Author Archives: keithbwalters

Book Review: The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard

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Published by Strange Chemistry (Angry Robot), 2nd January.

The Almost GirlGoodreads Synopsis (condensed): Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. But coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows.  Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.
My Review: The Almost Girl was a book I was really interesting in reading just by the synopsis. When I saw the gorgeous cover, I was even more excited! The Almost Girl is a Sci-Fi, epic adventure, that I had really high hopes for. It was a great read, but there were a few faults that I had with it. The world building is absolutely brilliant: I think that was definitely my favourite part of the novel! The idea of a technologically advanced, parallel universe, had me really intrigued. I haven’t read much like that before and loved the concept that a girl from this Sci Fi world had travelled to our Earth, to conduct a search. I loved the Vectors, too: Almost like zombies- re-animated dead bodies programmed to be killers. Terrifying. It was all really vivid and real.

I thought it would be very action-packed (and it was, a lot) but there were also contemporary themes of teenage rivalry, tension, etc. I wasn’t really expecting that, but liked that addition at first. I grew to dislike slightly, further into the story. Riven’s been explained as this ruthless soldier, but suddenly, about halfway through the book, she’s developed all of these complex emotions and… I didn’t really get it! She was a great character a lot of the time, but I found her personality pretty confusing. Another thing that confused me a lot was the whole Cale/Caden thing. Two characters, completely alike, with similar sounding names? So hard to keep track of… It made it hard for me to understand their relationships with Riven. That made me enjoy the story less, which I’m really sad about. If i’d found it explained better, I think I would’ve liked it even more.

I found the story hard to get into. The prologue really drew me in; Amalie’s narrative hooks and air of mystery in her writing had me really curious! After the first few chapters, to about 175 pages in, I found I wasn’t that hooked anymore. I decided to leave the book for a while and come back to it later. I did so, and  found the next parts much better! I became completely engrossed in the story and addicted to Amalie’s writing. Then, in the last fifty pages, I didn’t feel that anymore. Maybe I wasn’t entirely in the mood for a sci-fi, maybe the plot was just at its best in the middle… I’m not sure!

Overall, The Almost Girl was a fun read. It’s an epic Sci-Fi concept that really interested me. I really couldn’t get into some parts… This book took me about a week to get through. However, it did definitely have its action packed, engrossing parts, so I did enjoy a large amount of it. The characters, and their backgrounds and ties with each other, were pretty confusing to me. They were hard to follow at points! However, some of the genius plot twists in the middle and the world building definitely made up for it. A complex read, but also really original. I think a lot of Sci-Fi fans will love it.

My Rating:

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I received a copy of The Almost Girl from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

A 2013 round-up!

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2013, you went STUPIDLY quickly. But you were an awesome year. 😀 I started blogging in May 2011, but I started blogging properly, I guess, at the beginning of this year. I’m really glad I did: 2013 has been so awesome mainly thanks to the blogosphere! I’ve been to some publishing lunches, and I got into going to events at various bookshops. I’ve met a ton of lovely people this year- authors, bloggers, publicists… It’s been so brilliant!:D

Here’s my round up of 2013, in picture-infographic-ish-things, because I felt a bit artsy. They probably don’t look as awesome as I imagined them… If it’s hard to read them, click on them to bring yourself to a bigger version of the image!

I’ve mentioned a lot of bloggers in one picture: But I’ve met so many people that I think I have missed some out. If I have, I’m really sorry! You’re still very awesome ;D All of the bloggers I’ve met this year and through blogging as a whole have had super-awesome blogs.

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You can find links to all the sites I’m on in the widgets bar on the left, apart from Netgalley, because that’s not a social network!

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Post Edit: I realised that the ratings are wrong because I gave a lot of things X and a half hearts this year! These are rounded up.

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Hopefully that’s all the things covered! ;D I quite enjoyed making those infographic thingies so maybe I’ll do more posts like this for different subjects soon… I’m really happy with this year bookish-blogging wise. Again- big thank yous and hugs and virtual cake to all of the lovely authors and publishers I’ve read books from! It’s been awesome meeting lots of new people, too. I’m looking forward to meeting more people and reading more books and carrying on with blogging in 2014!

