Review: Banish by Nicola Marsh

Alyssa has one week to destroy her enemy, save her spirit... and save her soul.
After her ex-boyfriend commits suicide and her mum’s alcoholism sparks yet another psychotic episode, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Wood flees her small hometown of Broadwater and heads to New York City to stay with her bohemian aunt — a Wicca High Priestess.
Alyssa revels in the anonymity of a big city and her new life. Her grades climb, she has a new best friend, and a new guy: the sexy geek Ronan — a saxophone player who prefers jazz to pop.
But her newfound peace is soon shattered when she sees a dead body in one of Ronan’s music clips — and she’s the only one who can see it. Worse still, Alyssa recognises the body that has been murdered a week forward!
Alyssa doesn’t believe in the supernatural...despite her family’s Wicca background. So how will she overcome evil when it’s closer than she thinks?

Banish is a Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy. Right up my alley! Nicola Marsh is an Aussie writer from Melbourne which is super cool. I always feel like Australian authors never get the spotlight. I received an ARC from Harlequin (thank you) and so I read it before it came out. Banish comes out today! YAY! I read this after reading a pretty bad book. I was on the verge of a reading slump and this book saved me. I gave Banish 5 STARS and added it to my Goodreads Favourites list immediately. Read more to see why I absolutely adored this amazing read. Alliteration intended.
Characters:
The protagonist, Alyssa, was super easy to like and enjoy. Even though she's not as relatable as some other characters can be, I really like her. It's really hard to talk about characters without ruining the story because I don't want to ruin the mystery aspect of the book. Alyssa is living with her Aunt, who is a really cool person, because her mother was going crazy. Her love interest, Ronan, seemed super sweet as well. Then there's her 'best friend' Seth who has helped her after she moved towns. All the characters are really unique with heaps of mysteries to uncover.
Pros:
Banish will fill you with swoons,wonder and fright as the romance and the suspense builds. The romance was so extremely cute that I just couldn't help but love the characters. The mystery and suspense that surrounds this story really adds a lovely element to the book. What I really loved though was the slight horror element. It was the perfect balance for me to be scared but not scared to death. Nicola Marsh's writing was really easy to read and enjoy. Extremely fast-paced and adorable but scary.
Cons:
The only part of this book that I didn't like was how much Alyssa didn't like her mum. I felt like she was a bit too harsh but then again, teenagers are like that.
Summary:
Banish is a underhyped book that deserves the rave. I would 100% recommend this to everyone. I promise that you'll love it if you enjoy Paranormal YA. I hope you'll check it out! Go run and buy it or at least add it to your to-read list.

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Guest Post: Is Book Marketing Really Worth It?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Written by Authoright (www.authoright.com). Authoright has been helping authors since 2005. We were set up by a writer and book marketing professional who wanted to help fellow writers raise their profiles and promote their books on a national scale. Historically, effective book marketing has been the preserve of well-known authors and as such the media market has been largely closed off to traditionally published mid-list authors, smaller publishing houses with limited budgets and self-publishing companies and their authors.

Have you just written a book? Perhaps you are considering the best options available to you for promotion? You've seen some authors getting huge sales and, obviously, you want the same. How do you decide what marketing to go for, if any? Is it actually worth it at all?

Know Your Budget

Before you get started, you need to have a clear budget in mind. There's no point deciding to go all out and then find you can't afford to pay for it. Don't exceed your budget at any point, even if the deal sounds tempting; if you can't afford it, walk away. Book marketing companies often take out all the leg work for you, which can be a huge relief when things get hectic. Look into the deal you're being offered to see what the profit margins are for the company. For example, if a website charges £1,000 to advertise on their site and you're getting a bill for £2,000, think carefully about whether that is the right marketing company for you.

Check The History

The companies that offer the best book marketing services are the ones who will have the best feedback from their previous customers. If authors are coming back to the same company for other books, you know you're onto a good thing. People are quite happy to talk about positive experiences so ask around and find out the general reputation of the marketing company. Also see if they have a testimonials page on their website - a good company will be keen to show off their great reputation.

