Spellbound By Books: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Spellbound Noticeboard (14)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com

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About "The Crown on Your Head":

"...Bestselling author and artist Nancy Tillman has found another beautiful way to celebrate the embraces of our dear ones, and to reassure us, no matter how old or how young, that we are loved."

Trailer URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__4JNuQUegI

Website:

http://nancytillmancorner.com

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Author Talk and Book Signing Dates

Graeme Base

1st October 2011

Start: 11:00 am

Venue

The Bookshop at Queenscliff

30-32 Hesse Street

Queenscliff, Victoria (Australia)

Start: 1:00 pm

Venue

Bookgrove Bookstore

1/73 The Terrace

Ocean Grove, Victoria (Australia)

4th October 2011

Start: 4:30 pm

Venue

Readings Hawthorn

701 Glenferrie Road

Hawthorn, VIC

6th October 2011

Start: 3:30 pm

End: 4:30 pm

Venue

The Children's Bookshop

6 Hannah Street

Beecroft, NSW

7th October 2011

Start: 3:30 pm

End: 4:30 pm

Venue

Shearer's on Norton

99 Norton St

Leichhardt, NSW

11th October 2011

Start: 10:00 am

End: 11:30 am

Venue

Petrarch's Bookshop

89 Brisbane St

Launceston, TAS

Start: 7:30 pm

End: 9:30 pm

Venue

Riverbend Books

193 Oxford Street

Bulimba, QLD

12th October 2011

Start: 10:30 am

Venue

Victoria Point Library

Victoria Point Lakeside

Shop Centre, 7-15 Bunker Rd

Victoria Point, QLD

20th October 2011

Start: 4:30 pm

Venue:

Readings St Kilda

112 Acland Street

St Kilda, VIC

Info From Penguin Website

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Book Signings

RANGER'S APPRENTICE 11: THE LOST STORIES - by John Flanagan

Thursday, October 20 2011 at 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Description:
John Flanagan – the best-selling author of the children's series, Ranger's Apprentice – will be appearing at North Lakes Library to talk about his popular Ranger's Apprentice series and his brand new viking adventure series BROTHERBAND.
Venue:
North Lakes Library 5 Discovery Drive North Lakes Qld 4509

Sunday, October 23 2011 at 2.00pm -3.00pm
Venue:
Village Roadshow Theatrette State Library of Victoria - Conference Centre, Entry 3, 179 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Monday, October 24 2011 at 4.00pm -5.30pm
Venue:
Preston Library 266 Gower St, Preston VIC, 3072

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Book Signings/Talk

12 October 2011 - 19:30

Talk - NSW

Pages and Pages Booksellers in Mosman will host an evening with Matthew at the Orpheum Theatre. For tickets and more information contact Pages and Pages

13 October 2011 - 19:00
Signing - NSW

To celebrate the release of Matthew Reilly's "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves" he will be signing copies of his new book at Dymocks Parramatta.

14 October 2011 - 16:00
Signing - NSW

Come along to Berkelouw Books Balgowlah and have your copy of "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves" signed by Matthew Reilly, Australia's No.1 bestselling author.

17 October 2011 - 18:15
Talk - VIC

The Wheeler Centre will host an evening with Australia's No. 1 bestselling author Matthew Reilly to celebrate the release of his new novel "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves". Bookings open September 6. For tickets and more information go to www.wheelercentre.com

18 October 2011 - 19:30
Talk - VIC

Come along to the Esso BHP Billiton Wellington Entertainment Centre and hear Matthew Reilly talk about his new novel "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves". For bookings and more information go to www.wheelercentre.com

19 October 2011 - 18:30
Talk - QLD

Dymocks Carindale and The Grandview Hotel present an evening with Matthew Reilly.

20 October 2011 - 12:00
Signing - QLD

Dymocks Brisbane is thrilled to host a signing with Matthew Reilly to celebrate the release of his highly anticipated new novel "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves".