Happy reading and writing and blogging and everything for next year, everyone! :p

The Christmas Spirits

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By Whitley Strieber, published by Coronet.

The Christmas SpiritsGoodreads Synopsis: George Moore is a modern day Scrooge, a futures trader who drives his staff hard, and won’t let his assistant go home to look after her autistic son on Christmas Eve.

Like Scrooge he is mean with money, but he is also mean with his sympathies and his time. He has to swerve to avoid putting money in a charity box and also crosses the road to avoid a family he thinks are probably gypsies on his way to dinner at a cheap cafeteria. An old man sitting nearby looks as if he might be looking for the warmth of some human contact. George refuses to meet his eye and hurries home.

Various slightly odd, even disconcerting things happen. He encounters a nun who looks like an elderly child. He sees a Santa in the window of a department store, who seems to emerge from his Grotto, look confused, and is then surrounded by small elf-like figures who drag him back behind the curtains. Finally, when he arrives back in his apartment the old man from the cafeteria suddenly appears and reveals himself as George’s old mentor in trading and in greed. Bill Hill reveals that he is dead and that he has come to give George a warning. He warns George he will have three visitors that night, and then in a flash he disappears.

So it comes about that, as Bill Hill said, George receives three visitors that Christmas Eve, just as Scrooge was visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. But these are not the ghosties and sprites that frightened Dickens’s readers. George’s visitors are more ambiguous, more frightening to a modern sensibility. They are visitors that will give even today’s reader goose bumps.

My Review: I haven’t read a lot of festive books this month! But, I wanted to try and read one very Christmassy one so I picked up this. I love A Christmas Carol, and I love grim, modern stories too: So putting those two together should be really awesome.The Christmas Spirits I wasn’t really sure about! It’s a quick, quite fun read, but at the same time, it was too short to grow to like the story very much or have a really layered plot.

George Moore is a really realistic modern day version of Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s tight with money, hates giving to charity, and despite being a millionaire he still lives in an old flat and only eats discounted things just to keep his bank balance high. He didn’t seem very unique to me though; but I guess that wasn’t the point, because he is a modern version of a classic character! There were points where you really, really hate him, and points where you quite like the changes happening to him. He does develop a lot throughout the book, but I couldn’t really connect to him or any of the other characters. Was that because they weren’t detailed on enough, or because it was such a short read? I don’t know!

The plot, for an under-200-page story, was a bit… all over the place, to me. This book was pitched to me as a scary read, thanks to the quote on the front of my copy. I didn’t find it was terrifying. If anything, I think this book was intended to be a feel-good story… thanks to the quite heart-warming ending. In the first hundred pages, I was a little lost. Nothing was explained really well in my opinion, and everything moved really fast. There were parts of the book that were really good ideas, and well written but didn’t… go with the story! Such as, the scene with the orphans and Moore being charitable, but everything goes wrong. It was slightly unrealistic, but well written . It took up a large part of the book, but didn’t quite match with the story. If you took it out of the novel, the other events wouldn’t have really been affected. I just felt some things were put into the book for the sake of it. Parts didn’t really fit together for me.

Though there were a few points of the book that I disliked, I really did love the ending. Despite a bit of a haywire plot, everything seemed a lot better in the last 50 or so pages. It’s predictable, because I know the events of A Christmas Carol and Tiny Tim, and I really did love that ending, with George Moore finally being less heartless and pretty much saving the day. It was a really sweet ending, and I think it definitely made up for the rest of the plot, which I just really couldn’t get my head around!

Overall, The Christmas Spirits definitely wasn’t an amazing, unforgettable book. But, at the same time, it did have a lot of good points. I wish it could’ve been longer: That would’ve given the story more time to unfold properly. A lot of points felt rushed and really hasty to me! George Moore is a clever representation of the classic Scrooge character, but I did find it a lot harder to grow to love him at the end like I grew to love the classic, original Scrooge. Recommended for anybody who wants a festive, but short read; though of course, the original is the best and this one was quite hard to get into!