Decide What You Want

The type of advertising you have can largely depend on your budget. If money is tight, you will struggle to afford a billboard sign in central London. However, look at all the options available; you can get some great marketing for your book from what seems like an unusual place. Local newsletters may cover a smaller area but there's nothing to stop you advertising in various newsletters, rather than just one. While it can be tempting to try and do all the marketing yourself, paying a professional company to do it can be worth the investment. Getting a company who specialises in book marketing to work your book can save you time and they will often have access to resources that you may not be aware of.

Self-Promotion

If you want to make the most of the book marketing services, you need to be prepared to do some work yourself. Use your social media networks to boost interest in the book. Tweet about it and create a page on Facebook for the latest book. It may be worth arranging a reading at some local book stores to garner further interest. Advertise these readings online and make sure you get back to everyone who asks any questions. Start a blog and keep it updated regularly. This is an especially good idea during the writing process; giving the readers a look into your thought processes during the creation of the book can make for great reading. It'll get people excited about the book before it's even finished, potentially increasing sales in the long run.

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Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

I read Unearthly for the Radical Read-Along that I hosted with Kyrstianna and Jenna. It’s a Young Adult novel about angels. I haven’t read many books like this one. In fact, I think it might be the first real angel book I've read. I could be wrong but I’m too lazy to check. Unearthly is Cynthia Hand’s debut novel that came out quite a while ago. I don’t know why I didn't read it sooner but I’m definitely glad I did. I loved this book and gave it straight up 5 STARS.  Maybe it was the fun of reading it with others but I really couldn't find any real problems with the book.
Characters:
The characters are definitely one of my favourite things about this book. The protagonist, Clara was a pretty cool character. Even though she was part angel, she still had all those classic but relatable teenage attributes. The book is also composed of a love Triangle between Tucker and Christian. Tucker is awesome! He’s fun and super likable whereas even though Christian is really hot, he’s really plain. Clara’s mum and brother as well as her two friends Wendy and Angela are all nice additions to the story.
Pros:
Continuing on about the characters, they all had very realistic personalities. They were all mysterious with heaps of layers to unfold. Even now, there’s so much more I need to learn about them. The book was written in a super fast pace that was easy to follow and easy to enjoy. Even though some might say the story isn't original, I think otherwise. So many bombshells were dropped that I didn't even see coming. I love it when books have the element of surprise because not many can do that for me anymore. Without spoilers, the ending was spectacular. It’s one of those perfect ones where everything works out but there are still mysteries left to be solved in the next book.
Cons:
Hm, cons. I don’t think I really have any. Sometimes the characters got annoying but they never got SUPER annoying and in the end, it all worked out.
Summary:
Finally, it's clear that I love this book. I'm about to go to add this to my favourites list on Goodreads now. I recommend this to all Young Adult lovers even if you think you might now like angel novels. I'm super pumped to read the second book.

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Review: The Sweetest Hallelujah by Elaine Hussey

An unforgettable story of two courageous women brought together by one extraordinary little girl.
Betty Jewel Hughes was once the hottest black jazz singer in Memphis. But when she finds herself pregnant and alone, she gives up her dream of being a star to raise her beautiful daughter, Billie, in Shakerag, Mississippi. Now, ten years later, in 1955, Betty Jewel is dying of cancer and looking for someone to care for Billie when she's gone. With no one she can count on, Betty Jewel does the unthinkable: she takes out a want ad seeking a loving mother for her daughter.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, recently widowed Cassie Malone is an outspoken housewife insulated by her wealth and privileged white society. Working part-time at a newspaper, she is drawn to Betty Jewel through her mysterious ad. With racial tension in the South brewing, the women forge a bond as deep as it is forbidden. But neither woman could have imagined the gifts they would find in each other, and in the sweet young girl they both love with all their hearts. Deeply moving and richly evocative, The Sweetest Hallelujah is a remarkable tale about finding hope in a time of turmoil, and about the transcendent and transformative power of friendship.