20 October 2011 - 18:30
Signing - QLD

Australia's No. 1 bestselling author Matthew Reilly will be signing copies of his new book "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves" at Big W Carina.

21 October 2011 - 18:00
Talk - QLD

Riverbend Books and Brisbane Boys Grammar School are proud to host an evening with author Matthew Reilly. Tickets are $8 (a portion of ticket sales will go towards the Indigenous Liiteracy Foundation).

2 October 2011 - 11:00
Signing - QLD

Dymocks Indooroopilly is excited to host a signing with bestselling author Matthew Reilly

22 October 2011 - 14:00
Signing - QLD

Be at Angus and Robertson Morayfield on Saturday 22 October to meet author Matthew Reilly. Matthew will be in store to sign copies of his brand new blockbuster novel "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves".

23 October 2011 - 11:00
Signing - QLD

Love That Book in Helensvale will play host to a signing with bestselling author Matthew Reilly to celebrate the release of his hotly anticipated novel "Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves"

Info from Pan Macmillan Website.

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Okay that's all from me for now. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (73)

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

I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane. This is the fourth book in the Downside series and I just love the characters!! This book isn't out until 27th March 2012 which seems like forever!

Synopsis (Goodreads)

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

You Against Me by Jenny Downham Book Trailer

I have this book in my TBR pile and I honestly can't wait to get to it!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

In My Mailbox (80)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Nothing this week. A Quiet week for me.

Bought:

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

I've seen this on a few blogs and I can't wait to read it. I'm just wondering if it would be similar to The Messenger/I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak.

Anways what did you all get in your IMM?

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Sticky Beak (65)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where 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 authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!

Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff To Check Out:
Old Tom Foolery: Cool stationery shop online
See Jane Work: Another cool stationery shop online
The Children's Book Council of Australia: Cool Website.
Notemaker: Yes, another awesome stationery shop. As you can tell I've been busy shopping around for stationery lol.
The Bodacious Pen: Visual Inspiration. Great stuff!
Story Notes From Hell: Collection of story notes screenwriters received from Hollywood studio executives.

For Writers:
Yarny: Yarny lets you write the way you want to write, using any approach you like, in a simple, distraction-free environment.
Litreactor: A Place for writers to improve their craft.

Bound2Eliminate: I just want to share this blog with you as Tammie is my new critique partner. She's awesome and I'm enjoying the posts she puts up on her blog. Check it out!

That's all from me this week. Hope you all enjoy!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Title: Glow

Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Publication Date: 1st October 2011

ISBN: 9781742610320

Stand alone or series: Book 1 in the Sky Chasers

Pages: 320 pages

Book Received from: Publisher (Pan Macmillan) Proof Copy

First Lines: The other ship hung in the sky like a pendant, silver in the ether light cast by the nebula.

Synopsis:

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival-not love-the issue?
A ship heading for New Earth is halfway through its incredible journey across the galaxy.
On board, sixteen year olds Waverly and Kieran are part of the first generation born in space.
They are in love.
They believe their future is written in the stars.
They have never seen a stranger before...
... until the day they are wrenched apart and suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives.

My Thoughts:
Glow is the first book in the new Sky Chaser's series that's definitely made a strong start. I'm not sure where to start with this review as there is so much that has been jam packed into this novel.

Here's to setting the scene. Two spaceships, one leaving later than the other, are destined for new earth. They encounter a problem with fertility in both ships but only one had successfully overcome this. Being a generation out from reaching the new earth, the infertile ship panics and takes matters into their own hands. That's all I'll say. This book is broken up into parts that alternate between Waverly and Kieran telling the story.

Amy has done a brilliant job at bringing the reader so close to each character by almost living and breathing their experiences. Both Kieran and Waverly experience their different share of cruelty and hard times and it definitely changes them big time towards the end.

The story touches on a number of topics including a cult like existence and peer pressure in both ships. We're shown both good and bad sides of human nature when isolated in a small community and while there are good and bad guys in this story it is very hard to distinguish who is who at times. I liked the fact that it wasn't black and white but alot of different shades of gray.