My Rating:

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I borrowed a copy from Dad’s bookshelves!

New Books! #33

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I hope everyone had a bookish Christmas! (: I did, and got some awesome-looking books, though I’ll probably be buying more in new year sales soon. Since I last did a book haul at the beginning of December, I’ve also bought a lot of books, but I tweeted a lot of pictures so you might have seen some! They’re not in this post today. However, here’s most of the Christmas haul:

Gifted for Christmas:

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I’ll highlight a few! ;D

Fortunately, The Milk… by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell (Special edition): I had this on my kindle and, like a few other illustrated eBooks, I think I could’ve enjoyed them even more in physical format! This copy was signed because Foyles have exclusive editions in pretty slipcases and all of them are signed! Squeee!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Folio Society Copy): I saw this in the Folio Society’s catalog a while ago and it’s a really beautiful edition. I’ve enjoyed a few of Ray Bradbury’s stories before but this is his classic, most famous one- and I haven’t read it! ): This copy’s a slipcase edition too, and the illustrations inside are so pretty. I’m looking forward to it!

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger: Squeeee. SOAP. SOPHRONIA. VIEVE. I’m so excited to read more about them! I’ve really been looking forward to finding a copy of this, since I finished Etiquette and Espionage. This is definitely getting bumped up the TBR Pile (:

NYX- Wannabe (Vol 1) & No Way Home (Vol 2) from Marvel: This graphic novels look so awesome, and really different from all of the rest of the Mutant comics. Before, it’s all been about the Jean Grey School. But now: IT’s about the Mutants who are still struggling in the human schools- this is set in New York. I started the first Volume earlier and it’s amazing so far: Really gritty and action packed and emotional and… whoa.

Ta-Da! So that, along with all of the other TBR books from before, has probably made up my whole next year of reading… Tell me what you thought of any of them as a comment/ tweet! And, link back to your own hauls ;D (Also, I like my new collage-y format. I fiddled around on Picmonkey a lot. Hope you like it!).

The GIF Tag!

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Hawwa is a blogger @ It Was Lovely Reading You, and she made this awesome tag called The GIF Tag. Her post made me laugh so much, so I really wanted to join in! :3 This is what Hawwa said:

“Today i’m posting a tag i made up after thinking, why not? I use GIFs a lot. I fangirl a lot. The two go together, so why not make a tag to show what type of GIF reactions you would use in certain situations. So the GIF tag was born! *drum roll*”

So YEAH. Awesome, awesome tag. I don’t think I’ve done a bloggy tag before but I’m hoping to do more in 2014- a lot of people have tagged me in various things… Here we go! ;D

when you meet: someone who likes reading

Stoked

someone who hates reading

WTF? Abandon thred

someone who reads

Jon Stewart Fangirling

someone who doesn’t read

Oprah Sad Yes

someone who’ships’ the same characters as you

Colbert High Five

waiting for the last book in a series

description

finishing the last book in a series

OMG OWL!

book to film adaptions

gw-dance

when an author kills off a favourite character

I Give Up

in a book shop

Cookie Monster Dance

finding out an author you love is writing a new book

Excited Adventure Time

Hawwa will notice that I didn’t do *all* of them… well there were a few that I couldn’t actually find awesome enough gifs for, and I was laughing like a nutter doing this and had to stop myself ;D

So… I am going to tag someone now! I’ll go for Charli @ To Another World– happy GIF-ing Charli!! (:

This post would’ve gone up tomorrow, but tomorrow it’s Christmas!! ;D I may not be blogging for the rest of the week, as I’ve been contemplating a short break to organise 2014 posts. But, there might be a review up on Friday! So merry Christmas for tomorrow, bookish people! (:

Phoenix

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By SF Said, published by David Fickling Books.

PhoenixGoodreads Synopsis: THE SUPERNOVA IS COMING . . . ONE BOY ALONE CAN SAVE THE GALAXY!