The Sweetest Hallelujah is meant to be similar to The Help. Because I'm a really bad person, I haven't read the book or even watched the movie. I really want to one day though! I know the basic premise and I agree that fans of The Help would definitely enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I can't say that I liked it. It's not that I found a million things wrong with this book, it's just that one of the defining factors was lacking. I'd give this book a 3 STAR or 3.5 STAR rating. What else? This book comes out today! YAY!
Characters:
I feel really bad dissing the characters but there was nothing to relate to. I mean obviously I'm not like most girls in YA books either but I actually understand how they feel. This is not the writer's fault and it's just because it's aimed at a higher age group but I just couldn't. Overall though, I did like the characters. The book is set a long ago, most likely during the Civil Rights movement, which means that of course there's the separation between the 'black' and 'white' people. Billie is the little girl in the story and I liked seeing the story from her point of view. I also liked Cassie, Betty Jewel and Queen who were the main adults in the story.
Pros:
Without spoiling too much, the novel itself is very heartfelt. The third person writing really exemplifies the characters. I've read too many books that have shifting points of views that are in first person. Though I do enjoy those, I think the third person sounds a lot more professional. The story is quite unique but again, it has a similar premise to The Help. I did like the ending a lot though. It's predictable but still just as beautiful.
Cons:
Here comes that bad things. Okay well, I found this book extremely, uncaptivating. I know that's no a word but I don't want to use the word boring. For the first half, I had to read each page like twice because I had trouble comprehending it. Afterwards, I kind of just skim read the whole thing because it wasn't intriguing. It was interesting but not intriguing. That's the major fault for me.
Summary:
In the end, I think that one of the only reasons why I didn't like this book is because of my age. I definitely recommend this to the older readers out there because you'd like it better. Also, if you liked The Help,  I can see you enjoying The Sweetest Hallelujah as well.
Favourite Quote:
"Betty Jewel wondered if miracles are not prayers answered but the answer to prayers you didn't even know you should pray."

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Review: Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….
His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn't trust him. I shouldn't tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.
At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghost’s of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.
On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Escaping Reality is Lisa Renee Jones' new experiment with the New Adult genre. It is the first in The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series. It's basically a normal New Adult Contemporary Romance except it is a lot more than that. It explores the Erotica genre as well and incorporating it with a spy-esque feel. Guess what? Escaping Reality comes out today! For once, I'm doing a review at a somewhat normal time. I really loved this book. I haven't read much Erotica but I do know that this is different to the normal stuff. I gave this book a 4.5 STARS. It was pretty much perfect just not quite. Continue reading!

Characters:

I liked majority of the characters. Though in the story, not much information is given, I have a feeling that a lot more will be unleashed in the second book. The protagonist Amy was a pretty normal character. Sometimes, she was a bit annoying but I'll expand on that later. Liam was the classic super hot billionaire with a bunch of secrets and mysteries. What I really liked was the third character, Jared. I was glad that Liam and Jared didn't have a fight scene. I hope it stays that way because it'd good to know that not all male characters are violent. Another character was Meg and there's definitely something fishy about her. 

Pros:

The first page was confusing but after I read it twice it completely sucked me in. The writing wasn't extremely unique or different but that was okay because the concept made up for it. Super fast paced and jam packed with mystery, suspense and steamy hot scenes that had me glued to the book. Even though a lot of the book was revolved around sex, what I really enjoyed what the back story. Amy is running away from something she's not quite sure exists. I love that. The ending was alright too. Of course I won't spoil it but even though it kind of just ended, it was okay. It's nice to know that I'll get more of the story in the second book.

Cons:

Okay my only con is this. I know it happens all the time in Romances but I really get super annoyed when the girl thinks that the guy is the one being an ass. I understand that sometimes, guys can be over possessive but the girl really has to realise that she did something wrong too. I don't know, I'm just getting sick of these oblivious girls. I'm just glad this only occurred in a small part of the book which is why I only deducted half a star.

Summary:

Amazing read that has left me eagerly waiting for the next book. I really can't wait until it comes out because I need more. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc via Netgalley because I definitely needed this book in my life. As long as you don't get super annoyed, read this!

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Debut-A-Thon: Progress

The Debut-A-Thon hosted by Books of Amber has well and truly kicked-off. I'm super excited to delve into my reading. Though I have three books I might want to read, my goal is two books since I still have school on Thursday and Friday. I started this read-a-thon on the 37th page of Ink byAmanda Sun. All my progress will go up on this post so remember to come back to check my progress. Leave your links in the comments because I'd love to check out your posts as well! Also, remember to enter the challenges that will be hosted on Amber's blog and mine each day.

