower Contest over at Holes In My Brain (International)
Awesome Contests over at Storywings  (which I have noticed list a few of the contests mentioned above)

Reviews
Birthmarked Review over at Steph Su Reads
Literary Based Movie Reviews Part One over at Lily's Bookshelf

Author Websites
How the Deadline Dames met over at Deadline Dames (This is a Fabulous Post)

Okay thats all from me for now, so I'll leave it in your hands.  Email me and tell me what you think.  I will run this weekly on a Monday and see how we go.  Thank you all.

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie!!  (This post was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)

This week, I kinda went on a little book shopping spree. It was fun!!

 

Bought:

Confessions of a Fallen Angel by Ronan O'Brien

Ranger's Apprentice:  The ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Original Sin by Allison Brennan

The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Kill Your Friends by John Niven

Still to read:
Crux by Moira Rogers
Pathway to the Gods by J R Mitchell

Cruzito's Mailbox

Thomas & Friends: No Sleep for Cranky
Thomas & Friends: Bulgy Ridess Again
Thomas & Friends: Thomas and the Ghost Engine
Thomas & Friends: Gordon Takes a Tumble

Cruzito's Mini Review (written by Mum)
The Great Escape from City Zoo by Tohby Riddle

We started out real well reading through the first few pages.  Cruzito was turning the pages excitedly until Dad came in and he lost interest.  It didn't matter how much I tried to get his attention, Dad was more interesting.
Better luck next time.

So what did you get in your mailbox?

Beautiful Blogger Award!

I'd like to say a BIG thanks Amelia at Imagination in Focus, Lindsey at The Book Guru, Jessica at Jessica's Vision for the amazing Beautiful Blogger award.  Wow!

Here are the rules:

• Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
• Pass this award onto 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and think are fantastic
• Contact said Blogs and let them know they've won
• State 7 things about yourself

Here's the 15 Awesome Bloggers:

• Jo at Ink and Paper 
• S. F Robertson at Wastepaper Prose  
• Bobbie at 'Til We Read Again 
• Book Magic
• Jill at Books, Books Everywhere! 
• Liz at Cleverly Inked 
• Heather at Darkly Reading 
• Teens Read and Write 
• Dahlia at The Book Shopaholic
• The O.W.L
• Bookalicious Ramblings 
• Jenn at Books at Midnight 
• Lucy at Delightful Reviews 
• Maire K at Monster of Books 
• Karin at The Book Jacket

Seven Things About Me:

1. I absolutely hate onions (blegh!)
2. I love reading about writing (how-to's) LOL. 
3. I only decided I wanted to be a writer a couple of years ago.
4. I can't go past a handbag shop without buying one.  Same goes with books.
5. I got my second tattoo before telling my other half. (he hates them) lol
6. Satay Chicken wins me over every time :)
7. I always use laughter/jokes to deal with the not so good stuff, because if I didn't laugh, I'd most definitely cry.