Lucky thinks he’s an ordinary Human boy. But one night, he dreams that the stars are singing – and wakes to find an uncontrollable power rising inside him.

Now he’s on the run, racing through space, searching for answers. In a galaxy at war, where Humans and Aliens are deadly enemies, the only people who can help him are an Alien starship crew – and an Alien warrior girl, with neon needles in her hair.

Together, they must find a way to save the galaxy. For Lucky is not the only one in danger. His destiny and the fate of the universe are connected in the most explosive way . . .

My Review: This book kept catching my eye in bookstores, and I was approved for it on Netgalley. I kept putting it off because it was on my kindle and I prefer physical copies! I wanted to buy this to read on paper but in the end, curiosity got the better of me and I started it on my kindle, even though the illustrations have a better effect in physical copies. Even though it probably wasn’t the best reading experience, on a kindle, I feel in love with this story. I’m definitely going to be buying it and re-reading it soon!

Phoenix is about a boy called Lucky, who’s living in a universe torn apart by war. When he almost burns his room down in his sleep, a chain of events starts, pulling him into the conflict between the humans and the Axxa. The plot unfolds really well, and there were some genius twists that kept me guessing at the ending. There’s no way I could have ever predicted the last chapters. They were heartbreaking, yet hopeful, and so beautiful.

The book was full of some breath-taking world building- It was so vivid and realistic, I felt like if I looked out of my window I’d see the starships flying across the skies and the feel the stars singing. It was amazing, how powerful the world was! The plot was action packed and adventurous, yet despite all of the fantastical happenings, the story can be applied to real life. It deals with the effects of war, and unlikely friendships, and I really loved how that’s relatable to loads of situations here in real life. The writing, as well as the illustrations, bring the story to life beautifully. It was so descriptive, but not over-the-top, and generated a lot of powerful imagery. SF Said is really talented at weaving tension into a story, and he made me really feel for the characters.

Lucky is unforgettable. At first, over the first tenth of the book, I was a little unsure of him, because he didn’t seem to be that brave. Though, I think that may have been intended; because Lucky’s development over the story is amazing. His power, though it’s a burden to him, sounds pretty cool! (: Another character that I fell in love with, was Bixa. She’s an Axxa, as part of the starship crew that Lucky joins. She’s really unique and loveable- pretty awesomely kick-butt, too! Her friendship with Lucky was so… CUTE! I loved them, though of course all of the other members of the Axxa crew have a special place in my heart now… (:

Overall, Phoenix is a really amazing novel. I’m so glad I finally thought I’d request and read it. (I blame M at We Sat Down for this new bookish obsession!!) The plot was superbly written, and I immersed myself in the world so easily. I really, really didn’t want to leave it at the end! The characters were all flawless; each has such detailed backgrounds and personalities- I felt I knew them. I did really want to talk about all of McKean’s drawings for the book here, too: But on a kindle they really didn’t look as amazing as they do on paper. Phoenix is on my to-buy list for when I next visit a bookshop though, so I can read it in physical form and experience the illustrations better- they are breathtaking! Anyway- HIGHLY recommended for any sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, etc., out there- and also anybody who wants a new favourite book (:

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Phoenix from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

 

The End of Year Book Survey

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I discovered this survey via Ruby @ Feed Me Book Now’s awesome blog! She had such a great post. I really wanted to have a go at it, so I’ve answered the questions! Hopefully there isn’t too much fangirling and virtual squealing…

ENDOFYEARSURVEY

This survey is originally from The Perpetual Page-Turner Blog. You can check Jamie’s original post here! There is a part about book blogging that I missed out! That was because this post was getting very very long with all of my rambling. I might just not do it, though should I want to finish this survey, I’ll post it up later this week.

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1. Best book you read in 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre)

This is SO hard. It’s like picking a favourite child. Here goes… Genre-split! First, Dystopia (and mystery):

–MORE THAN THIS by Patrick Ness: This book blew me away. It was what I was hoping for and so much more. It’s a mind-blowing novel! If I could have, I would have given it six stars. I also met the author straight after reading it, which was amazing.