Glow was a gripping and full on read for me with great characters, though I do think this is more aimed at the high end of Young Adult/Mature readers.

If you enjoyed reading this an are looking for something similar, Across The Universe by Beth Revis was another good read!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Watchman of Ephraim Winner!

Thanks to everyone that entered into the giveaway.

The Winner for The Watchman of Ephraim is:

Shirley

Congratulations Shirley. I'll be emailing you shortly for your details.

Hope everyone has a good night!!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (72)

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

I'd not long finished Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter who a friend from work recommended and I absolutely LOVED so this is the reason I've picked Awake at Dawn for my WOW. This is out on the 11th October 2011 and I can't wait.

Synopsis (Authors Website)

Kylie Galen thought her life was a mess before she went to Shadow Falls Camp. However, now that she's discovered she's not human, the problems presenting themselves are anything but normal.

She's determined to uncover the answer to her supernatural heritage, but with a ghost insisting someone Kylie loves is about to die, her newly developed sixth sense telling her someone is watching her and a rogue vampire on a murdering rampage, Kylie's quest for answers is on hold. As if her life isn't difficult enough, just when she's about to give her heart to Derek, he starts pulling away. When Lucas comes back, Kylie feels more conflicted than ever. Kylie's weekend with her mom should have been just the break Kylie needs, but it turns out to be her breaking point. Discovering her heritage may not ever matter if she doesn't survive.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter Book Trailer

I've read this book and loved it. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

500 Followers Giveaway!

500 FOLLOWERS!!

I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who has followed me via Google Friend Connect, Google Reader, Twitter etc. It's awesome to know that you all enjoy reading the stuff I post on here and I wanted to say a big thank you.

I'm giving away a signed copy of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and it's open to all !

And, if you have time to leave some feedback I'd love to hear what you all think. Click here!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

In My Mailbox (79)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Silverbirch by Rob Kaay

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

That's my IMM this week.

On an AWESOME NOTE, I've reached 500 Followers! Thank you guys!

Keep an eye out tomorrow for a little something special.

P.S Those of you still waiting on books to be sent out, they will be sent out this week due to a little glitch in the budget.

Thanks

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Atheist's Daughter by Renee Harrell

Title: The Atheist's Daughter

Author: Renee Harrell

Genre: Young Adult/Supernatural Thriller

Publisher: Hunting Monsters Press

Publication Date: 14th September 2011

ISBN: 9780982922149

Stand alone or series: Series

Pages: 270 pages

Book Received from: Author (Renee Harrell)

First Lines: I don't want you to think you've fooled me. Dr Ron. When Lew, your enormous orderly, your troglodyte in training, brought me this notebook and huge, clumsy pen. I was immediately suspicious.

Synopsis:
"Why am I such a freak?"
Kristin Faraday feels trapped, worried she'll spend the rest of her life in the small and suffocating town of Winterhaven. She also worries because she's different from her family and friends. She knows other people's secrets because she can tell, with certainty, when they're lying to her.
She doesn't realize she has this ability as a “gift” from Mrs. Norton, the woman who murdered her father. When Mrs. Norton and her family return to Winterhaven, Kristin discovers she's the only one that can see them for what they truly are.

They aren't human. They feed on humans.

Mrs. Norton is aware that Kristin is the one person who can stop her -- if the teenager only knew how. But this is one secret that Kristin Faraday hasn't learned....

My Thoughts:
I have to say that I love the dedication at the beginning. 'This book is dedicated to Danger and Adventure'. Great touch. I enjoyed reading The Atheist's Daughter. It's great to see real scary monsters that are outside the norm.

I must admit I was a little confused at the beginning. The supernatural beings didn't fit into any of the boxes I was so used to, and it left me itching for any details at all I could absorb in when I had the chance. Once I'd worked it out it definitely gave me the heebee jeebees.