Thursday
Books completed so far: 0
Pages read so far: 270
Pages read today: 270
Percentage of current book: Ink - 82%
Friday
Books completed so far: 1
Pages read so far: 493
Pages read today: 223
Percentage of current book: Reboot - 42%
Saturday 
Books completed so far: 2
Pages read so far: 485
Pages read today: 262
Percentage of current book: Fighting For Flight - 12%
Sunday 
Books completed so far: 3
Pages read so far: 884
Pages read today: 399
Percentage of current book: -

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Review-A-Thon: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Who else loved Pushing The Limits? After finishing it and declaring it was one of my favourite books ever, I was so excited for the next book. When Dare You To came out I had to jump on it as soon as I could. This series is similar to the Perfect Chemistry series in the sense that each book has different protagonists but the stories are still related. It's also similar to the Stephanie Perkins books. This Young Adult Contemporary Romance is definitely my kind of book. I gave Dare You To a straight up 5 STARS because it was just that amazing. Continue to see why you should read this.
Characters:
Beth and Ryan are the main protagonists in this story. Beth is seen as the general bad ass. Ryan is seen as the classic jock. But of course, there's a lot more to both of them than that. I loved seeing the roles swapped. For once, the girl's the gangster. Though I loved them, there are characters I hated too. I hated Ryan's controlling dad and I hated the bitch Gwen.
Pros:
I got hooked into the story right from the start. This is always a good sign and I'm glad the book didn't disappoint. I loved the cliche storyline as well. One of my favourite things aside from the beautiful storyline is the writing. The language made me feel very included. I enjoyed how the writing mimicked the particular feelings. For example, if the characters were drunk, the first person writing reflected that. I also liked the the fact that the swearing wasn't censored, it made the story come to life. I also enjoyed the nicknames the protagonists gave to each other and how they stayed throughout the story. Dare You To also left me giggling. The humour was so cute!
Cons:
My only con isn't big enough to take away any stars. I hated Gwen. I always hate it when there's that one asshole that is trying to ruin everything. Most of the time they're unnecessary but Gwen played a part in the story which is the only reason I tolerated her.
Summary:
I love this series so far and can't wait until the next book comes out. I definitely recommend this to everyone and anyone. Also, thank you to Harlequin Teen for sending me a copy of this fantastic book.

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Debut-A-Thon: Sign Up

Debut-A-Thon is a read-a-thon hosted by Books of Amber to celebrate YA debuts in 2013. All information and sign ups can be found here.

I've been doing a bunch of things ending in a-thon lately but I'm not ready to stop. I find these super fun and they always give me a boost of motivation. This Debut-A-Thon starts right after my Review-A-Thon ends so I'll be heaps busy for a while. I was about 10% of the way through Ink when I found out about this so I stopped reading that and started a different book. I thought I may as well save it for the Debut-A-Thon. Now four days is a pretty short time span and I honestly don't think I'll get that much reading done. My goal is to finish off Ink byAmanda Sun, read Reboot byAmy Tintera and if I somehow I finish those two, I want to also read  Fighting for Flight byJamie Salsbury. I'd be happy if I'm able to start Reboot.

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Review-A-Thon: Vain by Fisher Amelie

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.
Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.
I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

 
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I completely fell in love. I had to read it and I knew I'd enjoy it. For once, the synopsis was the thing that sucked me in. It wasn't the cover and it wasn't because someone else told me that it was good. This is what you call a spectacular synopsis. I gave this book a straight up 5 STARS and it easily went straight into my favourites. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out. See why I loved Vain.
Characters:
If you start reading it, you'd think the main character is a complete bitch. I thought that too but for some reason I just couldn't hate her. I loved the character development as she and Dingane worked their problems out together. All the characters had so many different layers that were slowly unveiled. I love how there wasn't that one stupid and annoying character trying to screw up everything. Sometimes I get why the author would put in an annoying character but all it does is pisses me off. They're completely unnecessary and I'm so glad Fisher Amelie didn't put one in.
Pros:
I always enjoy love stories with a moral and Vain definitely fits that category. It wasn't just love at first sight, it was way more deep. It was so extremely cute at some points and I just couldn't stop giggling. It also left me crying which is always good. I also loved her writing and how she incorporated so many different metaphors to enhance the meaning.
Cons:
Well the only con is that I don't have anything to write in this section.
Summary:
Hurry up and read this! Or at least go add it to your to-read list. This book blew my mind away just like I knew it would after I read the synopsis. It received a well-earned 5 STARS in my books.