Contemporary:

–A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson: A book I only recently read, and a book that I fell in love with. This captures an eleven year old’s life particularly well, and deals with grief, and divorce, and families. So powerful.

Sci-Fi:

-Phoenix by SF Said: Simply awesome! Phoenix is a book that I only just finished a couple of days ago, but it moved straight to the top of my favourites. A review shall be up soon! Dave McKean’s (FAVOURITE ARTIST :3) illustrations really bring the magical story to life.

Romance:

–The Fault in our Stars by John Green: Need I say more?

I’ll stop there with favourites! I’d be here forever (:

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? 

MATCHED by Ally Condie. With all the hype, I thought that was going to be brilliant. I did quite like some points, but it wasn’t memorable for me. Sadly, I’ve forgotten most of it. ):

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

PIVOT POINT by Kasie West! Brilliant, clever, genius, fun, thrilling, surprising book. I was not expecting that.

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013? 

Definitely MORE THAN THIS, again! I read that, fangirled a lot, then literally did not stop screaming about it for about two weeks. Honestly, if you went through my twitter timeline from when I read the book and just after I finished it, every other tweet is probably in Caps Lock and full of fangirling. And recommending. I think a lot of people got bored of me nagging them to read it!

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Oh, that’s hard. Comic-Wise, definitely The Runaways. Though the latest volumes haven’t been as good, it’s still brilliant. Bookish-wisE? The Infernal Devices. Steampunk, plus fantasy, plus romance, plus Cassandra Clare’s writing… amazing.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

John Green! One of his books I didn’t enjoy that much, but he is an amazing writer that I can’t believe I only discovered this year. Though also, Yangze Choo’s The Ghost Bride was an awesome debut! I’m really glad I discovered her writing. It’s beautiful.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. Beautiful story, I liked it. I never usually read romance… I read a lot of romance that has fantasy tie-ins, sci-fi element,s etc… but I never usually read a book that is primarily that genre. I still don’t really, but Boy Meets Boy was a nice change!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

More Than This. Again. I keep mentioning it here! That shows how awesome it was. Trust me, pick it up!! Unputdownable is exactly the word to describe it.

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: Obviously, because the film is out next year!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

This is two books, really, but they’re of the same series! The Grimm Legacy and The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman both have absolutely gorgeous covers. They’re really quirky and have a cool collage-feel!

 The Grimm Legacy   The Wells Bequest (The Grimm Legacy, #2)

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

This is difficult! I’ll have to go with Dan Hope, because I read Lara Williamson’s debut about him really recently and haven’t been able to get him out of my mind since.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Ooh. This is hard. I had to scan over all of the books I’ve read this year via Goodreads to answer this! I’ll have to go with The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It’s a translation from Spanish, and a rally great one. Carlos’ writing is beautiful. Hopefully I can read his original stuff in Spanish if I keep taking Spanish class though, right? ;D

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

This is a non-fiction piece. Finding your Inner Cherokee by Siobhan Curham. It’s a beat-bullying guide available on kindle, and really, really helps anybody who reads it. I can’t recommend it enough- it really does make a great impact- it worked for me!

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare! I actually started reading the first chapter when it first came out and my dad was sent a copy. I never finished it then; I guess when I was a little younger, I was scared of big books D: I am glad I got around to it though- it’s my favourite YA Steampunk series at the moment!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013? 

Oh. Well. Literally everything I’ve read this year has had a beautiful quote that I’ve had to write down or bookmark! I’ll go with an obvious, pretty famous one, from Steven Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower*:

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

pretty quote! :3

*= Oh man- I forgot to review this! D:

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest book: Oranges in No-Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird. It wasn’t even two hundred pages! It was a good story but I didn’t enjoy it because of the length- too short; couldn’t connect.

Longest Book: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: This was almost six hundred pages! I’m pretty proud of myself for that one because normally I slow down when reading a large book. However, I got through it quicker than I thought I would.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? Be careful of spoilers!