Kristin was a great character for the story to mainly follow. We do get to see snippets from the other side of the coin as well as a few other characters but the story's focus is on Kristin. Right from the beginning I found reading from Kristin's POV to be very entertaining. She's the kind of character I can definitely relate to. I wasn't too sure on Liz, one of Kristin's friends at first though but she actually started to grow on me. Hawkins was another character I wanted to hear more of in the story so hopefully in the next book we get to see more from him.

Another element I loved were the moments that Kristin can hear the falseness in other peoples words. 'Schhhct' has got to be the best sound effect ever for what it represents. I could just about hear and see it, the times it happens in the story.

The Atheist's Daughter is an entertaining story with origanal monsters and a girl trying to do the best she can with the life she's dealt.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Guest Post: Pity The Book Blogger by Renee Harrell

In the ninety minutes or so it takes me to write this Guest Post, at least another 50 self-published/micro-niche books will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and the like. These days, it’s fairly easy to publish anything you’ve written.

It’s not as easy or as cheap to do it right, so some of these new arrivals will arrive a little rough around the edges. Doesn’t mean there isn’t a diamond or two among the pebbles, and please know I’ve found some lovely s-p’ed books I’ve truly enjoyed (Angelfall by Susan Ee, The Fiddler’s Gun by A.S. Peterson are two that come to mind), but it’s hard for a writer to get noticed when every day brings another flood of newcomers to the party. One way to rise above the crowd, however briefly? Find someone with a following to review your opus.

Let me share with you now, this isn’t as easy as it seems. I know because my book, The Atheist’s Daughter, comes out today, too.

Oops, let me back up a little. My name is Renée Turner, my husband is Harrell Turner, and when we write together, we use the pen name of ‘Renée Harrell’. Separately or together, we’ve written and sold articles, short stories, a work-for-hire novel, and almost worked for ABC Television (a tale for a different day) but our words have yet to make us rich. Or even moderately well-off. Or even...well, two levels below “financially stable”. In other words, we’re not about to quit our day jobs.

Although we had some other options, we decided to bring ‘Daughter’ out on our own. After all, we’d dabbled in self-publishing before, had a fine time and met some lovely people, and we truly enjoyed the process. We planned to promote our book through book reviews. To this end, Harrell contacted our favorite book bloggers.

Melissa and Spellbound by Books was contacted on the very first day and this was, more or less, Hal’s pitch: Despite the title, The Atheist's Daughter isn't written for a religious audience (just as 'The Exorcist' wasn't written for theologians). Our heroine isn't beautiful or popular, she can't find a job, and she desperately wants to move out of her mother’s house. Kristin is cursed -- or blessed, your call -- with an ability to discern a certain kind of evil. She doesn't have a magical Kung Fu Grip with which to fight the evil, she only knows when it's present. She's no smarter, braver or stronger than anyone else.

There are some very Bad Creatures in the story but they're not any of the standard beasties. We've grown tired of the same old frights and decided to invent something new. Our monsters aren't sexy, they're monsters! We’re hoping strong characterization and a fresh story will help us find a readership.

Yes, he actually used the phrase, “magical Kung Fu Grip”, while soliciting a book review. Which may be why the other four book bloggers never answered his request. In the days to come, the next five didn’t respond, either. Of the ten bloggers that followed, one said she was overwhelmed with requests and couldn’t help. The other nine were so overwhelmed, they never got back to us.

We don’t blame them. We love book bloggers, we visit their sites frequently, and we know how many writers are begging for some small scrap of attention. We’re here, too, jumping up and down and trying to be seen, knowing the really good reviewers have someone knocking at their e-door several times a day (which is why we were so pleased to hear from Spellbound By Books).

Frustrated, Harrell even contacted a company that specialized in blog tours. Until three weeks ago, we didn’t even know there was such a business! The outfit came highly recommended, their website promised a dozen reviews...

And even they passed. A paranormal romance novel, certainly, they were positive they could have helped us. But a supernatural thriller one of our beta readers called, “Buffy Summers meets FRIGHT NIGHT”? Well, they weren’t sure they could find enough interested reviewers.