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Review-A-Thon: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Please forgive me for this super delayed review. I read this book over a month ago and I'm not doing a review until now. But after all, this is the point of this Review-A-Thon. Beautiful Disaster is right up my alley. Even though I haven't read much in the New Adult genre, the classic and cliche love story portrayed in this book is my type. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book. I really didn't know whether I should've given it a  2 STARS or a 5 STARS. In the end I gave it a 3.8 STARS. Or if you want to be all mathematical and round it up, I give it a 4 STARS. Keep reading to see why I loved and loathed it.
Characters:
Well first of all. I absolutely HATED the main character Abby. It's me and this thing where I hate it when girls keep pulling away. I get that that's the whole reason Travis fell in love with her in the first place but sometimes, these girls really got to get a grip. Sure, at first, go ahead and judge them but once they fall in love with you and you fall in love with them, why do you keep pushing them away? Also, I feel like some characters were there just because the story needed more characters. Abby's gay best friend, I don't even remember his name, was such an amazing character but he wasn't delved into. I did however like the subtle character development.
Pros:
Now for some good things. Though I hated how they fell in love, I love what happened once they were together. Bad boy meets good girl stories are the best. I love stories where a guy meets a girl and then they work they're problems out together. You'll see that these are my favourite kind. I loved Jamie McGuire's writing and how the point of view fit the character. Her writing was amazing and there was a lot of foreshadowing which I also enjoyed.
Cons:
Alright so, if this book ended half way through, I swear it would've been the best book ever. I'm not going to spoil anything but unnecessary dramas and problems came back even though they were already solved. I hated this so much. I was so happy for a moment there and then BAM! something bad comes back. I had a full on WTF moment. I really wish this could've ended at the half way mark. If you've read it, you'll know which point in the story I mean.
Summary:
Ultimately, this was a good read if I ignore all the parts where I got super duper annoyed. I really can't wait until I read Walking Disaster which is in Travis's point of view. Maybe then, I'll be able to appreciate the book more. I want to see how the hell Travis fell in love with a girl that made it seem like she hated him.

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Music Plus Books Review-A-Thon!

 If you've seen my last post, Blogging Things I Suck At  (a tag you must do), you know that one of my favourite things to do is slack on reviews. What I'm planning to do is a Review-A-Thon. I'm going to do a week of a review each day. It might be a music review, it might be a book review. You just have to wait and see. If you've been slacking on reviews too, feel free to join in. I'm excited and I hope you are too. For once, I'm actually hyped up about writing some reviews and getting them over and done with. If you have anything particular you'd like me to review, feel free to ask me. Seven reviews may not seem like a lot to others but it's quite a lot for me so I'm open for suggestions. Wish me luck guys. Let's get this Review-A-Thon started! Are you ready for 7 back-to-back reviews?
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Thursday 20th June 2013 - Wednesday 26th June 2013

Review: Kafira by John G O'Neill

This is a story of tragedy, unrequited love, international suspense, and driving ambition to defeat the grab for world domination. Kafira Weiss is an Israeli Biomedical Scientist whose passionate life purpose is to find a cure for the world's most deadly disease. After a tragic beginning, Kafira becomes the World's leading expert on the disease, working at CDC in Atlanta to continue her research as the Associate Director of the Special Pathogens Unit. In 1981, the Supreme Leader of North Korea lands rockets on the Moon, claiming the Moon for North Korea, to the exclusion of every other nation on Earth. To force the United Nations and the Member Countries to agree to his Claim, Kim II Jong threatens to infect the world with a deadly disease.
Full Synopsis on Goodreads