Aaaaand, More Than This by Patrick Ness invades the survey again! When everything was revealed, (I’m not spoiling anything here!) and the truth came to light, I just had to sit there and stare at a wall for a while. Because it was so WHOAAA and I didn’t know anyone who’d read it yet, so I couldn’t tweet about it!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013

This is so hard! I need to go with two characters in STRAY by Monica Hesse. Oh, and that love-triangle-ish in Geek Girl… I loved Harriet and her best friend for their friendship, and loved Harriet with both the boys! (One relationship doesn’t happen. But, it really should because they are PERFECT, though it would be weird).

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick.

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. In fact, that was a recommendation from a lot of people. I only bought it because I saw so many rave reviews, and because a lot of people were shocked that I hadn’t read it yet!

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

YA overall, mostly, though I did dip into all age categories. Under YA though… that’s got to be paranormal or contemporary. I never really read either before this year, actually!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Ooh. Um. I don’t even know. So many new ones this year… D:

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

So hard! A lot of what I read this year was debuts. Stray by Monica Hesse was awesome and I haven’t mentioned that here yet, so I’ll go with that! (Stray also fits into way more categories above.)

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Does it count if I’m currently reading this? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! Beautiful, powerful imagery. The circus is so vivid and real!

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

The Savages by Matt Whyman, on the funny side! That was such an enjoyable novel.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

TFiOS, Clockwork Princess, Delirium, Finding Cherokee Brown, Maggot Moon, All Our Yesterdays, Half Lives, Partials, Everything is Fine (and Other Lies I tell Myself), By Any Other Name… the list goes on! D:

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

The sequel to this came out this year, the first book I think came out last year: Partials by Dan Wells. This is an amazing Sci-Fi series! In fact I think it might even be the best Sci-Fi series I’ve read. I want to fangirl with somebody, but nobody I knows seems to have read it! *hint hint, go buy them*

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1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Requiem by Lauren Oliver! I read and loved the first book, went and brought the next two. Pandemonium just wasn’t what I was expecting and I grew to really dislike the main character. It put me off of the last book, but I really do want to finish the trilogy! I don’t want to DNF something because I hate doing that, book or series.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Hmm. There are so many, but at the same time, I can’t think of one that I can single out!

Probably The Bubble Wrap Boy by Phil Earle. Phil is an awesome writer (Who I’ve met and is local to me! Yay!) and I’ve really enjoyed two of his other books.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Banished: The Blackhart Legacy book one by Liz De Jager. *SCREAM* Liz is so awesome on twitter and in real life, and I’m so excited about her Debut in February that I’ve even changed my surname on twitter to the protagonist’s surname. Yep. I am excited. I also saw a proof in REAL LIFE today and the cover is so gorgeous!!! *cue more fangirly screams*

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

City of Heavenly Fire! 2013 has turned me into a bit of a TMI fangirl. I think the series would have been awesome left at book three, like it was originally, but I do want to see how everything ends. Bring on the feels! ;D

So… Ta Da! That took me the best part of two hours to write- most of the answers were pretty difficult! I hope you enjoyed my answers. On the original survey (linked to right at the top of this post!) there’s a linky that this post is on, as well as lots of other blogs. Be sure to check them out! If you’ve participated leave the link in the comments! (:

A Boy Called Hope

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By Lara Williamson, published by Usborne.

A Boy Called HopeGoodreads Synopsis: I’m Dan Hope and deep inside my head I keep a list of things I want to come true.
For example, I want my sister, Ninja Grace, to go to university at the North Pole and only come back once a year.
I want to help Sherlock Holmes solve his most daring mystery yet. And if it could be a zombie mystery, all the more exciting.
I want to be the first eleven-year-old to land on the moon.
I want my dog to stop eating the planets and throwing them up on the carpet.
And finally, the biggest dream of all, I want my dad to love me.
A Boy Called Hope is a brave, bold and funny debut about family in all its shapes and sizes.