Or any interested reviewers.

The good news? After another dozen requests, we have one more possible book review in our future. A positive step, you bet, but not really the kind of attention we’d hoped to attract. After all, how can a reader find our book if s/he doesn’t know it exists? So, with Melissa’s permission, we’d like to make you, dear reader, an offer.

Want a copy of Daughter? If you have a website, a blog spot, a Twitter account, or just visit forums to discuss fiction, we’d love it if you’d read our book – and we’ll give our story to the first dozen people who ask. Just wander by our website – MarsNeedsWriters.com – and use the contact form to reach us.

In return, we’d like it if you shared your opinion about the novel online and provide a mention of Spellbound by Books. Because our favorite Aussie reviewer deserves some kudos, too.

Thanks!

Renee Turner

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Title: Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Publication Date: 1st August 2010

ISBN: 9780330425780

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone

Pages: 244 pages

Book Received from: Publisher (Pan Macmillan)

First Lines: I pedal fast. Down Rose Drive where houses swim in pools of orange streetlight. Where people sit on verandahs, hoping to catch a breeze. Let me make it in time. Please let me make it in time.

Synopsis:
"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My Thoughts:
I'd had this on my reading pile for a while. I was stoked when Pan Macmillan sent this through to me but I was a little intimidated you see. When books come with stickers like 'The Children's Book Council of Australia Short-Listed Book' and 'Winner of NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2011' I become a little wary. The instant that happens the expectations jump up a notch. And, somehow without me realising, I'm expecting a book that will give me fireworks and the whole shebang but the last time that happened, I was let down COMPLETELY. Thank you, Cath Crowley for proving me wrong this time!!

I really enjoyed both Lucy and Ed's POV's which is how the story is told in alternating chapters. Along the way through the book we occasionally come across a chapter here and there of Poet's which are poems about how he is feeling as well. This is one book that definitely has both thumbs up for the creativity side!

Cath Crowley has done an amazing job at creating vivid and enjoyable characters who I fell in love with immediately. Between Lucy and her friends trying to find Shadow and Poet, and the adventure Ed and Leo embark on, I there is not a dull or uninspiring moment. I even found myself tagging alot of pages because there were so many quotable lines I could relate to.

If you're after a very Australian, creative read.. something that has a mixture of beautiful and sad moments this ones for you!

Fave Line: "He's one of the good guys," she always said. "Just sometimes he's working under cover."
"My Dad was a magician too. Got in his car and disappeared."

Sunday, September 11, 2011

In My Mailbox (78)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Bought:

Brown Skin Blue by Belinda Jeffrey

Big River Little Fish by Belinda Jeffrey

10 Short Stories You Must Read in 2011 - Free book

To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn

(Book 3 in the Dog On It Series)

Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson
Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres
- I have a copy but bought one so I could get it signed and also meet Marianne in person!

Nagging for Beginners by Wendy Harmer
Writing from Start to Finsih by Kate Grenville - More out of interest than anything else..

Cruzito's Mailbox.

The Staring Owl by Luke Edwards

Thats my absolutely awesome IMM! What did you get in Yours?

Also, feel free to check out My Alter Ego Charlie for how my Saturday went at Brisbane Writer's Festival!!

Here I am with Marianne de Pierres, author of Burn Bright a fantastic book! It was good to finally meet her and she's very lovely, and quite tall too :)

You can check out her website here

That's all from me!

Friday, September 9, 2011

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: All These Things I've Done

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Young Adult/ Dystopian

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Publication Date: 6th September 2011

ISBN: 9780330537896

Stand alone or series: 1st book in the Birthright Trilogy

Pages: 352 Pages

Book Received from: Publisher (Pan Macmillan)

First Lines: The night before junior year - I was sixteen, barely - Gable Arsley said he wanted to sleep with me. Not in the distant or semi-distant future either. Right then.