Today I'm reviewing Kafira by John O'Neill. It is his debut book. I decided to go out of my normal genres for this book. Instead of the normal YA or Romance books, this is a Sci-Fi, Suspense, Thriller! Definitely different (like my alliteration?). People probably hate my indecisiveness because I keep rating books with decimal points. Don't worry, I'm giving this book a straight up 4 STARS. It was definitely a good read but I can't say that there were no problems. Continue reading to see why I loved it, why some parts weren't perfect and how I feel about the ending, because we all know how uptight I am about endings.
Characters:
The characters in this book definitely play a very vital role. There are so many different characters that are followed but because of the way the book is written, it's not hard to understand. I never had one of those moments where I wonder who someone was. Whenever a name pops up, I know who they are straight away. I love how even though all the characters live all over the world, John O'Neill is still able to connect all their stories. The characters are very in depth and are explored amazingly. Even though it's not in first person, you really get to go into the character's heads. The character development isn't top notch but it's definitely good.
Pros:
The third person writing in this book is amazing. Sometimes, he keeps the readers in suspense so that we don't know what's happening. This makes the book very intriguing as I just wanted to keep reading. Other times, he used dramatic monologue. Because there are so many characters, this feature worked really well. I like that feeling where you know something that someone else doesn't, even if it's just a book character. Since the book is really long, sometimes John O'Neill has to go back to an event that happened a while back in the book. He effectively but subtly reminds the reader what is going on. The point of views changed a lot at cliffhangers, again making sure that I don't put the book down. It's clear how much time and effort was put into this book.
Cons:
 I think that one of the main problems is that the story moved too fast. You never really get the chance to embrace one situation before it moves onto the next. I think that this book would of been much better maybe as a series or even as a movie. I can picture this story on the big screen, except, not right now because of all the things happening with North Korea. Since this book is self-published, there are a few parts that you can tell weren't properly edited but it's a really minor problem. Finally, if you're an old follower then you saw this coming, the ending. For me, endings must be perfect. Sadly this book's ending wasn't. I need that happy ending and lately, I've just been getting tragic ending after tragic ending.
Summary:
In the end, this book was amazing. It's not what I expected it to be and not what I normally read but I loved it anyway. It was a long read but I enjoyed every minute of it. I definitely recommend checking this book out. Also, this book was sent to me for review but I promise that all opinions are my own. I'm not getting compensated for this review. Hope you'll be able to read this book!

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Bout of Books 7.0: Progress

I'm writing this on a Tuesday but this post will be for the rest of the week as well. If you haven't seen my previous posts, I'm doing the Bout of Books read-a-thon and so each day I will update you on my progress. By the end of this week, this post will have my progress for Monday to Sunday.

Monday
Books completed so far: 0
Pages read so far: 193
Pages read today: 193
Percentage of current book: Kafira - 64%
Tuesday
Books completed so far: 1
Pages read so far: 387
Pages read today: 194 Percentage of current book: Beautiful Disaster - 1% 
Wednesday
Books completed so far: 1
Pages read so far: 567
Pages read today: 180
Percentage of current book: Beautiful Disaster - 41%
Thursday
Books completed so far: 1

Pages read so far: 670
Pages read today: 93
Percentage of current book: Beautiful Disaster - 62%
                                                 Nothing More, Nothing Less - 7% 
Friday
Books completed so far: 2
Pages read so far: 838
Pages read today: 168
Percentage of current book: Nothing More, Nothing Less - 8%
Saturday
Books completed so far: 3
Pages read so far: 1049
Pages read today: 211
Percentage of current book: Legend - 5%
Sunday 
Books completed so far: 4
Pages read so far: 1339
Pages read today: 290
Percentage of current book: Vain - 1%

Enter my current giveaway.
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Bout of Books 7.0: Challenge

Yesterday, I really wanted to do a challenge but there wasn't a challenge that appealed to me. Today though, there is a challenge called Create A Cover (hosted by I Talk Books) and as you guessed, I have to remake a cover. I chose the book I'm currently reading which is called Beautiful Disaster. I'm sure you've already heard of it. I wish I was creative enough to draw my own cover but instead I just took a photo. It's obviously a lot worse than the real cover but I tried to manipulate the concept it already had. Mine is on the left. Hope you like it!