My Review: Upon finishing this, I literally had no words. I was actually speechless: I wasn’t expecting such a poignant, beautifully written, heart-breaking-and-heart-warming story- from a debut novel! As soon as I’d finished the last chapter (for the fourth time) I knew this had to be my new favourite title of the year. A Boy Called Hope is set to become an outstanding, award winning novel, I’m sure, thanks to the unforgettable plot and the beautiful writing style.

A Boy Called Hope is about Dan, an eleven year old whose dad left his family years ago. His father is now famous, his dog keeps eating everything, his sister is a Word Ninja, and his friend is obsessed with religious artifacts. Dan’s story is about his search to see if his dad, who never kept contact, still loves him. Along the way there he has to face so many other difficulties: family-wise and friendship-wise. Lara Williamson has captured an eleven year old’s voice perfectly! The story was so believable. I didn’t want to let go of the characters, and the story, when I was nearing the end. It was reminiscent of John Green’s and Annabel Pitcher’s writing, as it was brutally honest and emotional.

Dan is really three-dimensional character. He’s funny at points, clever at others, and always carries this inspiring amount of hope with him wherever he goes. Dan put a smile on my face with every page and I’m sure every reader will fall in love with his personality. His story is so heartwarming. At the same time, it’s also heartbreaking. A Boy Called Hope covers a lot of issues, though mainly it’s about a father-son relationship. I think Lara captured that bond, and the effects of it breaking, so effectively. It brought tears to my eyes- happy ones as well as sad ones! His family life is complicated, but I could connect to all of the characters in his life in one way or another. The ending for Dan’s family was sad in one aspect, though brilliant and uplifting in another!

Overall, A Boy Called Hope is a 2014 debut that you do not want to miss, whatever age you are. The writing is beautiful, honest, and enjoyable: Lara Williamson made me feel like I was really reading a diary from an eleven year old boy. Her writing is honest, heart-wrenchingly sad and powerful… but it’s uplifting and fun too. The plot is so unpredictable- a real roller-coaster, and the ending was definitely not what I expected! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love with the characters and the ending will make you itch for more about Dan and his unforgettable life. A Boy Called Hope isn’t to be missed- it’s essential for Middle-Graders and up… make sure to look out for it in March!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of A Boy Called Hope from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Waiting on Wednesday #2

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Wow. I said about A MONTH ago that I’d start this meme and do it regularly. That didn’t really happen, did it? D:
Hopefully I’ll post these a lot more often, now! I’m gong to sort out a proper schedule for 2014 so I’m going to make sure I’ve got this meme on it! (:

So, what book am I waiting-on?

THE MEMORY KEEPERS by Natasha Ngan!

(No cover art yet! ) Goodreads Synopsis:

“No one can take your memories from you… can they?”

Seven is a thief with a difference – he steals downloadable memories from banks and memoriums to sell onto London’s black market, trading secrets and hidden pasts for a chance at a future of his own. He makes sure he keeps some special stuff back to ‘surf’ himself though – it’s the only real form of entertainment he can afford. But one night, as Seven is breaking into a private memorium in a wealthy part of London, he is caught in the act by one of its residents; Alba, the teenage daughter of London’s most famous criminal prosecutor. Instead of giving him away, Alba promises to keep Seven’s secret – as long as he allows her to go memory-surfing herself. In doing so, they discover a hidden memory about Seven’s past, revealing a shocking secret about Seven’s childhood, the government and a mysterious experiment known as The Memory Keepers…

Now Seven and Alba will have to race against time to unlock the maze of The Memory Keepers – but can they keep themselves out of harm’s way before the London Guard – and Alba’s father – catches up with them?

Why am I waiting-on this?