Synopsis:

Sixteen year-old Anya becomes the head of a mafia family after her parents are both murdered by rival gangs. Although Anya is embrolied in the criminal world, she is determined to keep her brother and sister out of the mafia family, but her father's relatives aren't so keen to let them go. When Anya's violent ex-boyfriend is poisoned with contaminated chocolate – chocolate that is produced illegally by Anya's mafia family – she is arrested for attempted murder and sent to the notorious jail on Manhattan Island.
Eventually she is freed by the new D.A. in town, who believs she has been framed. But this D.A. is the father of Win, a boy at school to whom Anya feels irresistibly drawn, and her freedom comes with conditions. Win's father wants to be mayor, and he can't risk having his ambition jeopardised by rumours spreading that his son is seeing a member of a notorious crime family. Anya knows she risks the safety of her family by seeing Win again, but the feeling between them may be too strong to resist...

My Thoughts:
All These Things I've Done is the first book in the new Birthright series about the daughter of an infamous crime boss. She lives with her Grandmother Galina who has been bedridden with illness so it's up to Anya to look after her brother and sister and keep them out of trouble.

One of the things that jumps out for me with this book is that there's a contents page and each chapter is named accordingly for instance: i am accused; make matters worse. I like the way this is done throughout. It sums up each chapter but when you first start the chapter it's not entirely obvious eg. how she is accused or how she makes matters worse. If you get what I mean.

I must admit now, All These Things I've Done was vastly different to how I expected it to be. For starters, Anya's family is heavily into the chocolate business, which now, along with coffee is highly illegal. The world in which Gabrielle Zevin has created is devastating. They live off vouchers and hand me downs and everything including paper is highly sort after.

Anya is a strong and stubborn character that I totally fell in love with. All she wants to do is keep her family safe but being born with loads of ties to the underworld including her last name she is constantly being sucked into a neverending battle just to keep away from it all.

Win was a definite favourite character for me. The son of an up and coming D.A which places him at the opposite end of the scale to Anya so theres problems right from the beginning between the two, it's just that they both can't see it. Or aren't willing to see it.

I was drawn right into this world and I'm looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. I hope that Gabrielle delves more into why the world is as it is and we get to see more of Anya's crime family.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Spellbound Noticeboard (13)

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Image: From Michael Grant's website

From Michael Grant, Author of the Gone series, comes a new Transmedia experience, a Science fiction Story that takes place on the web. An Interactive Story!!

Check out the BZRK Website

Twitter: Go BZRK

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All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Book 1 in the Birthright Series

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Macmillan page for the book and Author: http://us.macmillan.com/allthesethingsivedone
Become a fan and see Gabrielle on tour this Fall: http://www.facebook.com/gabriellezevinfanpage
Website: http://www.memoirsofa.com

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Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
Book 2 in the Halo series

Heaven Help Her.

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.

The story that Alexandra Adornetto built in her New York Times-bestselling debut, Halo, comes alive in action-packed and unexpected ways, as angels battle demons, and the power of love is put to the test.

See Alexandra Adornetto on tour this Fall: http://www.facebook.com/penfataletour

Macmillan page for the book and author: htp://us.macmillan.com/hades

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That's all from me. Goodnight!

Starkin Crown Winners!

Sorry for the delay in drawing winners people. I'm still on holidays and I'm trying to get so much done without forgetting anything lol. Winners have been picked by Random.org.

Okay the two Australian/New Zealand winners are:
*
*
*
Melissa!!
and
Renee!!

The International winner is
*
*
*
sRy!

Congratulations to everyone. I'll be sending an email out to each of you to get a mailing address and I'll get these off to you as soon as possible. Please reply to your emails ASAP so I can send these books off to you :)

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (71)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you 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 come across a few really cool sounding ones. The first one is called Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and will be out on the 13th October this year.

Synopsis（Good Reads)
Glory is a young piano prodigy. Frank is the boy who moves in next door. Over the years, their friendship blossoms into an undeniable romance. As Glory descends from stunning piano prodigy into a kind of madness, Frank's love becomes more and more unshakable. They both become hopelessly fixated on the song "Chopsticks".