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Bout of Books 7.0: Goals

It's Monday! Alright so if you read my previous post, you would've seen that I'm not reading a lot but I'm still reading a lot more than I usually do. I will be trying to read before I sleep and throughout the day whenever I can find the time. I don't want to make a set goal but this is how I will feel:
1 Book - Disappointed
2 Books - Fairly Disappointed (but not too surprised)
3 Books - Pretty Happy
4 Books - Extremely Excited
More Than 4 Books - I'll Probably Just Cry
I also hope to do a few challanges as well.

The books I plan to read in order are:
Kafira
byJohn G O'Neill 
(^ Currently On Page 152)
Beautiful Disaster
byJamie McGuire  
Legend
byMarie Lu
Nothing More Nothing Less
byAshley Dukart
If I some how miraculously finish all these books, I plan to read some short and sweet novellas.

Tomorrow I will posting my progress for today, on Wednesday for Tuesday and so on. I'll be telling you what I've finished and what percentage of the book I'm at for what I'm currently reading. Because I don't want to spam my blog with posts, all my updates will go on one post. You'll have to check back everyday to see how I'm going. Next Monday, I'll have a final wrap-up. Don't forget to add me on Goodreads for more updates. Let's get the party started!
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Bout of Books 7.0: Sign Up

 The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.
 - From the Bout of Books team

Hi everyone, I probably should've signed up earlier and probably am the last person to join this read-a-thon but I finally decided to give in and just do it. Unfortunately this week I have like a billion exams to do but I'm going to push through it and try to read more than I usually do anyway. My goal for this week will most likely be a lot less than everyone else but normally, I barely even read more than two books in a week. Be expecting a lot of book posts this week as I will be trying to update every single day. I'll throw in a music post somewhere in there but for the most post, this week will be book post after book post. Wish me luck!
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Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.
HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

This book was completely different to what I normally read. Instead of the usual YA and Romance stuff that I read, I decided to go for something out of my comfort zone. Sharp Objects, beautifully written by Gillian Flynn, is Mystery Thriller. Some go as far as saying that it's a Horror book and I completely understand. Sharp Objects was Gillian Flynn's debut book published in 2006. Her more recent book Gone Girl is more popular. If you read the description, you'll see that it is a pretty twisted book. I gave this book a 4.5 STARS. I have so much to say about this book which is why you have to keep reading, I won't have any spoilers. If you're too lazy to read the whole review though, to sum it up: I recommend it, go and read it, but only if your ready.
Characters & Themes:
Alright, I'll try my best. The characters and the themes played a very huge part in the story to me. The protagonist is a very unique character and all the people she meets are too. I can't say much about them but they are portrayed very cleverly by the author. Nobody is simply black and white. They're not if even black, grey and white. Every single character has so many layers and secrets. The author's innuendo's did help me unravel the mysteries before the protagonist did but even so, there were many things that I found out about the characters that still shocked me. The themes were what really got me into the story. So many different things were explored. To list a few: mental illness, sex, drugs, 'don't judge a book by it's cover', pain, grief and I could go on forever.
Pros:
I'm still trying to really wrap my head around the story. I apologise for this scattered review. I really loved the writing because I felt like Camille was telling the story and not the author. This really brought the story to life and with the use of inclusive language I was very compelled. This book left me holding my breath during most of it. It is a fairly short book, under 300 pages, which seems very little for a mystery book. You'd think that the story wouldn't be in detail but trust me, it is. It's so well thought out and intelligent. There's always something happening that evokes a different kind of emotion. Many parts were jaw dropping, literally.
Cons:
The reasons why this book didn't get a perfect score from me are because I wasn't ready and I hated the ending. I felt like some of the issues were just too much for me at this point in my life. Some things were too gruesome or too twisted and wrong. I'm just glad that I know not to be influenced by anything that happened. This is an Adult Fiction novel and I only suggest reading it if you're ready for very heinous things. And then there's the ending. If you've seen my past reviews, you'll know how I am about endings. They have to be good. The ending just wasn't happy enough for me. Being the optimist that I am, I crave a happily ever after.
Summary:
Sharp Objects was an amazing and absolutely spectacular book. I just wish I would've read it when I was older. I would've been able to appreciate everything a lot more than I do now. I definitely recommend this to more experienced readers. Even if you're a teenager, just make sure you're ready. It was a fantastic murder mystery.