If you’ve been reading my blog since the summer, you’ll probably have seen my review of Natasha’s THE ELITES, as well as my interview with her! (: The Elites completely blew me away: it was an amazing debut novel. Natasha Ngan’s writing is beautiful and suspenseful and genius and she’s such a lovely person!! (: Since I finished her book I have been so excited to read more from Natasha. Luckily this is out next year- and it sounds just as awesome as Natasha’s debut. I love Sci-Fi, and mystery, books so this looks perfect for me. It hasn’t yet got a cover, so there probably will be a very fangirly post in the future when that is released…
I just checked the publishing date and it isn’t out until late next year (autumn)… so can somebody lend me a TARDIS? PLEASE? :3 (or a time turner. :D)

A few minutes ago, I was tweeting Natasha about including her book in this meme, and she offered to give me a little extract from The Memory Keepers. This, if it happens, may go up on Sunday which I am SO excited about! I may or may not have done a little fangirly dance in my chair. Hehe. So make sure to check when this may be happening! (:

We Will Destroy Your Planet

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(re the title: Don’t take this literally, it’s the book title ;D)

By David McIntee, published by Osprey.

We Will Destroy Your Planet: An Alien's Guide to Conquering the EarthGoodreads Synopsis: Enjoy this pseudo-nonfiction, ‘how-to’ military handbook for aliens intending to conquer the Earth. Science fiction elements are satirized and then connected to real-world science, history, and military technique to show how it should be done.
It goes without saying that any military campaign must be planned in ways depending upon some basic factors: The logistics of where your enemy is in relation to your own forces, environmental factors, and, most importantly, ‘why’ you’re fighting this campaign. This book intends to take these basic factors, and apply them to the purpose of conquering the planet known to the natives as Earth.
There are, of course, many possible reasons for launching a military campaign against such a planet. The form of your campaign, and the formation of its strategic and tactical policies will very much depend on your reason. Obviously the campaign to destroy all sentient life on a planetary surface will be very different in character to a campaign to, say, bring the local population into the fold of your empire or federation – and, frankly, a lot simpler.
Once the reason for conquest, or destruction, has been determined, the book will take a step-by-step approach to the best way to annihilate humanities resistance and bring them to their knees.

 

My Review: I requested this book because I actually thought it would be a little like the some of the books I loved when I was smaller. I had this one handbook called Vordak the Incomprehensible, for super-villains, which outlined how to conquer the Earth in a light, funny manner, for younger kids. That was what I was expecting from We Will Destroy Your Planet- though what I actually received was something a lot more complex, and… heavier, I guess!

I dived into the book thinking it would be a children’s title, though it’s much more suited to sci-fi loving teenagers and adults. That isn’t because of the content- I just found that everything was written in a more complex way than I had expected. It actually seemed like a very serious book! (Watch out, I have all the knowledge of how to take over the Earth now!) My first thought was i’m not going to enjoy it as much now. I was looking for an MG read! However, that didn’t mean I hated this. It was actually a pretty brilliant book, and there was a bit of humor thrown in too.

The book is split into different sections outlining everything about taking over the Earth. Information on military organisations, Earth’s inhabitants and atmosphere info, weapons and attacking methods. It was all really in-depth and I found that quite fun! As a bit of a science geek, I really loved reading it. There were points where things were just too heavy for my liking: parts that were purely scientific information, and were generally confusing. There were a lot of parts I was really absorbed into, but at some other points, I did feel like the author was just dumping a lot of information on the page, cramming it all in. A few parts could have definitely been worded to be more enjoyable!

The illustrations really livened up the book. It reads like a non-fiction piece of work- that was quite cool! – so the illustrations, I weren’t originally expecting. They were really, really awesome. I really loved the illustrator’s work! The rich sci-fi drawings broke down the book a bit and brought the content to life.

Overall, We Will Destroy your Planet was a fun read, though it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. It took me quite a while to read it, because I just couldn’t get used to the writing style. It is a really great book, though! It’s the perfect Christmas present for a Sci-Fi fan. WWDYP is very in-depth to the point where it’s even a little scary… let this book fall into the wrong hands and… well, Earth’s going to get invaded! D: The last eighth of the book, roughly, is an index of alien invasions in Sci-Fi stories, and I really liked that part. My inner sci-fi nerd is begging me to go find all of the recommendations now!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of We Will Destroy your Planet from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect  my thoughts.