Part love story, part mystery, part visual collage, this novel is told through images as much as it's told through words. Ultimately the reader must decipher what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along.

Richly imagined by author Jessica Anthony and hauntingly designed by Rodrigo Corral, Chopsticks will rivet teens and adults alike on numerous platforms, including a gorgeous book and paid app for the iPhone and iPad, with many additional features.

The second book I came across that sounds awesome is In Honor by Jessi Kirby. This one will be released 8th May

Synopsis (Good Reads)
Honor receives her brother's last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn't. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Crushed Seraphim by Debra Anastasia

Title: Crushed Seraphim

Author: Debra Anastasia

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Publication Date: 17th May 2011

ISBN: 9781936305742

Stand alone or series: Series.

Pages: 194 pages

Book Received from: Publisher (Omnific Publishing)

First Lines: He pulled his hand through his long hair and lit a cigarette. The rush of the smoke into his lungs did little to dam the pain that poured from somewhere near his center.

Synopsis:

How does a foul-mouthed angel end up as the last hope for all of Heaven and Earth?
When Seraph Emma is maimed and tossed from Heaven by a rogue angel who’s taken charge, she fears she’ll never be allowed to return. Tasked with the impossible job of showing the self-loathing (and not even human!) Jason his worth, Emma is sure she’s doomed to fail.
Meanwhile, having wormed his way into Heaven, the corrupt Everett has trapped God in Hell and has designs on unleashing evil everywhere. Fortunately, if there’s one thing Emma can’t do (in addition to minding her language), it’s give up. Determined to save Jason and get back to Heaven—even if it means going to Hell—Emma’s plan is simple yet impossible: trick the Devil to save God.
What she doesn’t count on is the devotion and, well, humanity she finds in Jason; the spirit, hidden compassion, and raw sex appeal within the Devil; and the vulnerability of her own heart. With the help of two unlikely allies, she’ll wage the battle for Heaven. But will Emma be sidetracked by a new sort of heaven along the way? What’s truly more dangerous? Falling from Heaven, or falling in love?

My Thoughts:
Thanks to Omnific Publishing for giving me the chance to read Crushed Seraphim. The synopsis really does pull you in. A foul mouthed Angel? Sold it for me.

I must admit I really did love Debra's concept on the whole heaven and hell take. Gutter mouth angels, a HOT devil that oozes sex appeal. Better yet, a devil that just comes across as a bad boy. It could almost turn you to the dark side, though wouldn't it?

There are many things I liked about Crushed Seraphim but there are also spots in the story that lose a bit of the magic for me. The storyline itself really had me reading these pages as quick as I could to find out what would happen to each of these characters. So it definitely had me hooked.

I can't say I liked Emma, although there were instances where she seems consistent and then others where she doesn't quite seem stuck in her character. Jack A.K.A the Devil/Satan is one character that I LURVED from the beginning. He's the kind of devil I'd like to meet if I was going to end up in hell. Let's just say that much ;). There's alot more to Jack than all the pain and suffering his job entails him to do.

Though the story is meant to be more about Emma, I think Jason won the spotlight for me hands down. He's the half breed vampire Emma is sent down to try to 'help'. He's different to most of his kind in terms of doing what he must to survive but refraining from letting the cruel side of his nature consume him. He also falls hard for Emma.

One thing that was a let down for me was the way the book is structured. While I don't want to give too much away, I felt that the scene in the middle of the book would have been better toned down as it felt like the peak in the story when in fact it wasn't. It does throw the rest of the story off for me. Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy this from start to finish but I felt like the climax towards the end could have been built up a bit more. Debra does leave the story on a cliffhanger though which left me itching to know more!

Crushed Seraphim portrays a world where it's not quite so black and white when it comes to heaven and hell. Debra has done a wonderful job at capturing the readers attention and while there I found a slight disagreement on the highs and lows of the story, I am looking forward to reading the next in this series as I'm told there is a second.