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Books Of April 2013!

This month, I've just had way too much time. I've been posting more than usual, and also reading more than usual! If you remember last month, I read one book. Yep, only one. I was so disappointed in myself but luckily I've picked myself up for this month. I finished all the books I was planning to read this month and all the books I was planning to read in March. In total I've read five books and done two reviews. This may seem like nothing for some people but it's quite a lot for me. My blog isn't all about books which is why I don't do a review for each book I read. I'll gladly do a review if any one asks for one though. However, I do sum up my thoughts at the end of each month! Continue reading to see my thoughts and ratings. Also, the links to my reviews, links to the Goodreads pages and links to where you can buy these amazing books.

Requiem  
by Lauren Oliver
I gave Requiem 3.5 STARS. My review can be found here.
Clockwork Princess 
by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess received a well deserved 4.8 STARS. Check out my review here.
Looking for Alaska
by John Green 
No review but Looking for Alaska earned itself a perfect 5 STARS from me. I absolutely loved it, the characters, the writing, the messages and the themes.
Sharp Objects
by Gillian Flynn 
Review coming soon! Sharp Objects was an extremely twisted but compelling book. I gave this a 4.5 STARS.
The Elite
by Kiera Cass 
Unfortunately, this book was a disappointment, check out my post here. I gave the book a 3.5 STARS.

Buy these books on the Book Depository! 
Requiem
Clockwork Princess 
Looking For Alaska
Sharp Objects
The Elite 
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Requiem
Clockwork Princess
Looking for Alaska
Sharp Objects 
The Elite

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Book Disappointment Of April 2013!

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

What can I say? I give this book 3.5 STARS but that's me being extremely generous. I absolutely loved the first book and did a review a while back. This wasn't necessarily a bad book, just a very big disappointment. The story was good, it was well written, it was fast paced, everything was fine except for one thing. The most important thing. I hated America's attitude so much. If anyone has watched Boys Over Flowers, I hate America for the same reasons I hated Jandi. The most amazing guy loves you and don't treat him well?! He gives you everything and you can't even be respectful?! It's such an easy and obvious choice I see no point of the love triangle. Oh I don't know if I want Maxon or Aspen. Oh I want to change the world but I'm just going to get eliminated instead of marrying Prince Maxon and changing it for real. I just don't see her deal. It took the whole book for her to realize she was wrong. Jeez, took you long enough. If she ends up with Maxon in the next book, alright, a good series and I recommend it but if not, I'm taking The Selection out of my favourite books of all time. I don't want to recommend the first book if the rest is bad. Sorry for ranting but overall the book wasn't that bad. I guess I did feel a bit sorry for America but I can't help but love Maxon. Read this series if you have time but there are definitely better books you can read for now.

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Giveaway: 100 Followers

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed me. I now have over one hundred followers but I made sure to capture the moment. I hit 100 on the 25th of April 2013 at approximately 10:45pm Sydney time. I'm grateful for all my GFC followers and also my Bloglovin' followers. I hope that the numbers will continue to grow as my audience gets bigger. Thank you for everyone's support along the way. Blogging has been a big journey for me. Though I've had my blog since September 2012, I didn't really put my blog out there until this year. I started to gain more and more followers and to this day, I still get excited each time I gain one new follower or get an email saying that I have one new comment that I can reply too.

I know it's cheesy but THANK YOU SO MUCH!
It was hard trying to figure out what to giveaway for this giveaway but I decided to just go with something simple. My blog is Music Plus Books so I decided to have one music giveaway and one book giveaway. You get your choice of any album/single etc. and your choice of any book (electronic format). There will be two winners and they will get both. Good luck and I hope you win because this giveaway is for you.
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Buy K-Pop at Yesasia!
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